Chapter 3 / It Was My Fault I Got A Terrible Fever, Wasn't It?

A weight was pressed up against my stomach. I groggily woke up, trying to figure out the source by waving my hand in that general area. Fur was caught in the full palm and my hand automatically continued onwards, realizing Kuko was sleeping on top of me again. Surely, that couldn't have been the only reason my body felt so sluggish, right?

Rubbing my cat's pelt, such that he would wake up and move somewhere else, I slowly opened my eyes and carefully sat up from my bed. My arm blindly reached out to slap my alarm clock to shut it up as I slid Kuko off of me after he refused to get up, swinging my legs off the bed. My brain was trying to catch up with what happened yesterday, but to be honest, I wouldn't have expected it to have actually happened. It felt like one crazy dream—

—until I looked over to see who had been sitting so neatly at my desk.

"Well, I guess that takes the dream theory off the board."

"What are you talking about, Master?"

"Ah, don't… worry about it."

Last night, I must have really said all those embarrassing things to her, but she continued to sit there like it was normal. I remembered how easily she shook off my odd marriage proposal, something I'm still cringing at, so maybe in her past life, she was already used to things like that. All Servants apparently had something akin to their own history, but it only made me wonder what her real name was.

If she didn't want to tell me, it certainly wasn't my disposition to figure it out for myself.

… Hold on a minute.

"A-Archer? Did you sleep at all last night?"

"Servants don't require sleep. Do you not recall that we Servants are manifestations of spirits? In that regard, we don't need the same things that the typical human would require."

"No, that's not the problem. What did you do instead of sleeping?"

"I merely watched you toss and turn in your bed until your cat rolled onto you to stop it."

"... So you watched me sleep?"

"Indeed. How else would I be able to ensure that you remain safe?"

Clearly, I have no idea how to respond to that. My body remained stiff, trying to let my emotions catch up with my knowledge, but the connection was never made. Fortunately, that was probably a good thing because if it did, I would end up freaking out that the girl I liked just… watched me sleep.

My face simply collapsed into my face in exasperation. It was far too early in the morning to be dealing with this type of misunderstanding. Climbing out of my bed, I tried to get my mind off of it by doing a few stretches to wake up my body before I grabbed my casual clothes out from my closet's rack.

Archer was about to follow me out, but I stopped before opening the door.

"Stay here for a bit. My father may know that you're staying here, but my mother and my sister probably don't know about the news yet. I want to properly introduce you to them this morning."

"Alright. Please make haste."

"I'm just going to change out of my sleepwear. It's not exactly something…" She kept looking at me so seriously that I couldn't really try and crack a joke. "Never mind. I'll try to hurry up."

I made my way to the washroom where I simply did my daily morning routine. There wasn't anything particularly special about it; I simply washed up my face, brushed my teeth, and got changed into appropriate clothes I would be wearing around the house. The entire thing couldn't have taken more than five minutes, but I felt really slow today. My nose was pretty stuffed too, more so than yesterday, but I went to ignore it for now.

When I opened the washroom, I heard an immediate scream.

Dipping my head out, I noticed that my bedroom door was open. More importantly, I noticed that my sister's bedroom was open. Putting both hints together, I quickly figured out what must have happened and here I thought I was going to get a proper chance to formally introduce her.

Whelp, I guess I'll have to wing it.

"Kurogane!" My mother shouted from the lower floor, where she was likely making breakfast for us. "What's Shiro screaming about!? Can you please check on her!?"

"Don't worry, Mom! I got it!" It felt somewhat difficult to shout back, but I managed to do it. Even if she didn't call out like that, I still would have checked.

I ran down the hall and drifted harder than a Tokyo Driver into my room. With a scene equivalent to a standoff, my little sister stood trembling as she saw the mysterious woman in my room. She noticed my entry and immediately ran over for me to protect her, basically in a panic.

Kuko was hiding on a blind spot of mine and once he saw Shiro hold onto me, he took the invitation to jump on my shoulder again. He started meowing as if he was copying Shiro's fear. But Kuko already met Archer yesterday! Was he just messing with me!?

"I was simply trying to introduce myself when she arrived in your room," Archer said, trying to explain the situation. "She was looking for you instead, only for her to meet me. I believed she got surprised and certainly unprepared."

Shiro was still frightened, but I couldn't really blame her. Finding a stranger you've never seen before inside your own house wasn't something that she could have entirely expected, especially when they seemingly appeared from inside of her house at a time where guests aren't usually around.

"Don't be scared, Shiro," I sighed, rubbing her head. "She's a nice person and she's… a nice person." I came to the realization that I knew nothing about Archer in any vague traits for me to convince my sister to be less wary of her, but it was apparently enough for her to stop shaking.

