Chapter: We've fallen on hard times, folks
"W-what's wrong?" Ryouka asked, thinking she had said something wrong. She quickly grabbed tissues to wipe Ryouma.
"No, it's nothing..."
Ryouma thought to himself, his mind had been so overloaded with sudden information that he passed out—how did the doctor conclude it was "heatstroke"? Or had he been both overloaded and struck by heatstroke at the same time?
Damn, this body is really weak...
"Sorry for the trouble, I'll handle it," Ryouma said.
Ryouka stood up and carefully wiped the damp sheets and his chest for him.
They were so close that Ryouma felt if they moved any nearer, his nose would brush against her black hair.
"Don't mention it."
Ryouka lowered her bright eyes, wiping carefully. "Thanks to you today, otherwise Ayumu and I would have definitely been tricked by Aihara Yamato..."
"Speaking of which, where's Ayumu... I mean, Matsubara?"
"Oh, he said he was hungry and went to find something to eat... Did it get wet here?" Ryouka had already dried the wet spot on Ryouma's front.
She began checking the area near the pillow.
"It shouldn't be..." Ryouma had just finished answering when
Ryouka accidentally touched the mechanism for the adjustable backrest beside the bed.
Ryouma had earlier adjusted the backrest to a 45-degree angle to sit more comfortably.
With just one touch from Ryouka... clunk, it flattened to 180 degrees.
Ryouma was fine, just lying back down as he fell.
"Ah..." But Ryouka let out an unexpected cry, her full weight landing on Ryouma's chest.
Their chests pressed together...
Ryouma recalled this familiar sensation. Before completely losing consciousness earlier, he had felt his face buried in something soft... meaning...
A face wash?
Come to think of it, though Ryouka was a combination of tall and slender, seemingly conflicting with the word "voluptuous," Ryouma had seen her full body in "those books" - her chest was quite substantial... No wonder it felt like this.
"A-are you okay?" Ryouma forced himself to sit up and ask. Damn... if this continues, even his lower body might start to react.
"...Ryouka, what are you doing?"
Before Ryouka could lift her head to respond,
the voice of her "childhood friend", Matsubara Ayumu, came from the hospital room doorway.
Ryouka immediately sprang up, not just lifting her face but straightening her entire body as she stood up straight.
"N-nothing..." Her snow-white cheeks were flushed crimson. As if to convince Ayumu, she stared directly at him while stealing the tiniest glance at Ryouma. The latter remained exceptionally calm.
"Matsubara, don't overthink it," Ryouma said. "I just accidentally squirted... ahem, sprayed some water earlier, and Yotsumoto was helping me clean it up when she accidentally touched the hospital bed's adjustment switch."
He appeared quite composed, but actually, after the accidental physical contact with Ryouka, he had silently recited the bible verse 'One day when I have my sword in hand, I'll slaughter all the cuckolders' five times in his mind.
"Th-that's right," Ryouka said.
"...Oh, is that so." Ayumu snickered: "I thought Ryouka had taken a liking to you and was throwing herself at you... Don't let Ryouka's appearance fool you, she actually has quite the 'hero' worship complex."
"Sh-shut up!" Ryouka scolded. "Ayumu, if you keep talking nonsense... watch out or I'll..."
Wow, you guy...
"K-Kobayashi, why are you looking at me with eyes that say I'm trash..." Ayumu felt Ryouma's unfriendly gaze.
With that attitude, no wonder you'd get cuckolded.
And not only did you leave your childhood friend alone with me earlier, but you come back saying things like that... During the fight earlier, you had to rely entirely on Ryouka for protection.
To be honest, if it weren't for this deadweight, Ryouma felt Ryouka could have easily fought a tactical retreat against those punks—advancing and retreating as needed, leaving them with no escape route, and ultimately achieving a complete victory...
It seemed necessary to teach him a lesson later.
"Although those guys ran away this time, there's no guarantee they won't come back for revenge. You should still be careful," Ryouma reminded.
Ayumu shrank her neck slightly, then looked hopefully at Ryouka: "...Ryouka, what should we do then? Should we call the police?"
"Calling the police now is useless. Before, we could have used the 'armed assault' reason, but if they can't catch them in the act, the police would at most give them a verbal warning," Ryouma said.
"Don't worry, I'll protect Ayumu," Ryouka chuckled, her expression firm. "Just like before."
"Ryouka..."
Ryouka's combat skills were indeed high, but her naive personality made her too easily deceived. Otherwise, according to the original plot, she wouldn't have fallen into Aihara Yamato's trap.
Ryouma pondered.
While he was thinking, Ryouka was also considering something.
"If anything happens, just call me—" Ryouma had just spoken when Ryouka said simultaneously:
"These days, Kobayashi-kun, why don't you come with me—"
They both stopped speaking at the same time.
After falling silent, Ryouka took the initiative to explain: "I'm worried they might come after you, Kobayashi-kun. How about we go to and from school together these days? That way we can look out for each other..."
As she spoke, she pursed her lips.
She had heard what Ryouma said.
She hadn't expected Kobayashi-kun to prioritize her and Ayumu's safety over his own.
Kobayashi-kun seemed fragile at first glance, but unexpectedly...
She clenched her fist.
"B-but Ryouka, can you handle so many alone?" Ayumu asked worriedly.
"Then it depends on whether you can become stronger, Ayumu."
In comparison, Ayumu seemed to only push troublesome matters onto her... Although it had been like this since they were young, and Ryouka was somewhat used to it, compared to Kobayashi-kun's sense of responsibility, Ayumu was somewhat disappointing...
Ryouka shook her head, dismissing these random thoughts.
"It's fine. Like today, we'll always find a way," Ryouma said, pulling back the covers and trying to get up.
"...Kobayashi-kun? Aren't you going to rest a bit longer?" Ryouka asked with concern.
...Already thinking about leaving the hospital so soon? Although the doctor said there were no major issues, Ryouka felt it would be better to observe him a while longer.
Or was Ryouma more prone to pushing himself than he appeared?
"Uh..." Ryouma scratched the back of his head while getting dressed, looking somewhat embarrassed. "...The hospital bed fee is pretty expensive, right?"
According to the newly added 'orphan' setting, his family circumstances were poor, and he barely managed to get by only with support from his aunt working far away in Hawaii.
Now he was truly down and out, folks.
Looks like I'll have to find a way to earn some money for food...