“It’s…delicious!” Akane muttered in pleasant disbelief. There were no signs of Saito sneaking in sleeping pills, nor did it seem like he had used protein powder. The simple truth hit her—Saito had made her a safe, ordinary late-night snack—one that just so happened to be Akane’s favorite.
Maybe he regretted what he said and had brought this to try and make up for it. As that thought crossed her mind, Akane felt a strange sensation deep in her chest. It was warm, fuzzy, ticklish, and unsettling…but not altogether unpleasant.
“I still won’t go easy on him during the quiz,” Akane muttered to herself.
Blushing, Akane took another bite of the sandwich.
Sweet.
As her stomach filled, it was as if Akane was unlocking stores of energy from deep within. She felt more motivated than ever. I’ll push through until morning. Gripping her mechanical pencil tightly, Akane turned back to her notes with renewed determination.
As Akane walked down the school hallway, her consciousness flickered for a moment.
“Akane, are you okay?”
A voice called out to her, and when she came to, she realized Himari was holding her upright.
“Oh… I must have just dozed off for a second,” said Akane.
“Dozed off?! You can’t just fall asleep while walking—it’s dangerous!” said Himari, who was looking at her, beads of cold sweat forming on her forehead.
“Sorry. Next time I feel like I’m about to fall asleep, I’ll just lie down on the spot,” Akane apologized.
“Sleeping on the floor doesn’t sound like a great idea either, Akane… Seriously, you’ve been looking really out of it lately. Your face is pale too. Truly, are you okay?” probed Himari.
“I’ve just been staying up late every night studying for the test. I’m sleep-deprived,” Akane confessed.
The two of them walked into the school cafeteria together. It was packed full of students munching away on their lunch to the point where just making their way through the crowd was a challenge. Akane usually didn’t eat in the cafeteria, but since she hadn’t had the time to prepare a bento lunch today, she had no choice. They grabbed a tray and queued up.
“You should take it easy on the studying. It’s not good for your health,” Himari advised.
“If my body shatters into pieces but I can become the top student in our grade in the process, then it’ll all be worth it,” replied Akane.
“Absolutely not! Your health is more important than your grades! You won’t be able to beat Saito-kun this time anyway,” Himari blurted out.
Akane’s eyebrow twitched.
“Saito…is…unbeatable?”
“Ah—”
Himari quickly covered her mouth.
“Not on my watch. No matter how many hundreds—no, no matter how many thousands of years it takes, I’ll utterly crush Saito and make him admit that I’m superior,” asserted Akane.
“If a few hundred years pass, won’t you both have graduated already…? There’s only one year left of high school. If you can’t beat him here, do you plan to chase him all the way to college?” Himari pointed out.
“Of course not! You make it seem as if I like him or something,” muttered Akane.
Akane felt heat rising up her neck. The shortness of breath she was experiencing must have just been because of how crowded the cafeteria was. Himari ordered an omurice while Akane got herself some strawberry pancakes. Trays in hand, they looked around for an open seat. Near the window, they spotted Saito and Shisei sitting together. Those two really were close. Their atmosphere and vibe was so natural that rather than cousins, they looked more like a real brother and sister. Shisei was about to grab an entire steak with her hands, but Saito quickly stopped her.
“Saito-kun and the others are over there. Want to eat with them?” Himari suggested.
“No way, Himari.”
“Why not?”
“Just…no way,” Akane repeated.
Himari was already suspicious about whether anything had happened between Akane and Saito. If they sat together for lunch and even the smallest interaction tripped her sensors, it would be fatal. If Himari ever found out that Akane had married a classmate, was living with him, and even slept in the same bed with him at night, she might be completely disillusioned with her. Akane couldn’t afford to lose her best friend. So, Akane and Himari chose a seat far from Saito and the others.
The pancakes on Akane’s plate were perfectly golden brown. A generous layer of whipped cream, fresh strawberries, and a fancy squiggle of chocolate art decorated the dish. For a student cafeteria, the presentation was surprisingly high quality—this was one of Akane’s favorite menu items. Yet today, for some reason, it didn’t taste as good as Akane had remembered. The late-night snack Saito had made for her had been so much better in comparison, even though cooking technique-wise, Saito was still a rank beginner…
“Akane, you’re amazing,” said Himari.