Slowing approaching, Archer even gave her a soft smile, ensuring that she wasn't holding any malicious intentions towards the child. In some some of selfish and twisted way, maybe Shiro should get frightened a bit more. With that slight upward curve of her mouth and the motherly look of her eyes, I didn't deserve to be blessed with such a divine sight. Though, I ceased the thought quickly. There's no way in hell I would purposely let my sister be scared.

After being distracted by her smile, I quickly snapped out of my daze and tried to help Shiro out. I was sure Shiro was about to question why I stayed in silence, but when I looked over, she had the same expression as I did. Her blue eyes were wide open, as well as her jaw, as she stared at Archer as if she was an angel.

She slowly let go of me and walked up to Archer, trying to see this new person for herself. Shiro was the age where she had a curious mind. As a fourth grade elementary student, she always liked trying new things and pursuing what was interesting to her. For example, her hair was actually all naturally black like mine, but when she saw that I put white highlights on my own, she wanted to copy me. That explained her vertical highlights of white nested at her front bangs.

However, I wasn't sure what she would really think of Archer, so I watched as she made first contact with her. Archer kept her smile, careful not to scare her off again.

"Are you his little sister?" she asked.

Shiro merely stared at Archer, as if she couldn't even hear her question. I was starting to get a bit worried because she was so silent, as if she was very mesmerized by Archer. It almost reminded of what happened when I first met—

—oh no.

"Please! Please be my big sister!"

Grah! The stupidity must be genetic between siblings!

Archer, please stop looking at me like that! I didn't tell her to say anything!

After clearing up everything, I apologized to Archer on my sister's behalf. Apparently, she didn't mind as much as I thought she would. We all descended to the second floor where my mother was making breakfast. She was rather surprised to see the new face, but my father had talked to her about their mysterious guest that would be staying under our roof for a while. If my father was accepting of it, I had no doubt that my mother would end up agreeing with her.

Besides, my mother was always much more carefree than my father. Even though she had some years here, she still looked as young as ever compared to my father. It was difficult for people to believe that she was a mother, especially considering how she never truly acted her actual age. If anything, I was worried about her for entirely different reasons than with my father.

"I didn't think you would bring home a girlfriend so suddenly!"

That was the first thing she spat out when we arrived in the dining room. She was as flustered as I was, trying to get everything all perfect to set a relaxing atmosphere for us. It wasn't as if I was too hasty in clearing that up, but Archer immediately turned her down on her assumption. Much to my pain in the way she said it.

When that was settled, we sat around the table as I helped my mother bring out the food. She wasn't a great cook like my father, but she knows her way around the kitchen enough to take care of her precious children. My father was already having his hands busy with preparations in the cafe's kitchen, so he wasn't able to eat alongside us for breakfast. He would come up for lunch breaks and dinner time, if his hours had overlapped them. If not, it was much easier for everyone involved.

Of course, Kuko wasn't forgotten. I would be the one to take out his food, placing it down next to the table. He was part of our family too, so he deserved to be nearby. Though, he would quietly mind his own business as everyone else ate their meals.

"She's pretty! I was surprised that she showed up like that, but now I got a closer look at her, she's really pretty! She's like a princess!"

"A princess, huh?"

"Like the ones that would be in those huge castles!"

"Perhaps, that would be nice if so."

Archer was sitting right next to Shiro, on the behalf of my sister's innocent request. It truly seems like her weak spot had been kids, mainly because she hasn't acted the same way to Shiro as she did with me. Although, Shiro hadn't given her a marriage proposal, so maybe that was too much of a difference in our first impressions.

I guess it didn't matter. Archer was getting along with Shiro and it was pretty fun watching them talk among themselves. I didn't realize how Archer's gentle smile could tug on my heart strings, but my mother reached out while I was distracted.

"Kurogane, you haven't touched your food."

"O-Oh, really? My bad…"

"There's no need to apologize. Your father already explained to me part of the situation, though there were some real spotty places I could ask questions about."

"Whatever Dad told you, it was the extent to which could tell him."

"He told me that too, so I won't pry much further than that. Besides, another head under our roof won't be a bad thing. It seems like it makes things a little more lively and I'm all for it! We're just going to have to clean up that spare room and all, but you don't have your hands filled with anything today. I'll leave that to your time."

Since I already have a better grasp of what I inadvertently signed up for, I could simply tell them what was happening. However, Archer advised me to keep the nature of the Holy Grail War as a secret to those uninvolved. It played along the same lines as the reasons why so much of the Holy Grail War hadn't been known to the public. Information like that was powerful, so it must be carefully controlled.

Allegedly so. I might have completely forgotten some of the things Archer told me last night, but for a crash course, I think I retained a fair amount. Hopefully, I won't get tested on this though. My head is still feeling a bit weird from getting my brain crammed with all that knowledge, but…

Was knowing all of that supposed to be my vision a bit dizzy?

"Though, I am a bit curious about her appearance."

