Chapter 51
Suddenly, let me askâwhatâs the hardest part about living alone?
Cooking? Cleaning? Or maybe laundry?
Some might even say waking up in the morning.
Iâll admit, those things are tough.
Especially if youâve been living at home, relying on your parents for everything.
Even I struggled when I first started living alone, and until Yuu came along, I did all those chores grudgingly.
But if you ask me what the hardest part of living alone isâIâd say itâs none of those.
Housework and waking up are difficult, sure, but you can manage once you get used to them.
The real hardest part of living alone is something you just canât handle by yourself.
âŚEnough stallingâhereâs my answer.
The hardest part of living alone, in my opinion, is getting sick.
This is the one thing you truly canât deal with on your own.
ââŚCough, coughâŚâ
Every time I cough, my throat burns and my head throbs.
The fever leaves me dizzy, and even thinking feels like a chore.
I reach for the glass of water on the bedside table.
Just lifting the cup to my lips is exhausting.
ââŚHaaahâŚâ
Iâve caught a cold.
A really bad one, at that.
Probably because of the sudden temperature swings as the seasons change.
The past few days have been erraticâhot one moment, cold the next.
âŚAnd, well, certain circumstances kept me from sleeping much lately.
The weatherâs been awful, so Yuu hasnât been able to air out the futon, either.
ââŚCough⌠coughâŚâ
Each cough sends a sharp pain through my skull.
I took medicine, but it doesnât feel like itâs helping.
Iâm so miserable, part of me wishes I could just sleep it offâbut unfortunately, Iâm wide awake.
All I can do now is close my eyes and wait for time to pass.
âShin, Iâm coming in.â
Just as Iâm lost in thought, I hear a knock at the door.
Seems Yuuâs here.
âShin, I made you some porridge.â
Yuu carries a tray with a small earthenware pot on it.
I turn my heavy head to check the clockâitâs already noon. Guess itâs lunchtime.
Yuu sets the pot down on the bedside table.
âŚHonestly, I donât have much of an appetite, but I canât not eat when she went to the trouble of bringing it.
âShin, say âah~â.â
ââŚâŚâ
Yuu scoops up some porridge and holds it out with a smile.
I open my mouth, and the warm porridge slips inside.
Itâs embarrassing, sure, but she already did this at breakfast.
Resisting didnât work back then, so Iâve given up.
âHowâs the taste? Good?â
ââŚYeah.â
I genuinely think it is.
Even though my nose is stuffed and my sense of taste is dulled, itâs still good.
The warmth of the porridge spreading through me feels comforting.
With each bite, itâs like my bodyâs regaining strength.
âŚReally, Iâm so glad Yuuâs here.
Where would I be without her right now?
I wouldnât be able to eat, wouldnât be able to go to the hospital.
Iâd probably just be lying here, surviving on stored medicine and water.
âAh~â
ââŚâŚâ
I swallow the last bite.
I didnât have an appetite, but before I knew it, Iâd finished the whole thing.
âYour fever⌠still burning up.â
Yuu presses her hand to my forehead.
The cool touch feels soothing.
She hands me a glass of water and more medicine, which I take.
âGuess youâre still not better, huh? Iâve finished the housework, so maybe Iâll stay here with you this afternoon.â
ââŚHuh?â
Stay here? Wouldnât that risk her catching my cold?
If both Yuu and I were bedridden, thatâd be a disaster.
âDonât worry. My bodyâs not the kind that catches colds.â
When I voice my concern, Yuu just smiles and says that.
âNot the kind that catches coldsââwhat an odd way to put it.
What does that even mean?
âAlright, Shin, time to sleep.â
âAhââ
Yuu pulls the covers over me.
Then, gathering the dishes from the bedside table, she leaves the room.
Seems in Yuuâs mind, staying here this afternoon is already decided.
âŚIs she really going to be okay?
As Iâm wondering, drowsiness creeps in.
Probably because I ate. My eyelids grow heavy.
Just like that, I drift off to sleep.
Comments (2)
Please login or sign up to post a comment.