A room in the general hospital. Haruto faced a doctor in a white coat. “It’s heatstroke.” “…Haa, heatstroke, huh?” Hearing the diagnosis, Haruto let out a small sigh of relief. “It’s been extremely hot the past few days.” “Um… Are there any other problems?” “None in particular for now. She has already regained consciousness, so I think she’ll be alright. However, as your grandmother is elderly, to be on the safe side, let’s have her hospitalized for one day tomorrow.” “Yes, please do.” After that, Haruto received various explanations, finally bowed to the doctor, and left the consultation room. Then he headed to his grandmother’s hospital room. “Grandma, are you alright?” Haruto asked, sitting on the round chair next to the bed where his grandmother was lying. She looked at Haruto with a apologetic expression. “I’m sorry, Haruto, I made you worry.” “Really, Grandma. I honestly thought my heart was going to stop.” “I’m sorry.” After seeing Ayaka home and returning, Haruto found his grandmother collapsed in the kitchen and in a great panic called an ambulance. In the ambulance during the emergency transport, Haruto, feeling overwhelmed with anxiety, held his grandmother’s hand and desperately continued to pray for her safety. “You’re the only family I have left, Grandma.” Haruto’s eyes, saying that, were trembling with anxiety. Sensing her grandson’s feelings, his grandmother gently squeezed Haruto’s hand. “It’s okay, I’m still full of energy.” “Really?” “Absolutely. I won’t leave Haruto alone just yet.” “Okay…” At his grandmother’s words, Haruto’s expression was a mixture of happiness and sadness. “What kind of face is that?” His grandmother laughed, deepening the wrinkles on her face. “If I were to leave Haruto alone now, your father and mother, and also your grandfather, would be angry at me in the afterlife.” His grandmother placed her other hand on Haruto’s hand that she was holding and continued, gently patting it. “Besides, you said it yourself before, didn’t you? That you’d introduce me to an extremely cute girlfriend. Until I see that girl, I couldn’t rest in peace even if I died.”

“Grandma…” Haruto’s heart was greatly shaken by the sight of his grandmother, who was believing and waiting for the words he had said jokingly right after summer vacation started. For Haruto, who had lost his parents when he was young and his grandfather when he entered junior high school, his grandmother was his only family. He wanted to reassure his grandmother. He wanted to make her happy. He wanted to meet her expectations. Thinking so strongly, Haruto’s mouth opened and words spun out on their own. “Actually… I… I got a girlfriend…” Thinking too much about his grandmother, a lie escaped his lips. “Today, I was actually… out with that girlfriend.” Haruto’s lies, which he couldn’t stop even if he wanted to. However, his grandmother didn’t doubt that her grandson was lying and her face instantly lit up. “Oh my! Is that so! Could it be the girl you went to see a movie with before?” “Eh? …Ah, ah, yeah. That’s… right. It’s her.” “Is that so, is that so! And? What kind of girl is Haruto’s girlfriend?” To his grandmother, who asked with great interest, the image of one girl surfaced in Haruto’s mind. “Um… well, she’s a really cute girl. Honestly, she’s too good for me. She has long hair that shines flaxen when it hits the sunlight. And her smile is really wonderful, and her personality is a little naturally charming, but she’s kind and caring towards her brother…” The girl who came to Haruto’s mind it was Ayaka Tojo. Haruto used Ayaka as a model and told his grandmother that she was his girlfriend. His grandmother, in turn, took Haruto’s words at face value and smiled warmly. “Is that so? You’ve found a wonderful girl.” Hearing his grandmother speak with such genuine happiness, Haruto, who had told a lie, felt a pain in his chest. However, at the same time, he also felt a sense of relief at having seen his grandmother’s happy face. “She’s really a girl with a lot of charm.” Those words weren’t a lie. To Haruto now, Ayaka Tojo was a very charming and cute girl. That’s precisely why he felt guilty about the current situation, having made her his fictitious girlfriend and told his grandmother. His grandmother, unaware of her grandson’s feelings, said gently with a smile. “You’ve truly found a good girlfriend, haven’t you?” “U-uh…” “Haruto, you’re truly, deeply in love with your girlfriend, aren’t you?” “Eh!?” Haruto couldn’t help but cry out in surprise at his grandmother’s words, spoken with deep feeling. His grandmother smiled warmly at Haruto’s reaction. “I can tell how much you like your girlfriend just by looking at your face.” “O-of course… I like her! We’re dating, after all.” His grandmother’s gaze felt as if she could see right through him. Unable to bear it, Haruto averted his face and said a little gruffly, scratching his cheek. Seeing Haruto’s reaction, his grandmother chuckled softly.

