Chapter 2
That evening, after I finished my teaching at Amagamine High School, I sat at my desk in my room, staring at the screen of my smartphone. Then, when the scheduled time arrived, I tapped the phone icon that had appeared earlier.
After a few rings, an electronic sound echoed, signaling me to speak.
"Hello, Nene-chan?"
"Hello, Arata-san. Yes, it's Nene."
Phew, I felt relieved that she finally picked up the phone.
"So, what's up today? I was a bit surprised when you wanted to call me."
That's right, we had exchanged messages earlier in the afternoon and promised to call at this time.
Calling someone takes up their time, so doing it without notice can be an inconvenience. It's important to make an appointment first. This habit has formed due to my job.
I was glad Nene-chan had agreed to it right away.
However, her voice sounded stiffer than usual, probably because it was through the phone, and I wanted to think it was just that.
"Ah, there's something I wanted to confirm quickly."
And the reason I called was because there was one thing bothering me.
A phone call is a conversation without a face, and the only information I can gather is from the voice, so I asked carefully to avoid any misunderstandings.
"Nene-chan, why did you do that today?"
"... What are you talking about?"
"I mean, when everyone asked, you joined in guessing even though you already knew the answer."
"Uhm, because it felt weird if only Nene didn’t participate and just watched from afar..."
That made sense, and I almost agreed, but the main issue was a little different.
"No, it's good to participate. But you didn’t need to answer correctly. I thought Nene-chan could have easily answered wrong."
Uuugh, a small sound like a groan was heard, and silence followed.
As I expected, that was probably the issue.
"So, but, I didn’t want to be wrong about Arata-san—"
"Wait, are you mad?"
We spoke at the same time, so I couldn’t hear what Nene-chan said.
"A-Ahem. What did you just say, Arata-san?"
"I was wondering if you're mad. Because I did something childish, maybe Nene-chan got mad and that’s why you acted like that."
"I'm not mad! Not at all!"
Before I could finish speaking, Nene-chan firmly denied my statement. I could tell from the tone of her voice that her feelings were sincere. And then I realized something.
"So, that was a revenge from you, Nene-chan, right?"
In other words, it was a payback for payback, a little mischief.
"Y-Yes. It seems like that. Sorry, was it annoying?"
"No, even though I felt a bit anxious, I wasn’t bothered or upset by it."
At that time, I really did feel uneasy, but that’s because we know each other, and when I think about it now, I realize that no other student would think it’s strange.
And payback is something that can happen because of mutual trust, so maybe Nene-chan thought of it that way too.
"Actually, now that I think about it, I find it kind of fun. It feels like a secret game."
"... S-Secret game."
Nene-chan seemed at a loss for words. Maybe this was a bit too childish.
Anyway, I didn’t want to carry any awkwardness or strange suspicions into the next day, so I was glad I could confirm it today.
While holding the smartphone to my ear, I remembered there were more ingredients than usual in the fridge and spoke to myself.
"As an apology, I planned to make Nene-chan lunch, but I guess that’s not necessary..."
"Eh, seriously!? I want you to make it! Ah, but I’m sure you’ll be busy since you just became a teacher... so it’s okay if you don’t make it."
For a moment, I felt her voice was filled with excitement, but the energy slowly faded, and she became calm again.
"Haha, you don’t have to worry about it. So, I’ll make it as a thank you, not an apology."
"Hooray, thank you!"
Nene-chan’s voice was cheerier than usual, which made me happy too. If she was so looking forward to it, I would do my best to make it tomorrow. Not as a payback, but as a return for her kindness every day.
◇◇◇
The next day, during the lunch break after the lessons had ended, I returned to the teacher’s lounge and sat at the designated spot.
"Thank you for your hard work, Ichinose-sensei!"
"Thank you for your hard work as well, Kohinata-sensei."
Kohinata-san, who was already sitting next to me, greeted me with a smile.
Thinking that she looked cheerful today, we exchanged greetings, and then Kohinata-san spoke up happily.
"Ichinose-sensei, your reputation among the students is very good! They say your explanations are easy to understand and make it easy to learn."
