Episode 96: Nursing After a Long Time

I was the same way, but maybe Senpai felt that sense of lingering attachment as well, because neither of us could quite pull away from each other.

「Um…」

「Uh…」

We both tried to speak at the exact same time, and I couldn’t help but let out a little laugh.

「Haha.」

「Fufu… It is a bit hard to pull away, but since we still need to go shopping, shall we get going? From now on, I can do this anytime I want, right…?」

…Wait, really!?

Is that… how it’s going to be?

And so, we stopped by the supermarket to pick up ingredients for dinner.

Naturally, I didn’t carry a single thing… actually, when I tried to help, I got scolded with a smile.

I’ve gotta remember to give her that wallet from earlier.

「Sara-senpai, I’m going to give you this wallet to keep. Please use this for any shopping we need to do from now on.」

Satsukawa-senpai looked a bit surprised to be handed the wallet right after the keys, but it only lasted for a second.

「In that case, I will look after it.」

She didn’t hesitate and accepted the wallet I held out. Her behavior made it look like she’d already made up her mind about something.

「…Today has been nothing but happy things. Since you have made me so happy, it will be Takanashi-san’s turn once we get home, okay?」

I feel like Senpai’s declaration about not holding back is already starting to show in places like this…

Once we reached the entrance of the apartment, Senpai pulled out the key with a happy and somewhat proud-looking smile.

Click…

The sound of the lock turning echoed, followed by Senpai opening the door and gesturing for me to enter.

「Welcome home, Takanashi-san.」

As I stepped into the entrance of the empty room, Senpai called out to me like that.

「I’m home.」

The sight of that day she nursed me back to health when I had a cold… that feeling of being back to the days when Senpai was always by my side… happiness welled up inside me.

And then, as if remembering that time… even though it was because of my own unreliability, as if to blow off the frustration of worrying lately, like a fish in water… the storm of「nursing time」began.

As soon as we put the bags down—

「Now then, Takanashi-san, let us change your clothes.」

When she said that, I realized that changing clothes might actually be hard with my right hand like this…

While I was thinking that, she moved with practiced ease and pulled some loungewear out of my dresser without any hesitation.

Naturally(?), she didn’t hand them to me, but instead hung them somewhere easy to reach and started unbuttoning my shirt.

「Um…」

「Yes, let us take these off.」

Me, being so used to this… no, let’s stop thinking about that.

I let her help me change.

When I had a cold, Senpai was considerate enough to leave the bottom half to me… but this time I had a hard time persuading her.

No, I changed the bottoms myself. Even I can’t let her go that far, obviously.

「Say ahh.」

「Munch munch… Um, Sara-senpai… maybe I can manage on my own if I have a spoon?」

Following the pattern from earlier today, I was being fed… or rather, being treated like a pet again.

I thought I could manage if it was a spoon, but—

「It is too early for that. Please leave it to me.」

That was that.

「Next is this one. Say ahh…」

Senpai looked lively, with a happy smile on her face from beginning to end.

It looks like her worries have passed for now.

And obviously, it wasn’t just the meal.

What came to mind after seeing the bath basin and towel preparation was, naturally—

「I am very sorry, but since I have not made preparations today, please let us wait until tomorrow for the bath. For now, let us wipe your body down.」

…Huh?

I feel like I just heard something shocking. What does she mean by「not made preparations」for the bath? No, no way…

No matter how you look at it, I can’t let her do that.

And then, right around the time Senpai was about to head home, it hit.

「Ugh… hng…」

I’ve been feeling a chill for a while now.

At first, I thought it was my imagination, but it’s become clear enough to feel it physically.

The pain in my wrist is getting stronger, too.

The doctor at the hospital said I might get a fever, and it looks like it’s starting.

Satsukawa-senpai, who had finished the dishes, came back and noticed something was wrong.

「…Takanashi-san!?」

She snuggled up to support me and put her hand on my forehead to check for a fever.

「Ah, you have a fever… Are you cold? Let us get you into the futon.」

Senpai helped me to the bed and lifted the covers, so I slid inside.

The chills are getting stronger… the fact that I’d switched to a thin blanket lately because it’s been getting warmer is also a problem.

「I think you will feel better once the fever peaks, so please hang in there.」

After saying that, Senpai leaned her upper body over the edge of the bed and hugged me over the covers as if to cover me.

「Sara-senpai…」

「I will stay like this until you are settled, so please tell me if it is painful…」

Faced with Senpai’s serious expression, I stopped thinking about unnecessary things and decided to just let her pamper me.

After a while, the chill started to fade as if Senpai’s warmth was being transmitted to me.

「I am right here… It is alright…」

Maybe she felt me settle down, because she loosened her hug slightly and reached out one hand to stroke my head.

And before I knew it, the chills were completely gone…