<Sophia’s PoV>
“――Mnn?” (Sophia)
The soft chirping of little birds slowly woke me up.
I didn’t remember going to sleep last night… but somehow, I had drifted off.
When did I—
“――You’re awake?” (Kento)
“…Eh?” (Sophia)
My mind froze for a moment as his face appeared in front of me.
Why… why is he here? Why is Shirakawa-kun in my room…?
“~~~!? W-what are you doing!? Why are you in my room!?” (Sophia)
“Calm down, your fever will go up again if you get worked up.” (Kento)
“That’s impossible…! You’re in my room, you must have done something weird—!” (Sophia)
I stopped myself there, realizing something.
After living with him for a while, I’d come to learn something about him—he’s not the kind to do anything reckless.
There was no way he would do something like taking advantage of me while I was in bed.
So, there must have been another reason for him being here—and then I recalled his words: “Your fever will go up again if you get worked up.”
…Ugh… My head is starting to hurt…
“Hey, you’re holding your head. Does it hurt?” (Kento)
He asked gently, clearly concerned about my actions.
“It’s not that… It hurts, but it’s not that kind of pain…” (Sophia)
“…?” (Kento)
He tilted his head in confusion, not understanding what I meant.
But I didn’t want to explain it.
My head really does hurt… How could I complain to him, the one who took care of me?
“Are you really okay?” (Kento)
“Yeah, I’m fine…” (Sophia)
It’s just my heart that hurts; my body has fully recovered.
I owe that to him for taking care of me.
“I’m glad to hear that.” (Kento)
He must have really been worried about me.
He gave me a genuinely kind smile.
“—-!” (Sophia)
That smile made me hide my face in the blankets.
“Hey, are you really okay…?” (Kento)
“I told you, I’m fine…” (Sophia)
It’s just that right now, I can’t show my face…
“But your ears are red. Did your fever come back…?” (Kento)
I lifted the blanket up to cover my face, but it seemed I wasn’t fully hidden.
“Baka…“ (Sophia)
This fever wasn’t caused by a simple cold, but something else entirely.
He’s usually sharp, but when it comes to things like this, he’s so dense…
“…Well, just don’t overdo it. If you’re still tired, you can sleep some more.” (Kento)
It seemed like he misunderstood why I hid under the blanket.
But right now, it was more convenient for me that he thought that way.
Since he didn’t seem like he was planning on leaving the room, he was likely going to continue taking care of me.
“You’re not sleeping, are you…? You should sleep in your own room…” (Sophia)
“I’ll sleep properly later.” (Kento)
“I see…” (Sophia)
He was so stubborn that no matter how much I tried to persuade him, he wouldn’t rest until I did.
So, I decided to take advantage of his words and allowed myself to fall asleep again.
Of course, I made sure to turn my back to him and close my eyes so he wouldn’t see my sleeping face.
And when I finally woke up, it was already noon.
◆
“Ah, you made porridge again…” (Sophia)
When Shirakawa-kun brought the freshly made porridge to me, I couldn’t help but smile a little.
But I didn’t want him to see me in such a sloppy state, so I quickly looked down.
“Your fever’s gone, but your cold’s not fully healed yet. It might not taste great, but please eat it.” (Kento)
“You don’t have to be so modest…” (Sophia)
I already knew it tasted good enough.
“Do you have the strength to eat?” (Kento)
“If I said no, would you feed me…?” (Sophia)
I glanced at him, hoping for an answer.
He shifted his gaze nervously, scratching his cheek in embarrassment.
“Well, if you can’t muster the strength, you might burn yourself trying to eat. Sophia, if you don’t mind, I can feed you.” (Kento)
His face had a faint blush, and it was clear that he was embarrassed.
Even for someone like me, he still recognized me as a girl.
Strangely enough, I felt happy about that now.
In the past, I would have hated being treated this way.
“Well… I don’t want to burn myself, so—wait a minute.” (Sophia)
I suddenly paused, feeling that something was off.
“What’s wrong…?” (Kento)
He asked, but he wouldn’t look me in the eye.
It felt like he knew what I was going to say.
“What did you just call me?” (Sophia)
“……S-Sophia.” (Kento)
Shirakawa-kun turned his face away and, looking flustered, called my name.
So I wasn’t mistaken after all!
“Why are you suddenly calling me by my first name…!?” (Sophia)
“No, it’s just that Sophia told me to call her that…!” (Kento)
“I did!? There’s no way I—!” (Sophia)
I was about to argue, but then a bad memory crossed my mind.
…No, wait. I didn’t want to think about it.
It was faint, but I could clearly remember saying something like that in my dream, acting all cute and clingy toward him.
Except, that wasn’t just a dream…!
