'A-Anyway, are you free this Saturday evening, Izumi-san?'

'Yes. Why?'

'G-Good! Then come to my home this Saturday. We need to discuss our trip with our friends for next summer.'

"Shikimori's". That's what the nameplate in front of her house said, right above the home address, telling me that I have arrived at the right place, Shikimori-san's home. It does not change much since the last time we visited, with lights coming from the front windows on the second floor, leaking through the curtains, which I reckon is Shikimori-san's room.

Such a memory, isn't it?

Although we came to her home just for group study, I can still remember some interesting things that happened to me that day. My bad luck aura worked again, which led to my conversation with Shikimori's mom. It was short but meaningful, as I felt like I was asking for her mom's approval to be her boyfriend, and thankfully she accepted. Even my mom has actually made friends with her. Sometimes I saw them talking with each other on phone, and their subjects were so random that I could not even tell what exactly they were.

... And sometimes, especially in times like this, I still wonder if we were no longer in a relationship, maybe because of our contradiction or something else separating us, would our families still keep being closed like this...?

Right now, I am standing in front of Shikimori-san's house. The sky has already darkened, showing a blanket of stars stretching to infinity. There is no one outside but me, in the middle of this silent neighborhood. Although it is spring, the cool air of late evening still manages to blow through the sleeves of my coat, which is sending me a slightly freezing feeling, even when I have picked the warmest coat I could, or I have already filled my stomach with an early dinner. For someone who used to spend most time staying at home, and even when I have been going out more since I dated Shikimori-san, this weather is not very good for me, especially with my health condition.

I reach out my hand to the doorbell and press the button on it, sending a signal that I have arrived. After that, I look up the windows on the second floor and see someone opening the curtains, which appears to be Shikimori-san. She looks down from the windows to see me, as I start waving my hands as a signal. She then turns away from the windows, and I assume that she is heading downstairs to open the door for me.

Just a few seconds later, the door in front of me is opened slightly. "Get inside, Izumi-san." A voice from the back of the door echoed inside, which I easily recognized to be Shikimori-san's. I let out a hum as a response and proceed to walk inside.

As I finally step inside her home, suddenly, something heavy jumps on top of me and knocks me backward. It starts pinning me down to the ground and as soon as I know it, I feel some wet sensation on my cheeks. I look back up and open my eyes to see who is greeting me in such a surprising welcome, and I soon realize "who" it is.

"Good evening, Kara! Okay... okay... that's very tickle...!" I greeted Kara, who is a pet shepherd of Shikimori-san. My chuckling slowly turns into a laugh, as Kara's licking is becoming more tickling. I really want to break out of her pin, but my strength is too weak to actually move a muscle. As she is licking every part of my face, she lets out some happy woofs. "S-Shikimori-san, help...!" I managed to reach out my hand to call for Shikimori, although my view was obstructed by Kara so I could not tell where she was.

"... Kara, stop." Shikimori, who I could not find where she was, ordered her shepherd to stop. However, it does not work as Kara is still licking my face. I cannot even move an inch from her pin, as it is getting tighter like I am in some sort of submission hold.

"Kara, I say stop!" Shikimori suddenly ordered as loud as she could, in such an angry tone that even I got jolted, and maybe so was Kara. She unpins me from the ground, allowing my muscles to move a little and me to feel my body again, then she goes to the corner of the living room and starts mourning while bowing her head.

As soon as I am allowed to move, I rise my back from the ground, do a quick stretching exercise, and adjust my backpack. Then I get up from the floor and look for Shikimori-san. "You know, next time, don't scold it like that. Dogs have feelings, too." I told her while stretching out my legs and arms.

I then turn my head to the stairs and finally find where she is. She is wearing a black t-shirt with camo-patterned shorts, while her hair is tied in a ponytail. I stand still for quite a time to observe her simple, but beautiful image. She is folding her arms while leaning her shoulder to the wall behind her. However, what catches my attention the most is her face.

She looks... sad...

"I know how to train my dog, Izumi-san..." She told me, after letting out a sigh. "C'mon, let's go upstairs. Don't keep me waiting." She ordered me and started walking upstairs.

"... Yes, ma'am," I responded. Before I join her upstairs, I go to Kara's place, who is still mourning after getting scolded by her master. Standing in front of the shepherd, I start rubbing her head to comfort her. "Don't take it bad, okay? Your master really cares about you..." I told her, making her stop mourning, and responded with a happier woof. After that, I leave her place and start joining Shikimori-san upstairs, without forgetting to wave Kara goodbye.