"I’m glad to hear that I’m able to help the students."
I was worried that I might be wasting the students' valuable time to improve my own teaching abilities, so I felt relieved that wasn’t the case.
"Since you came for the teaching practicum, Ichinose-sensei’s lessons have always been easy to understand. It’s still the same now!"
"Is that so? But thank you. It feels really good to hear that from you, Kohinata-sensei."
After our conversation ended, I took out my lunchbox and water bottle from my bag.
When I opened the lunchbox, there was an omelet and nikujaga, my specialty dish, along with spring rolls.
The spring rolls were something I got from when Nene-chan gave me cooking lessons regularly and told me about her favorite foods. The other side contained frozen food I mixed together, so it became one complete lunchbox.
Even so, it didn’t compare to what Nene-chan usually makes.
"Eh! Ichinose-sensei, you brought a bento today!?"
Kohinata-san asked, her voice trembling with excitement.
"It’s homemade, right... Eh, was it made by your girlfriend?"
"No, I don’t have a girlfriend, so it’s not like that. I made this bento myself."
"Eh! Really!?"
Kohinata-san showed her surprise with an eager look in her eyes.
"I’m still not very good at making it, so I’d be embarrassed if you saw it."
"That’s not true at all! I’m envious of your balanced cooking! You can cook anything, you’re too perfect, Ichinose-sensei..."
When I looked over at Kohinata-san’s desk, I saw instant noodles there. They seemed to have been prepared before I arrived in the teacher’s lounge since they were already steaming.
"If you want, would you like to try some?"
I couldn’t help but offer my lunch because I felt bad seeing her lunch.
"Can I!?"
"Yes, feel free to take whatever you like."
"Then, I’ll gladly accept..."
Kohinata-san hesitantly reached for her chopsticks and took a spring roll to eat.
"Wawawa! This is so delicious! If I could have a bento like this for lunch, I’d be so happy..."
"No, that’s too much."
"Not at all!"
Kohinata-san waved her hands and praised me wholeheartedly.
When eating homemade food, I felt a sense of calm that was different from ready-made meals. Is this what it feels like?
"Ichinose-sensei, are you having lunch with Kohinata-sensei?"
I heard a cold voice from behind and turned around.
"Fujisaki-san!?"
"Yes, I’m Fujisaki. Kohinata-sensei, I brought the documents that were collected in class."
"Thank you. If I’m not mistaken, today is your turn on duty, right, Fujisaki-san?"
After Nene-chan replied to me, she handed the documents to Kohinata-san.
"By the way, look at this, Fujisaki-san! Doesn’t Ichinose-sensei’s bento look amazing!? I tried the spring rolls, and they were so delicious!"
"Hee, so you’re giving it to her?"
Nene-chan turned and smiled at me. For some reason, I felt a cold sweat trickling down my back.
"So, we were just talking about how happy it must be to have a bento like this for lunch!"
"That really would be happiness."
"Eh?"
"I misspoke. I also think it must be happy."
After Nene-chan smiled sweetly, she left the teacher's lounge.
"Even Fujisaki-san can misspeak, huh. But her words felt so sincere, so I was surprised."
"Y-Yeah, that’s true."
I could only nod faintly in response to Kohinata-san’s words.
◇◇◇
After the lunch break, I didn’t have any classes to teach, so I focused on researching teaching materials. After school, I stayed a bit longer in the teacher’s lounge, but no students came to ask questions, so I decided to head home.
Before leaving, I gathered the trash in the teacher’s lounge. While students clean the classrooms and school buildings, it’s not appropriate to have students clean the teacher’s lounge. It seems the cleaning duty rotates among the teachers.
"Well then, I’ll excuse myself. Thank you for your hard work."
Before, I almost never left work earlier than others at the company, so it felt quite refreshing to hear those words coming from my mouth.
Since this isn’t a company, I wasn’t sure if the greeting was appropriate, but no one corrected me, so it seemed fine.
