A Soothing Touch
"Team Harmonize, let's go!"
"Yeah!"
Rain and I faced each other across the training ground. The vast space was empty except for the two of us. I nodded at her bright voice and settled into my stance.
Tap-tap-tap—
Despite her tiny footsteps, Rain charged at me like a hawk. Her fist flew straight toward my face with terrifying speed. The power behind it was no joke—if I didn't dodge, I'd end up looking like a panda for sure.
Crackle—
A faint electric current rippled across my body as I instantly evaded the strike. Her fist brushed past my cheek with barely a hair's width between us. Never underestimate those small fists. Even a glancing blow left my cheek burning.
I spun immediately, using my grounded leg as a pivot. My body screamed in protest, joints creaking like old hinges, but it held—for now. I followed through with a roundhouse kick.
Whoosh—!
My foot sliced through the air, grazing the collar of her uniform. I still hadn't landed a single clean hit on her. Rain moved as if she could see the future, dodging every attack with effortless grace. It was honestly a little demoralizing.
"Ugh..."
"Not bad at all."
We traded blows several more times. I'd grown enough to barely keep up with her movements, but never actually hitting her made it hard to build any real confidence. Rain watched me from a short distance away, looking genuinely proud. She seemed to find real satisfaction in training me.
"Want to take a break?"
"Yeah."
We sat down side by side and drank from bottles of ice-cold water. The feeling of my overheated body slowly cooling down was pure bliss.
Slurp-slurp—
Sucking on the straw of my dinosaur water bottle felt incredibly refreshing.
"You're doing really well, Jeff."
"Really?"
"Yeah. You're keeping up with my movements now."
"But I still haven't landed a single hit..."
"Jeff. Do you have any idea how much it would hurt if you actually punched me?"
"It'd probably hurt a lot."
I raised my fist and muttered. Ever since Rain and I started training together, my body had grown incredibly strong. I could now shatter three thick wooden boards stacked together. If I hit her with that kind of power, she'd definitely be in serious pain.
"Do you want me to get hurt?"
"No, that's not what I meant..."
"Hehe. Come here, Jeff."
Rain smiled softly and spread her arms wide. I glanced around nervously. Thankfully, no one else was around.
"Okay."
I stood up and stepped into her embrace. After every training session, she would give me a massage to ease my aching muscles. Her small hands—those of a little chick—were surprisingly effective as they worked across my body.
"Here?"
"Yeah... mmm."
Her tiny fingers slipped under my outer clothes, pressing firmly into the knotted muscles with just the right amount of pressure. A soft moan escaped my lips at the pleasant sensation.
"Does it feel good?"
"Yeah. Really good."
Late evening. The training hall filled with a different kind of heat than the one from our workout.
"It might hurt a little. Try to bear with it."
"Okay... whoa!"
I'd heard her warning, but the sudden sharp pain still made me yelp and twist away. If Rain hadn't held me firmly with both arms, I probably would've jumped up and fled back to my room.
"Found it."
"Ah! What is that?"
"Just wait. It'll feel amazing in a second."
Press—press—
Her small hands began kneading my back like she was working out stubborn pressure points. With every push, an indescribable mix of pain and strange moans poured from my mouth.
"Kyaaah!"
Then it happened. Something went pop! in my back, and an unknown energy surged through my entire body. The first sensation was cool relief. The second was a deep, languid relaxation. My whole body went limp.
Rain gently caught my collapsing form and carefully laid me down on the training mat.
"How's that? Feels good, right?"
"Haa... haa..."
I could only nod weakly, unable to form words. Heated moans kept slipping from my lips. The pain from earlier felt like a lie. A shiver-inducing pleasure now coursed through every limb.
I raised a trembling hand.
"What... is this...?"
My words came out slurred, my tongue too relaxed to speak properly.
"Pretty amazing, huh? It's Rain's special massage!"
I nodded blankly at her proud declaration. This was a massage? It felt like all the fatigue in my body had been wiped away in an instant. I couldn't move, but I didn't feel tired at all.
"That's incredible..."
At my praise, Rain beamed and gently stroked my cheek.
"You'll do well tomorrow, right?"
"Tomorrow...?"
"Yeah. It's the exam day. Did you forget?"
"Oh."
Only then did I remember. After finishing those brutal training sessions every day, I'd collapse into bed the moment I got back to my room. The days had blurred together so much that I'd completely lost track of time.
"Yeah. I'm confident."
The pleasant lethargy slowly faded. I sprang up from the mat and answered with renewed energy. My arms moved smoothly. I swung them around, checking my body's condition, then bowed deeply to Rain.
"Thank you!"
"I don't do this for just anyone. It's only because it's you, Jeff."
If she hadn't chosen this path, Rain would probably have become the most famous masseuse in the world. I pictured her burning incense while giving massages. Because of her small stature, she'd always have to lay her clients on the floor, right? Or maybe she'd use a tall platform to stand on. But then she'd have to keep moving it around, which sounded like a hassle. Not the best idea.
