"Are you cooking?"
Eriri, having finished her bath, came out of the bathroom and arrived at the kitchen.
The clothes she had taken off were all thrown into the washing machine, undergoing the wash and dry process.
"Yeah, just wait a little longer and we can eat."
Murakami Yuu ladled some broth into a small dish, tasted it, and nodded with satisfaction.
"At school, I heard you weren't feeling well. H-how are you now?"
Eriri put her hands behind her back and asked somewhat stutteringly.
So she really came because of this. It was about what he had expected.
Murakami Yuu smiled.
"I'm fine now. No need to worry."
"I see, that's good..."
Eriri felt relieved.
"This smell—is it curry?"
"Yeah, seeing there were vegetables like carrots and potatoes in the fridge, I thought I'd make a pot of stew. The taste should be great."
Murakami Yuu turned around to see a completely different side of Eriri from usual.
Her golden hair wasn't tied in twin tails but simply draped over her shoulders. Her face was somewhat flushed from the recent bath, and the white men's shirt she wore wasn't very fitted, with the hem pulled long and looking quite loose.
Eriri wasn't very tall to begin with, and this contrast made her figure appear even more petite.
"I turned the heat down. Eriri, don't worry about it. Go sit over there and watch TV for a while. I'll just take a quick shower."
"Okay."
"This is for you."
"What is it?"
"The apples you bought—I juiced them and filtered out the pulp. The taste should be pretty good."
"Th-thank you..."
Eriri sat down on the sofa, and Murakami Yuu went to his room to get clean clothes before entering the bathroom.
The TV was broadcasting a program, but Eriri couldn't focus on it at all. Although she had tried her best to act natural since coming out of the bathroom, only she knew how flustered she really felt inside.
What she was currently doing was bathing at a male friend's house, wearing his clothes, and sharing a room with him, while the sky outside was gradually darkening...
Yuu had gone to shower, then they would eat dinner. Seeing how energetic he looked, he seemed fine. She had originally come to visit him when he was sick, and since his health was no longer problematic, she should take her leave after eating...
But the rain outside didn't seem to be letting up, and the thunder hadn't stopped either. It felt somewhat frightening...
Mom had gone on a business trip with Dad these past few days, and neither was home...
Thinking about these miscellaneous things, Eriri became somewhat distracted.
Her head gradually began to feel dizzy.
She felt like sleeping...
As an artist who drew ryona works, Eriri's mind suddenly became active.
This scenario felt very familiar. Could it be...
She looked at the apple juice on the coffee table, half of which she had drunk.
No way, it couldn't be...
Murakami Yuu came out of the bathroom, his somewhat damp black hair scattered in an aesthetically pleasing way.
Eriri could see his lips moving, as if saying something.
But the voice reaching her ears was unclear, as if there was a thick wall between them.
Is it starting to take effect already?
I don't want him to use this method...
Why? If you were just a bit more proactive, I would have agreed, wouldn't I...
Why use such a disagreeable method...
Bad... guy...
Her consciousness completely faded.
"Hey, Eriri!"
Murakami Yuu rushed to the sofa in a few quick steps. Eriri had just collapsed directly onto the sofa.
Seeing her unconscious state with her mouth open and rapid shallow breathing, Murakami Yuu quickly placed his hand on her forehead.
So hot!
He had thought her flushed face was just from the recent bath, but it turned out to be from fever.
Murakami Yuu didn't hesitate any longer. He picked up Eriri and placed her on his bed, took an electronic thermometer from the medical kit, and placed it under her arm.
At the same time, he went to the kitchen and got an ice pack from the freezer, wrapped it in a dry towel, and gently placed it on Eriri's forehead.
Eriri, who had come to visit him out of concern, had developed a fever from being caught in the rain. The person who came to visit the sick had become the patient herself.
The guilt Murakami Yuu had felt when he came home and saw Eriri crouched at his door resurfaced at this moment, even stronger than before.
He had only requested leave from that guy Sakata Gintoki with an excuse because he was afraid of trouble. Why did Eriri have to encounter such unlucky circumstances...
Looking at Eriri's frowning, somewhat pained face, Murakami Yuu sighed.
The electronic thermometer beeped.
He looked at it—38.4 degrees Celsius.
Fortunately, it wasn't a high fever, just some elevated temperature.
It seemed to be caused by not drying off properly after being caught in the rain, plus wearing damp clothes.
Murakami Yuu felt somewhat relieved.
He had thought about taking her to the hospital, but after looking out the window, he dismissed the idea.
Eriri was already in a feverish state. Taking her out to be blown by wind and rained on at this time might raise her temperature by several more degrees.
He'd handle it at home himself.
Murakami Yuu dampened a cotton swab with alcohol and wiped Eriri's wrist, then went to the bathroom to get some warm water.
After returning and quietly waiting for a while, carefully observing that Eriri's wrist showed no adverse allergic reactions to the alcohol, Murakami Yuu poured medical alcohol into the warm water to dilute it, took out a small piece of non-woven fabric, dampened it, and gently wiped Eriri's neck and exposed arms.
When alcohol evaporates on the body surface, it takes away excess heat, which helps significantly in lowering body temperature.
After finishing wiping the easily accessible areas, Murakami Yuu returned to the kitchen and poured the porridge Eriri had brought earlier into a small pot to heat.
Originally prepared for him, it was now being put to use for her—truly making the most of it.
After serving the porridge and placing it by the bedside, Murakami Yuu gently shook Eriri's shoulders.
When sick, one must eat something to replenish energy.
Eriri slowly opened her eyes, which were filled with unfocused confusion.
"Time to get up and eat."
Eh?
It's... Yuu...
"Bad... guy..."
Eriri was still immersed in the self-imagined content from before she lost consciousness.
"Are you delirious from the fever? Why are you calling me a bad guy?"
Murakami Yuu laughed, reaching out to help her lean against the headboard.
Fever?
Eriri watched Murakami Yuu pick up a bowl from the bedside, scoop out some porridge with a spoon, blow on it gently, then slowly bring it to her lips with gentle movements.
The corners of her mouth gradually curved upward, but her eyes felt sore.
She smiled foolishly as tears slid down both sides of her cheeks.
Murakami Yuu was stunned. He was somewhat confused about the situation.
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