There were still some teachers left in the teacher’s lounge for meetings, planning lessons for the next day, or guiding extracurricular activities, so there were still many people, and they responded to my greeting.
They were very consistent in greeting, probably because they taught the same thing to the students. I took the trash bag out of the teacher’s lounge and headed to the teacher’s shoe locker.
"Ichinose-sensei, goodbye."
"Yes, goodbye."
Exchanging greetings with the students passing by, I walked down the hallway. It wasn’t "Thank you for your hard work," but "goodbye," and those simple words gave me a sense of nostalgia.
Because of the hierarchical relationships in clubs and part-time work experience, greetings slowly changed to "Thank you for your hard work." There’s nothing particularly good or bad about it, but I simply felt my presence in the school through the word "goodbye."
I changed my indoor slippers to shoes in the shoe locker. Since the trash disposal was at the back of the school building, it seemed much more efficient to throw it away on my way home.
As I walked toward my destination, I saw a face I was very familiar with.
Her black and red hair shimmered like silk as it swayed. Nene-chan was walking somewhere. She was carrying a bag, but her direction was different from the school gate, so it seemed like she had something to do.
For a moment, I hesitated to call out to her, feeling reluctant to speak without any reason to be at school.
However, since she was heading in the same direction, I eventually decided to follow behind her.
Nene-chan turned toward the trash disposal area and continued to the back of the school building.
As I was heading to the disposal area without concern, I saw a figure ahead of Nene-chan. Nene-chan and a male student I didn’t recognize. Even though that was all I saw, I should have just done the job entrusted to me, but the serious atmosphere made me unconsciously stop.
"Thank you for coming, Fujisaki-san."
"What do you want to talk about?"
Nene-chan replied calmly to the male student, who smiled brightly. The atmosphere between them didn’t seem intimate.
Then, I remembered this place. It wasn’t just the trash disposal area, but also a secluded spot behind the school building, and after school cleaning was done, hardly anyone would come here. During my school years, I’d also been called here a few times.
The current situation felt similar to those times. If the situation was the same, then the male student’s purpose was...
"I’ll say it directly. Fujisaki-san, I like you. Would you be willing to go out with me?"
A confession, just as I had expected.
"Sorry."
Nene-chan didn’t even hesitate and immediately gave a firm refusal.
So firm, in fact, that her conversation partner fell silent, seemingly unaware that he had already been rejected.
"Umm, why...? Shouldn’t you have thought about it a bit longer? I think I have a good-looking face, and I always rank in the top ten in grades, so I thought I’d be a good candidate."
It’s true, just like the boy said, he was good-looking and seemed smart. His first smile gave a good impression, and he seemed popular among the girls, so his self-assessment wasn’t too exaggerated.
"I already like someone, so I’m not interested in dating you."
"You always refuse like that, but isn’t that just an excuse to reject me? Come on, let’s date for a bit, as a trial. After that, you’ll get to know me better."
"I never thought about dating as a trial. From now on, I already know that our views don’t align at all. Goodbye."
"Eh, wait a second!"
As Nene-chan turned and tried to leave, the boy reached out to try and grab her.
"You’ll be hated if you push too hard like that."
I caught his hand trying to reach Nene-chan and stopped him.
I didn’t want to interfere with the confession, so I waited for a moment to throw away the trash and observed. But as a teacher, I couldn’t just ignore someone trying to grab a girl from behind.
The boy was startled by the sudden appearance of a third party. The force in his hand weakened, so I let go of my grip.
"That’s not right, huh... Sorry."
After saying that, the boy left. The shock of being rejected seemed to have made him do something unexpected. Once he regained his composure, he apologized sincerely.
I spoke to Nene-chan, who had watched the whole situation.
"Nene-chan, are you okay?"
"Thank you so much, Ichinose-sensei."
Hehe, Nene-chan was still smiling even though she had just been in a dangerous situation.
"What’s wrong?"
In response to my question, Nene-chan approached and whispered.
"Arata-san, you called me Nene-chan again just now."
"Ah, I slipped up..."
I only realized it when Nene-chan reminded me. I should have been more careful at school, but how did that happen?
