A Date with Rin Nohara, Heartbeat

Kanako said, looking around and finding no one nearby, she secretly released her good mood.

Then, to Nebula Kotetsu's stunned surprise, she took his hand and whispered.

"Today, I'm here to comfort you."

Nebula Kotetsu: "?"

Comfort me?

Are you sure you're not rewarding yourself?

Regardless of what Kanako thought, the other party's concern for him seemed genuine, so Nebula Kotetsu let her be.

Half an hour later, he sent her home. Before parting, Kanako carefully tidied Nebula Kotetsu's clothes, meticulously wiping the dust from his face and body.

"Alright, Kotetsu, goodnight."

"See you the day after tomorrow."

"See you the day after tomorrow."

The door closed.

Nebula Kotetsu wandered around the streets for a moment before arriving at the Nohara Household's gate.

As he reached out to knock, he hesitated.

What if Rin Nohara's older brother started yelling?

While he was hesitating, the front door creaked open, and Rin Nohara's face appeared.

"Kotetsu, you're here... What happened to you!?"

Nebula Kotetsu smiled, "It's nothing, just a little bump during a spar."

Rin Nohara: "That's too much."

"How could you go so hard in a spar between classmates?"

"Wait for me here."

Saying that, she "deng deng deng" ran upstairs, followed by a commotion of clattering sounds and a young man's scolding.

"Out so late!"

"Can't you be earlier? It's almost dark!"

Rin Nohara's voice: "Don't worry about it, I have something to do."

"Deng deng deng..." The sound grew closer.

Rin Nohara returned to Nebula Kotetsu with a package.

"Let's go."

With that, she tugged on Nebula Kotetsu's sleeve and left.

A moment later, a man's exasperated voice came from behind them.

After walking a block, Rin Nohara released Nebula Kotetsu's sleeve. She then said a little sheepishly, "My brother has a bad temper."

"I'm sorry."

Nebula Kotetsu: "No, I think your brother is great. He cares about you a lot."

"If I had a cute sister like you, I'd be even more worried than him."

Rin Nohara's face flushed, and she lowered her head slightly, not responding.

A moment later, she said, "Let's go, we'll find a place to teach you medical ninjutsu."

"Okay," Nebula Kotetsu said, "I know a place. It's quiet and spacious, very suitable."

A moment later.

He brought Rin Nohara to the riverside bamboo house he had visited not long ago.

He found a lamp in the corner and lit it.

The sky had darkened, but the lamplight was bright enough to see the book.

Nebula Kotetsu said, "Let's begin."

"Mhm," Rin Nohara replied.

She took out the notes she had prepared earlier while looking around.

By the river, the small bamboo house was open on all sides, with a gentle breeze blowing.

Under the hazy night sky, it had a unique charm.

Rin Nohara asked, "Kotetsu, do you come here often?"

Nebula Kotetsu: "..."

His brain rapidly processed for 0.5 seconds before he replied, "No, I don't."

"I just happened to pass by not long ago and saw this place."

"At that time, I felt this was a great place to study."

"Mhm." Rin Nohara nodded noncommittally, but secretly thought, It seems more suitable for dates.

Under the gentle lamplight, he watched Nebula Kotetsu's flawless profile as he diligently flipped through his notes. For some reason, his heart suddenly felt a ripple of unease.

"Kotetsu," Rin Nohara suddenly called out.

"What is it?" Nebula Kotetsu looked up.

Rin Nohara picked up the package he had brought and said softly, "I... I'll treat your bruises first."

"...Okay." Nebula Kotetsu certainly wouldn't refuse.

Then, Rin Nohara picked up a disinfectant cotton ball with tweezers, leaned a little closer to Nebula Kotetsu, and carefully wiped away the bruises and abrasions.

The evening breeze was gentle.

The lamplight was also gentle.

Perhaps it was the gentleness of the girl's movements.

Rin Nohara wiped little by little.

His hands didn't feel as steady as before, and his heart was pounding.

A moment later, she finished disinfecting and put down the cotton ball and tweezers. As she replaced them with medicinal ointment, she secretly tried to calm herself.

"Why?"

"Why is my heart beating so fast?"

"I haven't even done anything."

"Come on, come on, Rin, you haven't done anything, no need to be nervous."

Feeling that his heartbeat had finally slowed down a bit, Rin Nohara picked up the medicinal ointment and continued.

He dipped his hand into the ointment and pressed it little by little onto the bruised areas on Nebula Kotetsu's face. At the same time, wisps of chakra flowed from his fingertips, seeping into the skin.

With a cool sensation, the bruises gradually faded under his gentle fingertips.

Nebula Kotetsu's face, right before his eyes, was slowly returning to its flawless state.

Too close.

Too close.

So close that it felt like he could claim it with a single reach, so close that if he just lowered his head...

Rin Nohara forced himself to look away, to stop thinking such thoughts.

Nebula Kotetsu asked doubtfully, "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing," Rin Nohara replied. "A bug flew into my eye."

Nebula Kotetsu quickly asked, "Do you need my help?"

Rin Nohara: "No, no, it's gone now."

A moment later, Rin Nohara turned back, his face looking even more beautiful in the lamplight.

Holding the medicinal ointment, he asked, "Where else?"

Nebula Kotetsu was taken aback.

But he clearly wouldn't pass up this opportunity to get closer and immediately replied, "My back, my hands, my thighs."

Rin Nohara lowered his head.

Just as Nebula Kotetsu thought he had changed his mind, Rin Nohara said, "I'll help you with your back injuries."

"For the other places, you can learn from me."

Nebula Kotetsu: "Okay. Thank you, Rin."

Rin Nohara said no more.

As Nebula Kotetsu turned around, revealing the bruises on his back.

Nebula Kotetsu was neither fat nor thin, with a well-proportioned build and fair skin.

Only the various bruises marred his otherwise perfect appearance.

Rin Nohara's face grew even redder.

When he picked up the medicinal ointment and began to rub it into Nebula Kotetsu's injuries, his face was so red it looked like it could bleed.

The girl's gentle fingertips moved over his back, and with the effect of the ointment, it felt cool and refreshing.

After a long while, Nebula Kotetsu felt the movements on his back finally stop.

He waited for a while longer before hearing Rin Nohara's voice.

"Done."

Nebula Kotetsu turned around upon hearing this.

Rin Nohara's expression remained unchanged; had he not clearly heard the heartbeat behind him just moments ago, he might have truly believed she was solely focused on treating his injuries.

Rin Nohara placed the medicinal ointment in front of Nebula Kotetsu.

"Follow the steps I just took."

"Treat the other areas yourself."

"Alright." Nebula Kotetsu did not waste words. Mimicking the actions and sequence Rin Nohara had just performed, he finished treating the bruises before long.

Once finished, he looked up at Rin Nohara and asked, "Rin, how did I do?"

"Ah... oh?" A slightly dazed Rin Nohara snapped back to reality: "Ve... very good."

"Kotetsu, you are learning very quickly."

"Let us continue with the lesson."