The Story of Waking up With My Beautiful Childhood Friend and Realizing We Had Spent the Night Together - Chapter 39.7

Side Story – Even the Goddess Sometimes Acts Spoiled

It was one of those days, a little while after I started dating my childhood friend.

“…Cough.”

“You okay?”

My childhood friend was lying in bed, breathing out these painful-sounding sighs.
Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes all glassy. You could tell at a glance it was a cold.

She didn’t have that usual mysterious, grown-up vibe at all.
With the cooling patch stuck on her forehead, she actually looked kinda childish.

“…It hurts a bit, I guess.”

Mizuki mumbled it in this spaced-out voice.
Soon there was a little beep, and I pulled the thermometer out from under her arm and checked it.

“37.5 degrees. It’s just a low fever, but wanna take some cold medicine anyway?”

“Nn.”

She slowly pushed herself up with sluggish movements and took the water and pills from me.
It was the herbal stuff we keep at my house for before meals. I think it works pretty well, but I wasn’t sure about Mizuki.
She drank the water with these little gulps, and somehow it looked kinda sexy.

“The humidifier should last eight hours. I’ll leave the throat lozenges and water right here.”

“Mm.”

“Alright, get some rest, okay?”

I figured I’d just be in the way if I stuck around any longer.
So I started to stand up from the chair, but—

“Iori.”

“Hm?”

She tugged on my sleeve, and I froze in this half-standing position.
What? I looked at her.

“Won’t you stay with me?”

“…!”

…The second she said that, I could feel my face twitch hard.

(Shit…)

Being looked up at with those teary eyes from that unbelievably beautiful face, and hearing her say it in that sweet, spoiled voice…
Is there any guy who could resist that?
Does she even realize how destructive her words are?

I let out a little groan… then gave up and dropped back into the chair with a thud.
When Mizuki saw that, she gave this tiny, happy smile.

“Thanks.”

“Whatever, just hurry up and sleep already.”

I pulled the blanket up to her shoulders.
She poked her hand out from under it and looked at me with these teasing eyes.
Man, even with a cold, she’s still like this.

I shook my head like, can’t be helped, and stayed by her side until she finally fell asleep.
About thirty minutes passed.

“…Okay then.”

I left the room and headed to the kitchen in the living room.
She probably didn’t have much appetite, but she still needed to eat something.
So, for a sick person, that meant…

“Porridge, I guess.”

I can at least manage basic cooking.
I can’t do anything as fancy as Mizuki, but porridge should be fine.

“Eggs, green onions… oh, found some bonito flakes.”

A little bit might add a nice touch.
And green onions are supposed to be good for colds because of the beta-carotene or whatever.

I put water and light soy sauce in the pot and turned on the heat.
I’d just make it now, and warm it up again when she woke up.

While I watched the water start to bubble, I thought…

(It’s been a while since I saw Mizuki this weak…)

When was the last time?

She’s usually so good at taking care of herself that she hardly ever gets sick.
Even her period… she must have it, but you’d never know from looking at her.

The last time she showed such an obvious weak side was probably when we were kids.

I stirred the pot after adding the rice and egg, thinking back to those far-off days.
Back when Mizuki was still like a little doll.

‘—It’s nothing. This happens all the time.’

The image of little Mizuki saying that in a completely flat voice flashed through my mind.

(I wonder if she’s gotten a bit better since then.)

Back then, she definitely wouldn’t have told anyone even if she felt bad.
When I think about it, maybe she really has changed a little.
And that’s probably a good change. I thought so.

—Three hours or so later.
I brought the warmed-up porridge to Mizuki, who had just woken up.

“Here, egg porridge. Think you can eat?”

“Nn. I’m okay.”

Her complexion really did look better than before.
I handed her the spoon along with the cat bowl we’d been using since we were kids, but…

For some reason, Mizuki just stared at the bowl and didn’t start eating.

“…? What’s up?”

I asked, but she didn’t answer.
I thought maybe she didn’t like something, but it didn’t seem like that.
While I stood there confused, Mizuki went “nn” and held the spoon out to me.

I froze for a few seconds… then sighed, realizing.

“…Yeah, yeah.”

Basically, she wanted me to feed her.

“…Open wide.”

“Open wide.”

I cooled off a spoonful of porridge and fed it to Mizuki, who opened her mouth like a baby bird.
…We never did this even when we were kids.
She’s being extra spoiled because of the fever, I thought, trying hard not to let my face twitch.

“Hafu… mm, it’s good.”

“Glad to hear it.”

That’s the best part.
Even if it’s just plain porridge, it feels genuinely nice when someone says it tastes good.

