37 - Use a thermometer if you want to know the exact temperature

RAW

"...Okay. I'll pretend to be your girlfriend. I'll be your girlfriend in front of grandma."

Haruto's mouth drops open at Ayaka's shocking statement.

After freezing for a few seconds, Haruto comes to his senses and shakes his head.

"N-no! I'm so sorry I can't ask you to do something like that! It's all my fault for lying, so you don't have to worry about my lie, Tojo-san!"

Haruto seems a little flustered and tries to turn down Ayaka's proposal.

Ayaka closes the distance between them and says.

"Hey, Otsuki-kun. Do you remember what I said before?"

"Eh? Before...?"

Haruto is a little taken aback by Ayaka, who is close enough to touch him if she stretches out her hand, and his eyes wander as he recalls his memories.

However, Ayaka smiles at Haruto, who can't answer right away.

"When we went shopping at the supermarket together, I said I'd do anything for you, Otsuki-kun, right?"

"Uh, yeah... but I guess I'd rather you pretend to be my girlfriend..."

Seeing Haruto's hesitation, Ayaka closes the distance even further and gently places her hand on his.

"Or maybe, Otsuki-kun, you don't want me to... pretend to be your girlfriend."

Ayaka looks up at Haruto, and his face, already red from the cold, instantly turns even redder.

"No, I'm not in a position to say no... or rather, is it okay? I lied and you... pretend to be my girlfriend?"

"Yeah, that's fine. Otsuki-kun has been so kind to me, so I want to repay you."

"No, mine is just a part-time job, so I get paid properly, and it seems a bit excessive to repay me..."

Haruto spoke, glancing at Ayaka's hands that were clasped together.

Ayaka, on the other hand, looked Haruto straight in the eye and spoke clearly.

"Besides, when I see how happy and delighted Otsuki-kun's grandma looks, I can't tell her it's a lie and make her sad. You don't want to make your grandma sad, do you?"

Haruto quietly replied in response to Ayaka's words, "That's true, but..."

"So, in front of grandma, is it okay for me to be Otsuki's girlfriend?"

Ayaka asked as if to confirm.

Haruto looked down and thought for a while, but eventually raised his eyes to check on her.

"Isn't that bothersome...?"

"Yeah, it's not bothersome."

"Isn't it bothersome...?"

"Yeah, I don't mind."

Haruto shuts his mouth again, closes his eyes for a few seconds, then bows to Ayaka.

"Well, please! Go along with my lie!"

"Yes, you've asked me."

Ayaka smiles and gently places her hands on Haruto's shoulders as he kneels down.

"Well, Otsuki's sick, so go back to bed quickly."

"Ah, yes."

Though a little dizzy from the fever, Haruto returns to bed with Ayaka's support and covers himself with the futon.

Just then, her grandmother came into the room with a plate of peeled fruit.

"Yes, I've peeled them."

"Thank you."

Ayaka bowed her head in thanks, and her grandmother smiled.

"Here you go, Haruto. Ayaka bought you some apples, pears, and peaches."

Her grandmother put the plate on the table next to the bed.

Looking at the fruit on the plate, Haruto thanked Ayaka.

"Thank you so much. For such high-quality things."

"No, don't worry about it. It's for my precious boyfriend."

Hearing Ayaka's words, her grandmother's face instantly brightened.

"Oh! That's great, isn't it, Haruto?"

"Ah, yes."

Haruto's expression was complicated, as if he was happy and sad at his grandmother's joy.

Ayaka then put into action the contents of the conversation she had just had with Haruto.

"Um, can I take care of Otsuki for a little while?"

Ayaka said to her grandmother, and her grandmother replied with a little apologetic feeling.

"I'd be sorry if I passed on my cold to you..."

"No, it's okay. As Otsuki's girlfriend, I want to be by his side as much as possible."

Ayaka blushed a little and showed some embarrassment as she said this, and his grandmother looked at Haruto with admiration.

"Hey Haruto! What a great girlfriend you have! You have to make her happy!"

"Y-yes. Of course."

Haruto replied, a little at a loss for words.

He was filled with a sense of guilt for making Ayaka put up with his lies.

However, his grandmother, who had no way of knowing how her grandson felt, bowed to Ayaka with a very happy look on her face.

"Well then, please take care of Haruto for a little while."

