That morning, the sun shone brightly over the roof of the Hyoudou family home. The snow that had blanketed the front yard yesterday had begun to melt, leaving traces of water on the stone pathway. The air was still cold, but the sky was a clear blue without clouds.
A taxi slowly stopped in front of the house.
From it emerged a married couple—Juzo Hyoudou and his wife, both looking tired but relieved. Juzo carried a small suitcase in hand, while his wife held a shopping bag and souvenirs.
Juzo smiled, then pulled out the house key and opened the door slowly.
"We're home."
His deep voice seemed to greet the house that had been silent for the past week. Issei's mother followed in, her eyes quickly scanning the clean living room.
"Looks like there's been no activity… no dust, no food spills, even the dining table is spotless."
"That kid can actually keep things clean," muttered Juzo, though accompanied by a small smile.
But in his heart, he was slightly worried.
Juzo's footsteps climbed the stairs to the second floor. He stood in front of his son's room door and knocked twice.
"Issei, are you in there?"
From behind the door came a weak but clear voice, "Yes, Dad."
Juzo slowly opened the door… and immediately held his breath.
Issei lay in bed, wrapped in a thick blanket up to his chin. His face was pale, his hair wet from sweat. His eyes half-opened, gaze weary.
"Issei… you have a fever?"
Issei nodded slightly, trying to smile. "Yeah. But don't worry, I can take care of myself."
Issei's mother immediately followed into the room, and her eyes widened as soon as she saw her son's condition. Without saying much, she quickly walked to the bathroom, grabbing a small towel and a bowl of warm water.
"How long have you been like this?" asked Juzo, concerned.
Issei turned his face slightly, answering softly, "Just yesterday. Maybe because of the cold weather…"
In his mind, Ddraig's voice echoed clearly with a sarcastic tone.
{It's been six days, you fool.}
Issei responded silently. 'I don't want to make them worry.'
His mother returned, wringing the towel expertly and gently placing it on Issei's forehead. The touch was warm, but it pierced the heart with sincere affection.
"Toji-san called us," said his mother as she sat at the edge of the bed. "He said his daughter wants to move back to Japan because of some matters. Irina-chan, your childhood friend."
Issei fell silent.
'Irina…? Who's that? And… how many childhood friends do I actually have?' he thought in a silent panic.
Ddraig replied softly, {Pretend to forget. Besides, it's easy. Childhood friends usually haven't seen each other in years.}
Issei nodded slightly, then spoke in a soft but polite voice, "Thank you. And… when is Irina moving here?"
Juzo answered while standing, stretching his back. "We're not sure yet. But Toji said, probably in a few days. Oh, and one more thing—in your current condition, you shouldn't go to school yet."
Issei took a deep breath.
"I'll still go. At least for the first day after the holidays. After that, I can request time off to rest."
Juzo looked at his son for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Alright. If that's your decision… But don't push yourself too hard. I'll go to the pharmacy for a bit, buy some fever medicine."
Ddraig's voice echoed in Issei's mind, sounding like a giant dragon rolling its eyes.
{Seriously? School? Your fever isn't stable yet. Besides… medicine won't work. This is dragon blood fever, not a regular infection.}
Issei answered in his heart, 'At least this is a real fever… not pretending to be sick.'
Issei's mother gently stroked his forehead, making sure the towel stayed in place.
"While we were away… did you have any trouble?"
Issei gave a faint smile. Though weak, he tried to appear reassuring.
"No, Mom. Everything was fine."
{Hmmp… Tell that to yourself who struggled to walk to the bathroom yesterday because you couldn't stand up}, Ddraig grumbled in annoyance.
Issei just turned his face slightly, unwilling to respond. His fatigue was starting to settle in.
His body temperature, which had risen and fallen like a roller coaster for the past few days, was now subsiding for the time being. His eyes grew heavier.
Soon, his breathing slowed.
