To The Stars | Tokito Muichiro x OC

39 • The Star Estate

"Oi, give me something to fix this."

"Welcome, Shinazugawa-san." Finishing the last bit of her notes, Inori closed the book and swiveled her chair—a gift from Hinatsuru, Makio, and Suma because her old chair didn't have a backrest, and she couldn't keep a good posture when writing—offering the bleeding pillar a smile. "Are you poisoned?"

"Don't smile when you're saying morbid shit." Sanemi clicked his tongue, but nevertheless shoved his bleeding arm in front of her face. "I've coagulated my blood because the bleeding won't stop, so do something before I need blood transfusions."

At that point, after having been taught by Sanemi herself, Inori didn't even bother being surprised whenever he nonchalantly said he did something abnormal by manipulating his breathing. "This is why you shouldn't carelessly use your blood as bait, Shinazugawa-san."

"I don't want to hear that from you."

"I'm wanted alive, you are wanted eaten."

Inori pulled out a few bandages and vials of medicine from the drawers of her desk. She gestured to Sanemi to drag the nearby chair and sit down, which he did with an annoyed huff. She had known Sanemi long enough to realize that he was the type of person who would do his utmost best to avoid getting within a mile radius of the Butterfly Estate. It got just the slightest bit better when the Star Estate had been turned into a semi-medical headquarters for pillars, but that didn't mean the Wind Pillar would often stop by to get himself treated.

At most, he would sneak in, get whatever supply he needed, leave a note containing a short thank you and whatever he had taken because that was the one rule she had set, then get out to patch himself up. That would often make her roll her eyes because the least he could do was knock on the front door instead of being sneaky. It wasn't as if he was stealing or anything.

There was, after all, a reason why the basic medical supplies and antidotes were stored in the living room, complete with a notebook filled with their descriptions in case some people were too prideful to ask for assistance.

"How's your wound?"

"I am prohibited from my own dojo," answered the Star Pillar, and Sanemi could tell she was displeased by the prohibition Shinobu had set. Then again, she had been stabbed by a blood demon art that not only electrocuted her, but also poisoned her to the point she couldn't use her breathing to control her blood flow, something Sanemi had literally beat her into learning.

"Did you know, Shinazugawa-san? Demon blood is poisonous at best and infectious at worst," Inori suddenly said as she finished bandaging his arm, holding up a tube of blood Sanemi didn't know she had drawn. "And the first step to developing a cure is to study the cause."

"Don't beat around the bush with me."

"Poison that doesn't let our breaths do their work is annoying, isn't it?" There was a low whistle in the air, and Sanemi watched as Inori made her way to the teapot on the round table at the corner of her office. "Join me for tea, Shinazugawa-san."

"Hah? I don't have time for that."

"Join me for tea, Shinazugawa-san," Inori demanded, smiling sweetly as she grabbed two teacups and placed them on the tray. "I can't let a patient go outside half-treated, so join me for tea."

Despite clicking his tongue, Sanemi made his way to the porch overlooking her garden, taking a seat beside her. He took one look at the bubbling 'tea' in his cup to grimace, lifting his eyes to glare at Inori, who was nonchalantly drinking her tea. Though he was sure whatever she was drinking was medicine since she poured it from the same teapot

"I'm looking forward to the result of the Final Selection this year." Inori, blatantly ignoring the glare Sanemi was giving her, placed her now empty cup onto the porch. "I wonder if I'll be able to find a tsuguko amongst this year's people, if there are even people who pass the Final Selection."