Chapter 15: Sickness and Stubbornness

"Ahh. A-choo!"

Damn, I have a cold.
Fujii Itsuki's eyes were half closed. He pinched his nose with a tissue, blew his nose, and threw it into the trash can full of white paper.

Harmful.
Every time I say I'm too lazy to meddle in other people's business, I always end up meddling in other people's business.

It was just that last night I saw that girl looking depressed and thought of myself, so I thought of at least taking care of her, but in the end I ended up suffering.

I was like this when I was a teacher, always meddling in other people’s affairs.

At that time, he spent ten days providing psychological counseling and ideological education to a poor student.

He also helped the student to make up the notes that he had not completed in the textbook, and taught him to study hard in the future.

As a result, the student promised himself the day before that he would listen to the class carefully.

The next day, after school, he hid in a corner of the campus and burned the textbooks in which he had made notes.

Fujii Itsuki was so angry when he saw it.

Even so, the school still wants him to continue to influence and educate the other party.

It's really difficult.

".A-choo!"

Fujii Itsuki stretched out his hand to the bedside, trying to touch the tissue, but found nothing.

"Ah sneeze!"

My nose is running and I have run out of tissues.

I had a terrible headache and dizziness in my head, and my eyelids were so heavy that I couldn't lift them.

Fujii Itsuki reluctantly put on the cotton coat that Chitose had given him yesterday, and walked out in his fluffy slippers.

When he came to the living room to find some tissue paper, he suddenly realized that the lunch box and instant noodles on the table were gone.

It seems that Jiuhuayue couldn't resist being hungry last night and ate both of them in the middle of the night.

However, he could not feel any joy from helping others. Instead, he thought he was bringing trouble upon himself.

Not to mention that I stood with her stupidly for a long time yesterday, but when I see that girl today, she will definitely have that disgusted expression on her face again, and will even call herself the name she hates the most - "perverted uncle".

After finding some paper in the living room, Fujii Itsuki went to the bathroom to blow his nose.

He ran some hot water to wash his face, but his head was aching so badly that he had to stagger back to his room, grab his wallet, and prepare to go out to buy some cold medicine.

Coincidentally, I met Jiu Huayue coming downstairs.

The girl was wearing thick clothes, deliberately changing into a blue windbreaker and khaki overalls. It seemed as if she was using men's clothes to deliberately cover up her slender figure.

Her long hair was not let down, but tied into a bun, revealing her snow-white neck.

Fujii Itsuki knew that she did this to reduce her own attractiveness, but in his opinion, this was the child's unique charm that was different from her usual self.

In other words, thanks to her beauty, she now looks more refreshing in Fujii Itsuki's eyes.

Compared to Fujii Itsuki's weakness, she looks full of energy.

The face has a rosy red color that symbolizes health.

Why is she okay?

Fujii Itsuki was completely speechless. He remembered that this child had stood in the living room for most of the day just like him yesterday.

I am a young and middle-aged man, so no matter how I think about it, she should be the one who has a cold today.

Why is it that I am the one who suffers?

Fujii Itsuki pretended not to see her and walked out the door.

".Wait, wait a minute."

"What's wrong?" Fujii Itsuki turned around.

Jiu Huayue put her hands on her chest and looked at his face clearly. "Uncle, you seem to be a little bit unwell. Do you have a fever? Or a cold?"

"Yeah," Fujii Itsuki responded with a heavy nasal voice, "That's right, what do you want?"

The girl hesitated for a few seconds, stared at his red face, and said, "I still have a fever-reducing patch, do you want to use it?"

These words, which showed a hint of concern, surprised Fujii Itsuki.

He looked at her, then looked out at the gray sky where snowflakes were falling.

The snow is a bit heavy today.

His head was so dizzy that he didn't want to think at all.

"Don't you hate me?"

"Don't get me wrong! I'm not concerned about you! It's just that I ate your food last night and I owe you a favor. This is an equal exchange, that's all."

".You are quite good at giving back."

"I don't like to owe favors to anyone, even if it's you, an old man I hate. So do you want to use my fever-reducing patch?"

Fujii Itsuki felt dizzy and uncomfortable. He didn't want to say anything more, so he nodded.

"Then go back to your room and lie down. I'll go upstairs to get the fever-reducing patch."

Fujii Itsuki returned to his room and lay down on the bed.

He covered his forehead and looked up at the ceiling, only to find that the Western carvings above his head were also blurry.

Too uncomfortable
I didn't expect a cold would be so uncomfortable.

He almost forgot when he last caught a cold.

