"Now that you mention it..." Rose's eyes suddenly widened. "Th-the field trip! What happened to the students?"
"Don't worry. I handed them off to someone else."
"I... I'm so sorry..."
"Why are you apologizing? This was my mistake for relying on you too much lately. Just forget about work for today and focus on getting better."
Rose felt a secret thrill at the words "relying on you." She wanted to scream with joy—Hachiman relies on me this much!—but she managed to keep it inside and submissively allowed the doctor to examine her. Afterward, Hachiman drove her home.
He stopped at a convenience store to get her something light to eat. She took her medicine immediately, but the side effects—or perhaps just the exhaustion—brought on a sudden, crushing sleepiness. KITT, sensing the situation, adjusted the suspension to keep the ride perfectly smooth. Rose fell into a deep sleep before they even reached her apartment.
In the depths of her slumber, Rose felt herself being carried.
I must be home... I think I cleaned up, but I hope the place isn't a mess...
She felt herself being tucked into bed, and then she drifted off again.
Then, she had a dream. In the dream, Hachiman was undressing her. He was being incredibly gentle, wiping the sweat from her skin with a warm towel before changing her into fresh clothes. In the dream, Hachiman was keeping his eyes squeezed shut, as if he were terrified of seeing her naked.
Is this a dream? Honestly... if it's a dream, the least you could do is look...
She fell back into a deeper sleep.
Next, she felt something cold being pressed against her forehead. It felt wonderful.
This must be his hand... it's so cold, but so warm at the same time...
A cooling sheet was placed on her brow and replaced whenever it grew warm. She realized, in a vague, distant way, that she was being looked after. But the sleepiness was too strong to fight.
"The fever seems to have broken. Man, is it really this late already? I should probably wake her up and head home..."
Hearing Hachiman's mumble, Rose tried to sit up. But no matter how hard she tried, her body refused to obey. Part of her didn't want to be a burden, but another, louder part wanted him to stay by her side forever.
Torn between the two, she simply let out a soft groan and shifted under the covers. Sensing her awakening, Hachiman's presence quickly vanished from the bedside as he hurried out of the room. The sound of the door closing snapped her fully awake.
"Wh-why did he just leave without saying anything...?"
She grumbled as she sat up and stretched, taking stock of her situation. She was wearing her pajamas. He really did change me, she thought. She checked under the top... she wasn't wearing a bra. Her skin felt clean, and there was a fresh cooling sheet on her forehead.
She turned bright red.
"Wait... does that mean he saw everything? No, knowing him, he probably kept his eyes shut the whole time. He probably tried so hard not to touch me while he was wiping me down... Oh, why did he have to go?"
Just then, the doorbell rang. Heart racing, she hurried to the intercom and checked the monitor. There stood Hachiman, looking perfectly composed. She let him in, wondering what kind of game he was playing.
"I just threw you in your room and left you there, but it looks like you've recovered," Hachiman said the moment he stepped inside.
Rose almost burst out laughing. You changed my clothes—there's no way you just 'threw me in here.' But she decided to play along.
"I see. Well, thanks to that, I'm feeling much better. Sorry for worrying you."
"I wasn't worried. Not even a little bit. But whatever, it's fine. I already told Ane-san that you're taking tomorrow off. Just stay home and relax."
Hachiman blurted the words out in a single breath.
Is this... Hachiman's version of being a tsundere? Rose wondered, feeling a surge of affection. She decided to poke him a little.
"That's strange, though. It seems like someone changed my clothes while I was out..."
"You obviously did that yourself in your sleep. Yeah. Must have been muscle memory."
I mean, I guess that's technically possible, but...
"And someone wiped the sweat off me. There was even a cold towel on my head."
"Also you. Purely subconscious. Even with a fever, your body remembered what to do. Good job, Kitten. Very impressive."
No, no, no! That's way too much of a stretch!
"I'm... not wearing any underwear, though."
Hachiman flinched. "I was pretty shocked when you started stripping them off yourself. I did at least manage to throw them in the laundry for you, though."
The image of Hachiman undressing me with his eyes closed is actually kind of hot...
"I also... felt like someone was touching me. All over."
"Hah?! I was incredibly careful! I made sure not to touch you! I mean, okay, I might have brushed against those unnecessarily large breasts once or twice, but that was strictly within the margin of error! It was all in your head! Anyway, I'm leaving! Just make sure you rest tomorrow!"
He totally just admitted to doing the work!
Hachiman, now dripping with sweat and looking like he wanted to jump out a window, turned to bolt for the door. But Rose couldn't let him leave without one last word.
"Wait."
"What? Is there something else?"
Rose hugged herself, her cheeks flushing a deep crimson.
"Pervert."
"..."
"..."
After a long, agonizing silence, Hachiman walked back and gave her a firm pat on the shoulder.
"We're going to work on your 'feminine charms' next time. Hang in there."
He turned and walked out. Rose saw him off with a smile, then practically skipped back to her bed and curled up under the covers. Even though he'd teased her like always, she was in the best mood she'd been in for weeks.
"Honestly... acting all tough when his face was even redder than mine."
Rose had traded a fever for a little bit of happiness, and with that, the chaos of the day finally settled.
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