Tokyo Rebirth: Start From Picking Up Sayu

"Uh-huh...?"

When Yinglili woke up, the first thing she felt was a strong sore throat.

Then, the burning sensation in the nasal cavity, the slightly itchy throat, the groggy head...

Along with the strange feeling that surged from every part of his body, he saw an unfamiliar ceiling.

To be more precise, it was the ceiling that I had become familiar with over the past week.

It took more than ten seconds to adapt, and my brain finally started to function slowly.

Glancing outside the window, there was only the deep black night and white snow, and there was no sound.

Yinglili squinted at the clock on the opposite wall, carefully identifying it in the dim environment.

"March 15, Monday, five o'clock in the morning"

She was startled for a moment, then reacted immediately.

I seem to be on the phone with Yusuke...?

With no time to think about why she was lying here sleeping, she hurriedly looked around for her phone, and then froze in place the next second.

"...Yusuke...?"

She murmured in confusion, her thoughts briefly blank due to the scene in front of her.

The boy lay quietly beside the bed, with his hands on the bed, his head and neck resting on his arms, his body rising and falling slightly with his breathing.

The moonlight shines through the window, giving the room a hazy blue color. It also shines on the other person's randomly scattered white hair, emitting a faint light.

Kato Yusuke frowned slightly, as if he hadn't completely fallen asleep yet, and there was still a bit of vigilance against the outside world on his handsome face.

His nose bridge is high, his face is well-defined, and his moderately thick lips are pursed into a line. The whole person gives people a cold and indifferent feeling, but also has an indescribable charm.

The house was quiet, with only the faint sound of wind and the occasional chirping of birds reaching the ears, adding a poetic touch to the quiet night.

Yinglili's eyes widened in surprise, and she subconsciously held her breath and covered her mouth to prevent herself from screaming.

Huh?

Why?

Why is Yusuke here?

Why are you still sleeping next to me?

Her heart was beating fast, blushes quickly appeared on her face, and questions popped up in her mind one after another.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the things on the bedside table, where there were anti-fever patches, medicine, and a water bottle.

As if to cool down his hot head, a slight coolness spread across his forehead.

He reached out and touched it, and felt a cloth-like sensation on his fingertips.

Then she immediately understood the situation.

There is no doubt that these must be things that Kato Yusuke helped prepare.

As for why the other party came here...

The answer is basically self-evident through the fragments of memories that I recall and my poor physical condition at this time.

Yinglili's eyes swayed brightly, staring straight at the young man's face.

Although the body is still sore and weak, the spirit is extremely excited.

She turned around carefully and moved closer to him little by little, resting her head on the other side's level.

"..."

"..."

Just staring at each other's face silently, the boy's breath was as calm as the waves, blowing her cheek slightly.

This was the first time she saw him sleeping, and there was a subtle feeling in her heart that was indescribable and could not be calmed down.

Yinglili couldn't help but reach out her hand and touch the other person's cheek. The gentle and jade-like touch was a little strange.

"Um……"

The young man made a sound, as if he noticed changes in the outside world, and frowned slightly.

So she immediately retracted her fingers, not daring to take a breath. She didn't feel relieved until the other person's breathing stabilized.

Sneaky...it feels so exciting...

Yinglili thought to herself, driven by the strange feeling of doing bad things in her heart, she couldn't help but raise her head and gently press her lips to the other person's.

Along with the warm breath, the pleasant mint fragrance floats over.

She closed her eyes and prepared to secretly collect the reward for her hard work, but——

"Eiriri...?"

Suddenly a thunder exploded in my ears.

"--Eh?"

She opened her eyes suddenly and saw a pair of deep black eyes staring at her from close range.

Phew~~~!

The sound of a kettle boiling sounded in her mind. Ying Lili froze in place, her face suddenly turning red.

"Ah...this, this...thing is not what you think, Yusuke, please listen to my explanation..."

Kato Yusuke sat up with support, stared at her face intently, and asked after a moment: "When did you wake up?"

"Huh...? This... was just...?"

"Sorry, I was supposed to observe your situation, but I accidentally fell asleep later. Anyway, since you are awake, drink some water first."

As he spoke, Kato Yusuke bent down, took out a bottle of mineral water from the plastic bag, unscrewed the cap and handed it to her.

Yinglili took the water with a guilty conscience and secretly observed him while drinking water. She finally felt at ease when she saw that he didn't seem to notice her previous small actions.

