Chapter 16

Even on the day Reika was absent, classes continued as usual.

Just because one student was absent didn’t mean the atmosphere of the school changed significantly.

However, it was different for Satoru alone.

“Alright, let’s have someone answer the next question. This one’s a bit tough… Okay, Takashima, you should be able to handle it. Give it a try.”

“……”

“Hmm? Takashima, don’t you know the answer?”

“…Ah, sorry. I was spacing out.”

Ever since he learned that Reika was out sick, Satoru had been in a complete daze.

Because of that, he hadn’t even noticed he’d been called on and didn’t respond at all.

By the time he came to, he was already getting looks from the other students and ended up a little embarrassed.

“It’s rare for Takashima not to be paying attention. Don’t slack off now—question 15. You got it?”

“Yes. The answer is 4.”

“Alright, you got it right.”

Since he was usually “serious about class” and “always ranked near the top,” he didn’t really get scolded.

As lunchtime came, he let out a long sigh and stretched.

“Hey, hey, did you stay up late with Ruri again?”

“We didn’t talk that late. I mean, if we’re talking about sleep deprivation, that’s basically my life anyway.”

“True, it’s hard to get much sleep these days. Well, I guess even you have times when you can’t focus, huh?”

Seiya, who had come over to talk, said that with a yawn.

“Of course I do. I usually just cover it up well.”

“Seriously? I try to hide it too, but I always get caught and scolded…”

“Maybe you need more training.”

“Sorry, but I have no idea what kind of training that is.”

After continuing the conversation mostly on autopilot, Satoru ended up getting a surprisingly serious retort from Seiya.

Once again, he realized just how completely out of it he was.

“Sorry. I just remembered something I need to do. Go ahead and eat without me.”

“Alright, alright.”

After saying that to Seiya, he quickly left the classroom and even stepped out of the school building.

Then, he walked to the far edge of the schoolyard, a place no one really came to unless they had a reason.

There, he pulled out the phone from his pocket and contacted a certain person.

“Hello? Satoru?”

“Yeah, Mom. Sorry for calling at this hour.”

“You calling at this time must mean something happened… Not that I need to ask. It’s about Reika-chan, right?”

“…Right on the money. Seems like she’s having nightmares again. I want to be there with her. Is that okay?”

“I understand. What about dinner?”

“I’ll come back just to eat. Also, about tomorrow…”

“I get it. If you decide to take the day off, just let me know in the morning. You’ve kept your grades up, and more importantly, you’re probably the best medicine for Reika-chan right now.”

“…Thanks.”

“Make sure you’re respectful on that side, okay?”

“Yeah.”

Satoru and Reika’s relationship was something even his parents, not just his sister, were aware of.

The reason things turned out that way was because of “that time”—the very thing now returning to Reika in her dreams, tormenting her.

Of course, they hadn’t told them that their relationship had gone as far as the physical level, but judging from how he’d changed and how involved he was, it was likely they’d figured it out.

“Alright, I understand your reason. Now get back to class. If someone sees you on your phone, it could get confiscated and you’ll end up with extra detention and a lecture, right? For Reika-chan’s sake, just attend class like usual and come home. Got it?”

“Yeah. Later then.”

Grateful for his mother’s quick understanding, Satoru slipped his phone back into his pocket and headed back toward the classroom.

※※※

After school, Satoru had already decided to head straight to Reika’s place, and with that resolve, he regained his usual focus and made it through the afternoon classes.

“Sorry, I’m in a bit of a rush today, so I’m heading out first! Good luck at club!”

“Oh, alright. I’ll do my best!”

After calling out to Seiya, Satoru dashed out of the classroom and made his way to the station.

Even if he hurried, it would still take about the same time to get there because of the train transfers and such.

Still, for Satoru, the desire to move quickly was strong—not just to ease his restless mind, but also to avoid his classmates and others noticing that something was off.

Once he arrived at the nearest station, he briskly headed to Reika’s house.

Usually, when he was with her, they’d chat along the way and walk at a leisurely pace.

But whenever he was going to Reika’s house alone like this, it was often because something bad—like her not feeling well—had happened, and he’d end up walking quickly.

When he reached her house, Satoru immediately rang the doorbell.

“Y-Yes…”

After a short pause, the door slowly opened, and Reika appeared with a pale face, her voice weak.

“Did you have that nightmare again?”

“Yes. I thought they’d stopped recently… But maybe because it’s been a while, the rebound hit me harder.”

“Got it. Let’s head back to your room for now.”

Talking to her in this state could only make her condition worse, so for now, he decided to head into her room with her.

Once he got her back in bed, he continued the conversation.

“Where’s your aunt? Working again today?”

“Yes. Seems she couldn’t take the day off due to her shift. But it’s fine—I’m just sleeping anyway, so it doesn’t bother me at all.”

“I see. Not that I’m trying to replace her or anything, but I’m here now. Also, it’s all been approved by my parents.”

“…I feel bad troubling your mother like this.”

“Nah, my mom goes into ‘anything’s OK’ mode when it comes to you, so it’s not a problem.”

“Well then, I’ll make sure to visit and thank her another day. For now, I’ll gratefully accept her kindness…”

“Yeah, you do that.”

Once they’d more or less finished talking about their parents, they returned to the topic of Reika’s condition.

“How’s your fever? Still not down?”

“Who knows?”

“‘Who knows’… Wait, you haven’t taken your temperature?”

“If you’d like, could you take it for me?”

“C’mon, the thermometer’s right there…”

The thermometer was clearly placed next to her pillow.

But it didn’t seem like Reika was listening to Satoru’s quip at all.

“Ugh, fine! You’ll be satisfied if I check, right?!”

“Yes, please.”

Satoru gently lifted Reika’s bangs and placed his hand on her forehead.

Her skin felt much hotter than his hand, a clear sign that her fever still hadn’t gone down.

“You’re still burning up. It must’ve been even worse this morning, right?”

“Yeah… or rather, right after waking from the dream was the worst.”

“Figured…”

Even now, she looked really out of it—it wasn’t hard to imagine how much worse it had been earlier.

“So, did you get an accurate read on my temperature?”

“Huh? Well, I mean, I can tell you still have a decent fever at least…”

“Don’t you think that’s not enough information? Your beloved girlfriend is burning up with a fever, you know? Don’t you feel like you should try another method to be more accurate?”

“…What exactly do you want me to do?”

“Fufu, you did it before, didn’t you? And of your own accord.”

“…I remember. That was just… I wanted to act cool at the time…”

“It was totally cheesy, but I was really happy. If you do it again, I might feel a little better, you know?”

“Ugh…”

Once she said that, he couldn’t back out anymore.

With a sigh, Satoru quietly pressed his forehead against Reika’s.

He could feel the burning heat of her forehead on his.