“Good morning, Mr. Shuqin.”
“Good morning, Akibara-kun.”
At 7 a.m. the next day, when I was preparing breakfast, Suikoto-san woke up.
Mizukoto-san was quite cute as she rubbed her eyes sleepily.
She’s kind of vulnerable, unlike the ice goddess they call her at school.
Mizukoto-san walked past me and looked like she was going to the bathroom.
But then, Suikin-san’s body shook so violently that she almost collapsed on the spot.
If you fall, you could crash into a wall.
I hurriedly supported Suikoto-san.
I thought it might be a sprain, but I don’t think it was that serious, and I don’t think it would have lasted long enough for today.
Suqin-san, what’s wrong?
Suikoto-san in my arms blushed.
No, I think my face was a lot redder to begin with.
I put my hand on Suikoto’s forehead.
“Oh, Akibara? Stop it!”
“I’ve got a terrible fever.”
I groaned.
Suqin-san, it seems you’ve really caught a cold at last.
And not a light one.
No wonder you’ve been out in this cold winter without warm clothes.
I’m fine.
After saying that, Suqin-san coughed bitterly.
I don’t think he’s okay.
I took some tools out of the cupboard.
“Here, take my thermometer. Take my temperature.”
I can go to school.
“How can you just walk for a minute and wobble?”
Suikoto-san glared at me when I said that.
I’m fine, I’m fine. Let go of me, Akihara!
Suikin-san waved me off and took two or three steps before wobbling and almost falling down again.
I had no choice but to hold her in my arms.
Just take it easy and go back to sleep.
Suikin-san nodded reluctantly with tears in her eyes.
Suikoto-san’s going to fall down again on the way back to the futon.
I grabbed Mizukoto and pulled her onto the futon.
The thermometer says 39 degrees and 4 minutes.
High fever.
School’s out.
“… I don’t have a choice.”
Suqin pulled up the blanket and hid her face in shame.
Then, Mr. Suikin says.
“Do you go to school, Akihara-kun?”
“Uh, yeah. I don’t know.”
You’re leaving?
I was surprised to see her sleeping right below me and I stared at her face.
Suqin-san said, “Forget what you just said.” She said, her face getting redder and redder.
I know it slipped out, but does this mean you want me to stay?
Should I go?
I never said that.
After saying that, Suqin-san coughed with a red face.
It’s true that I don’t like the idea of leaving a sick person with a high fever to go to school alone.
If something happens, I’ll have to take him to the hospital, and if he gets worse and there’s no one to help him, I won’t be able to count on his help.
I took a leave of absence to take care of my sister when she fell ill.
So I called the school, thinking I’d take the day off, too, and I lied and said I had a cold. I lied.
If Suqin catches a cold, it’ll be the truth, so we’ll have to be careful.
Then I sent a message to Kaho on my phone saying I was taking the day off.
I’m afraid I can’t inform Mizukoto of your absence.
The place where the phone is charged is a little far from Suikin-san’s futon.
The actual a lot of people are going to be able to get up and get it for you.
“I know this is hard, but can you call the school?”
“Yeah.”
While Mizukoto was coughing and talking on the phone to the school, I took out a bottle of sports drink from the fridge.
He put it in a cup and offered it to Ms. Suikoto when the call ended.
You should drink some water. Can you drink it?”
“… Thanks.”
Suikin-san lightly raised her body, put her mouth to the cup and began to drink.
He’s breathing heavily, and his shoulders are heaving up and down.
It’s gonna be so hard.
Then she looked at me.
I didn’t ask Akibara-kun to take the day off from school.
“I’m not taking a break because Suikin-san wants me to, I’m taking a break because I want to.”
“Liar. You took the day off to take care of me, didn’t you?”
Mr. Suikin says intermittently.
I think it’s so hard he’s afraid to talk.
I shook my head.
“Suqin-san, get some sleep.”
“…. I’m sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing?”
“The day before yesterday, when it was cold, you prepared clothes, drinks, a bath, and food so I wouldn’t catch a cold. But in the end, I caught a cold.”
“Don’t apologize for that, Suqin-san. Well, it would have been better if you had borrowed my coat yesterday and gone out.”
That’s a bad thing.
“People are more than happy to accept an offer of good will.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes. So you don’t have to worry about it. Are you hungry? I’ll make you some porridge.
Suqin shook her head.
I guess that means you can’t eat now.
That’s what happens when you have a high fever.
I wished I had cooling sheets or masks, but unfortunately I was out of them.
“I’m going to the pharmacy for a while, so just be quiet while I go.”
“I feel like I’m being treated like a child…”
Suqin mumbled shyly.