And as she relaxed, all the negative feelings in her body came up again, causing her to show a depressed expression involuntarily.

Seeing this, Kato Yusuke immediately took the water from her hand and asked her to lie down again.

"Yinglili, do you feel uncomfortable somewhere?"

"Hmm... To be honest, I don't feel comfortable anywhere. Not only do my head and throat hurt terribly, but my body can't use any strength. I feel like I'm about to die... Hey, Yusuke, will I die?"

Yinglili said with tears in her eyes, earning a speechless look from the young man.

"Unfortunately, the doctor said you just had the flu and will recover in about a week, so your worries are unnecessary."

"doctor……?"

"Yes, I contacted the doctor that your family usually visits according to the phone number provided by Aunt Sayuri, and they said that you are not seriously ill, as long as you have a good rest. It is a blessing among misfortunes."

"Is that so... Yusuke, how did you get in?"

"Aunt Sayuri told me where the spare key is stored. I took the key and opened the door and came in."

Kato Yusuke paused and asked, "Do you have an appetite now? Do you want some porridge?"

Yinglili shook her head, "I'm not hungry yet, but I'm a little sleepy..."

"Then just sleep a little longer. When the time is up, I'll ask you to get up and take medicine."

"Well...what about you?"

Kato Yusuke yawned, "It's nothing, I will watch you here."

Ying Lili stared at him for a while, "...but you look very sleepy, won't you fall asleep?"

"It doesn't matter, I will find a way to stay awake."

"That's not what I'm talking about." The girl said, moving a little further inside, and timidly said: "I'll be very embarrassed if you do this... So, let's sleep together..."

The air suddenly fell silent.

Outside the window, a faint hint of fish belly white appeared in the distant sky.

A glimmer of light came in, and he tentatively touched the girl's lightly blushing face.

Kato Yusuke raised his eyes and looked at the person who invited him without saying a word.

To be honest, he was really tired.

Since returning from Mount Fuji, he has not slept for more than 20 hours. Coupled with the continuous travel, his mental state is already very tired.

Because of this, he fell asleep while taking care of Yinglili.

He actually wouldn't mind taking a break if given the chance.

——But that also depends on the specific situation and occasion.

At least for now, it definitely doesn't meet his expectations.

Facing his gaze that seemed to contain some slight condemnation, Yinglili held the quilt with both hands and hid half of her face under the quilt.

"Why...are you looking at me like that...?"

"...No, I just want to say that you should stop joking when you are sick."

"Huh? Haven't you always regarded yourself as an older brother? Then it doesn't matter if you lie with your sister...?" Yinglili said pretending to be calm.

"...Even if they are brothers and sisters, they won't lie together after they enter high school, right? No need in any case, that's fine with me." Kato Yusuke waved his hand in disapproval.

The girl showed an annoyed expression, hating his ungrateful attitude, and immediately turned her face to the other side.

"Ah, really, then it's up to you!"

Her fever symptoms had not completely subsided, and after being sulky for a while, she quickly fell into a deep sleep.

…

When Yinglili opened her eyes again, it was already completely bright.

"Are you awake?"

Kato Yusuke, who was sitting next to him, noticed this immediately, put down his cell phone and said, "It's almost time. Get up and take medicine."

Yinglili sat up with support, leaned against the head of the bed, took the medicine and mineral water from him, and drank it.

"...Yusuke, what time is it now?"

"It's half past eight. You must have slept for three hours since then."

"oh……"

"I cooked some vegetable porridge, do you have an appetite now?"

"...Eh? Did you cook it yourself?"

"What is the problem?"

Yinglili tilted her head in confusion, "Do I have the materials to make that kind of thing at home?"

"Hui suggested that I buy the ingredients before coming here. She also told me how to make the vegetable porridge. I think the taste shouldn't be too bad."

"...Hui taught you this, so I want to drink it."

"Then I'll get it. You take your temperature first. I'll be back in five minutes." Kato Yusuke warned, then stood up and walked out of the room, closing the door.

Yingli watched him leave, then lifted up the hem of his short-sleeved T-shirt and tucked the thermometer under his arm.

Five minutes later, she took her temperature, and Kato Yusuke entered the room after knocking on the door and asking.

"I brought the porridge, what's your temperature?"

"Thirty-eight degrees five."

