Chapter Four: “The Princess Wants to Be Chosen by the Prince” — Part Eight

“…Oh no.”

The number on the thermometer made my head throb even harder. I tried to sit up, but my whole body was too heavy and only my head would move.
Thirty-eight point two. A proper fever.

What do I do?! It’s not influenza, is it? I’ll be better by Sunday, right?
I can still make the date with Iori-senpai, right?!

After parting with Yuuri yesterday and coming home, I’d spent hours going over the Sunday date in my head. The most efficient route around the aquarium. What to do if it rained.

Since I didn’t know whether Senpai was the type to breeze through quickly or read every single exhibit label carefully, I’d worked through all the possible scenarios.

And this was the result. Yuuri had told me it was probably a stress fever.
I drank the cold water my mother had left by my pillow and closed my eyes. She’d offered to take me to the hospital, but I’d said no — I was too afraid of finding out it was something contagious.

It was fine. Today was only Friday, and Sunday was still two days away. Plenty of time to recover and make the date.

“I can’t tell Iori-senpai I’m home sick.”

We didn’t have lunch plans today, and it wasn’t a watering duty day. If I stayed quiet, she’d have no way of knowing I wasn’t at school.

The last thing I needed was for her to suggest cancelling the date.
Please, universe. You can give me as much fever as you like after the date — just let me get through it properly first.

I sent the prayer up silently. No reply, of course, but it must have reached somewhere.

☆★☆★☆★☆★

The doorbell, ringing and ringing, pulled me awake.
I grabbed my phone to check the time. Five forty. I’d slept the whole afternoon away.

“…Who is it, though.”

Too early for either of my parents to be home. A delivery, maybe.
I wanted to ignore it and go back to sleep, but it just kept going.

Fine. I’d actually felt a little better after sleeping, so I might as well answer.

I put on my glasses from the bedside table and climbed out of bed. Before opening the front door, I checked the monitor, and saw Yuuri.

She came to check on me.

Unexpected, but maybe my mother had asked her. That would explain why she’d kept ringing so insistently.

It’s just Yuuri, I can answer in my pyjamas.

“Coming.”

I unlocked the door and opened it slowly. And my brain stopped completely.

“Himena-chan, I came to see how you’re doing.”
“What?!”

Standing there with a little wave, the most beautiful face in the world — Iori-senpai.

Wait. No. This is bad! I’m bare-faced with my glasses on!!

Without even managing a greeting, I turned and retreated straight back to my room.

There was no way I could let Senpai see me like this!

My hair was a mess from sleeping, I didn’t have my contacts in, and above all I wasn’t wearing a single scrap of makeup. There was no version of this where Iori-senpai saw me looking like this.

But also — why was Iori-senpai here?! She had club practice today!!

I dove onto my bed and pulled the duvet over my head. A moment later, the bedroom door opened and I heard footsteps.

“Himena-chan, why are you running away?”

The faint hint of a pout in Senpai’s voice made my heart jump.

I want to see Senpai’s face right now! But I don’t want her seeing mine!

“Yu, Yuuri! What is going on?!”

Yuuri of all people should have understood that I wouldn’t want Senpai seeing me like this. And she’d brought her anyway without so much as a warning message.

“…Sorry. I did tell her you’d hate it…”

Yuuri sounded genuinely uncomfortable. But that didn’t make it fine.

Senpai had seen me like this!!

“Himena-chan, I’m sorry. I’m the one who pushed Yuuri into bringing me. This is entirely my fault.”

Senpai laid a hand softly on the edge of my bed, but made no move to pull the duvet away.

“…Don’t you have practice, Senpai?”
“I told my coach I’d be an hour late. So I have to head back soon.”

A slight urgency in Senpai’s voice, and with that, Yuuri quietly excused herself and left the room. In the silence that followed, Iori-senpai moved closer.
She sat on the edge of the bed and stroked my head through the duvet.

“I’m sorry. I was worried about you.”

The gentleness of her voice made my eyes sting. I’m sorry, Iori-senpai. You came all this way.
I was happy she was here. And equally determined not to let her see my face right now.

“…And I was a little lonely, too. You didn’t tell me anything.”
“Iori-senpai…”
“Himena-chan. I want to see your face.”