Kanade felt a faint resistance against his hand—it was Chika Fujiwara trying to turn her head away.
"Don't move," Kanade ordered firmly.
Now she decides to feel shy? But at this point, there's no turning back—it's too late for that!
"Fuu—"
Kanade gently blew into her eye for a moment before asking, "How does it feel now?"
"It's still a bit uncomfortable…" Chika replied softly, her face now entirely flushed. "C-could you blow a little more…"
"Alright." Kanade nodded. Since the "patient" insisted, he had no choice but to see this through to the end.
After blowing gently for a bit longer, he asked again, "How about now?"
"…Just a little more."
"...And now?"
"Just a little while longer…"
Kanade was about to oblige once more when he caught sight of a few passersby out of the corner of his eye. They were glancing curiously at the pair, whispering to one another as they walked by.
That's when it hit him—they were still out on the street. This overly intimate act in public? Way too embarrassing!
"That's enough. If it still bothers you, deal with it yourself." Hastily wrapping up the situation, Kanade withdrew his hands and, to avoid any misunderstandings, took a deliberate step back from Chika.
"Huh? You're not going to finish the job?" Chika muttered in dissatisfaction. But when she blinked a few times and found her eye no longer bothering her as much, her expression brightened. "Yay! It really feels better now. The President is amazing!"
"…"
Kanade couldn't understand her logic, but as long as she was happy, he had no intention of arguing.
"What now? Where are we going next?" Chika asked as she shuffled closer, closing the gap Kanade had put between them.
"Go? Home, of course. Where else?" Kanade replied with a shake of his head. This girl was clearly caught up in the fun of the moment. She had completely started treating their outing as if it were an actual date. Seeing her look a little disappointed, he added, "Alright, let's call it a day for now. It's late. If you want to go out again, we can plan something for another time."
They had already spent a lot of effort tracking down Moeha and her group, not to mention the snacks they'd indulged in along the way. The sky was now fully dark, and Kanade wasn't comfortable leaving Chika outside by herself. So, he offered to escort her home.
Opening his umbrella, he gestured toward her. "Come on, I'll walk you back."
"Mm-hmm!" Chika chirped, hopping under the umbrella. Like before, she wrapped both hands around Kanade's arm without hesitation.
Having already experienced this once, Kanade was much calmer about it this time, taking on the role of guide without any further reaction.
Walking in silence could be boring, especially for someone as energetic as Chika. With the rain preventing her from moving around freely, she turned to chatting to pass the time.
"Speaking of which, the rainy season's almost here, huh? It's been raining off and on lately, and it's only getting more frequent."
"Yeah," Kanade nodded. "The weather forecast shows it'll only get worse. Starting next week, we probably won't see much clear sky."
Kanade didn't mind rainy days much anymore—they provided the perfect excuse to stay home playing games or reading manga. However, the occasional gloominess that came with them was harder to ignore.
Noticing Chika's slight dip in mood, he asked, "You don't like rain, do you?"
The rainy season in Japan was as predictable as clockwork, usually starting in mid-May and lasting until mid-July. It began in coastal areas like Kyushu and Okinawa before gradually spreading inland, covering the entire country in over a month of near-constant drizzle. While most people adapted to it, some found it outright annoying, especially with the added challenges of staying dry and dealing with humidity.
"A little, yeah." Chika nodded. "Mainly because rain makes my hair damp and frizzy, and it's such a hassle to go anywhere."
As someone who loved being active, Chika's usual routine of wandering and exploring was significantly hindered by the rainy season. Her dislike was understandable.
"Fair enough…" Kanade agreed, recalling how Mahiru had expressed similar sentiments in the past. It seemed that long-haired girls often worried about such things.
"That's why we need to make the most of the time before the rainy season really kicks in! I want to go out and have fun a few more times before then," Chika declared, an idea forming in her mind. "Come to think of it, I haven't hung out with Kaguya in ages. I should invite her out one of these days… Hey, President, you should try inviting her too! The more people, the better, right? If we keep asking, she might finally say yes!"
"…"
Kanade felt a twinge of helplessness. If Chika, Kaguya's closest friend, couldn't convince her, what chance did he have?
Still, as he thought about it, he realized he'd never seen Kaguya engage in any kind of leisure activity outside of school. Her life seemed to revolve around just two places—school and home. Such a monotonous lifestyle was concerning, especially since Kanade had sensed that Kaguya didn't particularly enjoy it. She clearly yearned for genuine friendships and normal social interactions, but she simply didn't have many opportunities to experience them.
Chika was undoubtedly one of her few true friends. And perhaps, Kanade himself could now tentatively call himself one too.
"Alright, I'll give it a try," Kanade said, nodding seriously. It wasn't out of pity—just the determination to step out of his comfort zone for a friend. He couldn't let fear of rejection hold him back.
"Yay! I'll be waiting for good news, President!" Chika beamed, her face lighting up with an infectious smile.
"…"
Compared to all the other girls around him, Chika was undoubtedly the most spirited. She was like a beacon of energy, chattering non-stop as they made their way to her house. Most of what she said was trivial, if not completely pointless, but it seemed she just couldn't stand the thought of staying silent.
