People in Mygo are emotional firefighters.

However, before I could even open it, the screen was suddenly covered by the caller ID—

+86 Nagasaki Auntie

Upon seeing the familiar note with the Donghuang area code, Ishikawa Masahiro immediately understood—Aunt Nagasaki, who lived downstairs, was away on a business trip again.

This successful single mother is always so elusive, traveling all over the world for work. Although she doesn't specifically announce her itinerary, it's not surprising to see international calls.

Today seems unusually busy...

Chapter Seven: Aunt Nagasaki's Request

The moment the call connected, the voice coming from the receiver wasn't the usual energetic one from Aunt Nagasaki.

"Is this Makoto? That's great, you answered the phone..." The background noise on the other end was a bit loud, and you could vaguely hear the airport announcements in both Chinese and English. Her voice was clearly anxious, "I'm sorry for calling you internationally so suddenly..."

Ishikawa Mayu unconsciously straightened up and temporarily tucked her helmet into the crook of her arm.

I always remembered Aunt Nagasaki as someone who was always enthusiastic, so this was the first time I'd heard her so flustered.

"Yes, Auntie, there's no need to rush. Please speak slowly."

Ishikawa Mayu tried to calm her down.

Are you home now?

"I just got out of school and am on my way home. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"I had only been in Donghuang for a few days when I received a call from Teacher Su Shi, who said that the child hadn't been doing well for the past few days, and today when they took his temperature, it was alarmingly high..."

"As it turns out, when Su Shi was on the phone with me just now, he acted like nothing was wrong. His voice was so weak it was almost floating, but he still insisted that he was fine!"

An exaggerated sigh came from the other end of the phone, tinged with complaint: "Ever since my divorce, Su Shi has become incredibly mature, and I, as her mother, am always the one being taken care of by her... And now, she won't even tell me the truth when she's sick, probably because she's afraid I'll worry and she'll drop everything and rush back home!"

Aunt Nagasaki's voice carried a hint of grievance, as if she were complaining to Ishikawa Mayu: "That child, I'm the parent here!"

As she spoke, her tone became anxious again: "But this time I really can't get away to go back right away. I definitely won't be able to finish dealing with things here today."

"Xiao Zhenyu, could you please look after Su Shi for me? Just go check if she's taking her medicine and eating properly, in case she faints and no one will know..."

If you have a fever when you're alone, it could indeed be life-threatening if it's severe...

Without much hesitation, Ishikawa Mayu nodded and replied, "Okay, Aunt Nagasaki."

"The spare key is under the blanket by the door; you can just go get it when the time comes," Aunt Nagasaki visibly relaxed, then added, "The medicine is in the first-aid kit under the TV cabinet in the living room, and there should be some groceries in the refrigerator..."

"No problem, Auntie, don't worry, I will take good care of Su Shi."

This isn't the first time I've taken care of someone with a fever.

"Little Zhenyu has become so reliable!" Aunt Nagasaki couldn't help but chuckle at Ishikawa's mature tone. "Then it's a deal! I'll definitely treat you to a big meal when I get back! I'm counting on you for little Suse~"

In the background noise, she could faintly hear someone calling her name. After a pause, Aunt Nagasaki hurriedly said, "They're calling me over there, I'll hang up now," and ended the call.

Ishikawa Mayu let out a long sigh, rubbing her temples. It seemed that the burden on her shoulders had become a little heavier.

Because I earned money, I moved to a new house during the summer after graduating from junior high school.

Although I'm not particularly good at socializing, I still need to follow the basic etiquette in Japan—visiting new neighbors after moving.

Otherwise, being labeled as an oddball could lead to conflicts in the future.

I reluctantly brought a gift and visited the Nagasaki family downstairs, only to find that Aunt Nagasaki was unexpectedly warm and even took good care of me after learning that I lived alone.

When you return from a business trip, bring yourself some snacks, or if you bump into someone in the elevator, ask how they've been and if they need any help...

Although I'm not quite used to this enthusiasm, taking good care of Su Shi is definitely my top priority.

Ishikawa Mayu turned off her phone screen and neatly fastened her helmet.

The roar of engines tore through the twilight, and the black motorcycles sped into the traffic like arrows. The evening breeze brushed past their ears, and in just twenty minutes, the familiar apartment building stood before them.

He parked his car in the underground garage, strode into the elevator, and pressed the button for the 46th floor.

The moment the elevator doors opened, he swiftly tossed his heavy backpack toward his front door, saving himself the trouble of waiting for another elevator and heading straight down to the 45th floor.

Standing in front of that familiar door, he paused briefly and tapped the door with his knuckles.

"Su Shi?" His voice was particularly clear in the empty hallway. "I'm Ishikawa from upstairs. I heard you weren't feeling well, and your mother asked me to come and check on you."

