“Please… feed me.”
When Arisa made that request, Yuzuru was slightly surprised.
She had shown vulnerability before—asking him to let her lean on him, for instance—
But this kind of selfish request felt new.
(Well… she’s sick. She must be feeling weak.)
Of course, there was no reason to refuse.
Yuzuru nodded, speared a small piece of peach with the fork, and brought it to her lips.
“Here.”
“Ahh…”
Arisa parted her lips slightly and took the peach into her mouth.
Yuzuru slowly pulled the fork away from her soft lips.
She chewed quietly, then swallowed.
After that, she opened her mouth again, just a little.
“More, please.”
“…Alright.”
Feeling a little strange, Yuzuru fed her another piece.
This was just nursing care.
And yet… for some reason, it felt oddly sensual.
At the same time, it stirred a protective instinct in him—like feeding a baby bird.
Caught between those conflicting feelings, Yuzuru continued feeding Arisa until she finished.
Afterwards, he gave her water along with her medicine.
He also replaced the ice pack and cooling sheet on her forehead.
“Yuzuru-san… um…”
“It’s alright. I’ll stay until evening.”
He assumed she was worried he might leave.
But Arisa shook her head.
“That’s not it…”
“Then what is it?”
“…Please hold my hand. Until I fall asleep.”
Her eyes shimmered slightly as she asked.
It seemed she was mentally worn down as well.
Yuzuru gently took her hand in his.
It was soft, delicate… and warm with fever.
Arisa closed her eyes, looking relieved.
Before long, her breathing steadied as she drifted off to sleep.
Careful not to wake her, Yuzuru slowly released her hand—
And quietly left the room.
“Yuzuru-san… Yuzuru-san…”
Around half past four in the afternoon.
Yuzuru, who had been in the living room looking up how to care for someone with a cold, heard her voice and immediately stood up.
It sounded like a baby bird calling for its parent—soft, lonely, and endearing.
He hurried to her room.
“Yuzuru-san…”
When she saw his face, relief washed over her.
It seemed waking up alone had made her uneasy.
“Sorry. I thought it’d be better not to stay too close, in case I catch it.”
Of course, he wouldn’t mind catching a simple cold.
But he knew she would worry if that happened.
“I understand… I’m just glad you were still here.”
She looked up at him.
Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes slightly teary, the corners softened—
An expression that seemed to be asking for something.
Not quite understanding what she wanted, Yuzuru decided to gently pat her head.
Arisa closed her eyes, relaxing into the touch.
The sight reminded him of the family dog, and he couldn’t help but smile faintly.
“Arisa, do you feel like eating?”
“My appetite…”
Just as she began to answer—
Grrr…
A small sound echoed.
Her face flushed even deeper.
“…I do want to eat.”
“I see. I bought some instant porridge. I’ll heat it up. And you’re probably thirsty too, right? Should I bring you a drink first?”
“Yes, please.”
She nodded slightly.
Yuzuru first retrieved a chilled bottle of Pocari Sweat from the fridge and handed it to her.
After confirming she drank it, he went to the kitchen, transferred the porridge into a dish, and warmed it in the microwave.
Then he brought it back with a spoon.
“Um…”
“You want me to feed you again?”
“…Yes.”
Yuzuru took the spoon, blew on it to cool it, and slowly brought it to her lips.
She accepted it without hesitation.
Perhaps she’d used up a lot of energy—she finished it quickly.
“Do you want more peaches?”
“…Yes, please.”
She still looked a little unsatisfied, so he fed her the remaining peaches from earlier.
After that, he gave her water with her medicine and checked her temperature.
It had gone down to the 37-degree range.
“For now, let’s change your pillow—”
“…Um, before that, I have a request.”
“What is it? If it’s something I can do, I’ll do anything.”
At that, Arisa looked slightly nervous.
Her cheeks, already flushed from the fever, deepened in colour as she spoke.
“I want to wipe my body.”
“Ah… right, that makes sense.”
She had been sweating a lot.
Naturally, she’d want to clean herself and change clothes.
They might even need to change the sheets.
“I’ll get some wet towels.”
“Thank you.”
She nodded, still looking tense.
Yuzuru felt something was slightly off about her, but he went ahead and prepared several damp towels.
“Alright, Arisa. I’ll step out, so wipe yourself down and get changed. Then I’ll change the sheets.”
“…Yes, thank you.”
She took the towels.
After confirming that, Yuzuru turned to leave—
“Wait.”
Her faint voice stopped him.
He turned back.
“What is it—w-wait, what are you doing!?”
Arisa was unbuttoning her pyjama top, one button at a time.
Through the gap, he caught sight of her sweat-damp skin, her chest, and her white, modest underwear.
Once she finished unbuttoning—
She turned her back to him.
Then slowly slid the top off her shoulders, revealing her pale skin.
She glanced back slightly.
Her face was flushed red like a ripe tomato.
“Um… Yuzuru-san…”
Her voice was unusually soft—almost sultry.
Trembling with embarrassment, yet speaking clearly, she said—
“My back… I can’t reach it. Could you wipe it for me?”
With that, she removed the top completely.
Her pale back, flushed and damp with sweat, was fully exposed.
Only the clasp of her white bra remained at the centre.
At her waist, just above her trousers, the edge of her damp underwear peeked out.
“…Please.”
She repeated it, her voice barely above a whisper.
Yuzuru swallowed hard.
