He placed the cool sheet on Akane’s forehead, then filled a glass of water from the water dispenser. She didn’t seem capable of drinking on her own, so he gently lifted her up, supporting her back as he placed the medicine pill in her mouth. His fingertips brushed against her tongue, dampened by her fevered breath. Holding the glass to her lips, he slowly helped her drink. Even with his assistance, it was difficult for her to swallow properly—some of the water trickled from the corner of her mouth, trailing down in thin streams.
“Haah…haa…” Akane panted heavily.
Just the act of drinking had exhausted her. Akane clung to Saito’s arm, gasping for air. This level of weakness was worryingly abnormal.
“I’m all sweaty… Gross…” Akane murmured.
Her neck was damp. The sweat was soaking into her nightwear, causing the fabric to stick to her skin. It was obvious that if she stayed like this, she would get too cold, and her condition could worsen. Saito went to the bathroom, soaked a towel in water, wrung it out lightly, and returned to the bedroom.
“I’m going to wipe you down.”
“…Okay.”
Akane, her eyes unfocused, weakly reached to take off her nightwear. Her slender waist was exposed, along with a glimpse of her bra above it.
“Wait, wait! You don’t have to take your clothes off!” Saito quickly stopped her.
Sure, it’d be easier to wipe her off if she was undressed, but if she regained her senses later, there was no telling how badly she’d scold him for something like that. He pressed the damp towel against her neck and wiped away the sweat.
“Nnngh…” A soft, contented sound escaped Akane’s throat.
Saito ran the towel over her face, gently wiping away her sweat. Rolling up her sleeves, he cleaned her thin arms. Then, slipping the towel under the hem of her nightwear, he wiped her waist and stomach.
“N-no… Not…there…” The moment his fingers brushed her bare skin, Akane let out a ticklish little protest.
Akane was completely defenseless—so unlike her usual self. The sheer novelty of the moment caused Saito’s heart to beat faster. He was, after all, slipping his hand under a girl’s clothes.
Saito finished cleaning Akane up, then proceeded to tuck her back into bed. But despite how exhausted she was, Akane couldn’t fall asleep. Her raging fever kept her restless. It was already late, but Saito couldn’t really relax either. A forty-degree fever—he had never experienced one himself, and the thought that something might happen to Akane kept him on edge.
Why am I so worried? Saito’s feelings startled him.
Akane was supposed to be his nemesis: an annoying girl who constantly picked fights at school. Always cocky, always challenging him to competitions over the smallest things, never showing a single ounce of earnestness. That’s how Saito had always seen her. But now, in the stillness of the night, Saito sat beside the bed, watching over her. He was tending to her with care, completely out of character for him. But then…
“I have to study…” Akane muttered bitterly.
“Akane, you collapsed because you were studying too much. I get that you’re always staying up late, but pushing yourself this much isn’t good for you,” sighed Saito, exasperated. Ever since they’d started living together, there hadn’t been a single night where Akane wasn’t at her desk.
“I have a dream I have to achieve…even if it means pushing myself,” muttered Akane.
“A dream?” Saito asked.
“I want to become a doctor,” Akane’s voice was barely above a whisper as she answered.
“I hate feeling powerless, like I can’t do anything. I want to be someone who can rush to the aid of people when they’re suffering…and…I want to help the people I love stay healthy forever.”
There was no bravado in her words. No pretense. Just pure, unfiltered honesty. It felt as if Saito was touching Akane’s heart directly. It was so raw; Saito was in a state of shock.
“But my family can’t afford to send me to medical school. Grandma promised me that if I married you, she’d cover the school tuition herself, so that’s why…” Akane trailed off.
“I see…” Saito was touched.
Dreams. Adults would probably scoff at foolish fantasies like those, but for Akane, and perhaps even for Saito, a dream was something they were willing to stake their entire lives on.
Even if it meant letting the dream dictate the course of their lives. Even if it required sacrificing things most people would protect above all else—freedom and romance.
Saito had married for the sake of a dream. Akane had married for the sake of a dream too.
Maybe, at their core, they were fundamentally the same.
“You’re lucky, Saito,” Akane muttered.
“You can breeze through life, getting good grades without even trying. No matter how hard I studied, I couldn’t beat you. It was so frustrating,” Akane said.
