The midday nap was always such a delight, and combined with just the right atmosphere, it made you want to just cling to your seat and never get up.
It took a while to leisurely finish the bento. Natsume Sonoko stretched contentedly, releasing some of her inner anxiety, and an unwitting, satisfied smile spread across her face.
Tsuchimikado-san's bento was truly delicious.
It was a specially prepared nutritional meal, packed full with vitamins A, B, C, and D.
She'd made up her mind. If she ever got the chance in the future, she absolutely had to trick Tsuchimikado-san into… no, invite her to become her personal maid!
As Natsume Sonoko silently vowed this grand ambition, a certain clueless Tsuchimikado Maika suddenly felt a chill run down her spine, making her instinctively hunch her shoulders.
"That's weird, where's this draft coming from? It's supposed to be really warm today."
Having just finished her midday work shift and now enjoying her personal time, Tsuchimikado Maika pondered this in confusion, seated atop a cleaning robot as she zipped around like she was out for a joyride.
"You know, I've been meaning to ask for a while now, Natsume-san, you've been unusually quiet today," Shirai-san said, biting her straw as she looked thoughtfully at Natsume Sonoko.
While Natsume-san wasn't exactly a chatterbox on normal days, it was still rare for her to keep her head down and just eat like she had been today. She clearly seemed distracted.
"Really? I think Natsume-san seems the same as always," Misaka-senpai replied, putting down her sandwich with a hint of surprise.
"That's just because your perception is about as subtle as a brick, Onee-sama," Shirai-san muttered under her breath, a slight pout on her lips.
"Seriously, what's got you so down?" Shirai leaned her face right into Natsume's line of sight, her tone carrying a note of scrutiny.
"Huh? Do I really look that down?" Natsume Sonoko was taken aback. Was she really that obvious?
"Very suspicious. Plus, your eyes have been darting all over the place today. Even your eating speed was about thirty percent slower than usual," Shirai-san listed, counting on her fingers.
"She's right, now that you mention it. Natsume-san did eat quite a bit slower today," Misaka-senpai agreed, a little slow on the uptake.
"It's really nothing! It's just… I ran into Shokuhou-senpai at the library today," Natsume Sonoko confessed honestly.
"Did that woman do something to you?!"Misaka-senpai shot to her feet, a flash of anger crossing her face.
"No, no! It's nothing like that, Misaka-senpai, please don't jump to conclusions!" Natsume Sonoko quickly grabbed Misaka-senpai's arm, waving her hands frantically in denial.
--+--
Club activity time arrived as scheduled. For one person, instead of heading out the school gates as usual, she found herself lounging idly at a table in the school cafeteria. Seated beside her, on a cleaning robot, was Tsuchimakado-san.
"So, let me get this straight, Natsume-san. You're worrying about how to get back to the student dorm?" Tsuchimikado-san's voice was leisurely, her face adorned with a placid smile.
Thanks to an invitation from the swimming club's Wannai-san and Awatsuki-san, Misaka-senpai and Shirai-san had both gone off to work as swimsuit models.
"Well, not exactly. Shirai-san said she'd come back to get me," Natsume mumbled, swinging her legs absently.
"Natsume-san, you can't always rely on others like this, you know? You need to learn to solve your own problems. Otherwise, you'll just end up troubling people."
Tsuchimikado Maika suddenly adopted a serious expression, speaking in measured tones, though her generally laid-back demeanor robbed her words of any real sternness.
"Eh? But Tsuchimikado-san, the campus bus isn't running at this hour."
Natsume Sonoko spoke hesitantly. In her current state, not using her ability, the best option really was to take the campus bus back to the dorm.
"Actually, I have a great idea. It handles stairs and slopes just fine, and it's super safe," Tsuchimikado-san said earnestly to Natsume Sonoko, patting the cleaning robot she was sitting on for emphasis.
The cleaning robot was a white cylinder about half a person's height. Sitting on it didn't seem to interfere with its operation at all.
