"I should be able to walk back to the dorm. It'll be fine." Asahina Nazuna noticed him looking at her and curled her toes slightly, but she didn't reproach him. After all, he was only concerned about her.
"When you sprain your ankle, you usually end up bruised. It'd be best to stop by the infirmary. The doctor can massage it for a while, and if it's serious, you'll just need to bandage it for a few days." Suzuki Toru paused. "Senpai, you can try slowly moving the injured area. If you can move it, it means you've only damaged the soft tissue."
Asahina Nazuna blinked. This boy seemed to know a lot about treating sprains.
"I think I can move it." She frowned slightly and glanced at Suzuki Toru, seemingly hoping he'd advise her.
"Looks like a minor injury. It should get better in about a day."
Suzuki Toru nodded, then continued along the path toward the dorm.
Asahina Nazuna couldn't help staring after him in surprise. Wasn't he supposed to keep chatting with her and kindly help treat her injury?
"Um, what's your name?" the girl called from behind him. "And how did you know I was your senpai?"
She really did care about that sort of thing. Suzuki Toru stopped in his tracks as a matter of course and turned to look at Asahina Nazuna.
"Though we've never met, I've heard your name, senpai. I'm Suzuki Toru, a first-year. I recently joined the Student Council."
At the mention of the Student Council, Asahina Nazuna looked as if she understood. She'd probably heard about him from Miyabi Nagumo.
"So you're Miyabi's colleague... Sorry, that sounds a little strange, doesn't it? Anyway, it's nice to meet you. I'm Asahina Nazuna. I hope we get along."
As an upperclassman, she naturally had to respond politely now that he'd introduced himself.
"Nice to meet you, senpai." Suzuki Toru smiled at her, then turned and continued toward the dorm.
Asahina Nazuna's eyes widened. He'd been the one to strike up a conversation, and now he was just walking away. Wasn't that a little rude?
When she saw that he really was getting farther away, Asahina Nazuna finally couldn't help calling after him.
"Hey, Suzuki, are you really going to leave a cute senpai all by herself here?"
Suzuki Toru looked back at her, puzzled. "But senpai, didn't you say you could walk back to the dorm?"
Asahina Nazuna's cheeks flushed slightly. She didn't know why she'd called out to Suzuki Toru, either. Maybe she'd instinctively wanted help, and he happened to know how to deal with sprains.
Seeing the conflicted look on her face, Suzuki Toru knew he'd made his point. There was a limit to playing hard to get, or she'd just leave and give up.
"If you don't mind, senpai, I can take a look." Suzuki Toru approached her as if it were nothing.
At first, Asahina Nazuna would surely have been on guard, but after their earlier back-and-forth, she felt far less resistant.
Besides, Suzuki Toru hadn't exactly given her much time to react.
Asahina Nazuna watched him come over and crouch in front of her. Then he gently took hold of her foot. She instinctively tried to pull it back, but forced herself to stay still.
A girl's foot wasn't exactly a private part, but having someone hold it and examine it closely still made her feel a little shy and sensitive. And she barely knew Suzuki Toru.
Even Miyabi Nagumo had never held her foot like this. A strange feeling stirred in her heart, and her face grew hot. She suddenly regretted calling Suzuki Toru back.
"Tell me if it hurts." This wasn't the first time Suzuki Toru had held a girl's foot. He'd often massaged idols' thighs and rubbed their feet before, so his technique was practiced.
Being so far from the heart, her foot felt a little cool, yet smooth and supple. It wasn't rough and dry like a man's skin. Her small, fair foot was right in front of him. There was no sweet fragrance, nor any particular smell at all. It was perfectly clean.
The moment he took hold of her foot, one of his wishes came true.
But if he stuck out his tongue and licked it now, he'd probably fulfill a second wish, right?
Should he tell her that human saliva had healing properties?
The thought flashed through Suzuki Toru's mind. He still had some self-control; he wasn't about to act so rashly. Building a relationship gradually, little by little, was the way to go.
