Chapter 43: Akikawa Kae's Reward

Ten minutes later, Mirei Seiryo put down the cleaning cloth in her hand, tiny beads of sweat glistening on her forehead, which she wiped away carelessly with her wrist. Looking at the tidy little living room that she had just put in order, she nodded in satisfaction. “Hm, cleaning isn’t so hard after all!” Mirei slowly rose from the wooden floor. Her once fair knees were now flushed red; she had been scrubbing the floor on her knees, inch by inch. As soon as she sat on the sofa, her feet swinging idly, she glanced at the clock—only about ten minutes had passed. There was still a long time before Haruhi Harano would return home…

At first, she’d thought it would be enough simply to tidy up the mess she herself had made. But now Mirei’s gaze drifted toward the kitchen, where the dishes from lunch still lay unwashed. Well… since there was nothing else to do, she might as well wash the dishes she’d used herself! Yes, that was settled. She didn’t want to seem like she was eating and living here for free without lifting a finger. She was perfectly capable of doing housework too! She wondered, though, whether that idiot Haruhi Harano was actually studying diligently.

...

“Haruhi, that’s all for today. Be sure to keep working hard when you get home, okay?” Kaede Yasukawa closed her book, propped her chin on her hand, turned sideways, and looked at Haruhi with a cheerful smile. As she shifted, her already small camisole seemed to become no more than a scrap of cloth, revealing large swathes of radiant skin. “Yes, Miss Yasukawa,” Haruhi quickly averted his gaze. “If you pass the next exam week, I’ll give you a special reward!” Kaede leaned forward, a faint fragrance hovering at Haruhi’s nose, her long lashes fluttering slightly.

It was no exaggeration to say that, from this angle, Kaede’s upper body looked almost as though she wasn’t wearing anything at all—in fact, it was somehow even more alluring than nudity. That hint of mystery, half-concealed, half-revealed, awakened the explorer’s spirit in him.

[Ding!]

[Random Event Triggered: The Exam Week Blitz]

[Today, you studied at Kaede Yasukawa’s home and made great progress. Suddenly, you feel confident again—English really isn’t so hard! Now even a set of rigorous mainland English tests wouldn’t faze you. Facing Kaede Yasukawa’s challenge, you don’t know what the final reward is, but you can’t help feeling a surge of expectation. So, you decide:]

[A. Firmly refuse her, freeloading a tutoring session! (Reward: Green Title—Freeloading Prodigy.)]

[B. Honestly agree to Kaede Yasukawa’s request, buckle down and study hard, strive to pass exam week and claim your reward! (Reward: Care and encouragement from Kaede Yasukawa.)]

[C. Promise you’ll definitely pass exam week—and try to claim your reward in advance! (Reward: Unlock Special Route.)]

A triggered event? Haruhi looked over the three options. Normally, to play it safe, he would have chosen the second option—slow and steady wins the race. But now… He closed the virtual panel and glanced at Kaede Yasukawa. Her slender neck, the fitted black camisole, shorts that ended just at the tops of her thighs, her full, mature yet still slightly innocent curves… Noticing Haruhi’s gaze, Kaede even gave her hips a little wiggle, making her camisole sway so he could see even more.

“What’s wrong, Haruhi?” she asked. The two were so close that Haruhi could feel her warm breath on his chin.

“Miss Yasukawa, don’t worry, I’ll do my best. It’s just… I wanted to ask, what exactly is the reward? Could you give me a hint now?”

...

“Phew!” Mirei Seiryo, wearing rubber gloves, surveyed the stack of spotless dishes in the cabinet and the gleaming stove. A sense of accomplishment bubbled up inside her. Housework wasn’t so tiring after all! Glancing at the clock, she wondered if that idiot Harano would be home soon. With that thought, Mirei dashed to the door on her long, fair legs, cleared her throat, and prepared to wait for the doorbell. The moment it rang, she’d fling open the door, tilt her chin up, and say, “Hm, you’re pretty punctual today. I’m satisfied!” Yes, that was exactly what she’d say.

One minute, two, three… Five or six minutes passed with no sign of the doorbell. The blonde beauty stood at the door, hands clasped behind her back, staring blankly. Suddenly, her cheeks puffed up in annoyance, like an angry pufferfish. What was that idiot doing, not coming home yet? Could the whole tutoring thing be a lie? Was he out meeting another girl? What kind of girl would even be interested in him?! Wait—Mirei suddenly recalled the girl who’d cleaned with Haruhi the other day. Yuriko Okata?! Or maybe he’d gone out to buy something…

Mirei flopped onto the sofa, her mind spinning with endless possibilities.

Ding!

Her phone vibrated twice. Mirei grabbed it, her tightly knit brows relaxing as she read the message.

Haruhi Harano: I’ve finished tutoring, but I missed the train, so I’ll be home late tonight. Stay home and be good, okay?

At first, she wanted to reply with a simple “okay” and a cute sticker. But then she thought better of it, erased what she’d typed, and sent a new reply:

“Don’t bother coming back at all. Why tell me? [Aloof]”

On the other end, Haruhi couldn’t help but chuckle at her message. Silly girl—lucky I have my cheat. Your real feelings are hardly as cold as your words.

[Mirei Seiryo’s current status: Strong annoyance at Haruhi Harano’s late return; strong suspicion he might be meeting another girl; mild satisfaction at having finished cleaning the apartment…]

He put away his phone and looked down at Kaede Yasukawa, who was half-kneeling before him. The black strap of her camisole, like butter on tofu, had slipped down onto her arm.

“Miss Yasukawa…”