My mother smiled as she glanced over to Archer, causing me to sweat a bit. Hiding a few things about her background might have been simply; not so much about her cat ears and cat tail. How was I supposed to explain that away? Say that she's some hardcore cosplayer?

"She has such a beautiful shade of green hair. It almost makes me think it's natural, just because it fits so well on her. And those clothes are quite fancy. It doesn't seem like she's from around this town."

"... Is that all you see?"

"What else would I be talking about?"

I blinked, holding my breath. Her ears were still visible to me, but it was as if my mother couldn't see them at all. Either that, or she simply didn't care much about it. Oddly enough, that was equally as possible, but she should have at least inquired about it.

"Yeah, she definitely isn't from around here," I replied, going along with her assumptions. "I'm still helping her get used to everything here."

"My, my. You're taking responsibility for her quite well, Kurogane," my mother giggled. "Be sure that you keep that responsibility as far as you can. Your father expressed his good luck to you for that, didn't he? We're cheering you on!"

Suddenly, what my father said last night made more sense, but my face was turning red while keeping his best wishes and intentions in my head. My eyes turned themselves downwards, trying to evade any more contact while nervousness held me tightly.

As Archer and Shiro continued their meals, my mother leaned forwards to the guest.

"So? What's your name, dear?"

"You may call me Archer."

"Ah, it must be a foreign name. You're not from around these parts of Japan, are you?"

"No, I am not. I have my reasons for being here, but I'm afraid they're rather personal. Thus, I would rather not disclose as much as I have to."

"That's fine for me. What really matters is living in the present, not in the past, so there's no real reason for me to ask you about your background. I can already tell that you're a good person, Archer."

"Yep!" Shiro cheered. "I really like Big Sis!"

Shiro hasn't even spent more than an hour with her yet. Though, if I had pointed that out, I would have been quite the hypocrite. Who was I to say how long it should take for someone to say that they were liked? I held my tongue, trying to get some food inside of me, but it felt more difficult than usual…

"Hey, hey! Big Sis! Can we play after we have breakfast?"

"My apologies, but I'm rather busy concerning…"

Before she could answer it, I intervened. She was likely thinking about showing me more about the Holy Grail War. "W-We can keep our business for later in the day. Shiro has really taken a liking to you, so maybe it's a good idea to go play along with her request."

"Is… Is that so? If you say so, then perhaps I shall take you up on that, little Shiro."

"Yay! I'm going to be playing with Big Sis!"

"But if you want to go play with her, you have to remember to eat all your vegetables first." My mother wagged her finger, seeing the prime opportunity. "Even the icky, green ones."

"H-Huh!? Seriously!?"

"Yes. Seriously."

"B-Big Sis! You'll still play with me if I don't eat those icky green stuff, right?"

"Sorry, little Shiro. You have to do as your mother says. Your vegetables will give you the energy to be healthy, all so you can play even more. Don't you want that?"

Shiro started to pout, but Archer wasn't going to let her flail around like a fish out of water. Archer took her spoon and scooped up some of the peas on the side. She held it up to Shiro who was a bit surprised by the gesture, but after blushing a bit, Shiro bit down on the feeding. It didn't look like she was offended, just surprised and she was all ready for the next spoon from Archer.

… Where have I gone wrong in my life where I'm currently jealous of my little sister?

All in the meanwhile, my mother was smiling with an odd atmosphere surrounding her. It gave a slight shiver down my spine, like how she wasn't intent on letting go of something in her sights. And those sights… were aimed at Archer?

"Oh my, oh my. She would make a great daughter-in-law."

"C-Come again?"

"You heard me, Kurogane. Do your best, not just for your sake, but for mine as well."

"I-I, uhm… I-I do my best…"

"But I've been meaning to ask you this, Kurogane."

She looked at me, being a bit more vigilant.

"Are you feeling well?"

"Huh? W-Why wouldn't I be feeling well?"

"You simply seem under the weather this morning. You don't have the right amount of energy I see you with. As your mother, it shouldn't be surprising that I'm concerned."

My face might have been constantly turning red so much that my mother has misinterpreted it. It was probably for the best that I tried to wash my face once more to cool myself down, so I temporarily dismissed myself from the table to head over to the bathroom.

"Yeah, I-I'll just try and…"

However, I stood up too quickly, leaving that down to my mistake.

My head started to tremble with unbearable heat and I collapsed onto the floor.

My consciousness was still lingering, able to hear how my mother quickly went to my side. My breaths were beginning to feel heavier as Kuko noticed my distress, abandoning his food to nudge his soft head against me. Shiro called out for her brother in fright as I heard Archer's movements quickly coming around to check on me.

Everything else became foggy, including the few minutes that transpired afterwards.

When my consciousness returned, it hadn't been a few minutes that had passed, but instead, it was an hour or two. I was brought over into my room as my mother concluded that I was struck with a heavy fever. I didn't think it was too bad at first, but when I found myself in my bed, all of that weight was suddenly deciding to crash right into my body. The blankets felt like they were being weighed down by an incredible force, preventing myself from taking any of it off.

