I climbed down the ladder, stepped back a few paces, and looked at the freshly cleaned wall in front of Problem Solver 68 club.
"This should be the last bit, right?"
"Mm…" Maki responded from behind, muttering reluctantly, "My hard-earned artwork…"
After apologizing to Iori with Maki, I still felt a bit guilty, helping the Prefect Team with extra work had weighed on me. So I volunteered to help clean the graffiti-covered wall myself.
Mainly, I figured it was also a chance to boost my "favorability" with them.
Although it was my first time doing something like this, with theoretical guidance from Arona and Maki's company, we worked hard and just barely finished before sunset.
Taking off my gloves, I looked back at her, whose face was still a little downcast:
"Honestly, I think your painting looks great. But creating something on someone else's property without permission can cause problems for others."
"Uuu…" Maki's voice had a touch of reluctance. "But, that gray wall… it asked me to decorate it. It said, 'Add cute colors to me.' I—I know painting on someone else's property isn't right. But…"
"I understand. Just remember next time: get permission first."
I reached out and patted her head, then added:
"Or… maybe you could try finding a canvas big enough?"
"A huge canvas…?" Maki's eyes lit up. "If I combine multiple canvases together, maybe I could replace the wall!"
She muttered to herself, growing more excited as she spoke:
"Maybe it won't be as thrilling as painting on a real wall… but… as long as I'm with sensei, everything's fun."
Then she asked:
"So, sensei… if I bring a huge canvas next time, can we paint together?"
I smiled and nodded:
"Of course."
As long as we don't get halfway through and suddenly decide to do something else interesting and finish without triggering a single new power.
"Hehe, it's a promise, okay?" Maki, clearly fond of me, smiled sweetly, eyes narrowed in delight. "Thank you, sensei!"
After seeing her to the station, I estimated the time, sent a quick Momotalk message, and returned to the slums.
Since the surrounding area had recently been cleaned again by the Prefect Team, and it was just starting to get dark, I didn't encounter any delinquent girls distracted by my handsome looks along the way.
By the time I arrived, Iori was already waiting at the agreed spot.
"Not bad, actually." She said casually. "I thought you'd do it the Millennium way, 'demolish it and rebuild it.'"
The Millennium way: blow up the wall and start over, right?
I shrugged and replied casually:
"Funding in Schale is limited. Plus, it's more efficient to do it yourself."
And… recently, Aoi seemed a little moody, so I didn't want to risk touching her bad side.
Iori raised an eyebrow:
"Why not just have the Veritas Club do it?"
I didn't pursue the topic further and asked curiously:
"By the way, did you finish checking so quickly?"
"Just happened to be patrolling nearby," she said. Then, after a pause: "You didn't just half-heartedly clean it and call me over, did you?"
I immediately drew a conclusion, her slightly abrupt second half was clearly to cover up the first part of her statement.
For example… did it really "just happen" like she said?
I kept a calm expression and replied sincerely:
"How could I ever be half-hearted with you, Iori? I've always been completely honest with you!"
"…Why do you suddenly sound so disgusting again?" Iori frowned. "Smooth-talking and no seriousness. I thought maybe you were becoming a bit more reliable, but is this only how you act around other students?"
From her tone, I caught a subtle hint of jealousy. Surprised, I recalled the past…
Could it be that Iori's inexplicable moodiness comes from feeling treated differently?
"Ah… Iori, you are a special person to me, after all."
"You're saying weird things again!"
I straightened and said seriously:
"What I mean is… only in front of you, I can show my true self."
"…I don't get it! We're not that close, this has to be just to flatter me!"
Even with the dim light, Iori's deep skin tone showed a clear blush.
Looks like someone was indeed charmed by my words.
My gaze dropped, and I sighed:
"After all… you've forced me to do all sorts of things…"
Iori froze for a moment, then stepped back half a pace, shouting embarrassedly:
"Go die, you pervert! I regret it! I shouldn't have thought you'd become serious!"
"Why are you so mad?" I feigned confusion and slight hurt. "Could it be because I didn't…"
"Nothing like that! And don't say it like it happened many times! Ugh, really!"
Seeing her flustered, I quickly apologized. It didn't take long before Iori calmed down, no longer minding my teasing, and forgetting whatever minor irritation she might not even have realized.
I can only say: beneath her cold exterior, this girl's heart is pure and cute.
"Phew…" She exhaled deeply. "Anyway, it's so late… let's eat together. Don't get the wrong idea, it's just a thank-you for your help… In the end, cleaning the paint would have fallen to the Prefect Team anyway. But… you really reduced our workload, so…"
Under my half-smile, Iori's voice grew softer and softer, then suddenly spiked with exasperation:
"All I can do is take you to the cafeteria! So… are you coming or not?"
Wanting to spend a little more proper time with me, huh?
I smiled and nodded:
"Then I won't refuse."
Iori muttered again:
"Geez, grinning so disgustingly…"
Afterward, we had a simple meal in the Gehenna student cafeteria, briefly greeted Fuuka, and wrapped up today's activities.
Late that night, while working in Schale, I received several Momotalk messages.
The content made me quietly sigh in relief.
Not long after, one of the senders came to Schale in person.
"Saori." I casually said, looking at the blue-haired girl standing nervously in front of me. "Sit down."