Sprained Ankle

As they chatted with each other for a while, Haruno Ayato, who had finished changing his clothes and was carrying his schoolbag, came out from behind the cashier counter.

When he turned his head and saw that very familiar figure, the boy called out with joy.

"Sister Kasumi~"

Hearing the familiar voice, Haruno Kasumi, who was chatting with Sasaki, turned sideways and waved to him.

Touching the hair of Ayato, who was much shorter than her, the girl's soft words were filled with concern.

"Did you get tired today at work?"

Although he enjoyed Kasumi-nee's head pats, Haruno Ayato, who was a little conscious of his height in front of his friend, pulled her hand down.

Then he shook his head and introduced his sister to Sasaki with a slightly red face.

"Sasaki-kun, she is the sister I told you before."

Thinking that the two seemed to be chatting before, she asked softly: "Have you met before?"

Nodding towards him, Haruno Kasumi put her arm around his shoulders and praised him with a smile.

"Ayato did very well today. He took the initiative to make friends. Sister is very happy~"

Without hearing his sister ask about being bullied,

Haruno Ayato tilted his head slightly and looked at Sasaki, who was nodding with a smile, and knew he had not mentioned it to his sister, so he smiled and nodded in response,

"Because Sasaki-kun seemed very friendly."

"Yes, indeed~" Raising her eyes and glancing at Sasaki's handsome, upright figure

Haruno Kasumi, who met his gaze, looked away with a rosy complexion and responded in a low voice.

"It's getting late; let's go home. Sasaki-kun has been waiting for me."

Not noticing his sister's subtle actions just now, Ayato looked at the boy, standing beside the two of them with a gentle smile on his face, and tugged at his sister's sleeve.

"Oh." Understanding why he had been standing there, Kasumi glanced at Sasaki, who was carrying his schoolbag again.

'He's really a good person.'

.

.

Walking out of the convenience store.

Sasaki, who knew from the morning that he shared part of the way home with Haruno Ayato, walked on the inner side of the sidewalk, chatting intermittently with the boy, who was walking in the middle.

Walking on the roadside, Haruno Kasumi carried her schoolbag silently, quietly listening to their conversation.

After walking for a while, Sasaki saw the number of vehicles gradually increasing during the rush hour and gently called out to the girl, who was walking by the roadside.

"Sister Kasumi."

"Um?"

Looking at the girl's confused look, he walked to her side, gently touching her soft shoulder, and guided her to the inside of the sidewalk.

"It's not safe for a girl to walk on the outside. It's too easy to encounter danger."

And the girl Kasumi, who found herself moved to the inside before she knew it, fiddled with her fingers somewhat embarrassedly upon hearing Sasaki's words.

"It's okay, it doesn't really matter..."

Speaking in a low tone, it was obvious that it was the first time for the girl to receive such delicate care.

After all, she was Haruno Ayato's older cousin, so after Ayato's parents went abroad, as the only family member around him, she consciously took up the role of caring for and protecting him.

And this behavior of subconsciously walking closer to the road after leaving the convenience store was also a subconscious action to protect her younger brother.

She didn't think there was anything wrong with this behavior.

Yet, having this small act pointed out and being protected in return made her feel a bit embarrassed.

After all, as their senior, she felt she should be taking care of them.

But...

Sasaki, not taking Kasumi's gesture for granted, listened to her words and glanced at Ayato, who was looking at her, and smiled without saying anything.

And the boy, who had already heard his words, nodded in agreement.

"Yes, Sister Kasumi, it's very dangerous to walk on the roadside. Just let me do it next time."

Looking down at Haruno Ayato, who was patting his chest, the girl smiled and nodded.

"Ayato has grown up. Uncle and Auntie will be very happy when they come back."

After saying this and seeing the boy beam with pride after being praised, she turned her head to glance at Sasaki, who was facing the morning glow, his brown hair illuminated golden by the setting sun, looking radiant.

She couldn't pinpoint the feeling in her heart.

Though she was delighted to hear Ayato speak of protecting her, the gentle gesture Sasaki made earlier, moving her to the inside, made her dwell on and care about it even more.