What am I even thinking about?
I shook my head, clearing away the random thoughts.
"Could you maybe do it for Shine later too?"
"For Shine?"
"Yeah. It felt really, really good."
"Alright. I'll allow it for Shine."
"Really? Thank you, Rain!"
Delighted by her answer, I pulled her into a tight hug. Our bodies were hot and drenched in sweat, but after rolling around together for the past few days, I didn't care anymore. I buried my face in her neck, inhaling her familiar scent.
"Um... Jeff."
"Oh. Sorry."
It was something Shine always did, so I'd unconsciously copied her. It didn't feel bad at all. Smelling the scent of someone you liked.
Rain looked up at me with a strangely flushed face. I took a step back and smiled softly.
"Shine always does that after I finish training. I was curious what it felt like."
"Shine... does?"
"Yeah. Whenever I come back from training, she always sniffs me."
"She does...?"
"Mhm."
Rain lifted her own arm and sniffed herself. I'd tried it before—your own scent is hard to notice.
"You don't smell at all, Rain."
"Really?"
She smiled in relief. Feeling bold, I grabbed her arm and pulled her against my chest.
"Eep."
The tiny girl squirmed in my arms for a moment before going still. She pressed her nose to me and sniffed as I'd asked.
"What do I smell like?"
"Not sure..."
She touched her nose lightly and carefully pulled away from my embrace. The sensation was completely different from when Shine did it.
"Let's head back!"
"Yeah..."
Rain followed behind me with a strangely red face. I glanced back at her, feeling a bit puzzled. Was something wrong? Was she uncomfortable?
I slowed down to wait for her, then stepped closer and placed my hand on her forehead.
"Ah!"
She flinched as if startled by the small movement. Normally she would've sensed it coming, but she seemed lost in thought.
Her forehead was burning hot. She definitely had a fever.
"Rain. You feel like you have a fever?"
"Huh? Ah, no! I'm fine!"
She shook her head vigorously in denial. I grabbed her hand firmly, my expression full of concern.
"Colds need to be treated right away. If you ignore them, they can turn into something serious."
It was advice born from experience. I pulled her along toward Rabin's clinic. Even as we walked down the long hallway and up the stairs, her body showed no sign of cooling down. The hand I was holding grew hotter too.
"Rabin!"
I burst through the door of Rabin's clinic and shouted.
"Jeff? Rain?"
Rabin, who had been happily munching on a large steamed bun, looked up with wide, startled eyes. I licked my lips at the sight. That bun looked delicious. No—focus. That wasn't important right now.
"Rabin! I think Rain caught a cold!"
"A cold?"
Rabin's gaze shifted to Rain, the bun still in his mouth. She flinched under his stare and quickly hid behind me.
"I-it's not a cold!"
"Hmm?"
Rabin looked confused by her strong denial. I felt frustrated and grabbed both of her shoulders.
"Rain! You have to be honest when you're sick! If you keep it all inside, it could become a serious illness!"
"Ah... um... it's really okay..."
"Rabin! Please give Rain some medicine!"
I shook her shoulders as I yelled. Rain's face had turned bright red. This had to be a really bad cold. Startled by my insistence, Rabin fumbled around on the shelf, his white coat flapping.
White coat... name tag... fleeting memories brushed past me.
"Here it is."
Rabin approached me while I was lost in thought and handed over a small medicine bottle.
"But are you sure it's a cold?"
"Yes!"
I nodded confidently. The medicine inside was the most effective over-the-counter cold remedy available. It probably wasn't cheap. Then I remembered that Amy handled all the supplies here and nodded again.
"I should take a look first."
As I tried to take out a pill and give it to Rain, Rabin stepped in front of me.
I looked up at him.
"Rain. Are you really sick with a cold?"
"Well... it's just..."
"You have quite a fever."
Rabin's eyes scanned her. With his healing ability, he could perfectly assess a patient's condition.
"It doesn't seem like a cold though..."
His trailing words shifted from Rain to me. I hugged the medicine bottle protectively.
"One pill is enough, so can I return the rest?"
"Of course."
I nodded, took out one pill, and handed the bottle back. Rabin shook his head as he accepted it.
"Rain. No matter how much you—"
"I know! I know already!"
Before he could finish, Rain cut him off. I flinched in surprise. She grabbed my hand and quickly dragged me out of the clinic.
"Hey, Rain. Aren't you sick?"
"I'm fine."
"We got the medicine. Aren't you going to take it?"
After a brief hesitation at my suggestion, she accepted the pill. It disappeared into her mouth. While I was looking around for the water dispenser, her finger pointed into the air.
With a soft whoosh, tiny droplets of water gathered instantly in the air. Rain compressed them into a perfect sphere.
"Whoa..."
As I watched in awe with my mouth open, she sucked the entire water orb down in one go. After taking a calm breath, the bright red flush on her face gradually returned to normal. I reached out and touched her forehead. The heat was completely gone. The medicine really worked wonders.