Aizono Moe only felt a sudden warmth inside her nasal cavity—and then blood started flowing.
The sustained blood rush from her shyness, combined with the excitement from her full-blown fantasies, had caused the tiny capillaries in her nose to finally burst under the pressure of rapid constriction. So it's true that getting too excited can cause nosebleeds… I thought that was just an exaggeration in manga…
Ugh…
The first two drops were unstoppable. She quickly leaned her body and head back, trying to cover her nose with her hand.
But tilting your head back during a nosebleed is actually the wrong thing to do. That just causes blood to flow back into the nasal cavity, bringing a dull, throbbing pain—and making you choke and cough.
"Cough, cough—!"
And with that cough, Kuroha Akira caught the short end of the stick. Even though Aizono Moe covered most of the spray with her palm, a small portion still escaped between her fingers…
Spraying directly onto Kuroha Akira's face.
Seeing his face now covered in bloodstains, looking utterly desolate, Aizono Moe panicked even more. She tried to scramble off him immediately, but almost slipped again and nearly cracked the back of her head.
Kuroha Akira's quick reflexes saved her—he caught her waist, steadying her balance.
Unfortunately, this made their posture even more ambiguous. It looked very much like cowgirl… inside a toilet stall.
But Kuroha Akira had no time for ambiguity. After cleaning up Aizono Moe's messes repeatedly—like some kind of never-ending chain quest—he was starting to get a little impatient.
This endless chain of trouble… I'll stop it myself!
He frowned, no longer hiding his irritation, and spoke to her in a firm, commanding tone.
"Calm down. Don't rush, or you'll choke again. I don't need a second face-full, thanks."
"Mm… right… mm!"
Kuroha Akira didn't give her a chance to apologize, nor did he let her handle it herself. He used his left hand to pull away the hand covering her mouth, then pressed firmly on the side of her nose.
At the same time, he tore off a few sheets of toilet paper and roughly wiped the blood from around her mouth.
"I've figured you out, Moe-chan. You always mess up when you panic."
"Mm… I'm sorry…"
What was wrong with her today?
She knew she was usually a bit careless and often caused trouble for others, but the foolishness she'd committed today was on a whole different level. A strange emotion had been lingering in her heart, refusing to dissipate… She didn't know what it was, but she knew this feeling had appeared right after she told Kuroha Akira about her color vision problem.
"Rather than an apology, I hope you'll remember what happened today and try not to panic again in the future."
Kuroha Akira lectured her coolly.
"Mm… Yes…"
"Here. You pinch the spot I'm holding. Don't make any other moves. Stay put and behave."
"Y-Yes!"
It's an order! Excellent!
Hearing the command, Aizono Moe felt not the slightest displeasure—instead, a wave of relief washed over her.
Finally. I don't have to think for myself anymore. I just have to obey Kuroha-kun's orders…
This way, I won't have to worry about making mistakes anymore…
At that moment, Aizono Moe felt as if she'd received a divine revelation. Her body instantly entered a state of obedience and carried out Kuroha Akira's command, pressing firmly on the side of her nose.
After freeing his hands, Kuroha Akira grabbed some clean toilet paper, tore it into two small wads, and—without any concern for size or thickness—stuffed them directly up her nostrils.
"Gulp—!"
Then he took a few more sheets, folded them together, and held them in front of Aizono Moe's mouth.
"Spit all the bloody saliva out onto this."
"Mm… ptooey…"
The sound was kind of cute, but that wouldn't do.
"No, not like that. You need to go 'Hawk—TOOAAH!' to really clear your throat properly."
"Ah, okay… Mm… Ho! —Cough, cough, cough!"
Of course, attempting an unfamiliar throat-clearing technique mid-crisis, Aizono Moe choked and coughed again.
But this time, Kuroha Akira was prepared. He blocked everything with the toilet paper.
Looking at that chunk of bloody phlegm now safely contained, Kuroha Akira praised her with satisfaction.
"Good girl. Now breathe through your mouth until the nosebleed stops, got it?"
"Yes, I understand…"
"You can't wear your indoor shoes like this, can you? Then wear mine for now. I don't care if my socks get dirty, but if you walk around barefoot, you're definitely going to fall again… Don't argue, and don't say 'but.'"
Kuroha Akira had completely figured out Aizono Moe's patterns by now. He couldn't give her autonomy. It was way easier to just make her obey his every word—whether she liked it or not.
Aizono Moe, on the other hand, preferred this kind of clear command. If she only had to execute orders, she could actually do it well.
"Okay… Go… Ku… Kuroha-kun."
Aizono Moe almost slipped and said "Goshujin-sama" (Master), but thankfully caught herself in time and changed it to just "Ku" for Kuroha-kun.
Before, it had just been a fantasy. But now, she truly felt a sense of reality in treating him as her master.
Because only a master would command a servant like this, right?
After Aizono Moe put on Kuroha Akira's indoor shoes, Kuroha Akira told her to get off him. Then he instructed her to check outside and see if anyone was there.
After confirming the coast was clear, Kuroha Akira quickly slipped out of the women's restroom.
Aizono Moe followed him out, still clutching that wet four-piece set in her hands. Her eyes were still red, reminding Kuroha Akira of that "crying cat head" emoji—her expression screaming "weak, pathetic, and helpless."
Yet somehow, her pathetic appearance was so endearing… What a super cute punching bag. She was born to be bullied, wasn't she? The fact that she hadn't been utterly destroyed by bullying could only mean Shiori had protected her too well.
The most exasperating part? He hadn't even tried to bully or prank her this time, and yet she'd managed to get herself into this mess anyway. In a fan-service manga, she'd definitely be the main heroine.
Kuroha Akira just hoped this whole incident wouldn't affect her coloring work later.
Speaking of which, in her current state, there was no way she could keep working today. And he couldn't handle this alone anymore—he needed backup.
"Alright, let's head back to the Literature Club. That's enough for today. Later, let Shiori take you home."
Hearing that she'd have to face her best friend, Aizono Moe's shame came flooding back.
"Mm… Th-that… Kuroha-kun, could we… not go back? I can't face Shiori like this…"
The thought of having to tell her good friend about this whole humiliating disaster was like self-destructing her own black history—and that was way too cruel for Aizono Moe.
"No. How are you going to get home by yourself like this? And I can't exactly walk you home, can I?"
"Mm…"
Aizono Moe lowered her head, not daring to object further.
"But I'll make up an excuse for you. Something like the faucet suddenly broke and sprayed you everywhere… When we get there, don't say anything—just nod along with what I say, got it? I'll try my best to save your dignity, what's left of it."
"Ah… Yes!"
Kuroha-kun… Master is truly benevolent!
Now, Aizono Moe was even more willing to obey him—because he was "absolutely correct." Calling him "Master" in her heart, obeying his commands in her actions.
The result?
Aizono Moe had subconsciously completed her own self-enslavement.