Being by my side, my mother had been tending to my illness. As I woke back up, she was in the middle of replacing the wet towel on my forehead, trying to cool down the body temperature. When our eyes met, she had a sigh of relief, only for it to transition to a stern glare. It wasn't difficult to feel ashamed, only being held back by my rapidly deteriorating condition and sluggish pace.

"Kurogane? How did this happen?"

There wasn't a way to lie out of this one, mainly because it was probably a rhetorical question or one for mere confirmation. My mother was smart enough to piece together the situation with what my father told her.

"I might… have been caught in the rain last night…"

"And you didn't take your rain jacket with you? Not even an umbrella?"

"I… I did take a rain jacket with me, but…"

"If I have to guess, you gave it to Archer for her to wear. Am I right?"

"Y-Yeah. I just thought she was getting really wet, but I only had one rain jacket with me. I did my best to get back home after handing it to her as quickly as possible, but it wasn't enough."

My mother sighed, but held a small chuckle to herself. "At least you got a fever while being a gentleman. I can't say that I approve of it, but I can't say I disapprove of it either. I'll just mark it up to a result of no contest."

"T-Thanks…?"

Not sure if she was trying to cheer me up or berate me. As she spoke, she handed me some medicine, over-the-counter ones that would help treat the symptoms, and I quickly consumed it without hesitation. It still had the bitter taste that I disliked, but they say the more bitter it is, the better quality it has. Highly doubt it, but it's the only medicine for fevers we have, so I'm stuck with it either way.

"But still, I didn't think being exposed to the rain would give you such a bad fever. Your temperature isn't bad enough to take you to the hospital, but your face looks so pale. Did you forget to warm yourself up when you came back home? I didn't think I heard a shower being run late last night."

"I might have… completely forgotten."

In my defense, I was way too embarrassed to have taken one. After what I said to Archer last night, I immediately ran up to my room and covered myself in blankets, occasionally screaming into my pillow with no ounces of self-empathy.

My mother merely sighed. "Oh, Kurogane. You're in high school now, not a child who doesn't understand something as basic as that. Sometimes, I fear for your health with that mentality of yours, but there's nothing we can do about the past now. I still think your fever feels somewhat unusual though."

Without a doubt, I'd be inclined to agree, but the oddity of this fever was still rather severe. I've been rained on a few times during my life, but even without a warm shower, I never fell down this hard before. It was a head-scratcher for me, but I tried to recall the times I did have a fever to a relevant caliber.

The last time I had one was probably when I was younger, but something struck me as odd about that. It was the time when I went to the Mihoji Forest as a child and saw the manor. That was when my last terrible fever hit me to sink myself into my bed like this, but surely, that had to have been a coincidence…

My thought conceded when I saw the door behind my mother opened up slightly. From its crack, my sister popped her head inside. Behind my sister, Archer had been standing by, but when Shiro failed to come in, Archer proceeded to push the door further wide, so that they could enter. Archer looked at me, shaking her head slightly in utter disappointment.

"H-Hey, Arch—"

"I believe this is the part where I say that I told you so."

"And let you get hit with the rain?"

"Did you forget what I told you yesterday? It was honestly better for you to keep the rain jacket with the amount of rain that was pouring last night."

"Ugh…"

Servants couldn't become sick.

I wasn't sure if she was telling the truth or if it was a minor fib, but I wasn't willing to figure that out through experiments. At least, at the time. With my mother raising some curiosities, there wasn't a sure way to explain what she meant by that to her, but she didn't pay much attention to it.

"You should be appreciating Archer, Kurogane," my mother chuckled. "She was the one that helped carry you up to your room. She's surprisingly very strong for someone of her body type."

"Huh? You did that, Archer?"

"There was no other way around it," she nodded. "I couldn't simply allow you to be sprawling on the ground, worrying your family like that. I merely did what I should have done."

"She's such a nice girl too!"

"T-Thanks, Archer."

"Please. Do not mention it."

Gratitude bloomed in my chest, easing my heavy breaths to a slight degree. I wished I was somewhat conscious to experience it, but beggars couldn't be choosers. I should be thankful that she decided to help me out in such a personal way.

"Look at you, making a girl like Archer doing all the work here."

"M-Mom, please stop…"

"In any case, I apologize for this occurrence, Missus Yoshida." Archer turned, bowing her bow gracefully before my mother. "I should have been more insistent for your son to keep the rain jacket. I have always had a resistance to the cold rain since I was little, so a little rain like that shouldn't have done much to me."

"Don't blame yourself, dear. Kurogane has always been a bit slow when it came to things like that. You probably already told him last night, but he probably didn't listen for a single second. He has a tendency to play his own tune, regardless of what everyone else thinks."

"I'm literally right here, Mom."

