Does gravity make me stronger?

Page 195

Sawamura Kaze: Okay, I understand. Can you get in touch with Toyokawa?

Hachiman: Toyokawa-kun? I'll give it a try. Is there anything I can help you with?

Sawamura Kaze: Don't worry about it for now, just ask first. By the way, it's best to contact them directly by phone.

Hachiman: Captain, why don't you...

Sawamura Kaze: Silly child, I don't have her phone number.

Hachiman: Okay

Putting down the handrail, Hachiman leaned against it and quickly found Xiangzi's phone number.

She rarely used this phone, but seeing how anxious Sawamura looked, something must have happened. After thinking for a moment, he pressed the dial button.

A few seconds later...

"Hello, this is the Toyokawa residence."

"Um, is this Toyokawa-kun?"

"Hikigaya-san?"

The voice on the phone was a little hoarse, and a sense of unease crossed Hachiman's heart. He continued, "Yes, it's me. Sawamura-sama just said you didn't reply to her message."

"Ah, sorry, cough cough..."

A series of coughs could be heard, and Hachiman instantly determined Shoko's current condition.

"Are you alright?" he asked with concern.

"Yes, it's alright. I saw the minister's message, thank you..." Xiangzi's voice grew softer and softer, while Hachiman's worry grew heavier and heavier.

"We've arrived at Shimokitazawa Station!"

After arriving at the station, Hachiman waited for a while and asked, "Did you take your cold medicine?"

"Oh, not yet, I'll go buy some later..."

"Your dad..."

Just as he was about to speak, Hachiman remembered that Shoko's relationship with her family didn't seem to be harmonious, so he decisively changed his words: "...Toyokawa-kun, you'd better not move. I happen to be outside, I'll bring you some medicine later."

"It's too much trouble for you, I'll just do it myself... cough cough."

Realizing that he was not feeling well, Xiangzi did not insist. Instead, he said somewhat embarrassedly, "Hikigaya-kun, I'll give you my home address."

"Ah."

After turning off his phone screen, Hachiman boarded a train going in the opposite direction and simultaneously sent a message to Ijichi Seika asking for leave.

Because it was a last-minute leave request, Hachiman was prepared to be hit by Ijichi Hoshika's 100,000-ton punch, but in the end, this old ruthless capitalist was very generous in giving him the leave slip.

In response, Ichiji Hoshika explained, "There aren't many customers on Wednesdays, so you'll work two shifts for me on Sundays."

Yes, that's a very valid reason.

After getting off the bus, Hachiman bought some cold medicine at a pharmacy and then hurried towards Xiangzi's house.

About ten minutes later, he arrived at the door of an ordinary two-story rental house.

These rental apartments are everywhere in Tokyo. Before moving into the dormitory at Haneoka Academy, Hachiman had also looked into the prices of rental apartments.

The biggest advantage here is the cheap rent, but after all, it's Tokyo, and the rent can still eat up most of Yawata's monthly salary.

In addition, because of its age, the rental house has extremely poor sound insulation, and you can hear everything that happens next door at night.

Finally, the neighborhoods around these cheap rental properties are often unsafe and hotspots for theft.

After wandering around outside, Hachiman found room 203 and knocked on the door.

To his surprise, the door was not locked.

Hachiman then pushed open the door.

"Squeak-"

The lights inside were not on, and empty green beer bottles were scattered all over the tatami floor, along with some untidy bento boxes.

These must have been left behind by Xiangzi's incompetent father.

It seems that the Toyokawa family's current financial situation is worse than he imagined.

Hachiman secretly decided that he would help Shoko clean up properly before leaving.

Instead of going inside, he raised his voice from outside and called out, "Toyokawa-kun, it's me, Hikigaya. Are you in your room?"

Hachiman's voice echoed in the room.

After a long while, he heard his familiar voice coming from the innermost bedroom.

"Excuse me... cough cough."

Xiangzi dragged his sickly body out, a thin coat draped over his shoulders.

Her face was pale, and her lips had lost their usual luster, but her amber eyes were full of light, which was not at all like that of a dejected patient.

Seeing Xiangzi's helpless state, Hachiman felt heartbroken and quickly went over to support her.

"Let me take you back to your room to rest."

"Thank you, but the room wasn't cleaned, please excuse the mess."

Xiangzi leaned his entire weight against Hachiman's side and slowly moved toward the bedroom.

Chapter 203, Section 200: Taking care of the sick Xiangzi

Upon entering the bedroom, the level of cleanliness was far superior to that of the living room. It's hard to imagine that such a messy living room would be a place where normal people would normally frequent.

"This is where I sleep."

Perhaps sensing the doubt in Hachiman's eyes, Shoko, unable to hide the hoarseness in his throat, offered a weak explanation.

The place where one sleeps, that is, the boudoir?

Is it appropriate for him to just casually enter a girl's room?