Was it the fever talking? Tonight, Akane was unusually chatty.
“Talent varies from person to person. It can’t be helped,” Saito replied.
“That’s exactly what I hate about you,” Akane glared at Saito, but her glare was missing its usual sharpness.
Then, barely above a whisper, the words slipped from her lips.
“And why…maybe, just a little, I admired you.”
“Admired…?”
Saito couldn’t grasp her meaning right away. For someone like Akane, who had always seemed to resent him, admiration was an emotion that didn’t quite fit the framework of their relationship.
Realizing what she had just said, Akane suddenly gasped.
“Wait—forget that! I didn’t mean it! I hate you!”
Her desperate attempt to take it back only made her previous words sound more genuine.
Saito felt his pulse pounding in his ears. For the first time, it felt like he had caught a glimpse of the real Akane—the girl hidden beneath all the rivalry and hostility. And somehow, that reveal made his entire body feel strangely warm.
Embarrassed, Akane turned away from him, burying her face in the blanket. The sudden movement seemed to exhaust her, and she broke into a violent coughing fit. Her breathing came in ragged gasps, sounding almost like a stifled scream.
“Is the fever reducer kicking in?” Saito asked her.
“I…don’t know, Saito.”
When Saito placed his hand on Akane’s forehead, she stirred slightly.
“You’re even hotter than before. Should I call an ambulance?”
“Don’t…don’t make a big deal out of this. Ambulances are for people in real danger.”
“A fever over forty degrees isn’t just a simple cold. You should know that, considering you want to be a doctor!” Saito scolded.
“I know…but if they take me in and someone with a more serious illness dies because of it, I’d never forgive myself,” Akane whispered back.
“Akane…”
Even while suffering from a high fever, she’s thinking about complete strangers. On the surface, it seemed like Akane was stubborn, but maybe this kind of thinking came from a frighteningly pure heart, Saito thought. He pulled out his smartphone and looked up the number for a taxi company, then made a call. The line wouldn’t connect when it was most crucial. Of course it wouldn’t. Was the network clogged with drunk people trying to get home from a night out or something? If the taxi company had the resources to drive tipsy partygoers around, they should be able to help someone who was actually sick.
“Damn it, this one’s busy too?” Frustrated, Saito hung up.
The nearest hospital with twenty-four-hour emergency care was only ten minutes away by bus. But at this hour, there were no buses running.
“Just go to sleep already, you’ve got school tomorrow too,” Akane muttered.
“No way,” said Saito.
“Whaah?!”
Without another word, Saito scooped her up from the bed. Saito was glad he had practiced the princess carry with Shisei. He never thought it would come in handy like this.
“Wh-what are you doing?!”
“I can’t just leave my wife suffering like this.”
“W-wife…?” Akane’s eyes widened.
Holding her securely in his arms, Saito dashed out of the house. The chill of the night air contrasted sharply with the heat radiating from her feverish skin. If he couldn’t get a taxi, he would just have to go on foot.
“You’re stronger than I thought,” Akane murmured, clinging to him.
The streets were empty. Saito ran through the darkness, the only sounds accompanying them being his hurried footsteps and Akane’s faint, labored breaths.
She was lighter than he had ever expected. Slender arms, delicate legs—she felt as fragile as a glass sculpture, as if she could shatter if she were set down too roughly. She’s been picking fights with me…with this small body? Saito found himself in awe of her. Her boundless energy and sheer determination had always made her seem larger than life.
But in reality, she was…fragile.
If he didn’t support her, if he didn’t keep an eye on her, she might fade away all too easily. Her soul sparked like a firework—dazzling, brilliant, and dangerously fleeting.
Saito adjusted his grip.
“I never knew about your dream before, Akane.”
“You’re going to laugh and say it’s impossible, aren’t you, Saito?”
“Not a chance. You can do it,” affirmed Saito.
“Why?” Akane asked.
“Because you’re the type who goes all the way, no matter what,” Saito said.
“…Well, yeah. I’ve never been good at giving up.” Akane let out a faint, weary smile from her spot in Saito’s arms.
Saito had never had a heart-to-heart with Akane about dreams, the future, or the things that lay dormant in the depths of their souls. Even though they had known each other since entering high school, even after they started living together, they hardly knew anything about one another. The two of them did nothing but fight, so having proper conversations like those was out of the question.