Volume 3, Chapter 5: In the Hot Springs Part 5
*****
"Thanks but, you don't have to do this you know, Hoshizawa san"
"Don't mind me, I wanted to do this in the first place"
"I-is that so?"
"Yes"
"...Okay then..."
You're probably confused on what's happening right now. To make it short, I got sick, how? well...
...after I fell asleep yesterday, I woke up, feeling cold and can't sleep in the middle of the night...
...
...
"...It's so...cold..."
The blanket that I got right now just wasn't enough to keep me warm...
...With all my might, I got up and decided to leave my room, hoping to get some more blankets in the equipment room...
The room where the cleaning and miscellaneous equipment are found where on the other side, so I had to walk all the way over there while my head is aching with every step I made...
...I walked slowly...
...and slowly...as I tried to put my hand on the wall...
...My vision was blurry at that time, and it was darker than usual, so I had to rely on my sense of touch...
...
...
...I was making a slow progress until...
"Oh, Shun! what are you doing at this time of hour?"
"...?"
It was grandma, who was still awake, patrolling
"You don't look so good..."
She said as she started to check my forehead
"Oh goodness! You're hot! so you do had a fever!"
"..."
"You shouldn't be walking around, let grandma take you back to your room and get you some extra blankets and other stuff"
"...Thanks...grandma..."
...before I knew it, my mind vaguely remembered what happened as I slowly lose consciousness...
...
...
...now back at the present...
Hoshizawa accompanied me all the way to the bathroom. She told me that she intends to take care of me until I get better...
...now, how did it come to this? I don't know the full details myself, but if we go back a bit again, you'll understand...
*****
...
"...Ugh...my head hurts even more than it was last night..."
I woke up, feeling hot all over while my head was throbbing in pain. I tried to get up, but the pain that I'm receiving from my head was so strong that I chose to lie down instead...
"...I even promised to her that I wouldn't get sick..."
...
I remembered yesterday that I promised to Hoshizawa that I wouldn't get sick no matter what, that my body was tough as a steel...
...but I know myself that I'm just convincing her that time...
"...I guess I'll rest for today then..."
...I tried to close my eyes to sleep again...
...when suddenly the door opened
"Shun? how are you now? I was calling you outside your room"
"Oh...grandma...I think I'm fine...a little bit"
"Are you still sick? You don't look fine to me at all, let me check your forehead again..."
Grandma placed her hands over my head, making me feel her cold hands...
...
"You're still hot..."
She said as she got more worried. I tried to ease her worries
"Ahaha...I'm just a little bit under the weather grandma, that's all"
I tried to show grandma that she doesn't need to worry, but she immediately stopped me
"Lie down for today Shun! A sick person shouldn't be moving around too much!"
"You worry too much grandma-"
"I insist! Stay here and wait for me to get something for you to eat, okay?"
"-O-Okay...thank you, grandma"
...
...How could I say no when grandma was being sincere and worried about me?
...I listened to grandma and just stayed at my room...
*****
...
A few minutes passed, the door opened once again and I saw grandma and Ban san coming in
"Yo! Shun!"
"Ban san? What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to thank you about yesterday for bringing back my daughter safe, but as I was walking in the hallway, I saw Oma walking towards me, I asked her where you might be, and she said that you were in your room, sick. So I came here to check up on you"
"Ban sama here wanted to invite you for breakfast as thanks, but he ordered these food for your recovery instead"
"Thanks a lot, Ban san, but you don't have to do that. Just you coming here to check up on me was already enough"
"Hahaha! That's what I like about you, Shun! As I expected from a good friend of mine!"
"You're exaggerating too much, Ban san"
"But in case you didn't know Shun, I owe you more than this, you might be asking why or how, but that's just the way I see it"
"Now you're being dramatic Ban san I'm not going to die you know, not yet for sure!"
"HAHAHA! My bad, I wasn't being dramatic though!"
"Sure, sure..."
Just about the atmosphere around us started to gloom, grandma intervened
"Now, now, Shun, a sick person should have his stomach full, right? You don't want to get Ban sama's order to get cold either, right?"
"*Sigh*...you guys worry too much...okay grandma...Thank you again, Ban san"
"Its nothing! Don't mention it, Shun!"
I eat the food that Ban san ordered for me, although it was quite a large portion of food, I still managed to eat them all to respect Ban san's effort...
...Ban san and I talked more about general things after that, while my grandma left afterwards and only came in after an hour had passed...
...
...After an hour had passed, Ban san wished for my quick recovery and came out with grandma together. Leaving me alone in my room...
*****
...
