After learning the reason for gumi's absence, Kotomi returned to the classroom. For lunch, she only ate three yakisoba bread rolls.
She slumped lazily on her desk, looking listless.
"Kotomi has seed out of it all day today."
Yui was both surprised and concerned by Kotomi's unusually light lunch and asked with genuine worry.
"Have I?" Kotomi mumbled, her head shifting left and right on the desk.
"Maybe it's because gumi isn't here," Yukino Yukinoshita softly remarked before following up with a question: "Did Shizuka Hiratsuka-sensei say why she's absent?"
"She did."
"And what was it?" Yukino raised an eyebrow, feeling like she was part of a simple question-and-answer ga.
Kotomi grinned mischievously. "I'm not telling~ Ow!"
Yukino gave Kotomi a light whack on the head with her book, then sighed and said:
"I saw you acting distracted and down all morning, so I thought sothing serious might've happened. Turns out, I was worried for nothing."
"Thanks for your concern, Yukino," Kotomi replied with a chuckle. Beneath Yukino's cold exterior, Kotomi had realized, was a warm-hearted girl.
Seeing Kotomi's mood brighten, Yukino returned to her book, satisfied that whatever had been bothering her friend wasn't serious.
Even if she couldn't see gumi at school today, Kotomi could still visit her after classes. This thought gave her renewed energy, and she quickly joined Yui in so lighthearted banter.
"Co to think of it," Yui said, finishing her yogurt and tossing the empty cup into a nearby trash bin with precision, "Yukino was right. You seed off this morning. Is it because gumi isn't here, and you're running low on gumi Energy?"
"You could say that."
Kotomi nodded, mimicking Yui's toss with her drink bottle. Unlike Yui, she missed the trash can and had to get up to pick it up, sighing as she tossed it in properly.
Hearing Kotomi's admission, Yui placed a finger to her chin in exaggerated thought before exclaiming:
"If that's the case, then we need to boost you with so Dango Energy! Forget about the missing gumi Energy!"
With that, Yui spread her arms wide open.
Kotomi instantly understood Yui's intent. Of course—she hadn't had her morning bear hug yet!
Standing up, she opened her arms wide.
"Yui!"
"Kotomi!"
The two collided in a warm, exaggerated embrace, a daily ritual as natural to them as gumi waiting under the streetlamp every morning.
As Kotomi was about to sit back down, Mashiro Shiina tugged at her skirt. Kotomi didn't need words to understand and turned to give Mashiro her hug as well.
So girls who weren't napping on their desks watched the scene, their faces softening into amused smiles.
"Girls being girls—so sweet," one murmured, basking in the wholeso scene.
anwhile, other boys and girls turned a distinct shade of green with envy.
"Heh, nothing special," muttered one boy, slumping at his desk.
"Exactly. Who cares?" another added, arms crossed defensively.
"Not jealous at all. Nope, not one bit!" soone else muttered, their pout betraying their words.
Yukino, still holding her book, glanced up at Kotomi hugging Yui and Mashiro. For a mont, an inexplicable urge to join in rose within her. She gripped the edges of her book tightly, suppressing the impulse.
Focus, Yukino. This book isn't going to read itself.
Yet, for the next few pages, not a single word managed to stick in her mory.
After making it through the afternoon classes and spending an hour painting in the art room, Kotomi left school.
She considered taking a waterlon to gumi but quickly rembered that the waterlons from Yamanashi were still in transit. Instead, she stopped by a convenience store to buy two cans of mixed fruit cocktail and a few bottles of sports drinks.
gumi loved the canned peaches in the fruit cocktail, while Kotomi enjoyed the nata de coco. Sharing the can was their usual routine.
***
gumi Kato was curled up in her bed. When she woke up in the morning, she felt a bone-chilling cold coursing through her body. She imdiately realized she had caught a cold.
It's because I forgot to fully close the window last night, gumi thought.
After sweating profusely from her exertions with Kotomi, the night chill had seeped through the small crack in the window, leaving her vulnerable.
I'll be more careful next ti. Not everything can be solved with 'hard work.'
