"I don't know if it's because of those painkillers, but I fell asleep the moment I took them last night, and I still feel dizzy now..." Matsumoto Tomoko murmured, gently massaging her temples with delicate fingers.
The medication was probably only part of the story, though. My wife had undoubtedly exhausted herself with all that... physical exertion yesterday evening, followed by the stress and late-night hospital adventure.
"How are you feeling now, Tomoko-san? Is the pain still bothering you?" I asked, settling into caretaker mode now that she seemed more alert.
"Much better, actually. It hardly hurts at all anymore, though there's still some swelling," she replied, carefully rotating her injured ankle to test the range of motion.
"That's excellent news. It's getting late, so I should go prepare breakfast. You should probably get up too, Tomoko-san."
"Alright... I'm sorry to trouble you, Sosuke-kun," she said with that apologetic tone she gets whenever someone does something nice for her.
"Do you need help getting dressed?" I offered with a teasing smile, because honestly, I couldn't resist.
"N-no need... I... I can manage by myself..." she stammered, her face turning that adorable shade of pink as she looked away.
I headed to her kitchen to tackle breakfast preparation, keeping things simple but satisfying. The bread we'd bought at the supermarket yesterday would serve as our carb base, supplemented with miso soup, a perfectly poached egg, some stir-fried shredded burdock root, and pickled vegetables I'd discovered lurking in the depths of her refrigerator.
Given everything we'd need to accomplish today, I figured simplicity was the better part of valor.
After arranging all the dishes on the dining table, I heard the telltale sounds of someone struggling with basic locomotion. Matsumoto Tomoko was attempting to navigate from bedroom to dining room while supporting herself against the wall, one leg bearing all her weight.
I quickly moved to assist, draping her arm over my shoulders and wrapping my hand around her slender waist for additional support.
"Thank you, Sosuke-kun," she said quietly once I'd helped her settle into her chair, her voice carrying a note of embarrassed gratitude.
Her bashful demeanor was impossibly endearing—the way she ducked her head slightly, trying to hide her discomfort with the situation.
"Are you still feeling down, Tomoko-san?" I asked gently, noticing the lingering melancholy in her expression.
"The injury isn't serious at all. Just a few days of rest and you'll be good as new."
"I know, but I feel terrible about causing so much trouble for Sosuke-kun..." she replied, clearly struggling with guilt over the whole situation.
"Didn't I already tell you that everything's fine? Just relax, Tomoko-san," I reassured her.
"By the way, when I came in this morning, were you dreaming? What were you dreaming about?"
"What?!" Matsumoto Tomoko's head snapped up like she'd been struck by lightning.
Bingo. Definitely hit a nerve there.
Her eyes immediately became noticeably flustered, darting around like she was looking for an escape route.
"That... that is... that is..." she stammered, clearly having trouble forming coherent words.
The lady doth protest too much, methinks.
What on earth had she been dreaming about? Her reaction was only making me more intrigued by the minute.
"It looked like Tomoko-san was really enjoying herself in that dream," I observed with deliberate nonchalance.
"It was just... what happened last night..." she finally managed to get out, and immediately looked like she wanted to disappear into the floor.
Her face had turned such a brilliant shade of red that I was genuinely concerned she might pass out from embarrassment.
My gaze, admittedly filled with passion and eager interest, was probably a bit intense for someone in her current flustered state.
"I see. That's perfectly normal—I was dreaming about you too, Tomoko-san."
"Eh? Really, Sosuke-kun?" she asked, her voice filled with disbelief.
"Of course. It's hard not to be haunted by that incredible outfit you wore yesterday."
Just thinking about Tomoko-san in nothing but kitchen wear was enough to restart my imagination's highlight reel.
"And your incredibly flexible body... I'll never forget that pose you pulled off."
Olympic-level gymnastics combined with... other activities. Pure poetry in motion.
"Ah, Sosuke-kun, don't think about that!" she protested, but her voice carried more excitement than genuine objection.
Faced with my burning gaze and praise that probably sounded more suggestive than I'd intended, Matsumoto Tomoko was clearly falling into emotional confusion again.
The combination of shame and excitement was accelerating through her system, gradually eroding her normal judgment capabilities...
While dreams like that were probably normal for someone her age, admitting to them was still embarrassing...
Matsumoto Tomoko's bewildered expression was inexplicably adorable—like watching a cat try to figure out how it got stuck in a paper bag.
"Hurry up and eat, Tomoko-san. The sooner you recover, the sooner you can show off those impressive moves again," I said with a grin.
"Sou... Sosuke-kun... you really are..." she began with a slight pout, her fair cheeks puffing out in the most adorable display of mock indignation.
"Always making fun of me..." she finished with that particular tone women use when they're not actually angry but want you to think they might be.
"Okay, it's my fault. Will Tomoko-san forgive me in exchange for all the hard work I put into making breakfast?" I asked with exaggerated contrition.
"Well... seeing as Sosuke-kun is taking such good care of me..." she said, the corners of her mouth secretly turning upward even as she tried to maintain her stern expression.
"Then I'll begin eating."
She picked up her chopsticks and began sampling my culinary efforts.
"Mmm, it's delicious!" she exclaimed after her first bite.
"You're too kind, Tomoko-san. I just threw together whatever ingredients I found in your refrigerator."
"It's still wonderful. And this fried egg that Sosuke-kun made is perfect—cooked exactly the way I like it."
"Then please eat plenty, Tomoko-san. I have to go out again after breakfast."
"Where are you going, Sosuke-kun?"
"I'm going to buy you a pair of crutches. When I go back to school on Monday, you'll need something to help you get around safely."
"Sosuke-kun is so incredibly thoughtful..." she murmured, and I could see genuine emotion welling up in her eyes.
Matsumoto Tomoko seemed completely overwhelmed by this simple act of consideration, her heart apparently wrapped in warmth and gratitude.
After we finished breakfast, I cleared the dishes from the table and helped Tomoko-san navigate back to bed for continued rest.
"Wait here for me, Tomoko-san. I'll be back soon with those crutches."
"Okay... okay... Sosuke-kun..." she replied, her voice soft with contentment.
After the sound of the front door closing echoed through the apartment, Matsumoto Tomoko lay quietly on her bed.
Although her ankle was still somewhat swollen, her mood had improved dramatically...