Chapter 9: The Brother, the Sister, and the Childhood Friend

The layout of 【Phoenix Gakuen(1)】 consists of the 【Main Building】, the 【Left Wing】 and the 【Right Wing】.

The 【Main Building】 is a 3 storey tall, rectangular structure. The Left and Right wings joint on the end of the building in right angles, creating a horseshoe shape that surrounded the courtyard which was referred to as the 【Heart】.

The 【Main Building】 contained all of the classrooms, while the 【Right Wing】 held facilities for clubs, such as the music instruments, drama sets and costumes, art tools, etc.

The 【Left Wing】 was the home for study spaces, the library, and faculty offices which also included the infirmary.

And in this infirmary-

「She looks awful.」

A woman with orange hair which fell to her shoulders and fair skin that matched her pure white lab coat grimly examined the battered body of Shiori.

「P-please. Please help her.」

As her cute black eyes continued to water, Mana clutched her hand to her chest, unease gripping her heart as it caused her entire frame to shiver.

Yet, in the face of this sincere concern, the woman simply smiled as she gently placed her hand upon Mana’s silky black hair.

「Don’t worry. She’s going to be just fine.」

「Thank you, Shizuka-sensei(2)!」

As the young woman comforted Mana, she gradually felt her tense body begin to relax, her nerves flowing out of her body as relief caused her face to brighten.

「…I just have to finish this potion first.」

「P-potion…?」

Upon hearing this ominous statement, Mana smiled for a different reason as she felt her features began to stiffen.

Being an alumnus of 【Phoenix Gakuen】, Shizuka-sensei used her knowledge gained from researching medicine to heal many of the students who had caught up in duels, eventually being come to known as the Miracle Doctor.

That said, due to her treatments infamously involving strange potions and various mixtures, rumours began to spread that she was actually a sorceress that’s come to test her concoctions on the vulnerable students.

And of course, as a member of the ［Student Council］, Miyazawa Mana was also aware of such gossip that was circulating amongst her cohorts.

「I-is this potion…safe?」

「Of course it's safe. Just trust me. I know what I'm doing.」

Shizuka-sensei reassured Mana as she took out a peculiar shaped wooden stick.

(Are you a witch or what?)

Mana asked mentally as she felt a sweat drop fall down her face.

But alas, it was too soon for the school’s beauty to feel such dread as there was still plenty more disturbing things to come from this orange-haired instructor.

「Now let's see…toad legs, ferret hair, wasp wings…」

As she suppressed an internal shriek, Mana unconditionally shivered as she began to visualise the ingredients which Shizuka-sensei had begun to list off.

Needless to say, none of them sounded very pleasant to consume by themselves, much less when concocted into a single brew.

Though on the other hand, was it even safe for a human to eat such a thing?

--and it was in this moment when Mana pondered such a thing whilst breaking out into a cold sweat, she heard a small sound.

「..nn…」

「Shiori!」

As a meagre groan escaped Shiori’s weak lips, Mana swerved her body, falling on her knees whilst grasping the hand of her disturbed childhood friend.

Her closed eyes twitched slightly as her features grew ever paler.

It needn’t be said that the girl’s body wasn’t in its best condition.

However, the fact that she was still breathing filled Mana with an indescribable sense of comfort.

「…u…i….un..」

「S-Shiori!」

「Jun…ichi…kun…」

All of a sudden, whilst deep in a coma, the girl with brown hair muttered a name in her sleep.

The name of the dark-haired youth who had saved them.

A name which tore at something deep within the confines of Mana’s confused heart.

「…Shiori…」

Drooping her head, the depressed girl of jet black grew silent, her fringe delicately falling so as to obscure her jet-black eyes.

As she had been reminded of her brother, doubts and uncertainties began to swell within Mana’s modest chest.

Aniki, what are you trying to do?

Why did you hide your strength?

You’re so much stronger than me, yet how come you’re still last ranked?

Why did you let Shiori fight?

Why can’t you rely on me?

Onii-chan(3)…

As the girl’s worries grew in number, her mind spiralled into a whirlpool of anxiety, leaving her devastated by the darkness seeping into her very core.

A darkness that was soon dispelled by a hand that placed itself on Mana’s shoulder.

「Miyazawa-san, would you mind getting these things from the storeroom for me?」

The orange-haired doctor smiled at the troubled teenage girl, holding out a wad of paper.

And, while she wasn’t sure how to react at first, Mana stifled her pain as she nodded, making her way to the storeroom before quietly closing the door behind her.

*clack*

With the sound of the closing door, a subtle silence enveloped the infirmary.

Glancing at the school idol’s departing figure, the young doctor took a deep breath before sitting down on the stool next to the patient’s bed.

And then-

「You can wake up now, Hitomi-san(4).」

-calling out towards her pained patient, Shiori’s pale eyelids opened slowly, revealing her hazy, hazelnut eyes.

「Th-thank you, Shizuka-sensei.」

「Is that thanks for the treatment, or for encouraging Miyazawa-san?」

「Both, actually.」

After offering a few trembling words of gratitude to the young doctor, Shiori tried to smile but was hindered by the pain which caused her to wince.

