The school was surprisingly generous in assigning a small room to Eriri—or rather, to the art club as a dedicated activity space. Kanade knew about this since he had handled the paperwork before. However, he hadn't expected the final user rights to fall into the hands of Eriri. Clearly, her position as the art club's ace wasn't just for show.
That said, since the room was originally a storage space, it was cluttered with all sorts of junk. Cleaning it up would be a daunting task. Perhaps the art club leader considered it too much trouble and decided to hand over the room to Eriri as both a reward and a way to avoid dealing with the mess.
"So, are you here to check out your 'prize,' or are you actually planning to clean up the place?" Kanade asked curiously.
Knowing Eriri's nature, he doubted she'd willingly clean unless absolutely necessary. Getting her to be industrious was nearly impossible unless it involved drawing. When it came to art, she was relentless and self-driven.
"What's with that look? That's so mean!" Eriri pouted in protest. "It's not like I never lift a finger. I do my share of classroom duties, okay?"
"That's different," Kanade replied bluntly. "If you skipped out on those, your 'obedient young lady' image would've crumbled ages ago."
Eriri puffed up her cheeks in mock anger, pretending she didn't want to talk to him. However, her thoughts quickly shifted to another idea—if Kanade was already here, why not make him help? Opportunities like this didn't come often. Labor might be exhausting, but if it was with someone she liked, it wouldn't feel so dull. It might even feel like they were classmates on cleaning duty after school.
Acting on impulse, she declared, "Well then, considering your rude comment earlier, I sentence you to help me clean! If you refuse, that just makes you the lazy one!"
Kanade raised an eyebrow. Technically, this wasn't his responsibility, but since she was "inviting" him so openly—and he had no other pressing matters—he figured he could lend a hand.
"Fine. Let me show you the power of a cleaning expert," Kanade said, thumping his chest confidently. Though in reality, it had been ages since he'd done household chores, with Amane handling everything at home. Thankfully, cleaning this storage room didn't require any special skills—just hauling out the junk, sweeping, and mopping.
It was pure physical labor, nothing he couldn't handle.
Once he agreed, Kanade placed his bag aside and got ready to fetch some water. Meanwhile, he tasked Eriri with sorting through the items.
"Check what you might need and set it aside. Anything you don't want, I'll move to another room later."
"Got it. I'll start checking." Eriri nodded enthusiastically.
"Alright, I'll go grab some water," Kanade said, heading out.
The trip to fetch water wasn't worth elaborating on. When he returned with a bucket and opened the door, a sudden shadow darted toward him. In the blink of an eye, a petite, trembling figure clung tightly to him.
"Eriri?" Kanade glanced down at the girl now in his arms, utterly perplexed. "I was gone for just a moment. What's gotten into you?"
"T-there's a ghost!" Eriri's tearful eyes widened in panic, her face pale as she pointed inside. "I just saw that skeleton move! I swear I'm not imagining it!"
"..." Kanade sighed deeply.
He understood her fear, but her reaction was both exaggerated and amusing. Clearly, her initial impression of the skeleton had set her up for this paranoia, skewing her judgment.
"If you're so scared, just stay away from it. I'll handle the cleaning on that side," Kanade said gently, trying to calm her.
He realized then that, in his effort to stabilize her, his hands had automatically moved to support her from below. In hindsight, perhaps "small" wasn't the most accurate term anymore.
If Kasumigaoka's strength was in her front, then Eriri's back might hold the crown. It wasn't just that; as he held her, a faint, sweet fragrance wafted into his senses. It was a delicate mix of fruitiness and floral undertones—refreshing and captivating.
Small wonder girls were such mosquito magnets; they smelled far better than boys ever could.
With Eriri clinging to his neck, her legs dangled helplessly off the floor. She was so petite that she couldn't touch the ground without his support. Just as he was about to set her down, a third voice suddenly interrupted.
"Pardon me. I just came to check on the progress…"
Both Kanade and Eriri turned to see a girl standing at the door. She was unfamiliar to Kanade, but she covered her mouth with her hand, clearly surprised.