Issei's mother gave a small smile. She stood up slowly, then adjusted Issei's blanket before leaving the room.
The door closed softly.
Issei was already asleep, with a warm towel on his forehead and his body temperature temporarily stabilized. But within him, dragon blood was still at work—slowly, silently, and mercilessly altering the structure of his body.
....
Issei slowly opened his eyes. The afternoon sunlight entering through the curtains cast a golden orange shadow on the bedroom wall. The air in the room felt lighter than before, and the cold sweat that soaked his body last night could no longer be felt.
He blinked slowly, gazing at the sky outside the window. A purplish orange hue filled the horizon. Dusk had arrived. Night would soon follow.
Issei touched his forehead. Slightly damp, but not as hot as yesterday.
Ddraig's voice echoed gently in his mind, sounding calm yet still alert.
{Your body temperature has returned to normal. But… later tonight, the fever symptoms might return. That's a common pattern during dragon blood transformation.}
Issei took a breath, exhaling slowly while inwardly speaking with a tired tone.
'Hopefully I'll be recovered by tomorrow.'
{If you're not fully recovered, I suggest you don't force yourself to go to school.}
Issei replied with a calm inner voice, 'It's just a regular fever, Ddraig.'
Ddraig growled softly, not entirely pleased.
{Whatever. But if you faint in the middle of class trying to act tough, I'll increase the training level tenfold. Don't say I didn't warn you.}
Issei smiled slightly amidst the lingering pain in his body.
'Don't worry.'
He slowly rose from the bed, still feeling slightly heavy, but lighter compared to the past few days. His steps moved slowly out of the room, down the stairs to the first floor.
A warm, savory aroma greeted him from the kitchen.
There, his mother stood near the stove, stirring a pot of warm porridge that steamed gently. Beside her, several small bowls contained side dishes like boiled eggs, chicken pieces, and seaweed.
Juzo sat at the dining table checking the contents of a small plastic bag.
Seeing Issei appear from the stairs, Juzo immediately turned to him.
"Feeling better?" he asked, his tone full of concern.
Issei nodded slightly. "Yeah. A bit."
Juzo stood and handed over the plastic bag containing a box of medicine. "Here's the medicine. Keep it safe. Bring it to school if needed, put it in your bag."
Issei received the medicine with both hands. "Thank you, Dad."
Soon after, his mother poured the porridge into a large bowl and brought it to the table. She smiled warmly, then said as she pushed the bowl toward Issei, "Here, dear. Eat something warm first."
Issei pulled out a chair and sat down.
"Thank you, Mom… Itadakimasu."
He began eating slowly. The hot porridge slid down his throat and immediately spread warmth throughout his body. Though his stomach had been empty and his body was still in recovery, the food felt comforting.
The house was quiet. Only the sound of the spoon hitting the bowl and the soft hiss of steam from the pot accompanied the moment.
After finishing his meal, Issei took the dirty bowl to the sink and washed it slowly. His movements were gentle, not rushed—he didn't want to make his mother worry again.
Once done, he placed the medicine box back on the table, took one tablet and a glass of water. He swallowed it, then gazed at the night sky from the small kitchen window.
Stars had begun to appear.
Without saying another word, Issei went back up to his room.
The night air began to bite. He wore a long-sleeved shirt and immediately lay down on the bed, which now felt a little warmer as his body wasn't as cold as yesterday.
He pulled the blanket up to his chin. In the stillness of the room, he spoke softly, almost like a whisper.
"Ddraig… can you shut down my consciousness now, before the fever comes back?"
Ddraig's voice sounded gentle, as if he were sitting beside the bed.
{Of course. You've fought enough for today. Close your eyes. I'll shut down your consciousness now… you can sleep peacefully.}
Issei closed his eyes. His breathing gradually stabilized. Even though his body wasn't fully healed, he felt… at peace.
And for the first time in the past few days, his sleep came without pain or pressure.