~0O0~

This is the first time I have ever stepped foot into a girl's bedroom...

When I walk into Shikimori-san's bedroom, I start observing her room. It is actually not much different from a normal room, or what I thought it would be. The walls are painted yellow, with a single bed on the right side of the room, underneath the windows. There are some basic kinds of stuff such as her wardrobe, her desk with books still lying on it, and a small bookshelf above. Lingering around the air is a nice, wonderful aroma. Overall, it is not something that I expected it to be.

"Close the door, please, Izumi-san," Shikimori-san ordered me. She is sitting next to a low table, which is already arranged near the bed for the guests. There is also a bottle that is filled with some kind of honey yellow drink that I cannot identify what it is, with some paper cups nearby. "My brother is working next door, so we should not bother him with any noise." She explained, which I obliged and carefully closed the door behind me. After that, I approach the table and find myself a spot to sit down, before placing my backpack next to me.

"Such a nice room you have, Shikimori-san," I told her, and she nodded as a response while pouring herself a drink in one of the cups and taking a sip from it. She waits for me to settle myself for a while before she decides to speak.

"Okay, Izumi-san..." She began. "As I've already told you at school, let's start discussing-"

"Wait!" I stopped her. "Inuzuka-kun and the rest aren't here yet. Shouldn't we wait for them?" I asked her, noticing that our friends hadn't arrived, as I may be the first one to be here first.

"Nekozaki texted me that she and the rest of them will be running late," Shikimori answered. "So while we are waiting for them, let's just discuss our next summer trip, okay?" She asked me.

"I see..." I mumbled, understanding the reason myself, then I let out a chuckle. "I'm still kind of surprised that you want to plan this early, Shikimori-san." I continued. "I mean, we're not even near the exam week yet, shouldn't that be something we should care about first, Shikimori-san?" I asked her. As soon as I finish my question, I notice her start gripping the paper cup.

"I mean..." She trailed off while lowering her head a little. "Planning early isn't hurt. Besides, who knows what might happen until then? You know, you and your bad luck?" She continued. This makes me think for a brief second, as she has a point.

"... I guess you're right," I told her. "But to be honest, I think we should wait until the rest have arrived. Nekozaki-san can come up with a lot of good ideas. So don't you think it is better to discuss this in a group?" I asked her.

At this point, Shikimori-san starts acting weird. She starts twirling her hair strand with her index finger and casting her eyes around the room like she is trying to avoid my eye contact. She looks like she does not know what to do to keep her occupied, so she pours herself another cup of drink and starts sipping it, while she is still lowering her head.

"By the way, Shikimori-san..." I asked her, after a few seconds. "Don't you think it is kinda weird that all our friends are late? I mean, Inuzuka-kun is not the type of guy to be late, and I don't think Nekozaki-san and Hachimitsu-san are that irresponsible..."

After my question, Shikimori-san does not answer. She starts holding her lips and gripping her cup tighter, to the point where at any moment, the drink inside it can spill. Still trying to avoid my gaze, she turns her back against me, which makes me confused and grows my suspicion.

"... Don't you think it's kinda weird that they are this late... Shikimori-san?" I asked her again while holding my chin. After a few seconds of silence, with only her sipping sound can be heard, I start to be impatient, so I take out my phone from my pocket. "You know what, I'll just text Inuzuka-kun to remind him-"

"No!" When I was about to turn on my phone, Shikimori-san immediately turned around and grabbed my hand, stopping me from doing it. I start to blush a little bit from her touch, and I can see her face heating a little, as well. However, I clear my throat with a cough to get back my composure.

"... Are they going to be here, Shikimori-san?" I asked her. She lets go of my hand and returns to her sitting place, still trying to avoid my eye contact. She seems to be at a loss for words. My suspicion is growing more, as I start to think that she is hiding something from me, and this whole "summer trip discussion" is not what it is to be.

"This isn't about the summer trip, is it?" I asked out of a sudden, and as soon as I saw her jolted and let out a hiss, I knew I was correct. Bullseye...

"And our friends are not going to be here, am I right, Shikimori-san?" I asked her.

As soon as I finish my question, she starts turning her back against me again. She takes a big drink from the cup, completely draining it, and places the cup on the table again. After that, she lets out a heavy sigh and slightly slams her hand on her lap in desperation.

