Chapter 257: Night
As he hesitated, Makoto found himself completely unable to take his eyes off Kitasan Black.
At this moment, the girl was completely different from her usual energetic self on the racetrack. There was an added gentleness and charm to her, stirring an indescribable flutter in his heart.
After receiving his confirmation, Kitasan Black immediately let out a sigh of relief. The trace of shyness on her face vanished in an instant, replaced by her usual lively energy.
She quickly walked over, raised her thumb confidently, and said:
"Since Trainer says it's fine, then it's definitely fine!|
"So from now on, I'll be Trainer's personal little nurse!"
"If you need anything, make sure to tell me anytime!"
"Oh—oh… o-okay…"
He responded instinctively. Looking at Kitasan Black so close to him, feeling the faint fragrance coming from her, Makoto's heart began to race uncontrollably.
He suddenly realized that these days of recovery might be far more eventful than he had imagined.
Having changed into a nurse outfit and received her Trainer approval, Kitasan Black was clearly full of energy and quickly got busy.
"Trainer, don't move, I'll get you a glass of water."
"Trainer, do you want some fruit? I'll peel it for you."
"Trainer, are you tired? Let me massage your shoulders."
And then night came…
As the evening quietly fell, after taking a shower and changing into his pajamas, Makoto sneakily peeked into the living room. Seeing that Kitasan Black seemed to be busy in the kitchen or somewhere else, he quickly slipped into the bedroom and let out a sigh of relief.
After a whole day, he felt like a spoiled child—he didn't have to do anything, as Kitasan Black had everything arranged perfectly for him.
This feeling… was indeed very comfortable.
But having been used to living alone, after the initial novelty and excitement wore off, he still felt a bit uneasy.
At the same time, he also hoped these days could last a little longer. After all, being taken care of so attentively… really did feel nice.
With mixed feelings, he walked to the bed, lay down, and stared at the ceiling. His thoughts drifted uncontrollably to Kitasan Black, who was still outside the bedroom.
It's already so late… she should be heading back to the dorm or home by now, right?
Thinking that, he suddenly felt a faint sense of reluctance.
At that moment, there was a gentle knock on the bedroom door. Responding with a reflexive "Come in," Makoto was instantly stunned to see Kitasan Black walk in—carrying a sleeping bag taller than herself.
"Trainer! I'll sleep in the living room tonight!"
Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
"That way, if you need anything in the middle of the night, I can take care of you right away!"
Makoto froze for a moment before quickly reacting.
A hint of embarrassment and unease appeared on his face. Sitting up, he said awkwardly:
"Uh… Kitasan, isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
"How about… you go back to the dorm—oh, right, you're on break, so home."
"Why don't you head home for now? It's just a minor fracture. I can take care of myself."
Kitasan Black quietly listened until he finished, then firmly and quickly shook her head, her eyes filled with determination:
"No way!"
"You know you're injured right now, so how can you be alone?"
"Anyway, I'm not reassured."
"Besides, I already brought the sleeping bag—it'd be such a hassle to carry it back."
As she spoke, she waved the sleeping bag in her hand, looking completely resolute.
Seeing how insistent she was, Makoto wanted to persuade her further.
After all, being taken care of during the day was one thing, and Kitasan Black had been so persistent—it would feel wrong to dampen her enthusiasm.
But at night… even if they weren't sleeping in the same room, they would still be under the same roof. It felt somewhat inappropriate.
However, before he could say anything, Kitasan Black had already closed the bedroom door.
From outside, her firm yet cheerful voice soon followed:
"I've been thinking for a long time about what I could do to help you, Trainer. Even though it might sound a bit wrong, but…"
"Now that you're injured, I finally have something I can do for you."
"Anyway, don't worry, Trainer—I'll take good care of myself, and I'll take good care of you too!"
As soon as she finished speaking, rustling sounds came from the living room.
As expected, she was probably arranging her sleeping bag.
…Ah, seriously…
Staring at the tightly closed bedroom door, Makoto let out a helpless sigh after a long while.
Vaguely aware that he couldn't win against Kitasan Black's stubbornness, he lay back down on the bed, pulled the blanket over himself, and wrapped himself up tightly like an ostrich, trying to shut out the outside world.
But the moment he closed his eyes, the image of Kitasan Black bustling around in her nurse outfit during the day uncontrollably surfaced in his mind.
The well-fitted nurse uniform, the pure white stockings, her bright and energetic smile…
Every detail was vividly clear.
Then, he couldn't help but imagine what she looked like sleeping in the living room inside her sleeping bag.
Would she, like during the day, occasionally scrunch her nose playfully?
Would she curl up unconsciously because the sleeping bag felt a bit unfamiliar?
Would she wake up in the middle of the night, thirsty and half-asleep, to get a drink of water?
All kinds of playful and cute images—different from her usual lively self—kept circling in Makoto's mind.
He began tossing and turning again.
He rolled back and forth, trying to drive all those thoughts out of his head.
But they seemed to have taken root—no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get rid of them.
In the darkness, he opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling.
After spacing out for a moment, he unconsciously got up quietly, slipped on his slippers, and carefully took two steps toward the bedroom door.
Then, like a thief, he quickly retreated and lay back down again.
Then he kept sitting up and lying down, over and over again.
In the end, after tossing and turning for who knows how long, drowsiness finally overtook him, and he slowly fell asleep.
Meanwhile, in the living room…
Kitasan Black was also tossing and turning.
Lying in her sleeping bag, her heart was filled with satisfaction and joy.
Just thinking about being able to take care of her Trainer like this made her feel incredibly happy.
In the darkness, her crimson eyes were wide open as she kept recalling all the advice Satono Diamond had given her.
Cooking, changing into a nurse outfit, various things to keep in mind when caring for a patient—especially how to choose and prepare nutritious meals…
All of it flashed through her mind one by one.
She silently made up her mind that tomorrow, she would definitely wake up early and prepare a rich and nutritious breakfast for her Trainer.
She had to help her Trainer recover as quickly as possible—that was what she thought.
But just as that thought crossed her mind, she suddenly felt a bit inexplicably down.
If Trainer recovered, she wouldn't have a reason to stay and live with him like this anymore.
At that thought, her heart felt strangely empty.
But soon, she remembered what her grandfather had once said.
He had said that since Trainer had done so much for her, during the New Year, she must properly invite him to their home, let him stay for a while, and sincerely thank him.
Thinking of this, she cheered up again, a smile unconsciously appearing on her lips.
That's right—once Trainer recovered, they could still spend time together during the New Year!
As she thought so to herself, her mood gradually calmed.
With anticipation for tomorrow, and hopeful thoughts about spending more time with her Trainer in the future, she slowly drifted off to sleep.