The Case of Being Loved by a Heartbroken Older Woman Next Door After Saving Her

Chapter 11 – Whispering of the Devil

“…I caught a cold…”

When I woke up in the morning, I felt heavy. I took my temperature and found that I had caught a cold.

“…Cough! Cough!”

The last time I had a cold was when I was in junior high school, and thinking about it made me feel nostalgic. I’ve been talking to Madoka-san a lot lately, and maybe I was in a good mood because of the miraculous event of going to her room.

“…Ah yeah. I’m alone, so no one has contacted my school.”

Before, my mother was here, so she did all the contacting, but now I’m on my own, so I have to do everything myself… This is bad. Normally, I’d be out by now, meeting Madoka-san.

As I was thinking about this, the intercom rang with a ding-dong.

I got up to lift my heavy body and tried not to cough, so as not to worry her too much.

When I opened the door, I found Madoka-san with a packed lunch in her hand.

“Good morning, Chinatsu-kun… Stay still.”

Just as I was thinking that I was glad to see Madoka-san’s face even at a time like this, she looked at me sharply and stepped into my room. Thinking back, is this the first time Madoka-san has entered my room…?

“Madoka-san?”

“You don’t look so good. You look like you have a cold… Do you have a fever?”

I felt my body temperature rise even more as Madoka-san closed the distance between us in an instant. A smooth hand was placed on my forehead, and the coolness of the hand felt good, so I knew I had a fever.

“…Um, I was actually thinking of taking a break–“

“Of course. Have you contacted the school?”

“I was just going to do that… Madoka-san, sorry about your bento.”

When I apologized, Madoka-san smiled and told me not to worry. “If you have a fever, you need to lie down,” she said, and pushed me back to my room.

“…Chinatsu-kun’s room… Fufu, I’m here for the first time♪”

“Um… It’s really nothing.”

“It feels like a boy’s room. It’s very tidy and clean.”

…I’m glad I tidied up last night on a whim.

I was taken straight to bed and when I laid down, Madoka nodded her head in satisfaction.

“Good! Oh, that’s right. Chinatsu-kun, can you tell me your high school number?”

“Ah, please wait a minute…”

I gave her the number and she called my high school.

“Hello, good morning. My name is Saiki.”

I think it was the office staff who answered and then the homeroom teacher took over. She told them I had a cold and I also told the teacher in my own voice.

[I understand. You get some rest today. We’ll be waiting for you to get better, okay?]

“I feel like sensei’s so kind that sensei is almost crying.”

[You idiot, teachers are always worried about their students. See you later.]

“Yes. Excuse me.”

What a good teacher who cares about her students.

At any rate, that’s all the contact I need to make with the school. When I thanked Madoka-san, she laughed and said not to worry about it… Ah, she’s a really nice person.

“I’ll get going then. And for your bento–”

…Ah, there’s that.

Damn, the heart really weakens when one catches a cold. I wish I could stay by her side if I could, but that’s a stupid thing to think… Well, let’s just hope it gets better as soon as I go to bed and wake up.

“Chinatsu-kun.”

“Yes?”

As I gazed at the ceiling in a daze, Madoka-san said something I couldn’t make out.

“I’m taking today off from university. I’ll stay with Chinatsu-kun all day.”

“I see… Huh!?”

Ah, It’s too much of a surprise for my body… Wait, no!

I casually looked at Madoka-san who said that. Madoka-san didn’t seem to be saying anything strange and came up to me and held my hand.

“Of course, if Chinatsu-kun doesn’t mind me staying in his room.”

“…Well… Um…”

I’m very happy she’s by my side, but I want to refuse because it would trouble Madoka-san… But Madoka-san chuckled when I was having a conflict like that, which I didn’t need to be confused about.

“Chinatsu-kun’s eyes were telling me not to go. I noticed them, you see.”

“…Ah.”

“It’s because you looked at me like that… Well, there’s that reason, but I also want to do this because I want to watch over Chinatsu-kun by my side. Is that wrong?”

“……”

Oh, God, she’s so kind, my tears are about to fall.

When I involuntarily squeezed the hand that was holding mine tightly, Madoka-san’s eyes widened for a moment, but then she returned her gaze to my face and smiled at me.

“Okay. I’ll be with you, don’t worry.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize. Just take it easy, sleep well, eat well and show me that you’ll be healthy again soon, okay?”

“Ahaha, I understand.”

Alright! I’m going to get a good rest today and get well as soon as possible!

…Ah, but I still feel sorry to make her take a leave of absence even though she said so. No, I still want Madoka-san to go to college properly–

“Chinatsu-kun, for today… I’ll always be by your side♪”

“…ve.”

…I heard something snap.

Well, I couldn’t sleep right away after that. But Enka was watching me the whole time and telling me things I wouldn’t normally hear… I feel like I got to know a lot of Madoka-san just today.

“…I feel like I was the only one talking, weren’t you bored?”

“It’s totally fine. In fact, I think I’ll be punished for being alone with a beautiful older sister while everyone else is at school attending classes.”

“Ah, you call me a beautiful older sister? Then we’re the same. My friends are at university and I’m here with a cute boy who lives next door♪”

The word “cute” doesn’t suit me at all, but when Madoka-san says it to me, I’m still embarrassed. She just tells me I’m cute, pats my head, and I feel even more embarrassed. This happens again and again every time.

“…Hah! No, Madoka-san… You’ll get a fever if you do this!”

“Ah… This much is fine, don’t you think?”

It’s because I’m already flustered as is.

Madoka-san looked at me with a wry smile and her cheeks relaxed in the same way, but she spoke to me in a slightly more serious tone of voice, saying…

“Chinatsu-kun, you are not alone.”

“…Madoka-san?”

“Not only when you catch a cold like this, but also when you feel lonely, I want you to remember that there is someone by your side that you can rely on. I will always come running to your side, Chinatsu-kun. Just like you rushed to my side that time.”

“……”

…Run to my side… I would have called Madoka-san’s name immediately if she said that to me. On a whim, I called out her name.

“Madoka-san.”

“Yes?”

……

I really don’t know why this person is so sweet. I…really feel like I love this person. It’s natural that I want to be useful and help her, but… Why do I want to be soaked in this person’s kindness…?

“If…”

“Yes?”

This is just a bunch of nonsense.

It’s just something that came out of my mouth because I had a fever.

“If I wanted to drown in Madoka-san’s kindness–”

“Drown yourself.”

“……”

That voice alone scared me.

Her words were very intense, and Madoka-san also seemed to have dark eyes as she stared at me. But it was only for a moment, and Madoka-san smiled beautifully and continued to speak.

“You’re the one who changed me like this… Cough, there’s nothing wrong with depending one someone’s kindness.”

Madoka-san brought her face close to my ear .

The direct feeling of her breath and the voice in my ear was like a suggestion.

“There’s this someone in front of you, who will always be by your side, who will always spoil you. If you reach out to them, they will touch you, if you call out to them, they will respond… Such a person is in front of you right now. Hey, Chinatsu-kun, you can drown in such a place, can’t you?”

The moment I reached my limit and closed my eyes, the words that came from a goddess… No, the words that came from the devil reverberated in my mind.

“Good night, Chinatsu-kun.”

…That last voice I heard was really kind…