When I Started a Volunteer Nursing Service, All the Beautiful Girls in My Class Suddenly Became Gloomy - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Super Tough My-Pace Kozue-chan

It happened right when I poured the beaten eggs into the frying pan to make the omelette rice.

“Hey, pay attention to me, Yu-kun!”

Mizuse lay sprawled on the sofa, swinging her legs back and forth.

“Sick people should stay quiet and rest.”

“No way. I’m bored.”

“Didn’t you just say you were at your limit?”

“I’m at my limit but still bored!”

What is with this girl?

She should be weak from the fever, but she’s way too energetic.

While I fixed the eggs with the spatula, Mizuse stared hard at me from the sofa.

“…Hey, Yu-kun.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you have a girlfriend?”

“Pfft!?”

I almost flipped the eggs right out of the pan.

“Wh-why are you suddenly asking that!?”

“I just got curious~”

Mizuse laughed cheerfully.

But right after, she coughed a little.

Cough, cough…

“See? That’s what happens when you force yourself to talk.”

I turned down the heat and looked over at her.

Her cheeks, which were red earlier, now looked a bit pained.

“Want some water?”

“Mm… yeah.”

I poured water into a cup and handed it to her. Mizuse sat up on the sofa.

“Thanks.”

She took the cup, but her hand shook a little.

…She really must be feeling pretty rough.

She’s just pushing herself to act bright, but she’s probably close to collapsing from the fever.

“Yu-kun, you’re really nice, huh.”

“I’m just normal.”

“Normal guys don’t come to a girl’s house and make omelette rice~”

She said that while drinking the water in small sips. Watching her made me feel a bit relieved.

She still has an appetite and she’s drinking properly.

“So? Do you have a girlfriend?”

“…No, I don’t.”

“Eh, no way.”

“Why do you sound so suspicious?”

“‘Cause you totally seem like the popular type.”

“No one’s ever said that to me in my whole life.”

“Eh!? The girls in your class have zero taste!”

Her reactions stayed big even with the fever.

I smiled awkwardly and started frying the ketchup rice.

Then,

“…Yu-kun.”

“Yeah?”

“That omelette rice,”

“Uh-huh.”

“Write ‘Kozue I love you ♡’ on it.”

“I’m not writing that.”

“Why nooot!?”

“Why? Because it’s embarrassing!”

“Eh, then ‘Kozue-chan fight ♡’!”

“I don’t want that either.”

“You’re so stingy~”

Mizuse started kicking and squirming on the sofa.

…Is this girl really sick?

Still, thanks to all the noise, the room felt strangely cheerful.

Even if you’re living alone with a fever, talking to someone like this might make it a little easier.

“Then at least draw a heart!”

“That much is fine…”

“Yay!”

Her mood improved right away.

She’s so easy, Mizuse.

I shook the frying pan and placed the soft half-cooked egg on top of the ketchup rice.

“Ooh…!”

A impressed voice came from behind me.

“Wow, Yu-kun, you can really cook!”

“I’m just average.”

“You’ve definitely got high girl power…”

“That’s not something you say to a guy.”

I smiled awkwardly while picking up the ketchup.

After a little hesitation, I wrote a small ‘Mizuse-san’ with just a heart on the omelette rice.

“Here, it’s done.”

“Wow!”

The second I set it on the table, Mizuse’s face lit up.

“Amazing! It looks like something from a restaurant!”

“You’re exaggerating.”

“But hey.”

“Hm?”

“Why ‘Mizuse-san’ instead of ‘Kozue’?”

“Because you’re Mizuse-san.”

“Sorry, that’s too cute!”

“I don’t get what you mean…”

“Hehe, time to eat!”

She grabbed the spoon with lots of energy, but right then,

“Hot!?”

“It’s fresh off the stove, of course!”

She fanned her mouth quickly.

…I never get tired of watching her.

“Let it cool a bit before you eat.”

“Will you blow on it for me, Yu-kun?”

“Why would I?”

“Eh, but you did it for Ichinose-san, right?”

“!?”

My movements stopped cold.

Why did that name come up?

“…How do you know that?”

“Nfufu~”

Mizuse spun her spoon with a meaningful smile.

“You shouldn’t underestimate girls, Yu-kun.”

“I-I’m not underestimating anyone…”

I looked away to hide how shaken I felt.

Seriously, how does she know?

Ichinose isn’t the type to chat with people at school, and I can’t see her spreading what happened yesterday.

“Did Ichinose tell you?”

“It’s a secret~”

Mizuse just laughed happily.

She’s definitely enjoying this.

“…I didn’t do anything weird, okay.”

“Hmm?”

“It’s true.”

“But you fed Ichinose-san, right?”

“!?”

“Got it~!”

Mizuse laughed loudly and pointed her spoon at me.

“Then do ‘ahh’ for me too?”

“No.”

“Eh, that’s discrimination!”

“It’s not discrimination.”

With Ichinose, she really couldn’t move.

But Mizuse is talking and laughing normally like this.

“Muu…”

She puffed out her cheeks in complaint and took a bite of the omelette rice.

Right then,

“…Mm, delicious!”

Her face brightened up.

“This is seriously good!”

“I’m glad.”

“Whoa, I want to make Yu-kun my husband.”

“Is the fever messing with your head?”

“Maybe I was always like this!”

This is hopeless.

Her pace is way too free.

While I smiled awkwardly, Mizuse kept eating the omelette rice with a happy look.

But partway through, she coughed quietly again.

Cough…

“You okay?”

“…Yeah, I’m fine. It’s so good I can eat it.”

Her voice sounded a little weaker than before.

Even if she keeps acting cheerful, she must still feel bad.

I set the sports drink in front of her again.

“Make sure you rest while you eat, okay.”

“…Yeah.”

That answer was just a little more honest.

After that, I watched over her until she finished eating.