“~~~~!!” (Sophia)
Embarrassed, I buried myself deep into the blanket.
I can’t take this anymore!
Why do I have to keep going through such embarrassing situations…!?
What in the world did I even do…!?
“U-Um, are you okay…?” (Kento)
Just like before bed, Shirakawa-kun spoke with a worried tone.
“If there’s a hole, I’d want to crawl into it…” (Sophia)
No, actually, I just want to disappear…
This is enough shame for a lifetime…
“Well… if you don’t like it, I can go back to calling you Frost-san…?” (Kento)
Seeing me writhing in embarrassment, he must’ve misunderstood and thought I didn’t like it.
Shirakawa-kun made that suggestion.
“……It’s fine… I don’t care anymore…” (Sophia)
“No, but…” (Kento)
“I said it’s fine!” (Sophia)
If I let him switch back to calling me by Frost, it would just make it seem like I’m actually conscious of it…!
Even though I’m going through all this embarrassment, I need to make sure he doesn’t think I’m aware of him…!
That’s right, I just need to stay calm, stay calm…
“Well, if Sophia is fine with it, then I guess it’s fine…” (Kento)
When he called me by my name, an uncomfortable yet pleasant feeling washed over me.
It was like a mix of embarrassment and happiness… that kind of feeling.
“Won’t you eat your porridge? It’ll get cold…” (Kento)
As Shirakawa-kun said, if I don’t eat it now, the porridge will get cold.
He had made it for me, so it would be rude to let it cool down.
“Y-Yeah, you’re right… I, I mean, I might accidentally burn myself, so… um…” (Sophia)
I said that as I poked my face out from under the blanket, trying to steer the conversation back to the earlier exchange.
Having never really relied on anyone before, I didn’t know how to act when I needed to depend on someone.
Especially after I’d treated him so badly, I couldn’t suddenly become honest and clingy… so I ended up coming up with an excuse.
“Got it…” (Kento)
He said, his voice tense, as he awkwardly took the porridge from my hand.
Then, after blowing on it with his breath, he scooped it up with the spoon and offered it to me.
“Here, ah~n.” (Kento)
“…Ah~n.” (Sophia)
When it came time for him to feed me, the embarrassment surged within me, but I obediently opened my mouth.
As the spoon entered my mouth, I used my lips to pull out just the porridge inside.
When the spoon left my mouth, I slowly began to chew.
“It’s delicious…” (Sophia)
“I’m glad to hear that.” (Kento)
When I honestly shared my thoughts, he smiled happily.
Just seeing that smile made my heart race.
“Take your time to eat, okay?” (Sophia)
He said that and once again offered me the spoon with more porridge.
Not wanting this moment to end, I took him up on his offer and slowly continued eating the porridge.
And then, when that warm and comforting moment came to an end…
“Thank you for the meal.” (Sophia)
Having finished the porridge, I put my hands together and bowed my head.
It was really delicious.
My mom’s cooking is also very good, but this porridge has a different kind of deliciousness.
It was, how should I say, something that warmed my heart…
Though I could never say that to him.
“It was a simple meal. Since you just ate, don’t overdo it, okay?” (Kento)
“Yeah, I know.” (Sophia)
“I’ll go wash the dishes, so if you need anything, just call me.” (Kento)
He said that and got up from his chair.
He’s really considerate…
“I’m sorry, not only did I make you take the day off from club activities, but I’ve also made you take care of me…” (Sophia)
I was about to continue, but suddenly, an unsettling feeling crossed my mind.
He usually went to club practice at this time.
Normally, today wouldn’t have been any different.
But today…
“Wait, isn’t there a tournament today!?” (Sophia)
Today is Saturday, right!?
It’s not like it’s actually Friday, or some kind of mix-up… is it!?
“…You knew?” (Kento)
He turned back toward me with a troubled smile as he was about to leave the room.
That expression and those words made the blood drain from my face.
“Hurry up and go…! You still have time to make it, right…?!” (Sophia)
The match at our school was the final match of today.
If he left now, he should still make it before the match started.
“There’s no need to panic. I’ve already informed the coach that I’m taking the day off.” (Kento)
“No, that’s not good! You’re a regular, right!? If the starting catcher isn’t there, the team will be thrown off balance…! And besides, if you skip the match, there’s a penalty…!” (Sophia)
The catcher is the cornerstone of the team.
If such a person isn’t present on the day of the match, it’s inevitable that the teammates will feel uneasy.
And someone who skips the game might even get demoted to a substitute.
