Chapter 162: A Maiden's Thoughts (Patreon)

Less than twenty minutes after Akira finished calling Ryohei and Nao, the doorbell rang. Shido Makoto went to answer it.

A tall, lanky boy stood outside, wearing school uniform trousers and a baggy hoodie, his hair a disheveled mess, an exaggerated grin plastered across his face.

Nakazato Ryohei — one of his closest friends.

"Makoto! You jerk!!"

Ryohei lunged forward to hug him.

Shido Makoto sidestepped, and Ryohei plowed headfirst into the shoe cabinet by the entrance.

"Why'd you dodge?!" Ryohei rubbed his forehead and scrambled back up.

"Do you know how long it's been?! You never texted me once after you went to Tokyo!"

"I did."

"One text! Just one! And it was just 'mm'!"

Shido Makoto didn't deny it.

Ryohei didn't seem to care. He strode into the living room and broke into a grin the moment he spotted Sora.

"Sora-chan, you're back too! Did you miss me?"

Sora gave him a flat look.

"No." "Figures." Ryohei nodded, unsurprised, and flopped onto the couch.

"Sora-chan's still so sharp-tongued."

"She's always like that." Akira, crouched on the floor wiping down the TV stand, said without looking up.

Ryohei craned his neck up from the couch, looking around.

"Nao's not here yet?"

No sooner had he spoken than a soft voice came from the direction of the backyard: "I came in through the back door."

A girl with a ponytail walked in from the other end of the hallway, dressed in simple home clothes, carrying a cloth bag.

Iyohime Nao — the Kasugano family's next-door neighbor, gentle and quiet by nature.

"Makoto-kun, Sora-chan, welcome back."

Nao bowed slightly, then pulled a few rice balls out of her cloth bag.

"My mom heard you were back and had me bring some snacks over."

"Thanks." Shido Makoto took the rice balls.

Ryohei crossed his legs on the couch.

"Wait, isn't there still one more? Where's the young miss?"

No sooner had he said it than the sound of a car engine came from outside, followed by two light, precise knocks on the door.

Akira darted over to open it.

"Ichiyo~"

A girl with long, straight black hair stood at the door.

Nagisa Ichiyo had changed out of her school uniform into a dark blue dress, with a thin beige coat over it.

Her hair fell neatly down her back, and her composed features made her look every bit like the daughter of some wealthy family — the kind anyone would take one look at and assume was a young lady of good breeding.

As it happened, she actually was.

A black sedan was parked behind her, the driver respectfully closing the door.

"Long time no see." Shido Makoto walked over from the hallway.

Ichiyo nodded. "Long time no see, Shikata-kun."

She stepped into the entryway and bent down to change into slippers. Catching sight of the dust on the shoe cabinet out of the corner of her eye, she frowned slightly.

"You just got here?"

"Two hours ago."

Ichiyo straightened up and looked around the living room.

Dust covered everything, the curtains were grimy, and there were cobwebs in the corners.

"This house has been empty for months. It needs a proper cleaning."

"We were just about to start." Akira handed her a rag.

Ichiyo took the rag and looked it over.

"Just this one?"

"Uh...." "I'll take charge of this."

Ichiyo's young-lady mode switched on automatically.

She reached into her cloth bag — wait, she'd brought a cloth bag too?

Shido Makoto took a closer look.

It wasn't a cloth bag — it was an expensive-looking handbag.

Ichiyo pulled out two pairs of rubber gloves, a pack of cleaning wipes, and a bottle of imported mold-remover spray.

Ryohei sat up on the couch.

"You brought all this just to clean someone's house?"

"Preparation is basic common sense."

Ichiyo doled out assignments without hesitation.

"Ryohei, you're on hauling and backyard cleanup."

"Why do I get stuck with the heavy lifting?!"

"Because you're the strongest."

Ichiyo turned to Akira. "Akira, you're on windows and curtains. Nao, can I leave the kitchen and bathroom to you?"

"Sure, no problem." Nao rolled up her sleeves.

"Sora-chan, you'll organize the rooms." Ichiyo glanced at Sora, her voice softening slightly.

"Your own room and the guest room."

Sora nodded, hugging her rabbit plush.

"And what about me?" Shido Makoto asked, leaning against the doorframe.

Ichiyo's gaze shifted to him.

"You're on floors and ceilings."

"Fine."

The five of them took their positions and set to cleaning.