“That’s right. Well then, I’m looking forward to meeting your cute girlfriend.” “Ah, um… Since we just started dating, I’ll introduce her to you a little later, Grandma.” His grandmother nodded, still smiling, at Haruto, who was casting small glances around. “Alright, alright, I’ll wait patiently.” “A-also! It’s going to continue being hot, and it would be a problem if you got heatstroke again, so I’ll set the air conditioner a bit lower.” Haruto continued to speak desperately, forcibly changing the subject. “Apparently, indoor heatstroke is also increasing these days. Even with the air conditioner on, the heat from the stove in the kitchen can build up and cause heatstroke, they say. So, Grandma, please be careful too.” “Alright, alright, I understand. I’ll be careful from now on.” “Promise? You’re not young anymore, Grandma. This time we were quick, so it wasn’t serious, but the doctor said that if the treatment for heatstroke is delayed, it can be life-threatening.” This time, the cause of his grandmother’s heatstroke was the kitchen stove. Affected by its heat, his grandmother suffered heatstroke and collapsed. After she collapsed, the stove fire automatically stopped thanks to the safety device, but if by any chance the fire had remained on, Haruto and his grandmother’s house would have been on fire by now. In that case, his grandmother wouldn’t be lying in this hospital bed. Imagining that moment, Haruto’s body trembled with fear. Right now, his grandmother was safe. Let’s just be thankful for that. Haruto, shaking off unnecessary thoughts, stood up from the chair. “Well then, Grandma. Visiting hours are over, so I’m going home.” “Alright, Haruto, be careful on your way back.” “Okay, Grandma, you rest well today and tomorrow too. See you later, I’m going home.” Haruto waved to his grandmother and left the hospital room. Haruto, exiting through the hospital’s after-hours entrance, started walking home in the humid, stuffy tropical night. Under the completely dark sky, he recalled the conversation he had just had with his grandmother. “Haa~ This is bad…” Haruto let out a big sigh. “Why did I tell such a lie…” At that moment, he had been thinking so much about his grandmother that he had lost a little of his composure. However, thinking about it now, having regained his composure while walking the night streets, he had told a pretty terrible lie. “On top of that, I’ve unilaterally made Tojo-san my girlfriend…” Not only was he lying to his grandmother, but he had also unilaterally made Ayaka the model for his girlfriend. “I really should talk to Grandma properly tomorrow.” After all, lying is not good. Moreover, it was content that might cause trouble for Ayaka. It would probably be best to confess to his grandmother as soon as possible that it was a lie. And he might need to apologize to Ayaka as well. While thinking that, Haruto felt anxious about what kind of reaction he would get if he told Ayaka about this.

“Will she say I’m gross…? Well, I guess I brought this upon myself…” Although he said that, when he imagined the possibility of her genuinely disliking him, his chest ached more than he expected. Haruto remembered the words his grandmother had just spoken to him. ‘Haruto, you’re truly, deeply in love with your girlfriend, aren’t you?’ When his grandmother said that, Haruto felt his face redden with embarrassment, and at the same time, he felt as if something had clicked into place. “Am I… in love with Tojo-san…?” Haruto muttered to himself. “I… don’t want to be disliked.” A single thought flashed through Haruto’s mind as he uttered those words. It was the thought of making the lie a reality. If he confessed to Ayaka and they started dating, he could proudly tell his grandmother and introduce her as his girlfriend. However, Haruto shook his head and dispelled that thought. Confessing just to justify his own lie, before being a man, was the lowest thing a person could do. Making such a confession would be extremely rude to Ayaka. A confession should be made sincerely and wholeheartedly, not with impure ulterior motives. Haruto, who held such beliefs, even felt self-loathing for the thought that had just crossed his mind. “Maybe I’m just weird today…” During the day, he had done something borderline harassment towards Ayaka, and he had told a terrible lie to his grandmother. And now, he was even thinking about how to somehow cover up that lie. “Maybe I’m tired…” Thinking that, his body somehow felt heavy and his head felt foggy and a little painful. Today felt very long for Haruto. Eating breakfast with Ayaka’s parents at the Tojo house felt like ages ago. “I should go home and sleep quickly.” Normally, no matter how tired he was, Haruto never skipped studying before bed, but today, he simply couldn’t bring himself to study. With slightly unsteady steps, Haruto hurried home. “Hahaha, maybe… maybe I’ve caught some kind of love sickness…” With a slightly self-deprecating smile, and pressing his temples with his thumb to ease his headache, Haruto continued to walk home through the tropical night. ※※※ “What kind of love sickness… this is a real sickness…” Haruto, who had raised his upper body from his bedroom futon, felt disheartened seeing the number on the thermometer. Thirty-eight point seven degrees Celsius. He had a cold, no doubt. “Haa…” Haruto let out a hot sigh and lay down on the futon again. Even though he was lying down, he felt like his body was swaying intensely, and he had a headache and nausea. “This might be bad…” Feeling utterly exhausted, Haruto reached for the smartphone on his pillow. The time was a little past seven in the morning. He operated his smartphone while enduring the headache.

“It’s a good thing I have the day off from my part-time job today…” In this state, he couldn’t even leave the house, let alone do housekeeping help. “Ah, but I was supposed to go to the dojo today… I have to contact Kazu-senpai and Shizuku…” While feeling a weariness that made even operating his smartphone bothersome, Haruto sent messages to his dojo friends, Ishikura and Shizuku. ──Sorry. I caught a cold. Can’t make it to the dojo today. Haruto, along with Ishikura and Shizuku, his dojo friends since childhood, were in a group chat on a messaging app. About ten minutes passed, and his phone notification pinged. ──You okay? First, a message from Ishikura arrived. Immediately after, Shizuku’s message was also posted. ──A cold for Haru-senpai is rare. ──Haven’t had a cold in a while. It’s pretty rough. ──Summer cold, huh. You let your guard down, Haruto. ──Indeed. ──Want me to come visit? ──No, it’s just a cold, I’ll be fine if I sleep. No need for a visit. ──Alright, well, contact me if it gets really bad. I’ll take care of you. Haruto smiled slightly at Ishikura’s blunt but kind message. By the way, Shizuku hasn’t responded since her first message. It seems she’s seen the conversation, as the number next to “read” is two. ──Thank you, Kazu-senpai. ──Yep. There was no response from Shizuku, but having finished the exchange for the time being, Haruto then sent a message to his best friend, Tomoya. ──Tomoya, if you’re free tomorrow, I have a once-in-a-lifetime favor to ask. A few minutes after sending that message, a reply came from Tomoya. ──Oh? What is it? A stamp of a bear tilting its head with a question mark above it was also sent. ──Actually, my grandma collapsed from heatstroke and is in the hospital right now. ──Is she okay?! ──She went to the hospital right away so no problem. She’s scheduled to be discharged tomorrow. ──I see, that’s good. So? What do you need? ──Actually, I have a cold right now too. If I don’t recover by tomorrow, can I ask you to pick Grandma up from the hospital for me? Haruto, who had no reliable relatives, asked his best friend, Tomoya, for a favor. Then, Tomoya called him. Haruto tapped the phone icon displayed on his smartphone screen to answer the call.