"But don't you worry yourself," she continued, ignoring my comment. "Kurogane only helped you out of his good will. I wouldn't have expected him to do anything else besides that."

"I'm afraid that would have been the case."

Archer sighed heavily, as if such a thing was bothersome. However, she glanced back at me like how she did for the surroundings in the forest, scanning it for anything out of the ordinary. Wait, was she looking out for me? When our eyes met, she reluctantly turned away.

"So is Big Bro going to be alright?" Shiro came over to my bed, leaning in and keeping her hands on its comfortable surface. "How bad is your fever?"

"It's nothing to be worried about." A great mustering of my strength was needed to make a mere smile, as gentle as it could have been. "It'll pass before the day ends, hopefully."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure of that, Shiro. I'll be up before you know it."

"But why were you playing out in the rain anyways? Mommy always says not to do that or else this might happen."

"Ah, it was an honest mistake. I wanted to help out Archer and this ended up being one of the results. I'd probably do it again though, but your big brother is a bit stupid, right?"

"Everyone makes mistakes! Big Bro isn't stupid because you were helping Big Sis!"

A wind of gusto bellowed in my chest as I tried raising my arm. Unfortunately, my arm was stuck underneath the blanket, so that gesture had to be abandoned rather quickly. "L-Look, why don't you go and play with Archer for now? I'll be fine by myself here, alright?"

Shiro looked like she wanted to stay to watch out for me, but Archer was on my side this time. She helped me out by caressing my sister's shoulders. "Your big brother needs time to sleep. That's how he'll get better even quicker, little Shiro. You want him to get better, right?"

My sister was old enough to know how fevers would play out and more importantly, she knew it wasn't anything life-threatening. After all, she's gotten a fever once herself before, but it didn't change her worrying stance for me.

"G-Get well soon, okay!?"

"Yes, I know. It's a promise," I weakly chuckled. "Have fun with Archer."

"Okay, but when you get better, you have to come out and play with us too!"

"I get it, I get it. Now, hurry up. I don't want to be wasting your precious playtime with Big Sis Archer, you know. Oh and uh, Archer? Look after Shiro for me, alright?"

"You did not need to remind me of such an obvious task. I'll be sure that your little sister enjoys herself. It's what all children her age should do."

Shiro nodded as Archer brought her back out of the room. She gave a few glances backwards before Archer closed the door, forcing me to keep up appearances in order for her to leave with as much confidence as she could. On the other hand, Archer probably had a sense of how badly I was feeling.

Underneath all of her glares, I felt like she was trying to look out for me. Or that could have merely been my wishful imagination going wild, but there was no real use in thinking too much into that. None of it was going to accelerate my healing from this fever.

"I'll be heading off to make some porridge for you. If you need anything, don't be afraid to scream out. Kitchen is right downstairs, so it'll be easy for me to hear."

"I think I'm mentally incapable with fatigue to do that now, Mom."

"What a terrible shame. Then you'll have to hope that a mother's intuition is good enough."

Sometimes, I have no idea if she's trying to mess with me or not, but I suppose I was lucky to have a caring mother like her. She left most of the necessities for dealing with fevers, like a bowl of water, extra towels and even some drinking water, so if I really did need something, I could try and tend to myself. Though, I believe the implication was to focus on resting, rather than to act on those preparations.

It gave me time to be by myself, trying to keep some shut-eye. Without much else to do, this was probably the best time to try and review the information that Archer told me last night. If I can recall it in this weakened state of mine, it'll be snugly tucked in my pockets for certainty when I have to rely on that memory again.

"What's up, Kurogane!?"

Well, that lasted for a good ten minutes. I didn't even get to cover the majority of what Archer went over, lingering between the rules of the Holy Grail War. Maybe that vague sound of a doorbell could have been my hint to brace myself, but unfortunately, I was in no condition to do that.

What I did do is reluctantly groan as I watched my new intruders waltz right inside my room like it was a Tuesday for them. My mother likely let them into the house, thinking it might be for the best to have some company that were more less worrying of me. If it wasn't obvious yet, that was sarcasm.

"Actually. What the hell, Riku?"

"Ri-Ri, Kuro has a fever!" Eriko followed my childhood friend into my room, shushing him quite sternly. "Don't make loud noises. You have to be considerate of the sick."

"It's just Kurogane. He'll appreciate the ruckus."

"I hate you too."

"See? He's already better!"

Riku pulled up a chair from my desk, acting like it was his room as usual, and dropped himself down. His arms leaned onto the backside of the seat, sitting in reverse of its proper use. Eriko merely sighed while remaining to stand right next to the bed. There weren't any real alternatives for me from this situation, was there? I resigned to my fate and turned to Riku.

"So, how are you handling it, man?"

"Wallet's in the little space behind the counter. Far left, underneath the cash register."