...Another hour had passed, and I woke up, feeling the need to go to the bathroom. I tried to get up, and to my surprise, I don't feel the pain from my head much
"I still feel hot though...guess I'll try to sleep again after I'm done going to the bathroom..."
...
...As I opened the door, I saw Hoshizawa and grandma, standing in front of my room, facing each other
"...?"
...What's with the silence-
"I want to nurse Amagasa kun back to full health! Is it okay if I take the role?!"
"..."
"..."
"...Oh my..."
...
I was a bit out of it at that time, but what Hoshizawa had just said surprised me
"W-W-W-Whaaaat?!"
"A-Amagasa kun?!"
While both of us had this shocked look, grandma looked at me directly
"Oh, you're awake already. I was just finished checking up on you"
"Huh?-Oh, yes..."
She then looked at Hoshizawa
"As for you, Miu sama, You don't need to do anything like that for Shun. I can do it-"
"Please! I want to! Oma san!"
"-But-oh?"
Before grandma was about to say anything, grandma seemed to saw something about Hoshizawa that made her convinced
...
Grandma looked at me again with a face that said "I see it now"
"...?"
...seen what though...?
"...*Chuckles*...oh to be young...I can't say no to you...not with those eyes..."
"Grandma...?"
"Miu sama, are you really sure?"
"Yes, and Oma san. Call me Miu. No need for formalities, *Chuckles*"
"If that's what you want, then please, take care of my grandson for me"
"Yes! Thank you, Oma san!"
"...Eh?"
...well that escalated quickly...grandma just agreed to it...
...
...Can someone tell me what's going on? Since when grandma and Hoshizawa got close?
...
"By the way, Miu..."
"Yes, Oma san?"
Grandma whispered something to Hoshizawa that made her face red as a tomato
"! I-I-I can't do that yet! Oma san!"
"Hahaha. Then I'll wait for you when that time comes that you can. You have my blessing"
"..."
She looked at me slowly
"...?"
She looked away in advance as I looked at her
"..."
...Seriously! What are they talking about?! Did I missed a page or something?!
"Well then, I'll be leaving Shun in your care, Miu"
"! Thank you very much!"
"Um...don't I have a say in this?!"
Hoshizawa looked at me with puppy-like eyes
"You...don't...want me to...?"
"Uh...um...uhh..."
"...No...?"
"Agggh! I'LL BE IN YOUR CARE!"
"! Thank you!"
The Hoshizawa who had seem was about to cry, suddenly turned bright after what I had just said...
...
...I mean...how can you say no to that?...*sigh*...
Grandma left, leaving me and Hoshizawa behind. I then told Hoshizawa that I'll be going to the restroom alone, but she insisted to go with me up until the entrance...
...is she really serious about nursing me until I get better...?
...
...and that's how we end up where we are right now...
*****
...
After going to the restroom, Hoshizawa and I came back to my room. Hoshizawa left me saying that she'll be bringing something with her when she comes back. She didn't told me what that is and I didn't bother to ask, but I figured that it'll be something that'll kill us time like a board game or something. I felt it that it would be rude to object or refuse since she gone that far for me, so I let her do what she wanted...
...
...a few minutes came by and she came back with something...
...
...something that I didn't expected that she'll bring...
"I'm back! Amagasa kun!"
"Oh welcome back- wait..."
"...?"
"...why...did you bring that...?"
"This? Well, its because its one of my duties!"
"I get that part but...I'm a man you know..."
"...? Is there something wrong with it, Amagasa kun?"
"A-aren't you embarrassed, Hoshizawa san?! Doing it to a guy like me?!"
"...? I don't...? I always see our maids do this to my mother-"
"THIS AND THAT ARE DIFFERENT! HOSHIZAWA SAN!"
"E-Eh?!"
Apparently, Hoshizawa intended to wash my body both front and back, that's why she brought those things with her. She doesn't even feel any second-hand embarrassments about it either. She really thinks this is normal!
I tried to calm down myself a few times before I told Hoshizawa that I can do it myself
"No! Let me do it! Oma san already gave me permission!"
"WHAT'S GRANDMA EVEN THINKING?!"
"Like me, she's also worrying about you, Amagasa kun. So she wants me to do it too. You might not be able to wash your back properly either, right?"
"Well...you're...not wrong..."
"*Chuckles* so let me do it, and your front too"
"...are you really serious right now...?"
"? You don't...want me to...?"
"Agggh! Those eyes again! Alright, please do so!"
"Okay!"
...I know, I failed as a man...
I mean, with those eyes that Hoshizawa's giving me right now, How could I turn her down?!