“You made me brace myself for nothing, saying it was a once-in-a-lifetime favor.” “No, picking Grandma up from the hospital is a once-in-a-lifetime favor level, isn’t it?” “For my best friend, I’ll go to the hospital as many times as it takes.” “That would worry me, thinking Grandma is getting hospitalized too often.” When Haruto replied that, he could hear Tomoya’s laughter over the phone. “And, how’s your cold?” “Ah, it’s rough because I haven’t had one in a while, but I’ll recover if I sleep.” “Okay, then tell me the hospital Grandma is in and her room number. Will picking her up be around noon?” “Yeah, thanks.” “No problem.” Haruto thanked Tomoya from the bottom of his heart for readily agreeing to pick up his grandmother and told him the hospital name, room number, and other details. “Well then, I’m counting on you. I’ll make it up to you.” “Alright! I’m expecting a super amazing reward!!” Haruto felt grateful for his best friend’s exaggeration and ended the call. If his cold didn’t recover by tomorrow, he would have to contact his grandmother and inform her that Tomoya would be picking her up instead of him. But for today, he would refrain from telling his grandmother that he had caught a cold and let her rest peacefully. If Haruto’s cold didn’t recover by tomorrow, another problem would arise. That was the problem of not being able to go to the Tojo residence for housekeeping help. He didn’t know what caused his cold. Was it due to accumulated fatigue from the consecutive hot days, or was it caused by the extreme mental stress of his grandmother collapsing? However, if Haruto were to tell Ayaka he had a cold now, she would probably think the cause of the cold was changing clothes after playing in the water yesterday. “To offer my change of clothes myself and then catch a cold because of it… that’s so embarrassingly uncool…” Haruto looked down, covering his face with one hand. Being the kind person she is, she might feel a sense of self-blame, thinking it was her fault he caught a cold. However, it would be rude to simply skip the housekeeping help at the Tojo residence without any contact. “Well, if I recover by tomorrow, there’s no problem, and for now, let’s stop thinking about unnecessary things…” Muttering that, Haruto tossed his smartphone onto the pillow and collapsed onto the bed with a thud. Perhaps due to the cold, he had no appetite at all and decided to close his eyelids and sleep. The next time Haruto woke up was past noon. At the sound of the intercom ringing from the entrance, he slowly lifted his eyelids, which felt as heavy as lead. Was there something supposed to be delivered today? Haruto thought, his head still throbbing with a terrible headache. He was so tired that even getting out of bed was a chore, and for a moment, he considered pretending not to be home. However, the feeling of being sorry

towards the delivery person won out, and he slowly got up and out of bed. Then, somehow managing to reach the entrance with unsteady steps, Haruto unlocked the door and opened it. Seeing the person standing beyond the door, Haruto was surprised. “Huh? Shizuku? What’s wrong?” Haruto, who had thought it was a postal worker or a delivery person, widened his eyes slightly at the unexpected visitor. “I came to attack Haru-senpai while he’s weak with a cold.” She said indifferently as usual, thrusting her hands forward and saying “Gao~” without much enthusiasm. “Ah, you came to visit? Thanks, Shizuku.” Haruto, used to dealing with Shizuku, skillfully ignored her joke. “Haru-senpai, you look really rough. What’s your temperature?” “Uh, it was thirty-eight point seven this morning.” “Hmm~ You definitely shouldn’t be up and about like that. Go to bed quickly.” Shizuku promptly entered the house and pushed Haruto’s back, sending him towards his room. Shizuku, having known Haruto since childhood, had been to his house many times and naturally knew where his room was. Pushed by Shizuku, Haruto lay down on his futon again. “Speaking of which, what happened to your grandmother?” Shizuku, who knew about Haruto’s family situation, tilted her head, wondering why his grandmother wasn’t home. “Ah, about that, Grandma collapsed from heatstroke yesterday and is hospitalized now.” “Eh?! Is that true? Is she alright?” Even the usually expressionless Shizuku showed a surprised look. “She’s alright. She’s only hospitalized today as a precaution, so she’ll be discharged tomorrow.” “Is that so? That’s good.” Shizuku let out a sigh of relief and then looked at Haruto’s face. “So, that means only Haru-senpai is in this house right now?” “Well, yeah.” “And you’ve caught a bad cold.” “Calling it bad is an exaggeration, but that’s the gist of it.” “Meaning, my, Shizuku-sama’s, nursing is needed.” Shizuku said, nodding to herself with a “Hmm hmm,” while Haruto lay on his futon and lightly shook his head. “No, it’s fine. I’ll probably recover if I sleep.” Shizuku gave an expressionless look to Haruto, who was gently refusing her offer of nursing. “Haru-senpai, did you eat anything today?” “Eh? Oh~ no, I haven’t eaten anything.” Haruto, whose body felt heavy and throat had started to hurt, didn’t feel like eating anything right now. “I don’t have any appetite. When I feel a bit better and can eat, I’ll make something myself.”