"Not what I wanted to ask first, but I guess we're skipping the foreplay."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Allow me to rewind a bit," I groaned, trying to clear my throat. "I've been great, Riku! How have you been this fine morning? Unfortunately, I've come down with a sudden fever and can't do much of anything right now."

"Cool. Alright, where's my wallet?"

"Wallet's in the little space behind the counter. Far left, underneath the cash register." Playing that back perfectly for him in the same dead tone, I'm inclined to say that was a pretty good comedy routine. It's a shame I'm too tired to laugh it off. "How the hell did you even drop your wallet anyways?"

"Honestly, that's what I want to know. I thought I was still in my pocket when I left, but when I checked my pants after getting home, it was missing! I only figured out that you had it back at the cafe and I wanted to get some confirmation that you'd open the door for me when I would swing by, but..."

Riku took out his phone, wagging it before us. "I never got a response until after midnight, which is frankly crazy. Did you really think I would be awake by then?"

"Not really…"

Talking with Riku felt more like dealing with him, so it was for the best that I cut the conversation here before it started to get annoying any further. Giving him a heavy sigh to clue him in, I turned my head away from them.

"If you're done here, I'd like to actually get some sleep."

"Oh, sure. I got what I came for, to check on you and to check where my wallet was. I'll be back up though, because I can't just let my friend suffer by himself. Your mom said for us to help out in whatever way we could while she finishes up your porridge."

"Then take half of this fever off of me and alleviate this suffering."

"I'd rather not."

He got back up from my chair and slid it over to where it belonged. Eriko helped position it just right, so it looked better than the casual return Riku handed me, but Riku stopped before grabbing the door. He turned around with a scratching to his head.

"Uh, wait. You didn't take any money from me, right?"

"Do you think I would? If you have to ask, there's your answer."

"Yeah, you got a point."

My friend left quite hastily, leaving his girlfriend alone in the room with me. All that was finished here was my business with Riku, getting the lost wallet to its owner. There were still issues I needed to clear up with Eriko and by comparison, there needed to be more thought placed into my words. I tried pushing myself upwards to give some precedence to her, causing her to keep her attention on me.

"Huh? Kuro, you shouldn't be getting up like that."

"Yeah, I could say the same about being sent cryptic messages."

Silence filled the air. Maybe I should have been a little more tactful, but I couldn't simply reset the atmosphere here. Still though, Eriko kept her face away and her expressions hidden, making me more suspicious than I was ever before.

"I wouldn't call them cryptic, but I guess I should be faulted with your fever…" After her pause, Eriko took the chair that Riku pushed in, seating herself in a cordial manner. She was starting to acknowledge it, so I slumped myself back into my bed.

"Yeah, I wouldn't have ran out into the rain if you were being more clear on what you were saying. Are you supposed to be a riddle-oriented villain from a manga?"

"Ahaha… I guess you could just think of it as a prank?" Her eyes turned away awkwardly, trying to make light of the situation. Even if she wasn't looking, I know she can feel my vicious glare.

"I ran out into the rain, frightened that something might have happened to you two. And I ended up getting a bad fever from it. For a prank."

"I-I was pretty convincing, wasn't I?"

"That's not the issue!" I would be shaking this girl's shoulders if I hadn't been severely bedridden. "Why would you do that!?"

"Now, you shouldn't be raising your voice like that," she wryly chuckled. "You wouldn't want to make your fever worse by heightening your blood pressure's levels."

"I'm not even sure if that's how it works, but…" I sighed, trying to calm myself down. There wasn't any reason to get up and arms about what happened, especially if it might end up demeriting me further down to my illness. Just not in the way Eriko was thinking.

"Uhm, maybe you can call it a decision made in the spur of the moment? Y-Yeah, I thought it would be funny to do so, but I didn't account for the fact that rain was getting heavier."

"Glad to hear that I'm in bed because of a decision made in the spur of a moment."

"C-C'mon, don't be like that. I'm really sorry, okay? If it makes you feel any better, we couldn't even find the manor."

"And how exactly does that make me feel better?"

"Uhm… Not sure."

There's no real way to figure out what Eriko might have been thinking. To be honest, I don't even think her boyfriend can predict her sometimes, but that little space of ambiguity wasn't a dealbreaker to our friendship. It was only a fleeting wish that Eriko would be a bit more clearer on what she wanted to say here, but if she wanted to keep her decisions to herself, she'll at least have to deal with the guilt of kicking her close friend into a bed.

However, there was still something I needed to know about. Her little prank might have explained the phone call I made to her before I departed, but the strange lingering of her text message was still in the air. And if I had some vision as to how that was going to play out, she was likely going to play it off like it was nothing. If I asked about it, I wouldn't even know where to start.

["Thanks for finding Riku's wallet and checking up on us."]

["Seriously. I mean it."]

