My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

Page 141

I really envy this guy for always being so happy.

I sincerely thought to myself – how wonderful it would be if I could change my mindset and start a new life as readily as Dongtou.

But I couldn't help but wonder: what exactly did that girl, Jie Nu, mean?

Should I have...lost my balance at that moment?

Is it really a good idea to disrupt this hard-won balance?

...Perhaps nothing will happen. Legally speaking, there's no problem. Dongtou doesn't think there's a problem either.

If that's the case, then there's nothing to worry about.

Aside from my personal feelings.

I reached under Dongtou's ear and gently stroked her soft hair with a touch that wouldn't mess it up.

Dongtou squinted his eyes like a dog being petted and said:

"What's wrong—?"

"Assisted therapy".

"Treat it as much as possible."

As I felt the texture of my hair and the warmth of my skin through the gaps between my fingers and palms, I thought about the character of this dear friend.

"East end".

"What is it—?"

"I might have something important to discuss with you another day."

Dongtou blinked several times...

"That's a really big responsibility—I'll do my best."

Then, as usual, he answered me in a relaxed tone.

"Ah...it's so late. I need to go home..."

"Okay. Then I'll walk you halfway there."

"Huh? No need."

"It's okay to send it occasionally. Besides, we haven't seen each other in a long time."

"Well... okay then... hehe──"

Look how happy she is. She's only polite to me verbally.

I led Dongtou down the steps.

Just as I was about to pass the living room door, hmm? I felt something was off.

It seems like I've forgotten something...?

Completely bewildered, I walked past the living room door, which was ajar.

"Ah! Dongtou, are you going home?!"

Aunt Ren ran over with a smile on her face.

My dad also peeked at us from behind her.

Aunt Ren leaned closer to the east end and said:

"Are you alright? Are you able to get back? If you're feeling unwell, you can have dinner before you leave, or you could stay overnight—"

"No, it's alright! I can get back...!"

"I see. That's good..."

Hmm? Why are you so concerned about her?

Just as I was feeling surprised, Aunt Yu-ren glanced at me, then quickly leaned over and whispered in my ear:

"(Hey Shui Dou, let me tell you. Next time Dong Tou's classmate is coming, you better let me know a few days in advance!)"

"what?"

"(We'll make up an excuse to go out and not be home! We'll take Yui with us! Okay!)"

Why aren't you home? Ah.

I immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

I forgot.

It wasn't just Jie Nu who saw me push down the east end.

Aunt Ren held Dongtou's hand tightly and told her with a heartfelt smile:

"Congratulations! I hope you'll take good care of me from now on!"

"Okay, okay. Thank you, Auntie...?"

There's a fundamental problem. It's not just my personal feelings.

From today onwards, Aunt Ren and the others' perception of Dongtou will change from "my ex-girlfriend" to "my current girlfriend".

Later, when Jie received a text message from her cousin Yuanxiang, we realized that in just a few hours, this perception had spread to all my relatives.

Volume 5: You Are the Only One in the World - My Ex-Girlfriend Takes Care of a Patient "...I heard that if you infect someone else, you'll get better. Is that true?"

◆ Irito Yume ◆

Recap:

I messed up.

"—Hey, where's the cup that was here?"

"Huh? I put it on the kitchen counter!"

"Huh? I still need to use it..."

"How should I know? Who told you to leave it lying around?"

"well……"

"……snort!"

Look. This is a conversation between a couple who had just kissed a few days ago.

A while ago, we gradually got used to being with each other, and the atmosphere between us was relatively peaceful, but before we knew it, our relationship turned back into a cold and tense one.

How could it become like this?

No, I know. I know perfectly well, but wait a minute, okay? I'm just a little shy, and I'm trying to cover it up! I'm just too embarrassed to tell him the real reason I kissed him, so I'm using my usual way of avoiding the question! But...!

Then what happened with Dongtou happened. I thought it might just fade away, but reality was cruel. Shuidou's attitude towards me was even worse than before summer vacation, and I couldn't help but start speaking with barbs.

Waaah...! No, this isn't right...! This is completely opposite to what I planned...!

Originally, I wanted to be more like a little devil when interacting with Mizuto, making him blush, his heart race, and him feel flustered!

How can I go back to that state...? Explain to him that I was just hiding my shyness before? Bring it up now? No way! Besides, if I showed weakness like that, I wouldn't be able to be the little devil!

I sat on the sofa in the living room, watching Shuitou take a water filter pitcher from the kitchen and pour water into a cup.

In short, I need to stop reacting so defensively. It's because I always act like a prickly hedgehog without thinking that I've made things so complicated. Yes, I'm a woman who can admit her mistakes and correct them; my special skill is the PDCA cycle—

Clang! I was startled and turned around.

Shuidou frowned and looked down at the floor.

I stood up and went over to take a look, and found that the water filter pitcher with the lid off had fallen to the kitchen floor, spilling water all over the floor.

"Yes, or no, so what?"

The water filter pitcher is made of plastic and wasn't broken. I think he's probably not hurt...

Shui Tuo picked up a rag and squatted down on the floor. I went over to help...

"Don't come any closer."

But he stopped her in a very aggressive tone.

"Don't come near me. I can do it myself."

I stood there frozen, unable to react at all.

...You just...?

Do you really hate me that much?

Yes, yes, we broke up. But, but, we truly loved each other, didn't we?

Do you find me so repulsive right now?

How different I am from before...?

After wiping the water stains off the floor, the sink was refilled with water and put back into the refrigerator.

Then, without saying a word, he walked past me.

Ok?

I turned around and watched Shuidou walk out of the living room.

Just now... his face looked really bad?

◆ Irito Mizuto ◆

My thoughts are hazy and unclear.

My joints are sore all over.

My throat is unusually dry, and even breathing feels uncomfortable.

Judging from the overall picture—it seems I have caught a cold.

"……well……"

After dragging myself back to my room, I collapsed onto the bed.

I haven't had a cold in ages... I don't even know when was the last time?

Maybe I caught the virus in the countryside... I knew I shouldn't have gone to any festivals...

...I hope it didn't infect that guy...

I crawled into the covers to erase the sensation of my lips returning to my skin.

Anyway, let's get some sleep first. That should make things better.

This is what I've always done when I have a cold, since I was a child—

...So cold...

The cool touch on my forehead woke me up.

In my hazy state, I checked my physical condition. My throat still hurt, and my whole body was still weak. It seemed I would need to sleep a few more times.

In order to recover as soon as possible, I was about to succumb to sleep again when I was caught up in a question at the last moment.

What is this cold thing on my forehead?

It feels like a fever-reducing patch, but I don't remember using anything like that.

I slowly opened my eyes.

"ah."

In my blurry vision, I saw a familiar face.

As soon as he noticed I had opened my eyes, he tucked his long black hair behind his ear and leaned in to look at my face.

"Are you okay?"

Seeing this guy care about me like a normal family member, I wondered if I was still half asleep.

Is it reasonable for me to think this way?

I don't know what I did to upset her, but she's been very unhappy and won't come near me. But now... it's almost as if she's worried about me...

"Is there anything you want? I brought over some sports drinks."