Tanaka Masao and Yukinoshita Yukinoshita walked side-by-side on their way home.
As they approached the intersection where their paths would usually diverge, Yukinoshita spoke up.
"I won't be going to your place today."
Masao was puzzled. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"
"Nothing." Yukinoshita shook her head. "It's just that the extra tutoring sessions are over. For today, you should just go home, rest, and prepare for tomorrow's exams."
Masao let out a quiet sigh of relief. He had thought something serious had happened to make her cancel. It was just this.
"Well, that may be, but my mom knows we finished our exams today. She went out of her way to make a big meal for us. Maybe we can stop after tomorrow? If I go back without you today, she'll definitely give me an earful."
"I… " Yukinoshita hesitated. It had taken a significant effort of will for her to make this decision.
Over the past week, she had found herself growing dangerously accustomed to—even fond of—that warm, comfortable life. But her sense of reason screamed at her that it wasn't her home.
That life wasn't hers to keep, and she would have to leave it behind one day.
She needed to pull herself out now, while she still had the resolve. If she didn't, she couldn't be sure she wouldn't sink in so deep she could never leave.
Yet, Masao's words put her in a difficult position.
'Maybe just one last time, to bring things full circle. It would be rude to turn down his mother's kindness. And it's just one more time. How much of a difference could it really make?'
After a moment's thought, she nodded. "Alright."
As it happened, they had just reached the intersection. With a nudge of reluctance, Yukinoshita once again followed Masao home.
[Ding.]
[Congratulations, Host, on obtaining 10 points of Corruption Value.]
Masao hadn't lied to Yukinoshita; Tanaka Kazumi had indeed prepared a feast. And since everyone was tired from the long day of exams, Yukinoshita didn't make Masao study intensively. She just had him review his notes and go over the exams he'd already taken.
This made for a more relaxed evening for everyone, with plenty of time left over for casual conversation.
—
The Next Day
When Masao saw Kawasaki Saki arrive, he greeted her.
"Good morning, Kawasaki."
"Morning," she replied with a nod.
'Progress at lightning speed. It only took three weeks to get to greetings. At this rate, I can't even imagine where we'll be in another ten months.'
The remaining subjects were tested that morning.
The afternoon was free, giving the teachers time to grade the papers.
Combined with the weekend, the students had a full two and a half days of freedom before the results were posted—a prospect for teenagers who had been buried in stressful, non-stop review sessions.
The campus was buzzing with exhilaration. Some students, the moment their last exam was over, made plans with friends to go shopping or hang out. Those in clubs grabbed a quick bite before heading to their club activities. The school grounds were filled with laughter and cheerful voices.
Masao made his way to the Service Club. He knocked on the door.
"Come in," came Yukinoshita's voice from inside.
Pushing the door open, Masao stepped in and looked around. "Feels like it's been ages since I was last here."
"It has been a while," Yukinoshita agreed.
It had been about ten days since either of them had visited the clubroom. Noticing the thin layer of dust on the tables and floor, Yukinoshita spoke up.
"The clubroom isn't really usable at the moment. I need to clean it. Are you heading home, or are you staying to help?"
This was clearly a trick question—the kind a seasoned student like Masao, fresh off a major review session, would never miss. So he chose…
"Sure, I don't have anything else to do. I'll stay."
He found a spot to drop his bag. "Do we have cleaning supplies?"
Yukinoshita nodded. "We have everything here."
She walked to the back of the room and opened a storage closet, revealing a complete set of cleaning tools.
Masao followed her and picked up a bucket. "I'll go get some clean water first."
He headed to a nearby restroom and soon returned with a bucket mostly filled with clean water.
When he got back, Yukinoshita had already moved the desks and chairs to the side, clearing the floor space.
Masao set the bucket down. "Where should we start?"
Yukinoshita scanned the room. "Let's start with the windows, then clean the desks and other items, and finish with the floor."
Her plan followed a logical top-to-bottom order. The ceiling and walls showed no obvious dust, so they could be skipped for now.
Yukinoshita handed Masao a bottle of glass cleaner. "You spray this on the windows."
She picked up a squeegee, the kind specifically designed for cleaning glass.
Masao went first, spraying the cleaner onto the glass, his height allowing him to reach every spot. Yukinoshita followed behind, scraping and wiping it all clean.
After finishing his spraying duties, Masao grabbed another cloth and joined Yukinoshita in wiping.
He had to admit, there was something satisfying about spraying the cleaner and using the squeegee.
One smooth pull, and the glass turned perfectly clear—a delight for anyone with even a hint of obsessive-compulsive tendency.
Of course, leaving one small spot unclean would have the opposite effect, driving such a person mad.
In just over ten minutes, they had wiped all the interior windows spotless. The outsides of the windows were the school's responsibility, to be handled by professional cleaners.
Students were forbidden from leaning out to clean them—a rule born from a past, unfortunate accidents.
Looking at the sparkling clean glass, Masao felt a surge of pride.
"There's nothing like a clean room to lift your mood."
"It's not completely clean yet," Yukinoshita reminded him. "Let's keep going."
After rinsing the squeegee and putting it away, she said, "Masao-kun, could you change the water?"
"On it."
When he returned with a fresh bucket of water, he found Yukinoshita with her back to him, bent over as she wiped down a desk.
'A perfect view… '
Ahem. Masao picked up a rag and joined in.
Besides the two desks they usually used, the Service Club had a few others stored there. They wiped them all down. Although the desks weren't particularly dirty, it still took a fair amount of time to clean every one.
After wiping the final chair, Masao wiped his brow. "Whew, I'm beat."
Yukinoshita also set down her rag. "Let's take a break before we continue."
She reached back to massage her own lower back, clearly feeling the strain herself.
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