Treatment

"Hey there, junior, going home?" Ayame asked casually.

"Uhhh, yes," Kiyo responded, slightly taken aback.

Ayame gestured to the backseat and offered, "Hop on, I'll give you a ride."

"Thanks, but I can manage on my own, and thanks for the offer," Kiyo declined politely.

"Oh, come on. I know you live close to my shop. It's no trouble at all," Ayame insisted.

Kiyo hesitated, unsure how to respond. but suddenly, Shiori appeared positioning herself between Kiyo and Ayame, facing Ayame directly.

"And who you might be?" Shiori questioned with narrowed eyes, catching Ayame off guard.

Slightly shocked, Ayame turned to Kiyo.

"Kiyo… who's this girl?"

"I'm his dearest friend, Shiori," Shiori asserted, her tone brusque.

"Nice to meet you, Shiori," Ayame responded with a smile.

"Now, who exactly are you, and what's your relation with Kiyo?" Shiori demanded, undeterred.

Ayame, slightly bewildered, explained, "I'm a friend too. I work at the shop closest to his house.”

Ayame's voice faltered as she caught sight of Goro, her finger instinctively pointing toward him. "Hey, isn't that the same—"

Kiyo gently took her hand, before Ayame could finish her sentence, lowering it with a firm but gentle grip. “Alright, I'll come with you.” he interjected smoothly.

"No, you can't go with her," Shiori exclaimed sharply. "I'll walk with you instead. We can go together regularly, whenever you like, however you like," she added, her tone carrying a hint of emotion.

"I'm sorry, Shiori," Kiyo expressed as he settled onto Ayame's scooter, despite Shiori's shocked expression.

"Let's go, Ayame.” said Kiyo.

Shiori stood frozen in disbelief as Ayame, though bewildered, started her scooter and drove away.

As Shiori watched them fade into the distance, Goro approached, placing his comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. We can walk together."

Shiori sharply shrugged Goro's hand off of her shoulder, wiping away her tears with a determined motion, before walking away alone.

“What’s her problem?” Goro mused silently, his thoughts swirling. “Could she actually love Kiyo? How is that possible? She’s one of the most stunning and brilliant girls in our school… She loves Kiyo? Nah, I’m probably just overthinking. She’s simply being compassionate towards him, as she is with everyone.” With a sigh, he resumed his walk….

Kiyo, still on his way home, directed, "Alright, this is where I live." Ayame nodded in acknowledgment and brought the scooter to a halt.

Kiyo came down the scooter, "Thank you for the ride, I appreciate it," He expressed gratefully.

As Ayame closely observed Kiyo, concern etched on her face. “Wait, your wound looks pretty bad. Are you in pain?”

“I’m okay,” Kiyo reassured her with a quick response.

“Kiyo, it looks serious. I can help treat it. Do you live by yourself?” Ayame asked to which Kiyo nodded in confirmation.

“Okay, I’ll be there in half an hour and I’ll bring a first aid kit with me. Which floor are you on?” Ayame asked.

“Second floor,” Kiyo replied.

With a nod, Ayame responded “Got it. See you in half an hour then,”

“Thank you, I’ll be waiting,” Kiyo smiled appreciatively.

With a smile of her own, Ayame bid farewell and rode off.

When Kiyo opened his apartment door, he was met with the sight of Kiri eagerly waiting for him. With a joyful meow, she leapt toward him, playfully rubbing against his foot.

Kiyo's smile widened as he knelt down, addressing her affectionately, "Hey there, Kiri. Did you miss me?”

Kiyo extended his finger towards Kiri, who responded with enthusiastic licks.

With a chuckle, Kiyo gently lifted her, and she effortlessly perched herself on his shoulder.

"You really enjoy being up here, don't you?" he remarked with a smile.

Glancing around his clean room, Kiyo nodded in approval, remarking, "Wow, you didn't mess up the house, Good job.”

Observing Kiri's empty bowl, Kiyo queried, "You also finished your lunch? Still hungry?"

Kiri responded by playfully pawing at Kiyo's head.

Kiyo gently petted her and conceded, "Okay, okay, I understand. You're still hungry. Let's go then. I'll whip something up for you." With that, he made his way to the kitchen, with Kiri sitting on his shoulder.

After a few moments, a knock echoed through Kiyo's door. "Who's there?" Kiyo inquired from inside the room.

A familiar voice responded from the other side, "It's me, Ayame."

With a smile, Kiyo swung the door open, revealing Ayame standing there.

Kiyo greeted her warmly, dressed casually, wearing a warm smile, with Kiri perched contentedly on his shoulder.

Ayame's eyes widened as she took in the sight of Kiyo, a stirring sensation blossoming within her.

"Welcome, come on in," Kiyo greeted as Ayame stepped inside.

Gesturing towards the bed, he invited, "Take a seat." before they settled onto the bed together.

Ayame's eyes sparkled with curiosity as she remarked, "Wow, you have a cat?"

Kiyo nodded with a fond smile, "Yes, her name's Kiri. She's my only family here, and she loves sitting on my shoulder."

