Chapter 27
“No, but it’s freezing out here. You can’t just sit like this! Come on, let’s go inside. You can go to the infirmary tomorrow…!”
Vallon didn’t budge, as if he were glued to the bench. Upon closer inspection, his blood had dried and cracked, making his skin tear as he moved, like the ground splitting open.
Even with his face covered in blood, he sat there emotionless, like a doll, which made him appear even more unsettling. Leticia had come outside because she was frightened, but Vallon’s presence only intensified her unease.
It made it even harder for her to approach him. For a moment, she wondered where the dark aura surrounding Vallon came from. Did he perhaps have some secret family issues he couldn’t talk about?
In the end, she felt so uncomfortable watching him that she turned her gaze away.
“Vallon, you’re going to get into serious trouble if you stay like this.”
“I’m hurt… really badly.”
When Leticia averted her eyes, Vallon thought she didn’t care about him. Just recently, she had been so concerned about a dead bird, yet now she was pretending not to notice him covered in blood. This inconsistency twisted his mood further.
It seemed like he didn’t even register Leticia’s words of concern. He tilted his head slightly, measuring the distance between them as if trying to close the gap.
“I’m in so much pain… but why are you standing so far away?”
Leticia found herself at a loss for words. How could she tell him that it was because he gave off such an unsettling vibe that she didn’t want to get any closer?
She tried to summon some sympathy, but it was difficult. Despite his injuries, something about him didn’t seem pitiable. Perhaps it was the oppressive, dark energy he exuded.
Come to think of it, she had never seen him act truly defeated. No matter the situation, he was always calm and cold.
“Is that really what’s important right now?”
Regardless of whether or not she felt sorry for him, she couldn’t shake the uncomfortable feeling she had being near him.
“Should I have been hurt even more?”
His words were barely audible, carried away by the wind. Leticia couldn’t hear what he said clearly, assuming he was just muttering to himself again, as he often did.
“Ah…”
Without warning, Vallon clutched his chest and collapsed forward. Startled, Leticia instinctively reached out and grabbed his shoulder.
“What’s wrong?!”
Vallon’s body, much larger than hers, was too heavy for her to hold up.
“The wound hurts… so much.”
“Suddenly?”
Just moments ago, Vallon had been sitting calmly, showing no signs of pain. Now, he was grimacing, biting his lip, and groaning in discomfort, as if the pain had finally caught up to him.
“Y-You’re bleeding!”
Blood was seeping from his shoulder where Leticia’s hand had landed, soaking his clothes until they were damp. It was incredible that he was still conscious after losing so much blood.
How did he get such a terrible wound? It didn’t seem like something caused by a simple beating.
“Did… someone stab you with a knife?!”
There were no clear signs of a stabbing or slashing on his clothes, but the long streak of blood running from his shoulder to his abdomen suggested something worse than just a regular wound.
Leticia’s hands were now slick with his blood. She couldn’t believe how many terrible things had been happening one after another.
Seeing Vallon’s lack of response, Leticia was horrified. She raised her bloodstained hands to her mouth in shock, forgetting the blood.
“This is insane! Who did this to you? We need to check your wounds. But… what should we do? The infirmary is probably locked…”
This time, she couldn’t just leave him behind. No matter how unsettling Vallon looked, this was serious.
“I have medical supplies in my room.”
“What?”
“Let’s go to my room.”
She hesitated at Vallon’s suggestion. She wasn’t wearing any underwear, and the thought of the cold wind brushing against her bare lower half made her feel self-conscious. Vallon didn’t know, of course, but she felt uneasy about the situation.
Going to his room without underwear…?
And her white nightgown was so thin that it would be almost transparent in the light. Even now, it felt like the air Vallon exhaled was slipping under her clothes.
“…”
“You said I could ask for help anytime. That you’d help me as a friend.”
That’s right. She had said that.
The word ‘friend’ stuck in Leticia’s mind like a thorn. Truthfully, even if they weren’t friends, it would be hard to ignore someone so badly injured.
As she deliberated, Vallon let out another pained groan, his body trembling. Treating his wounds took priority. The strong metallic scent of blood filled her senses, urging her to act.
Girls weren’t allowed in the boys’ dormitories, but there was no time to worry about rules now.
“…Okay. Let’s go to your room.”
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