After we all checked the request together.
The commander, Nunu, and I were sitting comfortably on the sofa, eating pudding.
Of course, I protested that it was my snack…
But my argument quickly sank under Nunu’s reasoning that snacks taste better when shared, and the commander’s remark that I didn’t buy it with my own money anyway.
Still, the pudding was delicious.
Even though it had become a little soggy over time, its unique sweet and soft flavor was enough to make my tongue dance.
Maybe, as Nunu said, eating together really does make it taste better.
Hehe.
“The request starts tomorrow, so today, let’s clean the command center.”
“Ah, what a shame. I was planning to nap with Maru all day.”
“Huh? Huh?”
“Hehe, such a shame. Truly.”
Nunu smacked her lips. Her gaze wasn’t on the pudding—it was on me.
“…?!”
Again.
That strange chill ran down my spine once more.
Goosebumps rose on my soft arms, and my body trembled involuntarily.
“Haha, well, yesterday we were too busy to clean, but at least we should take care of the remains of the monsters Maru defeated. If we leave them like this, they’ll harden.”
The commander didn’t seem to feel this chill at all.
What is this? Am I just being too sensitive?
I have no idea.
“Are you talking about that sticky stuff? Well, both visually and hygienically, it is a problem.”
Nunu nodded.
And just like that, the chill that had wrapped around me suddenly disappeared.
…I don’t know what’s going on, but since no one else is making a fuss, maybe I don’t need to worry?
Right?
By the way, those sticky remains are still here?
In most games, that stuff gets cleaned up automatically. They even generate nameplates automatically, but they won’t clean this up?
“So, today is cleaning time!”
“Shouldn’t we decide who gets the toughest job—mopping?”
As soon as Nunu brought it up, everyone’s expressions changed.
The most annoying part of cleaning—mopping.
Unlike just gathering and throwing away trash, mopping requires wiping every corner, making sure to wring out the cloth properly, and even washing it afterward.
To decide who would take on that role, the three of us exchanged glances and…
Rock, paper, scissors!
“…This is ridiculous…”
“Maru, that’s just how life is.”
“No way, you two planned this, didn’t you?!”
The result of rock-paper-scissors… The commander chose paper, Nunu chose paper, and I chose rock, which meant I lost.
No, seriously, this doesn’t make sense! How could both of them choose the same thing except for me?!
You two definitely planned this!
“No way? I had no idea you’d choose rock.”
“Hehe, Maru, come on. It was a sudden game—how could we have planned it?”
I glared at them with an indignant expression, but their responses were absurd.
The commander had that annoying smirk, while Nunu shook her head as if she were completely innocent.
Lies. That’s an absolute lie.
Anyone who knows me would know that, as someone who prides himself on being a “real man,” I would obviously choose rock.
This was a rigged match from the start. A fixed game!
I can’t believe it. I got checkmated like this.
This is unfair! Unfair!!!
“Oh? Our macho Maru wouldn’t possibly go back on the results, would she?”
“Ugh… That’s…”
“A real man always keeps his promises, right?”
The commander was provoking me.
I wanted to throw myself on the floor in protest…
But doing that would feel like admitting defeat, so I held back.
Besides, I’d look like a total child.
Fine. The only option left is to do my job well and show them the charisma of a true man.
“Alright. Just give me the mop.”
“Oh, suddenly you’re enthusiastic, Maru?”
Watch closely.
I’ll show you how a real man gets the job done!
I put my hands on my hips and puffed out my chest—
“Pfft.”
“Hey, Commander. I can hear you laughing.”
“…I’ll start now.”
I struck a confident pose.
Ignoring the commander’s irritating chuckles behind me, I grabbed the mop heroically and started moving forward.
Just watch. I’ll finish this in an hour.
Dodo dodo dodo—
“Shuuu~”
Dodo dodo dodo—
“Shuuuuuu~”
There I was, holding the mop, shuffling around the command center lobby.
At first, it felt boring, but as I kept going, it turned out to be really fun.
Wiping away the sticky monster remains and dust-covered floor, watching the dirty surface turn spotless like brand-new marble—
It made me feel strangely happy.
“Maru looks like she’s having a lot of fun.”