He only remembered that the last time he caught a cold, he asked for leave from school and stayed alone in that small rental house for three days.

Not only do I have to rely on myself for everything, but I also have to prepare lesson plans for when I return to work.

Wrapped in a blanket and with a runny nose, he sat in front of a dimly lit desk, constantly checking the teaching content improvement plan.

Fujii Itsuki is a person who doesn't like to say that he is lonely, but with such a life, it is hard for him to say that he doesn't feel the taste of loneliness.

In a daze, he heard the sound of someone running down the stairs.

Not long after, Jiu Huayue said "Excuse me" outside the door, picked up her small bag, and pushed the door open and walked in.

"You use this first."

Fujii Itsuki barely moved his head and saw Jiuhua Yue taking out a medical fever-reducing patch from her purple waist bag.

He took it with one hand and squinted to see a cartoon shark on it.

"Children's fever-reducing patch?"

"No, this is a fever-reducing patch I use myself. I bought it simply because I like the pattern."

“You like sharks?”

"This is none of your business, please don't ask any more questions."

Okay, I'll just use it for now.

Fujii Itsuki took the fever-reducing patch and tore open the package.

Jiu Huayue saw that he was moving slowly, frowned, and said seriously: "Why don't you just stop moving and take a rest! It takes a long time to find a place to peel off a heat dissipation sticker."

"Why are you so fierce?"

“I’m serious!”

"I don't want to argue with you. I'm a patient and I feel exhausted talking to you."

"You are so talkative! Just lie down and give it to me. I will help you put it on."

Before Fujii Itsuki could refuse, the fever-reducing patch in his hand was taken back by the girl, who tore off the film of the patch in a few seconds.

"Don't move, and don't look around! Just lie down, uncle."

Jiuhuayue stood up and leaned her upper body forward.

After a while, I felt a cool sensation on my forehead, along with a scent of ointment.

In a daze, Jiuhuayue's cold and beautiful face sitting beside the bed became much clearer.

Even though deep down I really disliked this girl who was not frank at all.

But she is really cute when she deliberately puts on a stern face.

"Thank you"

"No, it's just an equal exchange." Jiuhuayue said coldly.

Her attitude made Fujii Itsuki smile in return, which was an expected reaction. After all, they were still strangers to each other, and expecting her to use a very gentle voice to apply a fever-reducing patch to a stranger and perverted uncle like him was a plot that only existed in science fiction novels.

However, she was very careful when she put the patch on her forehead, finding the right position before putting it on, and even smoothed out the wrinkled edges of the fever-reducing patch with her hands.

This shows that she is a good kid and takes things seriously.

He is also very caring.

"And here's a thermometer. Uncle, put it under your arm and measure your temperature."

“Why is it so high?”

Fujii Itsuki took the thermometer she handed over - 41°
This is not a question of whether you have a fever or not, this is about burning yourself to death.

No wonder my head hurts so badly.

"Do you want me to call emergency services for you?"

"No need. I had this fever before when I was alone in Tokyo."

He has been out of work for three months, which means his social security insurance has expired. If he goes to the hospital now, it will cost a lot of money.

"What should we do now? The fever-reducing patch may not be enough in this situation."

".Jiuhua, what do you think?"

"Uncle, you are not going to die here with me, are you?" Jiu Huayue saw that he couldn't speak clearly.

Fujii Itsuki smiled bitterly despite feeling dizzy. "You are quite good at talking. Just buy some antipyretic medicine. I was just about to go out, but you stopped me, didn't you?"

After he finished speaking, he threw back the quilt and prepared to get up.

"Uncle, are you planning to go out in this state?" Jiu Huayue looked at him with a little surprise.

"otherwise.?"

"I see you can't even speak clearly! Let alone walk in the snow. Do you know where the hospital is?"

"Just go out and look for it on your phone map."

"If you go out now, you will really die outside."

"Isn't this just what you want?"

Jiu Huayue frowned and said, "Uncle, you are such a bastard. Your brain is about to burn out, and you still have the mind to make jokes!"

"Joking helps to improve your mood."

Fujii Itsuki said weakly and tried to get out of bed again.

But he was dizzy and had to adjust the position of his slippers several times before he could put them on.

This made Fujii Itsuki feel very conflicted. When did he become like an old man?

really old?

When I was working in Tokyo, I even had gout in my legs.

The girl sighed, "I'll go out and buy it for you."

".I need you to help me?" Fujii Itsuki felt his self-esteem was hit.

"What else? You can't even walk steadily, and it takes you a while to find the right position for your slippers. Your brain is so confused!"

