“First, saline solution… but of course, there’s none. Sigh.”
I let out a dry breath, one hand on my hip, the other on my forehead.
‘Normally, I’d clean the blood with saline and disinfect it.’
I shook my head. There was no way such things existed in this world.
Instead, I quickly turned to the thief.
“Bring me some strong alcohol, gauze and bandages, scissors, and something like a towel or thick blanket.”
The man bit his lip. Maybe realizing he had no other choice, he ran off down the alley without saying anything.
Proper treatment was impossible here anyway. I needed to stop the bleeding and keep his body temperature up first.
‘If I’m unlucky, he could get sepsis or tetanus.’
(Sepsis = a condition where bacteria infect vital organs.
Tetanus = a condition where bacteria affect the nerves.)
The bleeding itself was serious, but those complications were just as dangerous.
While I was lost in thought, the injured man suddenly pulled back his hood with his other hand and gave me a small smile.
“Thank you… for helping me so willingly…”
Naturally, my gaze turned to him.
Even in the shadowy alley, his dark red hair and soft hazel eyes stood out clearly under his furrowed brows.
His gentle face caught me off guard and I blanked out for a moment.
“It’s nothing big… but I still feel ashamed, being helped by a young lady like this.”
He was clearly trying to act tough despite his injuries.
“Hey, you’re in a really bad state. You can’t even speak properly. Anyway, try to lean this way and bend your legs a bit.”
“My legs? Why…”
Still, he slowly bent his outstretched legs. It must’ve hurt, but thankfully he did as I said.
His confused gaze turned to me, silently asking why. I answered casually.
“To relieve tension in your abdomen.”
It’s the same principle as why people bend their knees during ultrasound scans—it reduces abdominal pressure and helps them feel more comfortable.
“How does it feel now? A bit better?”
“Urgh… Yeah. Definitely a little better.”
He gave a crooked smile. That mischievous face looked completely different when not twisted in pain.
I sat down next to him to wait for the thief to return.
“By the way, what’s your relationship with that thief?”
“Thief…?”
“Yeah, I lost all my money after bumping into him earlier.”
“All your money?”
He clutched his side and gave a weak laugh—more like he was trying hard not to laugh.
I narrowed my eyes at him.
“I couldn’t say anything earlier because of the emergency, but I’m sure he’s the one who took it.”
“Try asking him for it. He might give it back.”
He chuckled to himself, which only made my face turn pale.
“Hey! Don’t laugh! If you strain your stomach, the bleeding will—!”
“Sorry, it’s just… too funny.”
Seeing him laugh despite being hurt made me snap a little.
I was about to scold him again when—
‘Speak of the devil…’
The man in the robe returned, walking quickly down the alley.
He handed me a basket I hadn’t seen before.
“Will this do?”
Inside were the strong alcohol and first aid supplies I had asked for—all perfectly packed.
He really gathered all this in such a short time?
“This should be enough.”
That was all I said before heading back to the red-haired man.
“Excuse me a moment.”
I poured the alcohol over my hands and the scissors to disinfect them.
“Lean slightly to the side.”
He obeyed quietly, and I poured alcohol over his side.
Then, I took the scissors and started cutting his blood-soaked shirt.
“What are you doing…?!”
The thief behind us shouted in alarm. I didn’t even look back.
“I need to disinfect his wound. You want me to wrap the bandage over his shirt?”
“….”
He fell silent. I ignored him and looked at the wound between the man’s well-defined muscles.
‘…As expected, it’s a stab wound.’
It was about one and a half finger joints in size. Judging by the direction, depth, and blood, the femoral artery seemed safe.
“This might sting a little.”
Just in case, I poured more alcohol to disinfect the area. His muscles twitched from the pain.
Judging by his face, he was enduring it with all his strength.
‘Let’s stop the bleeding first.’
He looked to be in his twenties, and the wound wasn’t too deep, so if we just prevented infection, the bleeding could be controlled.
He’d probably have a scar, though.
I quickly bandaged his stomach, tying the knot inside to secure it.
“This is just temporary. Since I disinfected it, you don’t have to worry about sepsis or tetanus for now. But don’t leave it like this. You must see a doctor and get it redressed.”
I tidied up the leftover supplies and spoke to him directly.
In the modern world, I’d give him a blood transfusion, stitch him up, inject antibiotics, and send him home with medicine.
‘But here, this is the best I can do.’
I found myself staring at his stomach with some lingering worry, when he smiled again.
“Thank you, miss.”
“Don’t mention it. Just remember to change the bandage. Oh, and don’t touch the wound.”
He nodded and gave me a grateful smile.
‘Looks like stopping the bleeding helped.’
“Anyway, now that that’s done…”
I turned to the thief, who was still standing behind me.
His robe was pulled down too far to see his face clearly, but I had some unfinished business with him.
“You. Don’t you have something to say to me?”
“…Are you talking to me?”
His tone was less aggressive now.
After watching everything, he didn’t seem like a terrible person. Maybe he took my money to help that guy.
Still, I was a poor intern with my own troubles.
“Yeah, you. I lost my money pouch after bumping into you earlier.”
Time to get to the point.
“So?”
“Didn’t you take it?”
“Me?”
The man pointed to himself with a finger, looking genuinely confused.
Honestly, his reaction made it seem like he was innocent.
‘…Is it really not him? But I lost it right after bumping into him… or could it have happened earlier?’
Feeling unsure, I hesitantly explained.
“…So yeah, after bumping into you, I fell down, and my money pouch disappeared. You really don’t know anything? That money’s really important to me—”
“Hah.”
He let out a laugh of disbelief and finally spoke, sounding like he was fed up.
“So you’re accusing me of stealing your money?”
“W-Well… if you did, just give it back.”
“…If not for earlier, I would’ve cut you down where you stand.”
He spoke in a strange, outdated way, and then took off his hood.
I tensed up, worried he might really be dangerous.
‘Wait… what the—he’s hot!’
Under the hood was a man more handsome than I could’ve imagined.
His jet-black hair shimmered like the night sky, and his golden eyes sparkled like gems. With a sharp jawline and elegant nose, his face looked like it was sculpted by a master.
“Now you see. I’m not the type to go around stealing money.”
“…?”
I was stunned.
Did I really just hear that?
