Volume 6 Episode 06

There was no black cat.

I groped around, searching for the stuffed toy that should've been beside my pillow.

My half-asleep body felt so sluggish it was as if it'd been duct-taped to the bed. Struggling against my stubbornly shut eyes, I dragged my heavy hand across the sheets until my fingers brushed against something firm yet smooth. It clearly wasn't the texture of a stuffed toy, and it felt oddly large.

Without understanding what it was, I grabbed it tightly.

I could clearly feel warmth in my palm.

And then, I thought I heard something like a low groan.

——There was something strange on the bed that definitely wasn't a stuffed toy.

My eyes, which had refused to open, snapped wide open.

"…Eh?"

Right in front of me wasn't the black cat, but Sendai-san, who had no reason to be there.

And she was incredibly close.

Our bodies weren't touching, but she was close enough that I could reach out and touch her cheek with just the slightest stretch of my hand. It seemed what I had grabbed was her head.

I slid my fingers through her hair, combing thorough it.

Her long hair slipped silently through my fingers and fell away.

Her closed eyes showed no sign of opening.

Come to think of it, I had fallen asleep in Sendai-san's room.

It had been a stormy night with strong winds.

I've always hated nights like that. In dramas and manga, frightening things always seem to happen on nights with bad weather and howling winds, so if I stayed awake, it felt like something terrible might happen, and that scared me.

But now it wasn't as bad as before.

The reason for that was right in front of me.

"…Sendai-san."

I softly called her name, touched her cheek, and gave it a light pinch.

She stirred slightly, but Sendai-san didn't wake up.

I had always been alone on every night, so just knowing someone had been in the house yesterday had been enough to make me feel safe.

But I hadn't even needed to hide under the covers.

That's why I had planned to spend last night by myself.

That had been the plan, yet Sendai-san had come over.

Feeling someone's presence on the other side of the wall was one thing, but having her right beside me brought far more reassurance.

I slid the hand resting on her cheek down to her lips, letting my fingers trace along them.

These were the lips that had touched mine many times before—even on this very bed.

The memory resurfaced so easily that it nearly made me jump out of bed, but I forced myself to stay lying down.

Enough time had passed since that day, so I wanted to be the kind of person who could recall it and still act normal. If I kept dwelling on it, that Sunday would become separated from everyday life and turn into something special.

I shouldn't treat it as a memory to cherish and keep tucked away, nor should I mark it on the calendar.

It'd be better to behave as normally as possible.

I closed my eyes and pushed the rising memory back down.

Yesterday, I had mustered more courage than usual and chosen not to leave this room. I hadn't wanted to take over the bed and force its owner to stay up all night, so Sendai-san was lying next to me.

It's fine.

I opened my eyes and looked at Sendai-san.

She was sleeping peacefully and happily.

Curled up small at the edge of the bed, Sendai-san looked less beautiful and more adorable.

I pinched her cheek once again.

As expected, she didn't wake up.

I had struggled to fall asleep, so I felt a little envious of Sendai-san sleeping so soundly. It made sense that she could sleep deeply in her own bed, but when I really thought about it, the fact that she was sleeping with such a calm face felt a little strange.

After all, the number of situations that required courage had increased unnecessarily because of Sendai-san.

——It kind of pissed me off.

I slipped my finger just a little into Sendai-san's mouth. The tip touched her teeth, and her hand moved as if irritated. A sleepy "What…?" slipped out of her, and I slowly pushed my finger deeper into the mouth she had opened to speak.

My fingertip brushed against her warm, soft tongue. When I pressed gently, she lightly bit down. I moved my finger along her teeth, which were harder than her tongue, and the bite grew stronger, so I quickly pulled my finger out.

"Don't wake me up in such a weird way."

Sendai-san frowned, her brows knitting together in a rare display of displeasure.

"I didn't wake you up. You woke up on your own, Sendai-san."

"Anyone would wake up if you stick your finger in their mouth. If you're going to wake someone, do it in a more normal way."

Her voice sounded even sleepier than usual, and at the end, she added a soft "fwaa" yawn. When I lightly tugged on her bangs, she messed up her hair with a bothered expression and closed her eyes again.

"Sendai-san, are you going back to sleep?"

"I'm sleepy."

"If you're awake now, stay up with me."

"Can't."

She answered briefly, her eyes not opening.

I reached out and touched Sendai-san's ear.

"Miyagi, you should sleep too."

Her hand brushed mine away along with her mumbled words.

Instead of replying, I touched her ear once more.