“That won’t do. Even if you don’t have an appetite, you need to eat something nutritious.” Saying that, Shizuku stood up quickly. “I’ll make you some rice porridge. I’ll borrow the kitchen.” “No, it’s okay. I’ll do it myself.” “Haru-senpai, just shut up and lie there rotting.” Shizuku stopped Haruto, who was trying to get up. “If you don’t rest properly, you won’t recover even from something curable. Or are you dissatisfied with the rice porridge I make?” Haruto gave up trying to get up when Shizuku glared at him with squinted eyes. “Alright. Thank you, Shizuku.” “Leave it to me. Haru-senpai, just be quiet and look forward to Shizuku’s Special Rice Porridge.” Saying that, Shizuku left Haruto’s room. After that, while feeling a sluggishness as if the Earth’s gravity had tripled and dozing off slightly, Shizuku returned with a small earthenware pot on a tray. “Sorry to keep you waiting. Shizuku’s Special Rice Porridge is complete.” Saying that, she took off the lid of the earthenware pot. Then, the aroma of rice porridge spread with the steam, tickling Haruto’s nostrils. “Egg porridge, looks delicious.” “Can you eat it by yourself? Shall I feed you? I’ll feed you, okay?” “No, I’m fine with that.” Haruto refused Shizuku’s offer and accepted the porridge, then scooped up the porridge with the ladle provided, blew on it lightly, and brought it to his mouth. The porridge, with just the right amount of salt, was smooth and could be eaten without trouble even with his sore throat. As the warm porridge entered his stomach, Haruto finally felt a slight hunger. “This porridge is really delicious. Thank you.” When Haruto praised her from the bottom of his heart and thanked her, Shizuku showed a slightly proud expression. “It’s Shizuku’s Special, you see. I even put in an aphrodisiac as a secret ingredient.” “Oh~ what kind of aphrodisiac is that?” Haruto, feeling much better after the delicious porridge, had the leisure to play along with Shizuku’s joke. “I put in three drops of my saliva.” “Bleh?! You!!” Haruto was about to spit out the porridge he had in his mouth but managed to hold it in at the last moment. At his reaction, Shizuku had an expressionless face, but somehow exuded an air of satisfaction. “Just kidding. I would never do such a thing to a sick person.” “…Really?” “Really. Or did you want it to be in there? My saliva.” “No, I’m fine.” “Mmm, it’s somehow annoying when you give such an immediate answer.” Haruto made a dejected face at Shizuku, who skillfully puffed out only her cheeks while keeping an expressionless face.

“Putting saliva in food is just generally wrong, isn’t it?” “Not even a beautiful girl’s saliva?” “No, it’s wrong.” “Haru-senpai, you’re as stiff as ever.” “No, this is just normal.” While having such a conversation as usual, Haruto finished the porridge Shizuku made. “That was delicious, thank you.” “You’re welcome. Was it enough?” “Yeah, I’m pretty full.” “Is that so? That’s good.” Shizuku left the room for a moment to put away the empty earthenware pot. And when she returned, she brought a glass and some medicine in her hand. “Here, Haru-senpai, drink this and go to sleep.” “Thank you, you’re a real help.” Haruto accepted the cold medicine from Shizuku and swallowed it with the water in the glass. “Phew.” Shizuku asked Haruto, who was relaxing after his stomach was full. “Are you in pain?” “Yeah, still a bit…” “Do you need more to drink?” “No, I’m fine for now.” “Is that so?” “Ah…” “Shall I give you a kiss?” “……Why?” At Shizuku’s abrupt statement, Haruto’s half-closed eyelids popped wide open. “They say you can get rid of a cold by passing it on, right? So, the plan is that if I kiss you, the cold will transfer to me and Haru-senpai will get better.” “A cold doesn’t necessarily transfer through kissing, you know?” “Then shall we make it a French kiss to increase the chances?” Haruto showed a dumbfounded expression at Shizuku, who was saying such a joke with a straight face. “That’s not the point, is it?” “Is that not the point?” “It wouldn’t make sense if Shizuku caught a cold just to cure mine, would it?” At Haruto’s words, Shizuku put her hand on her chin and seemed to ponder something, then nodded to herself in understanding and said. “I see, Haru-senpai, you’re trying to pick me up.” “No, how did you even interpret what I just said like that?” Shizuku sensed a slight weariness in Haruto as he replied that. “Senpai, stop fooling around and go to sleep quickly.”

“You’re one to talk, you are.” Haruto, who made a slightly weak retort to Shizuku, began to breathe peacefully soon after. The cold medicine had probably started to work. Haruto’s complexion, as he slept soundly, had improved ever so slightly compared to earlier. “Exposing such an unguarded sleeping face, I might actually attack you in your sleep, Haru-senpai?” Shizuku crossed her arms by Haruto’s pillow and rested her head there, gazing at his sleeping face. “Gao~,” she whispered. Shizuku’s expression as she said that was not her usual blank face, but a gentle, soft smile. ※※※ From the morning, I had been troubled and staring at my smartphone. Today was the day Ootsuki-kun was supposed to come for housekeeping help. But he had just sent a message saying he wasn’t feeling well.