"... God damn it...!" Shikimori managed to speak quietly and turn around to look at me. Her face is completely drained out of color. "Looks like I've been busted, huh?" She said while smiling in defeat, making me let out a sigh.

"You know," I told her. "If this is just something about you and me, you can just say it and be honest. You don't need to lie, Shikimori-san." I continued while shrugging my shoulders. After that, I receive her nod as a response, but this nod is not normal. It looks like my words have angered something in her.

"Okay... Be honest and don't need to lie, huh?" She reconfirmed while nodding her head slightly multiple times, then she suddenly slammed her hand on the table, jolting me backward. Her slam echoes across the room, breaking the silence it used to have.

"Then let's see how honest you are, Izumi-san!"

I knew there is something unusual about this meeting...

~0O0~

"Honest?" I asked her in confusion. "What do you mean 'honest'? I thought I'd already confessed everything to you, like a few days ago, remember?" I tried reminding her about what happened 2 days ago, but she shook her head in denial.

"Yeah, I know..." Shikimori answered, then she folded her arms. "But recently, I started to think that wasn't true, or in the other words," She continued. "I think there is still a root that I haven't dug up..."

This time, I am the one who starts getting nervous. My head is having countless thoughts about what she might say next. Meanwhile, my feet are getting colder with the anxiousness I am feeling, and so are my hands, as I start rubbing them with each other to warm them up.

"The 'root'? W-Which root?" I asked her, trying my best to keep my composure. "Shikimori-san, I-I think you are overthinking the problem. I believe you should-"

"I spoke to Kamiya!"

That sentence from her hit me like a truck. My mouth cannot utter a single word, and my heart is beating faster after hearing that. I start glancing around to hopefully find a safe place, but there is nowhere to hide, as her bedroom now feels like a prison that is keeping me inside. Perhaps this is why she asked me to close the door.

"There! That finally brought something to you, am I right?!" Shikimori asked, but at that point, I could not give her a proper answer. She does not wait for me to respond as she continues. "You told me to be honest, right? Then why don't you be honest with me, as well, Izumi-san?!"

She asked me, and her question made me feel very uncomfortable. My chest is getting tighter from my nervousness, and I start feeling harder to breathe, as the air around me is getting suffocating. At this point, I just want to run away immediately. Therefore, I turn my back against her and grab my backpack. "You know what, I just remember I have some important stuff to do at home. If there is not anything important, I'll be going now! See you later-"

"Don't you dare!" Shikimori exclaimed, completely freezing me to the spot, and I even didn't realize I had dropped my backpack unconsciously. "Do you know why I invited you to my home?" She asked me, but she didn't wait for me to answer. "Because if I go to your home to talk about this, you'll try dodging me like what you did at school, and your parents will... escort me out or something, or at least stop me from finding the truth!" She explained in an angry tone, but it slowly went softer at the end. "... After that, we might continue to avoid each other's faces, a-and..." She continued as her volume was getting smaller, as she tapped her hand on the floor after that. "I really don't want that cycle to happen again..."

"... Shikimori-san?" I turned my back around to look at her. She is lowering her head and breathing heavily, looks like she is very desperate. I try to control my breath as I reach out my hand to her, but she shakes her head.

"Yesterday, I spoke to Kamiya after our morning classes." She explained. "It was quite a struggle to make her talk, but she finally told everything to me." She continued and raised her head, but still turned away from me. "She told me that there had been something wrong about you, back in the library. You coughed heavily, your voice was very hoarse, and you even coughed out... Damn it...!" She could not end her sentence and she even cursed herself, as she started gritting her teeth to hold back her emotion. Then she shoots her head back up to look straight at me with her pleading eyes.

"Please, be honest with me... What exactly had happened to you?"

Right now, we are at the point of no return. I still want to run away from her, but my feet are getting heavier, and I cannot lift myself from the ground, feels my body is doing its best to fight against my will and stop me from running away. I start rubbing my hair and scratching my ears, as I am getting even more anxious. I feel like I am stuck in some sort of ancient puzzle, as my body is sinking into the quicksand, and if I don't answer the question, I will not get out of it. I look back at Shikimori-san to see the angry expression on her face is no more, replaced with a worried one, reflecting in her eyes, just like when we talked about my loneliness a few days ago. She starts tilting her head, longing for an answer from me.

