"Ah—!"
A startled, flustered cry escaped from Yukino's delicate lips.
The reason?
Without warning, Yazuki had crouched beside her, grabbed her ankle, and removed her shoe—all in one swift motion, catching her completely off guard.
He hadn't asked for permission or waited for her consent.
That was because he knew she would refuse any help, even if she needed it. She was the type who hated owing others anything.
"You perv— Ah!!!"
Just as she was about to lash out in embarrassment, she tried to shake him off.
But Yazuki's grip on her ankle was like iron. The sharp pain from her sprained foot made her cry out instead. Yet, right after the pain came a wave of relief, the discomfort in her ankle eased significantly, replaced by a mild soreness.
"Let go of me, you…!"
No matter how much she spewed venom at him, Yazuki remained unfazed.
His fingers slid under the soft black fabric of her stockings, brushing against her smooth skin, before rolling them down in one motion.
For a brief moment, he was left slightly dazed by the sight of her pristine leg, as if it were a piece of art.
Taking a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the twisted ankle, which was now noticeably swollen, adding a flaw to what was otherwise a pair of exquisitely jade-like feet.
Then, his palm gently covered the swollen area, feeling the slight tremble of the delicate and smooth skin. After roughly determining the issue, he pressed his fingers on specific points, then applied pressure, kneaded...
Meanwhile, Yukinoshita , realizing that it was useless to argue with the thick-skinned Yazuki, simply fixed him with an icy gaze as cold as an icicle. Fortunately, no one else was around; otherwise, this scene would have definitely been misunderstood.
"Mm~ Hnn~"
The sudden press of his thumb on a certain acupoint in her foot sent an unusual sensation through her nerves straight to her brain, making Yukino involuntarily let out a rather strange sound.
Panicking slightly, she bit her lip to suppress any further embarrassing noises. She quickly glanced at Yazuki, who was massaging her ankle to reduce the swelling, and seeing that he appeared not to have noticed her reaction, she let out a small sigh of relief.
"All done, try it now."
Seeing that the swelling had subsided somewhat, Yazuki finally withdrew his hand from the smooth and delicate skin. Why did he feel a bit reluctant to let go? Could it be... that he had a foot fetish? No, no, impossible. If anything, it would only apply to 2D characters.
Yukino, now sporting a scowl, snatched up her thigh-high socks and swiftly put them back on, covering her exquisite feet with her shoes.
Hmm? It really didn't hurt as much anymore.
"I have something to tell you—I will never fall for you!"
This abrupt declaration from Yukino left Yazuki momentarily stunned.
"Are you disappointed? You probably expected me to be deeply moved or act all tsundere, blushing slightly and softly thanking you, then exchanging contact information with you... Eventually leading to us ending up together? Sorry, but those kinds of third-rate novel tropes won't happen to me—"
Her slender fingers lightly brushed her black hair over her shoulder, her blue eyes as cold as ever, with a touch of disdain. Her sharp words flowed naturally from her delicate lips.
Alright, Yazuki understood now. This girl was a bit vain and narcissistic, convinced that his actions had ulterior motives, thinking he was using this opportunity to get close to her, to pursue her.
Impressive, she even imagined how things would unfold after this.
"My apologies, but I'm not into flat-chested girls!"
Yazuki's words, spoken with absolute seriousness (and regret), instantly rendered Yukino speechless—her lips parted slightly, and for a moment, her beautifully arched brows twitched ever so subtly.
That… hit her weak spot.
At that moment, Yukino's gaze toward him carried an icy chill, as if it could freeze time and space itself. At that moment, Yazuki felt like he had become the most despised person in her life.
Without another word, she turned and walked straight toward the train station, as if being near him was physically unbearable, as if she didn't even want to breathe the same air as him.
As for why Yukinoshita Yukino was here?
She had heard that a new limited-edition Panda Pan merchandise was available here. Other stores had already sold out, so she had come all this way only to run into this detestable guy.
…
Train Station – Automatic Ticket Machine
Yazuki discovered that his transit card had been damaged during the earlier scuffle, leaving him with no choice but to buy a ticket manually. Just as he was about to turn toward the counter—
"Hurry up—!"
A cold, impatient voice called out.
He looked over to see Yukino standing past the automated ticket gate, glaring at him. The gate was still open in front of her—clearly, she had scanned her card again but hadn't gone through yet.
She had paid for his fare.
"Thanks~"
After passing through the gate, Yazuki thanked her, but she remained silent, keeping a two-meter distance from him as if she didn't want anyone to think they were acquainted.
In response, he merely shrugged and spread his hands.
----------------
Suddenly, Yazuki noticed that Yukino, who had been sitting on the far end of the bench, was slowly inching closer. She even curled up her legs, until eventually, she was practically next to him.
Looking at her fair face, she was visibly flustered and frightened, as if something terrifying was approaching her.
Following her line of sight—
"Woof~"
A white dog let out a bark, pushing a small bag toward Yukino with its front paws.
"Relax, it won't bite you. Take a look inside the bag, maybe you dropped something."
As Yazuki spoke, he reached out to pat the dog's head.
However, the white dog tensed up and took a step back, looking at him cautiously, its head tilted in confusion. Then, after sniffing the air, it hesitated—before rubbing its head against his palm.
"It's been a while~"
"Woof~"
The dog wagged its tail vigorously.
"Woof, woof woof…"
"You say you made a new friend recently?"
"Woof woof…"
"And they often give you melon bread?"
"Woof woof…"
"Well, that sounds pretty nice…"
"Woof woof."
"Alright then, see you next time~"
With that, Yazuki waved at the white dog. It lifted a front paw and waved back in a very human-like manner before trotting away.
When Yazuki turned back, he found Yukino staring at him as if he were some kind of bizarre creature.
Her eyes held a mix of disbelief and shock, as if they were saying, "You two can actually communicate across species? Are you… the same kind?"