I’m old, really old.

He himself could feel that he had no strength left in his body.

He didn't expect that at the age of only 26, he would be as fragile as an old man in his s or s.

What have I gained from these three years in Tokyo?
"Uncle, lie down and rest. I'll go out and buy you some antipyretic medicine, okay?"

Fujii Itsuki was feeling a little gloomy. He turned to look at Jiuhuayue who was sitting beside the bed and spoke in a much lower voice:
".You. This counts as caring about me?"

"Do you think I want to care about you, a perverted uncle? I ate your instant noodles and lunch box last night, so I owe you a favor." Jiu Huayue muttered, "Besides, no matter what, I'm not the kind of person who would watch someone die without helping. Stop talking nonsense and just lie down and sleep. I'll go out and buy you some medicine."

Jiu Huayue seemed to know the seriousness of the matter. After she said this, she packed her luggage and went out immediately in the wind and snow.

Fujii Itsuki didn't even have the chance to say a few words to tease her.

This girl, she always says how much she hates me and always looks at me with a look of disgust.

But when she is in trouble and can't rely on herself, the kindness in her heart will come out.

As she said, she is not someone who would sit idly by and watch someone die.

This is a good quality. Very simple and innocent.

Fujii Itsuki likes this very much.

There are very few people like this in Tokyo. They are all very worldly-wise and know how to handle relationships between people just right.

They give people a strange feeling.

For example, everyone chats like good friends during the day, talks about everything during dinner, and gets along harmoniously and friendly. However, when trying to chat with each other on social media at night, they find that they have been inexplicably blocked by the other party.

The reason is unknown.

They won't even show their inner disgust, but will just put on a smile and cater to the group atmosphere.

You will never know the reason why the other person blocked you, because when you try to ask him/her the next day, he/she will just smile and say something like "Hey, maybe you clicked the wrong button. I'm sorry. I'll unblock it for you in a moment."

Fujii Itsuki really couldn't stand the feeling of always having a mask of hypocrisy on his face.

This is also the reason why he hates dealing with colleagues.

Expressing disgust on one's face so directly like Jiuhuayue does is the unique cuteness of an innocent girl.

When Fujii Itsuki thought about the way Jiuhuayue handed him the cold medicine with disgust when she came back, he found it interesting and the cold didn't feel so bad anymore.

What's that word called?

Correct.

Tough talk.

He clearly seems to care about me, but he still has a cold and disgusted expression. This contrast is really interesting.

He lay back on the bed, tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and exhaled a breath of hot air.

The headache still hurts.

It's hard to sleep too.

But I don’t feel so bad anymore.

Jiuhuayue was unexpectedly kind, she knew how to give back and even helped put on the heat dissipation patch herself.

He went out to buy antipyretics for himself on a snowy day without hesitation.

She is still very kind by nature.

Yesterday’s lunch box and instant noodles were not wasted.

After resting for about sixteen minutes, the cell phone suddenly rang.

Fujii Itsuki thought it was Jiuhuayue who called to ask about her condition so that she could buy some medicine, but she didn't expect it to be Chitose.

He covered his burning forehead and answered the phone with his eyes closed.

"Hey"

[Brother Shu! Sorry, I'm afraid I have to break my contract this morning.]
"Breach of contract?" Fujii Itsuki's head was so dizzy that he couldn't remember for a moment.

[We agreed yesterday to make breakfast for Brother Shu. Brother Shu, why is your voice wrong?]
"I have a cold." Fujii Itsuki covered his forehead.

[You caught a cold?! No, it’s nothing. I just came back to Otaru from Tokyo and I haven’t adjusted to the temperature yet.]
Now that Qiansui said that, it might be true. Plus, I stood for a long time last night, which eventually led to a cold.

Fujii Itsuki didn't want the girl to worry.

"It's okay, just take some medicine at home."

[Brother Shu just came back, do you have any medicine to reduce fever?]
Fujii Itsuki didn't want to deceive Chitose with lies, "Don't worry, I still have enough energy to go out and buy medicine."

There was an inexplicable pause of several seconds on the other end of the phone.

[That won’t do! It’s snowing outside and there’s no car to take. Going out will only make me sicker. Brother Shu is waiting at home. I’ll buy some medicine and bring it over right away.]
"Didn't you say you couldn't come today—Chitose? Chitose?"

Fujii Itsuki barely managed to lift the phone to his face and saw that the call had been hung up by the girl.

He called Chitose again, but no one answered.

What is this?

(End of this chapter)