Chapter 7: Flower's Fever
The sky darkened without warning, and a sudden downpour drenched the streets. Yasmine clutched her bag over her head as she hurried toward home, frustration bubbling inside her.
Oh, come on… why does it have to rain now? she thought bitterly. It was sunny just a few minutes ago.
By the time she reached her house, her clothes clung to her skin, soaked through by the unexpected rain. She pushed the door open and called out softly.
"I'm back."
Silence answered her. The house felt strangely empty.
"Mom?" she tried again, stepping further inside. That was when she noticed a folded piece of paper resting on the table. She picked it up, her curiosity sharpening.
What could this be about? she wondered, unfolding the letter.
Her mother's handwriting greeted her:
*Dear Yasmine,
I'm sorry to leave you alone. Your father, Jemi, and I had to go to your grandparents' house. Your grandmother's health isn't well, so we needed to leave quickly. We wanted to take you along, but since you have exams, we thought it was best not to disturb you. Stay well.
Your Mother.*
Yasmine sighed and lowered the letter. Well, at least they should've informed me properly… but it is what it is. First, I should take a bath.
After washing away the rain, she padded into the kitchen, stomach growling faintly.
At least Mom would've cooked something for me, she thought, pulling open the fridge—only to find it stocked with raw ingredients and nothing prepared.
"Huh…?" she murmured, blinking. That was when she spotted another note stuck on the fridge door.
Please cook for yourself, it read, signed with a little excuse emoji.
For a moment Yasmine stared, utterly still, before bursting out, "Damn you, Mom!!!"
Eventually, she managed to cook dinner on her own and retired to bed. But when morning arrived, something felt off.
"Ugh… my head hurts…" Yasmine groaned, pressing a hand to her temple.
She dragged herself to the washroom and fumbled for the thermometer. The result made her eyes widen.
"A fever…?" she whispered, realization dawning. It must be from the rain yesterday…
She stumbled back to her bed, her body heavy. The fever wasn't fading—it was only climbing higher.
I need to study… I can't waste time like this… She tried to steady herself, but the room spun, her legs buckling beneath her. No… I need someone's help…
Grabbing her phone, she scrolled shakily through her contacts before pressing Kei's name.
"Hello, Kei… I… I have a fever today. My parents are at my grandparents' house, so… can you come over?" Her voice was faint, trembling. "Okay… please be quick."
Not long after, she drifted into uneasy sleep, the phone slipping from her fingers.
The doorbell startled her awake some time later.
I need to open it… she thought weakly, pushing herself upright. Each step toward the front door was unsteady, her breaths shallow. She finally reached the handle and pulled it open.
"K—"
"Hello."
Her eyes widened. Standing before her wasn't Kei.
"Aijin…? What are you doing here?" she asked in shock.
"Actually," Aijin said calmly, "Kei called me. She said you were sick and no one was home. She got busy with something and couldn't make it. At first, I wanted to refuse, but then I thought… if no one helped you, it would be bad. So, I came."
Kei, why…! Yasmine groaned inwardly.
"You should go now," she insisted weakly. "I don't want to ruin your weeken—"
Before she could finish, her knees gave way, her body collapsing forward.
"Yasmine!" Aijin caught her swiftly, lifting her into his arms in a princess carry. His palm brushed against her forehead, and he frowned.
Her fever is really high. I need to get her to bed.
He carried her into her room and gently laid her down.
"Yasmine, can you hear me?"
"…Yeah… I'm alright," she whispered faintly.
"You're definitely not alright," he said firmly. "Here—drink this." He helped her sit up and pressed a warm cup into her hands. "Some ginger tea."
"Thank you…" she murmured softly.
"Do you have an appetite?"
"I don't know…"
"Alright, let me make you something."
She blinked at him in surprise. "Wait… you can cook?"
"I can only fry eggs, nothing more," he admitted. "But at least I can do that."
He disappeared into the kitchen and soon returned with a plate of fried eggs and rice.
"Say 'ahh,'" Aijin said, holding up a spoon.
"W-Wait! What are you doing?!" Yasmine stammered, her cheeks flushing red.
"You shouldn't move much. You've got a high fever. So I'll feed you."
"There's no need… I can feed myself…"
"Yasmine, stay still."
Her protests died away. She looked at him, embarrassed, then parted her lips slightly.
"…Ahh."
Aijin fed her carefully, and she chewed in silence, her face warm with more than just fever.
---
Meanwhile, in a park nearby, a different conversation was unfolding.
"YOU REALLY DID IT ON PURPOSE!" Mui shouted, glaring at Kei.
"Geez, relax," Kei said defensively. "I just wanted my friend to be happy."
"But she's sick! How could you leave her in that condition? What if something happened?!"
"I realized it too… it was unforgivable of me," Kei admitted, lowering her eyes. "I was going to head over, but Aijin had already gone, so… I left them."
"At least she's safe," Jirou interjected. "No need to stress too much, Mui."
"You're right… but still, it's very unforgivable for you, Yuzuhara," Mui said, her tone sharp.
"I'm really sorry…" Kei muttered.
"You'll say sorry to her directly."
"…Okay."
Jirou smirked. "By the way, what do you think could happen between those two?"
Mui froze. "What do you mean by that?"