Should I go visit him, or would it be better not to go? For my part, I wanted to rush out of the house right away and go to Ootsuki-kun to nurse him. I was so worried about

Ootsuki-kun’s health that I couldn’t sit still. But looking back at the messages I just exchanged with Ootsuki-kun, I hesitated whether I should really go visit him. ──I’m sorry. I’m feeling a little unwell, so I’d like to take a day off from housekeeping help today. I apologize. ──Are you okay?! A cold? Do you have a fever? ──I’m fine. I think I’ll recover soon if I get some sleep. ──Did you take medicine? ──No, I’m going to take it now. ──Are you staying hydrated? ──Yes, I’m fine. ──Shall I come visit? ──No, no, it’s nothing serious, I’ll be fine. ──Really? ──Yes, thank you for your concern. ──If anything happens, contact me right away. ──Understood. Thank you. ──Okay. I reread the chat screen with Ootsuki-kun, which I had looked over dozens of times already. “Haa~” And again, a big sigh escaped me. “I should have said clearly that I wanted to go visit.” Knowing Ootsuki-kun’s personality, even if I said “Shall I come visit?”, he would definitely reply with “I’m fine”… Still in my sleepwear, I slumped down heavily on my bed. If only I had clearly said “I’m coming to visit, please give me your address” instead of “Shall I come visit?”… I sent my gaze to Ootsuki-kun’s shirt, which was neatly folded on my desk.Two days ago, when I wore the shirt I borrowed from him, I was enveloped in a different scent than usual, and it felt like Ootsuki-kun was hugging me, which made my heart pound. Speaking of which, Ootsuki-kun also hugged me when I fell after bumping into that boy… Just remembering that moment makes my face热 up even now. Ootsuki-kun’s body, held tightly and pressed against me, felt muscular and very strong. “Haa~…” I sighed again. That day was so much fun. That’s why I feel even more lonely today, not being able to see Ootsuki-kun. Moreover, I think the reason he fell ill was probably because he gave me his change of clothes. He must have caught a cold because he kept wearing the wet shirt. Guilt is added to my heart, which is filled with loneliness and worry for his health. Is it okay to send Ootsuki-kun a message now? Would it be a bother if I asked, “Can I really come visit after all?” But, Ootsuki-kun’s illness… was it my fault? If so, wouldn’t it be more rude not to go visit him? “Th-that’s right. It’s my fault, after all, I have to go visit him!” It’s my responsibility for taking his change of clothes. Rather, I should be the one taking care of him constantly!

I’m going to visit Ootsuki-kun! Having made up my mind, I got out of bed, washed my face to get motivated, and changed clothes. Then, I sat seiza on my bed and placed my smartphone in front of me. I exhaled a little breath with a “Hoo~” to calm myself down, then typed out the message to Ootsuki-kun. ──Can I really come visit after all? Ootsuki-kun, your cold is my fault, isn’t it? After rereading the sentences a few times, I made up my mind and sent the message. Then, after a little while, a reply came. ──It’s not Tojo-san’s fault. I just couldn’t manage my own health. Tojo-san didn’t do anything wrong. Just as I expected, Ootsuki-kun sent me a kind message, showing his concern for me. To avoid making the same mistake as before, I carefully considered the message content before sending it to Ootsuki-kun. ──But, I’m worried about Ootsuki-kun’s health. If it’s a bother or anything, I won’t go, but if it’s not, can I come visit? Unlike before, I clearly expressed my intention to visit. There was a part of me that felt a bit like I was forcing my good intentions on him, but… After sending the message, I waited for his reply, my heart pounding. It was about a minute later. A reply came from Ootsuki-kun. After waiting for what felt like a very long time, I checked the content of the reply from Ootsuki-kun. ──I’m sorry. Well then, please. I’ll send you my home address. After the message, Ootsuki-kun’s address was also sent. The moment I saw it, I dashed out of the room and headed for the living room. I burst into the living room with considerable force, which made Mama, who was teleworking on her computer, look surprised. “What’s wrong, Ayaka? Why are you in such a hurry?” “Um, Mama. Ootsuki-kun caught a cold, and he asked to take a day off from housekeeping help today. And well, I’m going to visit him now.” “Oh my! Is Ootsuki-kun alright?” Mama asked with a worried expression. “He said it’s just a cold, but I thought I’d buy him some fruit or something as a get-well gift.” Even as I was talking like this, Ootsuki-kun might be feverish and in pain. Thinking that, my body felt restless, wanting to go to him quickly. As if sensing my feelings, Mama opened her mouth with a smile. “Alright. Tell Ootsuki-kun to take care.” “Okay! Got it!” I replied to Mama while hurrying to the entrance. I thought I heard Mama’s smiling laughter from behind me, but I didn’t have time to worry about such things now! After leaving the house, I hurried, almost running, towards the supermarket. I had to buy fruit to take to Ootsuki-kun! Upon arriving at the supermarket, I immediately started examining the fruit. They say an apple a day keeps