When they finally reached her front door, they exchanged the usual pleasantries. Chika invited him in for a cup of tea, but Kanade, feeling rather tired, politely declined.
"Well, fine… But next time, you can't say no! If I have to drag you inside, I will!" Chika threatened with a playful shake of her tiny fists.
"Alright, next time for sure," Kanade replied with a smile, waving goodbye as he turned to leave.
The journey home wasn't too far, and since it was in the opposite direction of the train station, Kanade decided to walk. The rain had cooled the air, making the walk less stifling compared to earlier in the day.
When he got home, he realized his body felt sticky from the rain and humidity. He thought about taking a shower but was suddenly overcome by a wave of exhaustion. Tossing his damp clothes aside, he collapsed onto his bed, intending to take a quick nap before doing anything else.
When Kanade's heavy eyelids finally lifted, the first thing he saw wasn't the familiar ceiling of his room but strands of familiar flaxen hair.
Looking further up, he saw her. Mahiru Shiina was peacefully sleeping beside him, her serene expression soft and tranquil. Her chest rose and fell rhythmically with her even breaths.
"Ugh…" Kanade exhaled faintly, his mind clouded with confusion as he wondered why Mahiru was next to him. Struggling to sit up, he found that his body felt unnaturally heavy—so much so that even lifting a single finger seemed like an impossible effort.
"…"
"Oh, you're awake," Mahiru's soft voice broke the silence. Stirring from her sleep, she blinked a few times, then rubbed her eyes with small, delicate hands.
"Are you feeling any better?"
"…" Kanade couldn't quite process what was happening. As he shifted slightly, a damp cloth slid off his forehead, almost obscuring his vision.
"What's this…"
"Ah! Sorry, I must've fallen asleep," Mahiru said apologetically, her expression tinged with guilt as she hurriedly retrieved the fallen towel.
"Am I… sick?" Kanade rasped, his voice hoarse as the realization dawned on him.
"Mm. You seem to have a fever," Mahiru said with a nod, dipping the cloth into a bowl of water beside the bed and wringing it out before placing it back on his forehead. "I got worried when you didn't reply to my messages, so I came over to check. When I found you, your body temperature was alarmingly high."
"…What time is it now?"
"It's almost 10 PM." Sitting beside him, Mahiru lightly touched his neck to check his temperature. "You still feel warm…"
"…"
"How's your body? Do you feel any better now?" Mahiru's expression was filled with concern. She'd seen Kanade full of energy earlier in the day, so this sudden change worried her deeply.
It wasn't something that could've come out of nowhere; he must've been feeling unwell for a while but had stubbornly pushed through without telling her.
Kanade tried to assess his condition but found that it was worse than when he first lay down. His limbs felt heavy and unresponsive, his head throbbed, and his throat was unbearably dry.
"Water…"
"Ah, one moment." Mahiru quickly turned and grabbed a glass of water she had prepared on the bedside table. But as she handed it to him, she noticed that even sitting up was a struggle for him. Setting the glass aside, she leaned over to help him sit upright.
In the process, however, something unexpected caught her eye.
"Ah!"
"…" Kanade turned his head slightly, looking at her with a puzzled expression.
"It's n-nothing…" Mahiru stammered, shaking her head. Despite the awkward moment, she focused on supporting him as he leaned against the headboard.
Once he was in a stable position, she picked up the glass of water again and brought it directly to his lips, clearly intending to feed it to him herself.
"…" Kanade didn't resist.
His mind was too foggy to care about pride or modesty, and he didn't have the strength to lift the glass himself.
Mahiru fed him the water in small sips, taking care not to move too quickly and risk choking him. After ensuring he had enough to drink, she finally broached another concern.
"This… isn't good for recovery. I'll find you something to wear…"
His discarded clothes were still damp and unsuitable for wearing. Mahiru rummaged through his closet for a suitable replacement, but after some searching, she couldn't find anything resembling sleepwear. In the end, she settled for a long-sleeved shirt she'd seen him wear before.
Returning to his side, she initially intended to let him dress himself, but seeing how his eyelids were already drooping as if he might fall asleep again, she hesitated.
"Could you… lift your arms a little?"
"…"
When he didn't respond, Mahiru bit her lip in worry. She had never seen Kanade look this weak before, and it made her anxiety grow. Was this really just a fever, or could it be something more serious?
Even without his cooperation, Mahiru was determined. Through sheer effort, she managed to dress him, though the process involved quite a bit of unavoidable contact. Initially, she was self-conscious about it, but seeing his complete lack of energy made her mood plummet. Her concern for him far outweighed any embarrassment she felt.
"Are you feeling a little better now?" Mahiru asked softly, sitting beside him and holding his hand gently.
"Still sleepy…"
"If you're sleepy…" Mahiru hesitated, biting her lip. She wanted to let him lie down and rest, but she had prepared medicine that needed to be taken with food. Letting him sleep on an empty stomach wasn't ideal.
"You should try eating a little first," she coaxed gently. "Otherwise, you won't be able to take the medicine."
"…Okay."