SBTSML

thirty-three.

The fever began to rise at dawn, and I didn't expect it to fall the next day.

My mind was in a whirl and I was in a daze. I slept, ate, and repeated that cycle.

Sometimes when I opened my eyes, I could see my mother, my father, and Cassis.

Of course, my condition didn't improve enough to talk, and I fell asleep again after just blinking my eyes.

How many nights did I spend like that?

The fever finally went down. I was lying down blankly with my eyes wide open.

My mind was hazy. My vision gradually became clearer after blinking several times.

Later, I heard sparrows crow outside the window. It was morning.

Hah. I guess winter is really coming.

I stretched and counted the days. I always had a terrible cold before winter came.

I should have been careful, but I caught the flu before I knew it.

The cold that came last year came again.

Because it was a child's body, I used to get sick all of a sudden even though I was healthy.

Maybe the cause of the cold was because I took off my jacket since it was hot while running around in the playground last time.

I wasn't in a position to nag Cassis.

My body still felt chilly, so I rolled the blanket around me and lied down again.

Everything bothers me. I closed my eyes thinking I'd fall asleep, but I heard the door open.

"You're still."

It was Cassis's voice. I missed the timing and lay still.

Now that it happened, I had to pretend to be sleeping.

Shortly thereafter, I heard the door closing, and soon the sound of a chair getting dragged to my bed was heard.

I felt like he was going to stay at my side for a while.

Cassis spoke to himself in a worried voice.

"You told me not to get sick. You're sicker than I am."

Ugh. If you say that, I have nothing to say.

I was stabbed by the truth and bit my lower lip.

Cassis sat silently after that.

As time went by, I was embarrassed and sweaty.

If you have nothing to say, you should just go. Why am you sitting like a rock?

Should I just say I'm up now?

Cassis murmured again while I was contemplating whether to open my eyes or not.

"Why is the blanket rolled up like this? Is it cold?"

I could hear footsteps and soon the surroundings warmed up. It seemed that the stove was moved closer.

Why is he so interested in me today? Hurry up and go back. Hah.

I was already rolled up in my blanket, and I sweated more when the stove moved closer. At this rate, the heat was killing me.

But what Cassis says is more shocking.

"You're even sweating. Your body seems weak."

With a rustling sound, I could feel someone wiping my forehead with a cloth. I flinched at the friendly touch.