Chapter 9 – The Angel’s Cleaning Operation

Amane was bad with all kinds of housework, the worst of which was cleaning up.

He could cook, if the definition of ‘cook’ was getting injured and willfully ignoring the appearance and taste.

He could cook, if he went with the idea that he could just heat it, and put it into his stomach; it would look and taste unappealing however,

Of course, he did not want to cook or eat such things, and naturally would never attempt to do so.

He could at least wash clothes, for if he could not, he might not be able to live at all.

Worst case scenario, there was a coin laundromat nearby, and he could simply dump his clothes in, add some detergent and water, and let it spin. He could handle his laundry.

However, he was completely hopeless at cleaning up.

“What do I do with this?”

It was the day off, and Amane, having been nagged at by Mahiru and Itsuki, finally decided to start cleaning, but he did not know where to start.

He knew it was his own fault, but there were too many things, resulting in him unsure how to begin.

For the time being, he washed his futon sheets and dried them.

And then, he had no idea how to start cleaning.

His clothes and magazines were all over the place, and he practically had no place to step on.

The silver lining here was that since any food-related rubbish would smell foul, Amane would dispose of them promptly. Thus, the apartment did not have any oil stains or foul stenches. Well, the room was still in a mess.

Despite that, the mess was the matter most troubling him.

And while he sighed, there was a chime from the entrance.

“Ah!” he blurted.

At his door would be the visitor he was familiar with, or rather, the blessing from Heaven, the courier-like existence who would leave after each delivery. She was a savior in his eyes.

He hurried towards the entrance, nearly slipping as there was no place to step foot on, and supported himself off the wall as he opened the door.

“Sorry, I am here to retrieve the last tupperware…what are you doing?”

“… Getting ready to clean up.”

Mahiru saw him on the verge of tumbling over and stared exasperatedly at his face.

“Thought there was a loud sound.”

“… I nearly fell.”

“I guessed so. You have not started cleaning, no?”

“Didn’t know where to start.”

“I assumed as much.”

It is really difficult to start when it is so messy, so Mahiru noted bluntly as usual. Amane’s face twitched, but he could not deny it.

If he really argued with her until the very end, he really would have no idea how to start cleaning.

But how would he ask?

He wanted to ask her for tips on cleaning, but was she truly willing to provide… So he stared at Mahiru tentatively, and she looked behind him, towards the messy entrance.

*Uwaah… *She looked towards the devastation behind him, her eyes basically screaming such. To her, it appeared the entrance was already a mess in itself.

“Goodness…please allow me to clean the apartment completely.”

“Huh?”

Amane thought it would be brazen for him to ask Mahiru to help, so he merely intended to ask her for cleaning tips.

But he never expected Mahiru to offer her assistance.

“It is unbearable to think my neighbor has such a dirty room.”

Her words were always so blunt, so he was not angry. After all, she was telling the truth, and he had no room to refute.

“And you are living alone without being capable of doing your housework? I suppose you spend your days with the optimistic mindset, thinking you will get used to it. Right now, you do not know how to do anything. How about you reflect a little on your lifestyle?”

He had nothing to say.

His mother had said it would be easy if he had done his housework studiously, but he always left it be, resulting in this situation. He too realized he reaped what he sowed.

“Furthermore, this would not have happened if you had cleaned up daily. This is a result of your daily laziness.”

“… ou’re right.”

One reason he was not angry despite Mahiru’s words was because she had been taking care of him, which he was indebted to her for. After all, she did correctly guess his past trains of thought and deeds.

It all ended up like this because he never took it seriously, thinking he could finish it later. He could only quietly nod away at what she said.

“May I clean up this apartment?”

“… Can I ask you to do so?”

“Of course, since I suggested it. I shall begin preparations then. It is best if you lock away any personal items you wish to hide any personal items or valuables in the storeroom.”

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

While her words were blunt, she was very earnest in offering to help. He had no reason to worry about her stealing anything.

After all, she, a busybody who always abided by common sense, could not possibly harm others.

“… Are you not worried?”

“You’re not the kind of person to do that anyway.”

“Not that… are you not worried that I will see the things you will want to hide as a boy?”

“Sorry about that, but I don’t have such stuff.”

“Well, if you say so. I shall change my clothes and bring my cleaning tools over… I shall clean this apartment thoroughly.”

Mahiru shrugged and returned to her apartment. From behind, Amane watched her leave with a wry smile on his face.