"I-I'm sorry for intruding! I didn't know you two were… um… I'll just leave!"
Without waiting for an explanation, the girl hastily closed the door and fled.
Kanade and Eriri stared at each other, stunned, before realization dawned on the latter. Her face turned crimson as she stammered, "P-put me down already!"
Kanade immediately complied, raising his hands in mock surrender.
"I wasn't doing anything inappropriate. I just didn't want you to fall," he explained.
Eriri didn't respond. She was too flustered to speak, her mind replaying the sensation of his hands from moments ago. As heat rose to her cheeks, she clumsily hid her hands behind her back, covering the area he had touched. Her thoughts spiraled, making her feel lightheaded.
Normally, such close encounters would leave her completely dazed, but after a few prior experiences, she had developed a bit of resistance. Still, she needed to escape to clear her mind.
"I-I'm going to the restroom!" she blurted out, bolting out the door before Kanade could respond.
"..."
Kanade scratched his head, deciding it was best not to pursue her. They both needed to cool off.
Alone in the storage room, he spent the next while cleaning diligently. By the time Eriri returned, the space was nearly spotless.
Seeing Kanade stretching his sore muscles amidst the freshly cleaned room, Eriri felt a pang of guilt. She had intended to enjoy the cleaning process together but ended up skipping out on most of it. Now, it looked like she'd been slacking off while he did all the work.
That wouldn't do—she wasn't trying to shirk her duties this time!
"Good job, Kanade! You must be tired, right? Let me give you a massage!" Eriri said, determined.
Kanade raised an eyebrow, surprised by her enthusiasm, but nodded. "Alright, I'll take you up on that."
She had given him a massage once before, focusing on his face. While not particularly skilled, her effort had been relaxing enough.
"Okay, lie down!" Eriri patted the desk confidently.
Kanade froze for a moment before hesitantly asking, "…Lie down?"
"Of course! How else am I supposed to give you a proper massage?" she replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Kanade grew more skeptical. "Can't I just sit? You only need to massage my shoulders, right?"
"No way!" Eriri shook her head firmly. "You did all the cleaning, so you deserve the full treatment—shoulders, back, even your legs!"
Kanade: "..."
What kind of art student learns massage techniques for this level of detail? Did she study anatomy to improve her drawing skills?
"Hurry up and lie down already!" Eriri urged, her tone almost commanding.
Left with no choice, Kanade relented. Before doing so, however, he double-checked that the door was firmly closed.
While they weren't doing anything inappropriate… lying face-down on a desk for a massage was, admittedly, quite peculiar. Although the storage room wasn't a heavily trafficked area, there was no guarantee someone wouldn't walk in unexpectedly like earlier. So, Kanade decided it was best to close the door securely, reducing the chance of curious onlookers barging in.
Following Eriri's instructions, Kanade reluctantly lay down on the makeshift desk setup. It wasn't the most comfortable position no matter how he adjusted himself, but to satisfy Eriri's enthusiasm, he resolved to endure it. Thankfully, she didn't push things further by asking him to remove his shirt.
As the massage began, Kanade noticed a mild sense of relaxation creeping in. However, it wasn't exactly due to Eriri's technique.
Her efforts were earnest, and her movements mimicked the form of a proper massage, but…
Her strength was severely lacking.
It felt less like a massage and more like someone lightly tickling him. Since he was only wearing a thin summer uniform, the warmth of her small hands transmitted directly through the fabric, amplifying the ticklish sensation.
Several times, Kanade had to stifle laughter, trying not to break the mood.
"Maybe… try using a bit more strength?" Kanade suggested, attempting to guide her. "My shoulders are probably too tense to feel it properly right now."
"Alright, I'll try," Eriri replied hesitantly, a hint of self-doubt in her voice.
She'd already noticed that Kanade's physique was much different from her usual "practice subject"—her mom. When she massaged her mom, even a slight increase in pressure was met with complaints. But with Kanade, she was already exerting as much force as possible, yet it felt like she wasn't even making a dent.
