Chapitre 23: 23. With open arms
Extra in the Student Council
23. With open arms
"Final exams are near, have you all been studying?" Kaguya asked.
"Hk!?" Chika flinched and immediately tried to whistle, but nothing came out of her mouth except air.
"Fuiwara-san, you're not whistling," Kaguya said exasperatedly.
"There's no need to study for exams," Miyuki stated.
"Oh?" Kaguya was surprised by that.
"If you study properly on a daily basis, you'll pass without a problem. Cramming all night only destroys your health."
That was a lie!
He worked his ass off carmming all night for a week to hold his postion.
"I highly recommend you all avoid last-minute cramming," Miyuki added.
"Indeed, exams are meant to show your own abilities. Even if you force yourself to cram and achieve a good grade, it won't let you see how you'll do in the future," Kaguya agreed.
That was a lie too!!
She also worked her ass off to beat Miyuki and take first place.
"Then, I'll go first, see you later, everyone," Shuu said as he was about to leave.
"You're not going to study?" Kaguya asked.
"Nah," Shuu replied, "I agreed with what the president said. There's no need to study for exams." Shuu smugly smiled at them.
That was not a lie!
That man, Katsuragi Shuu, because of his family education and his secret, by the time he entered middle school, his study had already gone past the high school material.
Both Miyuki and Kaguya were instantly irked by Shuu's expression and words. After all, they never saw him study even once, but he always easily kept his position at fourth.
"Byebye~" Shuu teased them again before leaving.
***
Shuu is on an unfamiliar street right now.
In front of him was a house big enough to be called a mansion. and the nameplate of the house is…. Furuhashi.
Just yesterday, there was something wrong with Fumino in their usual study session, and he found out she had caught a cold. He also knew it was only her father and Fumino in the Furuhashi household at the moment, and their relationship was far from good. Shuu could easily imagine that Fumino didn't tell her father about her condition and worsened it until the final exams. And to avoid his effort going to waste, Shuu's here to check her condition.
*Ding dong
Shuu waited for a moment, but there was still no one opening the door.
*Ding dong
He pressed the bell again.
"Haii~, I'm coming." Shuu heard Fumino's quite hoarse voice from inside. and once the door opened, Shuu could see Fumino's wearing a thick outfit, a face mask, and a pasted compress on her forehead. In other words, she's a mess.
"Ka, Katsuragi-san!?" Fumino yelped. She never expected to see Shuu in her house. (Did my cold worsen?) She thought she was having an illusion.
"Are you alright?" Shuu entered the gate and approached her.
(I even started hearing voices, maybe I really should go to the hospital.) And as Shuu was about right in front of Fumino. Fumino squinted her eyes and shook her head a little bit.
"It's real?!" She was shocked again, and at that instant, she felt everything go black and her body lose strength. then, as she was about to collapse.
Shuu easily caught her falling body. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "You had to walk to the door because of me." Then, without waiting for her response, he scooped her in a princess carry.
"Katsuragi-san!?" Fumino cried out, with this, she was shocked for the third time and wouldn't be the last one.
"Don't get too worked up. You'll worsen your condition," Shuu advised as he started to enter the house.
"No, but this," Fumino panicked (I sweat a lot! Do I smell? Wait!! That's not the point.) She started to have an inner battle with herself.
"Is there anyone else? Where's your room?" Shuu asked in a very calm manner. "I know you didn't like me touching you, but bear with me for a moment. I can't bear leaving you alone at the door in this situation."
And Fumino is somehow able to calm down a bit too. She really wanted to ask him why he was doing all this, but she had other priorities. and that is to distance herself away to make Shuu let her down. (I hope I don't smell.) "It's on the second floor," Fumino answered.
Without saying much, Shuu walked to her room and put her on the bed before covering her with a blanket.
"Have you taken your medicine?" Shuu asked. To which Fumino nodded and covered the blanket up to her face.
"I see, then have you eaten something?" Shuu asked again. Fumino's head quickly popped up from her blanket at the abrupt question.
And Shuu was able to get the answer just from her expression. "I'll borrow your kitchen for a bit." Then Shuu left without waiting for her to respond again.