...
Without even reconsidering about the situation that I'm in right now, I quickly nodded and let Hoshizawa do what she wants...
...She warmly smiled at me and started to prepare. I then took off my upper clothes, leaving my whole body exposed for her to see. Embarrassed as I am, Hoshizawa didn't seem to be embarrassed about it...
...
...is it because...she doesn't see me as a man...?
...
Somehow...that thought stung to me a little bit, but there's nothing that I can do if she sees me that way...
...
While I was preoccupied at my thoughts, Hoshizawa started to wash my back, firmly and gently...
...and from this distance...I can also smell her scent...
...
...wait...is she wearing a perfume right now...?
...
...I can also feel her close to me...
"..."
...just thinking every bits and pieces of it makes me even more embarrassed in our situation as of now...
"..."
"Are you okay, Amagasa kun? You seem to be fidgeting a little bit..."
"I-I'm fine!"
"Okay then...I'll be washing your front now"
"W-w-wait a minute! I can do that by myself!"
Please, please, pleeeease let me do it! Otherwise, I don't know if I can get a hold of myself knowing that Hoshizawa's closely in front me!
"Its okay! I already washed your back, so let me wash your front too"
"I know you already said it, but are you really okay with this, Hoshizawa san?!"
"Hm? I'm okay with it"
"..."
Seems like Hoshizawa isn't really embarrassed about it...
...am I the only one who keeps making a big deal out of this?!
...or...is it because of...that thought...?
...
"..."
"Um...can I start now...?"
"...Sure, go ahead"
"O-okay...?"
I forced a smile to Hoshizawa who had seem to be half convinced about it. The embarrassing thing that I've been thinking about had dispersed and was replaced with that thought on the back on my mind...
...I'm usually not like this to other girls...
...but since its her...
...
...I lied down and became silent as she washed down the front part of my body. Hoshizawa looked like she caught on to me and started to ask me something
"Amagasa kun..."
"Yeah?"
"What do you think of...Aya san?"
"Aya? Why did you suddenly brought her up?"
"...Nothing..."
"..."
I think Hoshizawa was trying to create a conversation to break the awkward silence...
...To not waste her effort, I answered her question
"...I admire her-"
"?!"
"-by that I mean, I like how she's strong and so positive in life...even though she went through a lot of different things..."
"...I-I see...so, you like her?"
"Huh? Didn't I answered that question before? That I don't like anyone, for now?"
"O-oh...that's right...I forgot, ahaha..."
...her face is redder than it was before...
"What's with you all of sudden? You look more sick than me right now, Hoshizawa san"
"Eh?! N-Nothing! Its Nothing! Really!"
"Hm?...if you say so..."
"..."
"..."
...
"...so, you don't like her...?"
"Isn't that basically the same question?"
"..."
...
...I don't know why Hoshizawa's suddenly acting like this, but I thought I should answer honestly if that's what she wants
"...Although I admire Aya, I can only see her as a friend...nothing more than that"
"...only as a friend...?"
"Only as a friend"
"You only see her as...a friend?"
"Nothing more, nothing less"
"...I see...so she never had a chance to begin with..."
"Chance?...say what now?"
"...Nothing *chuckles*"
"...?"
...
Hoshizawa was mumbling to herself so I couldn't hear the last bit that she said...
...but since she's smiling again, I guess that she was satisfied with that answer...
...
...even if Aya sees me as more than friends...I'm afraid that I can only still see her as a friend...
...
...Meanwhile, Hoshizawa was humming as she was washing the front part of my body. Making me recall of something
...?
...
...I've felt this before...
That feeling...when I got sick at school...
...this same feeling right now was the same at that time...
...
...Its just a dream...
...
...there's no way it was Hoshizawa...
...
...and...there's no way that Hoshizawa would be there at that time...
...right...?
...
I shrugged that thought and wait for Hoshizawa to get finish. I wore a new set of clothes afterwards and laid down as she told me to do...
...She then left my room with the things she brought with her, leaving me behind...
*****
...
A few minutes had passed, and Hoshizawa came back. She sat next to me while I was lying down, using my phone. Although I'm feeling better than I was earlier, Hoshizawa didn't seem to be convinced by it, and instead told me to take it easy for now. I listened to her and did just that...
...
...I then asked her something to break off the awkward silence between us
"...Hoshizawa san"
"Yes? Do you need something?"
"No, not that, I just want to ask you something"
"Ask me something...?"
"I thought the answer might be obvious but, I still want to confirm..."
"...?"
"Um...Why are you doing this for me? Why did you suddenly decided to take care of me today?"