I traced its outline, confirming its shape.

I slid my finger down and pinched her earlobe, which—unlike mine—had no piercing. It was cooler than her cheek and felt wonderfully soft. Even as I kept playfully squeezing it, Sendai-san didn't open her eyes. When I slipped my finger just slightly inside her ear, she grabbed my arm.

"It tickles."

Sendai-san hadn't stopped when I had said the same thing while we were on this bed.

I tugged her ear harder.

What would happen if I pressed my lips there right now?

The thought crossed my mind, but I pushed away the memory that threatened to overwhelm me as usual and withdrew my hand. Then I half-raised myself and brought my lips to the side of her neck.

Her body gave a small, startled twitch.

I couldn't tell if Sendai-san had opened her eyes.

A sweet scent brushed against my nose.

She always smelled so nice.

I licked her neck as if tasting her, then sank my teeth into it firmly. When I bit down hard enough to reach not only the soft flesh but also the slightly firmer layer below, she tapped my shoulder. I eased the pressure and ran my tongue over the spot. This time she pushed my shoulder harder. Reluctantly pulling my face away, I saw that Sendai-san was about to slip off the bed, so I hurriedly grabbed her T-shirt and pulled her back toward me.

I pulled hard.

Before the T-shirt could stretch too much, her body returned to the bed and flopped facedown against it.

"Why do you try to wake me up in such bizarre ways?"

Sendai-san said as she gently stroked the spot where I’d bitten her.

“I’m bored.”

“Biting someone just because you’re bored is weird, you know.”

“Aren’t you going to get up?”

“I’m not getting up.”

“Then I’m going back to my room.”

The hand that had been stroking her neck stopped abruptly. Sendai-san, who had been lying facedown, turned over toward me.

“Why don’t you sleep a little longer? You don’t have any plans today, right?”

This time, it was my T-shirt that got tugged.

“I don’t, but…”

The weather was so bad I could tell without even opening the curtains, and even if I had plans, I wouldn’t have wanted to go out anywhere. Still, spending all that time with Sendai-san on the bed felt a little off to me.

“It’s fine. I remember the promise I made yesterday.”

She wouldn’t do anything strange until I left this room.

That was the promise Sendai-san had made yesterday.

And I still hadn’t left the room.

Sendai-san, who broke promises all the time, wasn’t exactly perfect when it came to the things she’d sworn on her piercing, but she did keep that one.

It reassured me.

It made me trust Sendai-san more than before.

The piercing was something special.

It might really be like a protective charm, just like she had said.

I touched my piercing, then gave Sendai-san my answer.

“Just thirty more minutes, then.”

“How about an hour?”

Sendai-san shifted a little closer, and I pressed lightly against her collarbone—just enough to keep her from slipping off the bed.

“Thirty minutes.”

“Okay, thirty minutes it is.”

Sendai-san said quietly and closed her eyes.

If it was a question of whether she was sleepy or not, she definitely was.

But if you asked whether she could fall asleep right after closing her eyes, I had my doubts.

In fact, no matter how much time passed, sleep just wouldn’t come to me.

Even though I’d accepted the invitation for a second round of sleep, I ended up just lying there with my eyes closed. Sendai-san fell asleep almost instantly. Even when I poked her, she didn’t wake up, and even when I stroked her, she didn’t make a sound.

I stared up at the ceiling and let out a sigh.

Had ten minutes passed? Or twenty?

I hadn’t checked the clock before closing my eyes, so I wasn’t sure, but it felt like my drowsiness had merged with Sendai-san’s and disappeared. Besides, she was too close, which made me overly aware of her, and even if I did feel sleepy, I wasn’t in the mood to actually fall asleep.

Out of sheer frustration, I kicked the foot of the deeply sleeping Sendai-san.

“Wake up already.”

“Has it already been thirty minutes?”

Sendai-san asked in a drowsy voice, her eyes still closed.

“I don’t know.”

The only thing I knew right now was that it’d soon be eleven.

“…If you don’t know, then I’ll sleep a little more.”

“Why are you so sleepy?”

“Because I couldn’t fall asleep easily last night.”

Sendai-san slowly opened her eyes and looked at me.

“You were sleeping so deeply just a little while ago.”

“I only slept that deeply because I went to bed so late.”

“Why couldn’t you fall asleep?”

“Who knows? Maybe because the bed was too narrow?”

Her answer came in a tone that made it clear she’d just said the first excuse that came to mind.

“I’m hungry, so I’m getting up. You can keep sleeping, Sendai-san.”

