Touch.

"Is this really okay? To touch her without her permission?"

"Maybe I should give her the medication first. But I have to wake her up."

Looking through the kit, he found the required medicines, and took the out. Taking out his own water bottle from his bag, he proceeded to wake Ayane up.

He gently patted her head, sitting beside her and lifting her body with his one hand, as slowly calling her name.

"Ayane-chan, Ayane-chan-"

Her eyes opened, and stared at his face. A blank stare.

"Ouch-"

Her brain hurts. The veins on her head got swollen due to the excess heat.

"Ayane-chan, you have to take these medicines to get well. Can you take them?"

Her body felt weak, she was tired, she felt cold. Her body couldn't move.

She nodded her head. She couldn't.

"Shall I help you?", Kanako asked.

He gently lifted her chin, opening her mouth. The placement was... like he was about to give her a kiss. Which made his heart ache a little bit.

"What the heck are you thinking about in this situation?? Ayane is trying her best to fight this fever of hers, and you are here polluting my mind!", he shouted internally to his evil self.

Placing the medicine, he poured water in her mouth, and she could swallow the medicine on her own.

"Ayane-chan."

She opened her eyes again.

"Can I... umm... wipe your hands? It will cool your body and relieve your pain."

She nodded, before closing her eyes again.

Kanako placed the handkerchief in the water and squeezed the excess water out. In an attempt to cool her body, he started to wipe her hands, lifting it up on his lap, sitting beside her.

"Oh yeah... this... mom used to to this to me too... I remember it... after dad used to beat me up... I sometimes had fevers like this... mom used to wipe my body to cool it off... my head hurts... I want to see her again..."

A tear dropped down from her eyes. It was a tear of relief, and also a tear of want. The want of affection that one needs when one has a fever. The want of needing someone beside one to give one mental support. And she was getting it from Kanako.

As her headache went down, she slowly fell asleep again.

"Maybe I should make some porridge as mom told me, before she wakes up."

He went downstairs, making sure she didn't wake up, and went to the kitchen to make porridge.

"On that topic... how the heck does one make porridge??"

He... didn't know how to cook.

Kanako's mom was wiping the floor, when she heard another call.

"Who is it this time?", she wondered.

It was Kanako again.

"Kanako, what's wrong?", she asked, taking the call.

"Mom... how do I make porridge?"

"Huh?"

"..."

"You don't even know this?", she sighed, "Next time, you will have cooking lessons with me."

"It's not my fault..."

"Don't cut the call, I will give you instructions to make porridge. Just follow it. You are lucky that porridge are the easiest to make."

"Okay."