In the vast blue sky, iridescent clouds rise far off in the distance. The deafening chorus of cicadas, amplifying the summer heat, spills endlessly through the open windows of the classroom.
"Be careful not to get too carried away and end up in an accident during summer vacation," warns the homeroom teacher before leaving the room.
As soon as the teacher exits and the after-school period begins, the students' chatter grows louder than the cicadas. Their voices are filled with energy that rivals the summer heat, bursting with excitement. Some students stand up from their seats to gather with close friends, eagerly sharing their vacation plans with those around them.
Amidst the lively atmosphere, one male student takes a seat at the desk by the window in the back row.
"Got any plans for the break, Haru?" he asks the boy seated at the desk.
"Hmm? Well, I suppose I'll study," Haru replies.
"No way! Are you serious?"
"Do you think I’d lie to my best friend?"
Haru, the boy seated at the desk, leans back against his chair, looking up at his friend with a serious expression.
"Yesterday, you said you hadn’t done the homework when I asked to see it. The day before that, you said the daily special in the cafeteria was fish instead of meat. And last Thursday..."
"Fine. I admit I lie to you regularly," Haru says, raising his hands in mock surrender.
"So? Do you actually have plans, Haruto Otsuki?" his friend persists.
"I told you, I plan to study. Didn’t you hear me, my dear friend Tomoya Akagi?"
Haruto repeats himself, and Tomoya, the boy sitting on the desk, pauses for a moment. Realizing Haruto isn't joking, he looks at him in shock.
"Wait, seriously? Dude, we’re second-years in high school!"
"Yes, that’s right."
"So, there's only one thing to do!"
"Study."
"Why?!"
Tomoya exclaims in exaggerated disbelief, as if playing the role of a comedian. Haruto can’t help but smile at his friend's reaction.
"You know what I’m aiming for, right?" Haruto says.
"Yeah, I know, but..."
Tomoya nods reluctantly, still not entirely satisfied.
"Studying all the time will wear you out. You need a break every now and then. For example..."
He pauses, glancing around the bustling classroom before his gaze fixes on a particular point.
"Going to the pool or beach with some girls from our class."
"If you want to invite Tojo-san, go ahead but Count me out," Haruto says after glancing at the girl his friend was eyeing.
"What?! Aren't you supposed to have my back? How can you just abandon your best friend like that?"
"Don’t worry. If you end up heartbroken and devastated, I’ll be here to console you as a true friend."
"So you’re expecting me to fail!" Tomoya protests as Haruto ignores him and glances once again at the girl he mentioned.
Her name is Ayaka Tojo. She’s something of an idol at school. Her beautiful, flaxen hair glows in the sunlight, flowing smoothly down to the middle of her back, and moves like silk with every turn of her head. Her features are so striking that one might think she’s a celebrity or an idol herself. Rumors occasionally surface about her being affiliated with a talent agency, and it wouldn't be surprising if it were true—she’s that stunning.
Her figure, too, is perfect, possessing an allure that captivates not only men but even other women, holding their gaze in admiration.
"Hey, Haru, could you invite Tojo-san?" Tomoya asks hopefully.
"Why should I? You ask her, and face the consequences."
"Stop assuming I’ll fail! But yeah... I know it’d be pointless if I tried."
"If you can’t do it, I don’t stand a chance either."
"No! I believe you've got a shot, Haru."
Tomoya shakes his head firmly, and Haruto narrows his eyes in suspicion at his friend’s confidence.
"Well, yeah, I'm a good-looking guy, and you're just... average... Ow! Hey, Haru, violence isn’t the answer!"
"Sorry, I just couldn’t hold back the urge that welled up from deep within," Haruto replied.
"Haru, middle-school attitude doesn’t go over well with girls... Alright, alright, I was wrong. Please, lower that fist."
Reluctantly, Haruto let go of his clenched fist, resting his chin in his palm while giving Tomoya a disapproving glare. At Haruto’s silent nudge, Tomoya continued.
"Listen up. Many good-looking guys have already confessed to Tojo-san."