By itself, it wasn't anything to mention, but I was still thrown off at the time stamp. She could have simply sent it at some coincidental time as I departed the forest, but if it was truly a prank, there hadn't been a reason to thank him for checking up on them.

And that final line felt like… it was disjointed from the first one…

Should I push for more information? Or rather, do I even have the mental strength to push for more information? All this thinking was making me more tired than ever before, but as long as Eriko is around, I could always ask her after my fever gets better.

I wanted to check my phone, to make sure I wasn't imagining that message.

As I thought about Riku a bit more, concerning that text, I noticed a difference between Eriko's treatment and Riku's treatment of me. With my childhood friend being more of his usual self, Eriko seemed like she was holding herself back a bit, as if she was indecisive about something.

"Wait, does Riku not know why I ran out in the rain last night?"

"I… rather not let him know. He might think badly of me."

"I'm rather certain he wouldn't care, as long that I'm not dead, but I suppose that guilt of yours is building up too quickly."

"I said I was sorry, alright?" Eriko pouted, holding her dainty hands into a fist. "Look, I'll even make it up to you since you did something for me. How about I take you out on a shopping trip? All expenses will be on me!"

Since you did something for me? Didn't you just say it was a prank? What did Eriko mean by that? Was it even worth bringing it up? With such a decision, I purely focused on keeping the conversation's atmosphere light for now.

"You sure Riku won't get jealous you're taking me on a date?" I snidely commented. "A guy and a girl go together to do some shopping. Isn't that the fine definition of one?"

"Ri-Ri knows there's nothing between us except for a good friendship. Are you saying you don't know Ri-Ri enough to know that he would be understanding?"

"Are you saying you don't know me well enough to understand that was a joke?" I made a sorry excuse for a chuckle, causing Eriko to giggled a bit at our harmless banter. "Anyways, if you're really feeling bad, you don't really need to do anything. I'll be fine and besides, Riku won't think of much if we go out together, but he will hold something against me if he finds out you're paying for everything."

"Ah, he doesn't really need to know that part…"

"Though, thanks for the gesture. If I do need something else, I'll just use this as leverage."

"That's pretty rude of you."

"Sending me into the rain was kinda rude too, not gonna lie."

We both smiled at each other, letting her know that I wasn't holding anything against her. As my mother said, we can't really do anything about the past now, so we just have to think about what we can do in the present and for the future. I wasn't planning to hold Eriko accountable for anything anyways because I still received some closure to her random messages.

Perhaps, I would have to even thank Eriko. If it hadn't been for her prank, I probably wouldn't have met Archer to begin with. Though, that did beg the question for me. If they didn't find the manor like how I did, was it possible that they stumbled across that ritual circle as well?

Even with all that was said, it would have been easier to believe Eriko, but I still wasn't convinced she was telling the truth. Although, she wouldn't lie without a good reason to do it, so maybe I should drop the subject where it stood.

"Oh, it's Eriko!"

My sister popped into my room again and noticed the visitor at my bedside. Shiro ran into the room to meet her, holding up her hands. Eriko turned around and did the same by some sheer instinct of her calling voice. They clapped their hands together, grasping it playfully as they grinned to each other.

"Ya'ello, Eriko!"

"Ya'ello, Shi-Shi!"

Both Shiro and Eriko were good friends with each other, despite the age gap. They got along really easily, so much so that I'm afraid that Shiro sometimes picks up some of the things that Eriko says on a regular basis. Eriko was at least observant enough to know she was a role model for my little sister, so she always acted in kind.

"How have you've been doing? Has your summer been fun, Shi-Shi? Hopefully, Kuro has been nice to you this entire time!"

"Hey, hey. What are you trying to imply?"

"Yeah! We went on a fun trip to an amusement park earlier! I started to learn how to play the flute! I also got a new big sister this morning! I was playing with her until I heard your voice down the hall, so I wanted to let you meet her!"

"Ah, that's wonder—"

Eriko froze in her stance. I could literally see the gears turning in her brain, trying to relapse what she had just heard. Her smiling eyes kept closed, trying to hide the fact that she was engulfed with question marks in her head.

"Shi-Shi? Could you repeat that last one?"

"I got a big sister this morning! She's really pretty! Big Bro brought her here!" Shiro, without recognizing Eriko's confusion, released her hands and turned to the door. "Big Sis! Can you come in already?"

"I can't be moving as quickly as you, little Shiro."

Eriko glanced up to see Archer walking in, returning to her a silent gaze. For some reason, I felt chills down my spine when their eyes met up with each other, but Eriko was slightly trembling for whatever reason.

"You are a friend of his?" Archer asked.

"Why, I most certainly am! I came over here to check up on my dear friend, Kuro!" Regaining her composure, Eriko clapped her hands together with a smile. A nervous chuckle emerged from her. "My name is Eriko. What's your name?"

"... It's Archer. A pleasure to meet you."

