Hime was about to fall so I picked her up.
From behind, he put one hand around my solar plexus for support. The feeling of her soft skin and the sweet scent that couldn't possibly come from cosmetics wafted through the air, making me feel a little embarrassed.
Hijiri also smells nice, but Hime has a completely different scent.
...Thinking about things like that makes me seem a bit perverted, so I'll refrain.
(It's light.)
It was so sudden that I could only put out one hand.
However, you hardly feel the weight. Its size fits comfortably in one arm. Eight years old is no joke.
Hime is a child. Normally she would be in the third grade of elementary school... but she's still young.
However, she speaks and acts like an adult, which makes her seem less like a child than just in appearance.
But as I touched her, I realized that she was indeed eight years old.
That's how small Hime was.
(Now then...I wonder if Hime is okay.)
He was supported before he fell, so it appears he did not sustain any serious injuries.
However, I'm still not sure if he twisted his ankle, so I'm hesitant to let go.
Of course I know.
Hime's face is bright red, so I guess I should let her go...which means...
(Is she embarrassed? Or is she embarrassed to be touched? Or maybe she's excited?)
If you move your touching hand a little higher, you can probably sense the heartbeat.
But I don't want to do that. It would be like peering into Hime's mind without her permission, and I thought that would be unfair.
So I waited.
Until Hime calms down and is able to talk.
"...Ah, um..."
It took about ten seconds.
Hime, whose face had been red and stiff, finally seemed to regain her senses.
These are the words I have spoken since I expressed my gratitude earlier.
"Hime. Does your leg hurt?"
The fact that he spoke up probably means that he had calmed down a little.
She looked like she wanted to say something to me, but before that I asked her if she was injured.
"My leg is fine...or so I'd like to say."
Hime is swinging her right ankle lightly, apparently to check if it's in any pain.
With this much movement, it doesn't seem like he's injured.
"...It hurts a little. I think I may have twisted it slightly."
"I see... Let's take a break."
His face isn't contorted in pain, so I don't think he's in a condition that requires a trip to the hospital.
However, since this is an amateur's opinion, it would be wrong to make such a judgment.
"Can I take a look?"
"Huh? Your legs?"
"Yes. I wanted to check what the condition was."
If it's red and swollen or bruised, I plan to go straight to the nurse's office.
However, it's after school and exam period... normally the students would have gone home, so the health teacher might not be there.
"...I, I understand."
Hime seemed a little embarrassed but agreed.
Sorry, I know you might be uncomfortable showing your bare feet, but this is an emergency, so please bear with me.
"I'll put you down. Can you sit?"
"thank you"
Slowly, he lowered Hime to the floor.
I make Hime sit so that she is leaning against the wall in the hallway, then gently touch her indoor shoes.
"I'll take it off. Let me know if it hurts."
First, I took off her indoor shoes, then her socks...all the while, Hime didn't make a sound.
"...it hurts?"
"N-no... I'm sorry. I didn't expect you to see my bare feet, so I might be nervous and not feel the pain."
There is little fluctuation in the voice.
However, her face was bright red and her eyes were a little watery. She seemed quite embarrassed for someone like Hime.
"It might be dirty, you know?"
"No, no. It's beautiful though."
When her socks came off, Hime's exposed legs were pure white and slender...so beautiful.
At least they're cleaner than my feet. There's no way they're dirty.
"Beautiful..."
And this kid is a little too sensitive to compliments.
There was no other intention behind it. She was just expressing her honest opinion, but it made Hime even more embarrassed.
But it seems his face couldn't get any redder.
It has remained the same color ever since.
This may be why your bare feet appear even whiter.