Can't We Skip Dating?

When Akira got back into the car, Nanami had already wiped her tears, though her eyes were still red, and so was her face.

Of course, the latter was because she was still sick—emotional turmoil during illness made the heat in her cheeks harder to fade.

Akira seemed to be deep in thought and didn't speak for a while.

Nanami, still overwhelmed by the scolding earlier, instinctively shrank her neck as he opened the door and didn't dare say anything.

Utaha finally withdrew her gaze from the window, glanced at both of them, and curled her lips into a malicious smirk.

Then she broke the silence.

"Even though you could've easily suggested a deal to have a high school girl be your lover, now you can't even offer a proper apology, Mr. Ogiwara?"

The silence shattered instantly—almost cheerfully.

"H-high school girl… l-lover?!"

Nanami jolted, her wide eyes losing focus slightly.

—That kind of statement was too intense for someone as innocent as her. And being sick, she couldn't really handle shock.

Akira took a long breath, twitching slightly. "Can you give me a break, Miss Kasumigaoka? No deal doesn't mean no decency, alright?"

"Ohhh, then I won't say anything more," Utaha turned her head away.

Looking at the woman who lit the fire then ran off, Akira was filled with a certain impulse—if they were already in that kind of relationship, he would definitely make her cry and apologize once they got home.

But unfortunately, they weren't. And worse, she wasn't wrong either.

Akira hadn't planned to hide anything from Nanami. 

Otherwise, it'd feel like he was deceiving a naive girl with a false sense of righteousness—and once the truth came out, the ideal maid would be gone.

But things should be done step by step. 

As far as Akira knew, Nanami was a rather pure-hearted girl. Bringing up something like that directly would only overwhelm her—and the dazed look she wore now was proof enough.

Now that it had come to this, he had to find a way to clean things up.

And the best cleanup method...

Let the one who started the mess fix it. Utaha could handle this one.

"Sorry. I went too far earlier. I'm not your elder—I shouldn't have scolded you like that." 

Akira offered an apology and handed over his phone. "Pin your location. Get some good rest once you're home."

Nanami slowly reached out, took the phone, set the location, and handed it back. She said softly, "No… you were right… thank you."

Akira glanced at the screen, saw the words "Sakura Dorm," and silently started the car, following the GPS to the address.

Now it was Utaha who began to feel uneasy.

She could tell that Akira liked this girl named Nanami a lot. The deal—or rather, the "job" he offered—completely broke his usual "principles."

Having lived in that villa before, she knew there wasn't much to do as a maid for Akira. 

Even including cooking, as long as it wasn't anything fancy, the average daily workload probably wouldn't exceed two hours. 

Clearly, he just wanted Nanami to have no more worries about living, so she could eat well, sleep well, and focus all her energy on her dreams and studies.

But now, judging from this, the deal might already be off?

Just because of what she said earlier?

She thought Akira would explain things and try to push the offer again, to get Nanami to accept the job. 

In fact, once he had his sights on someone, she doubted this kind-hearted girl could escape his grasp.

But in reality, Akira didn't explain a thing. After dropping her off, knowing him, this might really be the end of it.

Because Akira had his own pride. The only time he ever came to her was over some strange superstitious reason about a bad omen and charms.

If this kept up…

"Mr. Ogiwara, you did that on purpose, didn't you?"

Utaha stared coldly at the man in the driver's seat. Her legs, which had been calm for a while, once again started tapping in agitation.

To this, Akira responded with a slow, obviously fake tone, "Ahhh—whatever do you mean, Miss Kasumigaoka—?"

"Tch. You could have explained."

"A guilty party's excuse will never be as effective as the victim's forgiveness. And since you brought it up, shouldn't you be the one to close it out?"

Utaha gritted her teeth, then sighed in frustration. She leaned toward Nanami and began whispering in her ear.

To be honest, Nanami didn't fully understand what Utaha was trying to say—her explanation was too vague. 

All Nanami caught was something along the lines of:

"I ran into some trouble. Becoming his lover was the price I offered for him to help me. But don't worry, even if he's kind of a jerk, he's not the kind of bad person you're imagining."

And at the end, she added, "Besides, he'd definitely treat you better than he treats me."

In short, Nanami now understood that the whole lover thing had some backstory, and that Akira wasn't as bad as she had thought.

Covering her mouth, she whispered in shock, "But… a high school girl becoming a grown man's lover…"

Utaha's expression turned cold. "I never agreed to it, Miss Aoyama."

Realizing how far off the mark she had been, Nanami hurriedly apologized to Utaha after her brief shock.

Then she turned to Akira, wanting to say something—but found she didn't really know what to say. In the end, she stammered,

"U-um…"

Akira didn't let her waste time on a meaningless intro and asked directly, "Have you thought about the maid job, Miss Aoyama?"

"Uhh, it's really not okay. You're offering too much."

"Miss Aoyama, if you really had ambition, this wouldn't be the time to worry about how much I'm offering. You should be thinking about how to make yourself worthy of the salary."

Akira eased off the gas a little and continued, "If you accept, there will be a training and probationary period. 

During that time, your pay will be halved.

In addition to your regular duties, you'll need to attend the training I specify. I have high standards for maids, so you'll probably be exhausted."

When she heard "halved pay," "high expectations," and "tiring," Nanami's resistance eased considerably—replaced by a deep desire for that salary.

She was indeed strapped for cash. So badly that she was barely eating properly. 

Half the reason she moved into Sakura Dorm, that home for troubled students, was because she couldn't afford the regular dorm fees.

If this was compensation she could earn based on her own effort—how could she not be tempted?

"But…"

Nanami still clearly understood this felt like a miracle, like something falling from the sky. And she had never believed in luck—only in her own hard work.

"But why are you being so kind to me? Just because I remind you of your past self?"

That was her biggest question.

"Miss Aoyama, have you heard the phrase 'Heaven rewards the diligent'?"

A red business card flipped from the front seat into the back.

Nanami picked it up and saw four words written on it: Onmyoji Master.

"Reality isn't like anime, novels, or dramas—hard work doesn't always lead to success. But it can bring other rewards. 

Like admiration. And that kind of admiration can bring extra opportunities to those who work hard."

"As you can see, I make my living off of spiritual mumbo-jumbo. I believe in fate and the heavens. Today's meeting was far too coincidental. 

You and I are both people who've struggled—and that made me admire you deeply."

"So I believe… I am the Heaven's reward for your diligence."

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