Takeshi Kimura:

   I looked at the direction of Izumi-san's seat. She was not there. She was not the type of student to bunk school. Something was definitely off. Apparently Sanae also didn't know the reason. This was odd.

   I thought about sending a message to her. But at that very moment, Sakura Sensei came to our class and called me.

   "Takeshi, come to my office for a moment."

   "O-Okay."

   I was kind of nervous while walking to her office. As I entered, she gave me a stern look and said,

   "Izumi is absent today you know?"

   "Oh... yeah she didn't came today."

   "But do you know why?"

   "N-No."

   "Jeez... what are you doing? Has your relationship still not improved?", she held her hand on her forehead in disappointment.

   "N-Not that.. "

   "Listen, she called me and said she has a fever. So she will be absent today."

   "A f-fever? What are you saying? Is she okay? Or her condition not good at all?"

    Sensei looked at me with a interested face and said,

   "Are you perhaps concerned about her?"

   "O-Of course I am. I am concerned."

   To be precise, I was worried a little bit when I saw her absent. But now after hearing the reason, I was really anxious about her.

   "If you are concerned... then why not go check her?"

   "Eh?"

   "Here take this printed notes there, and say that you're there to give her those. And check how she is doing."

   "W-Well..."

   "What? Don't you want to check her health?"

   "No I want to... then I will go there."

   Sensei gave me a smile and said, "Good luck!".

  

                                  ♤

    

   While riding my bike to Izumi-san's home, I was thinking about my relationship with her. We had, what you could call, a friendly relationship. 

    However, it would be an understatement to say that I just liked Izumi-san. I absolutely adored her with all my heart. I loved to see her smile everyday. I hated whenever I saw her upset. I was completely in love, wasn't I?

    But on the other hand, I didn't think she was interested in me in the slightest. She had an unrequited love for Reiji, which in the end never fulfilled. She herself accepted it but she was not in the mental state to like anyone else. 

    And even if she comes to like someone, it won't be me....

    "Woha!"

    Suddenly I was taken off-guard and stopped my bike. The reason for that was the object placed on one side of the road...

   B-Bucket...

   It was just a bucket full of water on one side of the road. An old man was just washing the wall of his house with water. It was nothing to be feared of.

   However, I had nightmares last night about that Bucket. I just couldn't keep my head out of that bucket ever since I saw the manga. I needed to calm down and think carefully. 

   It's not easy for someone to just throw a heavy bucket on my head without me noticing. Surely I would be fine...

   I gave up my thoughts and went on towards Izumi-san's home.

   

   *Ding Dong*

    I rang the doorbell and waited. No answer came. I rang it again. After waiting for a minute, I finally heard some footsteps coming towards the door.

   And then the door opened...

   "*Cough*"

   It was Izumi-san, still on her pyjamas, with a mask on her face, coughing. Even in that attire, she was looking cute.

   "Areh? Takeshi-san? Cough..."

   "I.... I was just delivering these notes as you were absent."

   "Oh.... thanks... and sorry for the trouble you faced."

   "N-Not really. Are you okay, Izumi-san?"

   "Y-Yeah I'm perfectly... Hiyaaaa!"

   "Hey!"

   She stumbled and was about to fall, but at the right time and caught both of her hands to prevent that.

   "Are you okay---"

   "Yeah... I'm sorry."

   Her face was too close to mine....

   I was flustered but it seemed like she didn't notice it. She was continuously coughing. Her condition was not good at all.

    She took the notes and said, "Thanks for it, I'm sorry I can't make anything for you right now..."

   "Oh don't worry about that! By the way do you have the medicines?"

   "I have.... oh."

   *Groan*

   "You didn't eat anything, right?", I asked as I heard the groan from her stomach. 

   "Y-Yeah... I didn't have the energy to cook.", she replied sheepishly.

   "Then... can I cook for you?"

   "Eh......?"

                                  ♤

    I asked her that without thinking much. Izumi-san was hungry and I wanted to help her. 

    But there was one problem: I don't know cooking....

    I was not even on the preliminary level of cooking. And by the time I realized that I f*cked up, it was too late...

   I didn't have much time, I needed to make my decision. And I decided to make the most basic thing: An omelette...

   That's the best I could do anyway...

   "Takeshi-san, you don't have to..."

   "You just sit on the sofa. Don't worry about me."

    It won't be a problem to make an omelette at least...

   And I was wrong...

   "I'm sorry, Izumi-san..."

   I handed her the plate sadly. She looked at the omelette I made. It was burnt a little. I wouldn't say it was a disaster but I should have done better.

   "Why?"

   "I burned it a little."

   "I don't see any problem."

   She took a bite and smiled at me, "It's good."

   I knew she was lying but I still took her compliment to my heart. She continued eating the food. Meanwhile I also sat on the sofa, a little far from her. After she finished eating, I asked,

  "Doesn't Izumi-san live with her elder sister?"

   "Yeah. She left for her college at the morning. She will be back at the evening."

   "Oh... are you the one who cooks for both of you?"

   "Yeah..."

   "Izumi-san is really hard working."

   "N-Not really..."

   She gets embarrassed quickly when someone praises her...

   I really wanted to hug her... but I had to control the strong urge somehow.

   As I looked at the clock, I realized it was already 2 P.M.

   "I guess... I should go now.", I told her.

   But as I was about to go, she quickly held the sleeve of my shirt.

   "C-Can't you stay a little more? I-I'm bored.", she looked at me sheepishly.

   "I-If you say so, okay..."

   There's no way I could refuse if she asked me that way. I sat down again but she was still holding my shirt.

   I was thinking about starting another conversation with her, but then she suddenly asked,

   "Hey, what... do you think of me?"

   "Eh?"

   "Tell me... why do you help me always? Why are you so.... kind to me? Do you like me?"

   "W-Wai...."

   I was completely taken aback by her rapid flow of questions. I didn't know what even to answer. However then I noticed something...

   She was drowsing beside me. She wasn't  in her right mind at this time. It was probably because she had taken the cough medicine just a little while back.

   "Izumi-san, you need to go to sleep."

   "I'm not... even... beautiful..."

   "It's not true! You're beautiful!... but it's not the time! You go to sleep."

   "You're... not... lying." 

   "Of course not. Eh....?"

   She was already half asleep and finally landed her head straight onto my shoulders. And before I did anything, she was fully asleep. 

   I looked at her face. She was sleeping peacefully. But I was not in peace. My heart was pounding very fast.

   I was about to wake her up, but I didn't in the end. I didn't want to interrupt her sleep. She was looking so cute while sleeping.

  So in the end I decided to stay like this until she wakes up. It's only about 20-30 minutes I guess... Easy.

1 hour later:

   It ain't easy.... at all.

   I looked at her and she was still sleeping peacefully. By now she was even embracing my right arm like a pillow while sleeping. While I was extremely blessed to see this sight of her...

   This isn't good for my heart at all. And neither for my shoulders...

2 hours later:

   Somebody wake her up, please....

[To be continued]