After leaving the gym dorms, everyone split off on the main road, heading back toward their own homes.
Jin and Kiyoko "happened" to neighbors so naturally, they walked back together.
The air between them, however, was awkward. Embarrassing little incidents had piled up recently, and Kiyoko kept her head down, quiet, her bangs shifting with each step.
Jin couldn't stand the silence. "Uh… Kiyoko-senpai, does your shoulder still hurt?"
She blinked, touching her shoulder out of habit. "A little. When I move too much, it still feels sore."
Jin nodded seriously, though his grin was tugging at the edges. 'Perfect, now I can complete hidden quest'
"If it still hurts, then after I drop my stuff, I'll run to the market and grab things I need. Senpai, change into something comfortable and wait at your door. I'll come over and help you."
He said it so casually, like he wasn't about to barge into her private space and start putting cups on her bare back.
Kiyoko didn't reject him. To her it's just a treatment even though she didn't know the specific content.
They reached their home, and the two split off.
Jin dashed straight to the market, muttering under his breath. "Cupping therapy… for Kiyoko-senpai… oh, I'm a genius."
He grabbed a set of glass cups of different sizes, then stopped by the pharmacy for alcohol and cotton. Just as he was about to leave, he hesitated, then spotted a small box on the counter. With a smirk, he tossed it in his basket.
The nurse at the counter eyed him like he was some delinquent high-schooler buying troublesome things. Jin only chuckled, slipping two packets into his pocket just in case.
---
Back at home, Kiyoko was waiting at her door. Her hair was tied up neatly, and she had changed into a loose white home shirt and soft bear-print slippers. Simple, neat, but somehow even more charming than her manager's uniform.
Jin froze for a second, staring a little too long.
Kiyoko fidgeted under his gaze, stepping aside to let him open his own door.
"Ah, right, the key!" Jin jolted, fumbling quickly.
Inside, his home looked warm now, thanks to the new furniture and supplies he'd bought with the system's money. He spread his shopping haul carefully across the table, bottles, cotton, jars. (Let's just ignore the money, I'm lazy to think of it.😅)
Kiyoko leaned closer, curious. "What are these? Is it for cupping, isn't it's just… pulling the cups up with your hand, right?"
Her earnest misunderstanding nearly made Jin choke on air. "No way it's that boring. Just wait, you'll see." He tried to keep his tone professional, but the smug grin slipped through.
"Wait for me over by the bed, Kiyoko-senpai. I'll be there once I set this up."
The moment the words left his mouth, Kiyoko's cheeks reddened. 'The bed?' She glanced around, there really wasn't anywhere else suitable to sit. With a tiny sigh, she followed, just at the edge.
Jin struck a match, lit an alcohol-soaked cotton ball, and twirled it inside one of the glass cups before pressing it to his own arm.
The skin beneath the rim was sucked up instantly, turning reddish-purple. Jin held it for a moment, then popped it off with a soft *pop*.
"See? Negative pressure pulls the skin up, draws out moisture, relaxes muscles. That's the basics of cupping."
Kiyoko nodded. Even if she didn't understand the science, the demonstration was enough. She rubbed her sore shoulder. "So… you'd press the cups here too?"
Jin nodded gravely. "Shoulders, yeah. And honestly, best results would mean a few along your back as well."
Her heart thumped at the thought, his hands, those cups, her bare back. She straightened her posture, determined not to let him see her nerves.
Jin, meanwhile, grinned evily inside. 'I swear, I was born for this role… Traditional Masseur Jin at your service.'