Of the two months the two of us interacted, more specifically me doing anything she basically wants, I just realized it now, that Furushira-san, despite everything has…

Never said thank you yet…

I know it sounds a little bit lame… but a thank you is just something so valuable. 

I mean, I don't really mind her not saying it… but once should be enough…

So that's why I decided to take her on. I'll be doing it more on my initiative, even the things she won't ask me or the things she won't expect me to do. I'll make sure to get those words out of her mouth!

The next few days were literally just me trying to get her to say thank you. I'd have to be doing stuff that will make her say that of course, but starting with usual and the obvious, her probably favorite by now milk.

“Here.” it was another lunch break for us, there she was eating her usual, incredibly large portion of food, now homemade, but she wasn't taking out any drinks, so I handed her the usual milk, but the larger one.

“Mmm….” that's how she usually replies, and then she continued chomping through her food.

Well, I didn't expect her to say it immediately there, well then, next thing is…

It's a bad thing to hope for, because it might actually happen but worse, but saving her or something from an accident such as tripping could be one, but that's pretty much impossible.

I can't also do it mid class, we're not sitting so close together, sharing textbooks isn't an option then. The next option for the day would be the short times the two of us sometimes spend… in the school's library.

The two of us don't have that much of a size difference, but it's there, a chance that I can use. Of course, bookshelves are decently tall, and for her size, there are some that she can't reach.

And not gonna lie… as much as I want to help her now… it's cute looking at her… trying her best to reach the book, within a few inches of reach, pushing her toes to their limits and reaching her arms and fingers to the utmost reach… but struggling to reach it is… incredibly cute!!!

I can't… I'd have to stop staring at her so much…

And so, I stood up, with the plan in my head, approaching her as naturally as I could, and took the book she appeared to be needing. Apparently, I have longer arms than her, so my reach is farther.

“I-I already had it…” she took the book, blushing, and pouted as she went ahead.

Seriously… that's her reaction?!

Well, can't say I'm surprised though. She's just like that.

Well then, the final plan for today and probably the final thing I can think of. It's a good thing though that luck came by my side today.

A sudden pour of rain, so hard that the two of us decided to stay by the library until it weakens out. And of course there are two things I know about her based on past experiences. She might've grown from the other one, but the other, I'm not so sure she'd even grow from it.

One thing is that she usually doesn't bring her umbrella, but she might have brought it now. And the other is…

Accompanied by rain sometimes… thunder… and thunder is something that frightens her, cutely that is.

Well, there's no way she didn't bring her umbrella, right? Although, the two of us usually go home at the same time when things like this happen. 

“You didn't bring your umbrella again…?”

Furushira-san stood by the school's exit, staring in the rain in front of her that had already weakened up.

She actually didn't bring it… again…?!

“W-Well… I forgot to put it in my bag…”

Forgot… huh…. Well, seems just like her.

I approached her once again, and opened up my umbrella as I stood beside her, placing the two of us under, but with a good distance from us.

“Haa— let's go? It's getting dark and the rain don't seem to be fully stopping anytime soon.”

“It's fine, I'd just sprint ahead.”

Sprint ahead?! This girl… don't she remember being sick from the heat? She most likely has a weak immune system, so sprinting through the rain would surely make her sick again… I'd hate that… seeing her having a hard time again… no… thinking that she'd have to overcome that by herself is hard for me… I at least don't want that to happen to her….

“It's not fine, let's just go. It's a pain for you to get sick again, you know. I don't want you to get sick anymore…” my voice got slightly lighter but I realised it too late….

I said that out loud, didn't I?

“I-I mean…” I turned to her, my voice flustered, but more than that, I saw her… blushing, hiding herself….

Cute….

“I-Is that so….”

Her voice wasn't that of her monotonous, sweet one, nor was it her tsundere kind or something, nor was it insulting. It was just plain… cute….

“W-Well…” I quickly turned my head to the side, after all, if she were to see me… I'm sure she'd find out that I like her… blushing so much just because of that…

No, it's not just about what I said that made me blush so hard. But her cute, innocent reaction was just too much!!!!

◆

Isn't he a little to forward today? Does he have something in mind or something?

No, more than that…

What did he mean?!?!

He doesn't want me to get sick, he says…. What did he mean by that… geez, that made me flustered and react to it out of character….

But other than that, the two of us continued walking, but I making me say those words, It's embarassing for me to let that by, that's why, I'd have to pay him back! I'll embarrass him more than I could!

Although, how will I do it? It's simple actually. I decided to ignore it, but now that he's done that, I'd have no choice but to take notice in it.

Of course, he distanced himself from me as we walked under one umbrealla. But when one distances from another, there would be two options if it's raining.

One is that, one of the two will get slightly wet, making sure the other gets covered, or the two of them would equally be distanced, both getting slightly wet from the rain.

In this case, Ryou-kun was making sure I was covered, so his shoulders were slightly wet from the rain already.

And that's just it. Making it so that he doesn't get wet, and at the same time, making h embarassed can be done simultaneously! I'd just have to move walk even closer to him, with no distance apart!

“Fu-Fu-Fu-Furushira-san?!” he said in a flustered reaction, I turned up to him, blushing.

“You're getting wet, you know?” I pulled ourselves closer, and our shoulders are already touching, but in that case, neither are getting wet. Just one problem…

This is embarrassing for me too!!!!

This is bad… it's such a blunder for me to not realize this but… this is so embarrassing!!!! Walking side by side so closely like this….

◆

Walking so closely by her is embarrassing as it is already.

But forgetting something like this is even more embarrassing as a man….

“Ah— Furushira-san, excuse me for doing this.” with one arm, I grabbed her shoulder, and moved her to the opposite side as I noticed a car approach.

She was standing by the roadside earlier, so it is more dangerous for her. But… I did successfully protect her at the nick of time… but I think I'm being a little overprotective now… after all, I…

“Uhm… I appreciate that but… can you please let go of me now?”

Didn't let her go after a few seconds already….

“Ah— right…” I immediately let go of her, but the two of us still walked closely side by side.

Appreciate, huh… well, it's not exactly the words I wanted to hear but it should suffice for now, we're already in front of her house after all.

But… she really is full of unexpected things, huh….

“Don't forget to—” as I was about to give her my words, she interjected it,

“I know, I'm taking my warm bath after this, you don't have to remind me.”

“Is that so? Well, it's a pain for you to get sick, at least. Then—” as I was about to turn around, it was quiet, but I surely heard it.

“Thank you… for caring for me…”

That would be a little too much if others heard it, people like to take notice of the small stuff after all. But for me…

So she can say it, huh… it was quiet, and I'd want her to say it a little louder, but, that's enough for now… I wouldn't want to anger her, she might forget to take a warm bath.

Again, as I was about to turn around, after hearing those words, I gave my reply….

◆

“You're welcome~” he said, turning around, and leaving completely…

I immediately closed my door, headed towards the bath and soaked myself in the bathtub filled with warm water…

“Don't make me say things like that… stupid….”