"It's still very hot. Let's continue to rest after eating the porridge."

Kato Yusuke sat down on the chair and handed over the steaming bowl and spoon, "This porridge has been warm for a while after it was cooked. The temperature should be just right now. Eat it quickly."

"Well, thanks..."

Yinglili took the bowl and looked down.

The inside is a slightly thicker porridge, with mushrooms, carrots, tofu and green vegetables added to it. The appearance is light yellow, with some chopped green onion sprinkled on top. The color is slightly shiny and looks very attractive.

Stir it gently with a spoon, and the texture of the porridge is fine and soft, with no obvious graininess.

"It's quite similar to that..."

Yinglili murmured softly, scooped a spoonful of porridge and put it into her mouth.

The porridge has a soft, glutinous and smooth texture, with a rich vegetable and tofu flavor that blends seamlessly with the rice aroma.

The appropriate amount of salt keeps the taste from being too bland, and the trace amount of pepper plays a finishing touch, stimulating the taste buds and making the mouth and tongue salivate.

Ying Lili opened her eyes wide in surprise, staring at the porridge in the bowl, her hand holding the spoon stopped.

Seeing this, Kato Yusuke couldn't help but asked in confusion: "What's wrong?"

"……nothing."

Ying Lili put on a straight face, took a few more mouthfuls of porridge, and then pushed the bowl back, "Huh...that's enough."

"Is that enough?" Kato Yusuke looked at the porridge that had dropped less than one centimeter in the bowl and frowned, "Are you full after eating so much?"

"Because it doesn't taste good." Ying Lili stated in a rigid tone.

"Unappetizing……?"

Kato Yusuke frowned deeper.

You must know that when he cooked the porridge, he followed Hui's instructions exactly, including tasting it himself. Although I couldn't say how delicious it was, at least it wasn't to the point where it was hard to swallow.

So he asked thoughtfully: "Don't you like porridge? I also bought nutritional jelly, do you want to eat that?"

"Let the patient eat nutritious jelly, thank you for your ability to say so."

"What else do you want to eat? There is no takeout at this time. Do you want me to go out and buy it for you?"

"Instant chow mein?"

“When did instant food become more nutritious than nutritious jelly…?”

"The porridge will do, too."

"Hmm...?" Kato Yusuke looked at the porridge in the bowl and wondered whether he should say it or not.

As if she understood the look in his eyes, Yinglili glanced over frequently and said: "...You really want me to eat?"

"...After all, you need to supplement your nutrition now and eat well to recover as soon as possible. I naturally hope you can get better soon."

Kato Yusuke said, and at the same time added in his mind, "Besides, I also added qi and blood medicine."

"...Now that you have mentioned that, if you are willing to agree to my additional conditions, I can eat it."

"Additional conditions?"

"Y-yeah."

Yinglili hugged the pillow, looked at him with a hint of shyness and expectation, and hesitated: "If, if...if you feed me, then, then I can't promise you..."

When she finished speaking, her fair cheeks were stained with a light rose color, and she shyly buried half of her face in the pillow, even her ears were slightly red. So cute that it makes your heart flutter.

"..."

Kato Yusuke moved his eyes away from her face, remained silent for a moment, and then scooped a spoonful of vegetable porridge and brought it to her.

"You mean like this? Come on, open your mouth."

"W-what...!"

Facing his move, Eirili, who was the proposer, froze.

The girl looked alternately at the spoon in front of her and his face. Her hands hugging the pillow were trembling, and her face was red to her ears.

"Are you serious!? Do you have a fever in your head?"

"Aren't you the one who made such a request? This includes the person with the fever."

"What on earth are you thinking about taking such a ridiculous joke seriously? Are you an idiot?"

Kato Yusuke narrowed his eyes slightly and said calmly:

"It's ridiculous... Although I don't want to mention it, what on earth did you want to do while I was sleeping last night?"

"Varied--"

Yinglili's eyes widened in shock, her mouth opened wide, and her expression was so panicked that she was about to cry.

Kato Yusuke continued: "Anyway, I don't want to complain anymore. As long as you are willing to eat this bowl of porridge obediently, I will agree to some conditions for you as appropriate."

"Eh……?"

"So, can you eat properly now?"

"Why are you becoming so serious..."

