After returning safely without being able to do anything, he finished the interrupted meal, washed the dishes, and then proceeded with the requested cleaning of the garage, polishing it thoroughly down to the last corner.
Whether it was fulfilling or not was, personally, on the fulfilling side for him.
Some might resent being treated as a mere errand boy, but his case was different.
"Regarding today's combat, your weapon switching was slow, Himari. You can still cut off another 0.2 seconds. Show me."
"Yes!"
While Shinji handled the household chores, the members of the Demon Defense Force could focus on their training.
Peeking from the shadows with a brush in hand, he watched as they relentlessly pushed through their rigorous drills without rest.
No slacking off or playing around, just continuous, sweat-drenched training.
That's precisely why he found it admirable.
"Alright then…"
Moving unnoticed to the courtyard while still in his comfortable work clothes, he noted its considerable size, adorned with flower beds and large trees.
The environment was wonderful, but one thing bothered him.
Namely, the open-air bath adjacent to it. The dividing fence was so low that the inside was completely visible from the outside.
Perhaps it was unavoidable since the dormitory originally housed only women, but he still found himself slightly troubled, wondering if nothing could be done.
"…"
Thinking such thoughts, Shinji walked until he reached a corner in the hallway.
Then, he instantly hid himself and began to observe.
"Ah… huh?"
The next moment.
A small voice reached him from somewhere.
Recognizing the voice, he sighed inwardly—so it was her—as the identity of the person who had been tailing him was revealed.
Enlarging his body, which he had shrunk to insect-like size, back to its normal state, he looked around.
"Did you need something?"
"Eek! Y-you scared me…"
"I think that's my line, Suruga-chan."
She was in a loose shirt that showed her shoulders, shorts, and sandals—a casual style.
She stood frozen, clutching her chest in surprise, having just finished a task not long ago. He, leaning on his cleaning tools stuck into the floor, addressed her in a tone mixed with exasperation.
"W-wait, you knew?"
"Knew would be an overstatement. I just thought someone was tailing me, so I tested it by hiding."
He explained it as a total coincidence, though that wasn't the truth.
The real fact was, he had noticed quite a while ago.
But, until he confirmed who it was, Shinji had decided to avoid rash actions, deliberately pretending not to know, leading to this moment.
On the other hand, the stalker in question, slightly flustered, initiated the conversation.
"Um, well… Actually, I have a request, Manager-san."
"A request?"
"Yeah. You see… I was kinda hoping you'd help clean my room with me?"
She pleaded with an upward glance, almost like a child begging.
Frankly, it felt calculated, and he sensed there must be some ulterior motive.
In that case, flatly refusing might have been the reasonable choice, but…
"…Alright."
Partly because he wanted to know her true intentions, he deliberately played along.
"Really?! Then, come this way!"
She showed an obvious reaction to the unexpected answer.
Pointing that out, however, would be tactless.
Turning down a rare invitation like this would go against his own principles.
Even if it's a transparent trap, a real man charges straight in.
Telling himself this, he followed her lead.
What awaited him at their destination was a room in utter disarray.
Not just clothes and books, but even stuffed animals were tossed about haphazardly.
"…Hey, Suruga-chan."
"What?"
"I've been thinking for a while now, could you do a little cleaning?"
He had brought a hand-sized mop just in case, but the reality, which could only be described as disastrous, left him speechless.
This was hardly a room a girl her age should live in, and it painfully drove home the meaning of slovenliness.
"It's fine, it's fine! ♪ So, I'll handle this area, and Manager-san, you take care of that part, okay?"
"Good grief…"
Having taken on the task, he couldn't just abandon it now.
Rolling up his sleeves, he diligently began tidying up.
Returning books to the shelves, neatly folding and putting away clothes.
As he focused on each task, gradually bringing order, he suddenly discovered something.
"Hm? …This is…"
A fragment of something buried under other items.
Picking it up with his fingertips, its identity was soon revealed.
To put it simply, it was underwear.
Moreover, it was a bra meant to support the breasts, and for a moment, an awkward air flowed.
"Tch!"
Instantly, the sound of a shutter came from beside him.
"Saw you~, saw you~! ♪ Finally showed your true colors, huh? Manager-san."
Turning, he saw her holding up her phone's camera towards him, a smile on her face.
Grinning with the corners of her mouth lifted, she wore an attitude that screamed, 'I've been waiting for this.'
"…What's the meaning of this, Suruga-chan?" Shinji asked calmly, without fluster.
No, to tell the truth, he was quite panicked inside. He had been wary, but he never expected things to turn out like this.
'Blackmail, of all things… I've gotten rusty.'
Though a wave of regret washed over him, the decision had been his own.
Moreover, it was already too late, so he resignedly inquired about her demands.
"Actually, I've been watching you a lot lately, Manager-san. Wondering what kind of creature a man really is."
"…And?"
"Well, I've been watching all this time, but I started getting bored too… so I thought, why not just make Manager-san my slave? ♪"
She answered with this illogical proposition, wearing a carefree smile.
Her explanation, as if laying all her cards on the table, felt almost refreshing.
"So, that's that. Looking forward to working with you from now on, Manager-san. ♪"
"…Haah…"
In the end, the pitiful man couldn't retort, merely hanging his head and reluctantly agreeing.