When I Started Doing Housework For The Cool Beauty In My Class, She Began Asking Me About The Dinner Menu Every Day.

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As Expected, Saki-san Has a Cold.

The next day.

Fujisaki didn’t show up at school, even during homeroom.

It seems she’s taking the day off because of a cold.
Earlier, I received a message from her saying she had a fever, so today’s visit was canceled.
One of the rules of our arrangement is that she has to notify me when a visit isn’t necessary, and she followed through on that—though I didn’t expect it to happen under these circumstances.

(So she ended up catching a cold after all…)

Fujisaki with a cold, or “Kaze-saki.”

I thought I’d done everything to prevent it, but apparently, it wasn’t enough.

Thinking back, yesterday’s Ero-saki was indeed sexy, but now it seems it might have been a symptom.
She seemed unusually energetic, so I thought she was fine, but… I should have been more considerate.

Still, the soup I left for breakfast should help warm her up and is good for colds.
I’m not sure how much of an appetite she’ll have, but… knowing Fujisaki, even as “Kaze-saki,” she’ll probably manage to eat it like “Munchsaki”

That said… not having my usual neighbor around feels surprisingly lonely.

For now… when she recovers, she’ll probably ask to see my notes.
I’d better make sure I take proper notes in class today.

***

When lunchtime came, I sent a message to Kaze-saki, asking how she was feeling.

However, it wasn’t read. She’s probably sleeping, I guess.

Catching a cold while living alone can be tough… I wonder if Fujisaki is doing okay.
She said no visits today, but it’s Friday, meaning the weekend is just around the corner.

As for food… she might have some emergency rations stocked up, but I still believe that a proper meal is key to regaining strength.

Once I hear back from Kaze-saki about her condition, I’ll consider checking on her just in case.
If she responds and it seems okay to stop by, I’ll bring sports drinks, jelly, ice cream, and ingredients for porridge.

“Hey, do you have a minute?”

While I was lost in thought, planning my after-school activities, a clear voice called out to me.

When I looked up from the shopping list I was hastily scribbling… there stood Hiori, a girl known for her cuteness even within this class, with a troubled expression on her face.

Her sudden appearance caught me off guard.

I’d heard about Hiori occasionally from Takuma, but it wasn’t often I got to interact with her directly like this.

For her to come all the way to my seat and speak to me—what could it be about?

Was it a complaint about Saeki-kun, who ended up in the seat next to hers after the last seat shuffle and is notoriously noisy?

“Oh, uh, yeah? What’s up?”

“Well… your seat neighbor is Fujisaki-san, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right… why?”

My seat by the window has only one adjacent neighbor—currently Kaze-saki. But why would she need to confirm that?

“Yesterday, I accidentally took Fujisaki-san’s umbrella home… and I’m worried that might be why she’s absent today…”

“Oh, I see.”

“Yesterday, I was in a rush because I had errands to run… and I only noticed the name sticker on the handle this morning.
So, I thought I should apologize and return it to her, but…”

I had suspected that Fujisaki’s missing umbrella might have been borrowed without permission, but judging from Hiori’s demeanor, it seems to have been an accident.

Hiori looked genuinely apologetic.

It’s understandable to think the umbrella could be the cause when you bring back the wrong one, only to find out the owner is absent with a cold.

However, while Hiori’s mix-up might have been a contributing factor, I don’t think it’s the direct cause of Kaze-saki’s cold.
After all, Fujisaki was already drenched and see-through when she arrived at school.
She was sneezing and sniffling well before the afternoon.

So, Hiori doesn’t need to feel that guilty about it.
If anything, I should be thanking her for giving us a chance to share an umbrella… but saying that would complicate things, so I’ll keep quiet.

“Do you think Fujisaki-san will forgive me if I apologize?”

“She will. No problem.”

“Really? Fujisaki-san gives off this lone wolf vibe—like quiet and independent. I was worried she might get mad.”

“She won’t.”

“Okay, good. I haven’t really interacted with her much, so I thought I’d ask her neighbor, Shirayanagi-kun, what kind of person she is.”

Ah, so that’s why she approached me.

A lone wolf, huh?
She feels more like a loyal puppy than a wolf to me, though.

Well, Hiori didn’t take the umbrella on purpose, and if she apologizes sincerely, even the lone puppy Fujisaki will forgive her without issue.
At most, we’ll see a pouty Kaze-saki. She won’t suddenly explode in anger or anything.

“Once her cold is better and she’s back at school next week, just apologize then. It wasn’t intentional, and Fujisaki will understand.”

“Yeah, I’ll do that. I was thinking of letting her borrow my notes for the days she missed, so if she’s struggling, could you let her know she can use them?”

“Got it. I’ll tell her when she’s back.”

“Thanks. And sorry for bothering you during lunch.”

With that, Hiori pressed her hands together in a cute gesture of apology before heading back to her seat to have lunch.

And as she walked away, Saeki Takuma came over. Sorry for doubting you earlier, man.

“Minato, were you just talking to Hiori?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. She was asking me about Fujisaki.”

“Fujisaki? You mean the girl sitting next to you—the one who’s out with a cold?”

“That’s the one. Hiori accidentally took Fujisaki’s umbrella and thought that might’ve caused her cold.”

“Ah, yeah. On rainy days, there’s always a mountain of umbrellas in the stands. Easy mistake to make.”

Well, I can’t deny that.

The umbrella stand area isn’t exactly spacious, and on rainy days, it inevitably gets crowded with umbrellas. It’s nearly impossible to prevent mix-ups entirely, especially with similar designs.

“But what does that have to do with you, Minato?”

“Hiori was worried that Fujisaki’s absence might be her fault, so she came to me for a bit of an ‘image consultation,’ since I sit next to her.”

“I see. So, what’s the deal with Fujisaki? She’s one of the prettiest girls in class, right? Got any developments going on with her?”

“Nothing at all. Unlike you, I don’t aggressively chat up everyone, so there’s nothing to report.”

“Boring.”

Boring? Fine by me.

If we’re talking about developments, then yeah, there’s definitely been progress. But… our contract is still a secret.

So for now, it stays that way. No, I want to keep it that way.

***

After School.

There’s still no reply from Fujisaki.

I’m torn between going over or holding back… but for now, I’m leaning towards going.