My head starts thinking about some possible outcomes if I tell her the truth. I doubt that she will accept it, even try to avoid me, or worst of all, break up with me. After all, not everyone wants a boyfriend with an almost incurable sickness. Even my parents found it hard to accept when they knew about it the first time, so what can guarantee that Shikimori-san will accept it, as well?

However, as I said, we are at the point of no return. There is no place for lies now. Therefore, I start taking a deep breath and letting it out, preparing to face the worst to come.

"Okay... You want to know the truth?" I asked her, and after a few seconds, she gave me a brief nod, allowing me to continue.

Here goes nothing...

~0O0~

"So... Where should I start...?" I began to trail off. "Almost a week ago, I started to have some symptoms of a disease. My chest was tight, my throat sored, and it was a struggle for me to breathe." I told Shikimori, who was listening very carefully. "After I coughed out, you know, that same patch Kamiya told you about, I was blacked out..." I continued and took a glance to check her reaction. Her breathing is getting heavier as I can hear her inhalation.

"Izumi-san..." She tried to call for me, but I shook my head.

"I couldn't remember what happened to me after that. All I know is the hospital, the doctors might have done some diagnostic tests on me. I couldn't feel anything except a heavy feeling in my stomach..." I confessed, and I could feel my throat was getting more raucous and harder to speak. "W-When I woke up, I was on a hospital bed, you know, alone in a cold room, with only beeping noises as your companion... I was... confused, and lost..." I trailed off.

I then stop for a moment and take a look at Shikimori-san again. She is covering her mouth like she is desperately trying to hold something inside. "Izumi-san, I..."

"No..." She was trying to speak, but I cut her off and shook my head. "You want me to be honest with you, right?" I asked her, and after a second or two, she nodded, allowing me to continue.

"I looked outside the door to find any clue, but all I saw is... m-mom and dad crying while speaking to a doctor..." I said while clenching my hand into a fist shakenly. "It was... tough for me, a-and... that was a very bad sign for me, too. And man... I was right..." I said quietly. I can feel I could break down at any moment.

"T-Then the doctor... h-he gave me my diagnosis, which said that I had..." I tried my best to say something, but my throat felt like something was blocking inside. I shake my head and smack my hand on my lap, hoping that I can brush away all the heavy feelings inside and find the courage to finish what I said. "Which said... l-lung cancer..."

After that, I take a glance at Shikimori-san again, and what I see hurt me more. Her blue eyes are widened and lifeless, and her face is filled with fear, as she is covering her mouth and breathing heavily. I cannot bear seeing her like that, so I look down to avoid her gaze. I start gritting my teeth and gripping my jeans, trying to hold my emotion.

"... S-So, what do you think?" I managed to speak, breaking the silence between us. "I-Is this the 'root' you are finding? A-Are you satisfied now?!" I coldly asked, feeling the dam inside me was about to break and my throat closing up.

"... S-Sorry, Izumi-san." After a minute of silence, Shikimori-san decided to speak first. "I... I need to process everything you said. Please give me a moment..." She stuttered and turned her back away from me. She starts panting into her palm as she is rooted to her place, without moving an inch. Her back is moving up and down slightly, so I can tell she is astonished by the news.

"Shikimori-"

*SLAM!*

I tried to call for her but got cut off by a hard slam to the side of her bed, made by Shikimori-san's fist. The collision was so hard it echoed across the room and jolted me backward. Although it is not clear, I can see her gritting her teeth and letting out heavy breaths. Seeing her like that makes me feel pain deep inside, so I keep lowering my head and trying my best to bear this guilty feeling.

"... Why didn't you tell me?" After her breathing subdued, she asked but kept facing away from me, almost sounding like a whisper, while massaging her hand to ease the pain, which I thought could be soring right then. I don't want to answer that question, as I may not be able to give her a proper one. However, she urges me to respond quickly, this time much louder. "Answer me, Izumi!"

"... I mean," I managed to speak. "E-Even my parents could not even bear the news... So it's understandable that you can't..." I stuttered. Shikimori-san then swallows her words and tries to do something, but I stop her with my next words.

"Please, if you are satisfied, just let me be... I have nothing to say now..."

At this point, I really want to run away. I just want to go home and forget everything that happened. I hope that she will open the door behind me so I can take my leave and keep bearing this to myself. I wish that everything that is happening now is just a dream. I wish I was still normal, living a normal life, enjoying my high school year with my friends until we reach college.