In truth, I wasn’t hungry enough to want to eat right away. But staying on this narrow bed while unable to sleep felt too restless, so I sat up.

“Miyagi, are you going to eat something?”

“Yeah, I am.”

“Then maybe I’ll eat too.”

After letting out a soft “fwaa” yawn, Sendai-san sat up. She got off the bed before I did, stretched broadly, and checked the clock.

“It’s an awkward time, but do you want breakfast or lunch?”

The question came from Sendai-san, who until just moments ago had practically been glued to the bed.

It was too late for breakfast and too early for lunch. Either way, it was an in-between time, but if I had to choose, I wanted the option that’d save us from having to make two separate meals.

“Lunch.”

I answered shortly and got off the bed.

“I’ll get things ready, so you can take it easy, Miyagi.”

“I’ll help.”

“Then how about we change and cook together?”

I nodded at Sendai-san’s suggestion and headed to the washroom. I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and returned to the room. After changing, I went to the shared space, where Sendai-san—now wearing a long skirt—was already starting to prepare the meal.

It was in complete contrast to me, who was wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt and denim pants.

I thought it suited her really well.

“What are you making?”

I asked as I stepped beside her.

“Sausages and scrambled eggs. You’re in charge of the toast, Miyagi.”

I did as I was told and put the bread in the toaster. While I took out plates and prepared the jam and butter, the eggs and sausages finished cooking. We placed glasses of orange juice and plates on the table and sat down.

“Thanks for the meal.”

Our voices overlapped.

As I spread butter and jam on my toast, Sendai-san, who was biting into a sausage, looked over at me.

“Miyagi, what are you going to do for the rest of the day?”

“Nothing in particular.”

“In that case, let’s watch the rest of yesterday’s movie.”

“It wasn’t that interesting, so we don’t have to watch it.”

I didn’t have any plans, and I didn’t mind spending Sunday with Sendai-san. But I didn’t particularly want to continue the movie. At the same time, I had no other suggestions to offer, so I took a bite of my toast and drank some orange juice.

“If you don’t have plans, then it’s fine, right? Even if it’s not that interesting, it’ll pass the time.”

“Maybe, but…”

“Alright, it’s decided. After we eat, we’ll continue the movie.”

My Sunday plans were naturally being filled in by Sendai-san. I did have some complaints about how pushy she was, but if we were going to spend the day together like before, I figured this level of pushiness was necessary.

It’d be hard to live as roommates if that awkwardness still lingered between us, and the current Sendai-san was much easier to be around. If she were too considerate, it’d weigh on my mind and wear me out.

"Miyagi, you seemed to have dozed off partway through—do you remember how far you got?"

"I didn't fall asleep. I was just dozing a little."

"So you remember the story, then?"

"Kind of."

While chatting about the movie that hadn't really been all that interesting, we finished everything on our plates and in our glasses. After the two of us cleaned up the dishes together, we went to Sendai-san's room and sat down just like we had yesterday.

"Is it okay if I start from here?"

When the question came from Sendai-san, who was handling the tablet beside me, I answered, "Yeah." The screen then picked up from where we'd left off the day before. We watched the film, which was already nearing its end, all the way through the closing credits.

"How was it?"

When she asked, I gave an honest answer.

"…Yeah, it really wasn't that interesting after all."

"You're the one who said you wanted to watch it in the first place."

"I know, but it was boring."

As I leaned back against the bed, Sendai-san started fiddling with the tablet again.

"Wanna watch something else?"

"I'm good."

"Then what do you want to do?"

"We don't have to do anything."

"If we don't do anything, you'll get bored, won't you?"

Even as she said that, Sendai-san stopped messing with the tablet and leaned back against the bed too.

"If you want to go out, Miyagi, I don't mind heading out even in the rain."

"I'm definitely not going."

"Then come up with something to kill time, Miyagi."

"How about a game?"

"I'm bad at games."

Sendai-san's voice sounded reluctant.

Back in high school, when we'd played games together, she hadn't been very good at them. She didn't seem like the type who actively enjoyed gaming, so I figured she wouldn't want to do it even just to pass the time.

"Then there's nothing to do."

"It's not like there's nothing…"

Sendai-san spoke in a suggestive tone.

"…What do you mean by that?"

"Turn this way."

She didn't answer my question.

I didn't have a great feeling about it, but I turned toward her anyway. The moment I did, she grabbed my hand. It felt like my nerves had suddenly sharpened all the way down to my fingertips. I looked down at our joined hands. When she called my name and I lifted my face, my lips were sealed by hers. But she pulled away almost immediately.