Ishikawa Mayu knocked on the door and asked loudly. Anyway, there was only one household on each floor of the apartment building, and the soundproofing between floors was good, so there was no need to worry about disturbing others.

After waiting for a while, there was still no response from inside. However, this was not unexpected; if Su Shi was really bedridden with a fever, it would be normal for her not to hear the knocking.

So he stepped back and lifted the beige rug with a sunflower pattern by the door. A silver key lay there quietly.

The Japanese have only a few fixed locations for their spare keys, like under carpets, under flower pots, in electrical meter boxes... Wouldn't it be easy for a thief to steal them?

While inwardly criticizing this unoriginal way of hiding the key, Ishikawa Mayu picked up the key and carefully inserted it into the lock.

With a soft click, the door lock opened.

I gently pushed open the door, and the entryway was impeccably clean, with a faint, sophisticated fragrance wafting in the air.

He took off his shoes and walked into the living room. The luxurious decor that greeted his eyes had a hotel-like desolation—the stylish chandelier and the expensive sofa were so perfect that they lacked any sense of life.

Compared to his own doghouse, which was full of clutter but still felt human, this place seemed alien.

The living room was empty except for a woman's backpack casually tossed on the sofa, the only sign that someone had lived there.

Ishikawa Mayu's gaze lingered on the backpack for a moment before turning to the closed bedroom door.

"Su-shi?" he raised his voice and called out tentatively, "I'm Ishikawa from upstairs. Aunt Nagasaki asked me to come and see you."

There was still no response, so it seems she was sleeping too soundly in the bedroom.

He paced to the door and hesitated.

Entering the Nagasaki family home isn't a big problem; there's CCTV in the living room, and the police station is nearby. If there's any offense, they can report it and have them arrested anytime. Presumably, it's because of this consideration that Aunt Nagasaki felt comfortable entrusting Su Shi to her.

But breaking into a girl's private bedroom...

Ishikawa Mayu's finger hovered in mid-air before he finally put it back in his pocket and took out his phone. He found the number in his recent calls and dialed it back.

Chapter Eight Care

The call was answered quickly, and the faint sounds of a meeting discussion could be heard in the background.

"Little Zhenyu? How did it go? Did you see Su Shi?"

"Auntie, I'm still in the living room. Su Shi is probably resting in the bedroom, so I didn't dare go in. I just wanted to ask about her sleeping posture..."

Ishikawa Mayu paused for a moment, considered her words, and then lowered her voice, "Wouldn't that be too casual? I'm afraid that suddenly going in might scare her."

A knowing chuckle came from the other end of the phone: "Oh dear, our little Zhenyu is such a gentleman. Don't worry, she's very well-behaved when she sleeps; she always wears her pajamas properly. You should go check on her; I'm worried she has a high fever..."

Only after receiving a definite answer did Ishikawa Mayu breathe a sigh of relief. However, she still didn't immediately push open the door, but instead knocked again, raising her voice, "Suze-kun, may I come in?"

After pausing for three seconds to confirm that there was still no response from inside, he gently pushed open the door.

A huge floor-to-ceiling glass wall forms the main backdrop of the bedroom. The setting sun has not yet completely sunk, painting a large area of ​​warm and soft orange-red tones on the horizon, gently enveloping the skyline of the towering city buildings.

Warm, inviting light streamed into the quiet room, casting long, slanted shadows on everything, which only amplified the sense of loneliness.

By the window is a minimalist, plain white single bed, and at the foot of the bed is a desk in the same color. Apart from that, there is no other furniture or decoration. It can be said to be very stylish, but it lacks the softness and vitality that a typical young girl's bedroom should have.

At this moment, Su Shi was sleeping on that small bed.

However, contrary to the description given by Aunt Nagasaki that she "slept very properly," the girl's sleeping posture could not be described as "proper" at this moment, perhaps because she was tossing and turning due to fever and discomfort.

The thin down comforter was slightly disheveled from her rubbing, piled up at her waist. A slender, fair leg slipped out from under the comforter and limply rested on the cool edge of the bed.

The delicate ankles and slightly curled toes were particularly clear in the soft evening light, and the skin had an unnatural pale pink hue due to the heat.

Ishikawa Mayu's gaze lingered on that section of calf for a moment, then abruptly shifted away as if burned, feeling her cheeks burning uncontrollably.

In such a private space, the silence amplifies every subtle sensation, and even the air seems thicker.

Fortunately, although the pajamas were a little wrinkled from sleeping, they were still intact, and the light pink satin glowed with a soft yet slightly cool sheen in the sunset.

