When I reunited with my arrogant childhood friend, she had become a talented and beautiful girl – Even though she has probably forgotten about me and I don’t want to be toyed with, for some reason she keeps getting involved with me!?

“Wait a minute. Let me explain. I’m Kazuki Sato, who lives next door. You might not remember, but you passed out while we were talking, so I took some emergency measures. Thinking that your clothes might make you uncomfortable to sleep in, I only removed your blazer and ribbon. I didn’t do anything else or touch you anywhere. Right now, I have a suppository in my hand, but I was just wondering if these things really work. I simply wanted to try it on someone. So, everything’s fine.”

“Huh? What part of that is fine?”

Despite my longest and fastest explanation in my life, Fumiko looks puzzled.

This isn’t good. Should I apologize and beg for forgiveness from Fumiko while offering all the money I have?

“…Sato?”

As Fumiko says this, she seems to be deep in thought.

Then, she squints and looks at me intently.

“Come over here for a moment.”

“Y-yes.”

I wondered what she was going to do, but I approached as she instructed.

Fumiko swiftly lifts my bangs and looks at my face intently. I wanted to look away, but her serious expression didn’t allow it.

It was as if she was confirming something important.

Then, she smiled softly, seemingly pleased, and touched my cheeks with both hands.

…Um, what’s going on?

“Hmm.”

My cheek, touched by Fumiko, was pulled hard.

“I-it’s fine…”

“This is a punishment for you, senpai. Please accept it quietly.”

“O-okay…”

“Hehe, your cheeks are so smooth and silky, senpai. Well, I’ll forgive you because of these cheeks.”

Free from Fumiko’s punishment, I checked the feeling of my own cheek as I moved away from the bed.

I’m, I’m glad… Have I been forgiven…?

“…I brought some rice porridge from the microwave. Are you hungry?”

“Yes, please.”

Fumiko’s expression was calm and soft, yet innocent.

I felt a bit relieved by her pure smile.

I left the room, went to the kitchen, made the porridge, put it on a tray, and headed to Fumiko. I knocked on the door, and when I heard Fumiko’s reply, I entered the room.

She had changed into a one-piece type of nightwear, a negligee.

The negligee, predominantly white with frills and ribbons here and there, was clean and suited Fumiko, looking adorable.

Somehow, it felt like she was putting a lot of effort…

As I thought this, I poured the porridge into a bowl and handed it, along with a spoon, to Fumiko.

“Thank you. I will eat now.”

She gently blew on the spoonful of porridge to cool it down.

After blowing on it a few times, she seemed to think it was cool enough and put it in her mouth.

“Hot!”

It seemed to be hot… I almost laughed at the cliched scenario, but I held back at Fumiko’s “Did you just laugh?” glance.

Her cheeks were red, probably not just from the heat.

After Fumiko finished eating the porridge, it was time to face “that”.

Yes, the suppository.

“That’s a suppository, right? I know it’s medicine, but that’s a bit too much…”

“Eh? No, this suppository was in Fumiko’s shopping bag, you know?”

“Eh…?”

“Eh?”

“….I probably thought it was oral medication and bought it by mistake… Ah! Please don’t laugh! I was barely conscious at that time.”

Fumiko, her ears flushed with embarrassment, pleaded with teary eyes.

“You think I’m clumsy, don’t you?”

Her sullen expression somehow looked childlike.

“No, not at all… It’s just, it’s surprising to see even someone as saintly as you make mistakes and show such expressions.”

“Well, that’s true… I’m only human after all.”

“Sure, but… you know, you always seem to have this impression of being a good girl who’s kind to everyone.”

“Well… I seldom get angry, and I pride myself on my calm demeanor.”

Even she, who is known as a quiet, honor student and adorable saint, gets angry and upset at times. It’s only natural, but it makes her seem more relatable.

“By the way, when did you start having such an impression of me?”

“Ah, that was when I saw you the other day…”

“Huh? Why didn’t you call out to me?”

She said in a chillingly cold voice.

Despite not having a cold, I shivered for a moment.

Huh? Scary. Where’s her calm demeanor? Where’s the good girl who’s kind to everyone?

“Please give me a satisfactory explanation. I’m about to lose my calm.”

Huh? She’s really pissed off. Didn’t she just say that she seldom gets angry?

What happened to the calm atmosphere from a moment ago?

“You noticed me too, didn’t you? Why didn’t you call out to me then?”

Her gaze, which had been evasive until now, stared at me without looking away. In fact, there was no sign of her looking away.

“Er, well. I didn’t have any reason to call out to you, and if someone like me suddenly called out to you, you’d just be confused, right? I’m sure it would have been an awkward situation.”

“That might be… true, but…”

Although she seemed a bit dissatisfied as she answered, she didn’t say anything more. Instead, she pouted and her mood became the worst it had been all day.

I should make a quick exit before her mood worsens any further.

“So, anyway. I’m going home now, so you can use the oral medicine I brought from my house. I’ll take the suppository in exchange.”

“…I’m sorry. That would be helpful.”

“It’s fine. In return, when I catch a cold, will you administer the suppository to me, Fumiko?”

“Leave it to me.”

“Eh? No, I… I was just joking.”

“It’s okay. I’m fine with it.”

I’m not okay with this!?

“I’ll study how to use suppositories next time.”

Why does she look a little happy about that?

What’s with this girl? I can’t tell if she’s crazy or just very open-minded…

“Senpai, I apologize for the trouble. You’ve been a great help. I’ll make it up to you next time.”

As I was about to leave the room from the entrance, Fumiko said that to me.

“No, you don’t have to thank me. I did it on my own accord.”

“Even so, you are an important benefactor to me. I won’t be satisfied unless I repay you. If there’s anything you want me to do, just tell me.”

“Anything? We’re just neighbors, and we only met for the first time today, right? There’s no need to go that far for a stranger.”

“…Huh?”

“Huh?”

What’s with that reaction? Why is she so surprised?

“…The one who helped me today was”

“Huh? Because you seemed in trouble… but…”

The moment I said that, Fumiko’s face tightened in surprise.

“…Is that so… So that’s what it was.”

However, she stared at me with a look of resignation and understanding.

“Fumiko?”

“No, it’s nothing. I was just thinking how you haven’t changed.”

“Ha, huh…?”

“In that case… I can’t back out now. I won’t leave until I find out what you want me to do.”

It seems her resolve is quite strong.

“…Then, treat me to a meal next time.”

“A meal… I understand. I’ll definitely serve you a delicious meal.”

Thinking she didn’t have to be that enthusiastic about it, I left the room while being seen off by an enthusiastic Fumiko.