Weekend.
When Masuzu woke up in the morning, the first thing she did wasn't to open her eyes but to hug her blanket, quietly listening to the sound of her alarm.
"Masuzu, I love you… Masuzu, I love you… Masuzu, I'll always love you…"
The sweet, gentle voice filled the room, mingling with the scent of sunlight.
Needless to say, the owner of this voice was her lifelong anchor, Yuu—the one person whose absence might make her want to end it all.
Of course, he didn't know his voice was being used as an alarm—or that these lines were secretly recorded and edited by Masuzu.
The purpose was to wake up every day to his tender calls.
The reason she didn't ask him directly was that she didn't want to be seen as a bothersome woman. Rather than risk annoying him, she'd rather use technology to fulfill her unspoken desires.
The alarm played for thirty seconds. With a peaceful expression, Masuzu listened for the full thirty seconds, then squinted and reset the alarm for three seconds.
Yuu's voice filled the air around her again. A tingling sensation shot from her ears to her lower abdomen, like an electric current passing through her thighs. She couldn't help but curl her toes, clutching the blanket tightly.
"Yuu… My Yuu… Guk heh heh heh heh…"
No one knew she could act this embarrassingly in the morning.
About ten minutes later, Masuzu reluctantly turned off the alarm and forced herself out of bed.
She tossed the damp blanket—only because of her excessive drool—into the laundry basket, then went to the bathroom for hygiene routines: just using the toilet, washing her face, and brushing her teeth. Afterward, she emerged looking refreshed.
"What should I do today? Go to the park to hunt those love-worshippers~"
Humming cheerfully, Masuzu grabbed a muscat grape-flavored jelly from a box on the floor, sat on the sofa, and took out her phone.
The familiar taste as she sucked on it wasn't as delicious as usual.
"My tongue's been trained."
Curling up on the sofa, she sighed with a mix of sadness and happiness, then slowly sipped the jelly to ease her hunger.
It was only three days after she got sick that he made porridge for her. After that, he said it was too troublesome and stopped cooking it daily.
She thought it was fine, but gradually, Masuzu realized that she, who had never cared much about food, now found even store-bought food bland, let alone the nutritional jelly she'd relied on. Her tongue and brain craved only that rich, smooth bowl of plain porridge. Other foods felt like garbage in comparison.
Or perhaps, because she missed his figure in the kitchen cooking for her and the atmosphere when he was at her house, her sense of taste was slowly fading?
Though not to the point of being unable to swallow, she'd lost interest in finding tastier jelly. She realized clearly that she was slowly being colored by his hues.
"Will he take responsibility?"
Thinking of this question, Masuzu unconsciously touched her chest. A mix of pain and warmth spread slowly, making her breath catch for a moment.
Why did it hurt?
Was it because she kept refusing to face reality, wanting more from him but unable to reach it?
Why was she happy?
Was it because she no longer felt alone, and there was someone besides her mother she could be spoiled by?
She couldn't understand these conflicting feelings, just as she could never grasp what love was.
But every time she thought of his face, overwhelming happiness drowned out the confusion, as if she were wrapped in a sugar shell, every touch sweet. So, she forgot how to let go, forgot how to protect herself.
"I really want to see you, Yuu."
She tossed the empty jelly packet, opened LINE, and sent him a message.
She got a quick reply. After chatting for ten minutes, her initially goofy expression gradually shifted, and she sighed with regret.
"Going to the hospital? Looks like I can't meet him today…"
Though she could follow him to the hospital and pretend it was a coincidence, the problem remained—she didn't want him to think she was too clingy and get tired of her too soon.
More importantly, would she, Natsukawa Masuzu, become a dreadful girlfriend who tracked her boyfriend's every move, recorded his daily life on weekends, and secretly eliminated any women who dared approach or flirt with him?
Of course, that would never happen!
"Today, I'll just go for a walk. I don't want to rewatch JoJo for now."
After checking the location of Chiba University Hospital on the map, Masuzu put down her phone, grabbed a detective hat, sunglasses, and a dark brown raincoat, then stepped out of the house casually.
Approaching November, the streets looked bleak. The sun, half-hidden by clouds, pierced through the layers. Pedestrians walked the streets like eggplants wilted by frost.
Masuzu, fully disguised, blended perfectly into the gray crowd, wandering aimlessly.
After walking for about ten minutes, she felt thirsty. She turned into a nearby LAWSON convenience store, planning to buy a bottle of water to drink on the way.
Grabbing a room-temperature mineral water bottle, Masuzu frowned. She picked up two more—if she "accidentally" ran into them near the hospital, offering a bottle could be a good way to change the topic.
She wasn't sure if Yuu would be thirsty… Wait, if the target was his sister, wouldn't a drink or soda be better?
For the first time, Masuzu felt confused about such things. After deliberating for a while, she decided to swap the water for one bottle of water and one soda. She carried the three items to the cashier.
On the way, she passed the medical supplies aisle. Her steps suddenly halted. She saw an item there, and her expression gradually turned serious.
"Should… I buy it?"
Okamoto 0.01, commonly known as a condom.
Buy two—one for a lucky charm in her wallet, one for a safety charm at home…
For someone who rejects love, such superstitions were unthinkable.
With no ill intent, Masuzu frowned and bit her lip, seriously contemplating the dynamics between men and women. If one day she got intimate with him, and Yuu couldn't resist sleeping with her while she had no intention of resisting, wouldn't it be dangerous without protection?
By dangerous, she meant that he, being responsible, might push her away over this issue, ruining the mood they'd built toward adulthood.
Yuu might lose his senses to passion, but she wouldn't… unless, at that moment, she was ready to take full responsibility.
"Though that wouldn't be bad either, it's not realistic…"
A sigh escaped her lips.
Her thoughts spun faster. Various censored scenes flashed through her mind. Masuzu touched her chin. Her pale face turned a tempting pink, but her eyes grew sharper.
After ten minutes of deliberation, ignoring the strange looks from the female cashier, Masuzu finally made a difficult decision.
She took a deep breath. With a resolute expression and awkward movements, she reached for the small square box.
Her heart pounded wildly, her fingertips trembling uncontrollably.
"The hymn of humanity is the hymn of courage. The greatness of humanity is the greatness of courage—to get closer to Yuu, that's my courage!"
Just as her hand was about to touch the small box.
"Natsukawa… -san?"
Like being struck by lightning, Masuzu yanked her hand back. Too flustered to hide her embarrassment, she turned toward the voice.
Near the store's exit, a familiar figure with pink hair styled in dango buns stood, still looking silly. Her chest was modest, and she stared at Masuzu in surprise, also noticing the Okamoto 0.01 she was about to grab.
"Are you… buying that?"