A youth story of a passerby at the end of the world

"Why?!"

Chapter 247: A Different Morning

why?

Of course, she had already seen through her minister's thoughts. From his question, she could basically understand his subtext: he wanted her to wear a maid outfit.

"By the way, aren't the maid outfits here the long skirt kind?"

Traditional Japanese mansions don't have maids wearing short skirts; they mostly wear elegant long skirts, so they don't have the cute, ethereal feel of maid cafes.

With his hands outstretched, Uesugi Genshin wanted to make it clear that his statement did not originate from any strange thoughts, but was simply out of curiosity.

I'm curious what kind of stockings she wears under this long maid outfit.

Is it a suspender top? Or pantyhose? Or perhaps white lace-trimmed ankle socks?

“…” Hayasaka Ai continued to stare at him with a helpless look that seemed to say, “Ah, this person.” She slightly pursed her lips, exuding a sense of speechlessness.

"Kaguya~" Shirogane Miyuki waved his hand excitedly, calling out to his lover.

"President, is everything alright?"

"Yes, it's very safe." Except for the occasional bloodstains inside, which might be a little scary at night.

Hayasaka-san's so-called cleanup was a real cleanup.

"President, let me show you my room." Kaguya Shinomiya said with great interest, pulling Miyuki Shirogane towards her room.

He felt like he had seen Shinomiya's room before, since he had looked through every room, but he still pretended to be as excited as if it were his first time.

"Where do I sleep?" At this moment, Uesugi Genshin turned his head to look at Hayasaka beside him.

"The servants' room," Hayasaka Ai replied matter-of-factly, closing her eyes.

"What about it?"

"..." What a twisted sense of humor. She took two quick steps forward. "Next to my room."

Even though there were guest rooms available, why did they make him sleep in the next room? What was Hayasaka thinking? Uesugi Genshin pondered this as he followed them.

"Here," Hayasaka Ai led him to a room, "but it might need some tidying up."

The space next to hers was empty; after a month, it must have accumulated a lot of dust.

Turning his head to look at the door of Hayasaka's room, Uesugi Genshin realized for the first time that this was Hayasaka's room, even though he had seen it before.

He couldn't quite recall the details of the room, but it was probably a very ordinary room with no special atmosphere. However, he was particularly impressed by the maid's room, which was filled with dolls.

"I'm going to change my clothes." I won't wear this outfit if I'm going to clean; I need to wash it today.

"Oh." Uesugi Genshin watched Hayasaka walk into his room, and he felt a sudden urge to take another look at her room.

He pushed open the door to the room where he would sleep that night. It was a good size, and even though it was a maid's room, it wasn't too cramped. In fact, it was much better than many rented apartments.

The toilet is also spacious, with a large bathtub that is big enough for an adult to lie down in, or even for two people.

"The cleaning tools are in the cubicle." Hayasaka Ai interrupted his inspection of the room as she walked in.

"This is the first time I've seen her like this." Uesugi Genshin exclaimed in surprise, admiring the active-duty maid in front of him.

The white, black, and white color scheme from the inside out definitely makes it a maid outfit, with the outermost white apron being particularly distinctive.

There was no white headband on her head, which is probably because Hayasaka herself doesn't have the habit of wearing one.

"Have you finished reading?"

"I can't get enough of it."

So that's the answer? Hayasaka Ai nodded knowingly, ignored him, and turned to get the cleaning tools.

He quickly caught up with her, and together they took the items and returned to their room to begin cleaning.

Even if it's just for one night, it can't be done half-heartedly.

Or rather, it seems he has nothing to do.

If it's Shirogane, Kaguya Shinomiya will enthusiastically take him on a tour of the villa where she has always lived.

But Hayasaka probably didn't intend to take me sightseeing, or perhaps we'd already basically finished.

On the way here, she had been talking about how, since there were no high-ranking servants like butlers in this mansion, she, as the most senior servant, was in charge of directing the servants and needed to supervise everyone's work meticulously.

The Shinomiya family has very strict requirements for their servants. Although the treatment is very good, the maid in front of him has a total asset that is no less than his, making her a wealthy young woman.

That being said, it was indeed very strict. Servants were not allowed to appear before their masters or guests unless summoned, which was not a problem.

However, if the cleaning is not done properly, someone will be dismissed; if the dishes and tableware are slightly dull, someone will also be dismissed.

Although it is one's job and it is unacceptable not to do it diligently, dismissing someone at the drop of a hat seems a bit excessive.

Hayasaka Ai was standing on tiptoe, wiping the windowsill, and then she planned to wipe the glass as well.

The slender feet wearing brown leather shoes were revealed beneath the skirt, and as the skirt rose, the black stockings around the ankles became even more visible.

It was only at this moment that Uesugi Genshin suddenly realized it.

This is a trap! A trap designed to lure him in!

Sure enough, when he looked up, he saw Hayasaka looking at him with a subtle squinting.

"stare......"

They really are master and servant.

Then, without any hesitation, she lifted a corner of her long skirt and said, "If you want to see, then look. I give you permission."

"..." The way he said that made him feel like he had lost if he looked at it, but if he didn't look at it, it would seem like he was just being stubborn.

That's really... a twisted sense of humor.

"Hayasaka~, are you here?"

Just then, Kaguya Shinomiya's voice came from outside the door, causing Ai Hayasaka to lower her skirt.

"Kaguya-sama, I'm here."

"Hayasaka, it's already noon. Let's make something for lunch."

