Chapter 82: Inside the Infirmary
It was Wednesday again.
That morning, Kouya had just gotten up when he heard a crisp doorbell sound from next door echo through the hallway, breaking the early morning quiet. The sunlight spilling through the curtains painted golden streaks across his room.
"Gabi-chan, get up! You're not skipping class again today!" Vigne's voice came brightly from outside, carrying her usual mix of warmth and frustration.
After a long pause, the door next door finally clicked open. "Mmm, it's Vigne~" came a sleepy, drawn-out response.
Gabriel yawned loudly, covering her mouth with one hand. Her golden hair was a tangled mess, eyes half-open, her whole body radiating the aura of laziness itself. She swayed slightly on her feet. "So sleepy... I just wanna sleep a bit more... maybe a few hours..."
"Go wash your face and brush your teeth!" Vigne snapped, puffing her cheeks. "I told you yesterday—we have a PE test today! If you skip again, you'll fail and have to make it up later!"
"Tch, what a pain." Gabriel rubbed her eyes, frowning with genuine annoyance. "Exams are such an inhumane invention. Maybe this whole world should just be destroyed already."
"Don't destroy the world over something like that!" Vigne shouted, glaring at her with wide eyes. "Apologize to those hardworking teachers right now!"
At that moment, Kouya's door opened, and he stepped out, still buttoning his shirt.
Gabriel, who had been lazily yawning, froze on the spot when she saw him. Her eyes twitched, then narrowed into daggers. "Hentai!"
Clearly, she was still holding a grudge about what happened the other night—when she had accidentally grabbed something she definitely shouldn't have.
Enough already!
I was the one who got grabbed, damn it!
You're the one who assaulted me, so why do you look like the victim here?!
"Did something happen between you two?" Vigne asked curiously, glancing between them.
"No!" Gabriel almost shouted, shaking her head frantically. "I've got nothing to do with this guy!"
She turned sharply and stormed into her room, muttering as the door slammed shut.
Fine by me. I don't feel like talking to you either.
Vigne blinked, then sighed softly. "Kouya? You guys..." She hesitated but decided not to ask further. "You go on ahead. I'll wait here for Gabi-chan."
"Alright, I'm off," Kouya said with a small nod. There was no way he'd wait for that lazy angel to finish getting ready.
The morning drifted by quietly after that.
By the time the fourth period arrived, it was time for PE class. The faint scent of freshly cut grass filled the air outside, and the students gathered on the school field.
The PE teacher was a tall, broad-shouldered man in his forties, with a buzz cut and sharp cheekbones. A whistle hung from his neck, and he carried a clipboard with an expression that screamed authority.
Since there were only two boys in the class—Kouya and Itsuka Shidou—they joined the girls for class activities.
"So boring." After finishing his run, Kouya flopped onto the grass and started playing on his phone, yawning. To him, this kind of PE class was utterly dull.
Then, suddenly, the calm morning broke with the sound of girls shouting.
"Takanashi-san! Are you okay?!"
Kouya looked up and saw Takanashi Rikka on the ground. Her pale face twisted with pain, and she clutched her leg tightly.
Idiot.
Didn't I tell you not to wear that eyepatch in class? How can you even see properly with one eye covered?!
"Teacher, Takanashi-san just fell!" someone called.
The PE teacher glanced over, then nodded toward Kouya. "You, the boy—help her to the infirmary."
Eh? Why me? Isn't there another guy in class?
Kouya turned and spotted Itsuka Shidou—already chatting up a cute middle-school girl with twin tails tied by a white ribbon in the neighboring group.
...Unbelievable.
Kouya sighed deeply and walked over to Rikka.
"You okay?"
"It hurts~~" she whimpered, sniffling, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.
Kouya crouched beside her and gently took her wrist, helping her sit up. "Can you walk?"
Rikka tried to stand but immediately winced, her knees trembling. "I can't... it hurts too much..."
Kouya looked down and saw her ankle already swollen. Her knee was scraped, with faint streaks of blood forming.
Didn't expect you to be this delicate. You managed to injure yourself just by running.
"Kouya, she's hurt! Hurry and help her! If the wound dries, cleaning it later will sting like crazy!" one of the girls called out.
Another girl, emboldened by the group, giggled. "Yeah, just carry her princess-style! What's wrong, Kouya—can't lift a girl?"
Kouya squinted dangerously.
I remember you. You were one of those girls this morning screaming about wanting to be with Raphiel, weren't you?
Under his stare, the girl's laughter died instantly. She turned away, pretending to tie her shoelaces.
"Pervert! Disgusting!" Gabriel called out from across the field, glaring in disapproval.
Vigne bit her lip, wanting to help but still stuck in the middle of her own running test.
Kouya snorted. Do they think I have to carry her like that just to get her to the infirmary?
You underestimate me.
"Give me your hand," Kouya said to Rikka.
She hesitated, then shyly extended her small hand. It was tiny—soft and warm, her skin smooth like a peeled egg, fragile enough that it felt like it might melt in his grip.
Her cheeks flushed pink, and she looked up timidly. "Hero..."
Before she could finish speaking, she felt a strange warmth flow from his hand into her body. The pain in her leg faded almost instantly. Even her sprained ankle no longer ached.
Kouya pulled her up gently. "Let's go."
Holding her hand, he led Takanashi Rikka toward the school building, ignoring the stares from classmates as whispers followed them.
The school infirmary, located on the second floor of the administration building, was quiet. Most students only came here for headaches or mild fevers, so it was usually empty.
They stopped at the door, and Kouya knocked politely.
"Come in," a woman's voice answered.
He opened the door and led Rikka inside. The faint smell of disinfectant hit instantly. The room was small but tidy. A desk stood directly across the entrance, a sofa and coffee table occupied the center, and one side was lined with medicine shelves. Behind a curtain, five small beds sat neatly arranged.
The color palette was calm—bright blue and white. Everything felt clean, almost too clean, with sunlight streaming through the blinds.
Inside sat a young female doctor in her twenties. She had glasses, a neat ponytail, and a crisp white lab coat. She looked sharp and professional, though her eyes carried a faint air of boredom.
She looked up when they entered. "Got hurt? Sit her down on the sofa."
Kouya helped Rikka onto the couch. The doctor quickly slipped on gloves and began checking her knee.
"This happened during PE, right?" she asked casually while working. After a quick inspection, she nodded. "Not bad. Just some scrapes. I'll rinse it, disinfect with alcohol, and apply medicine. It should heal in about a week."
She turned around to grab supplies, but then her phone rang on the desk.
She picked it up, chatted for a few seconds, and then her expression completely changed—smiling from ear to ear.
Without hesitation, she spun around and handed the medicine bottles to Kouya.
"Eh?"
"Sorry, my boyfriend just asked me out for lunch." The doctor laughed brightly, unbothered. "You can handle the rest, right? It's just a small wound. Treat it yourselves."
Kouya stood frozen for a moment, blinking.
What the hell!
Isn't this actual negligence?!
She just ditched her injured student to go eat with her boyfriend!