I, who advocate giving up, feel like a disqualified person

"Here, let me see it."

"..."

It's been five minutes already...that went by so fast.

"Why do you always have a fever at this time every year..."

Are you kidding me? But I clearly don't remember being sick last year. Well, never mind. Maybe last year was the exception...

"...I don't want to get sick either..."

Having said that, I was secretly delighted at the thought of not having to go to school in the rain.

"I'll take a day off from school. I have work today... It should be okay for you to be home alone, right?"

"....Um."

Is it really necessary to ask this question...

Chapter 9: The Unforeseen Beginning

Unexpectedly, I didn't feel like doing anything.

I've been wearing my pajamas since I took them off less than ten minutes ago. Now, instead of feeling cold, I'm practically craving the AC to cool down. But it seems like sweating helps me feel better faster... I wonder if that's true.

"Gulu, Gulu..."

After taking the medicine, there was still a lot of hot water left in the cup.

The lights were off, the living room filled with dim light filtering through the window. Lazily lounging on the sofa, I suddenly felt a surge of nostalgia for the classroom. Even though what I was doing now was essentially the same as in the classroom... the feeling of a cacophony of sounds was far better than the simple sound of rain lingering in my ears.

Is it some tranquilizer in the medicine? Right now, I feel calmer than usual. I don't want to watch TV, play games, or worry about anyone. It's like I'm too lazy to think about anything. It's a strange feeling.

"Gulu——"

The heat flows into the abdomen along with the water and is then continuously distributed throughout the body.

"Today's weather...be careful to keep warm..."

Maybe I was too bored, or maybe it was because of the drugs, but I began to feel that the scenery in front of me was gradually becoming blurred, but I didn't have any special thoughts about it.

"Besides... we'll continue the day after tomorrow..."

.............

"What have you been doing all this time?"

No matter how hard I looked back, it seemed hard to see. Those things hidden in my heart seemed to be covered by a black curtain that could not be torn apart, and it was impossible to peek into them.

"What kind of life do you want?"

Life seemed to me to be a matter of course. It was like drifting in a river... I never thought about what life was really like.

"I still think... your choice is not wrong."

...Wait, isn't that what I'm asking myself?

“So, I don’t think you’re wrong.”

Did I make any mistakes...I can't recall.

No matter how hard I tried to tear at the veil, I still couldn't see anything. What had I done wrong? I couldn't quite recall, but I felt like I had done something wrong.

"..."

"......"

The sound of the rain still lingered in my ears. It hadn't decreased in volume, but had actually intensified.

"Are you asleep..."

Sleeping in the living room might have caused me to catch a cold, exacerbating my condition... but right now, I didn't feel any chill at all. Instead, I felt like something was happening...

"..."

It felt like someone was coming. I was covered in a blanket, and I could faintly smell something delicious coming from the kitchen. I couldn't quite place the dish, though... I hoped it wasn't too chewy. These days, I can't even seem to move my mouth much.

"..."

I walked slowly towards the kitchen.

Since the person who came was considerate enough to cover me with a blanket and was also responsible for cooking, he must not be a bad person.

"...It's you..."

I saw who was in the kitchen.

Now I have to consider whether this guy is a good person or not.

"Oh, you're awake."

Her brown hair was tied back, and she was wearing a red apron, chopping ingredients on a cutting board. If it weren't for her hair color and height, I would have mistaken her for Ye Hui.

However, Ye Jin, who was busy in the kitchen, saw this and responded to me with a smile.

The kitchen and cooking were completely incompatible with her—but in this situation, it felt surprisingly natural. It seemed I must be seriously ill.

"....yes."

I shouldn't be sleepwalking now.

"By the way, what time is it now...don't you have to go to school?"

Why these are the first questions I asked, I don’t even know.

"Of course you have to go to school. But it's still early." She pushed me out of the kitchen and said, "Don't bring germs into the kitchen, you pathogen. Can't you see I'm still cooking? I'm not cooking just for you, I have to eat it myself."

"...I know...don't push me..."

It seems that she got the information from my mother, so she came to take care of me... Although in my memory she doesn't seem to be proficient in cooking, my sense of smell has temporarily failed now, so the taste of food is probably the same to me.

In other words, no matter how bad the food tastes, I can swallow it with this body.

"But my cold isn't necessarily caused by a virus..."

"Whatever it is, either sit on the couch and wait, or just go to bed," she said to me impatiently. "Sleeping in your pajamas in the living room... Do you want this minor cold to escalate into a serious illness? Are you doing this on purpose to avoid school?"

"...I'm not a child. I've already done things like skipping school."

