"Take the child to the hospital for an examination. And learn properly what children should eat at what age. If you can't even manage that much, then don't become parents!"
After sternly lecturing the young couple standing before him with their heads lowered, Ash lost any desire to fight. Dispirited, he put away his stamp.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you...!"
He left without looking back, leaving behind the passersby applauding the successful emergency treatment and the young couple repeatedly thanking his retreating figure.
After walking only a short distance, Ash turned around. Sure enough, Rikka was following close behind him like a lost puppy, her head lowered as though she had done something wrong.
"Hey, you didn't try to run away this time? You followed me instead?"
"Um..."
Ash cut off what Rikka was about to say. "What time did you get?"
"E-Eight seconds..."
Eight seconds... Muttering that number, Ash's expression darkened. "I was slow. Did I get complacent?"
S-So having me time him was really just for keeping score? Rikka had thought she had helped Ash somehow, and she was left dumbfounded.
"Anything else... hm?"
To his surprise, Rikka's reddened eyes were constantly being wiped with the back of her hand, but glistening tears still kept falling and shattering against the ground.
"I... I couldn't do anything—"
When that child and those parents needed help, I could only stand there stupidly and do nothing.
I almost... I almost watched such a young life slip away right before my eyes.
That was something Rikka simply could not accept.
"This had nothing to do with you, so what are you getting worked up for?"
Ash was at a loss when faced with Rikka's tears. He could not understand why she had suddenly started crying.
Her voice gradually thickened with sobs