(Just what is he trying to do) Fumino thought as she pulled up her blanket again. (He's back to the way he was before, but somehow, I can't feel the same fear as before....)
A few minutes later, Shuu knocked and entered the room with a bowl of congee on a tray.
"Can you eat?" Shuu asked. "Or should I feed you?"
Fumino imagined being fed by Shuu for a moment, and her face instantly turned red. Then she snapped out, "I can eat it myself!" She shouted.
"Well, don't get too worked up, it's bad for your health." Shuu repeated his words and gave her the congee.
(It's you! You're the cause!) Fumino yelled inside. Then, when Shuu opened the lid, the smell quickly struck her nose.
Her hands unconsciously tried to take a bite. "Careful, it's hot," Shuu added from the side.
It woke Fumino a bit, and she blew it gently before she tried it.
"Mhn!!" Her face glowed up in an instant, then she quickly took the next bite and the next... and before long, she ate all of it.
"It's very delicious!" It was so delicious that Fumino felt like she could dance at this instant.
"Thanks," Shuu said with a small smile on his face. "I know you had many questions, but you should rest now." Shuu took away the empty tray and gently pushed her to rest on the bed again before leaving the room with the tray.
And it seems the medicine kicked in by the time Shuu returned. Fumino had already fallen asleep.
***
The moment Fumino opened her eyes, she saw the ceiling of her room. Her head no longer felt cloudy, her body no longer felt weak, and she could tell she was fine now.
(Is it a dream?) Fumino thought, (I felt like Katsuragi-san came and took care of me….) Then Fumino heard the sound of paper being flipped.
Fumino silently turned her gaze, and there she saw Shuu sitting elegantly but also leisurely while reading a book. It was like a scene straight from the picture.
Fumino fell into a daze for a moment.
On the other hand, Shuu started feeling a gaze on him. He knew Fumino had woken up. "I see, you've woken up," Shuu said.
"Why did you do this?" Fumino was woken up by Shuu's voice and pulled up her upper body while sitting on the bed.
"I just think it'll be too sad to wake up from sickness alone," Shuu replied gently, but...
"That wasn't what I meant," Fumino said. "Why are you so kind to me?" Fumino hesitated for a moment. Meanwhile, Shuu was thinking about how to bullshit in this situation to make him look better. but Fumino's next words made Shuu drop that idea instantly.
"Why did you always feel so empty?" Fumino added.
Shuu closed his book and turned his gaze to Fumino. Fumino knew that gaze was the same one she saw at that time when she asked him to give her space.
"Hmm." Shuu smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Why did you think so?"
"Since I was still a little child, I've always been keen on other's feelings," Fumino explained. "I can't explain it, but I just feel it."
"I see. A genius perk, huh? Well, nevermind." Shuu shrugged it off.
"To answer your first question, it's an investment," Shuu answered.
"Investment?" Fumno tilted her head.
"Yeah, helping you and being kind to you wasn't difficult to do. Still, you felt like you owed me, right?" Fumino evaded his gaze for the moment because he was right.
"It's an investment, a small investment with a big return." Shuu's face is quite wild right now. more like a crazed person. Which made Fumino falter a bit.
"See, even though I just started, I already got some mileage out of it," Shuu added.
Fumino was confused for a moment before she felt his gaze directed to one point all this time and not moving at all. Then, as Fumino followed his gaze, she realized her chest had been soaked by sweat all this time and had become see-through.
"Hyaaa!" She screamed and quickly covered herself with a blanket again. "Turn away!!" She exclaimed.
While Fumino was hysterical, Shuu calmly replied, "You're the one who showed me, who gave it. It's a sign of respect to receive it with open arms, right? Do you want to hear my assessment?"
"Kyaaaaaa!" Fumino screamed even louder by that.
"Hahaha!" Shuu laughed before leaving her alone.
After a while, Fumino calmed down, and she realized, "He didn't answer the second question." She muttered, "Did he do that deliberately?" Once the seed of doubt was planted, Fumino was unable to pull it out of her thoughts again.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone