When I Helped Out At My Classy Classmate's Family Home, They Started Going All Out To Close In On Me From Every Angle. - Chapter 44: Usually Demure, But When Weak, She Becomes Clingy —4

Usually Demure, But When Weak, She Becomes Clingy —4

After finishing her porridge, Ayame drifted off to sleep again.

For now, I switched shifts with Mikage and planned to take over again in an hour.

“…Nn… Tetsu-kun?”

While keeping an eye on her and reading a manga I’d brought from my room, Ayame woke up.

Closing the manga, I turned to her and asked,
“How are you feeling? Do you feel any better?”
“Yes, I think I’m feeling a bit better than before.”

Though still visibly weak, Ayame’s response wasn’t as dazed as earlier—it was clear and firm. As she said, it seemed her condition had improved quite a bit.

I let out a sigh of relief.

“That’s good to hear. Let’s check your temperature to be sure.”
“Okay.”

I handed her the thermometer, which she placed under her arm.

After a short wait, the device beeped, and Ayame took it out.

“37.1°C.”
“That’s much better. If it keeps going down, you might be back to normal by tomorrow.”
“Yes, I hope so. I feel bad making you take care of me for so long, so I want to recover quickly.”
“I’d love for you to recover quickly too, but you don’t have to feel bad. Taking care of you is something I want to do.”
“Fufu, Tetsu-kun, you’re so kind.”

Ayame’s smile was infectious, and I found myself smiling back.

She was responding properly now, so I felt reassured that the worst was over.

As I stored the thermometer back in its case, Ayame’s cheeks suddenly turned red.

The change in her complexion alarmed me.
“Wh-What’s wrong, Ayame? Don’t tell me your fever is coming back!”
“N-No! It’s not that…”

She shook her hands frantically to deny my worry, then mumbled softly.

“It’s just… well… I feel embarrassed, showing such a pathetic side of myself…”
“A pathetic side?”
“You know… being so demanding and asking for all sorts of things…”

Her words made me blink in surprise.

It seemed her blushing wasn’t due to a worsening fever but from embarrassment. Judging by her tone and demeanor, that clingy mode from earlier was something even she couldn’t control.

Feeling both relief and amusement, I couldn’t help but smile at how endearing she looked, caught in her own shyness.

“There’s nothing pitiful about it.”

“R-Really?”

“Yeah. Ayame being all clingy was… adorable.”

“～～～～～～っ! T-Tetsu-kun, you’re so mean!”

Ayame’s already flushed cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red, and she pouted her lips in protest. She was probably trying to show me she was upset, but honestly, it only made her look cuter.

That said, it wouldn’t do to genuinely upset her, so I chuckled awkwardly and offered an apology.

“Sorry, sorry. As an apology, how about I do something for you? If it’s within my power and part of the whole nursing-you-back-to-health thing, just name it.”

“Something I’d like you to do…”

Ayame pondered for a moment, her gaze dropping to her hands. She started fidgeting, nervously pressing her fingertips together and pulling them apart.

Curious about her hesitation, I tilted my head. Then, Ayame looked up at me with those pleading, upturned eyes and made her request.

“…In that case, I feel kind of bad from all this sweat. Could you… wipe me down?”

“H-Huh?!”

I stared at her, wide-eyed, completely caught off guard by the unexpected request.

Wiping her sweat would mean… seeing her in a semi-undressed state. Just imagining it made my brain short-circuit. My face burned as my heart raced out of control.

Trying to regain composure, I stammered,
“A-Are you sure you’re not still delirious?”

“I am not delirious. This is a genuine request.”

“B-But wouldn’t it be better to ask Mikage for something like that instead of me?”

“Tetsu-kun, didn’t you say you’d do anything I wanted?”

“W-Well, yeah, I did say that, but…”

“Or… do you not want to touch me?”

“Uwaa…”

Her maroon eyes glistened with unease, trembling slightly.

Cornered, I darted my eyes around the room, desperately looking for an escape. Finding none, I let out a deep sigh of surrender.

“…That’s not fair, Ayame.”