Chapter 44: Making Sure Riku opened his stats.
[User: Riku Hayashi Level: 6
. Experience Points: 4,235/14,583
SP BALANCE: 18,250
Armory Shop:
Skills:
[[Skill Points Available:10]
> Weapons Handling: Lv. 3 (30/60 SP)
> Melee Weapon Proficiency: Lv. 3 (30/60 SP)
> Hand-to-Hand Combat: Lv. 3 (30/60 SP)
> Stamina & Endurance: Lv. 3 (30/60 SP)
> Scavenging:Lv. 1 (0/10 SP)
> Tactical Awareness: Lv. 2 (20/30 SP)
> Driving: Lv. 0 (0/10 SP)
> Piloting: Lv. 0 (0/10 SP)
> Maintenance & Engineering: Lv. 0 (0/10 SP)
> Medical Knowledge: Lv. 0 (0/10 SP)
]
That was itâthe Medical Knowledge stat. The one thing he had brushed over before, thinking it was low priority. But with Miko injured and no doctor in sight, it was the only lifeline left.
Riku allocated all ten points into the skill and confirmed.
[Medical Knowledge Level increased to 2!]
The change was immediate. A sharp spike of pain lanced through his skull, forcing him to grit his teeth. It wasnât unbearable, but it was like someone was shoving books of medical basics straight into his brain all at once. Bandaging, wound assessment, signs of head traumaâknowledge he hadnât known moments ago began slotting into place as if heâd studied it for years.
The ache eased after a minute, leaving a faint throb at the back of his head. Riku dragged in a deep breath, shaking it off. "Feels like a damn download," he muttered. "But it worked."
He flickered his gaze to Miko. She was still leaning against the wall where heâd left her.
"Alright, letâs see what I can do," Riku said quietly. He leaned closer, gently tilting her head to the side. The gash on her temple had crusted with half-dried blood. His makeshift bandageâa strip of torn shirt and scotch tapeâwas doing the job, but barely. It wouldnât hold if the wound reopened.
The problem was, he didnât even have a flashlight to check her pupils properly. All he had was the weak orange glow of the sun filtering through the pane glass. Not good enough.
Riku clenched his jaw, frustration bubbling. "Thereâs got to be something better here..."
He stood and scanned the bookstore. Shelves of paperbacks, scattered comics, dust, and broken displays. Nothing useful at first glance. He almost gave up, but then his eyes caught the office door behind the counterâhalf open, shadowed. He hadnât checked it earlier, too focused on securing the front.
Riku pushed the door wider and stepped inside. The office was cramped, the air stale. Papers littered the desk, a broken swivel chair slumped in the corner. But shoved under the desk was a bright red medkit.
"Youâve got to be kidding me," he muttered. He knelt and pulled it out, snapping the latches open. Inside were rolls of gauze, antiseptic wipes, bandages, scissors, even a bottle of generic painkillers. And tucked in the corner, a sealed bottle of mineral water.
A humorless laugh escaped him. "Whole time it was sitting here. Couldâve patched you up better from the start."
Still, he wasnât going to waste the chance now.
Riku carried the kit back to Miko and crouched beside her. He uncapped the water, soaking a clean cloth he tore from a spare shirt he found on one of the racks. Carefully, he pressed it against the dried blood, wiping gently around the cut. Miko flinched, a soft whimper escaping her lips.
"Easy," he soothed, his voice low. "Just cleaning it. Youâll be alright."
He dabbed away the grime until fresh skin showed, then tore a strip of gauze and wrapped it snugly around her head, securing it with medical tape from the kit. It wasnât perfect, but it was leagues better than the slapdash strip and tape job from earlier.
Finally, he sat back, exhaling slowly. Mikoâs face looked less strained now, her breathing even.
"Thatâs better," Riku said softly, more to himself than her. He packed away the kit, leaving it within armâs reach.
The bandage on Mikoâs head looked much cleaner now, but something still gnawed at him. He wanted to be sure. He had the medical skill now, and half-measures werenât going to cut it.
"What I really need is a light..." he muttered.
He stood, scanning the bookstore again. Shelves stretched into shadows, paperbacks and dust everywhere, but no sign of anything useful. Still, he didnât give up. He stepped back into the office where heâd found the medkit. If there was first-aid gear, there might be more.
He rifled through the drawers, tossing aside staplers, dead pens, and brittle receipts. His fingers brushed against something metallic at the back of the lowest drawer. He pulled it out.
A flashlight.
Riku clicked the rubber switch once. Nothing. Twice. On the third try, a weak but steady beam of light flickered to life.
A relieved smile tugged at his lips. "Perfect."
He tapped it against his palm to shake loose the dust, then returned to Miko. She stirred faintly as he crouched beside her again, the light resting in his grip.
"Alright, letâs check you properly this time," he murmured.
He angled the flashlight gently toward her face, lifting her eyelids one at a time. Her pupils contracted against the beamâdelayed, but still responsive. No blown pupils, no obvious signs of severe brain trauma. His new medical instincts slotted together, the knowledge whispering in the back of his mind like heâd done this a hundred times before.
"Good," he muttered. "Headacheâs probably a concussion, but nothing worse. Youâll manage with rest."
"You are so concerned about me... Riku," Miko said softly, her cheeks faintly flushed.
Riku pulled the beam away from her eyes, setting it down on the floor so it wouldnât blind her. He gave a small shrug, but his voice stayed firm. "Of course I am. Youâre my responsibility. If I didnât make sure you were fine, then what the hell am I even doing?"
Miko lowered her gaze, her lips curving into the faintest smile. "Responsibility, huh?" She shifted slightly, her fingers brushing against the sleeve of his clothes and there she felt something. His muscles are hard, like stone. She even tried to squeeze it under the guise that she was clinging to him and yet it resisted.
"What are you doing?" Riku asked, noticing the touch she just made.
Miko fumbled her hands back to her lap, her cheeks coloring deeper.
"Uhm... nothing..." she said quickly, averting her gaze toward the dusty floor.
Riku chuckled.