He hurriedly looked up and met Kochou Kanae's eyes.
She still seemed puzzled. Her gaze said plainly, What are you looking for?
Tetsu no Sosuke stared at her, speechless, his face turning red. "Morn—"
Kochou Kanae tilted her head, then suddenly smiled. "It's almost dark."
That only made Tetsu no Sosuke more embarrassed. He gave a couple of awkward laughs. "How did I... Well... Um..."
He had no idea how to explain it. Was it some instinctive reaction while he was asleep? Or something else?
Before he fell asleep, one of them had clearly been sitting beside the other, who had been lying properly in bed. How had they ended up like this when he woke?
He couldn't bring himself to ask. Instead, he carefully and quietly lifted his head from Kochou Kanae's lap.
"Take it slow." Kochou Kanae helped him so he wouldn't move too sharply and aggravate his wound.
The door suddenly slid open. Shinobu Kocho was about to come in when she saw the two of them, and her eyes went wide.
"Y-you... You two..."
Her face flushed bright red. She stood there speechless, her hands trembling around the tray until the medicine bottles on it began to clink.
Kochou Kanae seemed flustered too. She sprang to her feet. "I—I'll step out for a moment. Is the food they're making for him ready?"
How could Shinobu Kocho possibly answer?
She watched helplessly as her sister fled, leaving her alone with Tetsu no Sosuke, who wanted to flee but couldn't.
Shinobu Kocho's smile turned downright vicious.
"Tetsu no Sosuke, I'm here to change your dressing!!!"
Tetsu no Sosuke nearly burst into tears. Resting on her lap had been wonderful, but the murderous tone of the girl before him made one thing clear: everything he gained in this world