Unable to contain his wandering thoughts, Hachiman calmly surveyed his surroundings.

Although it's called a boudoir, in reality, there's not a trace of the kind of dressing a girl should have.

The walls were bare, and the small Japanese-style room contained only a matching table and chairs and a half-person-high storage cabinet. Even the dormitory had more furniture than this.

but.

The tatami mats underfoot looked a bit old, but they were spotless. The storage cabinets were filled with all sorts of things, but they were also very neatly organized.

Just by seeing these things, you can tell that the owner of the room must be a very clean person.

In contrast, outside...

Although they haven't met yet, in Hachiman's mind, the image of Xiangzi's father has already been reduced to that of a paramecium.

"I'm sorry, you must have found this amusing." Xiangzi lowered his head in embarrassment.

Hachiman simply shook his head at this: "This place is very clean and has a lively atmosphere."

Xiangzi smiled somewhat sadly, but quickly forced himself to cheer up again.

In the center of the Japanese-style room, there was a quilt, with the quilt half-lifted, and one could still vaguely smell Xiangzi's body heat and fragrance emanating from it.

wrong!

Hachiman shook his head, dispelling the distracting thoughts in his mind.

Clearly, the kiss from that afternoon was still going strong.

Xiangzi was unaware of everything that had happened in the luxury apartment that afternoon. After entering the bedroom, she simply stared blankly at Hachiman, her eyes slightly vacant.

The atmosphere became somewhat tense at this point.

"Ahem, why don't you rest for a while? I'll go get you some water," Hachiman said.

"Hmm." Xiangzi didn't refuse, calmly lay down on the bedding, and covered himself with the blanket.

Because of his experience taking care of Komachi when he was a child, Hachiman did his work quite well. He first went to the kitchen and tidied up the mess around him, and then soaked the medicine in hot water.

"Take some medicine."

When he was sick, Xiangzi was extremely vulnerable. Hachiman scooped up the medicine with a spoon, blew on it to cool it down, and then put it to Xiangzi's mouth.

This ambiguous gesture warmed Xiangzi's heart, but also made him blush with embarrassment.

"I can do it myself..."

"How can you get up on your own in this condition? Listen to me, drink your medicine quickly."

Hachiman, who switched to Onii-chan mode, was surprisingly tough, and Shoko was also intimidated by his aura, and for a moment she actually opened her mouth obediently.

"Amu~"

After swallowing, Xiangzi pursed his lips bitterly: "It doesn't taste good at all."

Liu's current cold medicines are all slightly sweet, which makes them easier for patients to take.

Because he was in a hurry, Fukihachiman didn't pay much attention to the brand and just chose a suitable cold medicine according to the pharmacist's instructions. Who would have thought it would be bitter?

I'm such an idiot!

In his heart, Hachiman gave himself a good scolding, revealing an awkward and embarrassed smile: "Sorry, this cold medicine is quite bitter. I'll be more careful next time."

It's like saying, "Okay, I'll ask you to help me next time too..."

Xiangzi's red wine has warmed up.

Yeah, it's all because of this cold!

"There's no such thing as a next time."

"what?"

Realizing his wording was somewhat inappropriate, Hachiman hurriedly corrected himself: "No, what I meant was, you can't catch a cold next time."

"puff."

Xiangzi chuckled softly: "If I could, I wouldn't want to catch a cold either."

In light novels, the male protagonist always manages to make a sick girl laugh, but clearly, Hachiman doesn't have that ability: "I'm sorry, my..."

"Mmm, it's okay."

'I'm happy as long as Hachiman is here.'

This woman is so clever!

After patiently serving Xiangzi his medicine, Hachiman returned to the living room, packed up the trash on the floor, and wiped the entire floor clean.

Just these things took a full hour.

Xiangzi lay in the quilt, gazing at Hachiman's busy back, his vision gradually blurring.

When she was sick in the past, her mother would stay by her side and keep her company until she fell asleep. Now that her mother is gone, her father no longer cares about her safety.

Instead, Hachiman rushed over, busying himself with feeding her medicine, cleaning up, and even telling jokes to encourage her and showing concern for her mental health.

For her, Hachiman was no longer just a simple object of her unrequited love.

Hachiman, do you know how happy I am right now...?

The girl wasn't completely immersed in the warm atmosphere; instead, she pursed her lips tightly and secretly vowed in her heart that she would make AveMujica famous no matter what.

Love is not material, but it cannot be without material things. Only in this way can she give Hachiman the life he wants.

"Hachiman, take a rest."

Hearing Xiangzi gently call his name, Hachiman was only surprised for a moment, but he did not intend to refuse.

So he washed his hands and went back to his bedroom.

Are you feeling any better?

He knew this was nonsense; no matter how strong the cold medicine was, it couldn't possibly work that quickly.

"Mm." Xiangzi nodded again, though he was still feeling very unwell, he felt very peaceful inside.

Where is your father?

"He went out."