If he didn't speak, this guy was actually pretty charming.
Looking at Kamijou Mutsuki resting on her shoulder, Sakiko Togawa couldn't help but let the corners of her lips curl slightly upward.
Then she suddenly seemed to remember something and reached out to touch his forehead.
Good.
No fever.
The girl quietly let out a small sigh of relief, and then noticed the faint crease in the boy's brow.
After all, even if it was a beautiful girl's shoulder, it probably wouldn't provide a very comfortable sleeping position.
Still, Sakiko didn't pay it much mind. They were almost home anyway. Letting him lean for a little while wasn't a big deal—honestly, the fact that she hadn't pushed him away already was generous enough.
"…."
Biting her lip, Sakiko found herself inexplicably bothered, unable to settle down.
In the end, as if finally giving up on something, she let out a soft sigh.
Then she placed a hand on Mutsuki's shoulder.
Blushing faintly, she carefully lowered his head onto her lap.
Of course, this was just part of her duties as a maid—there was absolutely no other reason!
As she gently smoothed the crease between the boy's brows, Sakiko thought to herself.
But when she recalled everything Kamijou Mutsuki had done today, her emotions refused to calm down.
After all, what girl could experience something like that and remain completely unmoved?
Of course, it was only a little moved, that was all.
She, Togawa Sakiko, was pure and upright—how could she possibly betray her childhood friend, her soul's other half?
Impossible!
Absolutely impossible!
Still… she had to admit that her impression of this guy had improved a little.
Those "orders" Kamijou Mutsuki mentioned earlier, she might listen to some of them, just a little.
Although…lace suspenders and white pantyhose…
Did that mean Kamijou Mutsuki liked that kind of style?
So should she maybe—
Wait!
What on earth was she even thinking?!
How shameless!
The girl shook her head with a flushed face, forcing herself to stop those wandering thoughts.
Because Kamijou Mutsuki and Sakiko Togawa had spent too much time outside, the band girls who had been at the company earlier had already gone home.
After arriving at the villa, Sakiko considered that Mutsuki had only just fallen asleep.
So she didn't wake him.
Instead, she called Mutsumi Wakaba and Sayaka downstairs.
In fact, before coming down, Mutsumi had already prepared herself mentally.
Because of that song today, there was no way things between Mutsuki and Sakiko would remain harmonious.
But no matter what happened, she had decided she would face it together with Mutsuki. However when she arrived downstairs, she discovered her fiancé lying on her childhood friend's lap.
Mutsumi: ?
Wait.
How was she supposed to "face things together" now?
Should she lie down on Sakiko's lap too?
"What did you do to Mutsuki?!"
Compared to Mutsumi, Sayaka's reaction was far more intense.
After all, this blue-haired maid had claimed yesterday that she had nothing to do with Kamijou Mutsuki and today she was already giving him a lap pillow?
Although Sakiko eventually explained it as "a maid's duty," Sayaka wasn't convinced in the slightest.
What kind of proper maid gives their master a lap pillow?!
You're not even wearing a maid outfit!
Do you think this is some kind of manga?!
Still, because she didn't want to wake Mutsuki, Sayaka suppressed her indignation, though she quietly became more wary of the blue-haired maid.
As for Mutsumi, thanks to Mutsuki's earlier actions and his "therapy session," Sakiko was no longer overly concerned about that song recorded in the company studio.
Naturally, she reconciled smoothly with Mutsumi and even took the initiative to apologize first.
And Mutsumi could clearly feel the change in her childhood friend.
Sakiko really felt different now.
But strangely enough, Mutsumi couldn't feel happy about it.
Because she kept getting the feeling that the way her soul's other half looked at her fiancé… wasn't quite the same as before.
In any case, the situation with Sakiko was temporarily resolved.
Soon, the next day arrived.
Because of everything that happened the previous day, Kamijou Mutsuki planned to just stay home and relax.
His plan for the day was simple: play Black Myth: Wukong.
However, while he was enjoying himself, a message arrived from Mutsumi.
It was about Soyo Nagasaki.
She didn't come to school today.
According to the information Mutsumi Wakaba received, Soyo Nagasaki seemed to have caught a cold after getting drenched in the rain yesterday, which was why she didn't come to school.
Considering how suddenly the heavy rain had fallen yesterday, Soyo getting soaked and falling sick actually sounded pretty normal.
Still, Kamijou Mutsuki, who practically walked around with a permanent debuff on his body, was perfectly fine—yet Soyo got sick instead. That alone showed that the girl's constitution really wasn't very strong.
And after everything that happened yesterday, it was natural that Mutsumi would feel worried.
The girl's intention was also quite obvious.
After all, only Kamijou Mutsuki didn't need to attend school.
Although Mutsumi didn't directly make the request and instead asked for Mutsuki's opinion, he had no intention of refusing.
After all, Soyo…
Yeah, he really should go check on her.
Come to think of it, when visiting a patient, bringing some fruit seemed appropriate, right?
After thinking for a while, Kamijou Mutsuki brought along a bag of cucumbers.
Well… eating cucumbers as fruit wasn't really that strange.
Since he had already visited Soyo's home once before, this time he arrived with practiced ease.
After reaching the house and ringing the doorbell, the person who opened the door was Mrs. Nagasaki.
Hmm. Looks like Soyo really was sick.
"Kamijou-kun?"
Seeing him, Mrs. Nagasaki visibly brightened for some reason.
"You came to see Soyo, right? Come in."
"I heard Soyo got sick, so I came to check on her."
Faced with her guess, Mutsuki nodded in confirmation.
"Kamijou-kun really cares about my Soyo, doesn't he~"
Mrs. Nagasaki poured him a cup of tea, her tone filled with playful ambiguity.
"…."
"Oh right, Kamijou-kun, could I ask you for a favor?"
After teasing him for a bit, Mrs. Nagasaki suddenly became serious, a hint of pleading appearing on her face.
"Today, I'd like you to help take care of Soyo."
"Me… take care of Soyo?"
Kamijou Mutsuki had only come for a quick visit, yet somehow he had been assigned a mission.
"That's right. I originally planned to take the day off to look after her, but something urgent suddenly came up at the company…"
As she spoke, Mrs. Nagasaki revealed a troubled expression.
Although the Nagasaki family looked glamorous on the surface nowadays, in the end she was still just a high-level corporate employee.
She was a single woman without connections, struggling to make a living in Tokyo. Life there was never easy.
It could be said that with just one mistake, the comfortable life Soyo Nagasaki currently enjoyed could disappear overnight.
Naturally, she didn't want to leave her daughter alone while she was sick. But the matter at the company was especially important this time. If she acted willfully and didn't go…
Well—she could endure hardship herself, but she couldn't let Soyo suffer along with her.
Or rather, were there really parents in this world who could watch their children struggle and remain indifferent?
Fortunately, Kamijou Mutsuki had arrived.
As for safety concerns…
Mutsuki had already spent a night alone here with Soyo before, so Mrs. Nagasaki trusted his character.
......................