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"Calm down."
"Stay steady."
"Panicking won't solve anything. Think. Figure out what to do."
Mahiru Shiina closed her eyes and took a slow, deep breath, trying to steady herself.
"Should I go out and buy cold medicine now?"
"But it's already this late…"
"And I'm getting weaker… I can barely walk…"
She let out a faint breath. Her head felt heavier by the second, strength draining out of her body so fast she had no choice but to sink onto the sofa.
Illness hits like a landslide.
She hadn't expected a simple cold to come crashing down this hard. If she could rewind time, she'd definitely have turned on the hot water before taking a bath.
"If I force myself outside… what if I run into someone dangerous…"
Mahiru bit her lower lip, well aware of how she looked. In her current state, if someone with bad intentions showed up, she wouldn't stand a chance.
"Dad… Mom…"
She inhaled shakily and picked up her phone, the urge to call for help rising uncontrollably.
But her finger hovered over the screen, refusing to press down.
"If I tell Dad, he'll just tell me to call Mom…"
"And if Mom finds out I got sick, she'll probably just scold me for not even being able to take care of myself…"
She knew them too well. Asking for help would only lead nowhere.
"If… if I just disappeared like this… would they even feel sad?"
For a fleeting moment, the thought of giving up crossed her mind.
Then suddenly, a figure flashed through her thoughts.
Blake.
Back then, when she'd lost her sense of sight after using her ability and stood alone on the street, lost and helpless… he was the one who showed up.
"If it were Blake… he wouldn't leave me alone, right?"
The thought surfaced out of nowhere—and refused to go away.
It left her feelings tangled and strange.
After hesitating for a few seconds, she finally sent the message.
"Blake… are you asleep?"
"Hm?"
Blake raised an eyebrow at the notification.
What kind of question was that?
Was she bored and couldn't sleep, so she wanted to drag him out for some late-night wandering?
He shook his head almost immediately.
That kind of thing sounded like something Yanami would do. Mahiru, on the other hand, wasn't like that at all. She seemed gentle and easygoing, but in reality, she kept everyone at arm's length.
"Not yet," he replied. "Do you need something?"
A dozen seconds later, another message popped up.
"I forgot to turn on the water heater before my bath… ended up using cold water. I think I caught a cold…"
Seriously? Not even noticing the temperature? Losing your sense of touch is terrifying.
At least it was cold water. If it had been boiling water, this wouldn't be a cold—he'd be calling an ambulance.
"…I don't have any cold medicine at home. Could I trouble you to buy some for me?"
The so-called angel who never liked inconveniencing others… was actually asking for help?
Yeah, this wasn't just "a bit" of a cold.
"I just got over one recently. I still have some medicine at home," Blake replied right away. "I'll bring it over. Wait by the door."
"…"
Mahiru pressed her lips together, then forced herself to stand, swaying as she made her way toward the entrance.
Meanwhile, Blake grabbed the leftover medicine, rushed downstairs, slipped on his shoes, and headed out.
Luckily, they were neighbors. Two steps later, he was already at her door.
Knock, knock.
"Mahiru, I'm here."
The door opened quickly.
Standing there in white pajamas, the "angel" looked anything but well. Her cheeks were flushed an unnatural red, one hand braced against the wall. The first thing she did was apologize in a soft, hoarse voice.
"Sorry… for bothering you…"
Her voice was raspy from the cold, weak and unsteady.
"Save the apology for later." Blake didn't step inside. Instead, he handed her the medicine. "Take it according to the instructions."
It was late, and she lived alone. No matter how you looked at it, it wasn't appropriate for him to just walk into a girl's place at this hour.
"Thank you…"
Her long lashes trembled slightly as she reached out.
But just as her fingers brushed the medicine, a wave of dizziness slammed into her. Her body swayed, balance gone.
"Careful."
Blake reacted instantly, pulling her into his arms.
She smelled faintly sweet, her body soft like a marshmallow—but he didn't have the slightest room for those thoughts right now. His brows furrowed instead.
"You're burning up. What's your temperature?"
"I… don't know…"
Mahiru shook her head weakly, trying to pull away.
She couldn't.
After a few attempts, all she managed was to make her breathing more uneven, faint coughs slipping out now and then. She looked small, fragile… completely helpless.
"With a fever this high, it's definitely serious." Blake's expression hardened. "Can you walk?"
"I—I…"
She coughed softly, hands pressing weakly against his chest as she tried to stand.
No strength. None at all.
The helplessness of being sick, the loneliness of living on her own, the dizziness spinning in her head—it all quietly shattered the "angel" mask she always wore.
Tilting her face up, she looked at him like a lost kitten abandoned in the rain, her voice small and pleading.
"I feel awful… I don't have the strength to walk… Could you… help me inside?"
"I've got you."
His voice was steady.
One arm slipped around her waist, the other taking her slender wrist as he guided her inside.
In the living room, he helped her onto the sofa.
"I'll get you some water. Then take the medicine."
"…Okay."
Watching him head toward the kitchen, Mahiru let out a quiet breath of relief, then lowered her head, staring at her toes in embarrassment.
What was that just now…?
No matter how hard things got before, she always endured it alone, gritting her teeth.
"…Guess being sick really does make people act strange."
Before long, Blake returned with a glass of water and the medicine, holding them out to her.
"Can you take it yourself?"
"O-Of course I can…"
Mahiru took a breath, then quickly reached out, flustered, to grab them.
That earlier moment was just because she was dizzy.
There's no way she'd let him feed her medicine too.
"....."