episode_0039

“Ugh, this kind of thing isn’t really my cup of tea. It’s not like I’m having a conversation with Stay or anything, but it’s not fun at all to hear Stay comforting… no, treating Mir Ryuin.”

After waking up from the peak of parting last night, Mei Luina spent every moment thinking about the promise she made with Stay.

The promise was to connect a call when treating Mir Ryuin and Dain Adamas so that Mei Luina wouldn’t feel lonely even when left alone.

What kind of promise is this? Even an ordinary person would not understand how this could alleviate loneliness, and Mei Luina herself, as she thinks about it again, finds it completely incomprehensible. The alternatives Stay proposed yesterday were simply nonsensical, to the point where the very label “alternative” was unjustified.

“But I did agree that I understood after being asked several times… until I meet Stay on the next treatment day, I can’t help but listen to the call sound…”

However, it was Mei Luina who accepted and embraced that nonsense as a far more sensible alternative, given that she was the one spouting it, so now, even if she feels discontent, nothing will change.

“Well, whatever. Rather than doing nothing, hearing Stay’s voice in real-time is much better than just sitting in the darkness, going crazy with loneliness. At least it won’t be boring. Yes, that’s right.”

Having reached the stage of resignation and acceptance, Mei Luina no longer dwelled on the dissatisfaction in her heart and thought to humbly accept the results of her choice.

After all, being able to hear Stay’s voice in real-time wasn’t such a bad thing for Mei Luina, so she no longer expressed her discontent.

“…Does Stay know? That it’s me, not anyone else, who’s eagerly waiting to hear your voice, Saintess Mei Luina…”

Since there’s no one to listen, Mei Luina could freely express her inner thoughts.

In truth, the only person within a certain distance who could hear her inner thoughts was Stay. So, it felt strange to say she was expressing her inner thoughts outwardly, but to Mei Luina, revealing her inner feelings seemed no different from baring them to the world.

“O-of course! It’s not like I have any romantic interest in Stay! It’s just that I have nothing else to do, and practically the only thing I can enjoy is listening to Stay’s voice! There’s only one option, so I have no choice but to wait. It’s definitely not like that at all!”

Despite having no one to listen, Mei Luina began to make excuses, feeling pricked as if a swarm of people were watching her.

“Yes! Yes, it’s just that right now, Stay is the only one who can alleviate my loneliness! That’s why I’m looking forward to it! There’s absolutely no other reason. After all, I am the esteemed Saint Mei Luina, and Stay is just Stay. I couldn’t possibly have such feelings for Stay, right? Even if I did, Stay would have to harbor feelings for me! Ugh!”

An excuse made to no one but herself, with no one to listen, except for herself.

Therefore, Mei Luina’s desperate excuses naturally only led back to Mei Luina herself.

“…Sigh. What am I even doing? Who’s there to listen?”

And this self-excited, self-justifying monologue always ended with Mei Luina feeling embarrassed and disappointed in herself.

She felt ashamed and disheartened by her recent outburst of excuses.

‘Well, it’s fine. I’ll just think of it that way. When I think about it, Mr. Stay is just… well, he’s healthy, his hands are warm, his touch is affectionate, and his skills… umm. Well, he’s somewhat skilled, but he doesn’t really have any outstanding strengths. Besides, no matter how many strengths Mr. Stay may have, he’s just not compatible with me. Waiting to hear the voice of such a person is something I can’t do right now… It’s just about feeling refreshed. After the treatment is over and I get up from the hospital bed, I won’t have a chance to meet him again. That’s Mr. Stay. So, instead of being attached to Mr. Stay, I should just use him as a means to get through this moment.’

Uuuung- Thud.

[It’s done.]

“Wow! It’s Mr. Stay!!!”

As soon as she heard Stay’s voice, Meiluina, who had sunk to the floor due to a sense of reality, shot back up to the sky.