"Yes! Leave it to me."

Her grandmother bowed repeatedly as she answered and left the room.

The two were left alone in the room.

Haruto spoke apologetically.

"I'm really sorry."

"Don't worry about it at all."

Ayaka, with a very bright expression on her face, picked up the plate of fruit and moved to Haruto's bedside.

Then she put an apple on her fork and brought it to Haruto's mouth.

"Here, open your mouth."

"Um, Tojo-san?"

Staring at the apple in his mouth, Haruto had a troubled look on his face.

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

Ayaka tilted her head in confusion.

"Well... I can eat fruit by myself..."

Saying this, Haruto reaches for the fork she is holding.

However, Ayaka quickly pulls her hand away before Haruto can reach the fork.

"Um, Tojo-san?"

"No. Otsuki-kun is sick, so don't push yourself."

"Eh, no. I can eat fruit without any problems..."

"Otsuki-kun"

"Y-Yes."

Haruto responds reflexively when Ayaka suddenly calls his name.

"I'm your girlfriend now, right?"

"Yes... well, that's right."

Unable to resist the pressure of Ayaka's serious gaze, Haruto responds politely.

Ayaka smiles with satisfaction at this answer and brings the apple to Haruto's mouth again.

Ayaka looks at Haruto with a smile.

Feeling her gaze, Haruto chews the apple and swallows it, and the next fruit is immediately brought to his mouth.

"..."

"Here, open your mouth."

"...chomp."

"Hehe."

Haruto was sure that the heat in his face was not just due to the cold, but there was no way he could resist Ayaka at this point, and he obediently accepted her "open mouth."

Haruto continued to be forced to eat fruit by Ayaka.

"Yes, this is the last one."

Ayaka brought the last peach to Haruto's mouth.

Haruto's senses had already become numb, so he obediently bit into the peach.

"Yes, You've finished it all."

"Thank you. It was a delicious meal."

Haruto had finished the apple, pear, and peach.

Ayaka's "Aahh" had numbed him in many ways, but even though he had a cold, eating an entire apple, pear, and peach was quite enough, or rather, he felt quite full.

At the same time, a strong feeling of sleepiness hit him.

"Otsuki-kun, are you sure you're okay with your medicine?"

"I'll take it. Oh, can I take my temperature first?"

"Yes. Do you still have a fever?"

Ayaka asked worriedly.

Haruto replied with a smile, trying to put her at ease even a little.

"It's much better than yesterday."

"...I see."

Ayaka thought for a moment before replying to Haruto's words.

Though a little suspicious of her condition, Haruto looked for a thermometer to take her temperature.

"Um, I'm sure I put it somewhere by the pillow..."

As Haruto said this, he fumbled around the pillow searching for the thermometer, when suddenly Ayaka put her hand on his pillow and leaned forward.

"Otsuki-kun..."

"...?! Tojo-san?!"

The pillow sank under Ayaka's weight, and Haruto opened his eyes wide in surprise as she looked down at him, covering him.

"I'll take your temperature..."

As she said this, Ayaka gradually brought her face closer to Haruto.

Ayaka's glossy hair hung around Haruto's face like a curtain.

With Ayaka's face closer than he'd ever seen it before, Haruto was paralyzed, unable to even move his eyes.

Eventually, their foreheads touched.

Her breath, a little rough and hot, blew over Haruto's mouth.

Haruto's thoughts were blown away.

He couldn't think of anything else.

His forehead was touching hers.

A heat he had never felt before spread from that point throughout his whole body.

It felt like an eternity, but also like a moment.

After that time had passed, Ayaka took her face away from Haruto.

"Hehehe, it's hard to tell if you're getting a fever with this method."

Ayaka's face was definitely redder than the peach he had just eaten as she said this, laughing.

"Oh, yeah, I see... I guess I need to practice."

Haruto said with his mind blank, his thought processes burned out.

Ayaka then let out a small smile and said, "Fufu."

"Well then... shall we practice?"

Her expression as she said this was very alluring to Haruto.

As if Ayaka had put a spell on Haruto, he was speechless, and even when he opened his mouth no words came out.

Instead of being unable to speak, Haruto shook his head from side to side.

It was the best resistance he could muster at the moment.

Seeing Haruto like that, Ayaka broke into a smile again, and Haruto was simply captivated by that smile.