Today I’m… Well, I’m in bed.

“Argh, this is so frustrating…”

I'm not complaining about being alone at home nor due to the classes I miss due to my sudden sickness. The thing that annoys me the most, is the fact that my head hurts so much that I can't use this otherwise beautiful day to read while lying in my bed.

Birds are singing by my window and I’m able to see the clear blue sky through my half opened curtains. Even the breeze that sofly moves the leaves of the trees nearby managed to enter my room from time to time through an opening more narrow than a finger that my mom left open in the morning.

No, even if my head didn't hurt, I still will be unable to concentrate myself through a whole sentence: My body is extremely hot and covered in sweat, and my vision turns blurrier and blurrier as time passes by. I can't even gather the strength to take away the bed sheets that are covering me.

“Ah… So this is how I die…”

Of course, I’m not going to die, I’m just being over dramatic here. Please don't get me wrong, I just need a way to keep my sanity in this kind of situation.

“So this is how I die…”

I said to no one, once again, before letting out a long sigh of resignation.

After all, today is nothing but a normal day, so there's no way anyone would be able to hear my lonely complaints.

However, just when I was about to start trying to turn myself in bed once again, in order to let the soft breeze that was entering through the window caress my sweaty back, I heard something that sounded like hasty footsteps going up through the corridor’s stairs.

Suddenly, my room’s door swung wide open, letting a familiar face come inside.

“I see. I died…”

“O-Of course you didn't!”

“No, I’m pretty sure I died.”

“I’m telling you that you are still alive!”

“T-Then what are you doing here, Sotoka?!”

“Well…”

Sotoka told me that when she came to pick me up in the morning my mom told her that I was going to be absent because I’ve caught a cold. Furthermore, since I was going to be left alone at home, my mother asked Sotoka if she could come here after school in order to take care of me for a bit.

“I see… Cough, cough… So you came to laugh at my death…”

“Argh, come on! Just turn around.”

It seems that being overly fatalistic in front of Sotoka is totally useless, after all I’m just getting unconcerned responses…

Sudelenty, after letting out a long sigh, Sotoka grabbed me from my shoulders and pushed them so I ended up laying on my belly, with my back totally defenseless.

“I’ll take out your sweat now. Please be still, Eriko.”

“T-Thanks…”

Then, she pulled my shirt up and started to softly rub a dry towel through my back.

The towel was so thin and her movements were so careful that it felt as if she was moving her bare hand through my back. It might be because of the warmth of her skin that was going through the towel, or maybe due to the dizziness I was feeling due to my sickness, but with each second that passed, I was more and more convinced that Sotoka was just caressing my naked body with her own bare hands.

“This is…!”

“Be quiet Eriko, I need to change your clothes after all~”

“...!”

Without any more ads, Sotoka pulled my shirt out, leaving my defenseless top at her plain sight.

"Stay still, Eriko. After all, this is something I have to do as your partner."

"P-Please… Please be gentle…"

"...!"

This time, Sotoka was the one that was left speechless after that line. Is not as if we were doing something lewd, but somehow, it's really hard to keep this kind of situation inside of the limits of a normal relationship.

“J-Just shut up and let me take care of your body!”

Sotoka shouted while pressing her skin (hands) against my naked back.

“Ngh… Kyaa!”

“I-I've said shut up!”

Sotoka shouted once again, this time with a voice that let me see how flustered she was.

•••••

“Agh… that was tough…”

“I'm sorry… I wasn't prepared for something like that…”

I said while covering my face with the dorso of my hands. Of course, I was just acting, enjoying the feeling of fresh clean clothes touching my skin. However, the embarrassment that I was able to see on Sotoka’s face throughout the little spaces between my fingers was something real.

It was obvious that I wouldn't let this opportunity go to waste, so I started teasing her once more.

“It's just me, or it's kind of hot over here~?”

“S-Shut up!”

Sotoka shouted as she threw a pillow right to my face before leaving my bedroom on her way to bring us something fresh to drink.

Maybe I teased her so much? I should thank her when she comes back.

With those thoughts on my mind, I closed my tired eyes.