"Well, it’s fine for now, right? After all, there’s no one around us. By the way, why are you here?"
"Hmm, ah, I was thinking of throwing away the trash."
I picked up the trash bag I had left behind.
"I see, so Arata-san didn’t chase after Nene, huh?"
"That’s right, I just happened to be here."
"Eh?"
Nene-chan made a sound that seemed a little disappointed. I felt her voice in my back as I threw away the trash. The atmosphere seemed lighter with such an interaction.
After that, we walked together to the school gate. I felt like there was nothing odd about talking to a student who happened to be walking in the same direction.
"The bento was really delicious. Thank you."
"I’m glad to hear that."
I should have been happy to receive praise from the cooking teacher, Nene-chan, but for some reason, my response felt a little less enthusiastic.
"Umm, does something like today happen often?"
I was surprised by the words that came out of my own mouth.
"No, forget about what I said..."
"Do you mean the confession? That happens often, but I’ve never had someone chase me like today."
I tried to change the topic, but it seemed like it didn’t work. Since I couldn’t shift the subject, I decided to continue.
"I see, I’m glad to hear that."
"Are you worried?"
"Worried... well, maybe."
After that, the conversation didn’t go much further, and suddenly, we were already at the school gate.
"Goodbye, Ichinose-sensei."
"Goodbye, Fujisaki-san."
When we spoke at the trash disposal area, we agreed to walk together to the school gate, so Nene-chan walked ahead, descending the hill.
I felt confused about why I asked that question earlier. What was I trying to find out with that question?
Even as I watched her graceful back growing farther away, I still couldn’t find the answer.
◇◇◇
I began to get used to my new job as a teacher, and after three weeks of living the life of a teacher starting in early July, we finally reached the last day of the first semester.
During the closing ceremony, the homeroom teacher gave a warning on stage for the students not to have too much fun, even though they were getting a long break.
Although students at Amagamine High School have a lot of freedom, most of them understand their limits, so there were never any incidents that led to sanctions or suspensions. Still, the warning was given as part of the school’s social etiquette.
Thinking back on how I spent my summer vacation during high school, I remembered that because I came from a single-parent family, I worked part-time a lot to help with the family finances, and most of my free time was spent studying.
Sometimes Kyohei would invite me to hang out, but we would just talk at a family restaurant, considering my situation. I still remember hearing Kyohei’s enthusiastic voice saying, "When it comes to high school students, it’s all about love!" while we studied.
When summer break ended and I returned to school, I was surprised by the changes in relationships that had occurred without me noticing.
Even though I was a teacher, I felt it wasn’t appropriate to reflect on my past while attending the closing ceremony, but suddenly I heard a low sound like a thud on the gymnasium floor.
"Kyaa, Fujisaki-san!?"
The sound made me turn around, and at the same time, I heard someone else’s voice. There, on the gymnasium floor, was Nene-chan, who had fallen. I couldn’t just stand there, so I quickly ran over to her. I kneeled down so I could look at her.
Nene-chan’s face, which usually had a translucent pale complexion, now looked pale and drained of color.
"Fujisaki-san, are you okay?"
"Ichinose-sensei, could you please take Fujisaki-san to the nurse’s office?"
I heard the voice of her homeroom teacher, Kohinata-san, coming a bit late. Since I was standing near the third-year students, it seemed like I was the quickest to arrive.
"Yes, I understand. Fujisaki-san, can you stand up?"
Nene-chan simply shook her head silently. Instead of shaking, it was more like a small movement showing her helplessness. That was enough to indicate that she was not feeling well.
The closing ceremony was being held inside the gymnasium, and although it was indoors, with all the students and teachers gathered, it created a hot and humid atmosphere. I wanted to get her out of this situation and give her some peace.
"Excuse me."
I slipped both my hands under her back and knees to lift her up. I could feel the stares from around us, but at this moment, Nene-chan's condition was the most important thing.
"Sorry..." That small, weak voice came from her chest.
◇◇◇
"There’s no fever, so it seems like you just have a bit of anemia. Let’s rest for now."