Kiyo gently scooped up Kiri, holding her close to her face, as he addressed her, "Isn't that right, Kiri? You enjoy sitting on my shoulder, don't you?”

As Kiyo and Kiri engaged in playful antics, their joy evident, Ayame couldn't help but watch Kiyo with a soft smile. Sensing her gaze on him, Kiyo turned to her and asked, "What?"

Ayame's smile widened as she confessed, "I never realized before, but now I see that the smiles you showed me before were all forced ones. This, right here, is your genuine smile, and you look adorable when you're truly happy.”

A blush crept onto Kiyo's cheeks as Ayame's observation caught him off guard.

Noticing Kiri's bandaged leg, Ayame inquired with concern, "What happened to Kiri's leg?"

“She was being harassed by some boys. They hurt her, so I tended to her wounds. That’s when we met for the first time,” Kiyo recounted, his expression softening. “She was alone, just like me, so I took her in. Now, we’re each other’s family.”

Ayame retrieved the first aid kit, determined to help. "Okay, let's have a look at Kiri's leg," she said, and as she gently tried to take Kiri from Kiyo. Kiri's fear became evident as she scurried back to the safety of Kiyo's shoulder.

“Kiri, she’s a kind person. You can trust her. Let her help you,” Kiyo said gently.

He then carefully passed Kiri to Ayame. However, Kiri's aggression grew evident as she was in Ayame's grasp, wanting to return to Kiyo's side.

“It’s okay, Kiri. I won’t harm you,” Ayame’s soothing voice attempted to calm the cat’s nerves.

Sensing Kiri's distress, Kiyo tenderly placed his hand on Kiri’s head, a gesture that seemed to ease her tension. It was evident that Kiri found solace in Kiyo's touch.

Ayame's astonishment grew as she observed the heartwarming interaction between Kiyo and Kiri. Her gaze lingered on Kiyo's radiant smile, causing her heart to flutter unexpectedly.

When Kiyo caught her eye, Ayame quickly lowered her gaze, focusing on tending to Kiri. "She truly adores you," Ayame remarked softly.

Kiyo nodded knowingly, replying, "Yes, I'm aware."

“Here you go, all done,” Ayame confirmed after tending to Kiri’s injury. Kiri then scampered away and settled on the floor.

“She must be exhausted,” Kiyo remarked.

“Shall I attend to your wound now?” Ayame asked softly.

With a gentle smile, Kiyo extended his injured hand towards Ayame.

Ayame reciprocated with a warm smile of her own, tenderly clasping Kiyo's hand in hers, a hint of romance in the gesture.

Kiyo's eyes widened in surprise, his cheeks flushing crimson as he met Ayame's gaze. As Kiyo stole glances at Ayame who's eyes were locked to his hand.

Carefully, she began to remove the bandages, her eyes soft. "What happened to your hand?" she inquired gently.

Kiyo explained, "I accidentally got cut by a piece of glass."

“That sounds painful,” Ayame murmured sympathetically as she applied medication and wrapped fresh bandages around the wound. After securing the fresh bandages, Ayame offered reassurance, "You'll feel better in no time." Grateful, Kiyo nodded in thanks.

Drawing closer to Kiyo, Ayame settled onto her knees before him. As she inspected a wound on his forehead,

Kiyo's cheeks flushed crimson. Ayame remarked with relief, "Thankfully, it doesn't seem too deep, but you should still take care of it.”

Kiyo nodded in agreement.

After tending to his facial wounds, Ayame positioned herself before him, meeting his gaze directly as she gently asked, "Are there any other injuries?"

“No, that’s all,” Kiyo initially responded with a denial.

“You don’t need to keep anything from me,” Ayame said gently, her smile warm and understanding. “I know there might be other injuries you might not wanna show me, but trust me, you can.”

Kiyo's demeanor softened as he finally admitted, "Actually, there is one more.”

“Where is it?” Ayame asked without missing a second.

“It’s.. on the back of my neck,” Kiyo responded softly.

“Where exactly?” Ayame inquired before shifting to his back and gently probing.

"It's a bit lower," Kiyo explained hesitantly.

“I can't see it." Ayame responded.

Kiyo, feeling bashful, clarified, "I'll need to take off my shirt to show you that wound."

Ayame smiled reassuringly, encouraging, "Go ahead and remove it.”

Kiyo's bashfulness was evident as he hesitantly removed his shirt, with Ayame offering a supportive hand.

As she saw his wound she smiled and began tending to the wound.

"You don't have to keep anything from me. I'm here to help you however I can."

Despite her comforting words, Kiyo remained visibly shy.

Once the treatment was complete, Ayame smiled warmly and leaned forward, resting her forehead against Kiyo's shoulder from behind,

Kiyo's eyes widened in shock.

"You can open up to me, I'm here for you," Ayame added with a warm voice.

Suddenly, the door to Kiyo's apartment swung open, as Shiori with a smiling face entered. However, her expression quickly shifted as she took in the scene before her:

Kiyo shirtless with Ayame resting her head on his shoulder.