Tanin wo Yosetsukenai Buaisouna Joshi ni Sekkyou shitara, Mechakucha Natsukareta SS2

SS

SS2 A happening while cleaning

TLed by: TanoshiKara

"Naocchi, move away from there for a bit"

"My bad. That said, where are you gonna put that?"

"I don't know but I won't be able to clean up if it's left there though"

During this time, after school, when I am supposed to be enveloped in a sense of liberation, Nishikawa and I are helping out with cleaning the Enami house as usual. As we have already been cleaning for more than an hour, the scenery outside of the window can be seen turning red bit by bit. The ticking sound of the second hand can be heard coming from somewhere, giving the air around us, who were silently going about our cleaning, a steady amount of stimulation.

Nishikawa hugs the trash bag with both of her hands and passes through the path I cleared earlier. In the end, it seems like she chose to leave it in a corner of the living room as the entrance is already filled with trash bags.

"Have we made it slightly tidier?"

"No, that is hard to say......" I replied in a low voice so as not to wake Mother Enami up.

I shifted my gaze towards the back.

Indeed, it has become much tidier as compared to the first time we came here but there are still some differences when compared to a normal household. I usually clean the house so I am quite concerned. Mysterious yellowish marks stuck to the floor, dust puffs up whenever trash is gathered, and there are even dead bugs that are sprawled on the floor. We were timidly cleaning at first but we slowly got used to it and we became able to clean calmly. That said, thinking about it calmly, with all the common sense that I locked away at the back of my head, I still cannot see the finish line.

"You are also slowly getting sanitized to this right, Nishikawa?"

"Ugh......" She bends backward as if I hit a sore spot.

"I know without needing Naocchi to tell me......I can hardly smell any of the stench of this room which put me off at first. Even though it was at a point that I felt like vomiting"

"Is that so? I didn't notice that"

"Naocchi adapts fast buuuttt for me, I was cleaning with my face all pale"

"Sorry that I wasn't able to help......"

Unlike her opinion of me, I too had no leeway at first. It was at a point where I could not pay Nishikawa or Enami-san any mind.

"The adaptability of Humans sure is amazing. I was even hallucinating halfway through thinking whether there was even any stench. And, when I came to this room the next day, I would reaffirm by going, 'Ah, my sense of smell has dulled'. And this repeats"

I nod. Although I act more composed as compared to Nishikawa, there was even a time that I felt uneasy as I thought that my sense of smell might have gone haywire. That is why, I do remember feeling a mysterious sense of ease being able to smell the strong stench when I returned here after a 'reset'.

"I am still not used to the C but I feel that I might even be able to grab them......"

"Thinking about the present Enami-san, that might not be far off into the future"

Even now, the gallant figure of Enami-san exterminating them with an empty box is burnt into my retina.

Just then, the sound of the door opening can be heard coming from the entrance. The sound of rustling can be heard as someone pushed their way through. After that, the door to the living room, which was in front of us, made a sound and opened

Enami-san, with a plastic bag in one hand, has returned.

"Ah, Risa-chan. Good work"

Enami-san went out shopping as we ran out of mops for the floor mop. It seems like, in addition to that, she also bought more plastic gloves and dustcloths.

I immediately took the floor wiper, which was leaning on the wall, and changed the mop. The floor was dirtier than I thought, thus, the one that was bought initially would no longer suffice.

When I was standing up, an Enami-san who, once again wore plastic gloves, called out to me.

"Say......" For some reason, her voice sounds weak. 

"What's wrong?"

"No, just that once again, I feel bad for having you help out......"

My hands stopped, and my eyes blinked in surprise. Huh? Why now? or so I thought. However, with a bit of thinking, I got the answer.

"The stench?"

This time, Enami-san was shocked.

"How did you know?"

"Up until just now, I was conversing with Nishikawa about that by chance. When you stay here constantly, you become unable to smell the stench, but once you head out and return here, you can smell it, or so it went......"

"Ahh......"

Enami-san probably smells that strong stench as well, when returning to the living room after shopping, 

"I do not mind at all. Speaking from my personality, leaving this as is, is not good for mental health. Also, I do meet with some pretty terrible stuff when cleaning my house"

"Even at your place too?"

"Slacking off on cleaning the drainage will lead to some nasty outcomes. I don't clean it every day so I do sometimes leave it untouched for long periods of time and when I realize that, it has become quite dirty you see"

The filth in drainages and water pipes leads to the infestation of the C. After that one time when there was a C infestation, I have been mindful about pouring some detergent down the drain and cleaning the water pipe frequently.

"I see......" Enami-san says sounding uninterested, something that I am used to. I think that, most likely, Enami-san is merely not honest with herself.

I will not say this to her as she will get mad though......

"In other words, I've gotten used to it. Meeting this much is a first but what needs to be done does not change. Just be prideful"

"Prideful?"

"You are always like that no?"

For a while after that, Enami-san and I cleaned silently. After all, the trash just kept coming no matter how much we clear. Gradually, our backs grew tired and the hands we were moving non-stop stiffened as well. The sky, which grew red, darkened, and the minute hand of the clock, which once pointed sideways, now points directly at the number 6.

Why does this place look so lonely? I had such a thought all of a sudden.

It might be because I have been clean in silence since earlier but whenever my eyes see a piece from a broken piece of furniture or a thin stain hidden at the back of some rubbish, I hallucinate thinking that this room might just be dead.

Will the time this room revitalizes ever come? Is there a finish line for this chore that is aimless?

When I tied up the garbage bag that I decided to be the last for the day, Nishikawa stands beside me doing the same.

"We are quite drained huh~"

Removing the plastic gloves, she lightly shook her limpid hands.

"Seems like I won't be able to clean my house for a while. If I do, I might just go mad"

"Agreed~"

It is time to finish up. Or so it seemed like Enami-san thought as she walked over, looking drained.

She then says, "Good work. You all have been a great help today as well"

"It is a given as this is for Saya-chan~. Are we doing this tomorrow too?"

"That would help if we can do that but......" She says as she glances at me.

"That is alright" I replied, having no other choice.

"I see. Then, please help out tomorrow as well"

"Okay okay~"

Retrieving our belongings from Enami-san's room, we head for the entrance. I called out to her once again while wearing my shoes.

"Say"

"What?"

As the trash has been piling up, even wearing my shoes is hard work. By forcing a portion of it into Enami-san's room, I was finally able to make space for me to pass through. As it seemed like Enami-san was in deep thought, I finished wearing my shoes while waiting.

"What's wrong Saya-chan~?" Nishikawa beside me asks while beaming. As if that smile made her feel slightly more comfortable, Enami-san finally spoke.

"You all sure are amazing, not feeling put off"

Today is the very day that Enami-san loses her confidence. Although the way she speaks and her behavior remains unchanged, each and every one of her words feels strange.

The only one who is not bewildered is Nishikawa.

"Are you thinking that this is too much of a burden for us to bear?" Enami-san nods at these words that Nishikawa said in a carefree manner.

"It might not have been something to ask of someone else"

"But it is because you thought that you wanted to ask that I am doing this right? I don't mind at all~"

"Really?"

"You see, Saya-chan" Nishikawa, with an unusually serious face, places her hands on Enami-san's shoulders.

"You are thinking too much about complicated matters. I merely want to help Saya-chan. If you think too much, you will forget what you truly want to do. That is why simple is best. Saya-chan needs help. I want to help. I think that even Naocchi is doing this because he feels the same. If not he will not help I say"

"Well......"

This very matter is as Nishikawa has said.

"I see" Enami-san replies as always, seemingly convinced for the time being.

Nishikawa and I leave the mansion and we walk side by side to the station. Nishikawa, while frequently talking about casual topics, is regularly changing her facial expression.

Come to think of it I do not know much about Nishikawa......

I looked at her with a somewhat strange feeling in my heart.

How she got to know Enami-san, or what she does to pass time at home. Nishikawa and Enami-san might just be quite alike in terms of not sharing about themselves.

"What's wrong?"

Nishikawa looked at me, who did not reply, puzzled. Nothing, or so I replied as I started walking once again.

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