His long, brown hair was scattered messily on the pillow, with a few strands clinging to his sweaty forehead and cheeks, rising and falling gently with his slightly heavy breathing.

"call--"

He let out a long breath, trying to ignore the unease in his heart, and tiptoed to the bedside.

The expensive solid wood floor made no sound. He carefully pinched the corner of the blanket and gently pulled it down to cover the slender calf that was exposed to the cool air and had an abnormal pinkish hue.

After completing this action, he bent down again, held his breath, and gently touched her forehead with the back of his hand.

The touch was indeed frighteningly hot.

"He's burning quite a bit..." he murmured, his brow furrowed. "No wonder Aunt Nagasaki was so worried."

Despite being seriously ill, she chose to tough it out alone for fear of burdening her mother who was far away abroad, and refused to tell the truth.

This precocious maturity would break any parent's heart.

He gently tucked the blanket around her to make sure there was no more draft. Just as he was about to turn around and go to the bathroom to find a towel to cool her down, he suddenly felt a weak but persistent force pulling at the corner of his school uniform.

Ishikawa Mayu froze, turning around in astonishment.

The girl who was sleeping on the bed had her brows furrowed slightly at some point, and unconsciously curled up. One hand was stretched out from under the covers and was tightly gripping the hem of his shirt, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

Her dry lips moved, emitting extremely faint, hoarse murmurs with a sob-like tone and a heavy nasal quality:

"...Mom...don't go..."

The voice was as soft as a sigh, yet it was like a tiny needle that unexpectedly pierced a soft corner of Ishikawa Mayu's heart.

He remained in a half-turned position, momentarily at a loss for what to do, and could only stare blankly at the hand that was tightly gripping him.

Aunt Nagasaki is a really nice person, warm and cheerful, and she takes good care of her neighbors.

But... perhaps it was precisely because her mother was always busy making a living, leaving her precocious and sensible daughter alone in this empty and cold apartment, that Su Shi, when delirious from illness, subconsciously grasped at any possible source of warmth.

No matter how mature and composed they appear on a daily basis, they are still, after all, children who feel lonely and afraid.

The lingering embarrassment and awkwardness in my heart were replaced by a more complex emotion at this moment—a mixture of bittersweet understanding and faint pity.

He could clearly feel the faint yet persistent force transmitted from that hand, as if he were grasping at the only piece of driftwood.

But now is not the time to indulge in this false warmth.

He leaned down and whispered to the sleeping girl in a tone of extreme seriousness he hadn't expected, "I understand. I won't leave, I just need to get a towel and medicine, I'll be back to you soon, I promise."

Perhaps it was this firm promise that pierced through the fog brought on by the high fever, because the taut grip on Su Shi's slender fingers, held in his hand, seemed to loosen slightly, though faintly, it was real.

Noticing the change, Ishikawa Mayu didn't hesitate any longer. With gentle and steady movements, he peeled the hand, which was no longer clenched so tightly, from the corner of his clothes, carefully tucked it back into the still-warm blanket, and carefully tucked the corner of the blanket in.

He tiptoed out of the bedroom and gently closed the door.

Standing in the empty and deserted living room, he immediately took out his phone from his pocket, turned on the screen, and quickly found the LINE chat interface with his aunt from Nagasaki.

Fingers flew across the screen:

[Aunt Nagasaki, Suze's temperature is very high. But please don't worry, I will take good care of her. I will contact you again if anything happens.]

After the message was successfully sent, he didn't delay any longer and put his phone back in his pocket.

Applying a damp towel to Su Shi's forehead was easy, but feeding her fever medicine was much more difficult. It took a long time to finally coax the dazed Su Shi into swallowing the pills.

Seeing that Su Shi's tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed because of her actions, Ishikawa Mayu couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. "I guess I'm pretty good at taking care of people after all!"

He straightened up, stretched his slightly sore shoulders, and glanced out the window.

The sun had long since sunk below the horizon, and now the city of Tokyo was ablaze with neon lights, forming a dazzling ribbon of light in the twilight.

It's already this late!

Ishikawa Mayu was somewhat stunned. She realized that time could fly by so easily when taking care of a patient.

I usually finish eating around this time.

He rubbed his chin. Su Shi probably didn't even have an appetite for lunch, and if she didn't eat anything for dinner, her stomach would definitely be very upset...

Chapter Nine Mother

Nagasaki Motoyo slowly regained consciousness amidst a slight thirst and a dizzying, lightheaded feeling.

Her eyelids felt heavy, as if glued shut. She struggled to open them a crack, her vision blurry for a moment before gradually focusing. The first thing she saw was her familiar ceiling, the already deep night outside the window, and the flashing neon lights of the city in the distance.

A comfortable, just-right coolness came from my forehead.