Ayaka Tojo, the idol of the school, has had countless guys asking her out since the beginning of high school. From ace players on the sports teams to popular good-looking guys, even the student council president and the head of the disciplinary committee. Some guys from other schools even gather outside the school gates just to confess to her. But she never gave a positive response to any of them.
"Watching her turn down all those types of guys, I started thinking," Tomoya said.
"Turn them down... You make it sound like she's cutting them down with a sword." Haruto gave Tomoya a look of exasperation.
"I wonder if Tojo-san isn’t actually into good-looking guys."
"No way. There were plenty of not-so-good-looking guys who tried to confess to her too."
Not every guy who tried to win her over was exceptionally handsome. Some relied purely on their passionate feelings for her, only to be heartbroken.
"That's true, but you have something different from all those guys! And that is..."
Tomoya paused for effect, then pointed dramatically at Haruto.
"You’re the topper of the class!"
"Uh-huh."
Haruto replied indifferently, his face resting in his hand.
"Tojo-san must be someone who values what's on the inside more than looks. So even if you aren’t a supermodel, you have a shot."
"No, I don’t," Haruto replied flatly, punching Tomoya lightly in the side.
Ignoring his friend’s exaggerated reaction, Haruto glanced over at Ayaka Tojo. She was surrounded by her friends, with the boys only daring to sneak glances from a distance.
"There's also the possibility that Tojo-san just isn’t interested in guys at all."
Considering how beautiful she was and how many approaches she’s turned down, it wouldn’t be entirely unreasonable.
"Well... that’d be okay too," Tomoya said, rubbing his chin with a thoughtful expression. Haruto looked at him with exasperation, unable to comprehend what Tomoya thought was "okay." He grabbed his bag and began packing up.
"Leaving already, Haru?" Tomoya asked.
"Yeah, nothing left to do here."
"You sure? The next time you’ll see Tojo-san might be at the opening ceremony after break."
"What, is she a goddess or something?"
"She might as well be," Tomoya replied seriously, but Haruto ignored him and stood up.
"Seriously? You’re leaving without even saying hi to Tojo-san?"
"There’s a sale at the supermarket today. Discounted groceries are more important than a goddess I can’t reach."
"Wow, you sound like a housewife."
Laughing, Tomoya teased him, but Haruto’s face lit up as if remembering something.
"Actually, I do have something to do over break besides studying."
Tomoya perked up. "Oh? So, are you going out after all?"
"No, a short-term job."
Tomoya looked intrigued. "Oh yeah? What kind of job?"
"Housekeeping service."
"There’s actually short-term work like that?"
"I just happened to find it while browsing a job site," Haruto replied, walking out of the classroom with Tomoya, and the two of them strolled down the hall together.
"Does this housework gig include stuff like making dinner?"
"Yeah, that, plus cleaning, shopping, whatever they ask me to do."
As they headed down the staircase, Haruto explained the details of his summer job.
"Think they’re still hiring? Maybe I should apply too."
"You’d be the one needing housekeeping services, not the other way around."
Tomoya burst into laughter. Haruto had been to Tomoya’s room enough times to know that it had never been anything close to clean. In fact, every visit seemed to reveal new levels of chaos. Haruto had even cleaned the place himself a few times, and he was beginning to suspect that Tomoya was inviting him over just to take advantage of his cleaning skills.
"So, yeah, that’s how it is," Haruto said, changing into his outside shoes at the lockers. "This summer, I’ll be busy with studying and this job. Gotta save up for college."
"Man, what a boring, unexciting way to spend summer break," Tomoya complained as he swapped his shoes too, tapping his toe against the ground.
"Come on, there’s still time! Let’s go back to class and invite Tojo-san!"
"Give it up already. If we waste time like that, I’ll miss the sale," Haruto said with a grin as they stepped outside.
Tomoya let out an exaggerated sigh. "You know, next summer will be all about prepping for college exams, so this is basically our last chance to have some real fun. You’re okay with that?"
As they passed through the school gates, Haruto flashed a mischievous grin. "Just let it go, my friend. Let’s spend this summer together in the glorious company of hard work and study."
He raised his thumb in a cheerful thumbs-up, to which Tomoya threw his head back and cried to the sky, "This is not the summer I wanted!"
