He barely survived, as the other two surviving predators, seeing their companions dead and Neizan and Nana defending themselves, ended up fleeing.
『Lina: Mmm... 』
Neizan turned again to look at the face of the sleeping girl, who was starting to wake up.
Little by little, her eyelids began to lift, revealing her beautiful dark eyes. Once her vision cleared, Lina opened her eyes fully.
『Neizan: Good morning, Lina. 』
『Lina: Huh...? Neizan?』
Lina sat up slightly in the bed, surprised to see Neizan awake and looking at her. Her expression quickly changed—from one of sleepiness to one of deep emotion and shock.
『Neizan: Relax, I'm fine, it's just that... 』
『Lina: Neizan! 』
Suddenly, Lina threw herself onto him, hugging him tightly, finally releasing some of the worry she had been holding onto, even if just a little.
『Neizan: Aah, stop, stop, it hurts! 』
『Lina: I was so worried... I didn't know what to do. 』
『Neizan: Okay, okay, but please let me go. 』
Lina quickly released him and knelt on the bed.
After straightening up, she looked directly into Neizan's eyes and asked.
『Lina: How do you feel? 』
『Neizan: Well, I think I can move now, but I'm not sure if I should try. My body still hurts, and I feel a bit numb. 』
『Lina: Don't worry, you can rest here. I'll bring you whatever you need. 』
『Neizan: Actually, I'm really hungry... Could you make me something to eat? 』
『Lina: Of course, I'll go right away. 』
The two young people were still in the large bed, positioned in a corner between two walls.
Lina was on the side blocking the exit, with Neizan on the right, next to the wall. This created a somewhat awkward situation, as Lina would have to climb over Neizan to get out without hurting him.
Carefully, Lina placed her hands on the bed, surrounding Neizan's figure, as she moved over his head, torso, and legs, making sure not to touch him. However, just as she was directly in front of him, she froze.
At that moment, she realized her mistake: she could see that Neizan had turned his gaze away, avoiding eye contact.
He was stiff and clearly embarrassed, which made Lina blush like a tomato. Flustered, she quickly exited the bed and hurried out of the room, leaving the door open without saying a word.
Neizan didn't look back either and stayed silent.
A little while later, Nana entered the room, noticing that the door was now open.
She had spent the entire night waiting worriedly outside, and upon seeing Neizan awake, she was immediately relieved.
『Neizan: Hey, Nana. I'm so glad you're okay. Come here, girl. 』
Nana stood up, placing her front paws on the bed, and carefully approached Neizan to lick his
『Neizan: Haha, hey! That's enough, stay still. 』
Hearing those words, the obedient Nana sat on the rug next to the bed, watching Neizan expectantly as he smiled at her.
『Neizan: Now I understand better what Lina was trying to tell me... 』
『Neizan: You care more about me now than I ever did for myself, right? 』
『Nana: Woof. 』
While Nana listened, she smiled, sticking her tongue out and showing her cheerful attitude.
『Neizan: I see it wasn't bad luck after all. I was the lucky one to have found you. I never thought I'd feel this way again. 』
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
That day, Lina had to undress Neizan to clean the dried blood that had adhered to his skin.
She used a bucket of water and several wet cloths to wipe his body from head to toe, avoiding the bandaged wounds she had already cleaned, as well as unnecessary areas.
The boy's body had some scars, but what caught Lina's attention the most at that moment was the shape of his curves and the well-defined muscles that covered his entire body.
His hands were larger and rougher than hers, full of marks and wounds from the hard work he had endured.
Truthfully, it was a scene that could have excited her, but she maintained her composure and curiosity in check, focusing only on what she had to do: take care of the injured boy.
Neizan, while sleeping, looked docile and peaceful. His chest rose and fell gently with his breathing, which could be heard softly. At one point, Lina leaned in to press her ear to his chest and check his heartbeat.
Upon noticing that it was much more stable than before, she felt relieved to know that he was improving.
However, the only thing she didn't dare change was Neizan's underwear, a clear sign of her embarrassment and insecurity, along with a hint of curiosity and shyness.
She had never seen a boy's naked body before, let alone someone as handsome and attractive as Neizan.
『Lina: Oh, no... 』
『Neizan: What's wrong? 』
The boy looked at her thoughtfully, noticing how she had blushed all the way to her ears and was covering her face with her hands in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.
『Neizan: Hmm... Did you perhaps see me naked? 』
The girl reacted with surprise, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking.
Slowly, she lowered her hands from her face for a moment to look at him and respond.
『Lina: No! I only helped clean your wounds. 』
『Neizan: Then, why are you embarrassed? Haven't you ever seen a guy's semi-naked body before? 』
『Lina: No, I haven't... 』
This time, instead of covering her face, Lina turned her body completely, giving her back to Neizan's curious and friendly expression.
『Neizan: Well, it must have been very embarrassing and complicated for you. I hope I won't end up like this again so you don't have to go through that again. 』
『Lina: Don't say that... 』
After hearing those words, Lina thought to herself that, in reality, she wouldn't mind going through the whole process again. Now, she felt more prepared thanks to her new experience.
Although it embarrassed her, she would always do it with the intention of helping Neizan, and that motivation was enough for her. Her thoughts grew deeper, and without realizing it, she began to recall her own past.
Lina lowered her gaze, biting her lip with some uneasiness.