Karuizawa Kei lowered her head, biting down hard on her lower lip, not daring in the slightest to lift her face and look at the expression on Shikime Natsu's face right now.
Her body trembled faintly, uncontrollably, in the cool breeze of the air conditioning.
Then, in a tone that was indistinct, brimming with bitterness and self-deprecation, Karuizawa Kei slowly spoke to Shikime Natsu.
"It's ugly, isn't it?"
What she was referring to was, naturally, that hideous scar on the left side of her abdomen.
For Karuizawa Kei, to display this scar in front of a boy—especially in front of Shikime Natsu—the inner struggle she went through could be said to be considerable.
This was the dark past she least wanted anyone to touch, the ugly mark she had tried with all her might to conceal.
Even though she had long since told Shikime Natsu about her past, still… this scar was simply too heavy a thing for Karuizawa Kei to bear.
As things stood now, Karuizawa Kei had no idea just how Shikime Natsu intended to treat it.
Of course, even if Shikime Natsu now only said he wanted to take a look and had no way at all of healing it, Karuizawa Kei actually had no real objection in her heart.
After all, Karuizawa Kei quietly thought deep down.
If someday she truly were lucky enough to end up dating Shikime Natsu, then under that kind of more intimate relationship, Shikime Natsu would inevitably come to see this ugly scar.
Whether he saw it sooner or later, in the end it was bound to be seen.
Since it was Shikime Natsu himself who was now asking to take a look, then this could be counted as a chance to be open and honest with each other.
If, after seeing this scar, he found it disgusting, found it frightening, and chose to distance himself from her, then she could only blame her own broken body for not being worthy of such a wonderful thing.
Just as Karuizawa Kei's mind was full of wild, anxious imaginings, her heart uneasy and restless.
Out of the corner of her eye, Karuizawa Kei suddenly saw the Shikime Natsu standing before her slowly lift one of his hands.
And then, that hand—with its clearly defined knuckles, exceedingly good-looking—was about to reach, just like that, directly and without the slightest hesitation or distaste, toward the hideous scar on the left side of her abdomen.
At the thought that Shikime Natsu's hand was about to touch that scar symbolizing her unbearable past, Karuizawa Kei's heart clenched abruptly, and almost as a conditioned reflex she shut her eyes, not daring at all to watch the scene before her.
Because she was so nervous, her long eyelashes quivered faintly in the air like the wings of a startled butterfly.
The next second, Karuizawa Kei distinctly felt Shikime Natsu's warm palm come to rest upon that scar of hers.
It was warm.
But at this moment the girl no longer quite dared to open her eyes.
Karuizawa Kei held her breath in the darkness, thinking to herself: this Shikime Natsu fellow—just what kind of look was he giving this scar right now?
Did he really not mind it at all?
It was such an ugly, such a disgusting scar—even she herself, every time she looked at it in the mirror while bathing, would feel quite wretched and nauseated.
And just as Karuizawa Kei's heart was in turmoil.
Karuizawa Kei keenly felt Shikime Natsu's warm fingers seem to casually tap a few times upon her scar, and upon the skin around it.
That sensation was just like pressing the keys of a piano, carrying a strange sense of rhythm, tingling and numbing.
Right after that, the warm palm left her skin.
Then Karuizawa Kei heard Shikime Natsu's voice ring out, and in his tone Karuizawa Kei did not hear any disgust—it was the same voice as when the two of them had been talking just before. "All done."
Hearing these words.
Karuizawa Kei couldn't help being stunned for a moment.
All done? What was done?
Full of doubt and intense unease, she slowly opened those moist blue eyes.
She lowered her head, her gaze landing cautiously upon the left side of her abdomen.
However, the instant she saw clearly the scene before her.
Karuizawa Kei froze stiff on the spot, those eyes contracting abruptly, and that rather pretty little face now filled with disbelief.
It was gone!
That hideous scar, like a nightmare, that had occupied the left side of her abdomen for years.
Had actually… had actually just vanished, incredibly, without a trace!
In its place was a stretch of flat, fair, fine, and delicate skin, smooth as a newborn baby's!
There wasn't even the faintest trace of pigmentation or raised tissue left behind!
If it weren't for the fact that Karuizawa Kei's memory of that spot was carved into her very bones, she might even have doubted that her body had ever sustained any injury at all!
"This…"
Karuizawa Kei lifted her head with a face full of shock, those eyes brimming with an incredulous mist.
Shocked, she opened her mouth to Shikime Natsu, her voice trembling beyond recognition, asking him.
"Natsu… how—how did you do that?!"
Shikime Natsu didn't directly answer Karuizawa Kei's question; instead, with a faint smile, he spoke to her.
"See."
"What I said to you before in the equipment storage room—I wasn't lying to you, right?"
Hearing this from Shikime Natsu, a mist welled up in the girl's eyes—a mist of joy that rose because she was simply too happy—and then the girl nodded firmly.
She hadn't watched just now how Shikime Natsu had done it, but she could feel that Shikime Natsu had merely tapped a few times with his fingers on the left side of her abdomen… something like a massage, too—just that, and yet it could directly produce this result.
