The case where I was gradually getting buried in the heavy love of my childhood friend who had miraculously recovered from their illness was perfect!

I wonder if I ever felt so refreshed after waking up in the morning.

“What are you grinning about?”

“Do I need a reason to be happy?”

“…..”

The ordinary morning wake-up, with my childhood friend… a morning kiss? I was heavily delusional to think so. It wasn’t as sweet as that, but I was quite moved when Rion, who had just opened her eyes and sat up, looked down at me.

“…It wasn’t a dream.”

“That’s right. It wasn’t a dream.”

“…You’ve recovered?”

“Yes, it seems so.”

At that moment, Rion smiled.

That smile, as the first thing I saw in the morning, was both stimulating and reassuring, that everything was really okay.

I might get overwhelmed by this — so I slowly reached out and embraced Rion’s delicate body.

“…Nagi-kun, really…”

“…..”

Well…. Normally, I wouldn’t do such a thing. I thought Rion would try to escape immediately, but she extended her arms around my back, just like I did. Not only that, she patted my back, calming me down.

“Nagi-kun, you can’t do anything without me, can you?”

“Hmm…? Are you talking about yourself?”

“Well… maybe you’re right.”

“Rion-san?”

“I’m here because you’re here with me, Nagi-kun. No matter how much I thank you, it’s not enough.”

Rion buried her face in my chest and snuggled closer…

What is this? I had never seen Rion so modest before. It was a rare sight like this, but her cuteness made even the simplest jokes seem unappealing.

‘Damn… it’s interrupting the pace.’

I thought Rion would leave right away, but we stayed like this for a while… ultimately, until the doctor arrived.

“Oh my, did I interrupt something?”

She said those words in a teasing manner.

In fact, I’m glad there’s no school today… not to mention being late, it’s hard to imagine what kind of day it would have been if I had left Rion as she was last night.

I tried to get away from Rion when the doctor arrived, but she grabbed the hem of my clothes as if to say, “I won’t let go”. I lightly patted her hand to make her let go, but she gave me a very clear, annoyed look.

“What a heartwarming scene. I haven’t felt this happy in a long time.”

“Is that so…?”

“…Yeah, that’s right.”

The doctor and I nodded together.

She may be saying things about us for a while, but her real purpose of visiting is probably about detailed tests regarding Rion’s condition.

Even though Rion is cured… it seems she still remembers her duties.

“Rion-san, how are you feeling?”

“I am perfectly fine. I feel like I’ve been reborn.”

“I see. I know I probably have said this many times, but I’m really glad.”

“Thank you.”

The teacher, just like me, seemed surprised but happy about Rion’s recovery.

“Rion-san can’t be discharged yet, but you should be able to go home soon. The reports did state that there are no abnormalities in her body, so there’s no reason for her to stay in the hospital.”

“That’s great!”

“So, let’s continue with a couple more tests to reassure us that everything is indeed fine…. And, Nagisa-kun…”

“…..?!”

“Just to be sure, we’re going to run some tests on you again today.”

“…I understand.”

Apparently the tests I went through yesterday weren’t enough.

Well… As of now, I have decided to dedicate my time to Rion, I have to keep my body in perfect condition.

‘What if I abandon and leave Rion alone?’

If I abandon her, something will happen… I don’t want to imagine that possibility because I am really scared, but at least I can say with certainty that such a future won’t happen.

I will never ever abandon Rion. Not even in my wildest dreams.

“…I’ll go to the bathroom for a moment.”

Saying that, I left the room and took a deep breath while looking at the scenery outside.

I don’t know how long I’ll remember that memory that still remains… I understand that I’ll never meet that woman again…. I kind of understand that, but she’s still the benefactor who saved Rion, so I guess it’s no good to want to remember her.

“Well… I guess it can’t be helped huh.”

I don’t know how long I will remember this, but I believe that the gratitude that resides in my heart will always remain. Let’s pray that the day will never come when we will think that Rion’s recovery is just a miracle and that there are no other factors at play.

“Oh, I need to go to the bathroom!”

I can’t have an accident!

I hurriedly rushed into the bathroom.

☆☆☆☆☆☆

The day was really tough for both of us.

Of course, both of our parents frequently visited us and we didn’t have any free time until the evening due to continued tests.

As expected, I wasn’t going to stay tonight, so I headed home, but even though we were in the same place, I didn’t have much time with Rion.

“Nagisa, I’m going to talk to the doctors for a bit, so please take your time.”

“Eh?”

Suddenly, my mother said those words and my father nodded, then they left the hospital room.

It was just me and Rion left… Did I unintentionally make them feel uncomfortable?

“…..”

Time passed without us saying anything, and then it happened — Rion moved from her bed.

Even though she had a heart condition, it didn’t mean she couldn’t walk at all. But it still felt like it had been a while since I’d seen her move so effortlessly.

I stood beside Rion by the window.

“I don’t have any pain anywhere.”

“Is that so?”

“I’m not suffering.”

“I see.”

“I’m cured.”

“Yes, you are indeed cured.”

When I stole a glance at her, Rion was looking straight up at the sky. Her figure was still beautiful, and I couldn’t help but stare at her. Rion noticed me staring and smiled.

“Ah!”

“What’s wrong?”

“…Nothing.”

I looked away, embarrassed by how I had been staring at her. Every one of Rion’s actions drew my attention to her, and to me, she looked attractive no matter what she did. It wasn’t the image of someone who had given up on life, but rather the one who believed in and didn’t doubt the future that was truly attractive.

“My heart condition is cured, but my inherent physical weakness hasn’t changed. I might still need Nagi-kun’s help after I’ve been discharged.”

“I understand. No matter what happens, I’ll support you.”

By the way, as Rion said, her heart condition had indeed been cured, but her inherent physical weakness hadn’t changed. However, she said her body felt lighter compared to before being hospitalized, so maybe her condition had improved slightly.

“When you’re discharged, we can go to school together and spend time with our friends, right?”

“Yes… I’ve caused a lot of worry, so I’ll probably be taken out to play within reason.”

“That sounds likely… Please don’t make too many demands, okay?”

“Huh? You don’t want to be with me?”

Well, it’s not easy for a guy to enter a room full of girls…

“…No, I’ll try not to be too demanding.”

“Okay.”

“If you’re too demanding, it might cause a change in the power dynamic between us.”

“You’re still quite stubborn, Rion.”

Stubborn, huh… Well, I’ll try to accept even the most insolent statements with a generous heart for a while.

“Why are you grinning like that?”

“No, no, I just thought I wouldn’t feel bad no matter what you say. I’m just so happy that you’re cured.”