Rin sat at the kitchen table, the unfamiliar taste of tropical fruit filling her mouth. Hayate had whipped up a simple meal, a stark contrast to the elaborate dinners she was used to. This is… edible, she thought, surprised. Actually, it's pretty good.
"So," Hayate said, leaning against the counter, his expression serious. "Here's the deal. You're stuck here. At least for a while."
Rin raised an eyebrow. "Stuck? What do you mean, stuck?"
He sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. "This island… It's remote. No cell service, no internet, and no regular boat traffic. My supply ship comes every four months, and it just left a few days ago. So, you're here until it comes back."
Rin's eyes widened. Four months? "Four months? Are you serious?"
Hayate nodded, his expression grim. "Dead serious. I'm sorry, but that's just how it is."
She stared at him, disbelief warring with a growing sense of panic. Four months. On a deserted island. With this… guy. This is insane, she thought. Completely insane.
"There has to be another way," she said, her voice tight. "A phone, a radio, something."
Hayate shook his head. "Nothing. I told you, this place is cut off. I like it that way."
"You like it?" Rin said, her voice rising. "I'm stranded here, and you like it?"
He shrugged. "It's peaceful. No noise, no drama, just me and the island."
Rin stared at him, her mind reeling. Who is this guy? she thought. He's living like a hermit on a random island.
"So, what am I supposed to do for four months?" she asked, her voice laced with sarcasm. "Just… exist?"
Hayate smiled a small, almost mischievous smile. "You work."
Rin blinked. "Work?"
"Yeah, work," he said, pushing away from the counter. "You want food, you work. You want a clean place to sleep, you work. You want to survive here, you work."
"Excuse me?" Rin said, her voice sharp. "I'm not your maid."
"I'm not asking you to be my maid," Hayate said, his voice calm. "I'm asking you to contribute. This is my island, my house. You're a guest. A very unexpected guest. And guests help out, that's my rule."
"Your rule," Rin repeated, a hint of sarcasm and irritation lacing her tone.
"Well, yeah," Hayate replied, a small, almost amused smile playing on his lips. "And you're not the first to find themselves spending four months with me." He chuckled, a low, rumbling sound that Rin found oddly unsettling.
Rin stared at him, her jaw clenched. She was used to giving orders, not taking them. But she was also stranded, with no other options.
"What kind of work?" she asked, her voice tight.
"Gardening, cooking, cleaning," Hayate said, ticking off the tasks on his fingers. "The basics. You know, survival stuff."
Rin's eyes widened. Survival stuff? She'd never gardened in her life. She barely knew how to boil water.
"I… I don't know how to do any of that," she admitted, her voice low.
Hayate raised an eyebrow. "Everyone knows how to do that."
"Not me," Rin said, her voice flat. "I've never had to."
He stared at her for a minute with a flicker of disbelief in his eyes. Then, he sighed. "Okay, fine. I'll teach you. But you're going to learn. And you're going to work. Got it?"
Rin hesitated, then nodded. She had no choice. Four months was a long time. And she wasn't about to spend it doing nothing.
"Got it," she said, her voice firm. This is going to be interesting, she thought. Very interesting.
After their meal, Hayate led Rin to a room on the second floor. "This is your room," he said, opening the door.
The room was surprisingly cozy, with a large window overlooking the ocean and a bed covered in a soft, floral comforter. Rin took a step inside, surprised by the unexpected comfort.
"It's… nice," she said, her voice a little hesitant.
Hayate nodded. "I try to keep it clean," he said. "You can see that, right?"
Rin rolled her eyes. "Yes, I can see," she said. "But why are there girls' clothes in the closet?"
Hayate chuckled. "Oh, those are my sister's. She comes here sometimes."
Rin raised an eyebrow. "Your sister?"
"Yeah, Akari," he said, my elder sister. "She's a bit of a wild child. She likes to disappear from her work just to spend weeks here. I usually have to clean up after her." Well, I do own her for designing and building this house.
Rin couldn't help but smile. "Sounds like she's a lot of fun."
"She is," Hayate said, a fond smile spreading across his face. "But she can also be a bit of a mess."
Rin laughed. "I can relate to that."
Hayate gave her a look. "You?"
Rin shrugged. "I'm not exactly the most organized person in the world."
Hayate chuckled again. "Well, you'll have plenty of time to practice your organizational skills here."
Rin rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."
He gave her a playful wink. "You're welcome. Now, make yourself comfortable. I'm going to give you a tour of the rest of the house."
He led her through the house, showing her the library, the dining room, and the basement, where he kept all the food supplies. He also showed her the garden, explaining how he grew his vegetables.
"This is where you'll be spending a lot of your time," he said, gesturing to the garden. "You'll need to keep it watered and weeded."
Rin groaned. "Gardening? I'm not exactly the greenest thumb."
Hayate chuckled. "Don't worry, I'll teach you. It's quite relaxing once you get the hang of it."
Rin rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help but smile. This place, this isolated island, was starting to feel a little less daunting. This woman has a habit of rolling her eyes a lot, Hayate thought.
As they walked back to the living room, Hayate stopped and looked at her. "Oh, and one more thing," he said. "Since you're new here and all, you won't have to do any work until you've had a chance to rest up."
Rin's eyes widened. "Really?"
He nodded. "Yeah, I'll take care of things for the next few days. Just focus on getting your bearings."
Rin was surprised by his generosity. "Thanks," she said, a genuine smile spreading across her face.
"No problem," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Just think of it as a short vacation period."
Rin rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help but laugh. This whole situation was crazy, but somehow, Hayate was making it a little less crazy.