One Sunday afternoon, I got an email from Mukai-san.

He was usually busy working during the day and would only get in touch with me in the evening.

When I opened the unusual email while thinking that, there wasn’t a lot written in it.

 

–I caught a cold. I might have a fever. I also have a sore throat.

 

It was a concise email complaining about his poor health.

I hurriedly replied asking if there was anything he needed or wanted me to do. However, he didn’t seem to be hungry, so I had no idea about what I could do.

Because there was no medicine at my apartment, I decided to buy and deliver some to him.

 

When I asked if I could go over, I received a prompt email that he would be waiting for me.

 

I went to a pharmacy and bought some cold medicine, throat drops and cooling pads to stick on his forehead. I also bought some ingredients at the supermarket next door.

From there, I went straight to his apartment by taxi.

 

This was the second time I had been to Mukai-san’s apartment.

The first time, it was to watch movies with delivered pizza.

 

Although he invited me back a second time, I thought it wasn’t that good to go that many times to a single man’s house, so I hesitated. Instead we went out to see several more movies.

 

The taxi stopped in front of his apartment. Paying the fee, I went inside.

Passing through the entrance that looked like the lobby of a hotel, I went through the auto-lock door and took the elevator to Mukai-san’s unit.

 

Finally, I got to his unit. Mukai-san said that I could come inside without knocking, so I opened the door with the duplicate key he had given me in case anything happened.

 

「Sorry to intrude~.」

 

Since Mukai-san should have been sleeping, I stepped into the room with a quiet voice.

For now, I’ll let him know by email that I’ve arrived.

I waited for a reply, but there was no response.

He seemed to be asleep after all.

 

Since he didn’t have any appetite, I had bought some apples at the supermarket to grate for him to eat.

It was a nutritious fruit, so much so that it was said that if you ate an apple a day, you wouldn’t need a doctor.

In case there wasn’t a grater here, I had brought one from my own place.

Gently grating the apple, I borrowed a microwavable bowl and added some honey.

Wrapping the bowl in some cling wrap, I microwaved it for several seconds.

I personally liked to cook it in a pot slowly, but if I overheated it, the nutrients would be destroyed.

 

Adding lemon juice to the remaining apples so that they wouldn’t discolour, I stored them in the refrigerator.

If he didn’t eat them by the end of today, I had to tell him to move them to the freezer.

 

Taking out the hot honey grated apple from the microwave, I placed it onto a tray.

Just in case, I wore a mask so that the cold wouldn’t spread to me.

I’ve been healthy for the past 5 years, so I thought I should be fine, but it was just in case.

Taking out a sports drink and some mineral water that seemed to have the same contents as IV drips, I placed them onto a tray and brought it to the bedroom.

 

Knocking on the door, I waited for a response before going inside.

The bedroom was dim with the curtains closed and the figure of Mukai-san inside a futon could be seen.

I was sorry, but because I couldn’t see where I was stepping, I turned on the lights.

 

「Mukai-san, are you okay?」

「……I’m not really okay.」

「Do you want me to call a taxi and go to the hospital?」

「It’s not that bad.」

「Is that so?」

 

For now, I placed the tray on the round table beside his head.

 

「I brought some grated apples.」

 

He moved and poked half his head out of the futon.

 

「……」

「If you don’t eat something, you won’t get better.」

「My throat hurts and it’s hard to swallow.」

「I put some honey in it and warmed it up, so it should be a bit better.」

 

When I said that, he slowly sat up silently.

His eyes were red and teary and his face was pale.

When I put my hand on his forehead, it was very hot.

I immediately stuck on a cooling pad.

 

「What is this?」

「It’s a cooling pad.」

 

Apparently it was the first time he had used one. He said it didn’t feel too bad.

 

Then, I lightly stirred the honey grated apple and offered it to Mukai-san.

However, he only looked down at the bowl and didn’t accept it.

I scooped some up with a spoon and brought it to his mouth for him to eat.

Then, surprisingly, Mukai-san ate it obediently.

 

「How is it?」

「Eatable.」

「That’s very good.」

 

I held out the bowl again, but he didn’t accept it.