the doctor away, so I definitely have to buy apples. And maybe I should buy some peaches too? Oh, grapes or pineapples might be good too. I wonder if Ootsuki-kun likes kiwis? After buying several kinds of fruit like that, I paid and bagged them. Then, an onion rolled to my feet. “Huh? An onion??” I tilted my head and picked up the onion, and an elderly woman who was bagging her groceries a little distance away came rushing over, bowing to me. “I’m so sorry, the netting broke.” When I looked around at the elderly woman’s words, I saw several onions scattered on the floor. “Oh no! Are you alright?” I picked up the onions scattered on the floor and handed them to the elderly woman. “Oh my, thank you so much for your kindness.” The elderly woman bowed politely while packing the onions into her eco-bag. Looking at that eco-bag, I tilted my head. Somehow, I felt like I had seen the elderly woman’s eco-bag somewhere before… It was an eco-bag with a pale pink fabric and a very cute bear embroidery. It was quite a rare design, so I don’t think I would easily forget it once I saw it… My mind, trying to recall the elderly woman’s eco-bag, suddenly brought back a certain scene. It was the memory of buying discounted sesame oil with Ootsuki-kun a few days ago. “Ah! That’s Ootsuki-kun’s eco-bag!” When I said that, the elderly woman reacted with an “Oh?” “Perhaps you are one of Haruto’s friends?” “Ah, um, friends… well, I’m a classmate.” Is it okay for me to say I’m Ootsuki-kun’s friend? But I’ve gone to the movies and Animal Crossing Park with him, so maybe it’s okay to say I’m his friend now? While I was contemplating, the elderly woman bowed very politely. “Is that so? My grandson Haruto is always in your care. I am Haruto’s grandmother.” “Ah, no, no! I’m the one who is always in his care! My name is Ayaka Tojo.” Ootsuki-kun’s grandmother, no way?! I was surprised but also quickly bowed and introduced myself. When I lowered my head, I was a little dazzled by the sunlight streaming in from the supermarket window. Ugh, it’s bright… I looked up, narrowing my eyes against the sunlight, and Ootsuki-kun’s grandmother’s face was somehow surprised, yet very happy. “Um, Ayaka-san, did you recently go to see a movie with Haruto?” “Eh? Ah, yes. We went.” The moment I replied that, Grandma’s face burst into a smile as if a flower had bloomed. Wow, Ootsuki-kun’s grandmother’s smile is so cute! Just then, a shocking statement jumped into my ear. “Could it be that you are dating Haruto?” “Eh? Um… yes.” Ah… I answered ‘yes’ reflexively… M-my desire! My feelings for Ootsuki-kun leaked out…

B-b-but, but, but, but he comes to my house frequently for housekeeping help, so in that sense, in the meaning of client and staff, we are “seeing each other,” so it’s not a lie, right? While thinking up such excuses in my head, Ootsuki-kun’s grandmother said with a very lively voice, sounding extremely happy. “Oh my! Oh my! So it was true after all!! The description matches what Haruto told me!” “Eh? Description? Heard from Ootsuki-kun? Eh?” “Haruto! To find such a lovely girlfriend!” “Um, um… I’m sorry. Actually, I… Huh? Girlfriend??” “Ah, I’m sorry, I got a little too excited. I just heard from Haruto that he got a girlfriend recently, so I got carried away.” “Ah, is that so…? Wait?!!” Wh-wh-wh-what does this mean?! Ootsuki-kun got a girlfriend?! No way… Ootsuki-kun has a girlfriend… Then, did I… get dumped before we even started…? Suddenly, I was hit by a strong sense of emptiness, like a big hole had opened up in my heart, a feeling I had never felt before. My chest ached so much, it was hard to even stand. Ootsuki-kun got a girlfriend… And she’s someone who looks just like me… Huh? Hmm? Someone who looks just like me…? Huh?? “Thank you for spending time with Haruto the day before yesterday.” “Ah… yes… yes?” Huh? The day before yesterday? The day before yesterday was the day we went to Animal Crossing Park, right? Ootsuki-kun was with me the whole time, right? …Eh?? What does this mean? Huh? No way… Could it be that Ootsuki-kun’s girlfriend… is me? Eh? Eh?! Eeeehhh?! To me, who was in a state of panic, Ootsuki-kun’s grandmother bowed politely again. “Once again, thank you for always taking care of Haruto.” “Ah, um… It’s I who should be saying that, in your care…?” “You really are as beautiful and cute as a doll.” “Ah, ahaha…” Ootsuki-kun’s grandmother had been smiling happily the whole time. I just laughed along for the time being. …Somehow, I’ve become Ootsuki-kun’s girlfriend? Y-yay~! My first love came true~? Is it okay for me to just be happy about this…? Or rather, huh? What does this really mean? Ootsuki-kun’s grandmother, isn’t she mistaking me for someone else? But she doesn’t seem like that, does she? …I don’t know!! I don’t understand the current situation at all!! What does it mean that I’m his girlfriend?! Hey!! What does this mean, Ootsuki-kun!! My head is in the biggest state of panic it’s ever been in my life. In that state, we left the supermarket and walked side by side down a narrow residential street. When I told her I was on my way to visit Ootsuki-kun, she said, “Well then, let’s go together. I’ll guide you to the house.”

Under the refreshing summer sky in the morning, Grandma walked beside me, constantly wearing a smiling and very happy expression. Influenced by her, I was smiling too, but inwardly, I was in the biggest panic of my life. Ootsuki-kun’s grandmother, why does she think I’m his girlfriend? Seriously, why? That question has been swirling around in my head ever since. “Um, um… What did Ootsuki-kun say about me?” From Grandma’s previous stories, it seems Ootsuki-kun told her I was his girlfriend… Ootsuki-kun, did he think of me as his girlfriend? If that’s the case, what should I do…? Oh, I can’t help but smile uncontrollably. But, it’s strange, isn’t it? It’s not like Ootsuki-kun. Telling his grandmother I was his girlfriend without saying anything to me about it, considering his personality so far, is a little weird, isn’t it? Well, it is something I’m very happy about though. While I was thinking such things, Grandma spoke very happily about how Ootsuki-kun had told her about me. “Haruto said that Ayaka-san is very cute. He said her smile is especially wonderful and that you’re a good Onee-chan who cares for your younger brother.” Wow~!! H-h-h-h-how embarrassing!! I feel like my face is on fire!! …But, but I see, Ootsuki-kun likes my smile… Is that so… Ufufu. “Fufufu…” “Ayaka-san?” “Ah, n-no. I’m just really happy that Ootsuki-kun said that.” Ah, that was close. If I let my guard down, my face would loosen up and an unbecoming smile would spill out. I can’t be so sloppy in front of Ootsuki-kun’s grandmother. I need to get a grip! So, after walking for several minutes, occasionally chatting with Grandma, I finally arrived at Ootsuki-kun’s house. From the outside, it looked like a typical detached house, although it seemed a bit old. But to my eyes, just because it was Ootsuki-kun’s house, it looked like a very special building. “Please, come in.” Grandma, who opened the front door first, brought out slippers for me. “Ah, thank you. Excuse me for intruding.” I slipped my feet into the slippers and entered Ootsuki-kun’s house. Ah, I can smell Ootsuki-kun. I took a small deep breath, trying not to let Grandma notice. “Haruto’s room is on the second floor, this way.” “Ah, yes. Excuse me.” Grandma led the way and guided me to Ootsuki-kun’s room. I followed her up the stairs. With every step I took up the stairs, I felt my heart beating faster. The combination of entering Ootsuki-kun’s room and the possibility of hearing the reason why Ootsuki-kun had told his grandmother I was his girlfriend made my heart pound wildly. ※※※

