Analyzing Subject Sera,' Asha's dry voice noted in his neural feed. 'Internal metric suggests 73% likelihood she appreciated that compliment, Jin. And there is an 89% chance she has no idea how to handle it.'
Jin blinked. 'Wait, what?'
Sera snapped her head away, a furious blush spreading across her cheeks. "Hmph! F-Flattery won't get you anywhere, pipe-boy." She turned away quickly, pretending to inspect the far rack of emergency rations, but her grip on the VX-07 Pulse-Lance had softened.
"But I don't have my pipe anymore," Jin said, looking at the abandoned, bent weapon with something approaching fondness. "I should probably find a new one."
"Y-you won't need it f-for a while," Clara said softly, her eyes full of concern.
'Sera's vitals suggest elevated emotional conflict,' Asha continued. 'Conclusion: She wants you to keep talking… but will deny it under threat of plasma fire. Proceed with caution.'
Jin gave a faint, helpless smile. 'Why is Asha better at this than I am?'
Rosa, lounging casually against a nearby crate, let out a sultry giggle. "Oh come on, Sera, don't be so prickly! Honestly—" She stretched her arms over her head with a mock sigh. "I bet he'd love to help you clean up. Hands-on in steamy hot water, gliding down that silver-haired bod—"
"Rosa! Shut it!" Sera's face became even more flustered. "I don't need his help. I can manage myself, thank you very much!" Her voice cracked slightly, only fueling Rosa's grin.
Jin, blushing furiously, had already turned around, practically staring at the floor tiles to avoid accidental "admiration." "I-I'll just go… check the ration shelf…"
Sera's lips twitched at the corners, despite herself. 'He's such a dork.'
Jin turned awkwardly toward the supply crates, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. But as he took his first step, a sharp, searing pain shot through his side. The moment of laughter fractured as the full extent of his injuries, suppressed by adrenaline, finally caught up with him. His vision blurred, and he staggered.
"Jin!" Clara rushed to his side before he could stumble again, her hands trembling. Her eyes widened as she noticed the blood, a dark crimson soaking through the side of his tattered jumpsuit. "Y-You're bleeding! Why didn't you say anything?!"
Jin gritted his teeth, trying to push through it. "I'm fine. It's just—"
"Don't be an idiot," Sera cut him off, her voice sharp but laced with an emotion that wasn't anger. Her eyes were locked on his injury with undisguised worry. "You're dripping blood all over the place. Sit down before you pass out and ruin the mattress."
'Bleeding at a rate of 0.7 mL per second,' Asha stated flatly. 'Continuing to deny injury would qualify as statistically idiotic behavior.'
Jin knew his limits. He didn't argue. "Okay… yeah… maybe I'll just… sit for a sec…"
He didn't resist as Clara and Sera each took one of his arms, guiding him to sit on the edge of one of the clean beds. A low groan escaped him.
Clara knelt beside him, her expression shifting from panic to focused determination. "W-we need to clean those wounds." Her fingers lingered over the ripped fabric of his suit.
"The bath unit… maybe it has a medkit," Sera suggested, taking charge of the situation.
"On it!" Rosa was already moving. "If this place has steam towels and silken undies, it better have antiseptic." She winked over her shoulder. "Don't bleed out before I get back, hero."
Jin managed a weak chuckle, despite the pain.
Sera lingered near the bed, her hands clenched at her sides. She was staring at Jin's face, her brows furrowed slightly. Then she looked away, her voice barely a whisper. "You… you did well out there."
The words sounded foreign in her mouth, a clumsy but genuine offering of respect.
Jin blinked in surprise. A small, crooked smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
Sera quickly pulled away, her tone returning to its usual sharpness. "D-Don't misunderstand! I-I wasn't worried about you or anything!"
Rosa let out a soft, knowing whistle as she returned, tossing a white medkit toward Clara. "Wow, did I really just hear a compliment from Queen Seraphina? That's a miracle!"
Clara caught the kit, her eyes wide as she turned back to Jin, her gaze falling on the dried blood caked on his ribs. Her cheeks flushed. "I n-need to clean these properly. You'll.. you'll have t-to... remove your suit."
Jin felt his own face heating up. "I... okay. But maybe you should all..."
"Turn around?" Rosa's voice came from the bathing area, rich with amusement. "Sweetie, we're all adults here. I think we're past such formalities." She peeked her head around the divider with a playful grin. "Unless you're hiding something scandalous under there~"
"Besides," Sera added, her voice is a mix of irritation and concern, "someone needs to make sure you don't pass out from blood loss."
Jin's hands trembled slightly as he began to unfasten his vault suit. He winced as he raised an arm, feeling the tug of an open cut. "Ugh… why do these suits stick so much…"
As the fabric slipped away, it unveiled a surprisingly toned and muscular torso, shaped by countless hours of training he could no longer recall. And all three of the girls saw.
Clara stood motionless for a second, holding an antiseptic cloth. Her eyes widened behind her lashes, and her cheeks turned a deep crimson. She covered her face with both hands. "Ah—I-I'm not looking! I'm not! I-I… oh no…" But in spite of her words, she peered through a tiny space between her fingers, her eyes darting over the sharp lines of his shoulders and the ridges of his abs. She squeaked and turned away. "S-so-sorry! I didn't mean to stare… it's just… you're… very… well-structured..."
Jin embarrassed and smiled awkwardly. "Thanks"
Rosa, on the other hand, didn't try to conceal her curiosity. She let out a low whistle. "Well, well, hero. Is this what you've been hiding under that sad jumpsuit all this time?"
Jin was genuinely baffled. "Nothing unusual in my body"
"Oh no. He's modest, too," Rosa laughed.
'They are responding to your upper body's biological and aesthetic symmetry,' Asha explained flatly in his neural feed. 'To put it simply, the way you look is causing hormonal reactions.'
Jin's internal monologue sputtered. 'H-Hormonal—what?'
'Your physical attributes point to a mesomorphic build; your muscle tone and density are higher than typical males. According to statistics, you currently rank among the top 1.2% of attractive people...' Jin blinked, completely unaware of what Asha was referring to.
Sera, on the other hand, was motionless as a statue, her arms crossed over her chest. Her gaze briefly darted to Jin's bare back before averting it, then back again. A small vein twitched at her temple. "Honestly... who needs that many muscles anyway? Show-off…" She turned sharply, muttering something unintelligible. Her stance was stiff, her foot tapping rapidly, but every few seconds, she cast quick side-eyes over her shoulder at the sharp lines of his collarbone. "Not impressed. Nope. Totally not impressed."