CH 10
The Case of a Childhood Friend That I Haven't Talked to in a Long Time is a Pushover
ââ¦..Kohom! Kohom!â
âItâs a full blown cold. Get a good rest today.â
ââ¦â¦ regrettably.â
âWhat kind of samurai are you?â (She said some Samurai ish words)
Laughing at Kasumiâs words as she lay on the bed, Kazuki turned his back to her. Although she wanted to reach out her hand to his back as he moved away, she couldnât be that annoying, so Kasumi suppressed her sadness and looked away from him.
âIâll be back as soon as Iâm done. Be a good girl and wait for me, okay?â
ââ¦..Iâm not that much of a kidâ
âyeah I suppose youâre right. Iâm off then.â
This time Kazuki left the room.
Today was supposed to be an ordinary weekday. However, when she woke up in the morning, she was already feeling ill. Kazuki noticed Kasumiâs red face and immediately took her temperature, which was reasonably high, so it was decided that she would miss school.
ââ¦â¦ I couldnât even make his lunch. Itâs a shame.â
It had been a few weeks since Kazuki and I started living together, and it had become a matter of course for me to make his lunch. I was disappointed because I wanted to see his face when he was happy, and above all, it was something I looked forward to every day.
ââ¦â¦Itâs so quiet without Kazuki.â
Kazuki went to school and did not return until the evening.
This quietness is like going back to my daily life without Kazuki a while ago. I was lonely and sad, but I couldnât rely on Kazuki. However, the loneliness is not so much because the place where I am sleeping now is Kazukiâs bed.
No matter how long I waited, it was nothing compared to those days when I could not get in touch with Kazuki.
ââ¦â¦ this could surely be due to the bath I took yesterday.â
In fact, yesterday, I took the plunge and assaulted Kazuki while he was taking a bath.
I want to flush my body, and to fulfill my wish to take a bath with him. Kazuki was surprised to see Kasumi enter the bathroom, but he quickly gave up and accepted me with a resigned sigh.
ââ¦â¦Fufuâªâ
When she thinks back to that time, she naturally smiles.
His face turned red, and there was no doubt that he was conscious of the feminism in Kasumiâs eyes. However, from the middle of the conversation, she seemed to have remembered the old days and spoke in a way that gave no hint of embarrassment.
ââ¦.. Itâs okay. Iâm an attractive girl.â
Self-consciousness, nothing like that.
Even if she canât make him fully aware of her now, she will do her best to make Kazuki properly aware of her as a girl sooner or later.
ââ¦.Fuwaaâ
Thinking about Kazuki made her happy, but at the same time it made her sleepy.
Sleep is essential for her, to heal her condition as quickly as possible. If she sleeps, she can reduce her loneliness until Kazuki comes backâ¦â¦ so Kasumi thought and went to sleep.
Kasumi sometimes has unpleasant dreams.
ââ¦â¦Kazuki!â
Kazuki, even if she called him that, he would not turn around in front of her.
On the contrary, he is walking with a completely different girl who is not Kasumi. The jealousy in Kasumi flared up when she realized that she was not the one receiving all the smiles, kindness, and care that he was giving her.
ââ¦â¦.I wonât give you Kazukiâs side. I will never give it to you!â
Although it is a dream, it is reality itself while she sees it.
Even as jealousy flares up in her heart, it is painful to watch the sight of Kazuki moving away from her. She canât reach out to him, and even if she wants to wake up then, she canât return to reality.
Kasumi keeps staring at a view she doesnât want to see for the rest of the day until she wakes up.
âI have to work hard to keep this from happening. â¦â¦ Yeah!â
She strongly made up her mind to do so.
One often hears that first love never comes true. One often hears that childhood friendships never come true.
[Shirasagi is always sticking with Rindou!!!]
Whatâs wrong with that, but the old Kasumi couldnât say it strongly enough.
Kazuki always protected her on each occasion, and Kasumi was attracted to his back. Many of her classmates spat nasty words at Kazuki, who protected Kasumi. Every time this happened, Kasumi felt like crying and was saved by Kazuki who strongly encouraged her.
[Donât worry about it. Iâll always protect you!]
ââ¦â¦lie, you lied to me.â
Now she can laugh and mutter such words.
This is all because she started spending time with Kazuki in this way. He was always next to her and he came back to her. He was always by her side, and She was able to return to the Kasumi that was always by his sideâ¦â¦. Thatâs what makes her really happy.
Before she knew it, she could no longer see the disgusting scene in front of her.
On the contrary, it was somehow warm, and Kasumi woke up as if lured by such warmth.
ââ¦â¦.?â
When Kasumi woke up, she was naturally greeted by the ceiling of Kazukiâs room.
When she checked the time, it was afternoon, so she seemed to have slept quite a bit. Although she felt a little sick, her fever seemed to be going down. After a quick lunch, the sleepiness has gone away, so she stays awake and waits for the time to pass.
ââ¦â¦Muuâ
But after all, without Kazuki, She would be bored.
Usually she is not bored because she goes to school and her friends are there. Being alone is so boring,â¦â¦ Kasumi thought after a long time.
Boredomâ¦â¦ boredomâ¦â¦ boredom, so she thought, and time passed.
Kazuki seemed to come home when the time turned to four oâclock. Kasumi did not know why, but she pretended to sleep.
âIâm home â¦â¦ was she sleepingâ¦â¦?â
Laughing heartily, Kasumi feels the presence of Kazuki approaching with her eyes closed. Resisting the urge to hug Kazuki as he nears her bed, she quickly closes her eyes.
âIt looks like youâre feeling better than you were in the morning, Well, Kasumi used to get well after a short rest even when she had a cold.â
A hand was placed on her forehead, perhaps to check her body temperature.
Exhaling with a relieved breath, Kazuki then patted Kasumiâs head.
ââ¦â¦In cases like this, it seems that pretending to be asleep is also Kasumiâ¦â¦ are you sleeping?â
ââ¦â¦..â
He giggled with all his might.
But fortunately Kazuki didnât notice and seemed to believe that she was completely asleep.
âI hope you get well soon. After all, I like to see you in good health. Besides, I donât mind â¦â¦ skinship. I never get bored when Iâm around Kasumi, and more importantly, I feel energized.â
Kazukiâs words make her feel her body temperature rise to an incomparably higher level than a cold.
She wants Kazuki to take care of her with her eyes wide open right now, but she has to be patient because her cold is still not fully healed and there is no possibility that she might spread it to others.
(â¦â¦Kazuki is a cowardâ¦â¦ but most of all Iâm a coward for being like this)
For Kazukiâs sake, she must definitely pretend to be asleep for this one.
Butâ¦.At the same time, she would like to be allowed to chew on her happiness. Kasumiâs cheeks relaxed.