Chapter 1 — Starting my Housekeeping Part-time Job
Under the vast expanse of the sky, towering cumulonimbus clouds loom in the distance. The symphony of cicadas, intensifying the summer heat, relentlessly pours in through the open windows of the classroom, never ceasing.
"We all know that summer break starts tomorrow, so be careful not to get too carried away and get into any accidents, okay?"
With those words left behind as warning, the homeroom teacher exited the classroom.
As soon as class was over, the students' chatter became livelier than the buzzing of cicadas.
Their voices were filled with brightness and enthusiasm.
Students stood up from their seats, gathering around their close friends or engaging in conversations with those around them, discussing their plans for the upcoming break.
Amidst all that, one male student took a seat at the desk by the window in the last row.
"Do you have any plans for the break, Haru~?"
Said the male student who took a seat at the desk before turning to the person sitting on the chair.
"Hmm, study, I guess."
"Oi oi! Are you saying that for real?"
"Do you think I would lie to my best friend?"
Haru, the owner of the desk, leaned back against the chair's backrest and looked up at his friend sitting at the desk with a serious expression.
"Yesterday, when I asked you to show me the homework, you said you hadn't done it. And the day before yesterday, the school cafeteria had meat as the daily special menu, but you told me it was fish. And even last Thursday..."
"Alright, alright. I admit that I have been lying to you frequently."
Replied the male student called Haru, as he raised both hands in surrender.
"So, do you have any plans for the summer break? Ootsuki Haruto-san?"
"I already told you, it's studying, right? My dear best friend, Akagi Tomoya-san."
The male student, Ootsuki Haruto, who was the owner of the desk, repeated the same words as before. In response, Akagi Tomoya, the male student who took a seat at the desk, paused for a moment and then displayed a shocked expression, realizing that Haruto was not joking.
"Eh? Ehh!? Wai-! You-! Seriously!? We're in our second year of high school, you know?"
"I know."
"We're right in the middle of our youth, you know?!"
"I know."
"Then you must have something planned in advance, right?!"
"Studying, of course."
"Are you freaking serious?!"
Tomoya replied with an exaggerated scream, accompanied by an overreacting comment. Haruto, who witnessed his friend's reaction, couldn't help but smile wryly.
"Tomoya, you already know, right? What my goal is."
"Well… I mean... yeah, but..."
Tomoya, while nodding in response to Haruto's words, didn't seem entirely convinced and continued to persist.
"Even if you study all the time, you'll get tired and your efficiency won't improve, right? You need to take breaks occasionally, you know? For example..."
Tomoya paused in the middle of his sentence and let his gaze sweep across the noisy classroom.
Then, his gaze came to a halt at a particular point.
"Inviting some of the girls in the class to the pool or sea."
"If you're trying to invite Toujou-san, you're on your own. I'll pass."
Haruto replied after briefly glancing at the female student who was the focus of his friend's gaze.
"You! So cold-hearted! Are you really going to abandon your best friend so easily!?"
"Don't worry. If you end up in pieces and your mental state is shattered, I'll be there as your best friend to comfort you."
"Are you saying I'll be completely rejected?!"
Ignoring his protesting friend, Haruto once again turned his gaze towards the female student his friend had been looking at earlier.
Toujou Ayaka. An existence that is considered to be the school's idol, so to speak.
She had beautiful hair that shines a stunning shade of flaxen, when touched by the sun, cascading down her back with no trace of frizz, and with each movement of her head, flows effortlessly, defying gravity itself. Her facial features are so well-defined that one could easily mistake her for a celebrity or an idol. Occasionally, rumors circulate that she belongs to an entertainment agency, and even if that were true, it wouldn't be surprising considering how stunningly beautiful she is. Moreover, her figure is absolutely flawless. Her slender, long limbs and remarkable physique captivates men and inspires envy in women. It leaves one wondering why she hasn't made any television appearances yet, given her undeniable allure.
"Hey, Haru~, why don't you invite Toujou-san to hang out?"
"Why should I be the one to invite her? You should do it. And be rejected."
"Stop assuming I'll be rejected. But well, I admit that there's absolutely no chance that my invitation will work."
"If you think you have no chance, then I have no chance either."
"No way! If it's you, Haru, then you might have a chance."
Seeing Tomoya vigorously shaking his head, Haruto squinted his eyes and gave him a dubious expression before speaking.
"I hate to admit it, but you have a good-looking face. If even you fail, then I have no hope either. Give up."
"Certainly. I look handsome while you look average. …Ow! Hey, Haru! Violence isn't always the answer."
"My bad, I couldn't suppress the seething emotion that welled up from the depths of my heart."
"Haru-san my guy, having a chuunibyou mindset doesn't appeal to girls… Yep, okay, it was my fault, so please lower that fist."
