Ryoka Siyuan stood in the Hoshikawa High Health Room, her cheeks tinged with awkwardness. She'd rushed over in a panic, her heart racing with worry for Hayato Kirisaki, only to find the graceful Sakura Miyajima already at his side, seemingly whispering something to him. The sight sparked a pang of wistful regret in Ryoka's chest. I'm… an outsider, aren't I?
"Am I… am I coming at a bad time?" Ryoka asked cautiously, her voice barely above a whisper.
Sakura Miyajima, radiating the serene elegance of a Yamato Nadeshiko, smiled gently and beckoned her closer. "No, you've come at just the right time."
Ryoka's head tilted, a mental question mark hovering above her, but she obeyed her senpai's suggestion and shuffled closer.
"Siyuan, what class do you have next?" Sakura asked.
"Uh, self-study…" Ryoka replied, her voice hesitant.
Sakura's smile brightened, as radiant as a cherry blossom in full bloom. "That's perfect. My next class is Japanese literature, so I can't stay here…"
"So…?" Ryoka blinked, unsure where this was going.
"Could I trouble Siyuan to help me take care of Kirisaki-kun?"
"Yes!" Ryoka agreed without a second thought, her enthusiasm bursting forth. Realizing how eager she sounded, she backpedaled, her voice turning shy. "…If, if Miyajima-senpai is very busy, you can leave him to me."
But Sakura clearly didn't overthink it. She stood, her gentle, watery eyes lingering on Hayato, who lay on the bed, his expression a mix of feigned fragility and subtle mischief.
Hayato twitched the corner of his mouth. What's with this vibe? It's like my time's up or something.
Sakura turned to Ryoka. "Then, I'll leave him to you."
"Mm." Ryoka nodded vigorously, her determination practically sparkling.
"Kirisaki-kun, rest well, and listen to Siyuan," Sakura advised, her tone warm but firm.
Hayato outwardly chirped, "Yes, yes, yes," but the moment Sakura stepped out the door, he turned to Ryoka. "Siyuan, I'm fine here. You can go back to class…"
But Ryoka stubbornly plopped into the chair Sakura had vacated. "Don't, don't worry, Kirisaki-kun… I'll definitely take good care of you, and I won't do worse than Miyajima-senpai!"
"No…" Hayato sighed, exasperated.
His bed was at the far end of the room. Turning his head left, he saw a wall with a window, sunlight streaming through in a dazzling glow. Why's the weather so clear today? he wondered. The heavens must be speechless at this mess… He wasn't on his deathbed, for crying out loud.
And what was with that "won't do worse than Miyajima-senpai" line? Sakura hadn't done anything, okay? Don't make it sound so ambiguous!
After her sprint, Ryoka seemed to feel overheated, tugging at her collar to cool off. Her swan-like neck gleamed pure white under the light. Noticing Hayato's gaze, she froze. Though his lying angle meant he couldn't see anything scandalous, Ryoka still deemed it improper and stopped. Then, as if struck by a thought, she scooted her chair back a bit.
"What's wrong?" Hayato asked, puzzled.
"…Sweat smell," Ryoka mumbled, her voice barely audible.
"Huh?" Her words were too soft, and Hayato didn't catch them.
But Ryoka, too embarrassed to repeat herself, looked at him and giggled instead.
"What are you laughing at?" he pressed.
"I just remembered the first time I met Kirisaki-kun, you also ended up in the hospital…"
"You make it sound like I'm weak, like a chicken." He was pretty frail, but one time was due to the memory overload from transmigration, and this time was a deliberate fake-out. It had nothing to do with being weak… mostly.
"No, no…" Ryoka waved her hands frantically. "How could I think Kirisaki-kun is weak? After all, you saved me… twice."
She held up two slender, cute fingers, forming a 'V' sign, her bright smile revealing tiny, shell-like teeth. Hayato had to resist the urge to snap a photo of her radiant expression.
"Did Matsubara tell you about me being in the infirmary?"
"Mm… so I came over as soon as class ended."
"Playing on your phone during class, huh."
"...You found out." Ryoka scratched the back of her head, laughing awkwardly, her voice like wind chimes swaying in a gentle breeze, pleasant with a hint of goofiness. "Speaking of steps… me and Bu together, it feels like a long time ago since I first met Kirisaki-kun."
"Not long, just last week."
"Eh?" Ryoka counted on her fingers, realizing he was right. But she couldn't shake the feeling they'd known each other forever. If so, Miyajima-senpai had known Kirisaki-kun for even less time?
After all, the senpai had arrived a step later than her…
But Ryoka had been first—first to meet him, first to walk home together. So why did she now feel several steps behind Miyajima-senpai?
Then again, it was Miyajima-senpai. She was leagues more impressive, so it was only natural Kirisaki-kun might be drawn to her. And the way the senpai had so confidently entrusted Kirisaki-kun to her… yet here Ryoka was, overthinking it.
When Sakura had handed Kirisaki-kun over, it almost felt like an ancient noblewife entrusting her husband to a concubine. Sakura as the main wife, and Ryoka as… the 'little wife'?
Ryoka blinked rapidly, her thoughts spiraling.
"What's wrong?" Hayato asked, eyeing her curiously.
The master… Kirisaki-kun… No! Ryoka shook her head vigorously. Her brain must be waterlogged! This was modern society—those terms didn't exist!
But once the thought took root, her heart raced. She stole a glance at Hayato, and an absurd scene flashed in her mind: her and Miyajima-senpai serving him, one on each side… No, wait! Sakura's figure was stunning—if they stood together before Kirisaki-kun, Ryoka would have no edge at all…
The 'no' was about that?! Ryoka scolded herself. The whole 'serving together' idea was wrong to begin with!
But… it was Miyajima-senpai. How could she compete with someone like that? If Sakura agreed…
Hayato stared at Ryoka, bewildered. One moment she was nodding, then shaking her head, blushing, paling, clenching her fists, biting her lip…
"What are you thinking about?" he asked.
"Ah? Do you want to take a shower first?" Ryoka blurted out, her subconscious spilling over.
Hayato: ?
"!!" Ryoka's face exploded into a crimson flush. How did I say that out loud?! She desperately wished for a hole to crawl into. Please, ground, swallow me now!
"No…"
"Please, don't say anything!" Ryoka covered her head with both hands, too mortified to meet Hayato's eyes.
Hayato muttered to himself, Compared to me, shouldn't this girl see a doctor?
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
patreon.com/Kazenova223
If you guys wanna check it out.