After deciding to give up, he started to gain popularity

"..." The boy seemed to be startled by her, then stood up and apologized very sincerely, "I'm sorry, I took it for granted, I thought staying with you would make you feel better..."

"I just hope you can understand that no matter what, don't hurt yourself. There will always be someone in this world who will feel sad for you."

"..." Shiina Mahiru remained silent.

What do you know about her? Even her own mother wouldn't even look at her for this! How can you expect her to trust you?

"Sorry, I'm nosy... As an apology, I'll give you this umbrella. My home is nearby and you'll be there soon." The boy saw Shiina Mahiru's impatience, so he forcefully handed over the umbrella in his hand, then turned and ran towards the rain.

"Liar..." Shiina Mahiru took the umbrella and said silently.

She even said that she lived nearby, but it was obvious that they were her neighbors.

She had seen the boy use a key to open the door next to her house more than once, but the two had never met or talked to each other face to face.

"A lousy, frivolous, self-righteous fellow..."

The cold raindrops no longer eroded her body wantonly, and the warmth transmitted through the umbrella handle gradually warmed her heart.

"Thanks……"

The next day, the other party caught a cold as expected, but the boy's stubborn personality forced him to go to class despite his tired body. Eventually, he collapsed in front of his house and fell asleep.

She certainly wouldn't sit idly by.

Even if it was a random stranger on the street, she would not abandon him when she met him, let alone this frivolous man who liked to meddle in other people's affairs?

So she brought him to the other person's home, boiled water, cooled him down, cooked porridge and fed him. She used all the skills she had learned from her nanny on the boy, and finally his physical condition improved.

"I've repaid you the favor you owe me." That's what she thought.

Just by chance, the two of them came into contact over various things and eventually their relationship became close.

Supporting each other, helping each other, and giving each other spiritual support, she always thought that the two of them would be good friends for life, until that day came -

"Shiina, I like you."

"Eh? This..."

Didn't we agree that I didn't approach her for any special reason? Why...why did you say that?

"You may not be able to accept it right now, but I still want to express my feelings. I don't want you to misunderstand me any more!"

"don't want……"

Stop talking! If you keep talking, we will...will...

"Please believe me, I really like you, I will never..."

"Stop talking!" It was the first time that Shiina Mahiru made such a loud noise and she became very panicked.

Fear, self-blame, guilt, all kinds of negative emotions filled her mind, she was really about to give up! In this case, the only thing left was to escape... Yes! She could still escape!

"Yes, sorry, I just want to be alone for a while."

So she fled back to her own territory, as if this would make her feel safer.

As long as he gives her some time, yes... give him some time to think, he will understand that she is not the best choice, and she can continue to enjoy his care...

………………

After dealing with the classmates who came to say hello, Shiina Mahiru habitually looked towards Natsukawa Kanade's seat.

Since entering the second grade, the two have been in the same class, but except for the rainy evening the day before yesterday, she has never dared to take the initiative to walk towards him. Usually she could only stare at his empty seat from a distance.

"Eh? Xia Chuan, didn't he come to class today..."

Could it be because I lent her the umbrella again? ...

Shiina Mahiru thought of the scene when they first met, and a trace of worry emerged in her heart, but at the same time, there was also a small joy that she herself did not even notice.

It was as if a precious treasure that had been lost for a long time appeared before his eyes again, within reach.

011. Visit from the Angel

"excuse me……"

Using the key to open the door of Natsukawa Sou's house, Shiina Mahiru carefully closed the door, trying not to make a loud noise.

As soon as school was over today, she went straight home, thinking of visiting Natsukawa Sora next door and asking him why he didn't come to class today.

He would never skip school. He must have encountered some trouble if he suddenly didn't come to class.

Out of concern for...her classmates, she came to visit, thinking that maybe she could be of some help?

However, after ringing the doorbell for a long time and hearing no movement from inside the house, she began to get anxious.

Could it be that he really has a cold and fever again? He must be feeling very uncomfortable being alone now...

Natsukawa Kanade lives alone, and she knows it very well, just like her.

When the two of them were close, they always helped and supported each other. Xiachuan Zou thought it was troublesome to open the door frequently, so he gave her a backup copy of the house key, so she could enter his house like this.

The living room that I remembered as dirty and messy was now very tidy, and the whole house was quiet, as if no one was there.

Resting in the bedroom? I'm afraid this is the only option.

If he is out of town for something, he will definitely not go a whole day without replying to messages.

Gently pushing open the bedroom door, Shiina Mahiru tiptoed in.

At a glance, she saw Natsukawa Kanade sleeping soundly on the bed.

His broad chest rose and fell regularly with his breathing, and a few beads of sweat trickled down through his short, fine hair. His perfectly handsome face was as if carved by a knife, his brows were slightly furrowed, and his eyes, which always held a hint of sadness, were now closed.

He seemed to be very tired on weekdays. Even in his sleep, his brows would be frowned from time to time and it was difficult to let go of the frown.

Shiina Mahiru felt a little distressed when seeing this.

If she had not chosen to run away, perhaps she would have been able to stay with him as a matter of course?

However, there is no medicine for regret in this world. Everyone must bear the corresponding consequences for their actions, even the "Angel" is no exception.

