"Akira-kun." Sajuna opened her eyes to see Akira waiting by her bed.
Akira's hand was still gripping her shoulder, and she could almost feel his breath by her ear.
It took her five seconds to fully grasp her current situation.
She had actually invited a boy to take care of her while she was sick?
And she had fallen asleep in his arms?
And now, she was alone in a room with him, a boy and a girl, completely unguarded?
These were two adults! How dangerous!
Sajuna felt her head heat up, and the cold that had improved after sleeping seemed to be returning.
She stared blankly at the ceiling for a while, and after slowly convincing herself internally, she looked at Akira, whose face was full of worry.
She felt her face flush crimson.
It's a good thing the cold provides a cover, Sajuna comforted herself.
"I cooked some porridge for you. Have some," Akira said, then turned to bring over a tray from the table behind him.
"Okay."
Sajuna pulled her hands out from under the covers, gently touched her face, and then slowly sat up.
She tried to reach for the tray in Akira's hands, but her arms were sore and weak, and they dropped halfway.
"Are Sajuna's arms weak?" Akira noticed Sajuna's movement and asked, puzzled.
Seeing her nod shyly, he abandoned the idea of letting Sajuna eat the porridge herself, put the tray back down, and picked up the porcelain bowl of porridge.
"I'll feed you, Sajuna-chan." Akira held the spoon, gently stirring the porridge in the bowl.
"Open your mouth."
"Oh."
Sajuna instinctively leaned her face closer, slowly opened her mouth, and waited for Akira to feed her.
Akira actually felt an urge to kiss her immediately.
If he kissed her in this situation, his impression points would definitely plummet, Akira thought.
Compared to the impulsive behavior of love at first sight, Akira preferred a slow-burn romance, training his feelings for Sajuna gradually.
So he reined in his thoughts and diligently fed the sick Sajuna.
Feeling Akira's intense gaze, the fluctuations in Sajuna's heart grew even more intense.
Don't be so gentle!
It's truly making things difficult!
Sajuna complained a little in her heart; Akira's gentle offensive made her somewhat flustered, unsure of what to do.
Having lived in an all-girls school since she started studying, she had no experience interacting with boys, and she simply didn't know what to do in such a situation.
All her actions were instinctive.
But she still knew one thing: Akira must like her, right?
As a stranger, he had done so much for her; what could she do for him?
At this thought, Sajuna suddenly said, "I'm sorry, Akira-kun."
The spoon she was extending froze in mid-air, and a look of confusion appeared on Akira's face.
She's not preempting my confession and planning to reject me in advance, is she?
Then I'll have to preempt her preemptive move and act first.
"Sajuna doesn't need to apologize. I was too presumptuous."
Sajuna's expression stiffened for a moment, as if she was pondering what Akira was saying, then she continued, "I thought Akira-kun was the type of person who stalks girls and hits on them everywhere, which is why I was so cold at the family restaurant."
Akira scooped another spoonful of porridge from the bowl and fed it to Sajuna. "So that's what Sajuna was talking about."
"What did Akira-kun think I was talking about?" Sajuna replied.
"It's nothing. It was me who was too presumptuous after all." Akira replied, his actions not stopping as he spoke.
Akira-kun is unexpectedly gentle.
Sajuna thought with a touch of delight, if only he were dating her.
Although she had no experience with boys, she hadn't eaten pork, but hadn't she seen pigs run?
In various films, TV shows, and stories from classmates, romance was undoubtedly an essential part of life's journey.
She used to think such things were far away from her, but with reminders from her younger sister Shinju and her friend Kyoko, she seemed to be getting closer and closer to love.
Sajuna opened her mouth and drank the porridge from the spoon, looking at Akira, who had a gentle smile.
Love, which she had never thought about before, now seemed within reach.
It felt as if she could just reach out and grasp it.
"What's wrong?" Akira asked.
Sajuna touched her face, muttering, "What am I doing?"
Once the desire to understand Akira's thoughts took hold, it instantly filled Sajuna's heart, making her feel completely dizzy.
"Why didn't Akira go home?" Sajuna regretted asking as soon as she did; why would she ask such an obvious question?
"Because I heard you were sick and I was worried, so I came to take care of you." Akira thought for a moment and added, "Besides, I live alone at home, and it's quite lonely, so it's better to come and take care of Sajuna."
"Eh, are Akira-kun's parents not home?"
"My parents died in a car accident a few years ago. Now I live alone at home, but my grandfather lives in the countryside, and I sometimes go to see him."
"I'm sorry." Sajuna said with an apologetic expression, afraid of affecting Akira's mood.
Akira, however, showed no particular emotion. On one hand, he was a transmigrator and had no feelings for his deceased parents; on the other hand, the original owner had already adapted to life without parents, so he wouldn't experience emotional fluctuations due to their death.
"Does Sajuna really like cosplay?" Akira asked.
"Yes, I like it very much." Sajuna nodded blankly.
"Can you tell me why?"
"Why?" Sajuna hesitated. "Akira-kun, do you have any dreams you want to achieve?"
"Dreams, what a distant thing, aren't they?" Akira hesitated for two seconds, contemplating his experiences in two lives.
In his previous life, he was just an ordinary university graduate. The moment he stepped into society, idealism like dreams drifted away from him.
In his youth, he hoped that one day he would wield a sword, roam the jianghu, and wander the world.
He hoped for the end of the world, that he would be chosen as the savior, leading a team to save the world.
After transmigrating, his dream was to be with Sajuna and work hard to fulfill their wishes.
It would be good to have five children.
"Not now, I just want to move forward steadily." Akira replied, "But I do really want to become Ultraman."
After saying that, Akira put down the bowl, crossed his arms, and made a beam-shooting gesture, successfully making Sajuna laugh.
"As for me, I used to want to become a magical girl."