"Yeah..."
The school nurse put away the thermometer she had used.
Although Nene-chan’s voice, while lying in bed, still sounded weak, the color in her face started to return to normal.
After bringing her to the nurse’s office, I sat on a bench near the bed where Nene-chan was resting.
"I’m glad it’s not heatstroke."
I finally let out a sigh after hearing the nurse’s words.
"I’m sorry, Ichinose-sensei. There are other students who are also not feeling well, and I’ll take them to the hospital. Could I ask you to contact Fujisaki-san’s home? And if possible, I’d like you to keep an eye on her..."
"Yes, alright, I understand."
Since today was the closing ceremony, there shouldn’t be any issues as there were no class schedules.
After hearing my response, the school nurse quickly left the nurse’s office.
Even though I was a part-time teacher, I felt inadequate because I hadn’t contacted the parents of the sick student and could only monitor the situation. Although I could teach, I still felt there was a lot to improve in other areas.
But for now, I had to focus on what I needed to do.
There was a phone in the nurse’s office, but I didn’t know Nene-chan’s home contact number.
I stood up from the bench to return to the teacher’s lounge.
"Eh?"
I felt a sensation as if my pants were being pulled, and my position became unstable.
When I tried to steady myself with my hand, I found Nene-chan in front of me. Something felt off, and I quickly placed my hand on the bed to avoid leaning on her.
I managed not to fall on top of her, but my position ended up hovering over Nene-chan.
Our gazes met, and I found myself staring into Nene-chan’s beautiful eyes. Because she had just used the thermometer, the button on Nene-chan’s shirt, which was usually fastened tightly, was now slightly undone.
"I'm sorry, I’ll move away right now."
As I tried to pull away, Nene-chan’s slender, white arm wrapped around my neck.
"Fujisaki-san?"
"Since there’s no school nurse here, just call me Nene-chan. Okay, Arata-san?"
"That’s not—"
Before I could finish my sentence, I was pulled closer to her face.
The soft, sweet scent of Nene-chan tickled my nose.
"Isn't it exciting being alone like this in the nurse’s office?"
Nene-chan smiled faintly in front of me.
Exciting? My heartbeat sped up. If anyone saw us in this position, it would definitely be bad.
Luckily, the bed was surrounded by curtains.
"Nene-chan, could you let go of me? I can’t move."
In truth, I could move if I wanted to, but forcibly pulling her arm away when she wasn’t feeling well didn’t feel right.
"You still look calm, Arata-san?"
Nene-chan pouted her thin, graceful lips with a bored expression, like a child.
How could I look calm in this situation? I was just trying to hide it. Because I’m an adult.
"Ei~"
Along with Nene-chan’s call, my vision suddenly went dark, and I felt something soft on my face.
Along with the sweet and soft scent, I also noticed the faint smell of sweat from the hot weather and her body temperature.
This is really bad.
"I’ve made you worry, haven’t I? Sorry about that..."
You don’t need to apologize just for making me worry. What’s more important is, can you let go of me?
Although I wanted to say it, my mouth was pressed against Nene-chan’s chest, and my voice didn’t come out.
As I tried to move, the strength of Nene-chan’s embrace only tightened as she held me closer.
The aroma, her body temperature, and the sensation all stimulated my brain, leaving me unable to move.
"Nene, are you alright?"
"Nene-chi?"
The sliding door creaked open, and a student entered the nurse’s office. It seemed like the homeroom period had just ended.
Because I was worried about Nene-chan’s condition, I didn’t want to make any rough movements, but now wasn’t the time to think about that. When I tried to pull away, her embrace suddenly loosened.
"I slept for a bit, so I’m fine now."
Nene-chan answered from behind the curtains. After that, she tried to sit up and stand.
Nene-chan turned around, raised a finger to her lips, and smiled, then stepped out from behind the curtains.
"Sorry for worrying both of you."
"Nene-chi, I was really shocked when you suddenly collapsed!"
"Nene, your face still looks a bit red. If you’re still not feeling well, you should rest again, okay?"