As a brother, I was lectured by a younger sister. Well, although what I did was definitely not right...but being treated like this is too much.

"Then drink plenty of hot water and wait for dinner."

"Okay, okay... I didn't know you could cook. You were eating takeout during the summer vacation, and now you're cooking for yourself."

The contrast is too great.

"Because if I order takeout, I don't have to cook. But it's not right to feed a patient takeout... When you're sick, it's better to eat something light. And takeout usually has a little bit of chili in it."

"...That's true."

My throat is already very sore. If I try that kind of food again... I guess I will be unable to speak for a while.

"I'm really troubling you."

"You're the one who's causing me so much trouble—you're so much older than me, yet you still need care. If it weren't for me, you probably wouldn't even be able to eat lunch."

"..."

I don't want to admit it, but if it was just me, I might be able to get by without any hassle.

"Okay, no need to thank me." She said, waving her hand at me. "You owe me this. Just remember to treat me to a meal next time."

"....Um."

A guy like this who talks about food every other sentence is easy to satisfy no matter what.

Progress remains slow to this day

I can smell a little bit.

It was the aroma of rice and protein after heating. There was something else, something else... but I couldn't place it. Okay, I'm still not familiar with the flavors of ingredients. Anyway, I'll just have to wait patiently.

"If you don't have an appetite, you should drink some porridge first." Ye Jin said as he placed the bowl in front of me. But in a way that was not gentle at all.

"...It's about to spill out..." It's better not to put it on the table so roughly.

"This shows that I'm good to you. Giving you such a full bowl is enough to show my care and love for you—"

"Well, good craftsmanship—"

In fact, I couldn't taste anything at all after the first bite.

"It's no use flattering me," she said, sitting across from me. "After you finish drinking, you should have a better idea of ​​how hungry you are. I'll then give you more food according to your request."

"Uh...ok."

But as the hot porridge went down my throat, my sense of taste suddenly opened up. I finally tasted a hint of saltiness... and having barely eaten much for breakfast, I finally realized that I was truly hungry.

In an instant, the dizziness in my head was temporarily cleared away. It was as if I had returned to my normal state.

"...Who taught you this skill?" Although he didn't really care, "Is it your family?"

"I guess so. Why are you asking so many questions? Just eat your meal." She poured a bowl of rice and placed it in front of me. Of course, she placed the bowl in the same unruly way as before. "Is this enough?"

"...Well, that's enough for now. If it's not enough, I'll add more."

I wanted to praise her, but now it seems that she is really quite unpleasant... She has such a good look and figure, and suddenly she has the skill of cooking. If her personality is a little better, she will definitely be very popular.

"Ah."

She nodded with a satisfied look, and finally sat down to eat quietly.

"Speaking of which, what are your symptoms now?"

Okay, I take that back. It seems she's not going to eat quietly and wants to chat with me.

"...high temperature, stuffy nose...headache."

These are probably the symptoms.

"I didn't sneeze."

"Maybe the bacteria in the body haven't multiplied to the point where a sneeze is needed to clear them out." My biology knowledge isn't very good, so I don't know what this means.

"Okay, wait for me after dinner. But don't sleep on the sofa while you're waiting for me. Go to bed if you want to sleep."

"...Are you my mom?" Seeing her tone, I instantly thought of the time when my mother nagged me in the past.

"Even if it's not, you have to do it for your health."

"Okay..." But it seemed like he had overlooked something, "Then why did you ask me about my symptoms?"

"Of course I'm going to get you some medicine, idiot. Is that really what you want me to call you?"

"...That's not the case..." Maybe his brain wasn't very sharp at this time, "I just can't wrap my head around it."

"Oh—what's one plus one?"

"I know this bit..." I said impatiently, "You still have to go to school, don't you? Since you're helping me get the medicine, why don't you finish it quickly?"

"I'd rather chat with you than go to school. Since I have to take care of my family, it's probably okay to be an hour or two late."

"...Isn't this just an excuse not to go to school?"

"Even though that's the case, it's also a good deed. It's the same as helping an old lady cross the street or helping a lost child find their parents."

"I don't mind... But if Mom knew you were late for school because you were taking care of me, you'll have to bear the consequences yourself."

"...How ungrateful." She sighed helplessly, "Forget it, just work hard on your own."

"What do I do? I just work hard..."

"To save time, I won't buy medicine for you. You can just go there after dinner."

"...What do you mean by the way..." I seemed to have sensed something extraordinary again.

"He just bought some medicine on the way to send me off—"

"..." For a sick person to make such unreasonable demands...

Could it be that this guy is a devil?

Chapter 10 Progress is still slow to this day