TOUCH ME

Leyla carefully wrapped the bandage, but her curiosity was slowly getting the better of her. Her gaze occasionally drifted to… something else. And she couldn't help but notice.

Her mind was already in chaos from everything that had happened that night—from Naru's sudden disappearance, his return with a wound, to the fact that she was now sitting right next to him while he was barely dressed, trying to act as if everything was perfectly normal.

And then… without much thought, the words simply slipped from her mouth.

"Can I… touch?"

Naru froze. He looked at her, confused, as if he wasn't sure he had heard correctly.

"Well, I think you already are…" he muttered, pointing at her hand holding the bandage on his thigh.

Leyla blinked, then sighed, realizing the misunderstanding.

"Not that."

Silence.

A second later, his expression shifted from confused to completely shocked. His eyes widened, and his face turned a shade of red she had never seen on him before.

"Where is this coming from?" he asked, trying to sound casual, but his voice was a notch higher than usual.

Leyla shifted on her feet, feeling both like an explorer in new territory and someone who had made a catastrophic mistake by asking the question.

"Well… I never… I mean, in real life…" she stammered, rolling her eyes at herself.

Naru blinked, and then, of course, in his usual style, he grinned widely.

"If you really want to, go ahead. I'm all yours."

—-

Leyla cleared her throat nervously, eyeing him suspiciously. "You really know how to put someone in an awkward situation."

"Oh, trust me, this is pretty awkward for me too."

She raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? You don't look like it."

"On the outside, I'm calm. Inside… my brain is on fire."

A brief silence settled between them.

Leyla hesitated, then carefully extended a finger, barely tracing it over the thin fabric of his underwear.

Naru exhaled—not from pain.

"Leyla…" he murmured, chuckling softly. "That won't tell you anything."

She glanced at him sideways. "And, of course, you'd like me to find out?"

"I'm just saying, if you're already asking, maybe you should go all the way."

Naru stood up, and then, without a shred of shame, removed the last piece of clothing before sitting back down beside her.

Leyla's jaw dropped. She didn't blink. "You are… unbelievable."

"Thank you."

She kept staring, unsure of what to do.

—-

It was clear she wanted to touch him, but her pride and shyness were at war with each other.

Naru noticed her hesitation and gently took her hand.

"If you want, I can help you."

He guided her hand and placed it where she had hesitated to touch.

Leyla jerked her hand away, looked at him in shock—and then abruptly grabbed him.

Her heart was pounding. Had she really just done that?

A rush of emotions surged through him, but he tried to remain composed—for her sake.

"What now?" she muttered under her breath.

"Do whatever you want, dear Leyla," he replied, not realizing he had spoken aloud.

"I don't even know what I'm supposed to do next," she murmured again, her shocked eyes still locked onto him.

She shook her head, embarrassed. "I can't believe I actually did that."

"Continue next time if it makes it easier for you," Naru laughed.

"Congratulations. You passed inspection."