LIGHTNOVELONLINE [8:38 AM] [Mika-chan… I think I caught a cold…]
[Nagisa-chan☆]
[What?]
[Did Mika-san really catch a cold?]
[8:39 AM] [Yeah… and my period came along too, so since I went to the bathroom, I can’t get up at all T_T]
[Nagisa-chan☆]
[Oh really?]
[What should I do with you?]
[I’ll be there soon, so send me the front door password.]
[8:47 AM] [Thank you, Nagisa-chan… Oh, the password is 0704☆]
*
They say summer colds don’t happen even to dogs.
So, does that mean I’m worse than a dog…?
Sniff… ACHOO!
I pulled the thin blanket up to right below my neck. Maybe it’s because I’ve got a fever on top of the cold, but I really feel like I’m dying. Last time, I laughed it off, but now, with the bad news piling up, it has literally turned into hell.
“Mika-san, I brought you porridge and medicine. Oh, and warm yuzu tea too. Come on, get up.”
“Uh, Nagisa-chan. When did you come…?”
Even while feeling this sick, just seeing Nagisa’s face makes me feel an unexpected rush of energy. I sing your praises forever, the GOAT of Trinity, Kirihouji Nagisa…
“A little while ago. But, seriously, I can’t handle this. Mika-san, please wear something when you go out at night from now on.”
“Ahaha… Yeah, I’m sorry. I’ll be more careful from now on.”
“I was so surprised to hear that the fool who’s been healthy for years suddenly caught a cold. They say fools don’t catch colds, and I thought you weren’t doing anything foolish lately, but look at what happened…”
Nagisa, don’t you think that’s a bit harsh? Saying fools don’t catch colds makes it sound like I was a fool to begin with!
After getting up, I struggled to lean back against a cushion. Why does my usually overflowing energy feel so depleted right now? It’s crazy how a body that just feels a little pinch when shot can be knocked down by a cold.
“…ACHOO.”
“Haah… For now, I’ll boil some water, so hang on a sec. And you did say your period came too?”
“Yeah…”
“So, it’s probably better to eat the porridge first before taking medicine… I’ll be right back.”
Luckily, it’s a weekend with no morning classes, so it seems like Nagisa came rushing over after hearing what happened. By the way, I’m glad I reset the door lock password. I could just use my fingerprint to open it, but I figured having the password might come in handy, and it’s really paying off now.
Nagisa brought out the yuzu tea that she bought from the convenience store in a paper bag and handed it to me. I can definitely feel the warmth in my hands, but the real warmth is starting to spread inside my chest.
Thank goodness my energy hasn’t completely vanished. I easily opened the lid and took a sip of the yuzu tea. Usually, drinks straight out of the warmer feel too hot, but since it cooled down a bit on the way here, it’s just the right temperature and good to drink.
Honestly, just one word about having a cold, and she came with porridge, medicine, and soothing yuzu tea. How does our Nagisa have such great sense? I might really fall for her at this rate.
Hua…
Just a little yuzu tea and I already feel more awake. Speaking of which, today was supposed to be the day I pick out birthday presents for Hifumi and Nagisa. I guess I’ll need to reschedule that.
Did I forget to charge yesterday? My phone, carefully stored under my pillow, has less than 30% battery left. Hmm… I did feel some cold symptoms then, so…
While I was about to open Momotalk to explain the situation to Hifumi, I noticed a Momotalk message from Hanako.
[Urawa Hanako]
Picture
…A picture?
Curiosity got the better of me, and a moment later, I startled and dropped my phone.
[Urawa Hanako]
[The advice Mika-senpai gave me last time was really helpful.]
[Ufuufufu, I realized what it feels like to be freed from all the chains that bound me.]
[Thank you, Mika-senpai. I’ll come visit you soon♡]
[Photo]
The background of the photo was a park that I couldn’t pinpoint exactly, with darkness enveloping everything in the late night.
“Wow—”
Suddenly, my head feels like it’s on fire. I knew Hanako was amazing, but… wow, this was way beyond my expectations. I just wanted her to not lose her character because of me, but isn’t this moving way too fast?
Worried that Nagisa might come in and see, I hurriedly sent a reply saying I was glad to help and pressed the back button. I tried to clear my mind of what I just saw and sent a message to Hifumi saying that I’m feeling unwell today and need to postpone our plans.
It was a minor incident, but… still, I handled what I needed to without forgetting, so I should be able to relax now, right?
Soon after I set the phone down, Nagisa returned, holding a tray with a plate and a cup of water.
“…Mika-san, why is your face so red? First, take the fever reducer…!”
“Ahaha! It’s not like that, so don’t worry. I just feel a little embarrassed being taken care of like this…”
“Ah, umm… cough…!”
Fortunately, Nagisa didn’t seem to notice anything strange in my excuse. Her cheeks turned a little pink too… but that’s probably for a reason similar to mine, right?
…That makes sense, right?
“Phew, in any case, I have to get to the academy before one, so I should hurry.”
Nagisa placed the tray on the small table next to the bed and pulled out a container of porridge from the paper bag. When I asked what time it was, she said it was just past 11. Considering the time it takes to get to the academy, she can only stay for about an hour at most.
She’s already given me medicine, porridge, and water, so I feel like she doesn’t really need to do anything more for me, right?
While I was about to ask Nagisa, I momentarily lost my train of thought as I watched her blow on a spoonful of porridge before bringing it to me.
