ODL – Chapter  56 – Confused Shizuka and the Blade of Ice

Since there was nothing else to do, I put the clothes that had just been thrown at me into the laundry basket and decided to start cleaning the living room. Even though I clean it once a week, how does it always get so dirty so quickly? They say that being good at cleaning is a talent, but maybe making things dirty is the real talent.

“Ah, you left your clothes lying around again…” (Souma)

I muttered a complaint while picking up the other scattered pajamas on the floor. At least Shizuka seemed to have some sense of shame now, as she started putting her underwear in the laundry basket herself. That’s a sign of growth.

However, despite me having taught her how to do it, Shizuka still doesn’t want to do the laundry herself. She hasn’t realized that in the end, I still have to touch her underwear in order to wash it. If you think about it logically, it makes sense but in Shizuka’s mind, once you put something in the laundry basket, it magically comes back folded and clean. People who still live with their parents sometimes fall into such thought patterns. I wonder if she’ll get angry when she finds out. If she does, I’ve already made up my mind to approach the labor union¹.

After finishing tidying up the clothes, I moved on to picking up the trash. Taking care of Shizuka who got sick while living alone and cleaning up her room really makes me look like I am her mother doesn’t it? 

By the time I had filled the two trash bags to the brim, the living room had transformed into a remarkably clean area. I wonder how long this room will last. I am betting on a day, or two. I was almost tempted to install a camera in this room just to observe how it’s physically possible to turn it into a mess so quickly… Let’s not think about this any further, I don’t want to be mistaken for a pervert.

“…Is that all of it?” (Souma)

Even though I had run out of things to do, I couldn’t just leave. I came here to check on Shizuka’s health, but I could sense that it wasn’t the right atmosphere to strike up a conversation after what happened earlier. I found myself idling around, hoping to find something to do, but for now, I couldn’t help but hate my own cleaning skills. There wasn’t a speck of dust remaining in the living room for me to clean.

“What should I do… maybe I should do the laundry?” (Souma)

The washing machine in this house was the latest drum type, so once you pressed a button, it would do the drying as well. There was no risk of leaving the clothes wet and forgotten, so I could let it run by itself.

“….Huh?” (Souma)

Just as my thoughts were drifting toward doing the laundry, I heard a noise coming from the direction of the bedroom. It was the sound of something collapsing, an accident of some sort.

“Shizuka, are you okay!?” (Souma)

I called out from in front of the door, but there was no response.

I wanted to rush in and check on her… But, if I entered without permission again, I might run into a similar situation as earlier. Maybe the lack of a response meant that she just didn’t want to talk to me. But what if Shizuka had actually collapsed?

…In my mind, it was not a battle of angels and demons, but a battle of angels against angels. The outcome was quickly decided. The angel won.

“Shizuka, I’m coming in!” (Souma)

◆

“Hey, are you okay!?” (Souma)

I rushed into the bedroom, and there, I found a collapsed Shizuka on the floor which was littered with trash. Her upper body, which had been naked, was now covered with a T-shirt. I touched her forehead, which was sweaty, and it felt even hotter than it did in the morning. Had the medicine not worked?

“…Ugh… when I got angry… my fever spiked…” (Shizuka)

Shizuka muttered softly. Was this really because of me?

“Shizuka, it’s okay, don’t talk. For now, I’ll carry you to the bed.” (Souma)

I gently lifted Shizuka’s delicate body and laid her down on the bed. Of course, putting her back on the bed didn’t instantly make her better. She still seemed to be in pain as she was breathing heavily through her mouth. I prepared a wet towel in the bathroom and gently wiped Shizuka’s face. That was about the only thing I could think of to do.

“Shizuka, should we go to the hospital?” (Souma)

“…I’m okay… it’s not that bad…” (Shizuka)

Shizuka’s cheeks were flushed, and she was visibly struggling. It was very painful to watch, but if she said she was okay, then she probably was. I had to trust her judgment. In that case, what’s the best thing I could do for her right now?

“…I’m going to go buy some things at the convenience store for you.” (Souma)

Maybe I should go get her some jelly drinks. Although leaving Shizuka alone in this state made me uneasy, the convenience store was just around the corner. I could make a round trip in about five minutes.

As I got up to leave, Shizuka’s trembling hand reached out and grabbed the hem of my clothes.

“Stay with me…” (Shizuka)

“Ah… okay.” (Souma)

At Shizuka’s plea, I returned to my seat in the chair next to the bed.

…I remember the first time I caught a cold after I started living on my own. What I felt was an overwhelming sense of loneliness as I endured everything alone in a dark room. I just wanted someone to be there with me, no matter what. I even thought I might die without anyone knowing. If Shizuka was feeling the same way as I did back then, I wanted to stay by her side.

I gently released Shizuka’s hand, which had been clutching my clothes, and instead held both of her hands. It felt somewhat awkward, like the kind of gesture you might make towards someone who was unconscious or bedridden, but I sensed some tension had eased from Shizuka’s face.

“I’ll stay with you, so don’t worry.” (Souma)

“…Yeah…” (Shizuka)

Shizuka seemed to have relaxed a bit after hearing this. At least she wasn’t struggling to breathe through her mouth.

“Souma-kun…” (Shizuka)

“What is it?” (Souma)

Shizuka opened her eyelids and glanced at me. Looks like she was still in a bit of pain as she briefly contorted her face.

“…Take responsibility for it, okay?… You saw me naked…” (Shizuka)

“Ugh…” (Souma)

Would she please just forget about that? I mean, what exactly does ‘take responsibility’ even mean? Should I show myself naked too? I had a feeling that would make things even worse.

“Well, even if you say take responsibility…” (Souma)

I let out a bewildered and embarrassed voice. At that moment…

“…Huh. You seem to be having an interesting conversation, aren’t you?” (Mafuyu)

“Huh?!” (Souma)

A voice as sharp as an ice blade pierced my back, and I shuddered in fear.

“Ma-Mafuyu-chan…?” (Souma)

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“Stay with me…”

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Thanks for reading!

Caught right in the act! I was wondering why Mafuyu didn’t follow him last chapter but alas she showed up at just the right time. MC got away with it for too long.

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1. Labour union is an organization formed by workers in order to negotiate for better workers’ rights, including better pay, safer working conditions, and better benefits