Chihaya Anon was known for her impulsive drive.
As a sunny, outgoing extrovert, the moment she sensed an opportunity, she moved with lightning speed. Bursting with excitement, she rushed to Kazami Haru's small apartment. Standing at the door, she extended a trembling hand and gave a gentle knock.
But after waiting for a good while with no response, confusion crept in.
"That's weird… Why isn't Haru opening the door?"
"Haru… could he be too weak to come to the door?"
Beside her, Takamatsu Tomori's anxious eyes seemed like they could almost crystallize into solid worry.
The inability to reach Haru triggered a deep, instinctive fear in her. As her mood sunk, she began pacing in place out of habit, and even Anon started getting flustered just from watching her.
"Surely… it's not that bad, right?"
Even though she posed it as a question, Anon's tone carried unmistakable concern.
"I-I'll knock again!"
"If he still doesn't come, I'm calling an ambulance!"
Just as the two of them started spinning in a frantic panic, the metal door gave a soft click, and slowly opened to reveal Kazami Haru, wearing loose-fitting black-and-blue pajamas, brow faintly furrowed.
The three locked eyes and for a few seconds, an eerie silence hung in the air.
"Haru!"
Anon's eyes lit up with relief, her worry and tension vanishing in an instant.
"Seriously! I was starting to think something terrible happened to you…"
But she trailed off as her eyes finally took in Haru's condition.
He looked nothing like his usual self.
His face was pale, completely devoid of color, and his lips were visibly cracked. His shoulder-length black hair was a mess, and his expression screamed exhaustion and weakness.
"Tomori? Anon?"
Haru forced out a hoarse greeting, his voice rasping in his throat and both girls' expressions changed at once.
"I heard from Rikki you were sick, so I came with Tomori to check on you."
"You look really bad right now, Haru…"
Worry clouded Anon's eyes.
Facing the two girls, Haru weakly replied, "Maybe… just a little."
To be honest, he wasn't doing well at all.
He'd been half-unconscious in bed, barely able to move, and had only dragged himself to the door out of reflex when he heard the bell. Finding Anon and Tomori standing there left his mind foggy, struggling to process it.
"Mm…"
The moment Tomori saw him, her face lit up with a mix of relief and joy.
The anxiety that had filled her mind rushed out like a tide receding from the shore, and her tightly coiled nerves began to slowly relax. But the tears that had welled up from her fear still shimmered in her eyes.
She was just so grateful he was okay.
But at the same time, when she saw how sick he looked, when she realized she hadn't noticed, a wave of regret and guilt surged inside her.
What am I even doing?
I'm supposed to be the one closest to him.
Tomori bit her lip and lowered her head, her posture full of uncertainty.
She clenched her right hand over her chest, her eyes openly sorrowful. The flood of emotion compelled her to take a small step forward—
"Eh?"
In the next moment, Anon's eyes widened as she watched Tomori suddenly step up and gently hug Haru.
Their bodies pressed together tightly. The unexpected contact left Haru frozen in place. Timid little Tomori clung to him with everything she had, and the sheer force of the hug seemed to snap him back to clarity.
"Thank goodness…"
Tomori's lips quivered as she spoke. Her hands were trembling as they held him close, and her amber eyes—usually tinged with melancholy—glimmered with tears.
She buried her face in his chest, seeking even the tiniest bit of comfort from his presence.
She was scared, really scared.
Terrified of reliving the past.
Tomori hated loss. Hated sadness. She never wanted to go through something like that again.
"H-Hold on, Tomori… If you're that close, you'll catch my cold…"
"…"
Usually the most obedient of girls, Tomori didn't respond. She just buried her head deeper into his chest, stubbornly refusing to let go.
Because in her heart, she feared that if she did let go… Haru would vanish before her eyes.
Seeing this, Haru instantly understood what she was thinking.
In Tomori's mind, he had probably broken a promise.
He had once made a promise with her—
"No matter what happens, never push yourself too hard."
She must've thought he got sick from overworking himself and blamed herself for not noticing sooner, for not taking care of him.
Now, seeing him again, she could only react like a little penguin clinging to its parents. Her embrace was awkward, direct… but incredibly sincere.
It was enough to pierce straight into Haru's heart.
