We Seem to Be Quite Fated (Monthly Ticket Request)

(Thank you very much to Yan Ai Ai, Lei Xiang, Someone Immoral from Gensokyo, and Pokémon for the rewards!)

Although it was just an ordinary street with no benches set up nearby, there were flowerbeds by the roadside.

Noah supported the girl with slightly over-shoulder-length black hair to the edge of a flowerbed and had her sit down along its border.

Then, under the girl's gaze, Noah crouched down in front of her.

"Let me take a look."

As he said that, Noah reached out, lifted the girl's foot, and placed it on his knee.

Seeing this, the girl seemed extremely unaccustomed to Noah's actions, as though she was also unused to the kindness of others. She lowered her head and spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.

"Um... there's no need to go to so much trouble..."

"How is helping an injured person any trouble?" Noah did not even raise his head as he began gently massaging the girl's ankle with practiced movements.

"Don't let my appearance fool you. I used to be a school nurse. For an injury as minor as a sprained ankle, as long as there's nothing wrong with the bones, I can heal it in a little while. Bear with it for now."

"Y-Yes..." The girl nodded almost reflexively. Then she stared blankly at Noah as he focused on massaging her ankle, becoming lost in thought herself.

For the girl, this was probably the first time someone had helped her out of nothing but pure goodwill.

No, strictly speaking, the time Noah had driven away those three thugs for her was the first time she had truly encountered another person's kindness and goodwill.

Even if Noah had not stepped in then, the protection of some mysterious power within her would have prevented