Feeling the gentle stroking on top of her head, Yui felt inexplicably at ease despite the noise.
When did this sense of security appear?
"Now is different from back then..."
"A very... comfortable feeling."
"Before she passed away, Mother seemed to have dried my hair like this too..."
The heat radiating from the hair dryer, the warmth transmitted from the palm, and that cautious idiot behind her.
Forcibly taking me away, forcibly standing in front of me, forcibly stuffing food into my mouth, forcibly holding me...
What an incorrigible savior complex. Such idiots are the easiest to get taken advantage of.
"Natsuhi, really, thank you so very much..."
"I am no longer alone..."
"I feel so at ease. It's so good that you appeared by my side."
————
"Come to think of it, why are you so practiced at this?"
"Have you often dried a girl's hair before?"
The question Yui asked unintentionally was undoubtedly a bombshell for Natsuhi. If she didn't answer this well, things would truly get serious.
Good grief, who knows why girls love asking such headache-inducing questions. No matter how you answer, it's inappropriate. It's truly a dilemma, impossible to navigate.
When Natsuhi was asked this, she paused for a moment, but immediately resumed her movements, her brain racing to ensure she didn't reveal anything.
She couldn't exactly tell the truth, that she used to dry girls' hair all the time.
That would make her seem like a flirt, the type who brings girls home casually.
Should she say she learned it from watching TV?
No, that's too fake; Yui definitely wouldn't believe it.
In that brief second, Natsuhi's brain was practically overheating.
She couldn't answer this question directly; it was best to brush it off. She couldn't panic!
"About that..."
Natsuhi suddenly turned off the hair dryer, and the room instantly fell silent.
Just as Yui was about to turn around in confusion, she was gently pressed back by a soft force.
"Don't move, the tips of your hair are still a bit damp."
Natsuhi's voice was very steady. She picked up a comb and, while leisurely brushing Yui's long hair, spoke in a reminiscent tone:
"Back where I used to train, there was a little one who was always crying."
"Every time that kid was exhausted and drenched in sweat, she wouldn't go to sleep with wet hair. What could I do? I couldn't just watch her catch a cold."
Saying this, she chuckled softly and tapped the back of Yui's head with the end of the comb.
"Over time, I just practiced it. How about it? Not bad, right?"
"Ring-ring!"
The notification tone for a phone message rang out. Although a bit abrupt, it didn't affect their conversation.
Yui listened quietly, imagining a scene of a gentle senior taking care of a junior.
She could consider herself to have passed the test, because this was something that happened before Natsuhi transmigrated, so it wasn't technically a lie.
"Beep, beep, beep—"
The phone Natsuhi had placed on the table suddenly began to ring with a rapid, impassioned rendition of "Ode to Joy"...
The classic American tenor cut through the night sky.
"Sorry, I'll go answer the phone."
Natsuhi hadn't expected anyone to look for her at this time. After all, she had only been in this world for an afternoon, and she hadn't even had time to check the contacts on the phone.
Pressing her palms together in an apologetic gesture, Natsuhi grabbed the phone and, without thinking, pressed the answer button.
"Hello? Who is this?"
"Natsuhi! Thank goodness it went through. I was worried to death! I thought something had happened to you!"
"If you hadn't answered, I was planning to call the police."
The caller was a girl, and her voice was so loud that even Yui in the distance could hear it clearly (speakerphone was not on).
"Where are you now?"
"Ah, it's Saki. I'm home now."
That's right, on the other end of the line was Wada Saki.
"Then why didn't you send me a message? Didn't we agree on that when we left? You have no idea how worried I was about you."
Listening to the voice on the other end that sounded like it was about to cry, Natsuhi felt a bit dazed. She had indeed forgotten about this; there had just been too many things happening today.
Although she was being sternly questioned, Natsuhi felt a warmth in her heart. She hadn't expected that in this strange world, someone would be so purely concerned about her safety.
Her expression softened unconsciously, and the lines around her eyes and brows became exceptionally gentle.
The thing she had promised Wada Saki, she had actually failed to keep properly.
"I swore not long ago that I didn't want to see this girl crying again... Yet, the first person to make her sad and worried is none other than myself."
"To make a girl worry this much, I really am not a man."
A deep sense of guilt left her breathless. Slap! With a sound, Natsuhi slapped herself hard, which sounded exceptionally piercing in the quiet room.
A clear handprint appeared on her cheek, and the stinging pain instantly cleared her chaotic brain.
On the phone, Saki was startled by the sudden sound, her voice laced with panic:
"Natsuhi?! What was that sound? Did something happen over there?"
Natsuhi took a deep breath. Although half her face was still throbbing with pain, her voice was much calmer than before.
"It's nothing, Saki. I was just punishing an irresponsible idiot."
"I'm sorry."
Natsuhi didn't give Saki a chance to ask further; she admitted her mistake very straightforwardly.
"It's my fault. I completely forgot about sending the message. I failed to keep our promise."
"Today... some unexpected things happened. I've been busy until just now getting home. I'm truly very sorry for making you worry so much."
She didn't make any excuses for herself. Wrong is wrong. She had already made Saki sad, and that was an unchangeable fact; saying anything else was useless.
"So... she didn't disregard our promise; she just encountered something she had to be busy with..."
Natsuhi's sincerity instantly extinguished most of the grievances and anger in Saki's heart.
She imagined Natsuhi dealing with tricky problems alone, busy and frazzled, while she was here throwing a tantrum and almost crying over an unsent message...
"Was I being too unreasonable?"
"I see..."
Her voice softened unconsciously, even carrying a hint of heartache.
"Then... is everything resolved? You aren't hurt, are you?"
"Don't worry, don't worry. I'm your Knight-sama, after all."
"It seems you still have the energy to joke around. I was worried for nothing."
Listening to the cheerful voice on the other end, Saki felt completely relieved and smiled.
"Alright, alright, I'll forgive you this time! But next time something happens, you must remember to take the time to tell me, even if it's just one word! Otherwise, I'll be super! Super worried!"
"Mm, I promise. It's getting late, you should get some rest."
Natsuhi paused imperceptibly and said with a promise:
"I'll keep my word this time. See you tomorrow, Saki."
The voice on Saki's end seemed a bit flustered, and she gave a small 'Mm':
"Then... it's a promise. You must tell me tomorrow! Natsuhi, get some rest early too!"
After hanging up the phone, Natsuhi looked at the screen and sighed softly, feeling warm inside.
"The feeling of being cared for and worried about like this is really nice."
For the first time, Natsuhi felt a sense of belonging in this world.
"...Are you an idiot?"
A voice broke the atmosphere, and Natsuhi noticed that Yui had quietly come up behind her at some point. She stared at her reddened cheek and sighed.
"Being so rough on yourself."
"What? Did it make your heart ache?"
"Hmph, as if. It didn't hit my face, so I don't feel any heartache."
Though she said that, Yui still gently pressed something cold against her burning cheek.
It was a canned drink taken from the refrigerator just now, carefully wrapped in a layer of tissue paper.
The sudden chill made Natsuhi gasp softly. This kind of treatment—saying no but being physically honest—is really great!
"So comfortable... It seems I am loved by many people."
Natsuhi enjoyed it blissfully, though it probably only lasted for a second...
"So, who exactly was on the other end? You're smiling so happily; it wouldn't be a girlfriend, would it?"
"Hiss~"
Whether it was because of the pain or some other reason, Natsuhi gasped sharply.