My Seatmate is a Master (6) - Healing the Villain Secretly

"Being fat is not healthy! A balanced diet and exercise are a must! People his age should avoid junk foods, foods with high sugar and salt content, or carbonated drinks."

[He needs to thin down, Milady. You need to help him achieve that...]

"Yeah. But we're not in a hurry."

As Kiba lay in a state of barely conscious fever, Shira slowly helped him drink the springwater, watching as it gradually began to take effect. It took some time, but eventually, Kiba's body started to return to its normal temperature, and his fever subsided.

Lemolemo, who had been watching over the situation, couldn't help but express his observations. [Milady, look! The Villain's body is excreting liquefied toxic substances through his sweat glands! Should we clean him up? If we delay any longer, your room will start to smell...]

Shira cut him off, her concern for Kiba overriding any potential inconvenience. She swiftly moved Kiba into her space, determined to help him recover.

"Help me bring a bathtub here, Lemolemo," Shira requested.

With a wave of Lemolemo's ability, a bathtub materialized in the room. Shira wasted no time. She poured normal water into the tub and then added a few drops of springwater.

[Milady, why did you add a few drops of springwater to the Villain's bath? Wouldn't it be more beneficial for him to drink it?] Lemolemo inquired.

Shira explained her reasoning as she gently began to wash Kiba. "To ensure the toxins his body has excreted won't stick to his pores but will instead attach to the molecules of the water. This will also prevent him from smelling a foul odor after the bath. We can't make him suspicious, can we?"

Lemolemo nodded in understanding as he assisted Shira with the task, their focus solely on helping Kiba recover and ensuring that he remained unaware of the unusual circumstances surrounding his revival.

When Kiba felt his fever gradually subsided, he began to regain consciousness, his mind slowly emerging from the haze of illness.

'Where am I?'

'Huh? This ceiling, it looked unfamiliar...'

'Could I be in...'

'Shira's room!'

When he finally opened his eyes, the next thing he saw was Shira, sound asleep in a chair beside his bed. Her form was gentle and serene, her presence a comforting sight for his weary eyes.

'She really brought me inside her room!' A slight redness on the tip of his ears was noticeable. 

Kiba couldn't help but be deeply touched by the sight of her.

'She must have taken care of me since I burned in fever again...'

He felt a warmth in his chest, a feeling of gratitude, relief, and an emotion he couldn't quite put into words.

'I feel sorry for her. She must have been exhausted.'

'I suddenly felt bad coming here without prior notice.'

He watched Shira quietly, afraid to disturb her peaceful slumber. He thought she had been there, watching over him during his time of need, and the depth of her care and concern for him had not gone unnoticed.

'It's been a while since I last saw her sleep before me.'

Sitting up slowly, Kiba's gaze remained fixed on Shira. He didn't fully understand the feelings that were blossoming inside him, but they were undeniable. He couldn't help but appreciate the bond they shared, a connection that had weathered the storms of their complicated relationship.

'She used to be an ordinary classmate for me. But who would have thought that she'd become someone so attached and special to me...'

Kiba continued to watch Shira silently, his heart stirred by her presence and the unspoken sentiments between them, as he began to contemplate the significance of their friendship and the moments that had brought them to this point.

'Does she really hate seeing me spend time with the transferee student? I should avoid her if so.'

The following morning, Kiba and Shira found themselves sharing breakfast together. The air in the room was filled with the aroma of freshly cooked food, and the atmosphere seemed almost normal as if nothing unusual had occurred. And both of them played along.

[Milady, the Villain, looked like he wanted to say something, but he wanted to avoid disrupting the current harmony.]

"Maybe because he's not strong enough to confront me."

Shira appeared as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened, maintaining a facade of composure. She engaged in casual conversation, discussing everyday topics, and carefully avoided any mention of the previous night's events or their feelings.

It was as if she was pretending that their reunion and Kiba's recovery were a matter of routine. "When will you go back to school?" Kiba asked.

"Next week," Shira answered.

"Will you still live here?"

"No, I'll temporarily move to Mom's second house, which is closer to the school. How are you feeling today?"

"A little well. I guess my body just needs enough rest and nourishment." Kiba answered, but his thoughts were different, 'Finally! I can spend more time with her at school. I've been worried about her for a long time. I hope she has finally adjusted to the current lessons. But tutoring her is also a good proposal!'

Kiba, while grateful for her care and the return of some semblance of normalcy, couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. He wanted to understand the reasons behind Shira's abrupt departure and her initial avoidance of him.

'I might naturally offend her if I say things that will surely disturb her interests. I better talk about these things when the calmness has settled on us. For now, let's just pretend that we never had these misunderstandings.' 

So, for the moment, he played along, engaging in the mundane conversation while his questions and emotions remained buried beneath the surface, waiting for the right time to surface and be acknowledged.

The unspoken words and the underlying tension lingered between them, casting a shadow over their seemingly ordinary breakfast.

The next Monday morning, Shira and Kiba prepared to return to school. As they made their way to school, the familiar route seemed both comforting and daunting. The unspoken tension remained between them, yet they were determined to address it.

Kiba, looking for an opportunity to talk, finally mustered the courage to break the silence. "Shira," he began tentatively, "about what happened during my illness and your sudden departure..."

Shira glanced at him, her expression guarded but willing to listen.

As Kiba was about to delve deeper into the conversation with Shira, an abrupt and chilling shout shattered the morning's calm. 

"Guys! Someone died from the lower section!"

Someone from the school grounds had cried out that a student from another section had jumped off the building and committed suicide.

"What?"

"A suicide?"

The news hit like a thunderclap, spreading shock and confusion throughout the campus. Students and teachers rushed to the scene, their faces filled with disbelief and sorrow.

Kiba and Shira exchanged glances, their own conversation put on hold as the gravity of the situation sank in. The tragic incident cast a somber shadow over the morning, reminding them of the fragile and complex lives that existed around them.

They followed the crowd, their minds filled with different emotions and questions, understanding that their own concerns and unresolved issues had to be momentarily set aside in the face of a far more significant and painful reality.

[Milady, side quest detected!]

"How can there be side quests, Lemolemo?"

[It was the Main system that issued this quest, Milady. I also don't know why. It was the first time for a Romance-set system to get a quest like this...]

"What is the side quest all about?"

[Milady, it is for you to find the murderer and solve the crime.]

Shira nodded, suddenly thoughtful about the scenarios around her. 

Shira's mind was now focused on the unfolding scenario, fully engaged in the side quest before her.

She carefully approached the lifeless body of the female student, examining the scene with an attentive eye. "Lemolemo," she requested, "can you help me record a closer video of the female student? If possible, magnify the parts of her skin where it appears torn, bruised, scratched, or even cut."

Lemolemo responded, [I promise to complete the task, Milady,] before setting to work, recording the necessary details.

Shira's observations continued. "I also find the angle of her fall to be peculiar. And have you noticed her leg bone? It appears to be swollen."

Lemolemo suggested, [It could be from the fall, Milady.]

Shira, however, questioned the explanation. "Her body must have fallen straight from the top. There are no trees close to this area where her leg could have hit. Furthermore, her injured leg is not beneath the other. I would expect a snapped bone if the one that's swollen were her other leg."

With her sharp eye for detail, Shira had begun to uncover peculiarities in the scene that raised doubts about the nature of the incident. The side quest had suddenly taken on a new dimension, and Shira was determined to uncover the truth hidden within this mystery.

"Lemolemo, let's venture out tonight. We could collect some pieces of evidence at the crime scene on top of that building. Things that are too ordinary to be categorized as part of the crime."