“Huh? What do you mean?” asked Akane.
“I could never study as diligently as you do. I know I really need to work harder—especially since I keep failing my tests—but I always end up watching videos on my phone instead,” explained Himari.
Akane set her fork down on her plate.
“The thing is, I kind of enjoy studying. Besides…there’s someone rooting for me now,” Akane blurted.
“Who?! Who?! Is it a boy?! Do you have a boyfriend?!” Himari eagerly leaned over the table, eyes sparkling. Her excitement was palpable.
Akane realized she had slipped up. Badly.
“Nothing like that. I just have someone who makes me a late-night study snack. No big deal.” Akane tried to backpedal.
“Your mom?”
“No, not her.”
“Your dad?”
“My dad’s an absolute wreck in the kitchen.”
Himari stroked her chin like a detective deep in thought.
“I’ve got it! The culprit is…a maid!” Himari exclaimed.
“A brilliant deduction! Yeah, I hired a maid to support my studies, body, and soul,” Akane laughed, shrugging.
“You’re making fun of me! Just because I’m dumb doesn’t mean you have the right to mock me, you know!” Himari laughed back at her.
“I’m not mocking you, Himari.”
“Then just tell me what’s going on, Akane!”
Himari grabbed Akane’s hands and started shaking them excitedly.
To think that Saito, of all people, is the one cheering me on… The more she thought about it, the more embarrassed she felt. They had always been at each other’s throats—she’d never imagined their relationship could end up like this.
But that didn’t mean she would show him any mercy. She’d make sure his support wasn’t wasted—by utterly defeating him.
Akane swore it to herself.
Every night, Akane studied until the early hours of the morning. Saito would wake up as she finally crawled into bed, only to glance at the clock to see it was already 3 a.m. This nightly routine repeated itself over and over, and Saito couldn’t help but think that pushing herself this hard would only make her studying less effective in the long run.
That said, Akane had never been the type to listen to reason. The trajectory of their relationship to this point was proof of that. Still, Saito felt a sense of accomplishment at the fact that she always finished the late-night snacks he prepared for her. Cooking for himself always felt like a hassle, and he often just relied on protein shakes and vegetable juice. But having someone eat the food he made felt…not so bad.
Tonight, as usual, he headed toward Akane’s room, his plate of strawberry sandwiches in tow. He knocked on the door, but there was no response.
“Hey, Akane, I brought you your late-night snack,” he called out as he opened the door.
Akane was slumped over her desk. She didn’t even turn to acknowledge him.
“Are you asleep? If you’re going to sleep, at least do it in bed.”
As Saito approached, he realized something was amiss.
Akane’s breathing was irregular, her shoulders rising and falling in a strained rhythm. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and she looked as if she could fall out of her chair at any moment.
“Are you feeling sick?” Saito asked.
“I’m…perfectly fine. I’m just…a little overworked.” Her voice was strained, the words barely forced out of her mouth.
Saito placed a hand on her forehead. Akane didn’t push him away—she simply let it happen. She was burning up.
“You’ve got a really high fever. Get to bed for tonight,” urged Saito.
“Oh, okay…”
For once, Akane didn’t argue. Whether she lacked the energy to fight back or simply understood that she had no choice, she obediently did as she was told this time. Leaning on Saito for support, she trudged to the bedroom and collapsed onto the bed. She sprawled out limply with her cheek resting against the pillow, completely drained of her usual strength. Saito pulled the blanket over her, then went to the living room to grab the thermometer from the first aid kit.
“You should check your temperature.”
“…”
Akane reached to unbutton her nightwear despite Saito’s presence—but before she could even undo a single button, her strength gave out.
“Open your mouth,” Saito instructed.
Akane barely parted her lips, exhaling weakly. Carefully, Saito slipped the thermometer under her tongue. She struggled even to hold it in place, so he steadied it for her. The numbers climbed rapidly on the display. She was running a fever of over forty degrees Celsius.
“Forty degrees… That’s rough. Hold on.”
Saito rummaged through the first aid kit and found a cooling gel sheet and some medicine.