Even Today, the Genius High School Programmer Cashes In on Day Trades, Completely Flustered by Beautiful Girls' Growing Affection.

“Ahh~n, want me to do it?”

“So? …Ahh~n, shall I do it for you?”

With a slightly mischievous grin on her face, Yukina asked teasingly.

“Seriously… Is this Hina’s bad influence?”

“Because… it’s embarrassing to have my chest touched.”

…If she was going to blush that much, she really didn’t have to say it out loud.

“I heard quite a lot, you know… Please, don’t raise my temperature any higher than this.”

I slowly sat up.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I looked down at the tray she had brought.

In the center of the tray was a bowl of rice porridge, lightly scattered with bonito flakes and chopped green onions. Beside it…

“Is this… a rolled omelette?”

“Yes. I only had a round frying pan, so the shape turned out more like an omelette. Oh, and I used the Japanese-style dashi I found in the fridge.”

A beautifully rolled omelette rested on the plate, topped with grated daikon radish. “The seasoning is light, so pour some soy sauce on it,” she said, pointing at the small soy sauce dispenser beside it.

She must have bought the yogurt for dessert. A bottle of water and medicine were also thoughtfully prepared.

“The medicine was on the kitchen table, so I just brought it as it was.”

Yukina sat on the bed right beside me.

“Yeah, thanks. This really helps.”

I immediately scooped some porridge with the spoon, blew on it gently, and brought it to my mouth.

“Mmm… delicious.”

It had a gentle saltiness, but the rich flavor of the bonito flakes came through clearly. Warmth slowly spread through my body.

I drizzled soy sauce over the rolled omelette, cut off a small piece with chopsticks, and ate it.

“Ohh, this is good too.”

“When you have a cold, you need protein as well, so I tried making it. Does the taste seem off?”

“No, it’s really good. The sweetness is just right.”

“I’m glad.”

Both dishes were perfectly seasoned. More than anything, I could feel the gentle care she had put into them for someone who wasn’t feeling well. The flavors carried that kindness.

I seemed hungrier than I had realized and ended up devouring everything with surprising enthusiasm.

After finishing the yogurt for dessert, I let out a satisfied breath.

“Phew… Thank you for the meal. Everything was delicious.”

“You’re welcome. Sorry it was nothing special.”

Yukina stood up, placed the medicine and a glass of water on the table, and said, “Make sure to take your medicine, okay,” before carrying the tray back to the kitchen. She was probably going to wash the dishes.

I took the medicine and slipped back under the covers.

Right now, it was just the two of us in my house.

Strangely enough, I wasn’t nearly as nervous as I had expected. Maybe it was because of what happened after the fireworks festival. I found myself a little surprised at how calm I felt even while alone with Yukina.

She was the school’s number one beauty, after all.

Another soft knock sounded at the door.

“Come in~” I called out. From the other side, I heard her laughing, “Geez, why are you like that~?”

The door opened and Yukina entered, sitting down on the floor right beside the bed. She rested one elbow on the mattress and propped her cheek against her hand, leaning in.

Our faces were only about forty-five centimeters apart.

Looking down at me with her head slightly tilted, Yukina looked—for lack of a better word—like a saint.

“Shall I sing you a lullaby?”

“Make it rock style.”

“Then I’ll sing it in algorithmic style.”

I burst out laughing. We both ended up laughing together.

After that, Yukina looked around my room and chatted about random things—how difficult the books on my shelf looked, how I had so many monitors—to help take my mind off things.

I also ended up telling her that I traded stocks. I didn’t mention specific amounts, but she simply said, “That’s amazing. It sounds really complicated though.”

The medicine must have started working.

Suddenly, a heavy drowsiness washed over me.