I tried to confess my feelings to the girl I like, but I got too excited and ended up proposing. Was her response OK?! ~ - Chapter 21

Episode 21

When school ended and I returned home after cleaning, Mana, who had come home earlier, greeted me.

“Welcome back.”

Wearing an apron and tying her hair back, she looked just like a real housewife. No, she actually is one.

“I’m home. You didn’t have to come if you were in the middle of cooking.”

“I wanted to. Besides, there are things I want to ask.”

Things you want to ask?

“What’s wrong?”

“I felt like something was different about you today. Oh, and your appearance changed too, right? But what I want to talk about is more about your personality.”

Mana says this herself and blushes a little.

Why is she so cute?

“Well, you see, I changed it myself. Until now, I’ve been avoiding interactions with people and actually had no friends, but from now on, I decided to have confidence in myself and increase my interactions with others.”

With a slightly surprised expression, but seeming to understand.

“I see. Usually, you’d just give short responses even if someone talked to you. That makes sense.”

“I see, I’m glad you understand. Well then, I want to wash my hair, so I’ll take a shower first.”

“I understand.”

As I head to the shower room after taking off my shoes, I notice that a bath towel has already been prepared.

How efficient. She prepared it before I even acted. Very much appreciated.

Seems like she was cooking, so I’ll go up early and help.
Forty minutes later, after drying my hair, I head towards the kitchen and notice something strange.

Huh? She was supposed to be cooking, but I didn’t hear any sounds?

Maybe she’s finished cooking.

While thinking about that, I feel a slight sense of unease and hurry to the kitchen.

Opening the living room door, I find no one there, only the sound of the exhaust fan.

“Mana~?”

As I called her out and entered the kitchen, Mana collapsed there.

“Mana?! What’s wrong!”

I hurried to pick her up.

She’s burning up. Her face is red too, it seems like she has a fever.

“Mmm… Sora-kun? I’m sorry. I feel so sluggish. I’ll prepare dinner right away.”

Hastily trying to get up, I quickly stop her, putting in as much strength as I can to lift her.

“Eh? Sora-kun?”

“No, you can’t, it seems like you have a fever, so rest now. Why didn’t you tell me earlier if you were in this condition?”

“It’s my responsibility for not managing my health properly, but I can’t trouble you, Sora-kun…”

“That doesn’t matter! Don’t you trust me?”

Mana looks up at me for a moment in silence.

“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah. As long as you understand. I want to see Mana healthy, not Mana pushing herself too hard.”

I carry Mana to the bedroom and lay her down on the bed.

“Would you like to eat porridge? Also, I’ll buy jelly and sports drinks from the convenience store.”
“Yes… thank you.”

I gently stroke her head with a wet towel on her forehead.

“For now, rest well and don’t worry about anything at home. I’ll go to the convenience store.”

“I’ll take you up on that offer. Goodnight.”

Confirming that Mana has closed her eyes, I quietly leave the room.

Since I was already wearing pajamas, I opened the closet and took out some clothes to change into.

“Now, should I go to the convenience store?”

The nearest convenience store from the house is a short walk from the apartment.

Entering the store, I put the necessary items in the basket and head to the register.

“Here you go.”

Following the voice, I step forward and find a familiar face.

“Huh? Shimura-san?”

“Why, Tenshin-kun? What are you doing here?”

“I live in an apartment around the corner there. You work part-time here, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right. I also live around here. By the way, isn’t that apartment supposed to be a high-rent one? And I think Wakai-chan lives there too.”

“Huh?”

“I saw her going in there the other day~. So I’m pretty sure about it.”

“Is, is that so…”

While having such a conversation, Shimura-san scans the items.

She seems very skillful, and it looks like she’s been here for quite a while.

“Why did you buy these? Did someone in your family catch a fever?”

“Yeah, that’s right. So I’m going to take care of them. I’m quite worried because they usually manage their health well.”

“I see~ Well, good luck with that. Oh, by the way. If you’re living there, can I come over sometime?”

Huh?

“No, I’ll pass. We’re not that close, you know.”

“I see~ I got rejected, how sad~ hehe.”

She drops such a bombshell in the middle of the payment process. If I stay here any longer, she might actually come over.

“Well then, good luck with your part-time job.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

I quickly left the convenience store.

But still, Shimura-san is living around here, huh.

This town is unexpectedly small.