※
The summer heat showed no signs of relenting, even as evening approached, and the loud chorus of cicadas echoed through the residential streets. Haruto tugged at the collar of his damp, sticky shirt and fanned himself lightly as he opened his front door.
"I'm home!" he called out, slipping off his shoes at the entryway. Soon, a familiar figure shuffled down the hallway to greet him.
"Welcome back, Haruto."
"I'm back, Grandma. Look, here’s today’s spoils from the sale!" He lifted the shopping bag in his hand with a triumphant smile. Inside were ground beef and onions—the treasures of the day’s bargain hunt.
"Ground meat was 118 yen per 100 grams, and these onions were 298 yen for five!"
"Oh my, must’ve been quite a crowd there, right?" his grandmother asked, her voice laced with concern as she took the bag from him.
"I learned firsthand just how tough housewives can be," Haruto replied, shaking his head. These veteran homemakers, driven by the mission of securing affordable ingredients, had nearly outmatched him in strength and determination. The memory of being jostled among them brought a pained expression to his face.
"Must’ve been hard. How about we make hamburg steaks for dinner tonight?" his grandmother suggested, and Haruto's face immediately lit up.
"If it means I get to eat your hamburg steaks, I'd fight through that crowd any day!"
"Alright then, go wash up now."
"Yes, ma’am!"
He headed to the sink, washed his hands and rinsed his mouth, and then made his way to the family altar in the sitting room. On a small shelf against the wall sat three framed photos.
“Dad, Mom… and Grandpa, I'm home. Summer break starts today,” he said softly, clasping his hands in front of him. “This summer, I'm planning to work a part-time job,” he continued, his tone carrying a touch of excitement. "But don't worry, I'll keep up with my studies, and I’ll still make time to visit the dojo. Grandpa, you can rest easy on that."
Now, the Otsuki household was just Haruto and his grandmother. When he was young, a car accident had taken his parents, and Haruto, who had fortunately survived, was taken in by his maternal grandparents. Determined to raise him to be self-sufficient, his grandparents never pampered him. Instead, they instilled strong values and taught him to be resilient.
His grandfather, noticing Haruto’s tendency to withdraw after the accident, had enrolled him in a karate dojo to build both his physical and mental strength. When Haruto reached middle school, however, his grandfather had passed away. Haruto believed deeply that his ability to face the world with confidence today was thanks to his grandfather’s influence and his training at the dojo.
Meanwhile, his grandmother had thoroughly taught him cooking, cleaning, and other essential skills so that he would be prepared for life on his own. Thanks to her guidance, Haruto had become self-reliant and capable enough to do household chores to the point where he could even work part-time in a housekeeping service.
"Alright, time to go help Grandma in the kitchen."
He released his clasped hands and headed toward the kitchen. Although Haruto felt his culinary skills had improved significantly, he knew that he still couldn’t match the taste of his grandmother’s cooking. So, every day, he joined her in the kitchen, hoping to pick up her techniques and learn from her by watching.
“Her hamburg steaks are unbeatable,” he murmured to himself. He could almost taste the rich, juicy flavor as he imagined biting into a perfectly cooked steak, its savory juices filling his mouth. Swallowing his eager anticipation, Haruto entered the kitchen, ready to help prepare the meal.
※
After dinner, Haruto sat at his desk and opened his study guide. "Ahh… Grandma's hamburg steak is just too good…" he murmured, unable to shake off the satisfaction from the meal. Although he was poised for study, his mind was still lost in thoughts of dinner, and his pen had yet to make a single mark on the page.
Eventually, he shook his head, snapping out of it. "No, no, focus!" He brought himself back to the task at hand and began studying with renewed concentration. After about an hour of focused effort, Haruto set his pen down at a good stopping point and stretched.
"Mmm… Maybe it’s time for a bath," he mused. Since his grandmother’s back had been bothering her lately, he was responsible for cleaning the bathroom. "Better do it now before I get too lazy."
Just as he was about to wrap up his study session and head to the bathroom, his phone buzzed on his desk.
"Hm? Tomoya?" He glanced at the screen and, seeing his friend’s name, picked up the phone and tapped the call button.
"Hey, what's up?"
