Chapter 24 - Stubborn

Kira had given up trying to wake her up and he just sat there, resting his face on one hand while quietly looking at the sleeping squirrel. He stayed like that, touching her hair, for a long while until his eyes fell on her hand.

The moment he saw small cuts and bruises on her knuckles, Kira's face immediately darkened. He touched her hand, took a closer look and his expression only worsened when he confirmed they really were wounds. T-this girl… what happened to her hand? How could she be sleeping so soundly like a log when her hand was like this?! Wait, was she also hurt somewhere else? Was this why she was sleeping like this? Was she sick?!

Speechless and at the same time extremely troubled, Kira stretched his hand and placed his palm on her forehead. When he confirmed that her temperature wasn't high, he heaved a sigh of relief, but it wasn't enough to make his worry go away.

"Squirrel, wake up! How could you sleep without treating your wounds first? Wake up, I'll bring you to the infirmary." He said but the girl remained silent. Unable to contain himself anymore, he stood up and walked towards her. He held her shoulders and the moment he attempted to make her stand so he could scoop her up, the girl suddenly moved and pushed him away, hard.

She was so strong that Kira was pushed few steps back and hit his back at the edge of another desk. T-this damn gorilla! Can't she at least learn to control her strength?!

"You…" Kira's veins were popping again as he looked at her. He was about to scold her good but when he saw the surprised look in her eyes, he held himself back.

"I… I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else." She said and Kira immediately realized that he might have shocked her so his anger quickly subsided.

He sighed and was about to tell her to go in the infirmary when the girl asked. "But… why are you touching my shoulders?"

Kira's brows knotted a bit as he stared at her upon hearing her question. When the girl simply looked at him with straight face, he raised his brow and returned the question back to her.

"What do you think? Why do you think I'm touching the sleeping log's shoulder, huh?" he asked and Zeri blinked before replying.

"You're trying to wake me up?"

Somehow, her answer made Kira smile. She even looked so sure. What's with this girl? Was she really just someone so innocent or just a blockhead?

"What made you think I was just trying to wake you up?"

"Because my little brother also does that when he's trying to wake me up."

Upon hearing her straight answer without even a hint of hesitation in her eyes, Kira didn't know why but he felt like he definitely didn't like the fact that she just compared him to his little brother. But he didn't speak anymore and returned his attention to her hand.

"Your hand, what happened to it?" he asked as he casually held her wrist and made her look at the little wounds on her hand. "How could you sleep when you're wounded? You're supposed to go straight to the infirmary before anything else!"

As Kira suddenly started scolding her, Zeri couldn't even say a word and just stared at him. But when Kira started pulling her, telling her that he was taking her to the infirmary, Zeri protested.

"Wait… I already went a while ago and no one was there. I think the nurse is at the event as well." She explained and Kira halted.

"What?! Tch! Well then, I'll bring you to the hospital." He said and he started pulling her again.

"Wait! Hold on. What are you talking about?"

"Don't worry. I'm allowed to leave the school anytime. You'll be fine as long as you're with me. C'mon, you have to treat that immediately!"

"Wait… that's not it. Why would I go to the hospital? These are just little wounds."

"So what if they're small cuts? Wounds are wounds so it has to be treated properly! Stop protesting and just follow me."

"But I'm really alright. I can treat these on my own. I definitely don't need to go to the hospital."

"Tch! Why are you so stubborn?!"

"You're the one who's stubborn. I said I don't want to go!"

Kira narrowed his eyes and raised his hand to flick her forehead when someone suddenly cleared her throat.

When the two turned to look in the direction of the sound, a cute chubby girl was standing by the door, holding a first aid kit.

"Uhm… I, I brought this." She said and Kira let Zeri's hand go and walked towards the girl.

"Did she ask you to bring this?" he asked and the girl shook her head.

"No, I was the cause of her wounds so I went and borrowed this from the teacher when I saw that that the infirmary was closed. I thought that she might need this."

"You were the cause?" Kira's gaze at her turned cold, causing the girl to flinch.

"I-I … I fell down the stairs and she saved me. That's how she hurt her hand. I'm so sorry, forgive me."

When she heard her answer, his gaze somehow softened. "Ohh… so you fell and she caught you?"

"Yes."

With a raised brow, Kira turned to Zeri with a smirk. "So you finally experienced how it feels to be treated as an air bag now, huh?"

"No, I was the one who fell on top of her."

Kira: ". . ."