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Ever since Leo/Need’s recent spike in popularity, touring was a dreaded yet needed event. Touring was incredibly draining to Shiho and her bandmates, but it was unfortunately necessary. Yes, Shiho did indeed enjoy seeing waves of excited fans cheering and singing along to their music, but at the end of the day, all Shiho wanted to do was collapse on her bed and fall into a deep, deep sleep.
…
“The crowd was great today!” Saki exclaimed as she pressed the keycard against the door of the hotel room, unlocking it.
“Mhm! They were really excited to see us, weren’t they?” Honami said softly, walking through the door with her fellow band members and taking a seat on a bed.
Shiho rubbed her eyes. Touring was normally exhausting, but certainly not this much. Her whole body was shivering despite the hotel room being a rather pleasant temperature.
Ichika picked up on this. “Hey, Shiho, are you alright?” She asked, directing Shiho to take a seat on one of the beds.
“I’m fine, really. It’s just… having to do three shows in one day is tiring.”
The members of Leo/Need began to crowd around Shiho.
“Shiho, you don’t look so good…” Honami commented, brushing Shiho’s bangs out of her face, revealing pale and damp skin. “Ah! Saki, did you pack a thermometer?”
Saki nodded her head and reached into her bag, pulling out a small thermometer.
“Say ‘Ahhh!’” Saki smiled, clearly having fun with this.
Shiho felt no amusement as she unenthusiastically took the thermometer from Saki’s hand and placed it underneath her tongue.
After a little while, the thermometer beeped. Ichika leaned over, reading the temperature displayed on the small screen.
“Oh no.”
“What is it?” Shiho asked bluntly.
“You definitely have a fever…” Ichika winced, glancing nervously at Shiho.
“Well… fuck.” Shiho murmured, closing her eyes. “And we have an interview tomorrow too.”
“Ah! That’s right… poor Shiho!!” Saki exclaimed, looking at her bandmate, almost with tears in her eyes.
“Shiho, what if we called over Kanade? We’re not too far from where she lives, if I remember correctly.” Honami suggested.
Shiho immediately felt a wave of serotonin wash over her at the mention of her girlfriend’s name. “I think that would be nice. You guys should go to the interview, it’s a paid thing anyway. Kanade can come here and make sure I don’t die until you get back.”
“Ok, Shiho! Now, get lots of rest!” Saki grabbed the corner of the fluffy blanket resting on the bed and began to wrap Shiho into a little blanket burrito.
Saki clasped her hands in awe. “Shiho, you look so cute!”
Shiho grumbled. “Let’s just all get some rest…” She shut her eyes tightly.
“Aw, okay, Shiho. Goodnight, sleep tight!”
…
Shiho awoke to a ray of sunlight shining directly on her eyes.
“Ugh…” She grumbled and sat up in her bed, the tight cocoon that Saki had wrapped her in fell apart as she moved around.
She stared at the blank pale yellow wall of the hotel room for a few seconds before hearing a soft sound in the distance.
Knock, knock, knock.
Shiho’s heart rate jumped.
Kanade…
She immediately correlated the quiet knock with the gentle mannerisms of her girlfriend.
“Kanade, I’ll be right there.” Shiho said, her voice wavering a tiny bit.
Shiho emerged from the bed, almost collapsing as her feet touched down on the ground.
She slowly made her way to the door, grasping onto the doorknob as a way to regain her balance.
The bassist slowly turned the doorknob and carefully pushed the door open.
There, in the doorway, stood Kanade. Her bright blue eyes shone and she had a slight smile on her face.
“Good morning Shiho.” The composer greeted her girlfriend. She carried a large, black bag in her right hand.
Shiho immediately felt a grin come to her face. “Hello, love.”
Kanade brought Shiho back to her bed, Shiho sat down on the edge of the bed, trying to conceal her weariness.
“Ichika told me you had a fever.” Kanade set down her bag on a nightstand next to Shiho’s bed.
“That I do.”
The white-haired girl reached into her bag, she pulled out a spoon and a small, red bottle of liquid medicine.
Kanade carefully and precisely poured out a bit of the liquid onto her spoon.
“Open your mouth for me, please.” Kanade held the spoon out towards Shiho.
With anyone else, this experience would have been positively humiliating for Shiho. But with Kanade, Shiho’s embarrassment simply melted away.
Shiho complied, opening her mouth and swallowing the medicine. She shivered a little bit, clearly displeased. “It tastes so bad.”