Reluctantly lowering the fist that was intended to strike his friend's side, Haruto instead placed his palm under his chin and looked up at Tomoya with a stern gaze. In response to Haruto's silent urging, Tomoya continued speaking.
"Listen, up until now, many handsome guys have already confessed to Toujou-san."
Ever since she enrolled in the school, our idol, Ayaka Toujou, has been approached by numerous boys looking to be in a romantic relationship with her. The aces of various clubs, popular handsome boys among the girls, student council presidents and disciplinary committee members, and even students from other schools have flocked to the school gate just to confess their feelings to her.
However, none of them received a favorable response from her. Without exception, those who confessed to her would lower their heads, slump their shoulders, and leave with a sense of melancholy on their faces as they turned their backs and walked away.
"I've seen Toujou-san cut and eliminate various types of handsome guys, and it made me think..."
"Cut and eliminate, you say…"
Upon hearing his friend compare the school idol to a swordsman slashing down her suitors, Haruto displayed an expression of disbelief.
"It made me think that perhaps, Toujou-san isn't into handsome guys, see?"
"No, no. There have also been plenty of guys who confessed to her who weren't particularly handsome, you know?"
Not all of the brave souls who made a move on her were handsome individuals. Among them, there were even male students who you would admire for having the courage to confess despite looking plainly average.
"Certainly. But, you know, there's one crucial difference between you and all the guys who have been rejected so far. And that is..."
After creating a dramatic pause, Tomoya pointed at Haruto and declared with a firm voice.
"The crucial difference is that you boast the top grades in our year!"
"Hmm."
Haruto responded, leaning on his hand with an apparent lack of interest.
"Toujou-san is surely someone who values the inside over what's on the outside. That's why there's plenty of potential for you, even if you're not that handsome."
"No, there isn't."
Haruto promptly refuted Tomoya's words, denying them outright. Furthermore, he drove his fist into Tomoya's side, just to make his point.
As his writhing friend endured the blow of his iron fist, Haruto cast a sidelong glance and directed his gaze towards Toujou Ayaka.
There were only female students gathered around her. As for the male students, they were simply casting occasional furtive glances, as if observing Toujou, who was situated in the center of the other female students.
"To begin with, there's also the possibility that Toujou-san isn't interested in men."
With her beauty and the numerous approaches she receives from men, the fact that there are no rumors or romantic involvements could suggest that such a possibility is not entirely impossible.
"Err, no way… Still, that's kind of possible."
Haruto let out a fed-up laugh as he watched his friend acting like he's deeply thinking of something with his hand on his chin while nodding.
Not bothering exactly what Tomoya said was "kind of possible," Haruto picked up his bag that was hanging next to the desk and stood up from his chair.
"Right, speaking of plans for the break, I actually have something other than studying," Haruto said as he slung his bag over his shoulder, catching Tomoya's attention with a curious "Oh?"
"What is it? As expected, you're gonna have fun somewhere, no?"
"Nah, it's a short-term part-time job," Haruto replied, piquing Tomoya's interest.
"Hoh? What kind of part-time job is it?"
"Housekeeping service."
"Wow, there's a part-time job like that?"
"I just happened to come across it while browsing job listings."
As Haruto spoke to Tomoya, he started walking slowly towards the exit of the classroom. The latter followed suit, getting off the desk and catching up with him.
"Housekeeping? Is it the type of job where you cook dinner and stuff?"
"Yep, yep. And if they ask me to clean their stuff, I'll do that too. That kind of job."
Haruto began to talk about his summer break part-time job as they walked side by side in the hallway.
"Is that so? Are they still recruiting for that? Maybe I should give it a try too."
"Nah, aren't you actually the one who needs to hire a housekeeping service?"
"Hahaha, you're right."
Haruto has visited Tomoya's room multiple times, but he has never seen it in a tidy state. Furthermore, with each visit, the messiness seems to worsen, prompting Haruto to take matters into his own hands and clean the room on Tomoya's behalf more than once or twice. Lately, he even suspects that Tomoya's inviting him to his house just to clean his room.
"Well, that's how it is, so my summer break will be filled with studying and work."
Haruto said as he took his outdoor shoes out of the shoe locker and changed from his indoor slippers.
"That's one hell of a boring summer break."
Grumbled Tomoya as he also changed into his outdoor shoes before tapping the tips of his shoes on the ground.
"In the end, shouldn't we just go and invite Toujou-san to hang out?"
"Nah, it's already impossible since we're leaving the classroom and on our way home from school, right?"
As Haruto spoke while passing through the school gate, Tomoya's expression suddenly changed.
"W-when did we even leave the school!? I didn't notice at all!?"
Seeing his friend come to a stop in shock, Haruto smirked and said,
"Give up, my friend. Let's spend this summer together, immersed in diligence and labor."
Seeing Haruto giving him a thumbs-up with those words, Tomoya couldn't help but look up at the sky and yell,
"I don't want a youth like that!!!"
