"Mm..."
Kasugabe Yō's consciousness gradually began to awaken with a soft groan.
No.
Calling it awakening was not entirely accurate.
Given Kasugabe Yō's current state, rather than saying she was awake, it would be more accurate to say she was barely managing to retain consciousness.
Her entire body temperature was frighteningly high.
Her head had grown sluggish from the fever as well.
Her vision seemed to be covered by a layer of fog. In her daze, she could not see very clearly at all.
Her body felt unbearably heavy, her mind was unclear, and every part of her body felt sticky and uncomfortable. She had clearly sweated a great deal.
In this extremely miserable state, Kasugabe Yō found even sitting up quite difficult. She could only raise one hand and place it against her burning forehead, murmuring dreamily through labored breaths.
"What... happened to me?"
That casual and perfectly natural question received an answer from the only other person present besides Kasugabe Yō.
"You have a fever. You suddenly collapsed."
Hearing that voice, Kasugabe Yō froze for a moment before turning her head toward the side.
Only then did Kasugabe Yō realize her current situation.
She was lying on a bed.
By the bedside, Noah sat there like a considerate caretaker, skillfully peeling an apple with a small knife.
Seeing that, Kasugabe Yō tilted her head and spoke in confusion.
"Noah?"
"Thankfully, you didn't wake up and immediately ask who I was. Even I would've panicked if you had," Noah said with a slight smile, continuing to peel the apple as the strip of skin lengthened downward under gravity.
"How do you feel?"
"Very bad." Kasugabe Yō answered honestly. Her slightly childish pretty face was drenched in sweat and flushed an unnatural red, yet it carried a fragile air rarely