A little pain seemed better than too gentle a touch to Cynthia, if it brought immediate results. That was what she had in mind when she made her suggestion, but Kaim refused.
"The secret to massage and stretching is patience."
"Is that so?"
Cynthia wondered whether there might be something that worked immediately, even if it hurt a little, but Kaim anticipated her thoughts and continued.
"Recovery takes much longer than wear and tear, so no massage or stretch can truly produce instant results. If fatigue and tension aren't relieved, things will soon get worse. That's why people keep going back to chiropractors."
"You know a lot about this, don't you?"
"I studied a lot after deciding to become a supporter. Massage and stretching only create opportunities for recovery and help it along. They improve the body's ability to recover, making recovery easier."
Kaim continued his massage, adding that he was good at studying. Cynthia doubted there were many supporters capable of this. As she continued receiving his massage, she silently counted herself lucky to have found someone so good.
After a while, Kaim took his hands away.
"All done."
"Thank you."
Cynthia stood and stretched after the treatment. Somehow, the circulation throughout her body seemed better, and she felt a little less tired.
"I gave you the same massage as yesterday to improve your sleep quality, along with a regular massage to improve circulation throughout your body."
"Right. We don't have an early start tomorrow, but let's go to bed early anyway."
"Oh, Little Black, come here."
Kaim sat on the bed and called to Umbreon. Umbreon jumped onto the bed and settled in his lap.
"Want to sleep together?"
"What am I going to do with you?"
The battle-loving Blaziken and Lucario usually handled the coordination work with