Volume 1 - CH 6

After the night had passed, I woke up with a jolt. Last night, I slept on the hard floor again, as usual. Hayashi persistently suggested that I sleep in the bed with her, but I refused, saying it would be problematic, and slept on the floor. As a result, my shoulder was in a lot of pain.

“…Maybe I should go buy a futon later.”

Hayashi was still snoring in the bed.

I got up at 7 in the morning. For a college student during summer vacation, who exists solely to lead a decadent life, this was considered to be an incredibly early hour. Ever since I was young, I’d been getting up at this time on days when I don’t have a late-night job. Waking up early makes the morning feel longer, which gives me a sense of accomplishment. Usually, I’d spend the extra time thoroughly cleaning my room, eating lunch, and then going out.

But today… because there’s someone snoring in the room, I’m reluctant to make any noise.

I wonder what time Hayashi will get up?

She must have been tense for the past few days, so I won’t blame her for sleeping in. However, not being able to clean my room bothers me. In any case, I can’t bring myself to wake her up.

“…Maybe I’ll go for a walk.”

Even though it’s midsummer, the outdoors at this time are much more comfortable compared to the daytime. Since I’m at it, I might as well go for a walk to clear my head.

I took off my pajamas, stuffed them into the washing machine, put on my outdoor clothes, and went out for a walk. I didn’t have a specific destination in mind. Along the way, I saw a convenience store and decided to buy breakfast on my way back.

“Huh?”

When I returned home, I let out a small gasp.

As soon as I opened the door to my room, I could hear the sound of the washing machine running. Did I turn on the washing machine before going for a walk? There’s no way. I wouldn’t have done such a noisy thing while thinking of letting Hayashi sleep.

Looking around, I noticed that the curtains, which I had closed, were now open. There was a figure on the balcony.

“Oh, good morning, Yamamoto.”

“What are you doing?”

“Cleaning.”

Wearing a T-shirt, shorts, sandals, and holding a broom and dustpan, Hayashi’s appearance was indeed that of someone cleaning.

“You could have kept sleeping.”

“I’m used to waking up at this time, so it’s become a habit.”

“Oh, I see.”

“You actually keep your room pretty clean. There’s no trash on the balcony either.”

“I run the vacuum cleaner whenever I have free time. That’s my hobby.”

“Wow, what a sad hobby.”

…Wait?

Did she just make fun of me?

When I moved to Tokyo, my parents, who always saw me vacuuming whenever I had free time, cried a lot. They said they would miss having a cleaning fanatic around.

…Wait?

Did they make fun of me back then, too?

“What are you brooding about?”

“Is it wrong to clean every day?”

“No, it’s a good thing. But making it a hobby is a bit questionable.”

“Hobbies usually cost money and are unproductive. But cleaning is productive.”

“But you seem to have bought quite a few cleaning supplies, right? You’ve spent a considerable amount of money on them.”

I glanced at the large closet behind me, which was filled with numerous cleaning tools.

“…You opened it?”

“Sorry.”

“No need to apologize. I’m sure the cleaning tools would be happy to be used.”

“Who are you empathizing with?”

“…Let’s have breakfast.”

I placed the plastic shopping bag I was holding on the desk. Inside were a few rice balls for both of us.

“I didn’t know your favourite flavours, so just pick whichever you like.”

“…Rice, huh?”

Hayashi put her hand on her chin and began to think.

“I’ve been thinking since yesterday, but the food you make is pretty bland, isn’t it?”

“Really?”

More importantly, which rice ball do you want?

“Starting from lunch today, I’ll cook our meals.”

“Starting from lunch?”

More importantly, which rice ball are you going to eat?

I’m actually getting a bit hungry…

I pretended to think, but in reality, I didn’t have to think too much. I had already made up my mind about how to respond to her request.

“It’s okay. I’ll cook.”

“Oh, are you particular about your cooking?”

“Not at all.”

However, Hayashi is still a guest in this house. It would be absurd to make her do all the work.

“I’m staying here for free, so I should at least do that much, right?”

“…You’ve been through a lot of stress up until recently, haven’t you? Wouldn’t it be nice to rest while you’re in this house?”

“It’s the opposite.”

“The opposite?”

“If I don’t do anything, I’ll just keep thinking about unpleasant things.”

…In other words, she wants to keep herself busy to some extent.

“…I understand. Then I’ll leave it to you.”

“Thank you. In fact, I’ll handle most of the household chores.”

“Eh, why?”

“Because I want to keep moving.”

“…Alright, I understand. No, wait a minute.”

Unusually serious, I pressed Hayashi for an answer.

“…What?”

I leaned in urgently, bringing my face close to Hayashi’s. As a result, I thought I saw her face turn slightly red, but it was probably just my imagination. More importantly, there’s something I can’t compromise on, no matter what.

“I’ll be the one to do the cleaning.”

“Suit yourself. You cleaning freak.”

With a disgusted look, Hayashi spoke harshly to me. It was a remark reminiscent of her high school days. Through several conversations, I’d often tease her and receive similar blunt words from her.

Well, unlike back then, I didn’t mean to tease her this time… but if I upset her, there’s nothing I can do.

“Thank you for letting me have my way.”

“…You’re a weird one, aren’t you?”

“Don’t praise me like that. It’s embarrassing, right?”

Receiving a sigh of exasperation from Hayashi, we started eating breakfast together.