Haruto lay alone on his futon, letting out a sigh. “Haa, I wonder if Grandma is okay.” In the end, Haruto’s cold didn’t get better the next day, so he had to ask Tomoya to pick his grandmother up from the hospital. And as soon as his grandmother came home and saw her grandson in bed with a cold, she went out to buy ingredients to make him something good for his body. Haruto, concerned about his grandmother’s health right after being discharged, tried to stop her from going out, but she logically refuted him by saying, “Don’t worry about me, worry about your own health first,” and he couldn’t say a word in return. He stared blankly at the ceiling of his room, feeling the languor all over his body from the fever. Later today, Ayaka was coming to visit him. It seemed she thought it was her fault that Haruto had caught a cold. While he felt sorry for making her think that, at the same time, a feeling of happiness also welled up within him. But there was something he had to do before she came to visit. That was the lie he had told the day before yesterday. He had to properly explain to his grandmother the lie that he had gotten a girlfriend. If he didn’t do that, when Ayaka came to the house, his grandmother might mistake her for his real girlfriend when she saw her. If that happened, it would cause a great deal of trouble for Ayaka. Haruto braced himself, feeling a chill different from his cold at the thought of telling his grandmother the truth, but knowing this was a bed he had made. Just then, he heard a noise from the entrance. “Grandma, you’re back…” Haruto felt relieved that his grandmother had returned safely without incident. And he also felt a sense of tension. The sound from the entrance moved to the hallway, and soon he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. “Hmm? Why are there so many footsteps? Is Tomoya here too? I hear talking too.” His best friend, Tomoya, was supposed to have gone home immediately after picking up his grandmother, saying he had plans in the afternoon. Haruto thought he needed to properly thank his best friend for helping him despite being busy. While he was thinking about such things, there was a knock on Haruto’s room door, and his grandmother’s voice could be heard. “Haruto, may I come in?” “Yeah, it’s fine.” When Haruto replied, his grandmother opened the door and came in. Haruto tilted his head slightly, wondering why his grandmother seemed much more cheerful than before she went shopping. “Haruto, I just happened to run into your girlfriend at the supermarket.” “…Eh? Girlfriend?” “She bought a lot of fruit to visit Haruto. She’s really a good girlfriend.” “Eh? Visit? Eh?” Haruto couldn’t hide his agitation at his grandmother’s words. The worst possible scenario came to his mind. And it turned out to be true. Following his grandmother, a girl appeared, looking bewildered. “O-Ootsuki-kun. Um… are you feeling okay?”

“—! T-Tojo-san.” Haruto felt all the blood drain from his body. “Haruto, you really did have such a cute girlfriend, didn’t you?” “Ah, ah… no, um, Grandma, about that…” He was in a hurry to clear up his grandmother’s misunderstanding as quickly as possible. However, caught off guard by the sudden situation, his thoughts weren’t coming together well, and his mouth wasn’t moving as he wanted it to. Just then, Ayaka tentatively offered the bag she was holding. “Ootsuki-kun, here. I bought some fruit, can you eat any?” “Eh? Ah, um, I’m sorry. Thank you for coming all this way.” Haruto turned towards Ayaka, thinking he had to apologize to her as well. The biggest victim of this lie was Ayaka. She must be feeling uncomfortable. Thinking that, Haruto started to open his mouth, but his grandmother began speaking before he could. “Ayaka-san bought you a lot for Haruto. You really got a good girlfriend.” “U-uh… ah, no, that’s not right, um…” Haruto turned back to his grandmother again, trying to clear up the misunderstanding. But still, the words wouldn’t come out properly. An apology to Ayaka, and an explanation to his grandmother. Thinking about these two things simultaneously was confusing his thoughts. Ignoring Haruto, who was in such a state of confusion, his grandmother looked at the fruit in Ayaka’s hand and said. “Well, since you went to the trouble of bringing it, shall I peel it for you?” “No, that would be too much trouble, if you would lend me the kitchen, I will do it.” “It’s fine, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Since you came all this way, Ayaka-san, please relax.” “Um, well then, I’ll take you up on your kind offer.” Ayaka glanced at Haruto, then handed the shopping bag with the fruit to his grandmother. His grandmother, still wearing a pleasant smile, accepted the fruit from her and went downstairs to peel it. “……” “……” Ayaka, who seemed somewhat restless and fidgety, and Haruto, who was slumped over in dejection. An extremely awkward silence flowed in the room where they were now alone. “Um, Ootsuki-kun? So, how is your cold?” “…Yes, it’s getting better.” Haruto said weakly in a dispirited voice. “……Ah, um, well. So… just now, I ran into Ootsuki-kun’s grandmother at the supermarket, and… um, how should I say it… I, well, um… that, that I was his, um… g-girlfriend—” “I’m sorry!” In the middle of Ayaka’s words, Haruto got out of bed and bowed his head to the floor, performing a dogeza. Ayaka’s eyes widened in surprise at Haruto’s sudden action. He continued to apologize while in the dogeza position.

