Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16817330662140414210/episodes/16817330662937601221
Rika went all the way to the front door and returned to her room.
It was only natural. She was not feeling well. She had no choice but to come downstairs to unlock the door.
I covered Rika with a blanket after she returned to her room. Then I asked her if she needed anything.
“I’m hungry. I didn’t have much of an appetite this morning.”
“Do you want me to make you some porridge?”
“Please.”
“I’ll use your cooking utensils, if you don’t mind.”
“Isn’t that what you do every time?”
“I don’t have to ask, do I?”
Porridge is a staple when you have a cold. I have made it several times. It is not so difficult to make.
It is easy to make, but it takes time. In the meantime, Rika has a lot of free time to spare.
“I’m in the same house as you, and you’re making a phone call.”
[You may have your hands full, but your mouth is free, isn’t it?]
“You’re absolutely right.”
I can’t spend all day in front of the pot, but I can’t just go upstairs and leave the pot, either.
Making a phone call is a last resort.
[How was school today?]
“You sound like my mother.”
[I was kind of curious.]
“I’m in a different class from Rika, though. Well, the only thing that’s changed is–“
For some reason, when I said this, Kisaki’s face appeared in my mind. In detail.
She was so frightened that she couldn’t even smile with satisfaction, not like her usual appearance.
She was probably at the height of her happiness at the after-party.
I hesitate to say. I can’t find the next word.
[Looks like there’s something.]
“Kisaki, yes, Kisaki was acting strange. I don’t understand. It started on Saturday, when I saw a picture of her at the class meeting. I happened to see her, and she looked very pale.”
[It’s strange, isn’t it? I wonder if she was dumped by her real boyfriend?]
“If so, I don’t think he could come to school so carefree. It’s just her personality.”
[You know a lot about Kisaki san, don’t you, Masatoshi?]
“Ah, no,……this is, as a matter of fact, I have a past history of dating Kisaki…….”
It goes without saying that I have hurt Rika’s mood.
And yet, I was tap dancing in a minefield. The foolishness of my words and actions is repugnant.
[I know, Masatoshi. I’m Masatoshi, and Masatoshi is like me.]
“Y-yeah.”
[I think the cold has weakened me. I’m becoming more of unpleasant than usual.]
“Please don’t sink, Rika. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
[Don’t worry, I don’t care anymore.]
She definitely cares about it.
I continued on the phone, hoping that the porridge would be ready soon.
Rika’s little anger seemed to calm down as we talked, and I felt somewhat saved.
“……Porridge seems to be ready. I’ll bring it to you soon.”
[It will be hot, so be careful.]
The call was disconnected when I had finished.
I thought about taking the whole pot with me, but I didn’t want to cause a catastrophe by splashing it all over the place. I transferred the porridge into bowls and took only the minimum amount.
I put not only the bowls, but also the condiments on the plate.
And a thermometer. I wanted to know how she was feeling.
Upstairs.
“Here you go.”
Rika’s eyes lit up at the sight of the porridge.
Her face was red, probably because her fever had not broken. She was lying on the bed, but her movements were slower than usual.
“I’m glad you made it. I’ll take it,……but I don’t have the energy to get up.”
“I’m going to take your temperature.”
A few moments passed after I handed her the thermometer.
“Look at it.”
I looked at the small LCD.
“It’s still high.”
“It’s higher than it was this morning.”
“Rest easy, okay?”
“Okay.”
She was having a hard time eating from a different position.
“What do you want me to do?”
“I want you to do an [aahn] for me. You don’t have any other choice.”
It’s a childhood friend’s rule to accept when told to do so.
“What do you want in addition?”
“Seaweed Tsukudani, that’s all I want.”
“Of course.”
A small amount of tsukudani poured over the center of the porridge. I scoop it up with a spoon along with the porridge.
“Aahn.”
Her mouth opens.
It was just an open mouth, but it was strangely glamorous. Her face was red from a cold and she was sweating lightly. And her eyes were vacant. I guessed it was because of these things.
“Hhat’s hwong?”
She said this with her mouth open. She was speaking almost entirely in vowels, so I somehow managed to grasp the meaning of what she was saying.
“Don’t be impatient, calm down.”
I brought the spoon closer and took it into her mouth. It is hard to say that she was well behaved.
She chewed deliberately while staring at me.
“Nn〜It tastes like Masatoshi’s hand.”
“It’s just porridge.”
“I know, I can feel Masatoshi’s hand in it.”
“You’ve been acting like that since a while ago.”
“I’m sure it’s because of the cold.”
“Will you be able to get through that?”
The first and second mouthfuls, Rika acts as if she’s trying to lure me in.
I feel like I’m going to feel a little weird if I attacked her in her weak state.
“It was delicious.”
“It was worth the effort.”
“Now Masatoshi……I guess it’s still too early.”
“If you stop midway, it’s annoying.”
“I’ll get in trouble if I tell you.”
“It’s more troubling if you keep me curious.”
“I thought that if my condition worsened, I could try mouth-to-mouth feeding. But that seems too unrealistic, so what should I do?”
“Right. I shouldn’t have asked.”
If you ask me to do mouth-to-mouth, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop.
I’m glad Rika stopped for a moment. It’s not likely to happen, but it seems dangerous to imagine it. That much I understood.
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