Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/822139843121925685/episodes/822139843436807908
“…Hm, hmm…”
Like surfacing from warm deep waters, my consciousness gradually returned to reality.
Apparently, I’d fallen asleep without realizing it.
“Hm…?”
Then… I noticed a pleasant floral scent wafting around me.
But that wasn’t all.
There was something unusually warm and soft beneath my head…?
“—Are you okay?”
Just then—a voice came from directly above.
Wondering what it was, I looked up—
—and there was Tsukino, peering down at my face with concern.
Could it be that I—
“—Am I… getting a lap pillow?!”
I tried to jump up in a panic.
But—Tsukino grabbed both my shoulders firmly.
“No, you have to stay still…!”
“Eh… no, but…”
The more I focused on it, the more sensitive the sensation became, the floral scent and the soft feel of her thighs intensifying.
This… how should I put it… is way too stimulating for a wholesome high school boy…!
I tried to sit up again, but—
—the next moment, Tsukino’s eyes flickered with unease, and the light faded from them.
“…Did my lap pillow not work for you? Was it not soft at all and painful?”
“N-no, no! Of course not! Getting a lap pillow from someone this cute, I’d be thrilled, obviously! …But, it was kind of embarrassing, I guess…”
“Oh. So that’s what it was…! I’m sorry, I misunderstood…!”
Tsukino bows her head vigorously.
“…I’m sorry. I was being such a pain right now, weren’t I? I’m not even your girlfriend, yet I made you a lap pillow, and when I thought you rejected me, I just started despairing on my own… Aaaaaah, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”
And with a look of utter despair, she repeated her apologies.
…Yeah, this… might be worse than Yukina’s case.
“Um… You don’t need to apologize, okay? Like I said earlier, I was happy…”
“…Thank you. You really are kind, Yu-san…”
Saying that, Tsukino looked down.
Apparently… it backfired.
I’ve been wondering since yesterday—why does everyone’s expression cloud over whenever I make a positive comment?
…I don’t get it.
Putting that aside for now, I asked Tsukino about something that had been bothering me.
“By the way, why did you give me a lap pillow?”
“I’m sorry. I noticed you looked uncomfortable while you were sleeping… I thought maybe I could help somehow, so I ended up giving you a lap pillow.”
“Oh, that’s why…! If you did it out of kindness, there’s no need for you to apologize, Tsukino.”
I gave Tsukino a gentle smile.
“Oh… really?”
Tsukino nodded quietly, her eyes downcast.
…Maybe I should change the subject for now.
Then, the topic… or rather, the question I wanted to ask, immediately came to mind.
“Come to think of it… why is my room so… fancy?”
I said this while looking around the room.
A clean room.
Nurses and doctors who radiated an unusual sense of refinement.
And—a prime location offering a beautiful view of the ocean from the window.
Even someone like me, who’d never been hospitalized before, could tell this hospital was a pretty good place.
“Ah, this hospital? Actually, we used company connections and pooled our money to choose the hospital in Tokyo offering the best service. Apparently, it’s a hospital frequented by famous company presidents and celebrities, so I think the quality is excellent.”
“Wh-what?! You didn’t have to go that far… By the way, what about the hospitalization fees…?”
“Well… Fufu.”
Tsukino let out a small chuckle instead of answering.
…Yeah, probably better not to ask.
“—But I also did a few other things.”
“Huh?”
“For example… I threatened—no, I asked my father to provide a large sum of money. That allowed us to get the highest level of medical care. I also paid the hospital staff extra to prioritize Yuu’s treatment above everyone else’s…”
Tsukino’s dark eyes flickered as she smiled faintly—
“And—using some slightly illegal drugs…”
“I-Illegal…?!?”
“Yes. Though they’re not dangerous drugs, you know? They’re harmless when used properly.”
“I-I see…”
Illegal…
Tsukino… she committed a crime just to treat me…?!
…That’s… insane.
Would anyone normally go that far…? If they got caught, they’d be arrested…
Her words made my face involuntarily tense.
—That was a mistake.
“—Yu-san, why… why is your face twitching?”
“Ah… no, this is…”
“But unless I break the law, it wouldn’t even count as atonement… Compared to your suffering, something like this… is so insignificant…”
Tsukino lifted her face.
Her expression was tinged with fear, anxiety, terror—a multitude of emotions.
And yet… a faint smile played on her lips.
It was clearly abnormal.
If a robot designed to mimic humans malfunctioned, it would surely make a face like this.
Tsukino was that broken.
“Tsukino… calm down for a moment! Compared to my suffering… I only hurt my leg, right? Breaking the law… isn’t that going too far?”
“…That…”
Tsukino looked startled for a few seconds, then thought…
“Maybe you’re right… Why do I feel so guilty…?”
Like Karen and Yukina before her—she wore a look of genuine confusion.
She wasn’t putting on an act to feign ignorance—she seemed genuinely perplexed from the bottom of her heart.
…It’s the same.
Exactly the same expression Karen and Yukina had shown.
What? What is this? What’s wrong with all three of them?
“Tsukino… Are you okay?”
“…Yes. I’m sorry, I got carried away…”
“I see. But… I’m glad you’re back to normal.”
When I said that, Tsukino looked down and—
“…I’m sorry. I think I’ll go home now.”
She grabbed her bag and hurriedly left the hospital room.
Tsukino…
Maybe… out of the three of them, she’s the one in the worst shape.
It seems I was mistaken.
While they felt gratitude and guilt towards me… I thought those feelings would fade with time, eventually disappearing.
But… that was naive.
Judging by their expressions, even years from now, decades from now… no, for the rest of their lives, I suspect it will remain that way.
I… must take more serious action to rid the three of them of their guilt.
“…Let’s do it.”
I had a secret strategy to remove their guilt.
I wanted to avoid using it if possible… but now, there’s no choice.
—Decided.
“Tomorrow… I’ll tell the three of them I’m a reincarnated person. And I’ll tell them I don’t take my leg injury seriously.”
That was surely… the only way.
I clenched my fist tightly and resolved myself.
But I still didn’t know… that this would become the trigger for the three of them to regain their lost memories.
–
–
If you enjoy our content, feel free to donate, Thank you in advance !