Can I brag about my very devoted wife to you? - Chapter 1 Part 3

Chapter 1 Part 3 – A devoted her and a confused me

TL: Chaos

ED: Riciel

Hanae Riko then took my bag and helped me in all sorts of ways. For instance, pressing the elevator button, taking the key out of the bag, opening the door, and so on. Honestly, she was really helpful. Even the activities that I could easily do in my daily life were very difficult for my feverish and lazy body now.

Moreover, I was more wobbly than I thought I was, and although I could manage to just stand there leaning on her, I couldn’t walk properly without Hanae Riko’s support. But needless to say, it just made me even more feverish…

“Huh? Shinyama-kun, you can put more weight on me, you know…?”

“Yes, but…”

“Okay… Here, hold on to my shoulder like this.”

“…….”

Hanae Riko took both of my hands and put them firmly around her shoulders. It was almost as if I was hugging her.

Don’t do it. Don’t be too conscious of her.

I am being too rude to her for abusing her good intentions…

I desperately scolded myself and tried to distract myself somehow. But the fragrance of the shampoo in her hair and the soft touch of her body seemed to taunt my feeble reasoning.

“… Shinyama-kun… This position is a little embarrassing, isn’t it?”

Don’t say that…

I’ll be extra conscious of you…!

◇◇◇

After being helped by Hanae Riko to the sofa in the living room, she even offered to take care of the housework.

“Do you have any food in the fridge?”

“… I always eat lunch from a convenience store.”

“What? Every day?”

“Yes, I’m embarrassed to admit it…”

“Do you have any kitchen utensils?”

“Just the ones my parents used.”

“Well, I’m going to go and do some quick shopping.”

“Eh… No, that sounds unnecessary…”

“I like to cook, so don’t worry about it.”

“But it’s freezing outside, and it’s sleeting.”

“I like the cold, so I’m fine. – Besides, you were talking about wanting to eat hot pot with Sawa-kun and the others in class today, right?”

“……!”

Sawa, you’re always talking too loud.

“What’s your favorite kind of hot pot?”

“… Anything salty. Oh, but I can eat just about any kind of hot pot…”

“Hmm, then I think I’ll go with nabe. What about the bath? Oh, perhaps it’s better not to have one.”

I don’t think it’s a good idea to take a bath when you’re woozy with fever. 

However, as a person who fell and got soaked through to the inside of my pants, I didn’t only want to change my clothes. Fortunately, the IV drip was quite effective and I didn’t feel like I was being flushed with fever as I had been at the peak of my illness. After a little rest, I think I could at least manage a bath.

“I fell down and got dirty, so I’ll just take a quick bath.”

“Really? Are you sure…?”

When I told her about the effects of the IV drip, Hanae Riko looked concerned but agreed with me.

“Then I will prepare the bath for you first.”

“Oh, no. I haven’t washed the tub in ages. So I’ll only take a shower.”

“Do you have any cleaning supplies?”

“If my mom left anything behind, they should still be there…”

“Then, I’ll borrow it. Relax, Shinyama-kun. Isn’t it easier for you to lie down on the bed? Or would you rather sit on the sofa?”

I couldn’t just leave the housework to Hanae Riko and sleep in the bedroom by myself. So with that in mind, I replied that I would stay in the living room. Learning of this, Hanae Riko decided to set up a place for me to sleep by piling up cushions on top of the sofa so that I could lie down in a comfortable position.

“You can rest here until your bath and dinner are ready.”

“I’ll help you then.”

“No, you can’t! Shinyama-kun, you’re sick, you know! Please stay here and be still.”

Hanae Riko, with her hands on her hips, scolded me in a tone sounding like she was scolding a toddler. I replied “Um, yes.”, without thinking.

“Can you show me where the bedroom is? I’ll get something for you to put on.”

When I answered her question, Hanae Riko went all the way to the bedroom to get me a blanket, which she carefully draped over me.

“Wear it. Aren’t you cold?”

“Oh, thanks.”

I thanked her for the hundredth time as she arranged the blanket so that it would reach around my neck. I was really grateful, but I felt ashamed of my inability to say anything more than “thank you” and “sorry”.

“Then I’ll start.”

Hanae Riko rolled up the sleeves of her uniform and began to pull her long hair into a single bun. The way she gathered her hair while stroking her ears with both thumbs, the way she held the elastic in her mouth, and the way her hair flowed in one smooth motion. I had been so mesmerized by this that I hurriedly averted my gaze from her. 

Then she finished cleaning the bathroom, went to the store to buy some groceries while the water was still hot, and finished preparing dinner and cooking the rice. And it hadn’t even been an hour since we had gotten home. I was shocked by Hanae Riko’s skillfulness.

I remembered that when we talked at the entrance of the apartment, she said that she could handle all the housework. However, not only could she do it, but she was also a master in this. I didn’t expect her to be so good at it.

