The rain still had not stopped.
By evening, darkness had completely swallowed the sky.
Outside the shelter, the world had turned into a blur of gray and black, with only the overwhelming sound of rainfall and the occasional rumble of thunder filling the air.
Aoyama added several thick pieces of firewood to the flames.
The fire illuminated the entire shelter, driving away the damp chill that had grown heavier after nightfall.
Kasumigaoka Utaha was still resting against him.
Her temperature had not dropped by much, but at least it had stopped rising.
Her breathing was steadier than it had been during the day.
Every now and then, she would unconsciously rub her face against his chest like a small animal seeking warmth.
“Her condition has improved quite a bit.”
Aoyama lowered his head and looked at her.
The firelight cast a faint shadow from her eyelashes, and her lips were slightly parted as she breathed.
The sound carried a faint heaviness from her blocked nose.
The white “towel” on her forehead had already dried from her body heat.
He removed it, soaked it in hot water again, and placed it back on her forehead.
“Mm…”
Utaha wrinkled her nose slightly, seemingly disturbed from her sleep, and mumbled,
“…Don’t move…”
“I’m replacing it with a warmer one.”
“…Mm.”
She gave a dazed response before burying her face back against him.
Aoyama pressed the freshly warmed cloth against her forehead, his fingers accidentally brushing against the space between her eyebrows.
Her skin was still burning hot, but compared to a few hours ago, the heat had clearly eased.
Night grew deeper.
The rain continued without any sign of stopping.
While sleeping, Utaha shifted her position, changing from leaning sideways against Aoyama’s chest to facing him directly.
Her arms remained wrapped around his waist, and her face rested right below his collarbone.
Her chest was pressed tightly against his.
The soft warmth of her body, compressed slightly by their close position, passed through the two thin layers of fabric between them.
It moved gently with every breath she took.
“…”
Aoyama froze for a moment.
He could feel the warm air from her breath brushing against his throat, carrying her elevated body temperature and a faint sweet scent.
When her knees curled up, they happened to rest against the outside of his thigh.
Her school skirt had shifted slightly in her sleep, revealing glimpses of what lay beneath.
“This…”
Aoyama took a deep breath and turned his attention toward the fire.
His body’s reaction was honest enough to leave even himself feeling helpless.
The sensation of being surrounded by such soft warmth was impossible to ignore.
His rational mind and his instincts were fighting against each other.
At that moment, Utaha’s eyelashes trembled, and she slowly opened her eyes halfway.
Her crimson eyes reflected the flames for a brief moment before becoming hazy again.
She raised her head slightly and looked at Aoyama, who was right in front of her.
There was less than a fist’s distance between their faces.
She could clearly see the slight tension in the corners of his mouth.
“Aoyama-kun…”
Her voice was hoarse and soft.
“You’re still awake…”
“I’m fine.
I’ll sleep later.”
Aoyama’s voice was quieter than usual.
“…You’ve worked hard.”
Her lips moved as if she wanted to smile, but the expression faded halfway.
“I dreamed…
I was in a place that was really cold.
I kept shivering…
Then someone hugged me.
It was so warm…”
“That person was me.”
“…Mm.
I know.”
She blinked slowly, her gaze wandering across his face before settling on his eyes.
“Aoyama-kun, your heart is beating so fast.”
“…”
“I’m pressed against your chest.
I can hear it very clearly.”
Utaha’s voice was still weak, but the lazy teasing tone that belonged to her had returned slightly.
“Thump, thump, thump.
It’s beating even faster than the rabbit I raised when I was little.”
“Your fever is making you confused.”
“No, it’s not.”
She shook her head.
Her hair brushed against his collarbone, sending a faint tickling sensation through him.
“I feel terrible, but I’m still conscious.”
As she spoke, her gaze lowered slightly.
Through the thin fabric of his school uniform, she could clearly feel the firm outline pressing against her lower abdomen.
“Aoyama-kun, since this afternoon until now, it hasn’t really gone away, has it?”
Utaha’s ears turned bright red, but she did not look away.
Instead, she asked with a curious, almost investigative tone,
“Aoyama-kun, aren’t you tired?”
“What?”
Aoyama frowned slightly.
“I mean…
that.”
“Keeping it like that the whole time…
aren’t you tired?”
Her eyes dipped downward for another moment before quickly returning.
Aoyama took a deep breath.
If Kasumigaoka Utaha were not sick right now, he would definitely teach her what the word “cruel” meant.
“Utaha-san, your temperature is still very high.”
“Are you sure you’re saying these things while you’re completely conscious?”
“I’m perfectly clear-headed.”
The corners of Utaha’s lips curved upward.
Even while running a fever, she still carried that unique calm confidence that made people unable to do anything about her.
She even deliberately shifted forward slightly, making their already close contact even tighter.
“…”
Aoyama’s breathing clearly paused.
The softness pressed against him through two layers of clothing, combined with the subtle pressure between them, nearly snapped the last thread of his restraint.
“Kasumigaoka Utaha.”
“Mm?”
Her voice carried the cheerful tone of someone who had successfully pulled off a prank.
“If you move one more time, don’t expect to sleep tonight.”
“I can’t sleep right now anyway.”
She blinked, the flickering firelight reflected in her crimson eyes.
“My fever feels awful.
Even if I close my eyes, I can’t fall asleep.”
“Instead, I might as well chat with Aoyama-kun and distract myself.”
Aoyama fell silent for two seconds before asking,
“What do you want to talk about?”
“Anything.”
Utaha rested her chin in the hollow of his shoulder and adjusted herself into a more comfortable position.
“For example…
has Aoyama-kun ever dated anyone before?”
“No.”
“Just as I thought.”
Her tone carried the certainty of someone who had already expected the answer.
“Then do you have someone you like?”
“No.”
“Then…”
She paused.
“What kind of feelings do you have toward me?”
Aoyama lowered his gaze and looked at her.
She was staring up at him.
Her crimson eyes sparkled despite the layer of feverish moisture covering them.
The seriousness inside them was unmistakable.
When she asked the question, the calm smile remained on her face, but the fingers gripping the edge of his clothes tightened slightly.
Aoyama answered,
“…Lower your fever first before asking something like that.”
“You’re avoiding the question.”
“I’m making sure you don’t say something you’ll regret while you’re not thinking clearly.”
Utaha let out a quiet hum, as if she wanted to argue, but she also knew he had a point.
She lowered her face again, resting her forehead against the side of his neck.
Her warm breath brushed against his pulse.
“Fine.
After my fever goes down, you’ll answer me.”
“…”
Aoyama took a deep breath.
When that time came, he decided he would give her a proper answer.
Otherwise, all the restraint he had shown would have been meaningless.
“Also…”
Her voice was muffled against his clothes, so quiet that it was almost drowned out by the rain.
“Are you planning to keep holding me like this all night?”
“Are you tired?”
Aoyama answered honestly.
“Yes.”
“But there’s nothing I can do.”
Utaha remained silent for a while.
Then her fingers moved slightly.
The hand that had been clutching his clothes slowly opened, her palm resting against his waist instead.
The warmth from her palm passed through the fabric, feeling like a small heat pad.
“Thank you, Aoyama-kun.”
Her voice was so soft that it was almost swallowed by the sound of the rain.
But Aoyama heard it clearly.
He did not reply.
He only tightened his arms slightly, holding her more securely.
The shelter became quiet again.
Only the sound of rain, the howling wind, and the overlapping breaths of the two people remained.
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