Chapter 17

“You have quite a high fever…”

“I rested all day today, and I thought it had gone down quite a bit… but you know, you don’t really know your own exact temperature, do you?”

“That’s why I told you to take your temperature frequently with a thermometer…”

“Fufu, you can tell that your beloved girlfriend is suffering from a high fever, right?”

“Well, if it feels hot when I touch both your hand and forehead, it’s definitely true.”

While their foreheads were still touching, they had their usual exchange at close range.

Normally, they can talk a lot from the train ride until they each return to their own homes.

Just not being able to do that makes both Reika and Satoru feel restless.

That’s why they are talking while pressed so close together like this.

“Hey, can this poor girlfriend with such a high fever make one selfish request?”

“What is it? You seem weak, so I’ll hear you out.”

“…Kiss me.”

The moment he heard the word “selfish request,” he thought she was going to ask for something difficult.

But the straightforward demand that came was many times more direct than he had imagined.

“Oi oi, what’s up with that?”

“It’s fine, isn’t it? It’s not like this fever is from a cold or the flu…”

“Well, it’s true that it’s not something contagious.”

Indeed, since it’s not an infectious disease, it seems like it would be okay to do that.

“Guess I have no choice then… Well…”

They were already at kissing distance. It would only take a tiny movement from either of them.

Therefore, before Satoru could finish his sentence, Reika moved first and their lips met.

He ended up measuring her body temperature in three places: her hand, forehead, and lips.

“Huh, you’re totally fine, aren’t you?”

“Fufu. When I kiss you, I feel calm and happy after all. It feels like good medicine for this high fever.”

“It’s already being treated like some dangerous drug… You should probably just take some antipyretic.”

Since her high fever stems from something mental, it could be said that if this calms her down, it’s not entirely wrong.

“… …”

After that exchange, a moment of silence fell between them.

Then, Reika, who had seemed her usual self until just now, showed a clouded expression.

At the same moment Satoru noticed the change in her expression, Reika’s body was suddenly pulled towards him.

It seemed that while they were kissing, she had wrapped her arms around Satoru’s neck and then pulled him closer to herself.

“…I’m sorry. I want you to stay like this.”

“…Ah, no problem.”

She had been acting as usual until just now, but when she embraced Satoru, she buried her face in his chest.

No matter how much she tried to appear fine, it seemed like she was under a considerable burden after all.

“…It must have been tough. That thing still binds you, doesn’t it?”

“It seems so. But no matter how many times I have that nightmare, you always come to save me. Even though it’s just a dream.”

“Huh? Did I go on a rescue mission yesterday too?”

“Yes. You came dashing in.”

“Seriously? I was snoring and sound asleep like a log last night though…?”

Satoru thought it would be better not to make the conversation too heavy, so he deliberately answered that way.

However, instead of her usual sharp reply, she remained silent and just tightened her arms around him, trying to pull him as close as possible.

“…Can I assume that you’ll stay with me all day today?”

“Yeah, that’s the plan. Plus, if you don’t feel better by tomorrow, I’ll take a day off too.”

“…Is that okay?”

“Is that okay…? You always boss me around so much, why are you being considerate now?”

“You’re right about that. Well then, I’ll take you up on your offer and take a nap while everyone else is busy with their classes, monopolizing my beloved boyfriend.”

“Sounds good, doesn’t it? I’ve been feeling sleep-deprived lately too, and I simply want to slack off. Plus, I want to savor the guilty pleasure of lying around and relaxing on a weekday during this time of year.”

“And with a supremely wonderful woman by your side, right?”

“You say that yourself…”

“Isn’t it the truth?”

“Yeah, yeah, it is. Seriously though, if you have enough energy to talk like that, just get some sleep. I’ll stay right here next to you.”

“Yes, I will.”

Reika, who readily nodded at Satoru-kun’s prompting, closed her eyes as she was.

Soon after, she started breathing softly in her sleep.

Reika must have been resting in bed all day today.

However, seeing how quickly she fell asleep like this, it’s easy to tell that she hadn’t been able to properly rest because she was on edge.

At the same time, realizing that she was calming down because he was next to her made him feel relieved.

For a while, he continued to stroke her head, watching her as she slept.