Waking up from the bed again, Morimi, as usual, felt the cold that the quilt couldn't hide.

Feeling cold instead of hot at least means that her body temperature has returned to normal and she no longer has a fever, she thought to herself.

The window was bright, and the alarm clock hadn't gone off yet.

It should still be early, and she tightened the quilt on her body to keep warm.

At the head of the bed were some condolences brought by friends yesterday when they came to visit the patient, and most of them were divided among themselves.

The upstairs room has never been so lively, and Hikaru Takikawa has been with her for a long time.

And Naoko saw her hunger and went to cook a big bowl of porridge for her.

There were some dried plums and other things in it, which made her feel very delicious even if she had no appetite, and she ate a lot.

It wasn't until she showed signs of fatigue that they took their leave.

Lying down for a while, thinking back to yesterday's events, Morimi turned his head to look at the alarm clock that still hadn't gone off, and felt a little strange in his heart.

Even if she woke up early, the alarm clock wouldn't have gone off for half a day, and it looked very bright outside the window.

"Hmm......"

Stretching out her arm from the warm bed, she felt the alarm clock, took a closer look, and sat up at once.

“…… Mom! ”

The time set by the alarm has been set back by more than half an hour!

Morimi is helpless, although there were many people in the room yesterday, but only Morimi Chieda will do this.

Although she is not late, she is used to arriving at school earlier, and now she can only take the later bus.

Turning the alarm back to the usual time, Morimi gets dressed and gets up.

Coming downstairs, my mother, who had stayed here last night, had already prepared breakfast.

She didn't deny adjusting the alarm by herself, but just let her daughter rest for a while.

"The fever has subsided, no problem."

"It's because Yiye usually doesn't rest enough that he will fall ill all of a sudden."

Morimi couldn't admit the real cause of his illness the day before yesterday, so he could only listen silently.

"My face seems to be turning red, is it starting to have a fever again?"

“…… No. ”

After eating breakfast, Morimi Chieda reminded again.

"I made a bento, don't forget to bring it when you go out."

"I see."

She doesn't prepare bento boxes when she's at home, because it takes a lot of time, and she usually relies on convenience stores or school stores to solve her lunch.

When I went out, I had to wait for the next bus anyway, and the time that was a little tight in the morning suddenly became abundant.

Instead of taking the path by the river, she walked along the county road and passed by her bookstore.

"One leaf? How's the body? ”

"It's all right."

Morimi touched her daughter's forehead and felt the temperature before she was relieved.

"I went to school."

"Be careful on the road."

Leaving the bookstore, Morimi glanced at the window on the second floor of the Maki Hotel. When I passed by the intersection of Naruse's house, I also looked inside.

By this time, they should have all gone to school......

Thinking so, when she came to the bus stop, she saw Naruse.

Even Naruse who is still alone.

And when he saw her, he also showed a look of surprise.

"Morimi...... I thought you weren't going to school today. ”

"It's just that I'm up late."

Because it was a late train, there were many more people on the platform than usual, and Morimi squeezed to stand beside him, "What about Naoko." ”

"Went to school."

Naruse lifted the bag in his hand, "When the bus stopped just now, I remembered that I didn't bring sportswear, and I had a physical education class today." I asked Naoko to get in the car first. ”

Morimi looked down a few times.

"Is Naoko's tracksuit in there too?"

"Hmm."

"Perverted."

"What do you say?"

Naruse changed to a bag in his hand.

"How's Morimi's health?"

"Alive."

"I see."

"I had a fever yesterday." She looked at him, "When Naruse didn't come to visit me." ”

"Didn't Naoko go, she's my visiting representative."

"Naoko didn't say that."

"If you can, you can do it."

Morimi snorted softly.

The two continued to wait for the bus. After a while, before the bus arrived, a motorcycle rode first, with people in the back seat.

There were a lot of people crowded on the platform, and Hikaru Takikawa saw Naruse and Morimi in Tsugaraka uniforms at a glance.

"It's weird."

She pulled over and looked at Naruse, who was not with Naoko, and then at Morimi, who had just gone out at this point.

"It's weird."

The two laughed and said hello to Takikawa Tsuki, who didn't seem to wake up in the back seat.

"Where's Naoko?"

"Let's go to school first."

"How's Kazuha's body?" Hikaru Takikawa asked again.

"It's fully recovered, thank you."

She looked at her, "Spiritually?" ”

Morimi was stunned, "It's probably okay." ”

"Yes."

Takigawa Hikaru smiled, "When I went to visit the patient yesterday, Kazuha occasionally showed a somewhat lonely expression, and I was a little concerned." ”

“……”

Morimi was stunned again, then glanced at Naruse who was coming over, and said to Hikaru Takikawa: "That's just because I'm not feeling well." ”

"Yes. If there's anything, Kazuha can discuss it with me. ”

"Hmm." A smile bloomed on her face, "Thank you." ”

Hikaru Takikawa also stopped for a while, chatted a little, then twisted the accelerator and took his sister to school first.

"What are you thinking?" Seeing that Naruse had been staring at the direction in which the motorcycle was leaving, Morimi asked.

"I was thinking that if I commuted on a motorcycle, I would get a lot more sleep in the morning."

"Naruse can also take a later shift like today."

"There are too many people."

Naruse pursed his lips, "It's because I don't want to squeeze or even grab a seat, so I take the morning train." ”

With his hands behind his back, Morimi raised his head slightly and looked at the sky.

"I think it's a little easier this morning."

Naruse glanced at her, and suddenly felt that she was a little different from her usual - the tension that seemed to be absent in the past was gone.

"Is it because of what Hikari just said?"

"Perhaps."

She paused, perhaps because of the good mood at the moment, or perhaps because of the brief frankness between the two of them before, and she wanted to continue.

"Just looking at me makes me feel happy."

Naruse looked at her, and just as she was about to say something, Morimi raised her chin to the other side.

"The bus is coming."

The crowd was about to move, and Naruse had already spotted the position, stood at the front of the line, and pulled Morimi to let her stand in front of him.

The bus stopped, and Morimi got on the bus first, and after finding a place to sit down, he grabbed Naruse, who was going to go back, and let him sit next to him.

"You can grab a seat on a later shift."

"Hmm."

"I'm wondering if I should start tomorrow and go to school later."

She looked out the window, the morning sun shining on the exposed metal frame of the dilapidated platform.

"I feel that I am in a good state now, and when I study, my efficiency should be higher."

"So, the tense state before, in fact, I didn't sleep enough."

"Who knows."

Morimi turned his gaze back from the window and smiled at him, "What about Naruse, don't you want to sleep a little longer?" ”

"Forget it." He tucked in his arm that had been hit by a passenger in the aisle, "It's still too crowded, and it reminds me of when I used to commute by train in Tokyo." ”

"Without Naruse, I wouldn't have been able to grab a seat."

"It's okay, standing can be refreshing."

She raised her arm and bumped him.

"If the object was Naoko, Naruse wouldn't have said that."

"Naoko won't embarrass me."

(End of chapter)