8:00 PM.
After my lesson with Tennoji-san ended, I returned to the Konohana manor in the car provided for me.
"I’m back."
"Welcome back, Itsuki-san."
As soon as I stepped inside, I ran into Ms. Shizune.
"I expect I’ll be returning at this time for the foreseeable future."
"Understood. Just to be certain, may I ask what you studied today?"
"Sure."
As we walked toward my room, I explained the details of Tennoji-san’s lessons.
"—And that’s the gist of it."
"I see... It would be wise to properly thank Lady Tennoji at a later date. From what you’ve told me, she seems to be teaching you quite thoroughly."
"I think so too."
That was something I felt personally.
Tennoji-san claimed she was also finding our time together meaningful, but from an outside perspective, I was clearly the one getting the better end of the deal. I would have to find a way to repay the favor.
"However, why did you decide to prioritize table etiquette?"
"Oh, well..."
It was a bit embarrassing, but I felt comfortable enough to tell Ms. Shizune.
I explained my reasoning to her.
"I see."
Ms. Shizune nodded, looking satisfied.
"It is heartening to know you haven't forgotten your duties as a caretaker."
"Well... after all, that’s the whole reason I’m learning all this from Tennoji-san in the first place."
At my response, a pleased smile played across Ms. Shizune’s lips.
"In that case, the Young Lady has been waiting to see you. Please head to her as soon as you can."
"Wait, are we skipping the self-defense lesson?"
"Your physical stamina will be taxed once the dance lessons begin. Considering your schedule, we will temporarily lower the priority of your self-defense training."
After discussing it with Tennoji-san, we had decided to start dance lessons in about a week. Since we couldn't exactly practice dancing in a cafe, we first had to secure a proper venue. That hadn't been finalized yet, so we hadn't started dancing today.
"Besides, the dojo has been occupied quite frequently as of late."
"Occupied?"
Ms. Shizune’s expression became complicated when I asked for clarification.
"It seems their pride was wounded after you beat the Konohana family guards so soundly... Since then, the number of people training in the dojo has increased significantly."
"I... feel a bit bad about that."
"It is not your fault, Itsuki-san. If anything, it served as a much-needed wake-up call for them."
Ms. Shizune let out a small sigh.
"If you intended to pursue a future as a Konohana bodyguard, I would have you start self-defense lessons immediately... but what are your thoughts on the matter?"
"I have no such plans at the moment, so I’ll pass."
"Is that so? How unfortunate."
Unfortunate, she says...
Ms. Shizune was a woman whose jokes were hard to distinguish from her true feelings, but I felt like I caught a glimpse of genuine sincerity just now.
Wait—would that actually be okay?
Was that kind of career path actually an option for me?
After helping Hinako with her bath, I returned to my room to prepare for tomorrow’s classes.
"My brain is definitely starting to fry."
I set my pen down on my notebook and stretched.
It was currently 11:00 PM. I had spent almost the entire day hitting the books.
"...No, it’s because things are busy right now that I have to keep pushing."
I gripped my pen again and flipped through the pages of my textbook. Tennoji-san had just praised me for my study habits. I couldn't afford to slack off now.
I occasionally marveled at how much of a hard worker I’d become.
The people at Kikou Academy were all on a different level. Being surrounded by them had turned daily studying into a habit. Initially, I’d only done it because Ms. Shizune ordered me to, but now it was of my own volition. Perhaps sensing this, she had recently stopped pestering me to "prepare" or "review."
I had never worked this hard in my life before. In the past, I felt like I had attended high school aimlessly—not for anyone else’s sake, and not even for my own.
"I wonder what those guys... are up to now."
Memories of my social life before becoming a caretaker flickered through my mind.
Once things settled down, I felt like I’d want to meet up and talk with them again.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in."
The door opened, and Hinako stepped inside.
"Wait... Hinako?"
"Mhm."
I was stunned to see her standing there.
"You came here by yourself? You didn't get lost?"
"How rude. This is my house."