"I’m fine. Let’s go home together."
"Yeah, let’s go home~ let’s go home~! Summer vacation starts tomorrow! Where should we go play?"
"To the beach, of course!"
"Himari-chi, great idea!"
"You both are exam takers this year, so we still have to study."
"Summer vacation’s last year in high school, and we’re supposed to study the whole time?!"
While chatting casually, Nene-chan and the others left the nurse’s office.
"What was that...?"
I stood there in front of the bed, still feeling the warmth Nene-chan had left behind.
◇◇◇
"Today's food feels good too."
"Thank you."
I greeted the next day without being able to ask Nene-chan about what happened yesterday. As usual, we sat next to each other at the desk, enjoying the lunch she had made.
Today, Nene-chan's lunch was also delicious. Perhaps due to the hot weather, it tasted a little saltier.
While enjoying the food, my mind wandered back to the events in the nurse's office yesterday. The scent, the touch, the temperature—it was all so shocking, and it was vividly etched in my memory.
I stole glances at Nene-chan's face, but she seemed the same as yesterday.
"Summer vacation starts today, but what are you going to do, Arata-san?"
"As a part-time teacher with no teaching schedule, I’ll be spending the summer vacation like the students, but I do have something to do, so I plan to go to school."
"Something to do even though you don’t have a teaching schedule?"
"Yes, I'll be in the study room answering students' questions and acting as a mentor to provide guidance on their career paths."
I continued explaining to Nene-chan, who tilted her head at the unfamiliar word "mentor."
"A mentor is someone who provides advice or acts as a consultant. In a company, a mentor is usually not a direct superior to a new employee, but rather someone close who offers support and advice. Recently, this concept has also been applied in schools. I’m an alum of Amagamine High School, and since my age is relatively close to the students, and I have experience working in a company, I’m considered suitable as an advisor in terms of school life and career paths."
"I’ve never used the study room, but if Arata-san is there, maybe I’ll try it."
"If you want to come, don’t forget to study seriously."
"Of course."
That worry seemed unnecessary for Nene-chan, who was serious about everything.
Although we were talking, I felt like the words were just coming out of my mouth while my thoughts were elsewhere.
"I can’t take it anymore."
I reached for Nene-chan’s hand and stood up.
"Wh-What? What’s wrong, Arata-san?"
"Hurry, come here."
Nene-chan followed me without resisting as I pulled her hand.
"Umm… this is your bedroom, right?"
"Yes, that’s right."
"What do you want to do by bringing me to a place like this?"
"There’s only one reason why I brought you here."
I reached for her slender shoulder and gently guided her to sit on the edge of the bed. It was a bit forceful, but I didn’t have any other choice.
Her shoulder looked fragile, almost as if it could break at any moment if I applied too much pressure.
"I can’t forget what happened yesterday. Even now, I keep thinking about it. From the start, it was all your fault, Nene-chan."
Nene-chan looked at me with a stunned expression on her face. Her eyes were moist, trembling slightly.
"Do you want to hear my request?"
"Yes, please."
In the silence that filled the room, I made my request.
"Please, lie down, okay?"
"...Yes."
Nene-chan gave a small nod, though she seemed hesitant.
Then, Nene-chan seemed to surrender, sinking into the bed.
"Nene-chan, you’re not fully recovered, are you?"
◇◇◇
I took a spoonful from the boiling pot and brought it toward my mouth.
"With tenderness like this, I’m sure she can eat it."
What I made was porridge. After adjusting the taste with some salt, I served it in a bowl. After adding a umeboshi in the middle, it was all done. But before that, I needed to check on Nene-chan in her bedroom.
"Where have you been, Arata-san?"
As I opened the door to the bedroom, Nene-chan lifted her head from the bed and made a sound as though she felt lonely.
"I was making porridge."
"Don’t go too far away from me."
"Sorry, this is for you, Nene-chan."
"If that’s the case, then it’s okay."
Nene-chan’s voice immediately brightened and became more lively. Perhaps because she wasn’t feeling well, her voice sounded a bit more childlike.