“Ugh… Yeah, she really does.”
“Oh my, Commander. Need a little help?”
“I’m fine… I can do it… Ugh.”
In the corner of the command center, the commander was struggling with a strange machine.
According to him, it was a garbage incinerator, but since it hadn’t been used in a long time, it had practically turned into scrap metal.
Even after oiling it, it wouldn’t start, so he was wrestling with it like that.
Well, that’s none of my business.
Dodo dodo dodo—
“Shuuu~”
Hehe.
Running in a straight line like this feels like solving a puzzle or playing a game, so it’s even more fun.
I didn’t know cleaning could be this fun!
Commander, please be a little more gentle over there…
“Ugh, uh…Huh?! “
Bang!
…?!
While I was excitedly running around cleaning, a sudden loud noise rang out.
That sound came from none other than the garbage incinerator the commander was touching.
Thanks to that, I almost tripped while running.
That scared me! I thought my heart was going to drop.
Oh my gosh! Turn it off! Quickly!
“Ah, got it!”
Bang! Bang! Whoosh…
“Of.”
“This is, um, kind of a big problem.”
I turned my head to look at the commander.
The commander scratched his head as if he had done something wrong, and Nunu wiped her face.
And the incinerator was still puffing out smoke…
It was obvious at a glance. The commander had broken the machine.
‘Whoa. What was that sound just now?’
But I pretended to know nothing and walked closer to ask.
Why? Because if I don’t tease the commander now, when else will I get the chance? Hehe.
“Oh, Maru. Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No. Luckily, I didn’t fall. But more importantly, why is that machine spewing smoke?”
Hearing my question, Nunu let out a small sigh and explained the commander’s mishap.
He had accidentally pressed the wrong button on the incinerator, causing something inside to jam, which eventually led to sparks flying and the machine breaking down.
Apparently, it was a relief that it hadn’t exploded…
“Aha.”
As Nunu finished her explanation, the commander slumped his shoulders.
He looked kind of pitiful. He had tried to do a good job, but in the end, everything went wrong, so he must have been pretty upset.
I couldn’t reach his shoulders since he was too tall, so instead, I patted his knee lightly with my hand.
It looked a little weird, but it wasn’t my fault—the commander was just too big.
“It’s okay. It’s okay.”
“Maru, are you comforting me? Thank you.”
Then… can I have a pudding? Hehe.”
“Haha, do you want pudding that badly? Alright, once we finish cleaning, we’ll each have one.”
Oh, really?
I had just said it without much thought, but he’s actually letting me have pudding?
Really, really? You can’t take it back later!”
Of course not. Have you ever seen me go back on my word?”
Great. Now that I got a confirmation…
“Shooooooot!”
Dodododododo—
Thinking about pudding made me run even faster than usual.
At this speed, I’ll be done in no time!
“Oh my, Maru suddenly got faster?”
‘Just how much does she love pudding…?’
I could hear someone beside me marveling at my incredible speed.
That made me even prouder, and I picked up my pace even more.
The dirty floor was getting cleaner and cleaner in an instant, leaving just one last tile to go.
Dododododo—
“Shoooooot!”
“Oh~”
The floor sparkled brightly.
Clap, clap, clap, clap. I could hear the sound of applause.
Hehe, when you leave it to me, even something hard and time-consuming can be finished in a flash.
Praise me more!
“Let’s see. We started cleaning around 11 in the morning… It’s already time for dinner.”
“You’re right. More time passed than I expected.”
I looked up at the clock hanging in the center of the lobby.
It was 7 PM.
Huh?
I’m sure I started mopping around 11:30 AM, so when did time fly by so fast?
“Maru, you must be hungry, so let’s eat dinner first. We’ll have pudding for dessert, okay?”
“Yes, yes…”
That’s strange. I thought I finished quickly, but I guess not.
Let’s go, I’ll make hamburgers for dinner tonight.”
“I want a shrimp burger!”
“Ugh, I’ll have to make a shrimp patty from scratch. Maru, is bulgogi okay for you?”
Well, as long as I can have pudding, I don’t mind.
I nodded and then held hands with the commander and Nunu as we walked to the kitchen together.