Chapter 138: Discharge

The rabbit in her heart stirred restlessly.

Before her eyes, images of Naoko’s smooth, youthful skin, her tight, well-defined curves, and that innocent yet decadent world, full of girlish fantasies, kept appearing…

Yukina didn’t dare to think any further.

The hot water flowed over her body, but even though it was just an ordinary bath, even though they were her own hands, Yukina felt an emptiness she had never experienced before as they glided over her body.

Or perhaps, this subtle feeling had been accumulating and compressing ever since she had established her relationship with Naoko.

And today, being constantly teased by Naoko, had long since made it unbearable for Yukina.

Panting softly, Yukina was afraid that Naoko would hear the sounds from in here, but her fingers still unconsciously lingered on her own tender skin.

“…”

Yukina’s gaze fell on the tightly drawn shower curtain.

Or rather, through the shower curtain, to the outside of the bathroom.

Except for the sound of water in the bathroom, everything was quiet.

On a whim, under the cover of the trickling water, Yukina pushed aside the shower curtain and tiptoed out of the bathroom into the adjoining cubicle.

She stood in front of the laundry basket, her gaze fixed on the pile of clothes inside.

Whether by design or by chance, the soaked pair of underwear that had been taken off Naoko’s legs lay quietly in a place where it could be seen at a glance.

Yukina swallowed, and squatted down.

Her wet body left a puddle on the floor.

Yukina nervously twitched her nose and sniffed gently.

The faint smell of medicine, and a hint of the body fragrance she could smell on Naoko.

She shifted her gaze, then got up and went to the cubicle door, carefully turning the handle.

A crisp click—it seemed the door was locked.

Her heartbeat grew more and more violent.

Yukina returned to the laundry basket, her fingers trembling slightly.

She couldn’t control her breathing; her heart felt like it was about to leap out of her chest.

Almost unconsciously, she swallowed over and over again.

In the end, the little devil in her heart defeated what was left of Yukina’s reason.

Slowly, the pad of her finger touched the soft, white fabric.

‘This is Naoko… Naoko’s scent…’

‘I really shouldn’t be doing this…’

The unfamiliar experience made Yukina both scared and excited.

She tensed her knuckles, squeezing her eyes shut, trying to stop herself, but the scene that had shaken her so much became clearer and clearer in her mind.

‘Just once… just once… only once…’

She clenched her fists tightly, irresistibly drawing closer.

She took a small, deep breath, trying to calm herself.

But the quiet, misty humidity of the bathroom made it even harder for her to control herself.

Yukina propped her arms on the washing machine, biting her lower lip hard.

Her heart felt as if it were about to be set on fire, sending scorching blood to every part of her body.

“Naoko…”

The sound of the water in the bathroom covered up any other noises.

Yukina washed for a full hour before rushing out of the bathroom in a panic.

That night, neither Ephnel nor Yukina had any desire to sleep.

They lay on the same pillow, each thinking about the same thing, while the object of their fantasy was right beside them, which made it even harder to sleep.

The night was especially long.

After the first day, Ephnel’s injuries immediately showed clear signs of improvement.

After just one day, Ephnel could get out of bed and walk on her own.

Two days later, the nurses and doctors gave Ephnel a full-body check-up and told her, “The Erosion Rate has dropped to an absolutely safe level.”

Three days later, Ephnel finally received the good news she had been waiting for—she could be discharged from the hospital.

That day happened to be a Saturday, and Yukina welcomed the weekend break for students.

For Ephnel, time in the hospital room seemed to be on slow motion.

The time spent alone was dull and boring.

When Yukina wasn’t there, Ephnel would always wait alone on her bed, or stand by the window.

After her body had recovered a bit, she left her room to visit Fuurin Shion and Shiina Rin.

She watched the injured soldiers come and go, took the flowers from her room to their windows to cheer them up, and shared the snacks piled up in her room with the nurses, chatting with them.

Yonomori Nami laughed that she couldn’t sit still.

But only Ephnel knew that she was just very uneasy inside.

So every day she would ask the doctors when she could leave the hospital.

And after her check-up this morning, she finally got a positive answer, so Ephnel immediately applied for discharge.

Before leaving the hospital, the doctor required Ephnel to have some of her stitches removed, and to undergo another dressing change and a full-body check-up.

Just as Ephnel finished all this and returned to her room, Yukina immediately rushed over.

“Naoko, how are you feeling?”

Yukina asked worriedly.

“Do your wounds hurt? Should we stay a couple more days just to be sure…”

Yukina’s concern warmed Ephnel’s heart.

She smiled and reached out to stroke Yukina’s hair.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. The doctor already said I can be discharged now.”

Yukina pursed her lips slightly and didn’t answer, just looking at Ephnel with worry, still not seeming to be at ease.

Ephnel continued:

“Don’t worry, simple movements are not a big problem anymore. Don’t underestimate an Agent’s recovery ability.”

“But…”

Yukina hesitated.

Indeed, since the doctor had made the judgment, there was nothing more she could say.

But she was still worried.

To Yukina, Ephnel’s recovery speed was simply terrifying.

An Agent’s injury recovery speed was five to ten times that of an ordinary person.

This was a unique power of Agents that modern science could not fully explain.

And even among Agents, Ephnel was in the category of those with an exceptionally fast recovery rate.

In the end, Yukina sighed.

At this moment, Ephnel looked no different from when she was usually in the hospital room.

Her whole body was still covered in shocking white gauze, and her right eye was covered by a bandage, hidden under her angled bangs.

Even walking was a bit of a struggle, with a limp.

The box of pills the nurse had brought over was huge, and she had been instructed to come back for a check-up every two to three days.

This didn’t look like someone who had recovered at all.

But Ephnel seemed unwilling to stay in the hospital a moment longer, eagerly starting to fix her clothes and hair.

But for Ephnel, whose shoulder had been severely injured, raising her hand to style her hair or put on clothes was still too much of a strain, making her grimace in pain.

Yukina couldn’t bear it and said:

“Naoko, let me help you…”

“Thanks…”

Ephnel gave a helpless smile and entrusted herself to Yukina.

“I’m not very good at doing Naoko’s hairstyle… can I change it a little?”