The more I think about it, the more broken the water dam inside me is. I try biting my lower lip to stop myself from crying, but tears keep welling up in my eyes. Some droplets are rolling down my cheeks and falling to the floor, creating some visible dark spots. I have mentally prepared for this day to come, but now I know it is not enough, as it is too suffering to bear.

This bad luck is such a curse, and never have I hated it so much until now...

Suddenly, through the reflection on the floor, I see Shikimori-san turns around from her position. Before I know it, she reaches out her hand and uses her thumb to wipe away the tears on my cheeks. After that, she holds my chin with both of her hands. "Izumi-san, can you look at me?" She asked.

"No, I..." I shook my head to refuse her, but she didn't accept it. She raises my chin softly, which I don't have any strength to fight against. I try shutting my eyes to avoid looking at her, but then she rubs my back to comfort me. It is so comfortable that I start opening my eyes without realizing it. Her blue eyes are filled with worries, and her lips are curling into a sad but reassuring smile.

"Izumi-san, do you know how much I was worried about you?" Shikimori asked softly, but I couldn't find the strength to answer. Nonetheless, she continues. "When you were absent from school, I'd been trying to contact you. I tried calling you, but you didn't answer, and I tried texting you but received no replies." She told me. "When I came to your home to visit you, none of you or your parents were home. That was when I thought something was wrong. However, I... don't know that it is this bad..."

"... Well, now you know..." I mumbled while looking down to avoid her eye contact. My hands start gripping each other, but then Shikimori-san lets go of her hands from my chin and use them to gently rub on mine, brushing her thumbs over my knuckles.

"Why didn't you tell me, Izumi-san?" She asked quietly. "You don't trust me or something?" That question hit me straight into my guts, as I started shutting my lips tight, avoiding myself from letting out any cries or sniffles. Shikimori-san soon realizes it, so she lets go of one of her hands, reaches it behind my back, and starts rubbing it gently to comfort me. After almost a minute, I finally have enough composure to answer her.

"... Back when I was in secondary school, I used to have a group of friends," I told her. "B-But then a lot of things happened, and before I knew it, our friendship was gone. A-All because of my bad luck that indirectly involved them..." I stuttered. Shikimori-san tries to say something, but I shake my head and lower it. "This is... even worse than before. I don't want you guys to get involved. I don't want you guys to handle the feeling that you have a friend who has cancer... I-I just... want you and the rest to live a normal life, without minding about my illness..."

The more I think about it, the more tears swell up in my ears and fall to the floor. They don't need to know about my illness, and they don't deserve to sit down under the fact that their friend has cancer. After all, only I have to bear it, and they can live a normal life without knowing about it.

"Izumi-san..." After a few seconds, Shikimori finally spoke, while wiping the tears from my cheeks. "We don't mind at all, you know..."

"That's easy for you to say..."

"N-No, it's true!" Shikimori denied. "Can't you see? We've already known about your bad luck. Yet after all this time, we're still friends with you! We care about you, Izumi-san."

"Shikimori-san, I-"

"I care about you!" Shikimori-san told me while holding my hands. I look up to see her reassuring smile once again, with her eyes now filled with kindness. I can barely hold my emotion anymore, as tears are now freely forming and streaming down my face. She then comforts me by rubbing her thumbs on my hands again. "And whenever you feel sad, or even when you have a disease like this, this girl will always stand in front of you and be by your side." She said while smiling at me.

"S-Shikimori-san..." I stuttered, my emotion was a mixture of sadness and pain. I look down at my balling hands, which are being comforted by Shikimori-san's. Hot tears from my eyes start falling and forming wet spots on her hands, but she does not seem to care about wiping them away.

"Let me ask you this, Izumi-san, and please once again, be honest with me." She requested. "Are you happy, Izumi-san?"

"... No...!" I wanted to tell another lie, but I just couldn't, as my strength did not allow me to. "I'm... s-scared, S-Shikimori-san. Until now, I-I still don't know how bad my health condition is. Every night, I always dream of those awful times in my secondary school, and I even have n-nightmares that you guys will... l-leave me..." I confessed while trying to look away and pull my hands away from her palms, but I couldn't find the strength to do it.

"... I'm sorry, Shikimori-san. I'm such a fool, aren't I?" I apologized. However, Shikimori-san shakes her head in refusal.

"... But none of us has actually left you, right?" She asked me, then without waiting for my answer, she tenderly lifted my hands so I could look up and see her. "I'm not leaving you, Izumi-san. I made a promise to always be by your side, and I'm not breaking it. I really mean it, Izumi-san..." She reminded me, and I felt that with just a light knock, I could break down immediately.

