“Good morning, Mikoto-san.”

“Good morning, Akihara-kun.”

At 7 a.m. the next day, while I was preparing breakfast, Mikoto-san woke up.

She was quite cute as she rubbed her sleepy eyes.

Unlike her appearance at school, where she is known as the “Ice Goddess” she was quite defenseless.

Mikoto-san walked past me and seemed to be on her way to the bathroom.

But at that moment, Mikoto-san’s body swayed and she almost fell on the spot.

If she fell, she might crash into the wall.

I hurried to support her.

I thought it might have been the sprain, but I didn’t think it was that serious and I didn’t think it had lasted long enough until today.

“What’s wrong, Mikoto-san?”

Mikoto-san, who was in my arms, blushed.

No, I think her face was red to begin with.

I put my hand on her forehead.

“Oh, Akihara-kun? Stop it!”

“You have a terrible fever.”

I groaned.

Mikoto-san had finally caught a real cold.

And not just a mild one.

It was only natural, since she had been out and about in this cold winter without any warm clothing.

“I’m fine.”

After saying that, Mikoto-san coughed bitterly.

I don’t think she was fine at all.

I took some tools from the cupboard.

“Here, take my thermometer. Take your temperature.”

“I can go to school.”

“You’re wobbly after just a short walk.”

When I said that, Mikoto-san glared at me.

“I’m fine, I’m fine. Let go of me, Akihara-kun!”

She shook me off and took two or three steps before wobbling again and almost falling over.

I had no choice but to hold her in my arms.

“Take it easy, just go back to sleep.”

With tears in her eyes, she reluctantly nodded her head.

If this continued, Mikoto-san would probably fall down again on the way back to the futon.

I pulled Mikoto-san onto the futon.

I took her temperature with the thermometer and found it to be 39.4 degrees Celsius.

She had a high fever.

“No school, right?”

“… It can’t be helped.”

Mikoto-san pulled up the blanket and hid her face in embarrassment.

Then, Mikoto-san said.

“Are you going to school, Akihara-kun?”

“Uh, yeah. I don’t know what to do.”

“Are you going?”

I looked at Mikoto-san, who was lying right below me, and stared at her face.

Mikoto-san’s face grew redder and redder as she said, “Forget about what I said.”

I guess it must have slipped out, but I wondered if she meant that she wanted me to stay here.

“Should I not go?”

“I didn’t say that.”

After saying that, Mikoto-san coughed with a red face.

It is true that it is awkward to leave a sick person with a high fever alone and go to school.

In case of emergency, I have to take her to the hospital, and if her health deteriorates further and no one is there to help her, I cannot even look at her.

When my Amane-nee-san fell ill and collapsed, I had to skip a day of school to take care of her.

I thought I should take a day off too, so I called the school and lied that I had a cold too.

I had to be careful, though, because if I caught Mikoto-san’s cold, it would be the truth.

Then I sent a message to Kaho on my phone saying I was going to be absent.

As expected, I can’t be the one to inform the absence on Mikoto-san’s part.

The place where her phone is charged is a little far away from Mikoto-san’s futon.

It would be hard for her to get up and get it for me, so I picked up her phone and handed it to her under the covers.

“I know this is hard, but can you call the school?”

“Yes.”

While Mikoto-san was coughing and talking on the phone to the school, I took out a bottle from the refrigerator.

I put it in a cup and offered it to Mikoto-san after she finished the call.

“You should take some water for now. Can you drink it?”

“Thanks …”

Mikoto-san lightly raised her body, put her mouth on the cup and started to drink.

Her breath is heavy and she is huffing and puffing, and her shoulders are moving up and down.

It seems very painful.

Then, Mikoto-san looked at me.

“I didn’t ask Akihara-kun to take a day off from school.”

“I’m not taking a day off because you asked me to, I’m taking a day off because I want to.”

“Liar. You are lying. You are taking the day off to take care of me, aren’t you?”

Mikoto-san said intermittently.

I think it’s so painful that it’s hard for her to even speak.

I shook my head.

“Mikoto-san, you should get some sleep.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?”

“The day before yesterday, when it was cold, you prepared clothes, drinks, baths, and meals for me so that I wouldn’t catch a cold. But in the end, I caught a cold.”

“That’s nothing for you to apologize for, Mikoto-san. Well, it would have been better if you had borrowed my coat yesterday.”

“That’s not right.”

“People are more than happy if an offer of goodwill is accepted.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, that’s right. So, you don’t have to worry about it, Mikoto-san. Do you have an appetite? I’ll make you some porridge or something.”

Mikoto-san shook her head.

I guess that means she can’t eat now.

That’s what happens when you have a high fever.

I wished I had some cooling sheets or masks, but unfortunately we were out of them.

“I’m going to the pharmacy for a while, so please be quiet while I’m gone.”

“I feel like I’m being treated like a child…”

Mikoto-san muttered in embarrassment.