The morning sun blazed through the window, the brightness stabbing through my eyelids like a thousand tiny needles. I groaned and turned my head away from the light, but it was too late — I was already awake.
“Ack…” I winced as a sharp ache shot through my back when I tried to move. It felt like my whole body was made of concrete. After all the chaos at the restaurant this past week, it was finally catching up with me. The soreness, the fatigue, the exhaustion that had been hanging over me like a storm cloud, had all crashed down the moment my body realized we finally had a day off.
“Man… I’m falling apart,” I grumbled to myself with a sigh.
I turned my head toward the clock hanging on the wall.
10:30 a.m.
“My God—!” I shot up in bed, only to immediately regret it as a fresh wave of pain swept over me.
Keiko.
My heart skipped a beat. Keiko must still be sick. Has she eaten? Did she take her medicine?
Without wasting another second, I scrambled out of bed, grabbed a hoodie to cover my messy hair, and rushed out of my room. The apartment was eerily quiet. Rin was probably at school by now — it was a weekday, after all.
I padded over to Keiko’s room and knocked softly.
No answer.
I frowned, knocking again a little louder. Still nothing.
Was she still asleep? Or…?
A little nervous, I slowly pushed open the door. The curtains were partly drawn, letting in a sliver of golden morning light. Keiko lay curled up under the blankets, her face pale but peaceful.
I tiptoed closer, kneeling by her bedside, and gently reached out to touch her forehead. Before my fingers even made contact, she shifted, her brow furrowing, making me panic and pull my hand back like a guilty kid.
But she opened her eyes anyway.
“I–I’m sorry, Keiko…” I stammered. “I just wanted to check your fever.”
She blinked at me sleepily, then gave a tiny nod to let me know it was fine.
I carefully pressed the back of my hand to her forehead.
Warm, but not burning.
“The fever’s gone…” I sighed in relief. “How do you feel?”
Keiko gave a faint smile. “Still not great… but better than yesterday,” she murmured, her voice soft and hoarse.
I smiled back, brushing a loose strand of hair from her cheek. “Have you eaten? Sorry, I overslept too.”
“Rin made me toast before school,” she said weakly. “It’s okay, Ryusei… you were dead tired too. It’s not like we get holidays every day.”
I let out a small chuckle and shook my head. “Well, today we do. So, I’ll cook for lunch, alright?”
Keiko smiled again, her eyes closing briefly. “Thanks.”
I left her room and headed to the kitchen, rolling up my sleeves. It wasn’t anything fancy — just a simple chicken porridge with a soft-boiled egg on top. Something easy to eat and good for recovery. I washed up and cleaned the kitchen while it simmered, the cozy smell filling the apartment.
By noon, it was ready.
I plated it carefully and brought a tray to Keiko’s room. She was sleeping again, curled up in the same spot. For a moment, I just stood there, watching her breathe, a warmth settling in my chest.
I hated seeing her like this. I wasn’t good with words, but at least I could do this much.
I placed the tray down and gently nudged her shoulder. “Keiko… lunch’s ready.”
Her eyes fluttered open, blinking at the tray, then at me.
“I made porridge,” I announced with a grin. “And you’re not getting out of eating it.”
She gave a weak laugh. “Thanks, but… I can eat by myself, Ryusei.”
I shook my head, grinning mischievously. “Nope. Not happening.” I grabbed the spoon and scooped up a mouthful of porridge. “Say ‘ahh’.”
Keiko’s face immediately turned red. “W-What are you doing?!”
“Feeding you. Like in the dramas.”
“I’m not a child, you know…”
“Too late. You’re sick, so you get the pampering treatment.”
She sighed in defeat, covering her pink cheeks with one hand. “You’re impossible…”
I kept the spoon steady, and finally, after what felt like forever, Keiko opened her mouth and took the bite.
Victory.
I grinned as she chewed slowly, avoiding my eyes like a shy cat.
As she quietly ate, I couldn’t resist teasing her a little. “Hey… your cheeks are so red… do you have a fever again?” I smirked.
Keiko’s eyes widened and she quickly covered her face with both hands, groaning. “S-Shut up! It’s not a fever, idiot…”
I chuckled, feeling lighter than I had in days.
We sat like that in silence for a few minutes, the only sounds were the occasional clink of the spoon against the bowl and the faint hum of the heater. Keiko didn’t say a word, her eyes glued to the tray.
“Hey… Keiko,” I spoke, breaking the awkward silence.
She glanced up at me, tilting her head slightly. “Hmm?”
I smiled, soft and sincere. “I’ll keep taking care of you like this, you know.”
Her eyes widened a little, her lips parting as if to say something, but I kept going.
“Whether I go back to my body someday or stay like this… I’ll be here. For you, and for Rin. I mean it.”
Keiko’s face flushed a deeper shade of pink, and she quickly turned away, her hair hiding her expression.
“I… I know,” she whispered. “Thank you, Ryusei.”
As she reached out to poke my arm, probably to distract herself, I wasn’t ready for it — and my hand slipped, the spoon tumbling and smacking her square in the face, a smear of porridge landing on her cheek.
“Ah—!! S-sorry!” I panicked, scrambling for a tissue.
Keiko blinked, then started laughing. Really laughing.
I stared at her, dumbfounded. “What’s so funny?! I just assaulted you with hot porridge.”
She shook her head, still giggling. “I don’t know… it’s just… you being such a dork… and me being like this… it’s so stupidly funny.”
I scratched the back of my head, a grin tugging at my lips. “Glad to be your entertainment.”
She wiped her face and finally met my eyes again. “Thanks, Ryusei…”
The moment hung there, warm and light and stupidly happy in its own way.
I finished feeding her — carefully this time — and left her to rest again while I cleaned up.
That evening, Rin came home, kicking off her shoes and bouncing into the room with a grin.
“Guess what!” she called out.
I peeked out from the kitchen. “What?”
“I decided you can sleep with mom again from tonight.” she announced, hands on her hips like some kind of tiny authority figure.
I nearly dropped the dish in my hand. “W-WHAT?!”
“Yeah,” Rin said smugly. “Mom's still sick, right? And you’re good at keeping an eye on her when she’s asleep. So… permission granted!”
My face turned bright red. “A-are you sure?”
Rin snorted. “Geez, you’re so obvious. Just take care of her.”
I spluttered, cheeks burning.
But the truth was, my heart was already racing a little.
Another night by Keiko’s side, huh?