Having completely forgotten all her previous thoughts about Stay in an instant, Meiluina shamelessly lent her ear to Stay’s voice.

Her appearance was like that of a dog welcoming its long-awaited owner at the front door, and the only person who could witness Meiluina in this state was Stay. Even Stay, who was in another ward, could relax knowing that she could respond to his voice.

“Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting? Well, now that the call is connected, I suppose I’ll show you. I am the very gracious Lady Meiluina!”

Since she couldn’t hear her inner thoughts from a distance, and the speaker couldn’t serve as a medium for communication, Meiluina’s voice never reached Stay. But at this moment, she didn’t care. Or more precisely, she couldn’t even pay attention. She was simply so delighted to hear Stay’s voice that she was deluding herself into thinking she was actually talking to him.

First Section:

“First of all, I won’t say anything about being late, but still, I will give Mr. Stay a chance to apologize on his own. That way, wouldn’t Mr. Stay feel more at ease? Now, try expressing your feelings to me in a dignified, warm, and affectionate voice…”

Second Section:

However, it didn’t take long for that misconception to be shattered.

[Surprisingly, there’s something like this in the duty room. It seems to have been left behind by the bodyguard of a patient who used the VVIP special ward in the past. Lucky me. Anyway, now that the call is connected, let’s get started.]

Third Section:

“A duty room? Lucky you? What on earth are you talking about? And what do you mean by getting started…”

Click clack, click clack, zip.

In an instant, the sound of several buttons and the unhooking of a bra, a sound Mei Luina had become all too familiar with.

“T-This sound…”

It was the sound she had heard just yesterday, the sound of liberation from the suppressed, bouncy, jiggly, and plump bosoms.

Fourth Section:

“After trying it a few times, I’ve completely gotten used to it. Honestly, at this point, I don’t think anyone could match my speed in unhooking a bra.”

“……”

The voice of Stay that she could hear right now wasn’t directed at Mei Luina.

The moment she realized that fact, Mei Luina couldn’t move her lips, which had not stopped until just now.

This call was one-way, and she could only hear Stay’s voice, unable to converse with him. The realization that Stay’s voice was directed at Mir Ryuin, not herself, made her unable to move her lips. The shock was so great that she couldn’t speak. The name of that shock was reality, and Mei Luina was simply dazed, listening to the sound coming from the speaker.

Fifth Section:

“Yes. But since only Ms. Mir Ryuin’s voice can be heard by me, perhaps only sounds caressing the heart or my voice will be heard by Ms. Mei Luina.”

“H-Heart?”

However, when Stay’s voice murmured through the speaker, Mei Luina’s momentarily paused lips began to move again. The words that came from his mouth were enough to jolt her out of her daze, as they were something she could never ignore.

“Touching the chest wasn’t part of my exclusive treatment, was it? Mr. Mir Ryuin’s treatment area should have been the anus, right? Surely Stay said that, didn’t he? Why? Why is Mr. Mir Ryuin receiving my exclusive treatment? No, right? It must be a mistake on my part, right?”

Mei Luina remembered what Stay had said. Only one person had the imprint all over their body, and the other two individuals had imprints concentrated in specific areas. Dain Adamas had it on the lower abdomen, while Mir Ryuin’s was focused on the buttocks, so they only treated those two areas intensively.

Clearly, Stay’s words had left a vivid impression in Mei Luina’s memory. Despite having heard it clearly, she tried to force herself to turn away from the reality within the speaker, thinking that she must have misheard or that Stay had misspoken.

[It’s not just touching the chest, but pressing the nipple firmly and slowly turning clockwise.]

“Huh?”

Once again, Stay’s voice rang clearly, reminding her that what she heard was no illusion.

[Then, why don’t you try holding on for a moment.]

Squelch! Squeeze!

With that statement, the sound of Stay gripping Mir Ryuin’s breast with both hands became a wedge driven into Mei Luina’s chest.