Mikoto-san, in all her glory, is hiding in the closet, and Kaho has opened the closet door.

It’s over.

I looked up to the heavens.

But the next moment, Kaho uttered a joyful voice.

“I knew you had the books I lent you! You have to put them on the bookshelf properly, okay?”

Kaho was holding several paperbacks in one hand and smiling.

Seeing her like that, I was taken aback.

What is going on?

Where did Mikoto-san, who was inside, go?

I looked inside the closet and realized.

There was a blanket in the closet, and Mikoto-san seemed to be hiding under it.

It was dimly lit in the closet, and if Kaho did not pay attention to it, she would probably think it was a package covered with a blanket and not pay any attention to it.

I was relieved.

Thanks to Mikoto’s quick thinking.

“I’m sorry. I’ll return the books.”

I smiled and said to Kaho.

Then.

Mikoto-san sneezed cutely and coughed in succession.

Unlike before through the closet door, this time the sound was clearly audible.

Kaho looked surprised.

“I just heard a girl’s voice.”

“It was just your imagination.”

“It was definitely coming from inside the closet. I think it might have been … under that blanket.”

Kaho finally noticed the unnatural shape of the blanket.

I stepped in between her and the closet.

“It’s really nothing. I’ve returned the books, so please don’t look inside anymore. There are a lot of things in high school boys’ closets that they don’t want you to see.”

“So there’s a girl in there.”

“No, there isn’t.”

“Are you lying to me?”

“I’m not lying to you.”

“You must be doing something wrong to hide something from me.”

“There’s nothing wrong.”

“Then can you tell me who it is there?”

I was unable to say anything back, so I kept my mouth shut.

Kaho has already noticed that there is a girl in the closet.

But if I don’t go past Kaho here, at least I can hide the fact that it is Mikoto-san who is inside.

However, Kaho quickly tried to pass by me.

I hurriedly stopped her.

She tried to force her way through, but I had her in my grasp and she was no match for me in strength.

“Let go of me, Haruto!”

“I can’t let you through.”

Kaho and I began to struggle with each other.

In the spur of the moment, I grabbed Kaho’s chest with my right hand.

The soft texture made me wince.

“Ah……Hyauu!?”

Kaho let out a small scream and glared at me, her face reddening.

“Ha-Haruto… is the worst.

“I didn’t do it on purpose.”

I was so flustered that I loosened my grip on Kaho.

In that moment, Kaho stormed out, escaped from my hands, and quickly passed by me.

Oops.

I tried to stop her, but I was too late.

She took the blanket away.

There, of course, was Mikoto-san.

She was a shivering girl without any clothes on her upper body.

Mikoto-san looked at me with a very frightened expression, as if she was clinging to me.

But I can’t do anything for her now.

Kaho said.

“Rei Mikoto-san, right? Our classmate, the goddess.”

“I am not a goddess.”

Mikoto-san said in a voice that seemed to be fading away.

Kaho asked her again.

“Why are you naked?”

“That’s…”

“Were you doing something naughty with Haruto?”

Kaho said in a chilly voice.

It is a misunderstanding as expected.

I looked up to the heavens again.

Before I could say anything else, Kaho turned around and looked at me.

“Is that what you want to do by skipping school?”

“No.”

“I knew Haruto wanted to do something naughty like this.”

“That’s not true.”

“It doesn’t matter if it’s not me, as long as she’s pretty. Mikoto-san, she’s a beautiful woman, isn’t she? She has big b*****s.”

“No, no. You should check. Mikoto-san, she has a high fever.”

At my words, Kaho looked flabbergasted.

Then she put her hand on Mikoto-san’s forehead.

Mikoto-san wriggled ticklishly.

“Awful fever…”

Kaho murmured, then stopped to look at Mikoto-san’s soaking wet chest and gulped.

Mikoto-san breathed in and out in agony.

“Haruto! Why are you leaving Mikoto-san here!? You need to wipe her off and get her dressed as soon as possible!”

“I had her hide because I knew that if Kaho saw her, she would misunderstand.”

When I told the truth, Kaho glared at me tightly.

“Is that more important than Mikoto-san’s physical condition?”

“No…”

It’s true, I was out of my mind.

Even though I have heard Mikoto-san’s own opinion, if you think about it, she is a sick person suffering from a high fever, so it is much more important to prevent her illness from getting any worse.

In fact, Mikoto-san spent her time wet and half-naked in a cold closet, and now she is in a great deal of pain.

Kaho muttered.

“Poor Mikoto-san.”

“I’m not…. pitiable.”

Mikoto-san answered Kaho’s words in a broken voice. 

Then, she looked at me and Kaho with her moist eyes.

“Sasaki-san. Don’t blame Akihara-kun… It’s all my fault. Akihara-kun was very kind to me. He even took time off from school to take care of me.”

“I see…”

“I live in this apartment.”

Kaho’s eyes widened.

“Akihara-kun helped me when I was being attacked… He cooked for me and kept me warm when I was shivering. So… I am not pitiful.”

Mikoto-san was shaking from the fever, but she said so clearly.

Unlike when she was facing me directly, Mikoto-san’s voice was gentle as she spoke about me to others.

Puzzled, Kaho fell silent, and then, perhaps thinking to change the subject, she said.

“I’ll wipe the wet spots for her anyway, and you’ll get her some fresh underwear. It would be better if I, as a girl, do that rather than Haruto, right?”

But Mikoto-san shook her head.

“I’m fine. I’ll have Akihara-kun do that.”

“Why!?”

“I know that Sasaki-san rejected Akihara-kun. I don’t mean to say that’s wrong. But … then I don’t want you to take advantage of Akihara-kun’s goodwill. I don’t want Sasaki-san to be involved in our home. I wouldn’t… hurt Akihara-kun.”

Mikoto-san said, turning her blue eyes straight to Kaho.