CH 39

This is what Toma-kun had to say: “Mio’s friend had something to do, so they asked me to come in their place.”

“Substitute for a visit…?”

There was no doubt that the friend Toma was referring to was Nanami.

Even if they didn’t have each other’s contact information, they could easily communicate through Nanami’s younger brother, who is friends with Toma. And the decisive factor was that only Nanami had mentioned the idea of a visit.

“Haah… I totally fell for it, didn’t I?” I felt a little frustrated that I had been so easily manipulated by Nanami’s plan.

When Nanami sent Toma that message asking if I was okay and if I had caught a cold, she was already planning to have Toma come in her place.

Nanami knows who my beloved person is. I understood her intention of surprising me, but there was one thing I couldn’t understand.

“I’m really happy that Toma-kun came to visit me, but what was Nanami thinking? This is like sending salt to a rival…”

I couldn’t grasp Nanami’s true intentions. Creating this situation would only be a disadvantage for her. For me, on the other hand, it was nothing but an advantage.

(Actually, Nanami is not interested in Toma-kun…? No, that can’t be right… Because when she talks about Toma-kun, she has the same expression as when she talks about her boyfriend…)

Because she had this conviction, she couldn’t find the answer. She couldn’t come up with the right solution.

(There’s no choice but to ask Nanami directly…)

As she was searching for a solution, it happened.

“Mi… Mio-san. Are you okay…?”

Toma-kun, who had been waiting outside the entrance, showed concern.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Wait just a little longer, I’ll open the door…”

“It’s okay, I understand.”

She felt guilty for making Toma-kun wait even longer.

In an attempt to shorten the time as much as possible, she ran around her room while opening her door.

(I want to show Toma-kun that I can look pretty…)

She took a small box and started taking care of herself in front of the mirror on her bed by changing the angle.

It took about 5 minutes. It might have been long, but she did her best to shorten the time.

“O… Okay, I’m done. Yeah, I’m fine… right?”

After finishing her hair, she looked closely at herself in the mirror. Her hair was neatly arranged, even at the ends.

“Now I just have to put the mirror back and fix the wrinkles on the bed…”

She fixed the things in her room that bothered her.

(Yeah… it’s okay if Toma-kun sees my room like this…)

The only thing left was to open the front door and meet Toma-kun.

She slowly made her way towards the entrance.

(Ugh, I’m so nervous…)

But I can’t make a scene here… Because I don’t want to waste this chance.

I don’t want to lose Toma-kun. Since I’m the one who’s going out with Toma-kun first…

That feeling makes me stronger.

“You can come inside, Toma-kun.”

With a click, I pushed the door open with my dominant hand and faced Toma-kun as if nothing was wrong.

“Huh!? Mio-san’s home!?”

“I don’t think there’s anywhere else you can go, right?”

What does Toma-kun think of me right now? Am I calm or not?

In reality, I’m the latter. I’m just trying my best to look calm. The noun ‘nervousness’ was spreading through my head, and I felt like I was about to panic.

Trying to invite the person she loves into her room. It’s only natural…

“I-It’s just that, well… It’s kind of awkward to say this, but I brought you a get-well gift…”

“My friend sent a message saying she had someone else to take care of me, so I thought… maybe it was different for you?”

“….N-no, it’s not like that. I’m just nervous…”

“Relax, it’s okay.”

Those words were also meant for myself.

With Toma-kun’s kindness, my chest tightened painfully, and my heart raced non-stop…

To avoid hurting me, he wouldn’t say anything like, “I never said I would take care of you!” I didn’t feel even a shred of doubt that he was lying.

“Toma-kun, you are really too kind…”

With one more push, I could invite Toma-kun into my home. I couldn’t help but let out a small smile.

“Um, Mio-san, do you have your parents at home or…?”

“Did I not mention it before? I live alone.”

“You never said that!”

“Sorry for surprising you, Toma-kun.”

My parents’ home is about a 30-minute train ride from here. I’m not living alone because my university is far away. I was forced to live alone for the sake of becoming independent.

“Um… I know it’s kind of weird to say, but even if I say ‘nursing,’ there isn’t really anything I can help with… Are you okay with that?”

“Of course. Just having you next to me is enough… No, that’s what makes me happiest.”

“I…I understand.”

My true feelings came out and I couldn’t help but smile. Toma-kun nodded while looking down diagonally.

(Huh? Toma-kun’s face looks a little red… Is it because of the sunset…?)

“Well then, let’s go inside. I’ll carry your bag.”

“I can’t make you carry it.  You have a fever.”

“It’s okay. I don’t have a fever, so give it to me?”

“Huh?”

“…Ah!”

If I had acted like nothing was wrong here, maybe I could have fooled them. But I couldn’t help but show a “oops…” expression.

“You didn’t say that you don’t have a fever now, did you?”

Toma-kun’s eyes looked at me suspiciously.

(If I don’t say something… if I don’t say something, Toma-kun will leave… I don’t want that.)

My mind was working overtime as I thought about what not to say.

If I say that my fever is gone, Toma-kun won’t need to take care of me anymore…

(There’s no other way…)

I desperately thought, but I couldn’t come up with a good solution.

The only thing that came to mind was something my friends used to say in high school. “Desperate times call for desperate measures.” It was embarrassing, but I had no choice but to lie and pile up more lies…

“The truth is… it’s, um, my… time of the month, so I had to take the day off.”

“Oh…”

I weakly spoke while moving my gaze up, down, left, and right.