“Gurgle…”

An inappropriate and strange noise suddenly sounded in the quiet room. Shiina Mahiru's face suddenly turned red. She quickly covered her stomach and dared not move anymore.

"Fortunately no one heard..."

At noon, I had no appetite because I was worried about Natsukawa Zou's condition, and I didn't eat much. Now I encountered a small resistance from my stomach.

"Yes, that's right! We have to hurry and make the food. I'm sure Kanade needs to eat right now."

Her hunger reminded her that Zou, who was lying in bed due to illness, needed to eat more than her. Maybe he had not eaten anything all day.

"Just wait here for me. I'll go make something to eat..."

As he spoke, he gently hooked Natsukawa Zou's exposed fingers with his hand, and then quickly withdrew his hand.

Like a child who had done a prank secretly without telling his mother, Shiina Mahiru's face was red and she didn't dare to look at Natsukawa Kanade, even though he was completely unconscious at the moment.

Perhaps only in this situation would she dare to do such an intimate gesture and call him so intimately again.

"do not go……"

"!"

Shiina Mahiru was startled and almost screamed out in fear.

When she turned her head stiffly, she found that Natsukawa Kanade showed no signs of waking up and was still sleeping soundly.

"So it was just talking in your sleep..."

Shiina Mahiru finally felt relieved. She thought that her little action just now accidentally woke up Natsukawa Kanade, and was thinking about how to explain it, but it turned out that there was no need to.

"I'm not leaving. I'm just going to cook and I'll be back soon."

Perhaps the gentle voice of comfort took effect, Xiachuan Kanade's brows gradually relaxed, and his complexion seemed to have improved a little.

Now Shiina Mahiru can walk away with peace of mind.

………………

Natsukawa Kanade woke up slowly, and the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was still the familiar ceiling.

He was dreaming again.

In the dream, he once again spent a fairly pleasant daily life with the heroines, and then he confronted them and was rejected.

However, this time it seems different, the other party... seems to have agreed to him?

"I won't leave, let's date."

He actually agreed?!

Just when Natsukawa Zou was wondering if he was dreaming, he woke up.

"It was just a dream..."

It is a matter of course that only dreams can make his dreams come true, while reality will only hit him hard on the head and warn him not to indulge in wild fantasies all day long.

Xiachuan Zou shook his head, trying to get rid of the heavy feeling of depression in his mind, but to little avail.

"Blah blah blah..."

Suddenly, there was a faint sound of footsteps outside the house. Although the sound was light, it did not escape his ears.

Was he robbed? At this time? This is not good. He doesn't have much fighting power right now...

Just when Natsukawa Zou was thinking about whether he should take the initiative to reveal the hiding place of his belongings in exchange for personal safety, the bedroom door was opened.

Of course the person who walked in was Shiina Mahiru. At the moment, she was holding a casserole with a small bowl and a soup spoon on the plate.

"Kanade... Natsukawa-san, you're awake."

A hint of joy appeared on Shiina Mahiru's face, but it was quickly covered by a hint of worry.

Will Zou... blame her for breaking into his house without permission?

Maybe she could stay here with peace of mind before, but after that incident she no longer had the qualifications.

"Well, I made some porridge..."

"..." After a long silence, Xia Chuan Zou slowly uttered two words, "Thank you."

"sorry to bother you."

He had imagined various situations, such as his house being robbed or his parents coming to visit, but the only thing he could not have imagined was that Shiina Mahiru would appear here.

So she hasn't thrown away the key to his house yet? Xia Chuan Zou thought.

As for why Shiina Mahiru appeared here, he didn't think much about it - "Angel-sama" was a kind girl, even when facing someone she had rejected before, she would not just leave that person alone.

As for how she knew about his illness...it should have been revealed by the teacher. After all, they lived in the same apartment and were neighbors. It is possible that the teacher asked her to deliver the handouts.

"Lord Angel" shook his head and said nothing.

Such little things were no trouble at all to her, and she was more than happy to do them for him.

"Are you feeling better now? Have you recovered your strength? Do you need me to feed...feed you..."

At this moment, Shiina Mahiru was sitting beside Natsukawa Kanade's bed, clasping her hands nervously like a little wife worried about her sick husband.

God knows how she said the words "I'll feed you some porridge". Now she was completely frozen and didn't dare to look at Xiachuan Zou's face.

Woohoo, what am I doing? How could I say such shameless words? What should I do if I get rejected?! I will definitely not be able to sleep all night!

Unlike Shiina Mahiru, who had a storm brewing in her heart, Natsukawa Kanade didn't think that much at this moment.

If he were still in normal condition, he would definitely sigh at this moment, because he didn't get to enjoy such feeding treatment when their relationship was the best, but now he can still have such benefit even after they "broke up".

However, he was in a weak state due to illness, which made him lose his previous keen perception, and he was only left with the idea of ​​following his instinctive desires - his body felt heavy and he didn't want to move. Since someone was willing to feed him, that couldn't be better.

"Okay, please."

"Ah? Eh?!" Shiina Mahiru exclaimed in a low voice.

He actually agreed? In the past, he always refused such intimate contact?!

"What's wrong? Is it going to be troublesome?"

"No, not at all! I'll be there right away..." Shiina Mahiru said hurriedly.

She felt that today was her lucky day.