It couldn’t be, is he silently asking me to feed him again?

Well, it couldn’t be helped. He was sick, so I decided to be gentle with him.

 

When I fed him nicely, he ate up all the grated apples.

I handed him some medicine and water and told him that I had bought fruit, yoghurt and left the remaining grated apples in the fridge. There was also ice cream, which was easy for him to eat, even if he didn’t have much of an appetite.

 

It had been over an hour since I came over.

If I didn’t leave, he wouldn’t be able to rest.

 

「Then, Mukai-san, I’ll be–」

 

I stood up, turned around and took a step, but couldn’t go any further.

Because Mukai-san was grabbing onto my clothes.

Even though he was sick, he still had the strength to pull me back.

 

「Don’t, go yet.」

「That’s okay, but.」

 

He wanted me to stay until he fell asleep.

What a cute thing to say.

When I looked at him, he appealed in at hoarse voice.

 

「Anything, you said you would help with anything.」

「Did I say that?」

 

Suddenly, Mukai-san took out his phone and showed me the email I had sent him.

I did ask if there was anything I could do for him, but it didn’t mean I would do anything he asked.

When I said that, Mukai-san grumbled saying ‘……I was toyed with’. He then put the futon back to his head as if sulking.

 

When did I toy with him?

But, since he was sick, I decided to give him a break.

 

「Understand. I’ll do what I can. 」

 

When I asked him what he wanted, he moved back out of the futon and demanded something surprising.

 

「……I want to live with you.」

「That’s impossible.」

 

I refused him with my eyes wide open and an incredulous expression.

 

「Where would we live in the first place?」

「Here.」

「Didn’t you say that every room was filled with books?」

「I can move them to the second floor of the Evening Rain.」

「The book shelves in the Evening Rain are full as well.」

「Then, the bookshelves can be put in the shop.」

「That is–.」

 

Placing the bookshelf in the shop so that customers could read. It seemed like a nice thing.

However, I soon returned to my senses and refused him a second time.

But, I agreed to put the books in the shop.

 

「You’re so cruel when I’m sick……」

「I’m not cruel. Also, transport from here isn’t easy.」

「I can drive you to university.」

「That’s too extravagant.」

 

Mukai-san put the futon over his head again.

Because I thought it would be difficult to solve this issue, I told him ‘in the near future’.

He seemed to be satisfied with my reply today.

 

After that, he seemed to have fallen asleep, so I secretly went back home.

 

◇◇◇

 

Two days later, on a rainy evening, I headed to the Evening Rain.

Mukai-san seemed to have completely recovered from his cold and was working in his study upstairs.

I put on my apron and went out to cheerfully serve the guests when I saw unfamiliar objects.

It was brand new bookshelf. Four of them.

I was impressed with the colours and locations they were placed in, which harmonised with the tables and chairs around it. But because I had a bad feeling about them, I didn’t touch them.

 

Three days later, the bookshelf was full of books and the menu contained the additional words that they could be read freely.

He had moved everything very quickly.

 

However, the books were well received by the customers.

They said that they were interested in continuing to read, so they would come back again.

 

Three days later, Mukai-san asked me a question.

 

「So, when will you move in?」

 

I was sure that those had been words of a sick person, but Mukai-san was serious.

 

I replied with a smile.

 

「In the near future.」

 

But I couldn’t trick him today.

I was immediately captured and questioned.

 

「It was hard work clearing a room in such a short period of time.」

「Rather, why did you have to clear it so quickly!?」

「I did my work between moving, so it wasn’t a problem.」

「At least do it between your work instead.」

 

Mukai-san had an expression as if it was the end of the world when I told him it wasn’t possible while I was still studying at university. I thought he was exaggerating.

 

「How many years do you have left until you graduate?」

「Three years.」

「……」

 

I don’t think that’s what he wanted.

 

However, if things continued to drag on, it might have a negative effect on his work, so I made a compromise.

 

「I’ll come to visit again soon.」

 

When I said that, his mood recovered.

I thought he was really simple.

 

In that sense, it felt like we were dating at the pace of turtles.

I had a fun time every day.

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