“Our team isn’t that fragile. Luckily, it’s just a district qualifier, and since it’s a league match, even if I’m not there, we won’t lose to today’s opponent. More than that, it’s hard for them to replace me…” (Kento)
“But still, the position that you worked so hard to get…!” (Sophia)
“Even if I get dropped from being a regular because of the penalty, I’ll just win it back again. More importantly, if you get that worked up, your fever’s going to rise again. Calm down.” (Kento)
He spoke about the game as if it were someone else’s problem, not at all concerned.
Even though I wasn’t the one actually playing baseball, I could imagine just how difficult it must be to secure a regular spot on a prestigious team.
And yet, because of someone like me…
“Please… go to the game… please…” (Sophia)
I stood up from the bed and, almost desperately, grabbed onto his clothes.
“Sophia…” (Kento)
“I can’t bear to keep troubling you like this…” (Sophia)
I managed to squeeze the words out, trying to convey my feelings to him.
“You’re sick, so it can’t be helped. It was because of those General Course kids that your health worsened, and with our parents not here… My coach understands, so don’t worry.” (Kento)
Perhaps because I was holding onto him so tightly, he gently stroked my head, trying to comfort me.
It lightened my mood just a little, but I couldn’t continue relying on him like this.
“I’m already fine now… And if this continues, I’ll just become the kind of woman Kurogane-kun described—someone who gets in the way…” (Sophia)
I knew he was kind, so he wouldn’t mind missing the game because of me.
He’d probably explain things well to everyone around us.
But the fact that I was holding him back wouldn’t change.
I had done so many awful things to him already, and now I was hindering him at such an important moment… I couldn’t bear it.
“…I understand. I’m sorry.” (Kento)
Once again, he gently patted my head.
It seemed like my feelings had reached him.
“Don’t apologize… Shirakawa-kun, you didn’t do anything wrong…” (Sophia)
He had just been kind to me.
He was sacrificing himself for me.
So, there was nothing for him to apologize for.
“I was pushing my own feelings onto you, so I felt that I had to apologize for that.” (Kento)
“What’s with that… you’re being too serious…” (Sophia)
He must have been referring to the fact that he was trying to take care of me even at the cost of missing the game, but there was no one who would criticize him for that.
I, too, felt happy about his feelings and how much he was doing for me.
It was just that I didn’t want to be the one to hold him back.
“I’m sorry… you probably didn’t get enough rest to prepare for the game…” (Sophia)
Now that Shirakawa-kun was determined to go to the game, I apologized for something else that was on my mind.
Normally, he should have rested properly before the game, but because of me, he ended up staying late to take care of me.
If he ends up playing poorly because of insufficient rest, it would all be my fault.
I couldn’t complain if I got blamed for it.
“If… if anything happens… if something goes wrong… you can blame me without hesitation… I mean, it really is my fault…” (Sophia)
I was afraid that if I said it too clearly, it might actually happen, so I carefully chose my words to express my feelings to him.
“This is a choice I made on my own. You didn’t force me into it, so I can’t blame you for anything.” (Kento)
Shirakawa-kun gave me that gentle smile again.
He was such a kind person…
“But—if you’re really worried that then, I absolutely can’t lose today’s match.” (Kento)
“Shirakawa-kun…” (Sophia)
“I promise, I’ll definitely win.” (Kento)
He said that with a smile and immediately left the room.
He must have been in a hurry to get to the venue before the match started.
Honestly, I wanted to go watch, too… but I couldn’t be that selfish.
So, today, I decided to stay quietly at home and wait for his return.
“…My body feels so hot…” (Sophia)
◆
After he left the house, I lay down on my bed and started thinking to myself.
There was something I had realized up until now.
Shirakawa-kun was, without a doubt, a good person.
And not in a way that was some kind of act or a way to try and win my favor.
He was a genuinely kind-hearted and good person.
Even after I had been so cold toward him, he would always help me if something happened. And if I made a mistake, instead of blaming me, he would cover for me.
Normally, if someone who’s been rude to you made a mistake, you’d be justified in scolding them… but he never did that.
The person I had once thought was frivolous—where had he gone?
Even though he still looked the same, he seemed like a completely different person now.
Above all, I’ve come to realize something.
He’s not only serious about baseball, but he’s also putting in the effort behind the scenes.
A person like that… there’s no way I could hate him…
In fact, when I think about all the things he’s done for me up until now…
“No, I can’t… I can’t think like that anymore… It’s just too selfish, isn’t it?” (Sophia)
When I recall everything I’ve done to him, I can’t imagine what could possibly come next.
TL Notes:
Thanks for reading!
This really is just Sophia’s PoV all the way. Nice to see that they’re finally getting along. Perhaps she can finally cure herself of her tsundere… Well, I highly doubt so.
Footnote:
- None
“I’ll go wash the dishes, so if you need anything, just call me.” (Sophia)
Kento said this
fixed