Yinglili, who had regained some composure, complained softly. After hesitating for a while, she finally made up her mind, opened her mouth and leaned forward with an "ah~", and followed his movements to hold the spoon in her mouth.

"...Hmm." Ying Lili's little face bulged slightly as she chewed and tasted it slowly.

Kato Yusuke showed a troubled expression, feeling that the other person looked like a baby bird waiting to be fed, while he was the parent bird being fed.

By the way... would a male bird do this kind of feeding behavior?

While he was thinking about this, he took the spoon out of those soft lips.

"……Is it tasty?"

"……tasty."

"Oh? But didn't you say it tasted bad before?"

"You, you are so annoying. If you keep nagging me, I won't eat..."

"...Just pretend I didn't say anything and keep eating."

"Um……"

Yingli nodded reluctantly and ate the porridge one after another in accordance with his rhythm.

"Don't be so anxious. Chew more before swallowing."

"You don't need to tell me about that kind of thing - Huh!? Cough, cough, cough!"

"I told you not to worry."

"This, this is... a natural reaction to a cold! I didn't get choked!"

"Whatever you say."

Kato Yusuke shook his head helplessly and took out a handkerchief to wipe her mouth, while Eiri also stuck out her head in cooperation.

To be honest, this behavior was somewhat ambiguous, but neither of them seemed to care too much as they were immersed in playing the roles of parent bird and fledgling.

"Hey...is this handkerchief I gave you before?"

"Yes, you came to me in class under the pretext of returning the handkerchief. You gave it to me at that time. Do you still remember?"

"Of course I will remember it! Who told you to threaten me with the fact that I was drawing a book? I will remember this forever!"

Yinglili puffed up her face angrily, as if she was still brooding over what happened in the past.

Kato Yusuke nodded nostalgically and said apologetically: "Well, it was indeed my fault at the beginning. I want to tell you -"

"—You don't need to apologize."

"Well……?"

"...I told you not to apologize."

Ying Lili looked somewhere aside, her voice erratic.

"Because...if you hadn't done that in the first place, I wouldn't have been able to get to know you. I definitely don't want to do this..."

Kato Yusuke couldn't help but be stunned, with a faint throbbing in his heart.

In order to hide his inner emotions, he continued to use a spoon to bring the porridge to the other person's mouth.

The girl happily ate the porridge he cooked with a satisfied expression.

One of them is responsible for feeding and the other is responsible for eating.

Repeat this, and the porridge in the bowl will decrease at a speed visible to the naked eye.

At a certain moment, Yinglili suddenly said such a sentence.

"Strange, why does my body feel so hot...?"

"Hot?" Kato Yusuke couldn't help but become alert, "What does it feel like specifically?"

"Hmm... I just have a strange warm feeling in my body, a bit like that time in the forest school."

"...Besides this, is there anything else? Do you feel any discomfort?"

Yinglili felt it for a while and said uncertainly: "It doesn't seem like it...?"

"That's probably because you have a fever right now, don't think too much about it."

"……is that so?"

"Yes, the doctor said you are not in good health, so you should eat well and rest well."

"What? You're making it sound like you're sick. Haven't you ever been sick, Yusuke?"

"It's a pity that I really don't have it yet. Come on, this is the last bite of porridge, finish it and you'll be fine."

Yinglili stared at his face with a look of displeasure, then grabbed the spoon from his hand, turned around and stretched out her hand.

"I thought about it and decided to give you the last bite. Come on, ah~~"

"...What do you mean?" Kato Yusuke frowned slightly.

"You just said you would agree to me no matter what the conditions are, right? Then eat it." Ying Lili said confidently.

"If I remember correctly...my original words were, "As long as you are willing to eat this bowl of porridge obediently, I will agree to some conditions at my discretion." Do you want me to explain to you the meaning of the word discretion? "

"Yes, if you don't eat, then I won't eat either."

"Are you a child...?"

"Are you going to eat or not?"

"..."

Kato Yusuke sighed, not wanting to argue with him anymore, he opened his mouth and swallowed the mouthful of porridge.

Yinglili took back her spoon and asked deliberately: "Is it delicious?"

Kato Yusuke chewed the porridge in his mouth and replied vaguely: "It's not bad..."

"Hmph, it's all your fault for saying such irritating words. Maybe the cold will be transmitted to you, right~?"

The girl in front of her snickered maliciously, stuck out her tongue cutely, and curled her eyes into crescent moons.

…