"Shintaro... at a time like this, shouldn't you... be more worried about your own hand?"
"Eh?"
Tamaki Shintaro turned around. Seeing her look like she was about to cry, his face was instead full of indifference.
He shook his injured hand, as if the blackened soot around the red burn was just accidentally smudged coal ash.
"What's a little injury like this? It'll be fine in a couple of days."
He grinned, revealing the same careless and hearty smile he always wore.
"More importantly, I was just thinking how lucky it was that it didn't hit your face. Even though your glasses blocked part of it, if it really hit you, it would probably leave a scar."
As he spoke, he leaned in with mock seriousness, carefully examining Senior Tsukinoki's face, then concluded with a tone of relief:
"If that happened, Koto, you really would be unwanted by anyone."
Senior Tsukinoki's heart, which had been full of worry and lingering fear, was instantly replaced by a wave of helpless anger.
This bastard...
Does this bastard even understand the situation right now?!
He clearly got hurt to protect her, so why does he always use this joking, even flippant tone to say such hurtful things?
Does he not care about his own hand at all?!
Or is it that, in his heart, she is also just a child who needs to be comforted in a clumsy way?
The irritation she was accustomed to when dealing with Tamaki surfaced once again.
Senior Tsukinoki turned her face away, refusing to look at his stupid face that practically screamed 'did I just say something funny?', and responded coldly with a hint of spite:
"Is that so? Then I'm really sorry for making you take such a heavy injury for an 'unwanted woman'."
She paused, letting even more hurtful words swirl in her mind before finally forcing them out.
"But don't you worry. Even if I'm really unwanted, you don't need to be the one to worry about it."
The moment the words left her mouth, she caught a glimpse of the smile on Tamaki Shintaro's face stiffening for a second, and a flash of hurt appeared in his eyes.
Senior Tsukinoki's heart gave a sudden thump.
Regret surged in like a tide.
Idiot...
What on earth am I saying...
I didn't want to say those kinds of things.
I clearly wanted to... to say thank you properly.
I wanted to tell him how scared I was just now, and how much my heart ached seeing his injured hand.
But why is it that as soon as I see him like that, I completely lose control and always say things that go against my heart?
A memory of what Imaizumi Keita had said to her at the clubroom door a few days ago flashed through her mind.
—"Like me, I would never bluntly ask you when you and President Tamaki are planning to start dating officially."
At that time, she had righteously retorted, "We're just childhood sweethearts."
But thinking about it now, what difference was there between this interaction style, where she couldn't even say a single soft word, and that of ordinary childhood sweethearts?
No, it was actually even worse.
Perhaps in Shintaro's eyes, Koma was much cuter than her...
Who told her to just be an ordinary childhood sweetheart right now...
She could only use this childish way to hide the true feelings she didn't dare to declare.
Thinking of this, Senior Tsukinoki felt a wave of powerlessness wash over her.
She stopped talking and simply stepped forward in silence, grabbing Tamaki's uninjured left wrist without allowing any argument and pulling him toward the nearby public sink.
"Hey, Koto? What are you doing?"
Tamaki Shintaro followed her lead somewhat confusedly, his steps a bit stumbling.
Senior Tsukinoki didn't answer, pulling him straight to the sink and turning on the faucet.
Cool tap water flowed out with a splash.
She let go of his wrist and instead carefully held his injured right hand, placing the burned area under the cold water to rinse it gently.
"..."
Tamaki Shintaro originally wanted to say something, but when he saw Senior Tsukinoki's profile at that moment, all his words got stuck in his throat.
She had her head lowered, her expression focused and serious. Her long eyelashes cast a small shadow under her eyelids, and her eyes were full of a tenderness and heartache that she herself hadn't even noticed.
That tenderness was clearly transmitted through the slightly cool touch of her fingertips.
Tamaki Shintaro silently swallowed the nonsense that had reached his lips, such as "making a big deal out of nothing" or "no need to go to this much trouble," and just stood there quietly, letting her treat his wound.
...
On the other side, Shioyaki Lemon saw that the pair of childhood sweethearts had finally resolved the emergency and let out a long sigh of relief.
"Phew... scared me to death."
She patted her chest, her face regaining its energy. "I thought something really bad was going to happen."
She turned her head and saw that Koma Chihana next to her was still in a daze, so she naturally grabbed her wrist.
"Alright, alright, Koma, it's fine now! Let's keep playing with the fireworks! I saw one over there that changes colors, let's try that one!"
"Th-that... I, I..."
Koma Chihana shook her head, stuttering as she refused Shioyaki Lemon, then broke free from her grasp.
"I... I'm a bit wor-worried about the Pre-President's hand..."
After stating her thoughts, she summoned her courage and turned to run toward Imaizumi Keita, who was standing not far away.
Imaizumi Keita and Yanami Anna hadn't joined the commotion, only watching the interaction between the childhood sweethearts from a distance.
Watching Senior Tsukinoki's back as she rinsed the President's wound, Yanami Anna couldn't help but murmur, "Senior... she really does care about the President a lot."
Imaizumi Keita didn't respond, only looking at the scene with a thoughtful expression on his face.
Judging by the atmosphere between them, they would probably break out of this 'more than friends, less than lovers' state very soon...
Just then, he felt someone gently tugging at the corner of his clothes.
He turned around and saw Koma Chihana standing beside him. Her eyes, which were usually evasive, were now filled with anxiety and entreaty.
"Cl-Classmate Imaizumi..."
Her voice trembled slightly from nervousness, but she still tried her best to speak clearly.
"Y-you said before... that you brought a first-aid kit, right?"
"Hmm?" Imaizumi Keita was stunned for a moment before realizing what she was referring to.
"Is... is there... is there burn ointment in it?"
Koma Chihana looked at him expectantly, her hands nervously clutching the hem of her clothes.
Imaizumi Keita looked at her as she gathered this immense courage and nodded.
"Yeah."
He didn't play any games and answered straightforwardly, "I'll take you to get it now."
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