Shikime Natsu had clearly only lightly covered her scar for a moment with that warm palm of his, and then ever so casually tapped a few times around it.
Just this kind of motion could directly help heal this scar? Mind you, this scar of hers, such an agonizing thing, had just lightly, airily disappeared?
Those eyes of Karuizawa Kei's were still full of disbelief; after all, what had happened could be described as supernatural.
Back when she had first followed Shikime Natsu into this room, deep down Karuizawa Kei hadn't actually held out much hope.
But who could have imagined that Shikime Natsu would so effortlessly pull out completely this nightmare that had tormented her through countless days and nights!
Had she known earlier that Shikime Natsu truly possessed such a heaven-defying ability.
Had she known it would be like this, Karuizawa Kei thought with regret in her heart, she should have gone to Shikime Natsu for help much sooner!
That way, she wouldn't have had to spend every single day of this whole semester in such pain!
Karuizawa Kei's eyes were fixed intently upon Shikime Natsu, and within them appeared an undisguisable adoration—Shikime Natsu was simply too incredible.
"Natsu…"
There was an obvious sob in Karuizawa Kei's voice—tears of joy and of relief, as if a great weight had been lifted.
"Thank you! Really… really, thank you so much!"
Karuizawa Kei bowed deeply and most solemnly to Shikime Natsu, thanking him.
Looking at the girl so moved she was on the verge of tears.
Shikime Natsu merely waved a hand casually and said with a smile.
"No need to be so polite."
"Since we ran into each other, if I can be of help to you, Kei, then naturally that's all for the best—it was just a trivial effort."
Even hearing Shikime Natsu say this—calling something that could be described as a miracle a trivial effort.
Karuizawa Kei still straightened up and thanked Shikime Natsu over and over.
She understood better than anyone what this scar meant to her.
If it weren't for Shikime Natsu, she might truly have had to live with this exceedingly ugly scar for a very, very long time—perhaps her whole life under its shadow.
After the excitement, Karuizawa Kei couldn't hold back the intense curiosity in her heart and asked Shikime Natsu.
"Natsu, just now… how on earth did you do that? It was just like magic!"
In the face of Karuizawa Kei's curiosity.
Shikime Natsu kept that ever-present smile on his face, then slowly looked at Karuizawa Kei and spoke.
"This is actually a special massage method I use—by stimulating specific meridians and acupoints of the human body, it can not only be used to treat old scars like this and promote cell regeneration, but it can also be used to treat all sorts of bruises and sprains, and even rapidly bring down a fever and the like."
Hearing this explanation, although Karuizawa Kei still couldn't comprehend why a massage technique could accomplish such a thing—growing up, she had never heard of anything so miraculous—still, since Shikime Natsu had said so, and since that miracle-like event had just happened to her own body, then what Shikime Natsu said naturally couldn't possibly be false.
Thinking of it this way, Karuizawa Kei admired Shikime Natsu all the more—Shikime Natsu was simply omnipotent. Not only could he build several small cabins in a short time on the Deserted Island, he even had a divine, masterful massage technique. He really was too incredible.
"Natsu, you really are amazing."
Those eyes of Karuizawa Kei's looked as if little stars were about to pop out of them.
"It's nothing."
Shikime Natsu just smiled faintly at this.
Just at this moment, Karuizawa Kei remembered that Shikime Natsu had purchased one hour of use of this place—of course, the minimum usage time here was just one hour—and right now, since the two of them had come in, less than five minutes had passed.
There was still plenty of time left now—were they going to head straight back?
Of course, as far as Karuizawa Kei herself was concerned, she didn't want it to end just like this; there was still quite a bit of time remaining, and even if they didn't do anything in particular, chatting would still be fine.
After all… getting Shikime Natsu to have any free time to come out was simply too difficult on ordinary days; Shikime Natsu was either keeping his several girlfriends company, or spending time with other cute girls.
But… as for now, what could they do? Karuizawa Kei sat on the edge of the soft double bed, then slowly lifted her eyes to look at Shikime Natsu, those eyes carrying an emotion of some indistinct flavor, somewhat complicated.
"Um… Natsu."
Karuizawa Kei swallowed a mouthful of saliva and asked Shikime Natsu, a little haltingly.
"For—for the rest… for the time we have left, do you have any plans?"
To cover up the intense flustered feeling within her, Karuizawa Kei hurriedly forced out a somewhat stiff smile, trying to change the subject with a laugh.
"Come to think of it, after getting through that terrifying Deserted Island special exam, I feel like I've become a lot more relaxed all over."
"And there are still a few days until the cruise ship docks. We've got such a long stretch of time ahead—we can have a really good time and relax properly on this ship."
Looking at this adorable side of Karuizawa Kei—wanting to hide her inner nervousness yet only making it more obvious.
Shikime Natsu didn't say much, just nodded along with a smile.
"That's true."
"There's still plenty of time ahead to slowly relax."
And after Shikime Natsu finished saying this, the room quickly fell quiet again. Karuizawa Kei sat on the bed, looking at the Shikime Natsu so close at hand.