"...Oh..."
Hoshizawa looked down as she heard my question and said the following words
"...because it was my fault..."
"...? Your fault...?"
"...Its my fault that you got sick...its because of me that you took the heavy rain yesterday..."
"Wait, you're blaming yourself because of what happened to me?"
"...I'm not blaming myself...I'm just telling the truth..."
"..."
"..."
...
...I hate to be that guy, but-
"*Laughs*"
"Um...why are you laughing?"
"Because that's a ridiculous reason, Hoshizawa san!"
"E-eh?! It isn't ridiculous! I thought that you're going to die from your sickness!"
"Huh? Something like this can't kill me, Hoshizawa san-"
"I-I know! b-but...I'm glad...I was glad that you were alright..."
"Hoshizawa san..."
"Father was right...that you wouldn't end up like mother did..."
"Your mother...?"
"..."
...I was insensitive as to why Hoshizawa's acting like that, but it seems that something tragic happened to her mother that traumatized her...
...At that point, Hoshizawa looked like she was about to break down to tears...
...Without even realizing it, I patted her head and thanked her
"Hoshizawa san...thank you for taking care of me today. Because of you, I'm already better than I was before!"
"Amagasa kun...are you really...?"
"Yep, thanks to you"
"! I'm glad!"
The smile that Hoshizawa gave to me was one of her rarer smiles that she doesn't often show to others...
It was a geniune smile that not only shows what she feels outside, but also what she truly feels inside as well...
...I was mesmerized by her that I didn't even realize, I was staring hard at her...
"..."
"Is there something wrong, Amagasa kun?"
"Huh?! Ah-nothing"
"..?"
"..."
With my face getting redder and redder, I quickly looked away from her, trying to hide it from her...
...I tried to change the subject to escape from this awkward situation
"Anyways, Hoshizawa san"
"Yes?"
"Did you have fun staying here?"
"Yes! Although this is my first time staying to a place like this, it feels like home!"
"Wait...this is your first time? In a hot spring?"
"Yes...I've never stayed to any places ever since I was a little kid"
Oh...last time I thought she meant that its her first time staying in this hot spring, but apparently, its her first time staying at another place...
...And the reason why could only be...that...right...?
...
...I guess that can also explain why Ban san only stays here for 3 days at most...
"Have you gone to any places other than this hot spring?"
"No...I only go with my father on his business trips, but we've never gone or stayed at any place while I was accompanying him..."
"I see..."
I could not help but feel sad for Hoshizawa, because of what she'd been through, she didn't get to experience to go to other places...
...although this can't be said the same to me, I do believe that Hoshizawa should experience those things, to show her how much fun the outside world has to offer...
...and with that reason, I decided to take a step for Hoshizawa
"Hoshizawa san!"
"Y-Yes?!"
"Lets go to other places as many as we can! I want you to see how much this world has to offer!"
"! D-does that mean...you and...I-"
"Yep! And our friends as well!"
"-O-Oh...I see..."
"...?"
She felt down about something, but quickly bounced back
"Yes! I want to go to other places too!"
"..."
I didn't quite noticed it, but did Hoshizawa reacted differently for a short while?
...Or maybe that was just my imagination...?
I shrugged the thought
"Look forward to it, Hoshizawa san! For sure you'll have fun. I guarantee it, as your friend!"
"Friend..."
"? Is there something wrong?"
"Nothing...I can't wait for it!"
"Hoshizawa san..."
...She did again...
...did I said something along the lines that made her felt uneasy for a split second...?
...Shrugging the thought again, I focused more on the promise I had created to Hoshizawa...
...and to do that...
"Hoshizawa san, do you have your phone on you?"
"Huh? Yes, I always bring it with me, why do you ask?"
"I want to get your MILE (LINE App) ID"
"Oh, I see- M-M-MY MILE ID?!"
"? Yeah"
"W-W-Why...?"
"Why not? Its easier to reach out to you if we're able to message each other, right? Especially if my friends were to make plans, I can easily message you if you want to go with us. You can also bring your friends that way too"
"O-oh...so that's what you meant..."
"Huh? What did you think I meant?"
"N-Nothing! Nevermind that!"
"Okay...?"
Flustering as she was, Hoshizawa eventually calmed down and gave her MILE ID to me
...
...I then add her and messaged her to test it out
"?!"
"Oh, sorry. I was trying to test it out if you can get my message"
"I...I see..."
Hoshizawa stared at her phone and started to type something, she then replied to me that says:
'I got your message! ☺️'
It was a short, simple message, but surprisingly impactful for a guy like me
"..."