The sprain was around her ankle. Suzuki Toru was gentle, but Asahina Nazuna still let out a muffled groan.
"It's not too serious. I'll massage it to help the circulation. When you get back, remember to ice it, and don't walk around too much."
Watching him work so earnestly, Asahina Nazuna's awkwardness gradually faded. At the same time, she couldn't help developing a little fondness for her junior.
The uniforms at Advanced Nurturing High School were different from those at most high schools. The skirts didn't cover the knees, so there was no need to roll them up; the girls' thighs were usually exposed. And right now, she was sitting on a chair with her lower leg raised.
So all Suzuki Toru had to do was glance up a little to catch a glimpse of certain scenery.
Asahina Nazuna wasn't in the habit of wearing shorts beneath her skirt, so she couldn't help worrying about it. But when she saw that Suzuki Toru didn't seem interested at all, she found him rather amusing.
"Honestly, Suzuki, you're pretty handsome. If that thing earlier hadn't happened, you'd have scored really high with this senpai."
Maybe because she thought of herself as his senpai, Asahina Nazuna couldn't resist teasing him a little.
"Would a high score earn me a reward?"
"You're certainly eager. How about I reward you with a strawberry parfait?"
Suzuki Toru pressed down expressionlessly. Asahina Nazuna gave a few little cries, tears glimmered in her eyes, and her body trembled.
Mm... I'm here with my junior, wuwu.
Her delicate little foot seemed too fragile to withstand much. The smooth, warm sole was pink, and her round, cute toes glimmered softly. It felt silky and soft in his hand, as if even the slightest pressure might hurt her.
No, it actually would hurt her.
"Mm... That kind of hurts... W-wait, give me a moment!" Asahina Nazuna panted softly. A flush appeared on her pretty face, and her full chest rose and fell with each breath.
"Now comes the important part. Try to bear with it, senpai." Suzuki Toru was only checking whether any bones were out of place. He didn't think he was pretending to help just to take advantage of her.
"I-I can't... It hurts and it tickles, wuwu... Let me rest a little..." Asahina Nazuna had thought she was the sort of strong woman who wouldn't bat an eyelid even if Mount Tai collapsed in front of her. She hadn't expected to lose control and make such embarrassing sounds around him.
Seeing this, Suzuki Toru had no choice but to distract her.
"I heard you and Nagumo-senpai are dating?"
"N-no, we aren't. Miyabi and I are close, but we haven't taken things as far as dating."
Asahina Nazuna bit her lip. The warmth of his hands passed through her ankle and spread throughout her body with each movement. It was warm, ticklish, and painful all at once. The mix of sensations seemed to tease at her from within. She couldn't handle that kind of stimulation.
A girl's foot had plenty of sensitive spots. Touching it herself was one thing, but having a man touch it over and over, making it hurt, was bound to leave a lasting impression on her body.
"So you don't have a boyfriend yet?" This wasn't the first time Suzuki Toru had touched a girl's delicate foot, but he still found it hard to let go, especially when she let out a gasp at the slightest movement.
"I don't have anyone like that for now." Asahina Nazuna smiled, then panted for a moment. "I did consider Miyabi, but he still needs to work on his personality, so no, no way!"
They'd been at the same elementary and middle schools since childhood. Even after moving away, she'd somehow run into Miyabi Nagumo again here. Asahina Nazuna found it incredible.
Perhaps fate had brought them together. She couldn't help wondering whether he might be her destined one.
As she thought about it, Asahina Nazuna absentmindedly touched the charm on her wrist. She'd bought it after enrolling, and had heard it brought its owner good luck.
"By the way, Suzuki, you're so handsome. Do you have a girlfriend?" Asahina Nazuna poked him on the forehead. She'd happened to run into him just when she'd sprained her ankle, and couldn't help marveling at the mysterious ways of fate.
"I like older women. I'm not interested in the girls around me," Suzuki Toru replied.