Was it me or had Eriko been shaking a bit more? It was for a brief moment, but it continued with his tied tongue. She really didn't know what to say in this situation, a brand new scene for me to see. I didn't think an extroverted gal like her would have been incapable of pushing a conversation for the sake of the conversation.

"Eriko? Is there anything wrong?"

"Yeah, Eriko?" Shiro tried to go on her tippy-toes, reaching for Eriko's forehead unsuccessfully. "Do you have a fever like my brother too? Your face is getting red."

"N-No, I'm just a bit taken back," she blushed, trying to wipe the rose cheeks away. "The mere sight of her took my breath away, being so beautiful and all. Even someone like me knows her place compared to Archer's wonderful style. I have to appreciate that cosplay dedication too!"

Huh? Cosplay?

"I know, right!?"

Shiro nodded affirmatively with passion. I would have as well, but that would make the Yoshida siblings look like complete weirdos that got lovestruck with a complete stranger. Not that we apparently aren't. Maybe it even extends to my mother, considering how easily she wanted Archer in the family.

"Anyways, I would ask that you give our fever-induced victim some space," Archer continued. I only noticed that Archer was holding a tray in her hands, approaching my tableside to place it down. That was the reason why she was moving more slowly than Shiro. "His mother has finished the meal he needs for an effective recovery."

On the tray, it was some rice porridge that was watered down for easy ingestion. It wasn't steaming hot, but I could still see the warmth rise from the food. There were plumed vegetables on the top to help with the cold, given their nutritious reputation for fighting them off. It was as normal as what a mother would make for their children to fend off against their fevers.

"Oh, then I guess we should be off," Eriko chuckled. "I'll go tell Ri-Ri that our job is done here."

"You literally did nothing."

"Don't be like that! Sometimes, knowing that people care about you enough to check up when you're sick is great! If we could do something to help out, we certainly would." With cheerful fanfare, there wasn't any way to refute such a truth, but she knew that I didn't mean to say that in such a heavy tone. That was just the fever settling in even more, coming to pitching a tent for camping out in my body.

"You would do the same, right?"

"Of course I would, Eriko." I rose myself up from the bed, trying to fight back against the gravity of my illness. "Now, I gotta eat. I didn't get anything in my stomach the entire morning, so I'm feeling really hungry. I'll see you later, once I don't look terrible."

"I'll be counting on it."

Eriko quickly made her way out of the room, as Archer kept her eyes on my friend until the door shut. It left us three alone together, but if I was going to finally do the rest of mine, I should do it on a full stomach. I tried to reach for porridge, but as Archer saw how slowly I was going, she picked it up and placed it carefully onto my lap.

My spoon hovered over the porridge, leaving myself to stare at the whites of the rice. My arms still weren't moving as well as I wanted them to, but as I finally found the strength to scoop up a spoon, my sister glanced at Archer.

"Big Sis, Big Sis. Big Bro might be having a tough time eating, so could you help feed him?"

Oh my god. I love you, Shiro. Your big brother will make sure he spoils you with gifts the next time we go out shopping together.

However, I merely stammered with dumbfoundedness. The logic hasn't effectively reached my brain yet, leaving a nervous mess of realizing that the girl I love was offered to feed me. Archer herself looked puzzled, but there was such a pleading expression on my sister's face.

My idiotic self started to make excuses, not wanting to die from embarrassment.

"I-I can feed myself just fine, Shiro. There's no need to make Archer feed me if she doesn't want to. I would feel I'm imposing myself onto her, right?"

"But Mom feeds me all the time when I'm sick. You can't move your body very easily when you're sick, right?"

"A-Ah, I guess you're right, but…"

I casually peered over to Archer, worried about what she might say. Her face was still unreadable as always, but there seemed to be unrest lying between the unspoken words. She never broke her cold exterior to me, but she still approached the bowl, reaching out for my spoon to take it for herself.

"If it's a request to make little Shiro happy, I don't mind it. Just don't get any wrong ideas."

"Y-Yes, ma'am."

With a stiffened body, I savoured the sight of Archer taking the bowl and scooping out a spoon, only for it to be held before my mouth. Some hesitation arose, but after a brave gulp, I leaned forward and bit down, swallowing the porridge with a flustered expression. I honestly didn't think my heart could take anymore of this, but my sister was really content with watching me get better.

My body and my mind was able to rest once the porridge was finished. With a sparkling smile, Shiro was happy to leave with Archer's hand in hers, wishing me to get well soon. With a defeated chuckle, I merely waved and allowed them to go off to play what they wanted to do. Alone at last, with no foreseen interruptions left on the menu, I closed my eyes, trying to sleep by reflecting on what I was trying to think about beforehand.

Although, I didn't make it that far. After a few minutes, I slowly lost consciousness in a deep sleep. I'd wish myself some sweet dreams, but I've always been bad at remembering what happens in them when I wake up. It would still feel nice to experience them in the moment, I hope.