I couldn't believe she could say that with a straight face.
Lest anyone forget, this was a girl who would get lost at the Academy if left to her own devices.
"Itsuki’s room is farther than I thought... It took me thirty minutes to get here from my room."
"It does not take that long."
Was she treating the manor like a dungeon crawl?
"...What are you doing?"
"Preparing for tomorrow. I’m learning a lot from Tennoji-san, but that’s focused on exams. I have to work hard to make sure I don't fall behind in the actual lectures."
Having reached a good stopping point, I turned around to face her.
"Did you need something?"
"Not really."
"Then why did you come all this way?"
Hinako pouted slightly at my question.
"...Am I not allowed to come here unless I have a reason?"
"No, it's not that, but..."
It wasn't that she wasn't allowed, but I wasn't sure how to handle it.
Since she didn't seem to want anything specific, I went back to my studies while keeping an eye on her.
"Moo..."
As the room filled with the silent scratching of my pen, Hinako let out a soft groan.
Then, she plopped down onto my bed.
"I’m sleeping... here today."
"What?"
"I’m sleeping."
Hinako spoke with a touch of insistence.
"The dining hall is a long walk from my room, so tomorrow morning is going to be a hassle for you. If you’re tired, you should go back to your own room—"
"No..."
She was already drifting off.
I couldn't help but give a wry smile at the sight of her blinking sleepily.
"Itsukiii..."
"Yeah?"
"...Come here."
"Alright, alright."
I closed my books and walked over to her.
"...Pet me."
Hinako spoke with her eyes narrowed in drowsiness.
"You seemed to hate it when I patted your head during the social circles event. Is it okay now?"
"...It wasn't that I hated it."
Hinako rolled over, turning her back to me.
"I’ve... been acting strange lately."
"Strange? Do you feel sick?"
"Moo..."
When I asked out of concern, Hinako puffed out her cheeks.
Apparently, it wasn't a physical ailment.
As I slowly stroked her head, her body gave a tiny flinch for just a second, but she immediately relaxed and accepted it. It was a reaction I hadn't seen until recently. She claimed she didn't dislike it, but I was still worried.
"...Now I’m starting to get sleepy too."
I sat down on the floor while continuing to pet her.
"...Then sleep."
"No, I have to carry you back to your room first..."
As we went back and forth, the exhaustion really did start to set in.
I had been using my brain all day, and it was finally catching up to me.
Before I knew it, I was pulled under by the weight of sleep—
"...Itsuki?"
The hand on her head stopped moving, and Hinako quietly sat up.
Itsuki was slumped by the side of the bed, breathing softly in his sleep.
Hinako rose as quietly as she could and watched him.
"...This might be the first time I’ve seen him sleeping."
Due to the exhaustion of her daily performance, Hinako tended to sleep whenever she found an opening. Consequently, while others often saw her sleeping face, she rarely had the chance to see anyone else's.
"Was he... that tired?"
Now that she thought about it, Itsuki had looked sleepier than usual while sitting at his desk.
She understood the desire to sleep when exhausted all too well. Hinako decided to let him stay as he was.
Her eyes drifted to the study materials spread across the desk.
After a quick glance at the complex formulas filling his notebook, Hinako’s attention was caught by something else.
"Is this... the caretaker’s manual?"
She picked up the thick binder and flipped through the pages.
Originally, no such manual existed. However, because the turnover rate for the position had been so high, the labor of explaining the job verbally became too much, leading to its creation.
The manual was filled with sticky notes and highlighted sections marking important points.
When she reached the notes section, she saw several brands of her favorite ice cream listed there. Scribbled nearby in a bold, hurried hand was a note: "Buy them whenever possible and keep them in the room's freezer!"
She felt a sharp, tiny pang in her chest.
Before the feeling could fade, someone else entered the room.
"Young Lady?"
Ms. Shizune approached with a look of curiosity.
"The door was open, so I was concerned, but..."
"Shh."
Hinako pressed a finger to her lips and turned her gaze back to the sleeping Itsuki.