Traveling With a Beautiful Girl - Chapter 32: Kindness

“Take that!” 

A spirited child’s voice suddenly echoed through the castle tower. When I turned around, a boy about kindergarten-age was running around with a toy sword in his hand. He was dressed as Sushirou, the protagonist of “Sushi Rice Blade,” which had become a nationally popular manga.

“Could it be Takahashi-kun from ten years ago?”

“Indeed, he was just like that.”

“As expected.”

Was it just my imagination?

Nanase’s mouth seemed to relax into a faint smile as she watched the boy.

“Tuna Breathing Hachi no Kata Otoro Zanmai!”

With a technique name that we’d probably heard a hundred times by now, the boy swung his sword up high. The next instant, after kicking off the ground…

“Ah…”

The boy failed to land properly and fell down with a thud.

“U…ue…”

The boy’s earlier bravado was nowhere to be found. Tears welled up in his eyes as he sobbed. Blood was seeping from his scraped knee.

“Are you alright?”

Before I could move, Nanase had rushed to the boy’s side. She knelt down to look at his injury, meeting his gaze.

“It’s just a scrape. I’ll treat it for you.”

Nanase took out disinfectant and adhesive bandages from her shoulder bag. The boy let her take care of him without resistance.

“It might sting a bit, but hang in there.”

“I… I don’t want it to hurt…”

As the teary-eyed boy pleaded, Nanase shook her head.

“I’m sorry. But it’s necessary.”

“But…”

This time, the boy shook his head in refusal. Without showing any sign of annoyance, Nanase spoke gently.

“Sushirou went through a lot of pain to save his sister from the Fishmen, right? So, I want you to be strong too.”

At Nanase’s words, the boy gasped and held his breath. Then, with a determined expression, he nodded vigorously, his eyes filled with resolve.

“You’re such a brave boy.”

Nanase gently pressed a gauze soaked in disinfectant onto the scraped knee. The boy’s face momentarily showed a look of pain, but Nanase quickly applied the adhesive bandage to the wound.

“Alright, all done. You did really well.”

Nanase gently patted the boy’s small head. A look of relief spread across the boy’s face. At that moment, a woman who appeared to be his mother hurriedly climbed up to the castle tower.

“Ryuta! I told you not to wander away from Mommy… What happened?!”

Seeing the boy’s tears and the bandage on his knee, the mother rushed over.

When I explained the situation, the mother repeatedly thanked Nanase and bowed her head.

“I’m sorry, my child wandered off when I wasn’t looking… Ryuta, say thank you to Onee-chan.”

“Uhm… T-Thank you, Onee-chan.”

The boy bowed his head.

“You’re welcome.”

Nanase patted the boy’s head again.

“I only gave first aid, so please wash the wound properly at the park below.”

“Thank you so much… Come on, Ryuta, let’s go!”

As they bowed their heads, the mother and child went down the stairs. Nanase waved at them halfheartedly.

“So you know about ‘Sushi Rice Blade.'”

“It’s so popular even I’ve heard of it.”

Nanase returned to her usual expression and sighed.

“Do you like children?”

When I asked, Nanase tilted her head, furrowed her eyebrows, and pondered deeply.

“I don’t know. But I realized my body was moving before I knew it.”

“I see.”

Maybe it’s a side of her she isn’t even aware of herself.

Regardless, I can say with certainty one aspect of Nanase’s nature.

“You’re kind, Nanase.”

“Is that so?… I don’t really know.”

“You are, incredibly so.”

At my words, Nanase blinked rapidly and then turned away, her cheeks tinted a soft strawberry color. Then, while fiddling with her hair shyly, she said,

“From an objective point of view, that might be true.”

“Objective point of view…”

She’s still not being straightforward… I thought, and then I realized.

Nanase is simply overthinking things.

“Oh, but…”

As if remembering something, Nanase said,

“Being told ‘thank you’ wasn’t bad at all.”

Seeing Nanase’s lips curve into a modest, happy smile, I thought,

──Being happy when thanked is proof of kindness, isn’t it?