Her parents had ntioned they wouldn't be ho until late tonight, so gumi reluctantly ordered egg porridge for breakfast. Despite her lack of appetite, she forced herself to eat it and take her dicine before bundling herself under the covers to sweat it out.
By noon, she was feeling much better but decided to spend the day resting. She dozed off again in the afternoon, enjoying her rare day off.
For dinner, gumi craved beef stew rice and so refreshing fruit cocktail.
However, the convenience store didn't deliver, and she didn't want to risk stepping out and catching a chill again.
Before, I might've welcod a cold as an excuse to sleep in. But now… missing a day ans missing Kotomi. I don't like it.
Determined to recover quickly, she vowed, I'll get better by tomorrow morning so I can walk to school with Kotomi again! My soft, fragrant Kotomi… my sweet, fluffy wife…
She giggled to herself but soon started coughing. Achoo!
Glancing at the clock, she decided to nap a little longer before ordering dinner.
Ding-dong!
The doorbell chid.
gumi peeked at her phone. Evening was approaching—who could it be at this hour?
Throwing on a thick jacket to guard against the chill, she shuffled to the window.
Her grogginess evaporated the mont she saw Kotomi standing outside.
"She's here!"
Overco with joy, gumi spun around and dashed down the stairs, her illness montarily forgotten.
Outside, Kotomi stood at the door, holding her bag of fruit cocktails and sports drinks. Feeling a gaze on her, she looked up to see gumi peeking from the second-floor window.
Unable to suppress her delight, Kotomi waved enthusiastically.
After a full day apart, both girls were bursting with the sa longing to see each other.
gumi ran down the stairs eagerly, but just as her hand touched the doorknob, she froze.
I'm still not fully recovered from this cold. I can't risk passing it to Kotomi.
Realizing this, she turned back to the living room and grabbed a mask from the cabinet. Only after putting it on did she feel at ease enough to open the door.
"gumi-chan!"
The mont the door opened, Kotomi waved enthusiastically, her excitent spilling over as she bounced on her feet.
Seeing this, gumi's heart lted. She quickly stepped forward, opened the outer gate, and gave Kotomi a gentle pat on the head.
"Kotomi! Did you miss after just one day?"
"Of course I missed you! When I didn't see you this morning, I got super worried! Why didn't you send a ssage?"
Oh no, I completely forgot… gumi thought, flustered. Just as she was about to explain, Kotomi grabbed her by the wrist.
"You're still recovering! Let's go inside and talk."
Looking at her hand, which Kotomi was holding tightly, then at Kotomi's determined back, gumi couldn't help but smile softly. A warm feeling spread through her chest.
Being cared for by Kotomi feels wonderful~
Inside, as Kotomi removed her shoes, gumi couldn't help but notice her petite, silk-covered feet.
"I've been pampered by my little sister so much that I've learned how to take care of others myself," Kotomi said proudly, hands on her hips.
"Copying your sister?" gumi teased with a laugh.
"Modeling her!" Kotomi retorted cheekily, flashing her teeth in a grin.
After changing into indoor slippers, Kotomi crouched down unexpectedly.
"What are you doing?" gumi asked, puzzled.
"I'm going to carry you upstairs! It's common to feel weak when you're sick, isn't it?" Kotomi replied seriously.
gumi, understanding Kotomi's intent, shook her head gently. "It's fine. I'm feeling much better now. My throat is still a little scratchy, but I have enough energy to walk."
gumi didn't look as weak as Kotomi had imagined. Reflecting on how dependent she beca on her little sister Aimi when she caught colds, Kotomi suddenly felt a little embarrassed.
Back then, no matter what it was, she'd make Aimi carry her.
Of course, little did Kotomi know, Aimi actually enjoyed taking care of her older sister.
"Aw, I was looking forward to carrying you and taking care of you, gumi-chan," Kotomi said, her disappointnt evident.
Seeing this, gumi's eyes twinkled with mischief. She let out a soft gasp, clutching her forehead as if dizzy.
"gumi-chan, what's wrong?!" Kotomi quickly rushed to her side, wrapping an arm around gumi's waist.