"Yo! I dunno, just felt like hearing your voice," Tomoya replied casually.
"Oh, gross. I’m hanging up." Haruto feigned disgust and reached to end the call, only to hear a panicked shout from the other end.
"Wait, wait! I’m kidding, I’m kidding! I actually have something to talk about!"
"Then get to the point. You freaked me out with that," Haruto muttered, though he was smiling as he propped his chin on his hand.
"Anyway, I thought you’d want to hear about the latest drama at school," Tomoya said, his voice mischievous.
"Drama? What happened?"
Tomoya, known for his wide social network, always seemed to know the latest gossip around school. Occasionally, he shared those tidbits with Haruto, like tonight.
"So, you know Kaido-senpai from the third year?"
"Uh… yeah, tennis club, right?"
After a moment of thought, Haruto recalled Kaido-senpai—the ace of the tennis club and a player rumored to have pro-level talent. Apparently, some company was eyeing him for a professional contract post-graduation. He also vaguely remembered some girls in his class chatting excitedly about the idea of dating Kaido, saying it’d be like hitting the jackpot.
"Yeah, him! Apparently, he confessed to Ayaka Tojo."
"Oh, really? And?"
Haruto’s interest waned, but he prompted Tomoya to continue. Confessing to Ayaka Tojo wasn’t exactly earth-shattering news at their school; it was a regular occurrence, almost like a school tradition. And each time, it ended the same way.
"She cut him off with a quick 'I’m not interested,'" Tomoya reported.
"Figures."
Haruto responded blandly, completely unsurprised. Ayaka had a reputation for turning down every boy who confessed to her, and Haruto’s impression of her was that she was unwavering in this pattern.
"Yeah, but this time, the lead-up to the confession was something else!"
"A more elaborate setup?" Haruto asked, mildly intrigued.
In the past, Ayaka’s admirers had tried all kinds of stunts to impress her. Some were even outrageous enough to become legendary gossip fodder around school.
"More like bold—Kaido-senpai’s approach was gutsy," Tomoya replied.
"Like a public confession in front of the whole school or something?"
"That’s exactly what he did! But first, he called her out to the schoolyard over the PA system," Tomoya said, clearly relishing the drama.
"Oh no…"
Haruto couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for Ayaka, imagining her summoned out of nowhere over the loudspeakers.
"And get this—he didn’t just ask her to date him; he proposed marriage!" Tomoya said, emphasizing the absurdity.
"Marriage? Isn’t that a bit much?"
"Right? And he even brought a ring along with him!" Tomoya continued, barely able to contain his excitement.
Haruto let out a long sigh. "Kaido-senpai sounds like he went all in…"
"Whoa…" Haruto muttered, recoiling for the second time that evening. A marriage proposal in high school was already unthinkable, but bringing an actual engagement ring? That was beyond normal behavior. Haruto wondered if Kaido-senpai was just that eccentric to begin with or if Ayaka Tojo’s allure was potent enough to drive a high schooler to such an extreme. Either way, he couldn’t decide.
"They say Kaido-senpai just stood there, frozen, for half an hour after getting rejected," Tomoya added.
"Yeah… I can see that. If I were him, I’d be changing into a funeral shroud right then and there," Haruto replied, shuddering at the thought of such a public, disastrous rejection.
"No doubt about it. Only you could ever win Ayaka’s heart," Tomoya teased.
"Like that’s happening. After hearing that story, I’d need the courage of a warrior to even say hello to her."
"Coward!" Tomoya laughed. "Well, you won’t run into her until school starts again anyway. I’ll be rooting for you!"
"Quit with the weird hopes."
"Only you can be the second Kaido-senpai!" Tomoya continued, clearly entertained.
"That’s not a compliment!" Haruto retorted, ending the call with a snort.
Almost immediately, Tomoya sent him a sticker of a dignified-looking cat saluting, which Haruto countered by sending back a sticker of a muscular rabbit delivering an uppercut. With a sigh, he finally stood up to run his bath.
Ayaka Tojo—she was only ever a topic of conversation with his friends, someone he never imagined would be part of his life in any real way. At least, that’s what Haruto thought at the start of summer break.
That was before he began his job at the housekeeping service.