"Can you eat it?"
"Yes, I just started feeling hungry. Arata-san really understands me, Nene."
"Yeah, that’s right."
"Hehe, I’m happy to hear that."
A few hours had passed, and now it was afternoon. She most likely hadn’t had breakfast, so it wasn’t hard to imagine that her stomach was probably empty.
"Well then, let’s try to get up for a bit."
"...Nn."
I slowly helped her sit up while supporting her body. In her hands was the 'Dekakawa' doll she was hugging tightly against her chest.
After that, Nene-chan revealed to me that she had the habit of hugging her doll while sleeping and shyly said that she wanted me to bring her 'Dekakawa.'
Since she said it seriously, I got ready to fulfill her request, but the way she spoke was so cute that I couldn’t help but laugh.
Afterward, I hurriedly grabbed a stuffed animal and gave it to Nene-chan, who was almost pouting because I had laughed, to lift her spirits. Perhaps that was why she hugged me yesterday.
"I’ll go get the porridge now."
"Are you leaving?"
I saw the doll scrunching as Nene-chan hugged it even tighter.
"It’s fine, I’ll just be over there."
"I feel lonely."
Today, Nene-chan seemed especially clingy.
When she wasn’t feeling well, she must have felt even lonelier being alone.
"Well then, let’s do this."
I left the bedroom door open and headed to the kitchen. This way, Nene-chan could see the kitchen from her bed, so even though we were apart, she wouldn’t feel alone.
"Ah, I can see Arata-san."
"Yeah, right? So, don’t worry."
"Yes. But hurry back."
It seemed like the effect wore off quickly. Nene-chan kept asking me to hurry back. I quickly added umeboshi to the porridge and was about to bring it back, but Nene-chan wouldn’t accept it.
"Nene-chan, if you don’t eat, you won’t get better."
"Hmm, I want Arata-san to feed me."
"Me?"
"Yes."
Both of Nene-chan’s hands wouldn’t let go of the doll, and I could feel her strong determination in that. Perhaps she couldn’t calm down unless she was hugging the doll.
Even though I felt a bit embarrassed, I had no choice but to do it.
After mashing the umeboshi with a spoon, I took a spoonful of porridge, balancing it well with the umeboshi.
"Here, please."
Nene-chan shook her head when she saw the spoon I offered her. I was confused, wondering if something was wrong, especially since I had added the umeboshi she liked.
"I don't want it, try saying 'ah~n.'"
She looked upset, her cheeks puffed up.
Oh, so that's how it is. Now I’ll follow her request.
"...Ah~n."
"Hmm, it's delicious!"
When I saw Nene-chan's eyes sparkle with joy, my embarrassment no longer mattered.
After that, Nene-chan tilted her head.
"But maybe it tastes a little bland...?"
"That’s not possible."
I had tasted it while making it, and I made sure it wasn’t bland.
"When you’re not feeling well, sometimes it’s hard to taste things properly, or they might taste bitter."
That made me realize Nene-chan wasn’t feeling well. The flavor of the dish today was quite strong. At first, I thought she was adjusting the seasoning because of the hot weather, but Nene-chan’s cooking was always gentle and delicious, so something felt off. When I cooked it myself in the morning and tasted it, it tasted bland, and when I adjusted it to my liking, it ended up being too strong.
When I looked at Nene-chan’s face, she didn’t seem much different from yesterday. It felt strange if she hadn’t changed from the illness that made her faint the day before.
"Nene-chan, you don’t need to force yourself so you don’t worry me."
"Uu... I’m sorry."
"You don’t need to apologize. Worrying about the people close to you is natural, and it’s not a bad thing."
With that, Nene-chan said something after giving an introduction.
"Thank you."
"Ah, you’re welcome."
After that, Nene-chan finished all the porridge and slowly drifted back to sleep.
Her chest rose and fell steadily, and the sound of her breathing was soothing.
I felt relieved after seeing Nene-chan sleeping with a more peaceful expression than yesterday.
As time passed quietly, I gently stroked her head while praying for her health to improve soon.
——.