What’s going on? Is this really happening?
Isn’t this something that usually happens in sickroom romances or between parents and their children?
“Nagisa-chan…? You’re not really thinking about feeding me, are you? That’s a bit too embarrassing for me…?!”
“…Shut up, just open up. I won’t say it twice.”
With her ears all pink, Nagisa said this, and I couldn’t even dare to defy her words. Have I ever felt this embarrassed in my life?
I quietly accepted the porridge while I pondered. Could this possibly be Nagisa sending me a green light?
…No way, that’s ridiculous! I shoved that absurd thought aside and chewed the porridge in my mouth. It tasted like abalone porridge.
“You mentioned that your period came too. I know how tough that is, so I’m feeding you because of that.”
See? I told you it’s definitely not like that. How could a same-sex friend I’ve known for 10 years suddenly turn into a romantic interest? The logic is nonexistent!
As I was eating the porridge, feeling like a baby bird being fed by its mother, I wondered what Nagisa would have for lunch.
“Hmm… One meal is fine for me. If I really get hungry, I can just make it up with dessert.”
Saying she had to get to the academy before one means that she has to start her T-party duties then. I mean, I’m not exempt either, but she assured me that she would handle that.
But if she doesn’t eat lunch, she’ll be skipping meals until dinner, right? Besides, Nagisa, dessert isn’t meant to fill you up! That’s not healthy!
“Uh… If you check the top shelf of the fridge, there should be some ready-made meals. Just pick one out before you go.”
“I’m fine, Mika-san. Skipping one meal isn’t a problem.”
“Hey, Nagisa-chan, do you really need to eat before leaving? I’ll check if you ate later.”
If she doesn’t, I’m definitely going to throw a fit. What kind of fit? I’m not entirely sure, but I’ll throw one, I swear.
After conveying that in my gaze to Nagisa, she finally let out a deep sigh and nodded.
“Then from now on, you feed yourself. I’ll just heat something I want to eat.”
“Ah.”
How could this happen? It’s ridiculously embarrassing, but I definitely don’t feel bad about it. I should have just stayed quiet.
After heating up a carbonara pasta from the fridge, Nagisa brought it over and surprisingly said it was good, unlike typical ready-made meals. Indeed, Millennium’s technology seems to cross all fields.
“When you’re done, hand me the plate. I’ll wash the dishes—”
“Hold on, Nagisa-chan. If you do that, I’m going to get mad, okay? I’ll do the dishes when I feel a bit better, so just get the water and come back.”
No matter what, making someone who’s taken care of me do the dishes isn’t right. My conscience won’t allow it! So, just go and come back!
“…Fine. Then tell me if there were any gains from yesterday’s outing. If you caught a cold for nothing, it would be a bit sad.”
Ignoring my response, Nagisa picked up the tray and disappeared into the kitchen.
Should I say there were gains from yesterday? Or should I say there weren’t? It wasn’t completely empty, but it wasn’t really significant either.
Having successfully contacted Arius, I’ve technically done half the work. After all, they say the beginning is half the journey.
But unless the Arius Squad shows up, it can’t really lead to a major gain. They are the most crucial element that cannot be left out of my plan.
“Mika-san, I’m sorry. So just think about resting well for now.”
Placing the dirty dishes in the sink, Nagisa said to me, lost in thought. Honestly, I’ve improved a lot since before.
“Ahaha, the yuzu tea I drank earlier really helped, so I’m okay! And with Nagisa-chan next to me, my headache is going away too!”
“What… are you saying? If you’re really okay, then instead of those embarrassing words, let’s talk about what happened yesterday.”
“Hmm… Yeah, first, I managed to make contact with Arius. The downside is that they hate us a lot. Not just dislike, but intensely hate.”
“…In that case, doesn’t that put Mika-san in danger?”
“Thanks for worrying, but despite how I look, I’m quite strong, okay? If it comes down to it, I can escape at least, so I’ll be fine. They wouldn’t gain anything from causing a ruckus in the Trinity Autonomous District, so they’ll probably hold back.”
Though it’s understandable for Nagisa, who doesn’t know Arius’s strength, to worry, I know that aside from Beatrice, the Squad is the second strongest force.
In terms of power against power, a fair match would be lucky, but honestly, I think my side will win. For the squad to beat me, Saori would need to be much stronger than now. Or they’d have to bring Azusa along at the very least.
“I’ll persuade them somehow. Because the students of Arius also deserve happiness. Right, Nagisa-chan?”
“I don’t know, so please don’t ask me. Seriously, what a foolish person.”
“Ahaha! But Nagisa-chan can’t hate this side of me, right? You know everything about me☆”
“Haah… Well, I don’t dislike that side of Mika-san. In fact, these days…”
“Hmm? These days…?”
“I, I should be going now, Mika-san. You need to take your medicine and rest well, okay?”
“Yeah, I’ll definitely take it. But Nagisa-chan, why are you changing the subject?”
“I don’t know! You don’t need to see me off, so just don’t follow me!”
Hmmm.
What’s going on? Today Nagisa seems super fidgety. If I were a guy, this would be a classic tsundere move.
The problem is that, since I’m Mika, it just sounds like I’m worrying about a little kid left by the river. Still, seeing Nagisa act like that warms my heart, so that’s good enough for me.
…Oh, speaking of which, after taking the medicine, I need to change my pad too. My mood really plummets so quickly.