𝐦𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢 | 守り [ENG VER]✓

恋。

✶

Sanemi’s eyes slowly opened, fixing on the familiar ceiling of the Wisteria House.

He had barely made it out alive.

Again.

“Kanae-san! He’s awake!” shouted a black-haired girl before disappearing behind the tatami, still screaming like a maniac.

The boy covered his face with an arm. That simple movement caused him a searing pain in his abdomen that made him jolt. His head felt like it could explode at any moment, and his entire body was wrapped in blood-stained bandages. His dry tongue was scratching his palate.

The sound of footsteps in the hallway made him turn toward the entrance of the room he was in.

The slender figure of the Flower Pillar entered the room. Her haori resembled the wings of butterflies swarming in the villa's garden. Her long black hair fell softly over her shoulders and down her back, and her pinkish gaze scrutinized him anxiously.

“Good morning, Shinazugawa-kun,” murmured the girl, smiling slightly. She held a water jug and a dark green ceramic cup in her hands.

Sanemi averted his gaze, directing it to the open window beside his bed.

The weather outside was splendid.

“Cut the pleasantries, Kochou. How long have I been here?” he asked, his voice rough from days of unconsciousness.

Kanae remained impassive, proceeding to place the jug and cup on the small bedside table near the boy’s bed. “Ara ara, there’s no need to be so grumpy. Twenty days,” she replied, pouring water into the cup and handing it to him, “to be honest, I thought you’d wake up in a few more days.”

Sanemi snatched the cup from her hands and drank the contents in one gulp. The cool water slid down his parched throat, giving him a sense of relief. After drinking four more cups, he felt much better. He tried to get up, mumbling something about training, but the young woman’s firm voice stopped him.

“Where do you think you’re going?” she admonished, gently but firmly pushing him back toward the mattress, “I said you need to stay in bed and rest.”

Sanemi glared at her but did not object. He felt like his head would explode.

“I need to check the bandages,” the raven-haired girl murmured, shaking her head at the sight of the massive bloodstains on the white fabric, “...yes, I definitely need to change them,” she observed, opening the bedside drawer and taking out clean rolls of bandages.

Sanemi watched her furrow her thin eyebrows at the sight of the countless scars crisscrossing his body, examining the new wounds critically before cleaning them with a damp cloth.

When Kanae gently placed one of her cold hands on his forearm to bandage it with clean gauze, a shiver ran down his spine, and he felt his cheeks flush.