It wasn't like I'd never thought about kissing in this room, but something like this should be fine. We'd done it plenty of times before, and if I made a big deal out of disliking it, it'd just look like I was overly conscious about it. So, this much was okay.

Almost right away, Sendai-san leaned in again and licked my lips.

I instinctively pulled back, but her tongue slipped inside my mouth. Without any warning, Sendai-san invaded my space, and even though I tried to push her out, the territory that had been mine was taken over with ease.

We hadn't shared this kind of kiss since that day.

Even though I hadn't meant to think of it, the memory of that Sunday began spreading vividly through my mind. As I tried to push it away, something warm and soft pressed in deeper, tangling with my tongue. The rawer sensation, compared to just lips, stole away the body heat that had been mine and replaced it with Sendai-san's. As our warmth mixed together, my mind was painted over in white.

I grabbed onto Sendai-san's clothes.

I started pulling her closer, then bit down on her tongue—not hard enough to break the skin, but with enough force to make it clear.

Sendai-san pulled back slightly, then leaned in again. In retaliation, she bit my lip.

This pushy side of Sendai-san felt more like her, but she didn't need to be this pushy right here and now.

"If this is what 'doing something' comes down to, then we don't need to do anything."

I let go of the clothes I'd been gripping and pushed her body away.

"Do you hate kissing?"

An unexpected question came flying at me.

"It's not that I hate it, but it's not something we should be doing right now."

"So that means you don't hate it, right?"

"What is this, Sendai-san? You said you wouldn't do anything weird."

"If you're talking about yesterday's promise, it only lasted until you left the room, right? You left earlier, so it doesn't apply anymore."

I remembered what the promise had been.

I'd also expected that Sendai-san would say something like this. Still, the reason I brought it up again was because I thought she might keep it even after the time limit had passed. If that didn't work, then fine. If the promise had lost its effect, I could just make a new one.

"Then make the promise again."

It'd be fine if Sendai-san swore on her piercing every time something like this came up.

"Sure."

With that, Sendai-san moved as close as she had when she kissed me earlier and whispered into my ear.

"In exchange, Miyagi… the promise comes a little later, okay?"

"What do you mean, 'later'?"

"I won't do anything weird."

After giving an answer that wasn't really an answer, Sendai-san kissed the piercing, then pressed her lips to the side of my neck.

The spot she touched felt unbearably hot.

My shoulder was pushed, and her weight settled onto me.

Before I could push her away, my back hit the bed. The hem of my T-shirt was lifted, and her hand slipped smoothly underneath.

"Sendai-san!"

I called her name sharply.

Even though she had to have heard me, her hand pressed against my side. It traced upward along my ribs, and I placed my own hand over hers through the fabric.

"What is this hand doing?"

"Do you hate being touched by me?"

A question answered with another question.

"What if I said I do?"

"Then I won't touch you anymore."

Here it comes again, I thought.

At times like this, Sendai-san always tried to make me choose. She'd throw out a question and force me to say the answer she'd already decided on in her head.

“…Right now I don’t want to be touched, so get off me. It’s about time you keep your promise.”

I shoved at Sendai-san’s body.

But she didn’t budge.

I grabbed Sendai-san by the shoulder and dug my nails in hard enough to leave marks.

“Miyagi, rock-paper-scissors.”

“Huh?”

Words I never expected to hear—from the person pinning me down—left her mouth, and the strength drained from the hand gripping her shoulder.

“Here we go. Rock… paper…”

“Wait a second—”

“Scissors!”

Before I could even get mentally ready, Sendai-san threw paper, and I threw scissors a beat too late.

“Miyagi won, so I’ll get off.”

With that, Sendai-san easily moved off me. I tugged down the hem of my lifted T-shirt and sat up.

“Also, I’ll keep the promise.”

Sendai-san smiled brightly.

“…What were you planning to do if I’d lost?”

“I wonder what I was planning to do.”

From her answer, I couldn’t tell what she would’ve done if I had lost.

Still, I had a feeling Sendai-san had intentionally let me go second, and even if I had lost at rock-paper-scissors, she probably would’ve kept her promise in the end.

——That was the impression I got.

✧✧✧✧✧

Back when we were in high school, I went to visit her when she got sick.

Now that we were university students, there wasn’t really any need to go visit her.

That was because she was right there in the next room. I could check on her without having to call it a formal visit, and I couldn’t just ignore her either.

