Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093083511177921/episodes/16818093089313889139
As the rain poured down hard, I suddenly spotted a familiar figure.
It was the same little back figure I had seen while tending to the flower beds behind the school building.
“…… Hina?”
I called out to her, and she slowly raised her face on the rain-soaked swing.
Her hair was still wet from the rain and her clothes were still soaking wet. Still, she only stared blankly at me.
“What are you doing …… in the rain like this?”
I closed my umbrella and approached her, peering into her eyes, I could see her wet eyelashes trembling.
I felt that my face reflected in her eyes was covered with some apologetic – or perhaps lonely – emotion.
“….. Hikaru?”
A muffled voice was faintly heard over the sound of the rain.
“Let’s go home for now. You’ll catch a cold if you stay out here in the rain.”
I held out my hand to her, but she didn’t move.
“……, leave me alone. I’m fine.”
Hearing her voice, I felt a strange pain in my chest.
What in the world had happened?
“How could you be fine? Come on, get up.”
I grabbed her hand somewhat forcefully and helped her to her feet.
Her body was surprisingly cold, so I hurriedly took off my own jacket and put it on her.
“It’s cold, isn’t it? I’ll make it a little better.”
“……, I’m sorry I’m causing you so much trouble.”
“It’s not a nuisance.”
I answered as if shaking off the words.
She looked up at me for a moment and then dropped her gaze again.
On the way home, she was silent the whole way.
I tried to say something to her, but I couldn’t find the words.
Only the sound of the rain echoed between us.
When we finally arrived at her house, I folded my umbrella and said to her
“Are you all right? Make sure you warm up inside.”
“Thanks …….”
Just as she opened the door to enter the house, I saw her legs wobble.
“Hey, Hina!”
When I hurriedly supported her, I could feel her feverish body heat on my arm.
“……, you’re already catching a cold!”
Somehow I manage to get her to sit on the couch and look around the house to get her some water.
–is there no one in her house?
“Where’s Sakine-chan?”
“….. Sakine is still in kindergarten.”
I was lost for a moment at the sound of her weakly answering voice.
But there was no way I could leave her alone in this condition.
“I understand. I’ll take care of you. Okay?”
“Eh ……, that’s not right. ……”
“What’s wrong with that? You want me to leave you alone until you collapse?”
I said that and decided to take the liberty of renting the kitchen.
I looked around the house and found some Pocari Sweat in the fridge, so I poured it into a cup and handed it to her.
“Drink this. You’ll get dehydrated.”
“Thanks …….”
I was relieved when I saw Hina begin to drink weakly.
“For now, I’ll fill up the bathtub, so as soon as it fills up, go in.”
“Yeah”
“What time should Sakine-chan be out?”
“well……. It should be just fine if you leave now. ……”
At first Hina tried to refuse, but she sensed that I would not allow it and told me honestly when it was time to go.
During the time it took her to finish taking a bath, I was busy preparing a change of clothes, a towel, and a blanket to keep my body cool.
I had been here several times, so it was a good thing I knew where most of the stuff was.
“I had left a change of clothes and everything here, so you need to change and get into your bed as soon as you get out of the bath! Can you do that?”
“Yes.”
When I said this in a loud voice so that Hina, who was still in the bath, could hear me, I left Hina’s house to pick up Sakine-chan.
I knew her as the energetic girl she usually is, so seeing her lying there like this was a bit heartbreaking.
I wondered if it was appropriate for a stranger to suddenly pick up Sakine from kindergarten, but for some reason I was welcomed with open arms and was able to pick her up without incident.
“Why did onii chan pick me up?”
“Onee chan seems to have a fever, so I’ve come instead of her.”
“Is she sick?”
“I’m sure she’s fine, but I’m worried about her, so let’s hurry home.”
“Yes!”
So Sakine and I rushed home.
When I got home, Hina was sleeping peacefully on the futon, just as I had said.
Sakine-chan was relieved to see her, and she did everything she could do by herself, including taking a bath.
She still couldn’t dry her hair by herself, so I dried it for her.
“Can you sleep by yourself?”
“Sakine can sleep! How great is that?”
“Great, great!”
“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow, onii chan. Good night.”
“Yeah, good night.”
The most important thing to remember is that you should not be afraid to ask for help from your friends and family.
After saying goodbye to Sakune-chan, I turn to look at Hina, who is sleeping.
“…Hina, what happened?”
There’s no one to answer me as I mutter to myself.
In a quiet room, only the sound of rain echoes
“…..it’s okay. I’m here.”
I don’t know if those words I muttered in a small voice reached her sleeping face.
However, as I decided to stay next to her that night and watch over her, I felt as if I was learning for the first time how tired she was in her heart.
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