"The cleaning procedure is finished. Fortunately, the wound isn't large, so it won't leave a scar..."
The female doctor put down the tweezers and cotton swabs, then took out a piece of sterile gauze.
"Just applying a piece of gauze to finish it up will do."
Sora looked at the square white gauze and tried to negotiate, "Can we not apply the gauze?"
If he went back wearing this thing, Sagiri would definitely notice, and that might cause trouble.
"No." The female doctor flatly refused. "Keeping the wound clean is very important. You don't want it to get infected, inflamed, and end up hospitalized with a high fever, do you?"
"..."
A moment later.
Sora turned his head to look in the mirror. Seeing the super conspicuous white waterproof gauze on his forehead, he sighed helplessly.
"After you go back, you need to show lots of care for your boyfriend's body." The female doctor pulled Ruri aside and muttered instructions in a low voice. "After all, he hit his head, so you can't be careless. If he experiences dizziness, vomiting, fever, or any other uncomfortable symptoms in the next few days, don't hesitate. Take him to the hospital immediately for a full check-up."
"H-He's not my boyfriend..."
Ruri's pretty face was flushed as she shyly retorted.
Although she felt super embarrassed, Kuroneko still took out her phone and earnestly recorded the precautions.
"Goodbye, Doctor."
After waving goodbye, Sora and Ruri walked out of the medical post together.
"Sora-kun, how do you feel now?"
Ruri hugged her backpack, looking up with concern.
"I feel much better, now there's only a faint pain." Sora took out his phone as he spoke, contacting the owner of the lost cat. "Let's finish the commission first, making money is the priority."
Twenty minutes later.
An elegant and wealthy-looking housewife wearing glasses hurried over to them. She scooped up the dirty British Shorthair, then expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the two of them.
"This is the agreed-upon reward, please accept it..."
The bespectacled housewife was quite generous. She didn't go back on her word. After expressing her thanks, she immediately opened her wallet and pulled out a stack of Fukuzawa Yukichis.
"Thank you, Onee-san."
Sora accepted it politely with both hands.
Hearing Sora call her "Onee-san," the housewife instantly beamed with joy. "How did your forehead get injured?"
Sora briefly explained the process of finding the cat, then his expression turned serious.
"That stray cat's injuries were clearly man-made... there might be someone abusing cats nearby."
Hearing his description, the middle-aged housewife's face darkened, and an angry expression appeared on her face.
"No wonder cats have been mysteriously disappearing recently. It turns out someone is abusing them. How cruel must one be to do such a thing!"
"Unacceptable. I'm going back to contact the neighbors and tell everyone to be on high alert. Once we catch that bastard, we'll definitely make him pay!"
"..."
The middle-aged housewife was decisive and action-oriented. After finishing her piece, she turned and hurried away.
Sora turned to look at Kuroneko and smiled. "Now we can divide the spoils."
"It's not stolen money." Ruri put her hands on her hips, unable to resist complaining. "It's clearly the reward we obtained after saving the world."
"Yes, yes~"
After dividing the spoils, both Sora and Kuroneko were super satisfied. The two then descended the mountain and headed to the subway station.
An hour later.
The two stepped out of the subway and returned to Tokyo.
The sky had unknowingly darkened. Dusk was deepening, the streetlights were turning on, and the neon lights of the surrounding buildings flickered.
"Sora, are you hungry? Do you want to grab something to eat together?"
Ruri looked up, offering a soft invitation.
"Let's do it another day." Sora shook his head. "It's already dark. If you don't go back, your aunt and sisters will be worried, right?"
Ruri bit her lower lip with her pearly white teeth, not expecting Sora to be so considerate of her. A warm feeling quietly surged in her heart.
"Then let's have lunch together at the school cafeteria tomorrow noon, my treat."
Sora agreed, "Then I won't hold back."
"It's a promise." Ruri tilted her small face up, warning him earnestly. "After Sora gets back, if you feel unwell anywhere, remember to message me immediately. Don't force yourself to endure it."
"Whatever Ruri-sama says."
"I-Idiot...!" Unexpectedly, Kuroneko-san's pretty face quickly flushed red, her voice shy. "Don't suddenly call people by their first name!"
"..."
Sora parted ways with Kuroneko at the train station and took the train home alone. He bought two portions of seafood sushi at the convenience store near his house, intending to use them as dinner for him and Sagiri.
He quietly unlocked the door and entered, thinking he could return unnoticed. However, the next second, the girl's soft, sweet voice rang out.
"Nii-san, you're back?"
"...I'm back."
Sora let out a soft sigh and turned to face Sagiri.
The waterproof gauze on his forehead had to stay on for three days. Over such a long time, Sagiri was bound to notice it no matter what.
"Eh?!"
Sagiri, who was lying on the sofa playing on her phone, suddenly sat up. Her azure eyes stared fixedly at Sora's forehead, her voice trembling slightly.
"Nii-san, wh-what happened to your head?"
Sora softly comforted her, "Don't worry, I just accidentally took a tumble..."
Before he could finish, Sagiri was already sprinting over.
Thump, thump, thump.
The girl's footsteps were hurried as she crashed headlong into Sora's embrace.
Sora: "..."
You used to hide in your room and refused to even say a word, and now you're actively throwing yourself into my arms. Did you secretly eat some weird mushrooms while alone?
"Don't..." Sagiri looked up, her eyes already brimming with a hazy mist. "Nii-san, don't leave me like Mom and Dad did..."
Sora's gaze softened. He reached out his right hand and gently patted his sister's small head.
"Rest assured, I definitely won't leave Sagiri all alone."
Although she locked herself in her room every day, it was clear that Sagiri was actually most afraid of loneliness.
"Nii-san rushed out this afternoon and came back injured..." Sagiri tilted her small face up, her eyes misty, giving off a feeling of a pear blossom bathed in rain. "It's definitely not as simple as a fall, right? What exactly did Nii-san go do?"
Stop making wild guesses, it really was just a fall, alright!
Sora feigned disgust. "Wipe your snot clean before you talk."
"Ehhhhh?"
Sagiri hurriedly stepped back half a pace and raised a hand to wipe her nose. Discovering she'd been tricked, she clenched her small fists in embarrassment and anger, raising her foot to stomp on him.
"Idiot Nii-san! You're mean! My nose is not running! And... don't change the subject!"
"Ouch, my foot is going to shatter, please show mercy."
"I'm not even wearing shoes, Nii-san is exaggerating too much."
"..."
After Sagiri calmed down, Sora briefly recounted the events of the afternoon, only concealing Gokou Ruri's identity as a Witch.
"Today is Nii-san's Mercury retrograde day." Sagiri raised both hands, tying her falling silver hair into a side ponytail. Then she put her hands on her hips, sighing like a little adult. "Let me take care of Nii-san tonight."
"There's no need for that..."
"Idiot Nii-san, stop talking, hurry up and go sit on the sofa."
"..."
Sora sat on the sofa, holding up the bento he just bought.
"You're hungry, aren't you? Eat first."
"I'll eat in a bit." Sagiri tensed her small face, full of momentum. "From now on, I'll be in charge of home security... First, I'll check the doors and windows to make sure they're locked, so bad guys don't break in. Because if they do, the sickly Nii-san would definitely be knocked out with one punch."
Sora: "..."
Hearing the title 'Home Security Guard', he couldn't help but think of a certain series of works by Suzuki Company... The classics need no introduction.