”It’s amazing… How on earth did you manage to do all of that in such a short time?”

When I asked her that, Hanae Riko placed her fingertips over her mouth and thought for a moment.

“… Perhaps it’s just a matter of getting used to it and then practicing?”

“Is there such a thing as practicing in housekeeping?”

“Yes. Because… Oh, no, no, no. It’s nothing…! I’ll help you with the bath.”

What? You want to help me with the bath!?

“Helping me with the bath is quite…”

When I muttered this in confusion, Hanae Riko tilted her head with a puzzled look on her face.

‘”How about washing your body and hair? Or do you need help with anything else? If there’s anything else you want me to do, Shinyama-kun, I’ll do it.”

‘Anything.’

For a moment, before I could even consider her words seriously, nasty thoughts had popped into my head, but I rapidly shrugged them off.

No, it’s not realistic to think of me as someone who can get Hanae Riko to do anything for me.

“But, well, it’s a bath…? You know…?”

I thought maybe she was too easygoing and asked her that, but Hanae Riko looked down in embarrassment and muttered, “I know, I know.”

“Oh, wait! I’m not a pervert or anything, right…?”

“…?”

What the hell is this girl talking about?

Moreover, she looked very determined, and even though she was embarrassed at the mention of the word “pervert”, she clenched her fists tightly with a serious face.

“I’ve also studied nursing care through correspondence courses. So don’t worry about anything…!”

For Hanae Riko, it might be no different than nursing care, but I didn’t see it that way. That’s why I couldn’t ever let her help me. If I took advantage of such good intentions and by any chance, Hanae Riko found out about my ulterior motives… I’m sure she’d despise me to the core. I imagined Hanae Riko looking at me like she was looking at a piece of trash, and I shuddered. 

You can laugh at me for not even daring to succumb to my temptations. I can’t help it, I’m really afraid that girls will hate me.

“I appreciate the sentiment, but unlike other things, having you help me with the bath is still a bad idea… Even if Hanae-san is not conscious of me, I still care about you….”

“Why are you talking about me not being conscious of you, Shinyama-kun…?”

“…? Because you said you only wanted to be a caregiver for me.”

” I thought that if I didn’t say so, Shinyama-kun wouldn’t accept me… But it’s not that I’m not conscious…”

“What?”

“Oh, no, it’s nothing! Forget what I said…! Let me help you take a bath!”

“Wait, wait, wait, that’s really not a good idea.”

” Mouu… Alright. I’m not going to do anything to annoy the sick Shinyama-kun. Instead, let me help you eat…!”

Help me eat?

I know you declared you would make it for me, but do you mean it like serving food or something like that?

If you’re willing to back off, it’s probably best to agree to her alternate proposal then.

“All right. I’ll leave that to Hanae-san.”

“Um, yeah…! You can count on me…!”

For some reason, Hanae Riko said that with the same embarrassment as before.

Why are you embarrassed…?

I went to the bathroom, unable to think too much with my mind being very hazy. Shivering in the cold changing room, I took off my jersey and opened the door to the bathroom, where the warm heat, along with the steam, enveloped my entire body.

The water in the bathtub was tinged with a milky white color and had a nice milk-like scent. There wasn’t any stock of bath salts in the house, so Hanae Riko must have brought some with her when she had gone grocery shopping.

I originally didn’t intend to soak in the bathtub at all, but it looked so good that I couldn’t wait to sink into it.

Still, it was hard to wash my body smoothly today because I was too exhausted to move with any strength, which was quite frustrating.

“… Okay. I’m finally done.”

Alright…

I stepped over the bathtub with my hands on the wall, just in case I wobbled and fell down pathetically again. When my cold right foot touched the hot water, an indescribable sensation ran through my whole body.

“Ah….”

A strange voice came out due to the perfect temperature of the water. I slowly sank my body into the water.

Ah… I just can’t get enough of this…

I couldn’t help but let out a sigh of “Ah… ” from the bottom of my heart. I slowly closed my eyes as I felt my body warm up from the core.

I don’t remember a bath feeling this good…

Plus, my joints that were aching from the fever are clearly feeling better.

Moreover, I felt somewhat relieved. This was the first time I realized that I might have been too conservative because of my cold. If I had just washed my body in the shower, it would not have been like this.

“Baths are the best…”

It was a joy that I had forgotten in the past few years. I felt a new sense of gratitude towards Hanae Riko for reminding me of this.

◇◇◇

– After 20 minutes.

I had wrapped my warm body in a sweatshirt and had gone back to the living room. But now, just five minutes later, I was in a fierce pinch.

“Okay, Shinyama-kun. Please open your mouth. Ahn~.”

“…!”

Hanae Riko sat down next to me and brought her spoon closer.

And I can only move my gaze restlessly.

What the hell is this, what should I do…?

I mean, how did this happen…!