Perhaps because she was sick, Masuzu didn't care how skillfully Yuu carried her. Obediently, she adjusted her posture—holding onto his jacket with both hands, resting her head against his chest, and pointing toward her room.
"Walk slowly. This is the first time I've ever been carried princess-style. I want to savor this new sensation—for research purposes."
After uttering that lighthearted line, she closed her eyes and slightly pursed her dry, pale lips.
She looked like she was resting—or perhaps listening to his heartbeat. Her face, usually so stubborn and confident, now appeared peaceful, and the discomfort she'd shown earlier had softened somewhat.
"It's just a short walk. How slow do you want me to go?"
Yuu said it with a helpless tone, yet he unconsciously slowed his pace. He carried her all the way to her bedroom door.
The door wasn't locked—just pushed open easily.
A girl's room lay before them. After glancing around, Yuu's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
What met his gaze was an overwhelmingly white, almost barren room—far too empty for a teenage girl.
One bed, one desk and chair, one laptop, one wardrobe—that was all. The furnishings were so minimal they bordered on shocking.
It felt less like a bedroom and more like a temporary rest area; the bright white fluorescent light illuminated everything too quickly, lacking even the warmth of a cheap motel.
The only things giving the space any sense of home were the collection of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga, JUMP magazines, and various other JOJO-themed trinkets neatly arranged on a corner shelf.
"I once read in a book that a person's room layout reflects their personality and psychological state. Seems it wasn't lying after all…"
Yuu murmured quietly as he stepped inside. A fresh mint-like scent immediately wafted through the air, finally adding a touch of femininity to the atmosphere.
Masuzu herself always smelled just like this.
Without delay, Yuu gently laid her down on the bed. He pulled the blanket bunched up at the foot of the bed and covered her soft, fever-weakened body—now oddly more alluring in its vulnerability.
"Rest well. I'll go cook."
As Yuu turned to leave, the girl reached out from under the blanket and tugged lightly at the hem of his shirt.
"Now that I'm in bed… won't you take advantage of this moment to fulfill our little agreement?"
Half her face was buried beneath the blanket. Only her damp, deep blue eyes blinked up at him, gazing straight into his.
"Ah, Yuu… I'm yours… If that's what it takes for you to stay by my side, now would be the perfect time to claim me, you know?"
Though her voice was weak—soft, like someone drifting off to sleep—her sweet, flirtatious tone still carried a seductive charm capable of stirring a man's most primal desires.
Yuu held her gaze, then paused in thought. He crouched down beside the bed, looking directly at her, and said, "You know what I'm going to say in a situation like this, right?"
"Am I supposed to guess?"
Masuzu fell silent for a moment, thinking hard. Hesitantly, she offered, "'Rest well—once you're better, I'll mess you up properly'? Or… 'To avoid spreading germs, shut that stinky mouth of yours. Otherwise, I'll disinfect your whole body with my tongue'?"
"You're in the ballpark, but I'm not that perverted." Yuu reached out and lightly flicked her forehead. Rising back up on his knees, he gently pried her fingers loose from his shirt.
"Just because I said those things yesterday doesn't mean I'm rushing to collect on our deal. Take it easy. Consider this my advance payment for taking care of you."
"...Of course, I already knew that." Suddenly, Masuzu smiled. The blanket rose in a soft curve over her body, and in a gentle tone she'd never use normally, she whispered, "The Yuu in my heart isn't some lecher who'd take advantage of someone vulnerable."
Yuu shrugged. "Good. Glad we're on the same page. Tricks like that won't work on me."
"But I heard… the higher your body temperature, the more intense the sensations get…"
"Shut up. Don't continue."
"Alright~"
Seeing him struggle to keep a straight face, Masuzu giggled smugly from under the covers.
The usual Masuzu was back.
Whether to feel relieved or regretful, Yuu simply waved and headed toward the door. "I'll make porridge. Rest well."
He closed the bedroom door behind him. Inside, silence returned.
Was Masuzu regretting it?
Yes. Deeply.
She had forgotten one crucial fact—she'd always been physically weak since childhood. Just to satisfy her simple desire of having Yuu come and care for her all day, she had recklessly sacrificed her own health.
As a result, the mild flu she'd planned had spiraled into a severe illness that might shave years off her life. If suffering outweighed pleasure, it wasn't worth it at all.
(But still… doesn't this mean he'll worry about me more now? Will he treat me more gently because I'm so seriously ill?)
A slightly sadistic thought surfaced in her mind, and Masuzu let out a bitter smile. She hadn't expected herself to become this fragile.
It must be the flu's fault!
There must be a virus that softens a person's principles, delivering a double blow to both body and mind, making them more prone to doing foolish things!
Her entire body alternated between chills and heat, her throat burned painfully with every swallow, her head throbbed with feverish dizziness, and her limbs felt weak and lifeless. It was hard enough just to tease him—let alone continue her JOJO jokes! How dire this situation had become!
(But thank goodness… my boyfriend came to see me.)
"Hmph!"
Alone in her room, like a defeated animal curled in surrender, Masuzu hugged his jacket tightly and took a deep breath.
Then she exhaled slowly, her face flushed and filled with satisfaction.
Her long, pale white legs slipped out from under the blanket. She drew them together,夹 them tightly with her thighs along with the jacket, as if trying to generate warmth, and absentmindedly rubbed them together.
"Hehe… ghehehe… Got it! The freshest, warmest scent of Yuu—SUCCESS!"
Overcome with joy, her weakness seemed to vanish for a few seconds, and she nearly bit the jacket and screamed: Masuzu-chan wins big!
Sure, behaving like a shameless woman was a bit much.
But what could she do? Whose fault was it that she loved Yuu so much?
Yuu, who was willing to trade lives with her.
Yuu, who always turned gentleness into action.
Yuu, who always came searching for her no matter where she went…
Facing someone like that, being a little weak and clingy shouldn't be a problem, right?
After all, they had already become one another's in the middle of the rain.
So whether good or bad, Yuu would have to accept this version of Masuzu.
"...Ah… even though my body feels awful like this, why am I still this happy?"
Faintly, the clinking of dishes and bowls echoed from outside the room.
The loneliness that always hung over her apartment had somehow disappeared without her noticing. Masuzu could feel someone nearby, someone present beside her who hadn't left.
Placing the back of her hand on her burning forehead, she stared blankly at the ceiling. After a while, a helpless, surrendering smile spread across her face.
"The answer is simple."
"No matter what… I'm just a little girl who fears loneliness."