仮面の裏へ - (Kamen no Ura e - To The Hidden Side of The Mask)

Ripped T-Shirt

Chie awoke to banging on her door.

Pulling up the number for the police on her phone, she inched cautiously toward the door to the peephole – to see a motorcycle helmet leaning against the door.

Whipping the door open, Chie spoke in a harsh whisper. "Seiji?! What are you doing here so–"

Chie was cut off when Seiji stumbled toward her. Her cheeks flushed when she caught him, but she suddenly paled when she noticed the hand she had placed on his shoulder felt wet.

"Sorry...I tried to do it myself, but I can't...reach...my back..."

Chie felt more and more of Seiji's weight on her, so she helped him to the ground before she inevitably dropped him.

She then pulled him out of the way of the door, shutting it with her foot, and ran for her medical supplies.

Dropping the bandages unceremoniously to the floor, Chie began wrestling Seiji's jacket off, mumbling apologies as her actions caused him to let out grunts of pain.

There were bandages all along his arms, and she gasped when she saw the entire back of his shirt was dyed a deep cobalt blue – the same color she'd seen his blood was the night before.

Pulling off his shirt, she was relieved to find the actual wound was manageable – he just must have been bleeding for a while.

"Just...press on it until...it stops bleeding..." Instructed Seiji, barely audible as he mumbled into the carpet.

Chie grabbed a gauze bandage and did as he said. It didn't bleed through, and Chie was worried it was because he didn't have much blood left to lose.

"They...give you orange juice when you give blood, right? I uhh..." Chie opened her fridge. "I...have apple juice? That's sugar at least... or maybe a sports drink would be better?"

"I'll just sleep it off..." Mumbled Seiji. "'nd eat steak and orange juice for breakfast..." He mumbled.

Chie stared at him. He likely knew more about major blood loss than she did, and it would almost definitely become an incident if she brought him to the hospital.

So, she elected to pull her duvet off her bed and onto him, then lay her pillow next to him.

She then positioned herself so she could feel him breathing against her face – so she'd know if it stopped.

She likely wouldn't notice once she fell asleep, but it was all she could think to do.

When she awoke, she was shocked to see Seiji up and eating at the table.

He glanced at her and held up a takeout container. "Morning – you like beef bowls?"

Chie blinked, and her brow furrowed. "You went out?!"

Seiji shrugged. "I'm mostly better. And my ride could get me where I wanted even if I passed out."

"But you lost so much blood..."

"We heal quick." Seiji dismissed.

Chie sat down, examining Seiji with a suspicious look. "Take off your jacket."

Seiji looked confused for a bit before complying, and pulling at the collar of his stained shirt to show her the shoulder she'd bandaged. "See? Bandage's still clean."

"Fine." Chie sighed in resignation, and Seiji pushed the takeout container toward her. "...What got you that bad, anyways?"

"A feral shiisa."