Kiyoharu Worries Himself Sick Over Airi's Calf

[Task Name: Chihaya Airi's Hidden Danger]

[Task Description: Long-term high-intensity work combined with some unhealthy lifestyle habits has led to hidden lesions brewing in Airi's body. As the person closest to Airi, it is your undeniable duty to eliminate her health risks!]

[Task Objective: (Repeatable, refreshes daily) Complete calf and foot massage to relieve Airi's pain]

[Task Reward: For each instance, gain 1-10 Energy Points based on Airi's pleasure level, and reduce disease progression by 1%]

[Reward for completing the task 50 times: Skill "Golden Fingers"]

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What, the Red-Eyed Devil has a hidden illness?

For a moment, Kiyoharu subconsciously felt happy, but it quickly turned to worry.

This seemingly contradictory emotion was like facing a really terrible boss who pays you handsomely. You hate them, but you don't want them to get into trouble. Otherwise, who's going to cover the salary I'm missing?

Kiyoharu clicked on the panel to view the specifics. A barrage of medical jargon flooded his vision. Lacking any professional knowledge in this area, Kiyoharu stubbornly read for half an hour before finally understanding that Airi might have a neurological condition causing lower limb muscle weakness.

In other words, she might end up in a wheelchair at a young age.

Doesn't that mean Kiyoharu would have to push her wheelchair and take care of her? Push her to work during the day, push her for a walk at night, and even push her to the bathroom in the middle of the night... Ugh! I don't want that!

Unless they pay me more.

But then again, even if they could pay him more, Kiyoharu still felt that the young lady would be easier to get along with if she wasn't in a wheelchair. At least then he could peacefully play games at night.

With that thought, Kiyoharu gradually increased the pressure on his hands, causing Airi, who was playing on her phone, to frown.

"Why are you suddenly applying so much pressure? Are you trying to get revenge on me this way, Kiyoharu-kun?"

"Of course not." Kiyoharu paused, organizing his thoughts before speaking seriously, "Does the young lady occasionally feel numbness or weakness in her calves? Even when she hasn't overexerted herself, does she experience similar symptoms?"

"Who told you that?"

"I know a little bit about traditional Chinese medicine. It was taught to me by that old master who's good at Chinese cuisine." Regarding his familiarity with Chinese cuisine, Kiyoharu fabricated a story about an old man who was his close friend in childhood. Whenever there was a skill he couldn't explain, he would just say it was taught by the old master.

Airi was silent for a moment, not detecting any falseness in Kiyoharu's eyes.

About two months ago, Airi had secretly gone to the hospital for an examination regarding the symptoms Kiyoharu described. The doctor was a trusted confidant who had been serving the Chihaya Conglomerate for many years.

Theoretically, no one except her father knew about Airi's problem.

Such information was, naturally, strictly confidential. As Chihaya Genichiro's daughter, she could never reveal any weakness to the outside world.

Illness was also a form of weakness.

Tsk, Kiyoharu-kun actually noticed...

"It's none of your business," Airi said dismissively. "The doctor has already made a treatment plan for me."

"I'm sure the results have been minimal."

"..."

A flicker of hesitation crossed Airi's face, and Kiyoharu knew he had guessed correctly.

Since it was a hidden illness that the system deemed worthy of a quest, it wouldn't be easily cured. This wasn't to say the doctors at the Chihaya Conglomerate were incompetent, but rather that the human body, being such a precise and complex entity, was sometimes beyond the reach of even the most advanced technology.

"Let me try. I'll give the young lady a massage at a fixed time every day. I believe it will surely help."

"No. What if the symptoms worsen?"

"Didn't I give you a massage last time? You looked quite comfortable then, you even fell asleep..."

"I said no, and I mean no!" Airi suddenly became agitated, her face flushing slightly, her tone sharp. "Who do you think you are, daring to question my decisions?"

"...My apologies."

Kiyoharu adopted a submissive posture, gazing at the water in the foot basin with a troubled expression.

As expected, the Red-Eyed Devil wasn't easy to persuade. Moreover, Kiyoharu's massage skills were rather amateurish and lacked professional endorsement. Last time, it was because Airi wanted to test him that she allowed him to massage her feet, so she probably didn't care about the actual effect. This time, it involved Airi's health, so she had to be much more cautious.

How could he break through?

However, at this moment, Airi, who appeared to be in a position of authority, was not thinking as Kiyoharu imagined.

What annoyed her was that Kiyoharu had inadvertently mentioned her falling asleep last time, which made her feel embarrassed and prompted her to snap at him.

Seeing Kiyoharu's wronged expression, that strange emotion returned, accompanied by a sharp pain in her chest.

"I want to step on his face."

A strong thought popped into Airi's mind. An idea struck her, and she let out a melodious and cunning laugh.

"Oh my... Kiyoharu-kun, I think I understand your motives."

"Motives." Kiyoharu squinted and retorted, "That sounds like interrogating a suspect arrested by the police."

"Something like that. After all, you've become addicted to my feet and want to touch them often, which is why... you proposed to help me with my illness, right?"

As she reached the latter half of her sentence, Airi crossed her legs, her toes emerging from the water. Her crystal-clear toes, free of any dirt, lifted Kiyoharu's chin, forcing him to look at her.

What a shrimp head, truly a shrimp head!

Kiyoharu was slightly taken aback by Airi's narcissistic thought process, but she had always been self-absorbed, so it wasn't a new development.

His thoughts racing, Kiyoharu quickly made a decision.

Since Airi thinks that way, why not just go with the flow and admit it? There isn't really a better way to gain Airi's trust anyway. Sincerity is always the ultimate move!

"You are correct, Young Lady. I do have these considerations, but please believe me, my intentions are absolutely for your physical well-being... sob sob!"

Chihaya Airi kicked Kiyoharu to the ground and stood up, stepping out of the wooden foot bath. Water droplets slid down her delicate ankles.

Lying on his back on the ground, Kiyoharu could only watch as Airi, with the steps of a jungle predator, approached him. She lifted a fair, tender foot and placed the sole on Kiyoharu's face.

The fine texture was springy, and the unique personal scent of Airi, further sweetened after being stimulated by the hot water, was like freshly baked pastries, causing Kiyoharu to unconsciously sniff.

"Given Kiyoharu-kun's good performance recently, completing the contractually stipulated tasks while also helping me look after my two best friends, I shall indulge Kiyoharu-kun's fantasies. I'll reward you by letting you touch my feet every day, after all, Kiyoharu-kun has always been very interested in them..."

"It's, it's not that exaggerated..."

"Still talking back!" With his handsome face under her foot, Airi felt even more excited. Her red eyes blazed with blood-red light, surging with unusual, unhealthy emotions. Her voice became even more dominant, as if she had unleashed some hidden form. "However, there's a condition... To prove your desire, now, lick it clean. If you can do that, I'll allow you to give this lady a foot massage once a day."

Kiyoharu remained silent.

"What? Are you feeling wronged?"

"I..."

"You have ten seconds to consider. Time's up, no exceptions."

From Airi's perspective, Kiyoharu showed clear signs of internal struggle. As the ten seconds were about to expire, he reluctantly picked up her foot, his mind racing.

How can I turn this around? Can I ask?