Yet, in the face of the student’s agonising expression, the doctor displayed no pity, carefully caressing Shiori’s back as she returned a smile of her own.

「I'm just doing my job.」

Shizuka-sensei walked to her desk, taking out a small plastic tub of ointment from the drawer.

She then approached Shiori, unscrewing the lid of the container before placing a finger into the cream.

「I'll treat your wounds now. Now, this might sting a little…」

--In a completely different section of the school--

The footsteps of a certain dark-haired youth reverberated in the corridor.

「*Yawn* What a pain in the ass.」

Saito Junichi rubbed the back of his head as he let loose another big yawn.

Naturally, he was complaining about the ordeal that he had unfortunately been thrust into.

An ordeal that only caused him trouble.

Especially because he had now revealed a portion of his actual strength to the masses.

「Not bad, not bad at all.」

Despite the wound which was currently oozing with a rich red substance, Junichi made a casual comment as he reflected upon the fight which had just transpired.

Having thought he had taken the 〚Lion〛 by surprise, the boy’s habit of teasing kicked up again as he taunted the delinquent with a sharp tongue.

And yet, even though it was far from perfect, Masaru had managed to take advantage of that opportunity, throwing a wild swing in Junichi’s direction in a last-ditch attempt at winning.

Naturally, in the position that he was in, there was no way that the dark-haired youth would have lost.

Nevertheless, the fact that he was injured by a mere high school student caused Junichi’s features to contort into a dark grin.

(That knucklehead's got potential.)

Having finished his reflection, the smirking youth continued his stroll through the deserted corridor of the 【Left Wing】.

Why was he in the 【Left Wing】?

Obviously because he was headed towards the infirmary.

To where his sister and childhood friend were.

「………」

Finally arriving at his destination, the boy with dark hair stood silently before the infirmary door.

However, that was all he did.

Instead of entering, Junichi could only make a difficult face as he approached the door of the infirmary.

But then, who could blame him?

After all, the only reason why he had to come here was because of this incident.

The incident which his carelessness had caused.

An incident which appeared to not be over yet.

「Kyaa!」

-a high-pitched scream came from the other side of the door.

(Shiori-!?)

Hearing the shrill, high-pitched cry coming from the other side of the door, a concerned Junichi immediately threw open the door, storming into the infirmary to find-

-the clothless back of a slender, brown-haired girl.

「-!?」

~Ara ara~(5)

As Shiori's face immediately blushed upon Junichi's sudden appearance, the young witch-doctor simply smiled, her eyes mischievously sweeping over the dark-haired intruder’s figure.

Yet, in contrast, Junichi’s face immediately flushed a deep crimson, growing flustered as he realised that he had intruded upon something he shouldn’t have.

-or so one might think.

However, believe it or not, but the boy known as Saito Junichi was not an inexperienced virgin that one would often see in love comedies.

In other words---he wasn’t the type to get aroused just from seeing a high school girl’s back.

「Uh… what just happened?」

「Hitomi-san just overreacted when I placed some ointment on her.」

Trying to break the awkward atmosphere, Junichi asked while averting his eyes so as to not embarrass Shiori.

And whilst taking the stance of a bystander, the witch doctor smiled sweetly as she returned a simple explanation.

「So...is she okay now?」

「She'll be fine, although I'm not sure if you'll be.」

「Huh-?」

Perpetuating her non-involvement position, the doctor once again smiled playfully as she flashed a knowing glance.

Yet, while having no idea what she was talking about, Junichi cocked his head, unable to shake the feeling that he was forgetting about something.

A certain something that suddenly reared its beautiful, jet-black head.

「Shizuka-sensei, I couldn't find a couple of i…tems……」

The voice faded away towards the end of the sentence.

Mana had walked out of the infirmary store room to see a red-faced Shiori, hugging her body and turned away from her brother.

---one didn’t need to have a college degree to guess exactly what happened next.

「-!?」

(Oh, shit!)

Seeing Mana’s grim countenance, Junichi instantly realised that his little sister's eyes were dangerously leering at him through the bangs which currently masked her face.

Junichi knew how short-tempered Mana was, and would usually stop provoking her before she reached a breaking point.

However, it would seem that today he had trekked far off into unexplored territory.

*Snap*

(I'm screwed!)

Hearing a distinct cracking sound, Junichi immediately realised how much he had fucked up, his body slowly inching away in fear.

Nevertheless, the boy was nothing if not tenacious, deciding to risk it all in a final attempt of feeble resistance.

「Mana, w-wait! I can explain!」

「Explain what, Aniki(6)?」

「This is a misunderstanding!」

「Misunderstanding? Didn't you enter the infirmary to catch a glimpse of Shiori's naked body? Isn't that what you're trying to tell me?」

「That's why I'm saying that's wrong!」

(She's too far gone.)

Having realised thus, Junichi determined that his resistance was futile.

And so, all he could do was resign himself to his fate.

「That's bad, you know, Aniki. Bad boys should be punished, Aniki. I hope you're ready.」

「Please just listen to me already!」

---it was at that moment, through his own screams of tear-jerking agony, which Junichi happened upon a realisation.

To him, his little sister was scarier than any beastly predator.