Akira could swear to the heavens that last night, all he really wanted was a pure, clean sleep.
At most, with a hint of mischief, like studying Hayasaka Ai in the early morning to see whether that defenseless look she had last time was part of her usual self, or if she had just been dazed from the aftermath.
But at 11 p.m., when Hayasaka Ai finally returned to her room after finishing everything, climbed into the bed where Akira was lying—
And then climbed on top of him, biting lightly at his collarbone like a hungry little animal...
All original plans lost their meaning.
Thankfully, the contraceptives he bought the day before were still in his pocket, saving Akira from being caught unprepared by a sudden change in plans.
Surprisingly, Hayasaka Ai was more assertive than expected that night.
But when asked about it, she buried her head and said nothing, as if something was weighing on her mind.
Akira didn't know what was going on, but not wanting her to get too tired, he still rolled her off him—and took on the active role again.
Since it was a service delivered to his door, then it should come with the attitude of a professional service.
Naturally, this led to a situation where, the next morning, when Akira woke up and saw the same defenseless look in Hayasaka Ai's eyes, he still couldn't tell whether she was just dazed from the night or if it was simply how she was upon waking up.
He'd just have to wait and see next time.
Of course, while the moment lasted, Akira did take the opportunity to ask what had been on his mind from the night before.
"What happened last night?"
Even though it was early morning—when people are usually most emotionally exposed and their real thoughts most likely to show—Hayasaka Ai still held back.
After all, she couldn't very well admit that after the night before, she felt a maid shouldn't be served by her master, and, in a spirit of redemption or pride, had tried to return the favor, only to forget everything the moment she was flipped over and pinned down.
"You should get going, Ogiwara-san," Hayasaka Ai said softly.
Akira gave a silent sigh of regret in his heart.
Ah... I got kicked out by the maid again... Wait, again?
In the soft light of early dawn, Akira left with a garbage bag, tossed it into the same trash bin as last time, then slowly drove back home.
Hayasaka Ai always woke up around five in the morning—quite early—so Akira got to enjoy a rare morning moment: he had breakfast, then found a quiet, uncrowded park, sat on a swing, and lazily swayed back and forth, soaking in the morning air and light.
Don't question why a guy like Akira would be swinging like a child.
When a man is happy, he's capable of doing things hundreds of times stranger than that.
Like receiving a tiny flashlight as a gift and then pointing it around the room—until finally aiming it at his own nose hair in front of a mirror…
In this good mood, he fully enjoyed the refreshing, quiet morning. Only when more people started appearing did Akira drive back home.
But on the way, near the station close to his home, he saw a very familiar figure.
Why was Nanami boarding from there?
With questions swirling in his mind, Akira returned home and headed straight to Nanami's room.
When he pushed the door open—
He saw an open backpack and packages on the floor, new bedding on the bed, and a plush doll named "Torajirou."
There were more daily necessities placed around the room, and toothbrushes and other toiletries had appeared near the sink in the bathroom.
About half of her things were still unpacked. Judging by Nanami's habits, if she hadn't been too tired or it wasn't too late, she would've finished unpacking everything.
Only setting up the bare necessities meant she hadn't had the energy.
His phone buzzed.
Akira took it out and saw a message from Nanami:
[Ogiwara-san, I brought some of my things over last night. I'll finish moving the rest in the next few days.
Also, I made some breakfast and left it in the kitchen—if you want to eat, just microwave it.]
Akira could clearly imagine her dragging her things over late at night, only to find no one home.
Then, waking up in the morning to still find the place empty—so she quietly made breakfast and left.
Because of his heightened sensitivity from last night, this mental image took on a "lost puppy" feeling that may have been a bit exaggerated—but Akira couldn't help thinking that way, and it left him feeling a little guilty.
Considering Hayasaka Ai was her mentor, the whole situation gave off a certain wicked taste.
Sitting on Nanami's bed, Akira picked up Torajirou and stared at it for a while, zoning out. Then he took out his phone and sent Hayasaka Ai a message on LINE.
Afterward, he got up, went upstairs, took down the Bagua diagram hanging in his room, removed the formation in the courtyard, and headed out to look for a moving company.
...
After having breakfast with Kaguya, Hayasaka Ai finally had some time to herself. As she quickly stuffed food into her mouth, she checked her phone—and saw a message.
[Nanami knows I went out last night.]
She immediately jerked her head, spraying the milk she was drinking all over the table.
In maid mode, Hayasaka Ai could handle most emergencies and unexpected situations with grace—but this kind of fresh and potent emotional jolt was still too much for her.
After a few deep coughs, she pulled out tissues to wipe her mouth and clean the table, while quickly finishing breakfast and pondering the deeper meaning behind such a simple message.
Then she realized… maybe there wasn't any deeper meaning. It might just be a straightforward heads-up.
After all, the idea that Nanami was the "mistress of the Ogiwara household" still only existed in fantasy.
From both Akira's side and Nanami's, there were no real signs of anything happening.
So this was likely just a reminder—so if Nanami brought it up, Hayasaka wouldn't get flustered or panic from guilt.
Thinking this, Hayasaka finally relaxed a little, scarfed down the rest of her breakfast, and returned to work.
Still, she didn't completely trust her own judgment and planned to do a little probing today.
Glancing at the time, she shoved the last bite of sandwich into her mouth, went back to her room, and started sorting through a mess of company emails while waiting for Nanami to arrive.
Until she heard the familiar sound of footsteps at her door.
"I'm here, Miss Hayasaka."
"Mm... morning, Miss Aoyama."
Hayasaka Ai looked up and closely observed Nanami's expression—and sure enough, she seemed more worn-out than usual.
A maid is good at hiding things. So is an independent girl.
If she still shows visible signs of distress even when mentally prepared to meet others, it means what's on her mind is pretty heavy.
Since Akira's message didn't say Nanami knew where he went, it was safe to assume she didn't.
That meant Hayasaka could test freely.
With that in mind, she said,
"Miss Aoyama, I've covered most of the basics in maid training.
What's left is mainly improving your sense of aesthetics and taste, self-study of theory, and applying it through practical experience—especially according to your master's needs, so you can become more versatile."
Hayasaka Ai put down what she was holding and walked up to Nanami.
"School starts the day after tomorrow. According to Akira-san's request, tomorrow is your last day off and final chance to rest.
So today marks the end of your training. That means today, I will teach you your final special lesson—one that every ambitious maid must master."
Her tone was serious, so Nanami quickly cleared her mind and focused.
Hayasaka Ai placed a hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes, trying to catch even the smallest emotional reaction.
Then, with great solemnity, she declared:
"This final lesson is called—'A maid who doesn't want to become the mistress isn't a good maid.'"
Nanami calmly looked back at her. Her expression and gaze didn't change at all.
So Hayasaka began silently counting seconds in her head.
When she reached ten—
Nanami suddenly exploded.
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Lmao, yeah that's a good final lesson Hayasaka.
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