Feigning weakness, gumi murmured, "I suddenly feel light-headed… and my whole body feels weak… Kotomi, can you carry upstairs?"
Before gumi could even finish her act, she found herself off the ground. By the ti she realized what was happening, she was already securely on Kotomi's back.
"gumi-chan, hold on tight! I'll carry you upstairs," Kotomi declared confidently, gripping a bag of fruit cocktail and energy drinks with her teeth.
gumi blinked in surprise, then relaxed with a tender smile. She looped her arms around Kotomi's neck and relished the mont of being carried.
Kotomi carried gumi up to her bedroom and gently set her down on the bed. Finally, she let out a relieved breath and asked, "Are you feeling okay now?"
Not wanting Kotomi to worry, gumi smiled and shook her head. "I'm fine. I think I just rushed downstairs too quickly and felt a little dizzy. That's all."
"You should still rest more," Kotomi said firmly. Then her eyes lit up. "Oh! I brought fruit cocktail and so energy drinks. Would you like so?"
"I had an energy drink this morning, but I'd love so fruit cocktail!"
"Perfect!" Kotomi nodded enthusiastically, relieved that she'd chosen well. However, when she saw the canned packaging of the fruit cocktail, her face fell.
She stared at the lid with so trepidation. Oh no… I forgot I don't know how to open canned food!
Whenever Kotomi craved fruit cocktail at ho, she would simply bring the can to her sister Aimi and have her open it.
Now, standing in gumi's kitchen with two cans of fruit cocktail in hand, Kotomi hesitated.
"Maybe… I could run ho, have Aimi open these, and then bring them back?" she suggested hesitantly.
gumi couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of the idea. "That doesn't sound practical. There's an opener in the kitchen drawer—sothing we got from IKEA."
"Oh, got it! I'll go use that."
Just as Kotomi was about to leave the room, her stomach growled audibly.
"Kotomi, are you hungry?"
"Kind of…" Kotomi admitted sheepishly. "Hearing you ntion IKEA just made crave their ice cream."
gumi couldn't hold back her laughter. "Once I'm all better, I'll take you to IKEA for ice cream."
"Promise?" Kotomi's eyes sparkled.
"Promise."
Kotomi happily dashed off to the kitchen. Having been to gumi's house many tis before, she found the layout familiar. It didn't take her long to locate the IKEA can opener, which still had its tags on, unused until now.
Ripping off the tags, Kotomi managed to open the tricky lid with ease. Feeling victorious, she grabbed two spoons and carried the fruit cocktail back to the bedroom.
"gumi-chan, open wide~"
"Ah~"
Kotomi fed gumi a slice of canned peach. Every ti gumi was recovering from a cold, she found herself craving fruit cocktail. Eating it brought a sense of comfort that she couldn't quite explain.
Kotomi didn't understand the reason behind it either, but seeing gumi's delighted expression was enough to make her happy.
"When I woke up this morning, I felt awful. Took my temperature, and it was 38.5°C. I didn't tell you because, first, I didn't want you to worry, and second, I spent almost the entire day in bed, completely drained. I didn't even have the energy to pick up my phone, let alone check ssages. Sorry for not letting you know."
After finishing the fruit cocktail, gumi explained why she hadn't inford Kotomi about her condition. Just as she reached out to stroke Kotomi's hair, she suddenly felt a soft pressure.
Looking down, gumi found that Kotomi had half-reclined onto the bed, wrapping her arms gently around her and resting her head in her lap.
Kotomi sniffled, wriggling her waist slightly, her tone tinged with tears as she murmured, "I didn't see you all day today. It made feel awful…"
"I'm sorry," gumi said softly.
"No apologies! It's not your fault you caught a cold. You just need to take care of yourself and recover, okay?"
"Mm, I'll try my best to be better by tomorrow!" gumi nodded earnestly. She let her fingers thread through Kotomi's hair, her voice unconsciously becoming tender. "Kotomi, you're acting like a little kid whining to their big sister right now~"
"I am not a little kid! My birthday's earlier than yours. Technically, if anyone's the big sister here, it should be . You should be calling 'Nee-chan, Nee-chan!' instead!" Kotomi pouted, her cheeks puffing up in protest.
