The rain pattered gently against the windows. Kamakura had quieted down under the thick blanket of gray clouds, the kind of day where time moved slower than usual.
Riku Kazehaya stayed home from school.
He didn't say much when he called in—just that he had something to take care of. His classmates probably didn't even notice. They never did.
In the next room, Aika Hoshino was buried under two blankets, face flushed, a thermometer tucked under her arm. Her hair was messily tied, strands clinging to her forehead.
She hated this.
Not the fever.
The being taken care of part.
The knock on her door was soft.
"It's me," Riku said. "Brought you water and medicine."
"Leave it at the door," she croaked.
The door opened anyway. Riku walked in with a tray—glass of water, pills, and a small bowl of rice porridge. "You should eat something."
She narrowed her eyes. "Don't act like my nurse."
"Too late."
He set the tray down on her nightstand and gently placed a cool towel on her forehead. She didn't stop him. Not because she couldn't—because something about the calmness in his movements made it hard to argue.
"You're really not going to school?" she asked, voice raspier than usual.
Riku sat on the edge of her bed, facing away. "Didn't feel like going."
She blinked. "What are you gonna do here all day? Watch me sweat and look miserable?"
"You're doing a great job already."
"…Tch."
There was a beat of silence. Aika glanced at him from under the covers. "Hey, Kazehaya."
"Yeah?"
"Do you have a crush on anyone in class?"
He didn't turn around.
Instead, he said, "What if I say no?"
She blinked slowly. "Huh… So that's Kazehaya for you."
She turned her head away, her fever-glazed gaze drifting to the window.
But then—his voice came again.
"No," he said clearly. "Because I like you."
She froze.
The air thickened.
Her heart slammed against her ribs, and she whipped back around so fast the towel on her forehead slipped off.
"Huh?! What… What did you just say?"
Riku finally turned, facing her directly.
"I said I love you," he repeated. His voice didn't waver. "React however you like. I've expressed how I feel."
Her mouth opened but no words came out.
Just her wide eyes, flushed cheeks, and fevered disbelief.
She pulled the blanket up over her face.
"…Dumbass," came a muffled whisper. "Why now…"
"I figured it wouldn't be any less awkward later," Riku said, standing up. "Rest up. I'll be in the living room."
He stepped out without waiting for a reply, the quiet click of the door behind him the only sound in the room.
Aika stared at the ceiling under the blankets, hand pressed against her hammering chest.
"…Kazehaya, you absolute idiot…"
To be continued...