He let out a soft sigh and spoke gently to the girl in his arms.
"I didn't get sick because I worked too hard. I just caught a chill I wasn't paying attention to."
"…"
Still, Tomori didn't speak.
"I wasn't forcing myself and it's not your fault for missing it, Tomori."
That line seemed to finally get through.
She gave a small nuzzle against his chest, her silky silver-gray hair releasing a faint, clean scent. Her eyes, moist like autumn mist, looked up at him softly.
"I do have a bit of a fever…"
"I might need someone to help take care of me. Think you can help me out, Tomori?"
As Haru gently stroked her hair and pulled her into a reassuring embrace, the warmth of her soft, delicate body seemed to give him a bit more strength.
His quiet voice made her shoulders tremble even more.
"…You didn't forget?"
"Of course not. I'm going to remember it for the rest of my life."
A promise. A precious one.
Only after hearing that did a faint smile bloom on Tomori's lips.
Just as she was about to nod and accept her "mission," Chihaya Anon, who had been silently glaring this whole time, took a deep breath and stepped forward. With a pout on her cute face, she tugged Tomori gently out of Haru's arms.
Her cheeks were filled with jealousy.
That should've been MY spot!
When Haru had opened the door, she, Chihaya Anon, should've been the one to throw herself into his arms first!
She'd spaced out for one second and Tomori had stolen the moment. Worst part? Haru hadn't even resisted, he comforted her like she was his girlfriend and just left her hanging!
That hug should've belonged to his actual girlfriend, dammit!
"Haru's still sick with a fever and a cold. Hugging him like that is probably really uncomfortable for him!"
"S-sorry…"
Realizing what she'd done, Tomori backed off quickly, her eyes filling with panic and remorse. She let go of Haru and stood nervously to the side, looking like a child who'd just been scolded by a parent.
Seeing her like that made even Anon's jealousy melt into guilt.
"Tomori, I didn't mean it like that… I just think Haru needs rest. We should be helping him, not hugging him to exhaustion…"
"Mm!"
Tomori nodded hard, agreeing with her.
Haru had no reason to object.
He'd promised Tomori that he'd rely on her when he needed help and he had just asked her to take care of him.
So at this point, all he could do was surrender and go with the flow.
"Then I'll leave lunch prep to you guys. I'm gonna sleep a bit…"
Maybe because he had burned through all his remaining energy, Haru's voice was weak as he turned and slowly walked toward his bedroom.
…
Watching Haru lie back in bed, Anon let out a quiet sigh of relief.
She turned to Tomori, who now sat stiffly upright beside her, and raised a single finger to her cherry blossom-pink lips, speaking in the softest whisper she could manage—
"Listen up, Tomori. We absolutely can't let anything disturb Haru's rest!"
"Got it!"
Tomori furrowed her brows, clenching her tiny fists in determination.
It was her first time caring for someone who was sick, but if it would help Haru recover even a little faster, then no matter how tough it was, she would give it her all.
This was her duty now.
"Anyway, let's check if he's running a fever first."
"The best way is to touch foreheads. That should give a pretty good sense…"
Chihaya Anon didn't even get to finish her sentence before Takamatsu Tomori, sitting beside her, had already leaned over to press her forehead against Kazami Haru's.
Carefully, gently, she touched her forehead to his. The closeness made her avert her gaze, cheeks lightly tinged with pink. At this range, she could clearly feel his breath against her skin.
And the moment their foreheads met, a wave of heat like molten lava seeped into her skin.
Tomori instantly knit her brows. Even she could tell this temperature wasn't normal.
"…Haru's burning up."
"Tomori—!"
Watching Tomori beat her to the forehead touch, Anon could practically see green bubbling in her eyes.
But this wasn't the time to be jealous. Making lunch and taking care of the patient took top priority!
"Tomori~! Start checking the place for fever reducers and cold medicine! And see if you can find a thermometer… oh, and check the fridge for any leftover food! I'll get a wet towel to help cool him down."
For once, Anon sounded super reliable.
She efficiently directed Tomori to simpler tasks while she herself confidently headed to the bathroom. There, she grabbed a clean white towel and ran it under hot water, mixing in cold to balance the temperature. Returning to the bedside, she gently wiped the sweat from Haru's forehead.
