“Glad you’re on board — now strip.”
“I never said I was on board?”
“Hmm — this isn’t moving forward. Your big sister will do it.”
“H-hey!”
I tried to resist. Normally I wouldn’t lose strength to a woman, but the fever had drained me.
The push-and-pull went back and forth, then I started losing. Hook undone, pants yanked.
”…If my mom walks in and sees you straddling me on the bed pulling my pants off, how exactly do you plan to explain that?”
“I was just trying to take Yuito’s virginity?”
“Please don’t casually invent a worse lie — that explanation makes things catastrophically worse…”
It would look exactly like reverse-rape-in-progress. Then she said the most outrageous thing yet.
“Then if we actually do it for real, it won’t be a lie, right?”
”…What?”
“Besides — they say colds get better if you pass them on, so think of it as treatment.”
“There is no medical basis for that. And even hypothetically, I cannot do it without protection.”
“Oh — I bought these too at the same time.”
She pulled a rectangular box from the bag — 0.01 printed large on the label. I’d never used one, but I knew exactly what it was.
”…Why are you buying condoms on a sick visit?”
“They were on the shelf next to the meds — picked them up on impulse.”
“That is not an impulse purchase!”
I’d die of shame buying condoms at the register.
“So — contraception sorted. No more obstacles, right?”
“Many obstacles! Many!”
She’d slid her hand into my boxers. I stopped her with everything I had. I’m in love with Suzuno — getting physical with Kano was bad on multiple axes.
“For someone saying that, your body already looks pretty ready to go.”
“That is — a physiological reaction.”
My lower half was making its case painfully. Telling a guy to not react in this situation was unreasonable.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take the lead on everything.”
“W-wait — are you actually serious?”
“Yep. Naturally.”
She got the boxers off. The last gate held the whole time fell.
Apology to Suzuno in my heart — and a quieter part of me was almost glad about what was happening with Kano. I couldn’t tell my own feelings apart anymore. I never would have felt this before.
I was watching her, straddling me, starting to undress, when my consciousness started to slip.
The cold-plus-physical-exertion catching up, maybe. Or maybe the gods punishing me for cheating in spirit on Suzuno with Kano.
“Suzuno, I’m sorry…”
That was the last thing I muttered before I blacked out.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
”…Huh?”
“Oh, you’re up. It’s already lunch.”
Kano was standing by the bed with a tray. The memory came back. Right — she’d been about to take my first and I lost consciousness. I checked myself frantically — no signs of anything having happened.
“By the way — you were dead asleep when I got here. What were you dreaming about?”
“Huh?”
“You were apologizing to Suzuno in your sleep. Curious.”
“N-nothing in particular.”
So… everything had been a dream? Of course — Kano coming on to me like that had to be a dream.
I haven’t relieved myself in a while, maybe I’m pent up. I’d handle it solo after she left. I just downloaded a fresh batch of childhood-friend ero-manga, so material wasn’t a problem.
“Eat the okayu, then take your meds and stay in bed.”
“W-wait — those meds aren’t suppositories, right?”
“Obviously not. Or — does Yuito want big sister to administer suppositories?”
“I’m not into that particular niche, thank you.”
I scrambled to deny. Right — normal people don’t buy suppositories. The fever and pent-up frustration must have given me a weird dream.
“I have English at past 1, so I should head out.”
“Yes — thank you for coming today.”
As she was leaving, I caught her profile — looked somehow sad. Her eyes were a bit puffy and red.
I had no idea what was sad. My chest hurt. I considered calling out — and as I was still thinking it, she was gone.