Chapter 16: Recovery

The next few days were tough for Yujin.

Even though it initially seemed like he was improving, there were days when he would suddenly worsen.

The situation greatly impacted Tsunade. Despite her extensive medical knowledge, she couldn’t figure out what was happening to him. It was as if something was draining Yujin’s vitality constantly.

On some days, he would be better, able to stay awake for a few hours and talk with Tsunade and Shizune. On other days, he wouldn’t even wake up, or if he did, it was only for a few minutes.

Yujin also seemed to be losing muscle mass at the same time.

The nightmare days continued for a while, and after a month, things finally seemed to be improving.

It was the fourth day that Yujin was awake normally, only sleeping at night. Even though he was getting better, he had lost muscle mass, still looked pale, and couldn’t get up yet.

Tsunade kept him company every day, talking with him. Shizune visited occasionally, helping to take care of him. She always wished for his quick recovery so they could play together.

Today, after four days of feeling better, Yujin was in a good mood, which reflected in the conversation he was having with Tsunade, mostly about their childhood.

“My father was a carpenter. I remember having some wooden toys he made especially for me. One of them was frustrating; it was a kind of wooden puzzle where I had to put the pieces together, but it was so confusing, and I never managed to solve it.”

Tsunade noticed that Yujin was opening up more, talking about the past and his feelings more easily.

Before, it seemed like he was always guarded around her, carefully choosing what to say, but now it was as if he had no filter and spoke whatever came to mind. Curious, she asked, and his response was intriguing, to say the least.

“Well, you’re a woman, so obviously, I have to be careful around you.”

His answer confused her. She didn’t understand what he meant.

“What do you mean? What does me being a woman have to do with it?”

Yujin smiled and shook his head slowly after seeing the confusion on her face. He looked at his hands and explained.

“It’s something I noticed in our interactions, but sometimes, we don’t understand each other due to cultural differences. I don’t know how it is here, but I was raised in a place where I must maintain a safe and respectful distance from women. That’s because women have the role of marrying and having children, and therefore, they must always keep their distance from men to remain chaste.”

Yujin’s explanation didn’t make much sense to Tsunade. She still didn’t understand what he meant. For starters, the culture of his world didn’t make much sense to her. Seeing Tsunade’s persistent confusion, he continued.

“Women have to remain chaste until marriage, and that’s why minimal contact with men. It’s to protect them. Because of this, it’s common for women and men from where I come from to keep a distance from each other when they are single.”

“When I came to this world, I noticed the cultural differences. These cultural differences aren’t so strange to me since I traveled to many different places before. Here, women are not treated differently from men, and because of our friendship, I tried my best not to find the culture here strange.”

“Perhaps the distance you felt from me before is because of that. Even though I tried, it was still strange for me to be so close to a woman. But this situation, where even if I wanted to keep my distance, I couldn’t, maybe brought us closer to the point where I don’t mind anymore, I think.”

Tsunade finally understood what Yujin meant. She was pleased with Yujin’s words, confirming that they had grown closer.

“I’m glad. You’ve become an important friend to me, Yujin. I hope you get better soon.”

Yujin smiled to reassure her.

A few days later, Yujin finally recovered enough to try getting up. Although his movements were slow, and he needed effort, it was a good sign, and Tsunade was finally relieved.

He did some simple exercises and returned to bed.

“Should I check my Qi?”

Tsunade frowned upon hearing this, wondering if it was a good idea.

“I don’t know. Last time, you felt pain and fainted suddenly. How about waiting a few more days?”

Yujin accepted Tsunade’s suggestion without much thought. He then looked at her deeply and thanked her again.

“Thank you for everything, Tsunade. I’ll always be grateful. In the future, if you need me, I’ll be willing to risk my life for you without a second thought.”

For some reason, Yujin’s words made her blush. She felt awkward and didn’t know how to respond. It’s not like she was helping him expecting something in return, but his promise touched her heart. In the end, she didn’t say anything and just walked away from him to try to calm down.

Yujin didn’t notice her strange reaction and just lay down to rest.