Her touch was delicate and soft, and a faint smile curved her lips.
"I'm really taking care of you today~ If you don't properly thank me when you wake up, hmmph~!"
Just imagining him thanking her later made her lift her chin in pride.
"Next up—cold towel for the fever…"
After thoroughly drying the sweat from Haru's forehead, her eyes accidentally wandered down to his neck and exposed collarbone—also lightly damp with sweat.
And that's when it hit her.
Was Haru unconscious right now?
In other words, whatever she did at this moment… he wouldn't notice. The only two awake people in the house were her and Tomori. And Tomori was currently busy…
Gulp.
Anon could've sworn she heard someone swallow, maybe even herself.
She was still a teenage girl, after all. And after experiencing the sweetness of young love, her thoughts had begun to wander. Plus, Haru wasn't being guarded around her at all.
Her eyes… wouldn't look away.
"Looks like there's still some sweat left, huh? I'd better wipe all of it off…"
Her fingers trembled slightly as she delicately combed through Haru's dark, tousled hair. Testing the waters, she gently pinched his cheek.
The softness of his skin made her grin almost involuntarily.
Pinch, no reaction.
Rub, still nothing.
Haru stayed fast asleep, brow slightly furrowed.
Realizing this, Anon grew bolder. Her dexterous guitarist fingers lightly traced along his neck, the warmth of his skin pulling her closer—
"…Mmm."
Before she realized it, she was already on the bed.
The sunflower-like scent that clung to Haru became even more pronounced in the heat. It was starting to drive Anon's heartbeat wild.
Her cheeks flushed red as she timidly reached toward his cheek and neck, only to retreat seconds later, clearly nervous she might wake him.
Then, just as she accidentally undid the top button of his pajama collar, Haru shifted slightly.
"I-I was just wiping his sweat!"
Anon nearly jumped out of her skin, white towel still clutched in hand, desperately trying to explain.
But Haru didn't sit up like she feared, he merely adjusted his sleeping posture, and she let out a small breath of relief.
"…Seriously?! Scared me half to death…"
Pouting her cheeks in frustration, her entire expression turned into a little puffed-up squirrel.
Feeling a twinge of vengeance, she reached out and pinched Haru's cheek again—this time harder, stretching his face until it looked thoroughly squished. Only when she was satisfied did she finally nod to herself.
But the heat she'd stirred up inside her hadn't fully faded.
Her gaze drifted toward his lips.
Now what?
"…Should I? Just right here…"
She glanced over her shoulder. Tomori was still out of sight, likely rummaging through the house for medicine. Anon's heart thudded faster and faster.
Eventually, she couldn't resist, her left hand reached out and gently stroked Haru's cheek.
Chu~
A soft kiss landed on his cheek.
"Hehe~ Let's call it a day for now."
Thinking about it more, for a girl like her who treasured romance and sweet love, her first kiss should definitely be shared with Haru while he was conscious. That was the dream.
For now, she'd settle for a little interest.
She'd already won so much today.
Feeling content, Anon was about to back away when—
"Anon-chan… what are you doing?"
That chilling voice made her spine snap ramrod straight.
Standing behind her, holding a few boxes of medicine, was Tomori, gazing at her in confusion.
From Tomori's perspective, Anon was clearly on the bed. There was no explaining that away.
"I-I… I wasn't!"
Even she didn't believe herself.
Caught red-handed, there was no getting out of it now. Not that there was much to deny in the first place.
"…Wasn't what?"
Tomori's arms tightened slightly around the medicine boxes, her amber eyes fixed on Anon.
"I… I was just wiping Haru's sweat! I had to climb on the bed because it was hard to reach, so…"
Lie.
Anon had never been more panicked in her life. Not even when she ran away from boarding school in the UK had she felt this flustered and now she'd been seen doing something sneaky by Tomori of all people.
"Anon-chan… did you do something to Haru?"
Tomori's grip on the medicine boxes tightened slightly. She lowered her head, sounding genuinely hurt.
I'm done for.
Anon's mind went completely blank. Her light-gray eyes lost focus, and her soul just about left her body…
"…Is something wrong?"
A voice from behind snapped both girls to attention.
Thanks to all their talking, Kazami Haru had slowly sat up, frowning faintly.
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