"Amagasa kun...?"
...
...Do girls reply like this? With emojis and stuff?!
Getting blushed by the fact that, that was the first time I got a message like that from a girl, I tried to hide it from Hoshizawa
"T-T-that's settled then"
"Yes! I'm looking forward to that day!"
"R-Right..."
"Is there something wrong, Amagasa kun?"
"I-Its nothing!"
"Are you perhaps...getting sick again?!"
"What?! No! I'm fine really!"
"...If you say so..."
"..."
I tried to calm down multiple times from the message that I got from Hoshizawa...
...
...calm down me! That message meant nothing! It doesn't contain any meaning!
...
...A few seconds after, the door opened and someone came in, it was grandma and Aya
"Shun, are you fine now?"
"Yes grandma. I'm fine now thanks to Hoshizawa san"
"N-no...I didn't do anything that much..."
Hoshizawa then looked down after she said that
"Quite the lovebirds huh, Amagasa kun?"
"We aren't like that!"
"*Chuckles*"
I quickly denied Aya's teasing statement. After all, Hoshizawa doesn't see me that way...
...
...Even if she doesn't, I still want her to have lots of fun. I'm determined to do that...
Grandma and Aya laid down the food that they were holding and told us to eat it. I asked them to eat with us and they agreed. With us four in the room, the conversation kept going back and forth...although most of the conversation came from Grandma, Aya, and Hoshizawa. I only join in on the conversation whenever I only needed to. That went on for an hour before they left the room...
*****
...
*Beep* *beep*
"...your temperature is back to normal. I guess you're really better now"
"Haven't we already done this three times now?"
"Its better to be safe than sorry, Amagasa kun!"
"I still think checking it three times in a row is too much, Hoshizawa san..."
...After an hour, Aya and Grandma left with the plates on their hands, leaving me and Hoshizawa behind. Hoshizawa took a thermometer afterwards to check my temperature three times in which all of the tests she ran were in normal temperature
"Thanks and sorry for today, Hoshizawa san"
"? Why are you apologizing?"
"Because you had to spend your whole day nursing me, I'm sure you had better plans than this-"
"I had fun"
"-What...?"
"I had fun nursing you, Amagasa kun"
"Surely you're just sugarcoating it, right? You can be honest with me..."
"I had so much fun that I didn't even noticed the time flew by...by the time I realized it, it was already night...I wished it lasted a little bit longer though..."
I can tell that Hoshizawa wasn't lying at what she said...she really meant every word of it...
"..."
"...Amagasa kun..."
"Yeah?"
"We're leaving tomorrow..."
"Oh, yeah...I forgot that day is tomorrow"
"...Yes..."
"..."
I forgot, this is their last day of staying from this hot spring...
...although it was a short while, I'm glad that I was able to get closer to Hoshizawa and that she was able to get close to Aya...
"I guess that...we won't going to be seeing each other for a while..."
"...? Yeah, but we can still message each other though"
"..."
"Is there something wrong?"
"...is it really okay for me to...message you...?"
"Huh? Why not? I'll reply whenever I can. Even if its just a simple greeting, to just wanting to chat, feel free to drop me a message if you want, Hoshizawa san"
"! Really?!"
"Yeah"
"Thank you! I will, Amagasa kun!"
Hoshizawa perked up as she heard those words from me. Seeing her reacting like that made me smile...
...I've never met a girl like Hoshizawa who's seem to be happy about something like this...
...maybe its because this will be her first time messaging a guy?
...If I'm right...
...
...does that mean...I'm going to be her first?!
...
"Amagasa kun, I have to go now. My father messaged me about packing things up for tomorrow"
Oh, Of course...I forgot about Ban san! *Sigh*...
Of course getting a message or two from her on any day doesn't mean anything, Shun Amagasa!
"I-Is that so? I guess you should go then. Thanks again for today"
"I'm glad that you're all better! Well then, I'll be going now, Amagasa kun!"
Hoshizawa left the room as she walked outside with joyful steps...
...
By the way...I was too late to realize...
...but did I really just managed to get Hoshizawa's MILE ID right off the bat?! On my first try?! I didn't even hesitated to ask her for it!
...and surprisingly, she gave me her MILE ID right away! Did I ran out all of my luck just now?!
...
...
...Although I confidently said to her that I'll take her out to other places as many as we can, I don't actually know where to start...
...
"...I'll guess I'll go and chat with Gen and the others..."
After clearing my thoughts, I decided to go to where the staffs are to kill some time before I go to sleep and end the day...
*****
End of Chapter 5
