"You already came all the way here, are you sure you don't want to come in and sit for a while?"
"I don't want to know anything about a otaku's room."
Kato, who said this with a deadpan expression, paused for a moment, then sighed in resignation.
"As expected, what the books say are all lies."
"Huh?"
"They say that if you say something like that in front of a otaku, they'll definitely get upset, but Akifumi didn't react at all."
No, no! I'm just shocked to hear such a sharp comment from Kato and was so stunned I completely missed the point of what she said!
Unfortunately, Kato clearly didn't want to give Akifumi the chance to explain and continued:
"As long as I'm sure you're okay, that's enough for me."
"And you need to rest more when you're sick, right?"
"Besides, your place is pretty far from mine. If I leave too late, I might miss curfew."
Holding the get-well gift Kato brought (common cold medicine), Akifumi didn't look away until Kato's figure disappeared from view.
'She's really a good girl.'
In his past life, the title 'Sage Kato' wasn't exactly a compliment about her character, but more about how she could always speak her mind in any situation, completely ignoring the typical 'read the between the line' behavior unique to Japan.
'I'm almost embarrassed to act on this...'
Just kidding, of course.
Letting a girl like this go to someone else? That'd be such a waste, right?
What? You say I stole Eriri's first kiss but still want to go after other girls? Isn't that totally the actions of a scumbag?
Sorry.
The moment his past life memories resurfaced, he had already decided to embrace the scumbag life.
But when you really think about it, it wasn't entirely his fault.
After all, this world was overflowing with "2D Waifu" characters.
His heart had already been split into countless branches in his past life.
Closing the door, He made sure to remove the doorbell's battery—this way, no one could disturb him...
"Bang bang bang."
"Damn it! Are you seriously not letting me sleep!?"
Akifumi's face darkened as he opened the door again.
"I said..."
What he was about to say was instantly erased as soon as he saw the girl standing at the door.
Her golden hair danced in the breeze, like a mischievous spirit.
Her skin, as delicate as porcelain, seemed to glow with collagen, and she looked extraordinarily enticing.
Though she was wearing a simple white dress, it made her appear as if she'd stepped out of a painting, a true fairy-like figure.
"Shiina-san!?"
If it's Kato, as a friend, she couldn't find a reason not to visit.
Shiina Mahiru's presence here left him completely puzzled.
Especially since she was dressed in casual clothes.
Given that, Shiina could only have gone home, changed, and come back with a bag of fruit only lead to one reason...
'Does this girl live nearby?'
The world's so small, it's strange that they've never bumped into each other before.
Looking up at Akifumi's confused gaze, Shiina Mahiru's fair skin flushed a light pink.
"Well... because Hiratsuka-sensei said you were sick, I thought maybe there was something I could do to help, so I couldn't resist coming over."
Noticing the puzzled look on Akifumi's face, Shiina hurriedly tried to explain her intentions, her hands fidgeting in an awkward attempt.
"You must be having a hard time after being sick, right? And since you live alone, I got worried"
"At first it could be just a small cold, but with no one to take care of you, the condition could be worsened over time, and you had to go to the hospital... then the check-up found..."
"Stop!"
If she keeps going like this, she gonna said that I will be dead for real!?
This is ridiculous!
Her reasoning was full of holes.
There was no reason for her to be explaining such things. It was something Shiina could do as a friend.
It's not like I have many friends, and Shiina knows that. So no one would be keeping track of whether I came to school or not.
There's no need for her to talk about this unnecessary stuff.
After all, "being sick" was just a reason he made up, and fewer people knowing about it was better.
The part about knowing my address isn't strange.
I did take her to my place during that rainy Golden Week, so with a little attention, she could easily figure out what floor I'm on and find my place.
Of course, she could've also gotten my address from Hiratsuka-sensei directly!
No doubt about it. With Hiratsuka-sensei's personality, if there's fun to be had, she'd definitely plan this!
Returning his thoughts to the present, Akifumi spoke up, "I understand your reason, but you don't need to worry about taking care of me. I'm pretty much better now."
If it were another time, Akifumi might have been interested in her offer, but not now.
He was seriously too tired; all he wanted was to sleep.
No one was going to stop him!
Pale-faced, unsteady on his feet, and his voice weak... he was obviously putting on a brave face.
'The kindness must be repaid; that's the Shiina family creed!'
'Let me help you this time, Akifumi-kun!'
Shiina Mahiru clenched her tiny fist with determination, but then...
"By the way, is this a gift for me?"
Following Akifumi's gaze, she noticed the bag of leftover pastries she was holding.
Those were the sweets from yesterday, reheated before she brought them over because she was worried about Akifumi's condition.
Shiina Mahiru nodded honestly. "Yes."
"Thanks, Shiina-san, this really helps a lot!"
He'd just had a few rice balls yesterday and hadn't eaten much since, so he was starving.
"By the way, these desserts look really delicate. I wonder how they taste."
Taking the sweets from Shiina Mahiru, Akifumi smiled and nodded at her, "I'll take them. See you tomorrow, Shiina-san."
"Bang."
Staring at the closed door, Shiina's head slowly filled with question marks.
From the confused expression on her face, it was easy to tell that her soul was asking the three questions: "Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?"
A moment later, a cry of frustration echoed from outside the door.
"Akifumi-kun you're an idiot!!"
The next day.
Already at the classroom, Akifumi's eyes lit up when he saw Shiina Mahiru walk in.
"Shiina-san, by the way, where did you get those desserts from yesterday? Could you give me the address?"
Even now, those cakes were incredibly delicious!
If he hadn't been so tired back then, he probably would've messaged her right away to ask.
However, the response he got from Shiina was a look full of resentment.
[TL Note]
Hey there! If you're enjoying this, be sure to check out
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