Looking at that peerlessly handsome face of his, recalling the way he had just now healed her scar without the slightest hesitation.
A powerful emotion surged violently in her chest, as if about to break through some kind of restraint.
She gritted her teeth and, once more, mustered her courage to speak.
She tilted her head up, her gaze looking straight at Shikime Natsu.
"Um… Natsu."
"Why—why are you so good to me?"
There was a faint, almost imperceptible tremble in Karuizawa Kei's voice.
"Even though this matter may not have been anything very difficult for you, Natsu, but… for you, Natsu, helping me shouldn't have been all that necessary a thing, right?"
"When you ran into me today, there was no need to bring it up either…"
Hearing these words from Karuizawa Kei, Shikime Natsu smiled. Had Karuizawa Kei, not long ago, done something that disappointed him considerably, then naturally Shikime Natsu would not have helped her.
At the very least, he would not have helped Karuizawa Kei resolve this scar right now.
So, upon hearing this question from Karuizawa Kei, Shikime Natsu smiled and gave a perfectly conventional answer.
"Because we're friends."
Upon hearing Shikime Natsu's answer, an indistinct flavor stirred in Karuizawa Kei's heart. Of course, being acknowledged as a friend by such an outstanding boy as Shikime Natsu was indeed a happy thing, but for the girl, she still wanted more, wanted to take a step further.
Could he really be this good to her just as a friend?
Karuizawa Kei bit her lip, and those eyes, without her realizing it, drifted slightly off, no longer landing on Shikime Natsu—as if she were spacing out, or as if she were pondering something.
Karuizawa Kei remembered how she, along with Satou Maya and Matsushita Chiaki, had once asked about Shikime Natsu's girlfriend—asking, naturally, who had confessed first, Shikime Natsu or his girlfriend. Shikime Natsu's answer at the time had been that he himself had confessed first.
Of course, at that time, Shikime Natsu had only the one girlfriend, Kamuro Masumi; now three more had been added, and she had no idea whether it was Shikime Natsu who had confessed first in every case.
At this moment Karuizawa Kei once again gripped the bedsheet beneath her with those small hands, then slowly raised her head to look at Shikime Natsu, her voice very soft.
"By the way, Natsu, I remember last time when Maya and I asked you, you said that between you and Kamuro-san, you were the one who confessed first, right?"
Shikime Natsu raised an eyebrow slightly, seeming a bit surprised that she would suddenly bring this up, but he still nodded.
"That's right, I did say that."
Hearing this answer from Shikime Natsu, Karuizawa Kei slowly nodded.
"Then… what about Sakura-san, Shiina-san, and Morishita-san? Were they all cases where you, Natsu, confessed first too?"
The girl pressed on with her questioning.
"Mm."
Shikime Natsu nodded. For the first few, that was indeed the case—but as for Morishita Ai, it wasn't quite like that, since back when he and Morishita Ai had been intimate, the two of them hadn't yet been boyfriend and girlfriend. Still, after the fact it was after the fact, and it could count as him having taken the initiative to confess, which wasn't bad either.
"So that's how it is…"
Karuizawa Kei nodded slightly, a certain indistinct nuance in her tone. What should she say to Shikime Natsu next?
Should she ask whether Shikime Natsu had any plans to find a new girlfriend?
Or should she just come right out and say it—could she become Shikime Natsu's girlfriend too?
The moment Karuizawa Kei thought of this, she couldn't help shrinking back a little, after all Shikime Natsu was simply too dazzling, while as for her, she had received so many favors, and to now shamelessly throw herself at him on top of that—it was simply too terrible.
But… the moment Karuizawa Kei thought that there might be even more cute girls around Shikime Natsu in the future, Karuizawa Kei drew in a deep breath, her whole little face filled with seriousness, those eyes also brimming with earnestness.
As if she had made a rather important decision, Karuizawa Kei rose to her feet, then drew closer to Shikime Natsu, and in those eyes the only reflection was Shikime Natsu alone.
"Then… Natsu, if I were to confess to you, could I become your girlfriend?"
Karuizawa Kei said it after all, her voice clear and crisp.
Karuizawa Kei stared intently into his eyes, her cheeks flushing crimson with excitement and shyness, yet her gaze did not waver in the slightest.
Before Shikime Natsu could even open his mouth to answer.
Karuizawa Kei eagerly continued, as if utterly afraid of being rejected by Shikime Natsu—now that her words were already out, there was no room left for regret.
Karuizawa Kei went on incoherently declaring her resolve.
"Even though… even though I know that the me right now really is so useless."
There was a hint of a sob in her voice, but even more there was firmness.
"My grades aren't good, I'm no good at sports, and I even have such an unbearable past. Compared to Kamuro-san and Shiina-san and the others, I'm simply a good-for-nothing idiot."
"But!"
"But, Natsu—"
"I swear to you!"
"If… if you're willing to accept me, if there's anything you want me to do for you."
"No matter what it is, I will definitely spare no effort to do it for you!"
"So… please, let me stay by your side!"
____
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🔥 New history: Path of Elation in Warhammer 40K
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