"Yes, ma'am~" Hayasaka Ai said, turning back to look at him, her eyes radiating a "stare~~~" meaning.

Well, that's pretty much all done. After tidying up one corner of the bed sheet, Uesugi Genshin clapped his hands. "Let's think about it together."

What should we eat for lunch and dinner?

“I’ll help too,” said Miyuki Shirogane, standing behind Kaguya Shinomiya, with a gentle smile.

"President~" Kaguya Shinomiya smiled indulgently, "Then let's all do it together."

This is the moment for her to magnificently display her bridal training.

Hayasaka Ai walked out of the room at that moment, and only then did Shirogane Miyuki notice her, and screamed...

"She really is a maid." The maid standing right in front of me is indeed very capable, just like the Kaguya family.

"Right? Ai-chan's maid outfit, this is the first time you've seen it before, Shirogane."

"Right? Lord Xuanxin was completely mesmerized just now."

Hayasaka Ai gave a small retort to his teasing.

"When did you two start calling each other that?!" Kaguya Shinomiya exclaimed, her mouth agape in disbelief.

But this was just a contest between the two. Uesugi Genshin and Hayasaka Ai exchanged a glance, both with smiles on their lips.

There's not much to say about lunch. The four of them just grabbed what was in the kitchen and made something simple. There were no fresh ingredients, so even if Uesugi Genshin wanted to make something special, there wasn't much room for him to do so.

Just like the reprocessing of canned goods at Soubu High School, there's not much room for innovation.

Fortunately, even foods that store well still taste great, and the matured tuna is still perfectly preserved in its special cabinet.

They spent the afternoon organizing the usable items in the villa, planning to take them all back with them.

"Please be sure to bring your maid outfit." With just this one sentence, Hayasaka gave him a disdainful look.

Without any explanation, without any other meaning, it was a very simple gaze.

So she must have taken it to heart, right?

"Are there any gold nuggets here?" Uesugi Genshin asked casually.

“How could that be?” Hayasaka Ai shook her head. “It’s not a bank vault.”

Moreover, not all major banks have vaults for storing gold bars.

“However…” she tilted her head and thought for a moment, “Miss Kaguya has some valuable jewelry that she can wear.”

"Dowry?" Uesugi Genshin tilted his head and teased.

"I wear it to regular dinner parties. I have a few of those too." Some were gifts from my mother; they're made of gold and gemstones, so I'll tidy them up and wear them later.

"Is that real?" Uesugi Genshin asked curiously, pointing at Hayasaka's chest.

"This?" Hayasaka Ai tapped the brooch on the collar of her maid outfit with her fingertip. "Of course it's real."

"Does every maid have one?"

"You're overthinking it." Rolling her eyes, Hayasaka Ai thought he was too naive. How could she possibly equip an ordinary maid with such expensive jewels?

"Hey~, she really is very pretty, and she's a perfect match for you."

"I knew it all along." That's why I was so happy when I received the gift.

It was almost dinnertime, and seeing Shirogane's slightly tired expression, Uesugi Genshin asked with concern, "Is there a lot of food?"

"Yes, a lot." Shirogane Miyuki nodded, embarrassed. "Kaguya almost wanted to bring all the clothes. I stayed with her while she picked them out."

He then learned that there really was a room specifically for storing clothes.

"It's not like you're never coming back. You can come back anytime you want," Uesugi Genshin said with a cheerful laugh.

"That's what I told Kaguya." Shirogane Miyuki propped his face up with his hand.

"The president keeps saying this looks good, that looks good, and that Kaguya looks good in everything she wears. How am I supposed to choose?!" Kaguya Shinomiya was also complaining to Hayasaka, but her words didn't sound like complaints at all.

"Ha..." Sighing inwardly, Hayasaka Ai silently turned her head away. This should be fine, right?

As for clothes, it seems that apart from a maid outfit and a few casual clothes that are easy to move in, I don't need to bring anything else.

...Oh, I think I also have a sailor uniform. Should I bring it with me?

After thinking about it for a moment, she felt it would be a shame not to bring it. She had some doubts about whether she would actually need it, but it would be a big problem if she didn't have it. It was quite cute, though.

After all, she's a high school girl (JK).

After dinner, the four of them took baths in the large public bath, with men and women separated, of course.

"You have a great figure," Shirogane Miyuki complimented, sitting opposite Uesugi Genshin in the white mist.

"Hmm?" Uesugi Genshin, resting his chin on his hand, turned his head. "Ah... you'll have it soon."

"No, I don't have that much free time to train," said Shirogane Miyuki, explaining that he was usually too busy to find time for a dedicated workout.

"Ah..." With a tone that rose and fell, Uesugi Genshin realized that Shirogane didn't leave all the work to his subordinates; he did it all himself. "I wish a girl had said what you just said to me."

"What silly thing are you thinking about?" Shirogane Miyuki said, covering his wet hair with his hand.

"No, several people have already said that." Uesugi Genshin continued to turn his head away in a daze, seemingly unconcerned.

"?" Shirogane Miyuki was puzzled.

When I lay on the soft bed at night, I couldn't relax at all.

Is it because they're not used to it? Or is it that this place is far less safe than the General Staff Headquarters?

Listening to the quiet patter of rain outside the window, Uesugi Genshin tossed and turned in bed for a long time before finally falling asleep.

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Beep beep beep, beep beep beep...

The alarm clock rang on time in the morning, and a fair and slender hand covered it to stop it.