Chapter 72 — A Matter of Care
"Alright…"
Faced with the girl's overwhelming embarrassment and the clear signs that she was at her limit, Ren had no choice.
Gritting his teeth, he hurried back to the bedside, lifted Tsumiki into his arms, and carried her toward the bathroom.
It was only a few steps.
I'll just set her down, step outside, close the door… and once she's done, I'll come back and help her out.
Simple. Clean. No need to overthink it.
At least, that's what he told himself.
Holding her carefully, Ren strode forward, kicked the bathroom door open, and rushed inside.
Then he looked down—
—and froze.
His mind went completely blank.
Wait…
This isn't right.
Why… why is this a squat toilet?
This was a private hospital room. How could the bathroom not have a proper seat?
Was the infrastructure at Jujutsu High really this outdated?!
And more importantly—
In Tsumiki's current condition, there was absolutely no way she could manage that posture.
Ren's arms trembled slightly as he held her.
"S-senpai…" Tsumiki's voice was barely audible, soft as a whisper. "C-could you… help me… a little more…?"
"…I…"
"S-senpai…" Her voice trembled again, on the verge of breaking.
At this point, there was no turning back.
He couldn't just carry her back to the bed.
And he definitely couldn't leave her here.
So Ren shut his eyes tightly, forcing himself not to think, not to look, not to process anything beyond what needed to be done.
—
But in the silence, the faint, unavoidable sounds still reached his ears—clearer than he would have liked.
He could feel the tremble of her body in his arms, the heat of her skin, the tension finally giving way.
He could even hear the soft, restrained exhale of relief she couldn't hold back after enduring so much.
Ren tried desperately to steady his breathing, to calm the erratic pounding of his heart—
but it was useless.
They were too close.
Pressed together, chest to back—there was no distance between them.
He could hear her heartbeat.
Which meant… she could hear his too.
—
When it was finally over, Ren carried her back to the bed.
He stood there afterward, completely dazed.
He didn't even know how it had ended.
It felt like an eternity had passed—
and all the strength had been drained from his body.
Tsumiki's cheeks were flushed as if set ablaze.
The two of them both lowered their heads, unsure how to face each other.
"This is… bad," Tsumiki murmured, her voice tinged with embarrassment. "You've… seen the most undignified side of me, Ren-senpai…"
She lifted her face slightly, her eyes glistening with tears. But the moment their gazes met, she quickly lowered her eyes again, too shy to hold his.
"Ren-senpai… you won't start to dislike me because of this, right?"
"O-of course not," Ren replied, forcing out an awkward smile.
He fumbled for a moment, then added more firmly, "You're a patient, and I'm a doctor. A doctor taking care of a patient is completely normal. What just happened… was standard medical care. So please don't think too much about it."
"…Okay." Tsumiki nodded gently.
"And besides—" Ren suddenly brightened, as if finding a lifeline. He straightened up and declared seriously, "I didn't see anything. My eyes were closed the whole time."
"…Mm." She nodded again, a faint smile forming on her lips.
Seeing that smile, Ren finally let out a long breath of relief.
"But…" Tsumiki's tone suddenly shifted.
"You heard it, didn't you?"
Ren's smile froze instantly.
"As I thought…" she lowered her head again, biting her lip, her voice trembling. "Something like that… it's just too—"
"I told you it doesn't matter!" Ren cut in quickly, a little flustered. "It was just normal medical care!"
"Then…" she looked up again, her eyes slightly moist, her expression shy yet searching, "you really won't dislike me because of it?"
"Of course not!" Ren nodded repeatedly. "Just forget it, Tsumiki. Let's act like nothing ever happened."
She hesitated for a moment.
"…I can't do that."
"Huh?"
"Because it did happen," she said softly. "If I deliberately try to forget… doesn't that just mean you're the one who's actually bothered by it, Ren-senpai?"
"Ah—no, that's not what I meant, I—" Ren faltered, completely at a loss.
Just as he was struggling to find the right words—
Knock knock knock.
A sudden knock came from the door.
Ren jolted like he'd been struck by lightning, springing to his feet in panic.
Tsumiki covered her mouth lightly and let out a soft laugh.
That alone eased much of the tension in the room.
"Tsumiki, I'm coming in," came Megumi's voice from outside.
"Mm," she responded.
The door opened.
Megumi stepped in—just in time to see Ren hurriedly sit back down, looking unusually restless.
Ren turned toward him with a look of pure relief—
only for it to immediately shift into silent resentment.
Why didn't you come earlier, you idiot?
After all, they had split responsibilities: Megumi handled the theory, while Ren taught the practical side.
If Megumi had arrived just a little sooner…
"What's wrong?" Megumi frowned slightly. "Ren-senpai?"
"N-nothing!" Ren straightened instantly, pretending everything was normal. "You two talk. I'll head out."
He walked out quickly—faster and faster—until he practically fled the room like someone escaping a crime scene.
"What was that about?" Megumi muttered, watching his retreating back. "Ren-senpai seems… kind of strange today."
"Really?" Tsumiki tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled gently. "Maybe you're imagining things."
"I think Ren-senpai is very kind."
"Oh, right."
She reached out and pressed the nurse call button again.
A short while later, a young nurse appeared at the doorway.
"Excuse me," Tsumiki said politely, offering a soft smile, "could I trouble you for an extra blanket?"
She hugged her shoulders slightly, her body trembling.
"I suddenly feel a bit cold."
The nurse nodded and left to fetch one.
"You could've just told me that," Megumi muttered, a little annoyed, as he sat down beside the bed and opened his bag, pulling out study materials.
"By the way, Tsumiki—how are you feeling today? Any discomfort?"
"…No." She shook her head lightly, her lips curving into a small smile.
"I feel… really good."