The old Kasugano house wasn't large, but it had no shortage of rooms.

Living room, kitchen, bedroom, study, storage room — plus a front yard and a backyard.

With no one living there for months, dust had settled thick over everything, and the weeds in the backyard had grown knee-high.

Shido Makoto took a mop and started from the living room, working through the rooms one by one. Before long, the hallway and living room floors were spotless.

Passing by the kitchen door, he saw Nao up on her toes, straining to reach the range hood on the upper cabinet, just barely out of reach.

"I've got it." Shido Makoto walked over and reached up to remove the range hood's filter.

"Thanks, Makoto-kun." Nao took the filter from him.

"Mm."

He continued on to the study.

When he pushed open the study door, he found Ichiyo standing in front of the bookshelf, wiping the dust off with a rag.

She was thorough about it, working over every shelf and every compartment.

Shido Makoto noticed her sleeves rolled up high, baring pale wrists — on one of them, a faint mark was visible, left from playing the viola.

"This shelf's too high for you. Let me handle it," he said.

Startled by his voice, Ichiyo spun around.

"How do you walk without making a sound?!"

"Habit."

Ichiyo steadied her racing heart and stepped aside so he could reach the upper shelf.

The two of them stood close together in the study, one in front of the other.

The tips of Ichiyo's ears began to redden.

She quickly turned to wipe down another row of shelves, her back to him.

"Shikata-kun." "Mm?"

"How many days are you staying this time?"

"Four or five days, I think."

"I see."

"If you need any help with anything, just let me know."

"Sure, thanks."

Ichiyo's lips parted as if she wanted to say something, then closed again as she swallowed it back. She lowered her head and went on wiping the shelf.

Once Shido Makoto finished the top shelf, he stepped out to go mop the other rooms.

Passing by the backyard, he saw Ryohei sweating profusely as he pulled weeds.

His hoodie was already off, tossed to the side; he was down to just a T-shirt.

"Makoto! How are these weeds growing like trees?!"

"You're just weak." Shido Makoto tossed off the remark and walked away.

"What did you say?!"

Two hours later, the entire Kasugano house had been scrubbed spotless.

The windows gleamed, the floors were mopped so clean they reflected shadows, and the backyard weeds were all cleared away.

Ryohei collapsed, exhausted, onto the stone steps in the backyard, while Akira crouched beside him, fanning him with a hand fan.

Nao boiled water in the kitchen, brewed a pot of tea, and brought it out for everyone.

Ichiyo sat on the tatami in the living room, legs together, sipping her tea with elegant poise.

"You sit so properly."

Akira poked her head in from the backyard.

"Doesn't it get tiring?"

"Proper posture is basic etiquette."

"A young lady's a young lady, all right." Ryohei mumbled indistinctly, sprawled on the ground.

Ichiyo shot him a glare.

"Sprawling on the ground like that is what's actually embarrassing."

"I did so much work, can't I even rest for a minute?!"

Shido Makoto sat on the hallway steps, teacup in hand, watching the noisy bunch of them.

None of them had changed.

Akira was still the same overflowing-energy shrine maiden. Ichiyo was still the sharp-tongued-but-soft-hearted young lady. Ryohei was still as easygoing as ever. Nao was still the same gentle girl next door.

During those tense days in Tokyo, he'd sometimes almost forgotten he had a group like this waiting for him back here.

By five in the evening, the sky began to darken.

The sun set earlier in Okizome Town than in Tokyo; the mountain shadows swallowed the last rays of light quickly.

Akira checked the time on her phone.

"Wait, it's already this late — what are we doing about dinner?"

"I'll cook." Shido Makoto rose from the step.

No one there had any objection to that — everyone knew how good his cooking was.

"What about ingredients?" Nao asked.

"There's only tea leaves and seasonings in the kitchen. The fridge is empty."

"We'll need to buy some in town," Shido Makoto said.

Ryohei perked right up.

"I'll go! I'll go with you!"

"No need, you stay home and rest," Akira said.

"I've recovered! Fully recovered!"

Akira glanced at him, then at Ichiyo.

Then her eyes flicked with a mischievous glint.

"Actually, Ryohei, you'd better not go — you can't even tell fresh vegetables from ones that have sat out for three days."

"What are you talking about?! Of course I can tell!"

"And you never check the price of anything. Do you even remember how much you paid for that watermelon last time?"

"That watermelon was really sweet!"

