The Love of My Childhood Friend, Who Has Overcome a Terminally Ill Diagnosis, Is Overwhelming
Spending more time with Kanade.
That was something I never would have imagined back in my childhood, when it seemed like I might lose Kanade to death.
I felt a little emotional.
“Well, I guess I’ll study a little more.”
“Ugh…”
I thought it was the obvious choice during exam prep, but Kanade protested.
“Akkun. Weren’t you going to treat me to something special?”
“I am going to, but…”
“I’m just not in the mood to study today.”
“Even so, you have to get good grades on the test.”
“I don’t think getting good grades on the test is the be-all and end-all, you know?”
…She’s being unusually stubborn this time.
“Akkun. What if you study too much and end up passing out in class like last time?”
“Hm?”
“If that happens, it might affect your academic record this time.”
She’s right.
I see. Kanade’s being stubborn because she doesn’t want me to end up missing class by falling asleep—like when we had lunch together the other day—as a result of me overdoing my studying.
After sleeping through until after school, Kanade looked incredibly guilty for some reason.
In fact, ever since then, I haven’t given her that supplement at all.
…She really is a thoughtful girl.
“Alright. …Let’s call it a day for studying today.”
“Yay, yay!”
Kanade looked incredibly happy.
Seeing her so overjoyed… I felt a little guilty, wondering if showing her how much I was studying had actually made her worry that much.
“So, so! A-kun, A-kun! You’re going to treat me now, right?”
“Yeah. That’s right.”
“How are you going to treat me? What should I do? Turn off the lights? Turn down the AC? Oh, should we wait until auntie sound asleep?”
“Huh? Nah, let’s do it right now.”
“……Whoa!? Akkun, you’re so bold.”
……Am I?
“For now, can you just lie down on your back on the bed?”
“……A-Akkun.”
“What?”
“Well… this is my first time, so I’m actually a little nervous.”
“Huh. Is that so?”
Come to think of it, if I looked closely, Kanade had been fidgeting the whole time. I could see her cheeks were flushed, too.
“Well, don’t worry so much. I’ll make sure you feel good.”
“…Akkun. You seem pretty experienced.”
The sparkle faded from Kanade’s eyes, which had been so bright just a moment ago.
“Do you do this often?”
“Hm? No, this is my first time.”
I smiled.
“Besides, there’s no one else I could do this with but you.”
“…Akkun.”
Kanade looked down.
“Look, I want to make this clear first, okay? I’m not that kind of girl.”
“…Kanade?”
“I… I look at the person I’m with and decide whether to do something like this. I have that much common sense. …Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”
……Of course.
“Come on, go to sleep.”
When I said this in a gentle tone, Kanade looked confused for a moment, then lay down on her back on the bed as if she’d made up her mind.
I moved over to the foot of the bed.
“Kanade.”
“……What?”
“Tell me if it hurts.”
“Okay. ………………Oww!”
It was my first time giving a foot reflexology massage, and Kanade screamed at me right off the bat. And quite loudly, at that.
“Oh, sorry. …Is this too hard?”
“Akkun…?”
“Kanade, don’t worry. I know that relieving your daily fatigue is the best way to show my hospitality.”
“No… That’s not it, Akkun.”
“Okay, here we go.”
“Hyaa…”
Kanade’s body jerked.
Judging by her reaction, is it still too hard?
“Akkun… Stop. Please stop.”
“Hmm, hmm. If it hurts when I press around here, it might mean your autonomic nervous system is out of balance.”
“Huh…?”
“…Crunch.”
“…Aaaahhh!~~~”
Ah, it seems she’s feeling quite a bit of pain.
…This must mean her fatigue has been significantly relieved.
Yesss!
For a while, I kept pressing the soles of Kanade’s feet as she writhed in agony.
About thirty minutes later, when I finished the massage… Kanade had tears streaming from her eyes, her body felt slightly flushed, and she was emanating a somewhat seductive aura.
“……Akkun. Why are you doing such a horrible thing?”
“Sorry. Did it hurt?”
“……I thought I was going to die.”
“Hahaha. You’re exaggerating.”
“And I’m the one who almost died, you know……?”
……I see.
It seems I may have gone a bit too far.
“I’m sorry, Kanade…”
“…Hmph.”
“…I just really wanted to treat you right.”
“…yeah.”
“When I heard you were staying over… I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Even while I was studying… I kept wondering how I could make you feel special.”
“……”
“But I’m clumsy… This is the only thing I could come up with.”
I hung my head.
“…I just wanted to make you happy with everything I had.”
I know this isn’t much of an excuse.
But… I just had to tell you. I felt I had to.
“……”
Kanade…
“Oh, Mouuu. You’re hopeless, Akun.”
She said playfully as she pulled her T-shirt back into place.
“Hahaha. Did you actually think I was in pain?”
“Huh?”
“I was just kidding. …I just thought it’d be funnier if I reacted like that.”
“……I-is that so?”
“……Huh?”
“Then, can I give you another massage?”
“……Ah.”
“Can I… treat you to something special?”
“……”
Kanade’s lips were trembling.
Tears were welling up in her eyes again.
“……Sorry. I got a little carried away.”
“It’s okay.”
“Huh?”
“It’s okay. It’s okay. It didn’t hurt at all. If anything, it felt kind of good. And I found out my autonomic nervous system is out of whack!? Totally! Do it again!? Pamper me!!!”
Kanade looked like she was throwing caution to the wind.
……But deep down, I was a little happy.
Deep down, she’d been anxious.
Was she really able to take good care of Kanade?
So, seeing Kanade happy like this, she felt relieved, and realized she also felt a little bit fulfilled.
“Yeah. I get it.”
When I nodded, a single large tear fell from Kanade’s eye and dripped onto the bed.
Maiasa