Time stretched out under the rinse of running water, long and blurry.
Minutes later.
After the cold water kept washing over it, the burning pain slowly turned into a numb leftover warmth.
The skin along her entire inner thigh had gone pale from being under cold water for so long.
Only the burned patch stubbornly held onto a faint red flush.
Luke turned off the faucet.
He turned and rummaged through the white first-aid kit beside him, and the plastic packaging crinkled as he tore it open.
His fingers moved quickly over the supplies, and he finally took out a roll of sterile gauze and some medical cotton swabs.
"No blisters. It shouldn't be a big deal."
He bent down and used the swab to carefully soak up the water around the burn, and his movements were smooth, like he'd handled small injuries plenty of times.
He cut the gauze to the right size, then wrapped it around the area in even layers, snug but not too tight.
His fingers didn't touch her skin again, but it still felt like they were everywhere.
With her hands braced on the counter, Nina quietly watched him treat her.
A clean, faint scent from him drifted around her nose, and it was light but nice.
It kept slipping into her chest, thread by thread.
"This is just to block it off for now, so it doesn't get infected."
Luke kept talking while he worked, and his eyes stayed on what his hands were doing.
"When you get home, put burn ointment on it, and after that don't let it touch water. Check it tomorrow, and if it feels serious, go to the hospi… huh? Why are you staring at me?"
"Ah… n-no, it's nothing…"
Nina's voice came out soft, and she shifted her hips awkwardly.
It's so stuffy in here, and my face feels hot again…
She thought that, and she didn't even notice she was scrambling for a stupid excuse.
Luckily, he didn't overthink it.
After he finished bandaging her, he lifted her down from the sink again.
The contact was shorter this time, but that safe feeling of being held by strong arms was still there.
Once her feet hit the floor, she took a few careful steps.
"Lilu … it's not affecting my walking anymore."
"Okay."
He kept holding her arm for a moment and only let go after she was steady. "Wait here."
He left the room.
Nina was still confused, but a few minutes later he came back with a pair of dark pants.
"Spare pair from the shop. Men's."
He tossed them to her. "Put them on."
After he said it, the door clicked shut behind him.
Nina looked down at her shredded pants and at the lace edge near the top of her thigh…
Only then did it hit her, and the heat rushed up her face so fast she wanted to crawl into a crack in the floor.
So embarrassing…
She gripped the clean work pants in her hands, still creased from being folded, and forced her messy heartbeat to calm down.
Without a word, she quickly changed, and the men's pants were obviously too big, so the legs hung long and she had to roll them up several times just to show her ankles.
Nina took a deep breath, pulled herself together, and pushed the door open.
The spotlights above the counter were off now, and the main hall was dim, with only streetlight leaking in through the entrance to light the walkway.
She followed the light toward the door and saw Luke leaning against the glass entrance.
He'd already changed.
One hand was in his pocket, and his head was slightly lowered while the screen glow reflected on his glasses.
His long fingers scrolled, and he tapped now and then.
He was probably replying to someone.
Even in the low light, Nina could clearly make out his tall, straight frame.
A simple black hoodie made his skin look even paler.
His bangs were long, and his black-framed glasses sat neatly on his nose, hiding most of his face.
It was such an ordinary face, the kind you wouldn't look twice at in a crowd, so why… why couldn't she stop looking?
Her steps slowed without her noticing.
She just stared, and her mind went blank for a moment.
"Is someone coming to pick you up?"
Luke didn't lift his head, and his lazy tone snapped her back.
Nina's shoulders tightened, and the back of her ears started heating up a beat late.
"Ah… n-no! My house isn't far. I can walk back." She waved her hands fast, and her voice even stumbled.
What is wrong with me today? How many times have I zoned out staring at him now?
Hearing that, he straightened up, put his phone away, and slid it into his pocket.
His eyes flicked over her oversized pants, then moved away.
"If you don't mind, we can walk together."
Nina pinched the corner of her clothes.
It was a clever line.
He didn't say we're going the same way, and he didn't say I'll walk you home like he was doing her a favor.
He made it equal, and he asked.
He left the choice completely to her.
"Yeah… okay…"
**
They walked out of Starlight Café one after the other, and Luke locked the glass door with his key.
The cool night breeze hit her face, and the burning heat on her cheeks eased.
On the sidewalk back, he didn't talk and only moved to the outer side, putting himself between her and the busy road.
It was natural, and he probably didn't even think about it.
But Nina's heart skipped anyway.
Something she couldn't name spread inside her like weeds.
Her hands twisted together in front of her, and she started talking first, trying to break the silence that made her nervous.
"So… Lilu Bro, I already transferred the money to you on my phone. Did you get it?"
"Yeah."
"Today… thank you. If it weren't for you, I…"
"I just did it for the money."
"…Okay."
Nina tried a few more topics.
She talked about funny stuff at school, and then about a new movie that just came out.
But Luke only answered with short stuff like oh, not bad, or it's fine, like a chat robot running on power-saving mode.
Alright…
She felt a little deflated.
Nina quietly puffed her cheeks, and she couldn't help comparing him to other guys she knew.
The guys she'd dealt with were either like Luca, with that controlling, take-it-for-granted kind of caring, or like the male coworkers at the shop, all slick talk and forced flirting while they searched for something she might be into.
That kind of enthusiasm often left her feeling weighed down.
But Luke…
Thinking back to all the times they worked together at the café, his sense of boundaries and the way he helped without making a big deal out of it really made him hard to dislike.
Just like now.
Even though the conversation was awkward, Nina didn't feel him brushing her off at all.
She sneaked a quick look at Luke, then pulled her eyes back fast.
This feeling of being treated patiently…
It was new.
After about ten minutes, a familiar villa appeared at the end of the road.
It was her home.
She stopped in front of the carved iron gate.
Streetlights cast a soft glow, making her face look pale with a blush.
With a soft voice, she said, "Thank you for walking me back."
"It's fine."
Luke didn't say anything else, and he walked off down the road they came from.
Nina gripped the corner of her clothes tightly.
Everything that happened in the café replayed clearly in her mind.
The way he lifted her down from the sink.
The feeling of his arm around her back and under her knees… even through a shirt, she could feel the solid, steady strength in his arms.
And especially when he held her, that citrus-clean scent on him wrapped around her whole body.
Her heart, which had been racing from pain and fear, slowly settled down under that.
His skin was an uncommon pale tone, and when he bent to cut her pants open, she could see his collar hanging loose and the collarbone underneath.
So clean that… she suddenly wanted to bite it and leave a mark.
Thump, thump, thump…
The little deer in her chest that had been quiet for so long started slamming around at the worst possible time.
Nina covered her face, which was heating up again.
She shook her head hard, trying to throw all the messy images out of her mind.
Nina, what the hell are you thinking…
She muttered, and the air around her carried a mix of annoyance and embarrassment.
I… I already like someone. How can I… how can I be thinking about another guy like this…