Moreover, staying in her current position was awkward and made applying pressure difficult. Perhaps her lack of technique was to blame?
"Uh… maybe just a little more strength?" Kanade prompted again.
Eriri pursed her lips, clearly at a loss. After some deliberation, she finally spoke up: "Wait here for a second. I'm going to grab a chair."
"Ah? Oh, okay." Kanade nodded, assuming she meant sitting on a chair would give her better leverage.
However, when Eriri returned with the chair, she threw him a curveball.
"Don't move around too much, or I might fall off!" she announced.
"..."
Fall off? What was that supposed to mean?
Before Kanade could piece things together, he heard faint sounds of effort—soft grunts and an "ugh, ugh" noise, like someone struggling to climb something.
Then, suddenly, he felt a soft sensation press against his lower back, followed by a slight weight settling on him.
"..."
Kanade froze.
Unless he was mistaken, Eriri had just climbed onto his back and sat down.
"Don't move, okay? I don't want to lose my balance and fall," Eriri instructed, completely oblivious to how absurd the situation had become.
Kanade's mind went blank.
Just as he was about to voice his incredulity and demand she get down, the door swung open yet again.
"I'm here to check—oh."
Kanade looked up. It was the same girl from earlier, standing at the doorway with an expression that could only be described as dumbfounded.
Eriri, focused on her "massage," only noticed the visitor after a beat. When she turned her head to look, she didn't even seem to grasp the implications of the scene.
For a moment, the three of them simply stared at one another in silence.
"Uh, sorry for interrupting! I'll just… leave!" The girl blurted out before hastily retreating, once again shutting the door behind her.
Kanade sighed deeply, wishing the girl would have the courtesy to not return at all. But it was too late—the damage was done.
Without a doubt, this scene would be misunderstood.
"I have to say," Kanade remarked dryly, "it's no wonder she misunderstood, considering how things looked."
"Huh? Misunderstood?" Eriri blinked in confusion, tilting her head.
"It probably looked like we were doing something inappropriate," Kanade explained, sighing again.
"..." Eriri's eyes widened, and her face turned a deep shade of red as realization dawned. Her body stiffened, and she squirmed awkwardly.
But, to Kanade's astonishment, she made no move to climb down.
"Well… that's just because her mind is dirty!" Eriri huffed, trying to sound indignant, though her tone was clearly laced with guilt. After all, she was the type to frequently let her imagination run wild in such scenarios.
"Either way, it's not a big deal," Kanade said, attempting to reassure her. "We don't know her personally, but my concern is that she might spread some weird rumor."
"That's…" Eriri hesitated before offering, "Actually, she's a member of the art club. If you're worried about gossip, I can go explain things to her."
Kanade raised an eyebrow. It wasn't a bad idea, but given Eriri's penchant for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, he had his doubts.
"Explaining is fine, but don't say anything unnecessary. Just tell her the truth," he warned.
"What's with that distrustful tone?" Eriri puffed up her cheeks in mock anger and lightly smacked his back. Unfortunately for her, Kanade's back was so solid that her hand stung more than anything else.
"Geez! Why is your back so hard? It doesn't even feel satisfying to hit!"
"Then don't hit me," Kanade retorted. "It's not like I can help it."
"..."
Eriri pouted but didn't press the issue. Instead, she reached down and pinched the soft flesh of his waist, eliciting a sharp intake of breath from him.
"Serves you right for always underestimating me!" she declared triumphantly. "Next time, don't look down on me!"
Kanade: "..."
It seemed he had no choice but to endure her antics, quite literally, from beneath her.
Thankfully, Eriri wasn't truly upset. After her small act of "revenge," she resumed her massage, this time putting in more effort.
And, to his surprise, the results were noticeable.
Perhaps sitting on his back gave her better leverage because her movements now carried a satisfying amount of pressure. His muscles actually began to feel more relaxed.
Still…
Kanade couldn't shake the discomfort of the situation.
Please, Eriri, just get down already. This is way too awkward.