"Let's have Ichiyo go instead," Akira suggested, looking entirely natural about it.

Ichiyo, mid-sip, paused.

Ryohei opened his mouth, then seemed to suddenly catch on, a slow grin spreading across his face.

"Oh~ Ichiyo's going, huh? Yeah, that's way more fitting than me."

"Ryohei." Ichiyo's voice dropped a degree colder.

"Hm?" "Shut up." "I didn't say anything." Ryohei looked the picture of innocence.

A moment later, only Shido Makoto and Ichiyo remained in the living room — along with Akira and Ryohei out in the backyard, pretending to work while actually peeking in.

Ichiyo set down her teacup, stood, and smoothed her skirt.

"Shikata-kun, shall we take the car?"

Shido Makoto nodded. "Sure."

The two of them walked out the door; the black sedan was still parked outside.

Ichiyo opened the car door, and Shido Makoto walked around to the passenger seat.

The car's interior was spotless, with a faint fragrance lingering inside.

"To the shopping street in town?" Ichiyo asked.

"Yeah. Tanaka Fresh Foods has good fish, and the vegetables we can get from the old shop next door."

Ichiyo nodded, said a word to the driver, and the car pulled onto the downhill road.

The roads in Okizome Town weren't wide, but there was little traffic, so the drive went smoothly.

"Shikata-kun." Ichiyo said, looking out the window.

"Mm?"

"Is Sora-chan doing okay?"

"I feel like she's not quite the same as before today. She still seems like herself, but something feels... off."

This girl's instincts were as sharp as ever, Shido Makoto mused.

"She's been under a lot of stress lately," Shido Makoto said, choosing his words carefully.

"So I brought her back to unwind for a bit."

"School stuff?"

"Something like that."

Ichiyo didn't press further.

She was the type who knew where the lines were — what to ask and what not to.

Five minutes later, the car reached the shopping street in town.

The car pulled over, and the two of them got out.

The owner of Tanaka Fresh Foods was a gray-haired old man, and he froze for a long moment when he saw Shido Makoto walk in.

"Makoto... little Makoto? Is that you?"

"Old Man Tanaka, long time no see."

"Well, look at you! You've shot up quite a bit! How's it going for you out in Tokyo?"

"Not bad."

"What about Sora-chan? Is she back too?"

"She's back, at the house."

Old Man Tanaka's face wrinkled up with his grin.

"Good, good. So what do you want today?"

Shido Makoto scanned the shelves and refrigerated cases.

"Got any fresh saury?"

"Just came in this morning! Eyes still bright and clear — take a look."

The old man pulled a tray of saury out of the case, lined up neat and orderly.

Shido Makoto picked one up, gave it a squeeze, checked the gills — genuinely fresh.

"I'll take six."

"Coming right up."

Ichiyo stood off to the side, watching him pick out fish.

"You work as a cook at an izakaya in Tokyo?" Ichiyo asked.

"Mm."

"No wonder."

The corner of Ichiyo's mouth twitched. "Your hands know what they're doing."

Shido Makoto picked out some shrimp and clams as well, had the old man bag them up, and then the two of them moved on to the vegetable shop next door.

"Daikon, burdock root, lotus root, green onion..."

Shido Makoto called out items as he walked.

"And two blocks of tofu. Do you have miso... never mind, we've got miso at home."

Ichiyo followed behind him, quietly noting down everything he picked.

"What are you planning to make tonight?"

"Salt-grilled saury, miso soup, vinegared lotus root, stewed daikon, and a fried rice besides."

After listing the menu, Shido Makoto added, "Sora doesn't eat sashimi, so it's all cooked."

Ichiyo nodded and carried the vegetables he'd picked out to the register.

"I'll pay," she said.

"No need."

"Shikata-kun."

Ichiyo turned to face him.

"You cook, I cover the ingredients — that's fair." "...Fine."

Ichiyo paid, and the two of them split the groceries into several bags and carried them back to the car. Night had fully fallen by then.

Earlier, when she'd gone home in the afternoon to change clothes, she'd made a point of calling home.

"Father, I'll be back a bit late tonight," she'd said over the phone.

"Oh? Having dinner with friends?"

"Mm... at the Kasugano house."

"The Kasugano house? Makoto-kun is back?"

"Yes."

There was a pause on the other end of the line.

"Don't be too late."

"I know."

The car turned back onto the slope leading up to the Kasugano house.