"I'll take that as a joke at your senpai's expense—mm, ow, that hurts!" Asahina Nazuna tried to poke him again, but when he rubbed her ankle, her whole body nearly jumped.
By the time she'd held back her tears, Suzuki Toru had already let go of her foot.
"You should be all right now. Want me to help you back to the dorm?"
Asahina Nazuna moved her foot. It still ached faintly, and she frowned. "How long will it take to heal?"
"If it heals on its own, a day or two." Suzuki Toru could tell she was worried. "But it'd be best to stop by the infirmary. The doctor will probably have a spray or some medicine to reduce the swelling and pain."
Asahina Nazuna stared at him, then broke into a radiant smile. "The underclassmen this year are so nice. If not for what happened earlier, you'd have made a really good impression on your senpai."
So this senpai had a bit of a grudge-holding streak, too?
"My opinion of you is quite high as well, senpai. That is, once I've washed my hands."
Suzuki Toru sounded calm, but there was a hint of disgust in his expression.
Asahina Nazuna stared at him for a moment before realizing what he meant. Her cheeks flushed, and she glared at him in displeasure.
"I might kill you, you know?"
She'd rather Suzuki Toru hadn't smelled the fabled sweet fragrance than hear him say her feet smelled.
"Wait until your foot heals before you step on me to death." Suzuki Toru held out his hand, clearly offering to help her up.
"Heh, just you wait. I might even kick you a couple of times." Asahina Nazuna had been trying to keep a straight face, but before long she couldn't help laughing. "Good grief, at least wait until I've put on my socks and shoes before saying something like that. You have to be patient with girls, Suzuki."
Suzuki Toru watched her bend over. Her movements were a little stiff as she put on her socks, and a glimmer of pain passed over her eyes. Her pearly toes disappeared into the socks, then slipped into her little shoes. He couldn't see her bare feet anymore.
Once she was done, Suzuki Toru said quietly, "Actually, you don't have to put them back on. They'll probably bandage it at the infirmary anyway."
Asahina Nazuna's expression stiffened. She was genuinely starting to get annoyed with him.
"My opinion of you has just dropped to the lowest it's ever been. Now, please hold out your hand."
Suzuki Toru did as she asked and held out his hand.
Asahina Nazuna took a deep breath, grabbed his wrist, and used his strength to stand up.
"Take me to the infirmary, and give me your contact information." Asahina Nazuna glared at him. "Otherwise, your senpai will post about you on the school forum."
At that, Suzuki Toru immediately thought of several possible posts, and his expression changed.
"I wouldn't dare disobey, senpai."
The pairing of Suzuki Toru and Asahina Nazuna drew a few curious looks from students as they made their way along.
When they reached the infirmary, Suzuki Toru told the doctor about her sprain, and the doctor asked Asahina Nazuna to sit on the bed so she could treat it.
Then Asahina Nazuna suddenly spoke with a hint of apology. "I know I'm saying this a bit late, but I'm sorry for troubling you today."
Suzuki Toru shook his head. "I'm the one who should be thanking you for your warm hospitality, senpai."
Asahina Nazuna blinked. Why did she feel like she couldn't understand what this junior was talking about?
It wasn't until she noticed that Suzuki Toru was watching the doctor treat her foot that she realized what he meant. She stared at him, dumbfounded.
So this guy was a foot fetishist?
No, if Suzuki Toru were a foot fetishist trying to take advantage of her, he wouldn't have turned around and walked off earlier.
That comment... must have just been him teasing her, right?
As she thought about it, Asahina Nazuna felt both puzzled and amused.
Still, this junior was kind of fun. She'd tell Miyabi about him later.
Asahina Nazuna didn't yet know that her childhood friend had just lost to Suzuki Toru and Horikita Manabu earlier that day. The two sides had practically become enemies.
In other words, Suzuki Toru had already made it right to Miyabi Nagumo's doorstep.
Before you continue