"Please, Izumi-san, allow me to bear this burden you are piling up inside your chest, okay?"

And that was the final knock that broke open my water dam. I start sobbing uncontrollably, with tears freely flowing down my face. As soon as Shikimori-san lets go of my hands and open her arms for an embrace, I immediately cling to her and bury my face in her shoulder. I weakly wrap my arms around her waist, like a hopeless person clinging his life to the only one he can rely on.

"I'm sorry, Shikimori-san! I'm so sorry! I should've told you earlier! I'm sorry for hiding from you-" I apologized to her, but got cut off when she planted a small kiss on my head.

"It's okay, Izumi-san, it's okay... You've been bearing this all by yourself, right? Then from now on, just rely everything on me, okay?" Shikimori comforted me and rested her chin on my head. Her left hand is rubbing my back to calm me down, while the other is running its fingers through my hair simultaneously.

As I sink deeper into her warmth, I can't be aware of how much time has passed. However, all I know is that I am now safe in her arms and that tightness feeling in my chest, along with the guilty feeling swelling up in my stomach is no more.

I feel so lucky to have someone like Shikimori-san as my girlfriend...

~0O0~

After quite some time, we finally let go of each other. Recalling what happened, my face starts heating up, while my ears are burning red. I look down away from her in embarrassment while letting out some sniffles, the "leftovers" from my crying.

"Sorry, I'm... such a mess, aren't I?" I told Shikimori-san while avoiding her eye contact. However, through the reflection on the floor, I can see her preparing a cup of drink, before handing it to me, which I have no point to refuse it. "What is this, Shikimori-san?" I asked.

"Honey lemon tea." She answered. "Since I heard about your hoarse voice, which I also noticed when we talked, I've prepared this before you came here. This is also something for you to calm down." She giggled nervously. "I'm not very good at mixing beverages, so feel free to judge it if you can't drink, okay?"

Hearing her say that, I raise the cup to my mouth and start taking a sip from it. She... really is not so good at mixing beverages. Perhaps it's just my taste or this tea is too sour, to the point I can't taste the sweetness of honey. Maybe she decided to squeeze in whole lemons instead of cutting them first. However, I try my best to drink it all, because I appreciate what she has done for me, and maybe I do enjoy the warm sensation of the tea, as well.

When I finish my drink, I still feel my eyes stinging. I am about to raise my hand to wipe them, but Shikimori-san grabs it and shakes her head in refusal. She then takes away my cup and raises my chin again. On her other hand, she is holding a tissue, which she reaches to my face and starts wiping my eyes. "Hygiene, Izumi-san." She reminded me while smiling softly. Then she picks out another tissue from the tissue box and holds it to my nose, allowing me to snort out from my running nose. "Okay, all done, Izumi-san!" She announced after tossing the tissues into the bin.

However, after she finishes wiping my eyes, I soon realize that her eyes are also puffy with wetness around it. She must have also been tearing up while comforting me...

"Shikimori-san..." I mumbled, before reaching my hand to the tissue box next to her. She seems to be confused, but she still grabs and hands it to me, nonetheless.

"What's wrong, Izumi-san? You don't need to wipe again, I've already wiped them clean-" She asked, but got cut off when I reached out with the tissue in my hand to carefully wipe her eyes, as well. She is so surprised that she does not move an inch during it. When I've finished wiping, I curl the tissue into a ball and toss it in the trash bin nearby. Meanwhile, Shikimori-san's face is getting as red as mine. We both keep silent for a little time.

"... I-I guess we're now both a mess, huh?" Shikimori managed to speak first while laughing nervously, and I simply nodded in agreement while smiling a little bit. Noticing I haven't said anything, she reaches out her hands to mine and holds them. "Feel better now, Izumi-san?" She asked.

"... Maybe... I don't know..." I answer hesitantly, making her let out a sigh.

"That's alright..." She said, then without waiting for me to say something, she continued. "Izumi-san, I have a wish, but it is kind of selfish. Can you grant it to me?

"Selfish? What do you mean?" I asked her while tilting my head in confusion. Shikimori-san then takes a deep breath before giving me the answer.

"Izumi-san, please, for tonight..." She requested me, then she stopped for a few seconds before continuing, her face blushing red. "... Stay with me."

End of chapter 4