Kanade giggled a bit before placing the spoon and the medicine back in her purse. “I know, but it’s the only thing that’ll make you feel better.” She glanced over at her girlfriend and smiled. “Besides, I have something that’ll help get rid of the bad taste.”
Shiho tilted her head to the side in confusion. “What do you mean?”
The composer’s hand dove into her bag and returned with two packs of instant ramen.
“You didn’t.” Shiho was in disbelief.
“I did.” Kanade then retrieved a round, metal container. She screwed off the cap, placing it on the nightstand. She then retrieved two paper bowls and two paper plates from her purse.
“You went out and bought ramen?”
“Yes.” Kanade smiled. “Miso ramen. That’s your favorite, right?”
“It is…” Shiho’s cheeks turned a shade of pink.
“Good.”
Shiho watched as her girlfriend carefully unwrapped the packets of ramen and placed the noodles in the center of the bowls. Kanade carefully sprinkled the flavor powder on top of the noodles. She then grabbed the metal container and tilted it, piping hot water poured on top of the noodles. Finally, Kanade put a paper plate over each bowl and took a seat on a bed across from Shiho.
“Is there anything else that you need?” Kanade asked sincerely.
Shiho’s body was quivering. “No, but thank you. You’re too nice…”
“Are you sure? You’re shivering a bit…”
“I’m fine, I promise.”
Kanade narrowed her eyes as she made her way over to Shiho. The blue-eyed girl looked at the blanket from the side of Shiho’s bed, grasped it, and loosely wrapped it around the bassist.
“Hopefully that’ll stop the shivering.”
Shiho pulled the blanket tighter around herself, holding the soft corners of the bedcover. “Thanks, Kanade.”
“Of course, Shiho.”
…
A few minutes passed and Kanade handed the bowl of ramen to her girlfriend. Shiho let the blanket fall below her shoulders as she grasped the bowl. A plume of steam escaped from the dish when Shiho lifted up the paper plate, hitting her right in the face.
Kanade stifled a laugh as Shiho closed her eyes shut, bracing the cloud of hot steam. Kanade then handed her girlfriend a pair of chopsticks before sitting across from Shiho and beginning her own meal.
Shiho quickly picked up the noodles with her chopsticks, impatiently indulging in the dish.
In a matter of minutes, the two were finished with their meals. All that remained were a few drops of orangey broth in the paper bowls.
Shiho handed her bowl to Kanade. The white-haired girl looked around for a while before locating a trash can to dispose of the plates in.
The gray-haired musician felt her lips curl upwards into a soft grin.
She always knows exactly what I need…
Kanade returned, sitting across from Shiho on a different bed. She shuffled around in her spot anxiously, not really knowing what to do with her hands.
“Is something on your mind?” Shiho asked, her green eyed-stare genuine and deep.
“I… I…” Kanade’s eyes grew wide as her gaze darted away from Shiho’s own.
Kanade squirmed around a bit before taking a deep breath.
“May I cuddle with you?”
Shiho’s heart started beating a little faster than normal. “Ah- But if you do, I’ll get you sick.”
“I understand.” Kanade said, her voice a soft murmur. “But you look so… cuddly like that.” The composer said, gesturing to the fluffy blanket wrapped around her girlfriend.
Shiho looked down, her cheeks turning scarlet. “But you’ll get sick…”
“It’s ok, I don’t have any plans for a while.” Kanade smiled.
“If you insist…” Shiho gave in, secretly elated that Kanade had brought up the idea.
Kanade got up from the other bed, walking over to the one where Shiho sat. Shiho moved a little bit to the left, making room for her girlfriend. Kanade sat down, opening up her arms and wrapping Shiho in her warm embrace. The bassist leaned to the right, causing the couple to gently fall onto the soft mattress, now lying down.
The white-haired girl pressed a gentle kiss to Shiho’s forehead. Shiho awkwardly buried her head in her girlfriend’s shoulder.
Shiho, however, after regaining her confidence, got up and looked Kanade in the eyes. Their lips then met in a quick yet tender way. Shiho held her girlfriend’s face in her hands, smiling before she brought Kanade closer for another kiss.
“Thanks for taking care of me today, Kanade. I mean it.” Shiho said as they pulled away from each other.
“Of course, sweetheart.” Kanade brushed her fingers through Shiho’s hair.
“I’m gonna make it up to you soon, I promise.”
Kanade brought her girlfriend closer to herself, hugging her loosely. “You really don’t have to… but I’m looking forward to it.”
“Ramen together on Tuesday?” Shiho suggested.
“Ramen together on Tuesday.” Kanade agreed, closing her eyes as the two drifted off into a well-deserved slumber.