Healing The Female Lead

“Geez, this is really good,” I said.

“Why thank you~!” Maya said, waving her hand as if to say, ‘Oh, stop it. You’re too kind.’

Everyone else joined in to compliment the food.

It seemed that Maya really liked the praise.

“So, Tai, was it?” Frank asked, pointing at me.

“Yes?” I answered.

“You don’t seem to be the bold type, but I need to make this clear.” He didn’t have any food in his mouth, and his voice was stern and serious. “You'd better not be aiming for my daughter.”

“I-I won’t. Promise. I just want to be friends. That’s all.”

Frank narrowed his eyes.

“Yeah, yeah. That’s what they all say.”

I looked over at Mia. Maybe she could give me a lifeline to hold on to, but no. She covered her face, all embarrassed-like. It was surprising. I didn’t think she’d be the kind of person who’d be so bashful in this sort of situation, though I get why she was.

August and Ophelia were laughing at her, adding the awkward to the word awkwardness in this conversation.

“Frank, stop bothering the boy,” Maya said, lightly smacking his arm.

Frank sighed before leaning back and taking another bite of bread.

“Alright,” he said.

I let out a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness.

***

I helped clean the dishes after dinner. I didn’t want to just freeload and then leave after how kind Maya and Frank have been to me.

After saying goodbye to August and Ophelia, it was time for bed.

Laying a thin blanket and pillow on the floor where we had just eaten, I tucked myself in and lied on my side, facing the wall.

The wood floor was rough, but the fireplace was still lit, so at least I was warm and had a roof over my head.

“Hey, Tai.”

“Huah?!”

I turned around and sat up after hearing Mia’s voice.

She crouched in front of the fireplace, giggling while wearing thin nightclothes.

I placed a hand on my chest to see if my heart was still beating properly.

“You scared me, Mia.”

She kept on giggling.

“Good,” she said. “I was trying to scare you~”

I just stared at her after that, a bit annoyed.

Shifting into a proper sitting position, I asked Mia if her parents were asleep, to which she nodded with a calm smile.

“They’re passed out.”

“That’s…nice. I think.”

“It is. My dad’s got to get up early for a long day of fishing tomorrow.”

So that was his occupation.

“So why are you here?” I asked.

Mia shrugged her shoulders.

“I can’t sleep. Especially when there’s a possible threat in the living room,” she teased.

I raised my hand.

“Well, you won’t have to worry about that, because I don’t have a fighting bone in my body.”

“Yeah, I thought so.”

My eyes narrowed towards her smooth-skinned face.

“Hey. I know it’s the truth, but that comment still hurts.”

“Hehe~,” Mia simply giggled. “If it bothers you so much, then you should learn how to fight, even if you are a healer.”

I took a second to take that in before planting my hands against the thin blanket, leaning back, and sighing.

“Yeah, you’re right,” I said. “I need to learn to do that and a lot of other things too. Like healing, for example.”

And other important things such as managing my money, getting the right gear, as well as leveling up and choosing skills. Despite this world being familiar to a video game, actually living in it was still overwhelming, even more so than living on Earth–though that was a no-brainer. If I had to choose between working in an office or fighting monsters, I’d choose the former.

Mia stretched her arms a few inches away from the fire, taking in the lovely heat.

“That reminds me. You didn't have the chance to cast your healing magic, huh?”

“That’s right,” I said, a bit bummed about that fact. “But hey, when push comes to shove and someone needs healing, I’m sure it’ll work then. After all, my Protection spell worked the first time I used it. The same should happen with Heal.”

“Hmmmm, I guessss~but…”

She wrapped her arms around her neck, with the center of attention being her bright hazel eyes and the edges of her signature cheeky smile that told me this one thing:

She was gonna tease me.

“What if one of the girls got really hurt and you couldn’t heal it? It’d be heart-wrenching! And we can’t have that happen now, can we~?”

“I-I guess not,” I said.

My cheeks were growing warm, and I hoped it was because of the fire.

Where is she going with this? I asked myself.

Mia stood up.

“That’s why I’ll help you test your healing magic~”

I sat up straight.

“R-really?” I asked.

“Mhm~,” she nodded. “A few days ago, ‌the girls and I took on a quest to exterminate some boars, and while the girls were fine, I took a few hits.”

I frowned after hearing those words.

“Are you still hurt?”

She let out a soft chuckle.