Haruno Kasumi, who was just thinking blankly and forgot to look back, stepped on some loose gravel beside the green belt on the side of the road without paying attention.

"ah!"

The twist of her ankle and the weight of the two watermelons in front of her made the girl unconsciously fall forward.

And Sasaki, who had been stared at by her, paid special attention to her.

As soon as she cried out in pain, he came behind her and wrapped his arms around her slender waist.

"Umm..."

Lying back against Sasaki's chest, feeling the pain in her ankle, Kasumi winced, her eyebrows knitted and her face pale.

Haruno Ayato, who also heard his sister's cry of pain, immediately looked to his side.

Seeing his sister lying in Sasaki's arms, his first instinct, of course, was to help her.

"Sister Kasumi, what's wrong with you?"

"Don't touch her yet; she has sprained her ankle."

Placing a hand on Ayato's shoulder,

Sasaki looked at Haruno Kasumi, whose head was leaning on his chest, took off the schoolbag from her shoulder, and handed it to the boy, who was looking anxiously.

"Take the schoolbag, and I will carry her. If she walks, the pain will be even worse."

After saying that, as if afraid that Haruno Kasumi would be a little repelled by his own initiative.

Sasaki slightly bowed his head, whispering, 'emergency measures, please forgive me' near her cool, delicate ear before starting to unbutton his outer shirt.

Although the pleated skirt worn by Haruno Kasumi, which was not short and reached about three fingers above her knees, wouldn't normally pose a risk of exposure during regular movements, he wasn't sure if the skirt's length would suffice when carrying her.

But regardless of whether it was long enough or not when a girl is wearing a skirt and needs one to carry her on the back, it is still good to cover it.

Taking off his outer shirt, Sasaki faced Haruno Ayato's confused gaze and whispered to the girl:

"Sister Kasumi, you put your arms around my neck first, and I will tie the clothes around your waist."

Although she knew that Sasaki was thinking about her, but when she thought of lying on the boy's back, Haruno Kasumi's delicate and lovely fair face suddenly became extraordinarily pink.

But she also knew that now was not the time for her to be pretentious, so she could only bite her lips lightly and respond softly.

"Sorry to trouble you~."

.

.

After receiving Haruno Kasumi's consent, the boy half-bent due to his height so that she could cling to his neck and lean on his shoulder.

Bowing his head, he used his hands, holding the shirt sleeves to wrap around the girl's waist and hips line, placing his hands near her lower abdomen.

More than the slight contact through the clothing, what made Kasumi even more uncomfortable was the hot breath spraying on her chest.

Because she was half leaning on Sasaki's arms, her slanted body

aligned perfectly with the boy's lowered head.

It could be said that the tip of Sasaki's nose was only a few centimeters away from the extremely bulging dumpling, which looked like two volleyballs were stuffed inside it.

Feeling the blazing heat spraying and inhaling on a large area of her extraordinarily sensitive dumplings, a particularly conspicuous and delicate blush gradually appeared on the girl's face that was pale due to pain.

And the body leaning in his arms became increasingly limp and soft.

Fortunately, the boy didn't deliberately take advantage of her.

When the itching feeling did not spread from his chest to other places, Sasaki, who had just tied his sleeves into a knot, straightened up.

With the retreat of that warmth, the feeling that was neither comfortable nor uncomfortable yet profoundly impactful quickly receded like the tide.

But it was this kind of anticlimactic feeling that came and receded quickly that made her feel as uncomfortable as being scratched by a cat.

Before she could snap out of her daze, a solid back appeared in front of her, darkening her view momentarily.

As the golden light reappeared, she felt a pair of broad and hot palms touch the outsides of her thighs.

Under the gentle but firm grasp of those hot hands, Kasumi's feet gradually left the ground, and her body involuntarily leaned onto Sasaki's back.

Feeling the extensive, solid warmth against her soft front, the girl, who had come to her senses, placed her hands on Sasaki's shoulders.

Poked her little head out from the side of his head and thanked him in a soft and tender voice.

"Thank you, Sasaki-kun~"