“I’m really sorry for lying without permission and making Tojo-san feel uncomfortable! I don’t know how to apologize… I’ll tell my grandmother it was a lie myself, so Tojo-san—” “Wait! Hold on a second!!” Ayaka interrupted Haruto’s apology. “I’m not angry, and I don’t feel uncomfortable. I’m just curious about the reason why Ootsuki-kun, well… told a lie that I was his girlfriend.” Ayaka said with a serious gaze. Haruto, whose eyes met hers for a moment, suddenly looked down and averted his gaze. “That is…” “There must be a reason, right? Because Ootsuki-kun, you’re not usually someone who would tell such a lie.” “……” Ayaka patiently continued to stare at Haruto, who was looking down and keeping quiet. Then, in a small voice, he began to speak hesitantly. ※※※ “Actually, when I was little… I lost both of my parents in a car accident.” “Eh?! You… you did…” Faced with the unexpected shocking truth, I involuntarily covered my mouth with both hands. Ootsuki-kun continued speaking in a dispirited voice. “Then, I was taken in and raised by my maternal grandparents, but around the time I entered junior high, my grandfather also passed away… Now I live with just my grandmother.” Listening to Ootsuki-kun’s story, which he told sadly with his head bowed, I felt an urge to hug him tightly. I can’t even imagine. I have a Papa and a Mama as if it’s a given, I have my brother Ryota, and I’m surrounded by family. To think that Ootsuki-kun only has his grandmother as family… Then I suddenly remembered something. Before, when Mama teased me and I complained about it, Ootsuki-kun spoke about how grateful he was to have a mother, tinged with melancholy. Perhaps I was insensitive in front of Ootsuki-kun, who doesn’t have his parents… Ootsuki-kun lifted his gaze, which had been lowered until now, and continued speaking while looking at me. “And then, my grandmother collapsed from heatstroke the day before yesterday.” “Eh?! W-was she alright?” “Ah, yes. Fortunately, we were able to get to the hospital right away, so it wasn’t serious.” “I-I see.” It was certainly very hot the day before yesterday. But I had no idea something like that happened that day. “But I was really shaken by the fact that my grandmother collapsed and was taken to the hospital…” Ootsuki-kun said weakly. That’s right, if the only family member I have were to collapse, I might panic too. I can’t even imagine losing someone so close.

“As soon as we got to the hospital, my grandmother regained consciousness, but in the flow of the conversation at that time, the topic of my girlfriend came up…” Ootsuki-kun paused awkwardly, then started speaking again. “My grandmother had been asking me if I had a girlfriend for a while now, and usually I would just brush it off, but at that time, the feeling of wanting to reassure my grandmother became strong…” “And so, you… um, said I was your girlfriend?” “Yes, at that moment, your face came to mind, and I just… did.” Ootsuki-kun spoke with the same dejected tone as before. While feeling sympathy for his upbringing and circumstances, a feeling of joy also sprouted from the words I had just heard. When he thought about a girlfriend, my face came to his mind, that means… In my head, Ootsuki-kun’s words were interpreted in a very favorable way. But if he didn’t at least have some affection for me, that wouldn’t happen, right? Desperately trying to suppress the corners of my mouth that were naturally turning up, I nodded slightly as if to affirm my interpretation. In contrast to me, whose heart was pounding so much it felt like it was going to fly away, Ootsuki-kun continued to apologize from the bottom of his heart, looking truly sorry. “I’m truly sorry. Even if it was to reassure my grandmother, I told a terrible lie, the lowest thing a person could do, and caused trouble for Tojo-san too…” Ootsuki-kun shrank, looking disheartened. Seeing him like that, I couldn’t help but feel a pang in my heart. The usually mature and reliable Ootsuki-kun was now dejected like Ryota being scolded by Papa and Mama. The gap between that and his usual self was so big that I felt like hugging Ootsuki-kun to my chest, stroking his head, and telling him “It’s okay.” “I’ll properly tell my grandmother that I was lying. So—” “Wait!!” I interrupted Ootsuki-kun’s words with a slightly louder voice. At the same time, my heart started pounding faster, and my chest felt tight with tension. Now that I had seen a glimpse of Ootsuki-kun’s feelings, his affection for me, I felt sure that if I wished it… Ootsuki-kun would accept me. I felt like the relationship I had longed for ever since I became aware of my feelings for him was right in front of me. But… I… Precisely because I had learned his feelings, his emotions, I wanted more. I wanted his pure feelings, free from any sense of inferiority or guilt. I had become greedy in this love. So… I deliberately looked away from the ‘relationship’ that was right before my eyes, that I might have been able to grasp if I reached out. And then, I slowly opened my mouth. Seeking his pure feelings. “…Okay. I’ll pretend to be your girlfriend. In front of your grandmother, I’ll be Ootsuki-kun’s girlfriend.” At my words, Ootsuki-kun opened his mouth in surprise and froze. That expression was so unlike him, and yet I felt a fondness for that too, and a small smile escaped me.