The cleaning robots of Academy City were bearing burdens they really shouldn't have to at their age, inexplicably becoming a certain little maid's personal steed.
Under Natsume Sonoko's skeptical gaze, she was caught off guard—suddenly lifted up and plopped onto a nearby cleaning robot.
"These bots might look like they're just wandering around, but they all have full 3D maps of District 7. They can distinguish between buildings and floors, and you can even set manual routes. So, you just pick the area you want to go to on the control panel. Super convenient, right?"
Tsuchimikado-san crouched down, fiddling with the robot's control panel, a faint, somewhat proud smile on her face as if showing off a personal discovery.
In Tsuchimikado-san's view, the cleaning robots weren't just for cleaning; they were also incredibly convenient personal transporters. Everyone just failed to notice it.
Just as Natsume Sonoko was about to struggle and get off, the robot beneath her zipped away. She wobbled, off-balance for a moment, before finally adapting to the movement.
You had to admit, the robot's evasion and obstacle-crossing skills were far better than an average person's.
With Natsume Sonoko wearing a tense expression, the cleaning robot descended the cafeteria stairs. But instead of the expected jolting, the ride was perfectly smooth and stable. Once they were safely on level ground, Natsume Sonoko finally looked at the robot beneath her with a spark of curiosity.
Maybe it wasn't as bad as she'd thought.
"See? Not bad at all, right?"
A familiar voice sounded next to her. Tsuchimikado-san was seated primly on another cleaning robot, a slightly triumphant look on her face.
"Don't you think this is a little… strange?" As someone who wore skirts while riding bicycles, Natsume Sonoko voiced her doubt.
"Not at all! There's a slope up ahead, hold on tight!" Tsuchimikado-san charged ahead, leading the way, while Natsume Sonoko gripped her robot tightly, following closely behind.
After swiping their cards at the School Garden entrance, they shot straight out, leaving the gate attendant staring, utterly dumbfounded, at the two girls riding cleaning robots.
The cleaning robots moved quickly, but their ability to detect obstacles was even faster.
There was no worry about hitting pedestrians or vehicles.
If you ignored their original purpose, they were practically perfect transports.
Natsume Sonoko's eyes widened as she watched her robot use a series of drifting maneuvers to deftly avoid four or five pedestrians. This absurd efficiency made her completely forget she was on a cleaning robot, and she started seriously considering it as a valid mode of transport.
"Pretty amazing, huh? That's the power of technology for you," Tsuchimikado-san said boastfully.
Seated on her robotic mount, a strange light sparkled in Natsume Sonoko's eyes. Her initial nervousness had completely vanished. The cleaning robot was so reliable that she found herself with nothing to do, her mind fully immersed in this novel experience.
'I'm sold, completely sold. Is this the level Tsuchimikado-san has already reached?'
After escorting Natsume Sonoko back to the student dorm, Tsuchimikado-san took her leave, reassured. But Natsume Sonoko didn't head straight to her room. Instead, she began studying the cleaning robot with great interest.
After fiddling with the control panel a bit, the robot beneath Natsume Sonoko whirred back to life. It seemed she'd found a fascinating new toy, and her whole demeanor became bright and energetic.
Meanwhile, in a certain high-tech recording studio—a place equipped with special technology that could seamlessly change the background into a tangible, touchable, feelable reality—the current setting was a seaside beach.
Shirai-san was sunbathing when she seemed to notice something. She languidly fished a vibrating phone from her schoolbag under the beach chair.
"Okay, got it." Hanging up, a peculiar expression crossed Shirai-san's face.
"What's going on?" asked Misaka-senpai, who was wearing a conservative swimsuit and building a sandcastle.
"Nothing major, really. It's just Natsume-san. She says she's figured out a way to get back to the dorm on her own, so I don't need to pick her up. Now that's a surprise," Shirai-san replied, her tone laced with bewilderment.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.