"Well then, tell , what kind of big sister acts like this, whining and throwing tantrums to her little sister?"
Kotomi bit her lip, her cheeks turning a delightful shade of red. Her dewy, almond-shaped eyes began to shimr with an alluring softness.
"Doesn't matter! I'm just a big sister who loves to be pampered. You made fret about you all day, so you owe compensation!"
Even while pouting, Kotomi still kept her bravado.
gumi chuckled warmly. "Alright, so how do you want to make it up to you?"
Kotomi pursed her lips slightly, leaned forward, and without hesitation, pressed a kiss to gumi's cherry-red lips.
"Kotomi? Why are you crying?"
"It's just… it feels so good. I always cry when I feel too good…"
"You really are a crybaby," gumi teased, her fingers lacing with Kotomi's. "Alright then—I'll make sure to treat you well."
As the night grew deeper, Kotomi sat on the edge of the bed, slowly pulling on her white stockings. anwhile, gumi leaned back against the pillows, her face glowing with renewed vitality. She stretched languidly and sighed contentedly.
"Ahh~ I'm cured! I feel like I'm bursting with energy now! Tomorrow, I can go to school with you again."
Kotomi, on the other hand, glanced at her with a mix of affection and exasperation, her expression tinged with the grievance of a "bullied" bride.
Even so, before leaving, she poured gumi a cup of warm water and placed an order for beef stew rice, gumi's favorite dish.
"I've already paid for the delivery. It should arrive in about 45 minutes. Drink this warm water first, and after you finish dinner, take your dicine and drink another cup of warm water. Then go to bed early."
"Oh, and don't forget—I bought two cans of fruit cocktail. We finished one, but the other's in the fridge. It's chilled, so it'll taste really good. If you feel like it, go grab it later."
"Got it, got it~" gumi laughed lightly. "So this is what they an by 'Drink more hot water,' huh?"
"Because it really does help colds heal faster. I'm heading out now—see you tomorrow." With that, Kotomi picked up her bag from the floor.
"Bye-bye. See you tomorrow."
The Next Morning.
After finishing her breakfast, Aimi frowned slightly. Normally, her sister would already be downstairs eating by now, ready to leave for school.
But today, she had finished eating, and her sister hadn't even co downstairs yet?!
Standing up, Aimi said, "Mom, I'm going upstairs to check on Sis. If she doesn't get up soon, she's going to be late."
"How odd. Kotomi's usually the first one ready. Could she have stayed up late last night? Aimi, go wake her up quickly. If she doesn't get moving, she really will be late."
Akina, in the middle of pouring crear into her coffee, also noticed the unusual behavior. For Kotomi to still not be up at this hour was strange.
"Got it."
Aimi headed upstairs, knocked on Kotomi's door, and, hearing no response, gently pushed it open.
"Onee-chan, it's morning already! If you don't get up soon, you'll be late for school!"
As Aimi walked toward the bed, she noticed Kotomi lying there, looking utterly miserable.
"Sis! What's wrong?! Are you feeling unwell?"
"Ugh… Aimi, I think I caught a cold," Kotomi said pitifully, sniffling as her tearful eyes looked up at her little sister.
Her face was pale, clearly not faking it. Aimi reached out to touch Kotomi's forehead—it was burning hot.
"How did this happen? Why'd you suddenly catch a cold?" Aimi frowned. "I'll go get the thermoter."
"…Mm."
After taking Kotomi's temperature, Aimi checked the reading—38.5°C.
"38.5. You definitely have a fever. Alright, Onee-chan, you're staying ho to rest today. I'll let Mom know and have her call the school to excuse you."
"Okay… cough, cough… thanks, Aimi."
"Shhh, don't talk too much—you're coughing already. You'll need to eat sothing, even if you don't feel like it, so you can take your dicine and get better quickly."
Aimi's voice was gentle as she swept Kotomi's hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear.
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