“You’re being punished. It’s because you keep doing weird things.”

Sitting beside Sendai-san’s bed, I placed a cooled towel on her forehead, her face redder than usual.

“Miyagi, that’s mean.”

“You took your medicine, right?”

“I did.”

Her voice, coming from the bed, was hoarse.

Several days had passed since that rainy night, and Sendai-san’s temperature had climbed past thirty-eight degrees.

She’d seemed off since morning.

She hadn’t been coughing, but she’d said her throat hurt, and her complexion had looked a bit pale. Even so, she insisted she was fine and went to university. By the time I got home, she was completely worn out in her room. And now she was lying in bed with a face that wasn’t quite zombie-level, but still far from healthy.

I wasn’t a doctor, so I couldn’t say for sure, but it had to be a cold.

“Sendai-san, you catch colds way too easily.”

“I don’t catch them that often.”

“You stayed home from school with a cold back in high school, remember?”

“Miyagi came to visit me and gave me a kiss, right?”

“I didn’t. You were the one who kissed me on your own.”

It’s not like I tried to hold onto that memory, but I still remembered the day I visited her when she stayed home sick because I was worried. That day, she asked me to put a cooling sheet on her forehead, pulled me close, and then kissed me.

Even when she had a cold, Sendai-san was someone you could never let your guard down with.

“Back then, I wanted to pass my cold to Miyagi, but I didn’t manage to.”

“…Are you planning to do something like that again?”

“I’m not. I don’t want you catching my cold.”

She spoke in a voice weaker than she’d ever sounded in high school, then let out a small, dry cough.

“Why did you catch a cold anyway?”

“I fell asleep with the air conditioner on.”

“Was it even hot enough yesterday to need the air conditioner?”

When I asked, Sendai-san, who had been staring at the ceiling, suddenly turned toward me. The damp towel slid off her forehead, so I placed it back, this time near her temple.

“…I thought it was.”

Her voice came out faint and lacking strength.

“Even if it felt hot, you should’ve turned it off before going to sleep.”

“I’m reflecting on it.”

She muttered quietly, then coughed again.

I knew she tended to feel hot easily, but yesterday’s temperature hadn’t been high enough to justify sleeping with the air conditioner on all night. Even though July was approaching, the nights still weren’t that warm.

“I’ll say this upfront, I can’t make porridge or anything like that.”

She probably already knew without me saying it that I was useless in situations like this, but I said it anyway. Ever since I started living with Sendai-san, I’d begun making simple things, but I had no skill when it came to preparing food for someone who was sick.

If she was feeling this bad, she should’ve contacted me before I got back from university. If I’d known her cold was this serious, I would’ve bought something on the way home.

“You don’t have to make anything. I’d be in trouble if you burned yourself, and I’d also be in trouble if you burned the pot, so just don’t do anything.”

“When you put it like that, it pisses me off.”

If I actually tried making porridge, I probably would burn myself and ruin the pot. Still, hearing it from Sendai-san annoyed me.

“I don’t have any appetite, so you really don’t have to do anything.”

“I’ll go buy something. Is yogurt or instant porridge okay?”

I couldn’t cook, but I could at least go out and buy something. I also wanted to get a cooling sheet to replace the towel on her forehead. There weren’t many things I could do, but I couldn’t just leave someone sick on their own. If she didn’t eat anything, her condition would only get worse.

“I don’t need any.”

“If there’s something you want to eat, tell me. I’ll buy it.”

“There isn’t, so just stay here with me a little longer.”

She opened her eyes wearily and murmured. Then she immediately added, “Sorry. Forget what I just said,” taking it back. 

“What do you mean, ‘forget what you just said’?”

“I don’t want to pass my cold to you, so go back to your room.”

This time, her voice was clearer than before. Of course, if I stayed in the same room as Sendai-san, the chances of catching her cold would go up. But I’d ventilated the room right after coming in, and even if I went back to my own room, there was nothing for me to do. Dinner could be anything—instant food or cup noodles—and it’d be quick to prepare and finish. My university assignments weren’t that heavy either.

“I’m bored, so I’ll stay here a little longer. I’ll go shopping afterward.”

It was better to stay by her side than sit alone in my room worrying about how the bedridden Sendai-san was doing.

“Go back. You’ll catch my cold.”

Once again, words that the high-school Sendai-san would never have said.

“I don’t catch colds easily. I’ll stay here until you fall asleep, Sendai-san.”

“…Does that mean you’re worried about me?”

“Of course I’d worry a little when someone’s feeling this bad.”

