Chapter 44 Is the destination of awakening… Shuraba’
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
It’s bright
When he opened his eyes, Chihiro saw a familiar place
It’s his room in the dorm. The light was bright because of the lighting. Looking out the window through the curtains, it was still dark
But his body ―― it hurt. His arms are tingling
But he doesn’t seem to have any trouble moving them. His fatigue was also lighter than he expected
Which means he must have been asleep for quite a while
Then
”Izumi-kun, are you awake?”
A voice called from beside him
When he twisted his head to look, he saw an unexpected person sitting right beside Chihiro. A person he had never invited to his room before, and didn’t even know where his room was
But now, she was wearing a thin, long-sleeved dress with her hair tied back with a string, an outfit he had never seen before
”…Takatsuki-san?”
He murmured, and Aika smiled and nodded
”How’s your body?”
Her gentle voice warmed his heart
At the same time, it also confirmed his current situation
In other words, he wasn’t in better shape because of the rest
”Takatsuki-san healed me”
”Yeah. I just got a call from Riko-chan. I was so surprised, Izumi-kun collapsed in the park”
Aika now smiles wryly
…So Riko called Aika
That’s the only way, but still, he felt somewhat surprised
And
”I’m sorry. I couldn’t think of anyone else who might be able to come”
Riko appeared from the bathroom
She sat down a little away from Aika and told Chihiro what had happened. Her explanation was a bit vague, as she didn’t want to mention Maria’s name
It seems that after Chihiro collapsed in the park, Riko first tried to carry him
However, it was impossible for a girl to do so alone
Nevertheless, it was not good for Chihiro’s health to leave him lying outside. After thinking about it for a while, she had no choice but to call for help
The person was registered in the phone book and was likely to respond to a sudden call on a Sunday night
In addition, she needed someone who would be somewhat tight-lipped and would not pry into their life unnecessarily… In that case, there was no one better than Aika
In fact, Aika agreed to Riko’s request with two words and rushed to the park immediately
From there, the two of them brought Chihiro to the dormitory, treated him, and now he is here
”…I see. Thank you. Nishizaki-san and Takatsuki-san”
Aika quickly shook her head as he thanked them with a bite
”No. Don’t worry about it. Anyone can’t leave someone like that alone”
Aika’s answer was as refreshing as ever
But that didn’t mean he could ignore her
At least try to bow, Chihiro tried to get up from the bed..
”Oh, wait, Izumi!”
”Eh?”
Riko interrupted, but only a little too late. And――
*flutter*
When Chihiro woke up, the quilt came off, revealing what was underneath
Chihiro’s body, without a stitch of clothing. He had probably been taken off to wipe sweat off or to treat himself. He wasn’t aware of it, but of course it was normal…
No, that’s not the point
”I-I’m sorry”
”…Uh, no, no. I’m sorry too”
Fortunately, the lower half of his body was not exposed, but Chihiro felt like his face was going to burst into flames. He hurriedly wrapped the quilt around him and lowered his head, but Aika shook her head with a bright red face
”……”
”……”
”……”
Then, there was a subtle silence
Then Riko stood up without saying a word, searched on the dresser and took out a pair of pajamas
Chihiro took the pajamas without saying a word, and put them on in the futon
Then, with a quick flick, he pulls out his smartphone
…and he searches for Maria
As Chihiro was about to make a call, Riko stopped and looked at him. She shakes her head. Riko must have tried several times already and had no luck
”Right now, I don’t think it’s possible. I don’t think there’s anything we can do about it right now”
Chihiro lowered his hand in resignation at his last-minute words of comfort
He turned back to Aika and the others
”…Thank you for your trouble”
”Uh, yeah”
There’s a lot he has to tell her. Although he doesn’t know how much Aika is aware of the situation, if asked, he would like to answer as much as he can
…Of course he’s concerned about Maria. But Chihiro doesn’t know where she’s gone. After fighting her but losing, it’s unlikely that she’ll listen to Chihiro and the others now
So, he had to change the methods
He could wait for her in front of the apartment on Monday morning. Or call either Maria or Hana at lunchtime
In any case, it’s hard to imagine that Mishuku Hana has the means to make everything too late this one night. Though he doesn’t know if he’s qualified to take back Maria, since he couldn’t beat her in the first place
But first of all, he should take care of the problem in front of him
So, he took a light breath
After calming his breathing, Chihiro slowly opened his mouth. But――
*rumbling*
An untimely rumbling of his stomach caused the atmosphere to relax
For dinner, they ordered a pizza
One large and one medium. They ordered that because Aika was eating just before noon, and they sat around the table together. They sat on cushions instead of chairs, but Aika’s dress had a long skirt, so there was no need to worry about her underwear showing
”Umm”
As soon as the meal started, Aika opened her mouth hesitantly
She took a bite of a large pizza with four different ingredients, chewed and swallowed it, and then continued
”I wonder where we should start…”
Riko replied, taking a bite of a nugget from the side menu
”…But I’m sorry, I don’t want to talk too much about Izumi’s collapse”
”I see”
Aika finished her slice of pizza and nodded slowly
She looks up and stares at Chihiro
The girl’s lips pursed as he accepted the probing, word-seeking gaze, unable to escape it
”Then, I’ll ask you something else”
With a blush, she shifted her gaze from Chihiro to Riko
She asked a reserved question
”Are Izumi-kun and Riko-chan dating…?”
…Okay, I understand what you’re saying
Even though she didn’t know the circumstances of his collapse, it was true that Riko had asked Aika for help with Chihiro. And in the process of carrying and caring for Chihiro, Aika must have noticed
Riko knew where Chihiro lived. That she knew more or less what was going on in the room
Then, it was inevitable that Aika would come to that conclusion
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