(Maybe I should tell her more often.)

I try to compliment the meals she makes for me every day as much as I can.

“…Thanks for the meal. It was delicious.”

“Nn, thanks.”

Eventually Mizuki finished the porridge cleanly, and I took the bowl from her.
I’d worried it might be too much, but she ate it all.

“How do you feel?”

“Nn… I think I’m a lot better.”

Her face really did look improved.
The medicine must’ve kicked in. Looked like she wouldn’t need to go to the hospital.
Right when I felt relieved—

“…Hehe.”

“Hm? What?”

“It just feels kinda nostalgic.”

Mizuki laughed like it was funny.
I tilted my head at her words.

“Back when we were in elementary school, you took care of me like this too, remember?”

“Oh…”

I got it when she said that.
Looked like she was remembering the same thing.

“I was really happy back then.”

“…It wasn’t a big deal.”

I felt a bit awkward, so I told her to go back to sleep and pulled the blanket over her again.
Mizuki didn’t resist and quietly lay down.
Then she lowered her eyebrows like she felt a little sorry.

“Sorry for being a bother.”

“Nah, not at all.”

—Honestly, you can act even more spoiled if you want.
But I was too embarrassed to say that out loud.

Mizuki doesn’t have a dad, and her mom is… well, you know.
So even when she catches a cold, no one takes care of her.

Back in elementary school when she got sick, she was lying alone in her room until I noticed.

‘—Why didn’t you tell me sooner…!’

‘…It’s nothing. This happens all the time.’

‘…!’

I remember getting seriously angry that time, which was rare for me.
But Mizuki just tilted her head, like she didn’t even understand why I was mad.

“Relying on people.”
Back then, Mizuki didn’t even know what that meant.
But now…

“Iori. I want honey yogurt.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

She can straight-up ask for things like this now.
I wonder if she knows how happy that makes me.
…Even if I refuse to show it on my face.

“Hey, Iori.”

“Hm?”

“Getting a cold every once in a while isn’t so bad.”

“What do you mean, not so bad?”

I figured it was just plain miserable.
When I said that, Mizuki narrowed her eyes playfully.

“Because you spoil me.”

“…Next time I might catch it from you, though.”

“Then I’ll take care of you.”

Wouldn’t that just turn into an endless loop?

“We’d probably never leave the house again.”

“Hehe… that’s fine with me.”

“No it’s not.”

Does she seriously plan to stay shut in for the rest of her life at this age?
Well, I hear more people are doing that these days.

“There’s still so many places I wanna go and things I wanna do.”

“…Yeah. You’re right.”

For some reason, Mizuki gave a lonely little smile at that.
Like she knew I was going to say it.

“Do you have anywhere you wanna go, Mizuki?”

“Hmm… maybe a hot spring?”

“Oh, that sounds nice.”

She’d look great in a yukata.
I only really see her in one during summer festivals, but after a bath it would probably…

“Pervert.”

“Eh.”

I hadn’t even said anything?

While I shuddered, Mizuki smiled apologetically.

“Sorry. I don’t think I can do that today.”

“No, it’s fine. That’s not what I meant.”

“Oh, but if it’s just hands…”

“Idiot.”

I yanked the blanket over her face for saying such outrageous stuff.

“When you’ve got a cold, just behave and sleep.”

“Nn. Sorry.”

She giggled and poked her face out again.
All I could do was sigh.

“I’ll go make the honey yogurt. Anything else you want?”

“Nn…”

Mizuki thought for a second.

“…I wanna listen to piano.”

“Piano?”

“Yeah. Your piano always cheers me up.”

I froze for a moment at her words.
Piano. That was totally unexpected.
I don’t mind playing, but the piano’s in the living room, and she should really get more sleep.

Still, I was happy she asked to hear it.

“After you’re better.”

“…Okay.”

Why did she look so disappointed?
My piano isn’t anything special.
I sighed again and stood up to make the honey yogurt like the princess ordered, when—

“Hey, Iori.”

“Hm?”

A sweet, somehow fragile voice came from under the blankets.

“I’m happy right now. Really happy.”

“…Nn.”

At those sudden words, I hesitated a bit… then gave a small, reluctant nod.

She’s probably just feverish. I shouldn’t take it seriously.
…Even so, I couldn’t help thinking it would be nice if she really meant it.

—If I’m not the only one feeling this scary amount of happiness in our current reality.

“…Once you’re better, let’s go eat ramen again.”

“Hehe, yeah. But no extra-large this time, okay?”

“My bad.”

I turned my back on my giggling childhood friend and finally left the room for real.