"I mean… a boy and a girl, alone together. And one of them is sick…"
The thought had barely left his mouth when both Mui and Kei smacked him on the head.
"Idiot! You know Aijin better than that. How can you think like that?" Mui snapped.
Kei's inner voice whispered uneasily, By then, Yasmine would've fainted already…
"Anyway," Mui sighed, "since we're here, why don't we eat something?"
"Sounds good to me," Kei agreed.
The three of them headed to a nearby restaurant.
---
Back at Yasmine's house, Aijin glanced at the girl sleeping peacefully.
"She's out cold… I should probably leave. It's almost evening."
He scribbled a quick note and placed it on her study table before moving toward the door. As he slipped on his shoes, the front door opened.
"Yasmine, I'm back," a familiar voice called.
Aijin froze. Standing there was Yasmine's mother, followed by her father and little Jemi.
"…Who are you?" her father demanded.
"Me? Uh… I… amm…"
After a quick explanation, their initial suspicion faded when they saw Yasmine resting in her room.
"Apologies for my behavior," her father said, bowing slightly. "And thank you for taking care of my daughter."
"It's fine, Mr. Mizuno," Aijin replied politely.
"So you're that boy from that night," Yasmine's mother remarked suddenly.
"…Which night?" Aijin asked nervously.
"Last week," she reminded.
"Oh… yeah."
Her eyes sparkled with teasing curiosity. "Ooh~ Anyway, please stay for dinner."
"Sorry, Mrs. Mizuno, but—"
"I'm not requesting," Yasmine interrupted suddenly, her smile cheerful but her tone almost threatening.
"…Okay," Aijin agreed quickly, a little scared.
Jemi tugged at his sleeve, eyes wide. "Hello, Mister. I'm Jemi."
"Jemi, huh? Nice name," Aijin said warmly.
Her gaze shifted to the keychain dangling from his bag. "Mister… do you like anime?"
"Yeah. You like it too?"
"Yeah!!" she chirped.
"Then… here," he said, handing her the keychain. "You can have it. I don't use it anymore."
Her eyes sparkled with joy. "Thank you, big brother!"
"…Brother?" Aijin echoed in surprise.
"Yeah! You're my big brother now."
Yasmine's mother watched with a soft smile. "I've never seen Yasmine this happy after meeting someone."
"It's funny," Aijin chuckled. "I don't have younger siblings—only older ones."
He's really kind, Mrs. Mizuno thought quietly. I'm glad Yasmine is in the right hands.
---
Later, in her room, Yasmine stirred awake.
"It's already evening…?" she murmured, noticing the note on her desk.
Stay well, it read in Aijin's neat handwriting.
Her cheeks warmed. He really came to help me again… But then she remembered the way he had carried her, and her face turned scarlet.
Why did I have to collapse like that?! It's so embarrassing!
When she stepped into the living room, she froze in horror. Aijin was there—chatting comfortably with her mother.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Both turned in surprise at her scream.
"Yasmine, your fever is better now," her mother teased.
"M-Mom!" Yasmine lunged forward, smacking her with playful punches. "Why do you have to talk with my friend like that?!"
"He's a guest. What's the problem?" her mother said lightly.
"You can't just invite him without my permission!"
Aijin sat there, stunned, watching her childish antics. This is Yasmine… right?
"You're hitting me in front of a guest," her mother pointed out slyly.
Yasmine froze, realizing Aijin was still present. "S-Sorry… Aijin…"
"Oho, first-name basis already," her mother teased further.
"Mom!!" Yasmine gave her another smack.
"Hey, that hurts!"
"Not my problem."
Aijin chuckled faintly. "How's your fever now?"
"It's still a little high… but I'm okay."
After dinner, Aijin rose. "Alright, I'll be leaving now."
"Stay for the night," Mrs. Mizuno suggested.
"What?!" Yasmine exclaimed, nearly choking.
"Yeah, you should. It's already night," her father agreed.
"Thanks, but I should go. My parents will worry," Aijin replied.
"Please stay, Big Brother," Jemi pleaded.
Big brother… Jemi, not you too…! Yasmine groaned inside.
"Sorry, Jemi," Aijin said gently. "But I'll bring you something next time I visit. Pinky promise."
Her eyes lit up. "Pinky promise!"
They linked fingers before he stepped toward the door.
Just then, rain began to fall again.
"See? Now you must stay," Mrs. Mizuno urged.
"I've got an umbrella, so don't worry. Bye now," Aijin said, waving before disappearing into the night.
"He really is a nice person," Mr. Mizuno remarked. "Yasmine, you made a great friend."
"Thank you…" she said softly.
"I want him as my son," her mother added teasingly.
Yasmine froze. "…Huh?!"
"Yeah, you heard right."
Smack.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"Not my problem."
Her heart, however, whispered differently: Aijin, you really are an amazing person…
Outside, Aijin paused by the garden. Raindrops glistened on the white blossoms swaying gently in the storm.
"Jasmine flowers… these are beautiful," he murmured. One particular bud caught his eye—it was just about to bloom. "I kind of recognize this flower… reminds me of someone."
Yasmine's face flashed in his mind.
I'll defeat you in the first semester exams, just wait, Yasmine.
In the heavy rain, Aijin's rivalry with Yasmine truly began. The exams were coming, and he was more fired up than ever.
---
[End of Chapter 7]