“They’re only bruises, so it doesn’t hurt that much,” she said. “Either way, can you heal them for me~?”

“O-of course.”

I smiled. I was actually gonna use Heal for the first time, but…this mood and the way Mia’s staring at me. It’s as if she wanted to gobble me up…

I turned away from her gaze.

“Why are you looking away~?” she asked.

Because you’re making me nervous!

Though I couldn’t say that. It would be disrespectful.

“I'm just a bit nervous, is all…” I ended up saying.

Mia giggled.

“Well, work on that, okay~? Our party needs a confident healer, y’know?”

“Yeah. Of course.”

That was fair.

“So,” I said, turning back to her, “where are your bruises?”

Mia smirked, slowly lifting the bottom of her shirt, showing me the bruise at the side of her stomach, while also tugging down on her pants, revealing a bit of her black underwear, as well as a giant bruise on the top curve of her well-rounded bottom.

“There’s two right here, Tai~,” she said, her face flushed and her tone mushy. “Can you please heal it for me?”

My mouth was wide open. I probably looked stupid yet again, and it was all I had never seen this much skin from a girl before.

I mean, Mia’s underwear, along with the side profile of her thighs and ass, were at eye level.

I had to get up.

Get your head out of the gutter, Tai.

I didn’t want to ruin our relationship as adventurers in a party.

I need to act like a man and show some respect.

I stepped towards Mia until we were inches away from each other.

Yeah, I was still nervous, and yeah, my face was still hot, but I wasn’t gonna keep sitting around, staring at Mia’s ass like some hornball.

That’s not who I strived to be. It wasn’t who I strived to be on Earth, and that wasn’t going to change now that I’m in a new world.

I know who I want to grow into. I want to grow and become a good healer, as well as a good friend.

That’s all.

Without hesitation, I raised my hand and hovered it over Mia’s bruise.

“Tai…” she said, her eyes and voice softening.

She wasn’t in a teasing mood anymore. And I hope it was because she saw how serious I was about healing her, and keeping it at just that.

“I’m gonna cast Heal now, okay?”

“…Mm.”

Mia nodded.

I stared at her purple bruise and envisioned my mana, my energy, flowing towards my hand, letting it gain power before letting it all out.

“Heal!”

In just a second, Mia’s bruises shrunk and shrunk until it completely went away, bringing back her smooth white skin.

“Wow,” I said.

“Incredible…”

I stepped away from Mia, turning away as she pulled her shirt higher and tugged her pants lower.

“All my bruises…they’re gone.” She poked at the places where her bruises once were, before looking at me, in awe of the miracle that had just happened before our very eyes.

I let out a sigh of relief.

“Thankfully, it worked. I thought it wasn’t going to for a second.”

I could finally look her in the eyes.

“So, how are you feeling now? Are you still hurt?”

“Not at all.”

Mia smiled.

“Thank you.”

I awkwardly scratched the back of my head. I’m realizing that receiving any sort of gratitude makes me uneasy.

Is something wrong with me?

Still, I returned Mia’s smile.

“You’re welcome,” I said.

Letting go of her shirt and raising her pants, Mia pursed her lips.

“You know, Tai, I didn’t think you’d get so serious about this. I was trying to make you super nervous and continue stuttering.”

There she goes again, acting all cheeky and revealing her plan. I figured that the whole mushy act was a way to poke fun at me.

Not that I mind, though. I guess that’s just how she is.

“I was close to freaking out like that, but…”

I scratched the back of my head again.

“But…?”

“I didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable. I’m the party’s healer after all. I don’t want any of you guys to hesitate coming over to me and asking for help.”

Mia broke into a smile, though it wasn’t her typical cheeky one. It was more…squiggly? As if she couldn’t hold it back? I didn’t know.

“Hmm~? Is that so?” she said.

I nodded.

“It’s the truth.”

She playfully punched the side of my arm.

“Well, aren’t you Mr. Mature,” she joked.

I chuckled.

“I swear I’m not, but that’s what I wanna work towards and become. Someone mature and reliable.”

Mia took her hand away and pouted.

“You know, Tai, you’re no fun to mess with anymore!”

“Well, sor-ry for being boring if that’s what you’re trying to say.”

“Yeah, you should be!”

I chuckled.

“Seriously?” I said, keeping the laughter going.

Not long after, Mia was laughing along with me.