This time, I said words that the high-school version of me would never have said.

Today, I kept comparing the past and the present.

After becoming university students and roommates, when I looked back on our high-school days, there were so many things that seemed the same yet felt completely different.

“Go to sleep already.”

I lightly patted the edge of the futon.

“Miyagi being kind feels gross.”

“Sendai-san, you’re noisy. Shut up and sleep.”

“If I fall asleep, you can go back to your room.”

“Got it.”

When I answered, Sendai-san slowly closed her eyes.

Before long, I could hear her soft, steady breathing. I flipped the towel on her forehead over.

Today’s Sendai-san looked seriously unwell, and I couldn’t just leave her alone. She seemed to be suffering enough that I could tell her fever was high without even touching her, and although it wasn’t as bad as after exercise, her breathing was strained.

She was so weakened that she probably wouldn’t be able to resist no matter what I did.

If she was like this, she wouldn’t try anything strange, so there was no need for a promise about the piercing.

I could just quietly stay by her side.

I sat down, using the bed as a backrest.

I’d said I was bored and would stay, but once Sendai-san fell asleep, there really was nothing for me to do.

I picked up the fashion magazine lying on the floor and flipped through it. I turned one thin page after another without really looking, when a strained “Nnn…” mixed in with her steady breathing reached my ears.

Worried, I looked over at Sendai-san on the bed. The towel had slipped off her forehead again. I really should’ve bought a cooling sheet.

“…Are you okay?”

I hadn’t meant to wake her, but I placed the towel on the table and asked anyway. I thought she wouldn’t respond, yet a faint, incoherent murmur came back. Her sleep must’ve been shallow.

If I kept calling out to her like this, would she end up dreaming about me?

“Sendai-san.”

I tried calling her name softly near her ear.

A sound that was neither “yeah” nor “nnn” came back.

“Sendai-san.”

“………Nn.”

She really was reacting to my voice. I knew it wasn’t something you should do to a sick person, but since she answered so obediently, I ended up calling her again and again. It was a little pitiful, but this version of Sendai-san was rare and cute.

And—

It was inconsiderate of me, but I thought that a person’s pained voice sounded very similar to a voice of pleasure. Because Sendai-san’s breathing was uneven, it made me think about it even more. Probably because the setting was bad.

This was a place where thinking about things like that wasn’t strange, and I’d once wondered what kind of voice she would make, so indecent thoughts drifted into my mind. I knew it was awful to have thoughts like that in front of a sick person, but I couldn’t stop them.

[T/N- Shinji is that you?]

While trying to sink that Sunday—when we had done something a roommate shouldn’t do—to the bottom of my memory, I kept dragging it back up to confirm what had happened.

Because of that, I’d started thinking things I never would’ve thought before. I knew it was the lowest thing to do at a time like this.

But it was probably because a new circuit had formed inside me that Sunday, making it easier for thoughts of Sendai-san to surface. She’d always stolen my thoughts without permission, but because of this incomprehensible circuit, it had become even easier to think about her than before and I couldn’t accept that. Still, it wasn’t something worth waking the sleeping Sendai-san to complain about.

She was a patient.

“I’m going back to my room.”

Even if she could hear me, I knew it would only reach her ears without her really understanding, but I still said it before standing up.

If I stayed in this room any longer, I felt like I’d start thinking even more inconsiderate things.

It’d be better to go out shopping and cool my head.

“…Where are you going?”

Just as I put my hand on the doorknob, a voice came from behind me.

When I turned around, Sendai-san was looking at me.

“Shopping. I’ll be right back.”

She’d been responding even while half-asleep earlier, but this time she didn’t say anything.

“Sendai-san, if you’ve got something to say, just say it.”

“See you later.”

Sendai-san said quietly.

I walked back to her side and sat down on the edge of the bed.

“Miyagi, you’ll catch my cold. Go already.”

“…I said I’d go back to my room after you fell asleep.”

“I was asleep until just now.”

“You’re awake now.”

“I won’t take care of you if you catch it.”

“If I catch it, then you’ll have to nurse me.”

I sat back down on the floor and spoke up toward the bed.

With a short “Mm,” Sendai-san reached out and gently stroked my hair.

I could’ve brushed her hand away, but she had a fever. I couldn’t be harsh with someone who was sick, so I let her hand keep stroking my hair.

Really—really—dealing with a sick person was troublesome.

I couldn’t even voice a single complaint freely.

So, it couldn’t be helped.

I’d stay in this room until that hand stopped moving.