The Sacred Day of Slacking Off

Sunday.

Kamigami Haruo, who had stayed up late for the first time in ages, lay dead in bed until after ten in the morning before finally waking from his dreams.

Today was also the first day off since school began.

Sitting on the bed, he yawned, then picked up his phone to check his unread messages. So far, he had only received one from Horikita Suzune.

After casually brushing her off with a few replies, he shouted and stretched at the same time.

Kamigami Haruo walked to the refrigerator and opened it, only to find a pile of bottled water.

These were the spoils from his battles with the vending machines by the roadside whenever he returned to the dormitory.

Almost every time, he would snag a few free bottles of water and bring them back to chill in his room.

They were free, after all. The school practically forced them on him, so he had no choice but to accept.

Thud...

After tossing the water bottle into the trash, he grabbed a change of clothes and headed into the bathroom.

Ding-dong, ding-dong...

Since he had not fully shut the bathroom door, though most of the sound was drowned out by dripping water, he still heard it.

But Kamigami Haruo was only halfway through his shower, so he could only quickly dry himself off, wrap a towel around his waist, and walk to the entrance to open the door.

"It's Horikita. What is it? Did you deliberately pick the moment I was showering? So you have that kind of fetish too, Horikita."

His shower having been interrupted, Kamigami Haruo deliberately said a few disgusting things to her.

"For you to say such things to a woman, I truly worry that one day you'll be sentenced to life in prison for harassment. Also, mind your appearance."

As Horikita Suzune spoke, she held the lunchbox out to Kamigami Haruo, signaling for him to take it quickly.

"Take care. Don't come again."

After taking the lunchbox, Kamigami Haruo drove her away like a scumbag.

As for why there was still a lunchbox on Sunday, that story began three nights earlier.

After taking the dejected Ichinose back to her room, Kamigami Haruo immediately began organizing his backpack when he returned to his own.

Looking at the two lunchboxes in his hands, he knew he had fallen into a trap.

Horikita Suzune had actually wanted to use this method to avoid making lunch tomorrow.

What a scheming brother-obsessed girl.

Looking at the two lunchboxes in his hands, he silently went to the bathroom and squeezed some body wash into them.

Then he silently went to the sink and scrubbed the lunchboxes by hand.

One bottle of body wash, three uses. What a bargain.

After scrubbing the lunchboxes clean, he carried them out of his room, stood before the elevator, and pressed for the twelfth floor.

Without hesitation, he walked to room 1201 and rang the doorbell.

After a while.

The door opened, revealing a long-haired girl with straight black hair behind it.

Dressed in casual clothes, Horikita Suzune made no effort to hide the unwelcome look on her face upon seeing Kamigami Haruo arrive.

"Here, the lunchboxes. If I don't return them, tomorrow will still count among those three days, right?"

"Correct answer. But unfortunately, you brought them over."

"You're really saying that without any shame? Then don't blame me for going back on my word. The three days I meant were yesterday, today, and tomorrow."

"Then two days."

"Then daytime and nighttime."

Seeing him shamelessly renege, Horikita Suzune ground her teeth and said in a low voice.

"One day!"

"Then every day. Hehehe..."

Kamigami Haruo's answer was Horikita Suzune grabbing his arm.

The moment Horikita Suzune took hold of his hand, she turned and executed a perfect shoulder throw.

Though it hurt a little, Kamigami Haruo, lying on the ground, still did not forget to say,

"Could you make one for me on Sunday too?"

Horikita Suzune ignored him.

She dusted off her hands, took the lunchboxes, and shut the door without hesitation.

Leaving Kamigami Haruo alone on the floor to contemplate life.

He blamed no one. After all, he had brought this upon himself.

That night.

Two people lost sleep over the same person.

They were Horikita Suzune and Ichinose Honami.

The former was troubled by what she had said yesterday.

But because she had pretended for too long, even she herself had begun to believe it.

It was difficult to change oneself just because of a few words from others.

Only after recognizing her own shortcomings and reflecting on them might she be able to try changing.

The latter was trying, in her heart, to accept the past she feared.

She sincerely wanted her mother to stop working so hard.

Taking on part-time jobs so often for their sake would only ruin her health.

And her younger sister would no longer need to suppress her vanity, but could live happily like other children.

However, after calming down, the memories that flashed through her mind nearly made her die of shame.

She thought of that embarrassing gesture just now, and the faint traces left on her cheeks from all the kneading and pinching.

Her soft cheeks gradually flushed as she thought,

How could Kamigami do something like that to a classmate he'd only known for a few days?

Yet the person in question was sleeping peacefully. If not for the occasional scratch at his butt, he would have looked dead.

His thoughts returned to the present.

After thoroughly enjoying the lovingly prepared lunch, Kamigami Haruo once again used body wash as dish soap to scrub the lunchbox.

Anyway, he was the one using it. Horikita Suzune probably would not wash it again.

He glanced at the scorching sunlight streaming through the window and spilling across the floor.

After taking out his phone and typing a message, he sent it to Horikita Suzune.

"Want to check out some of the school's other facilities?"

"I need to review this week's lessons."

Horikita Suzune's reply only came after some time.

But Kamigami Haruo simply typed another message and sent it over.

"If you don't understand your enemy, you won't be able to deal with the challenge ahead."

After putting on a black T-shirt, Kamigami Haruo stuffed some miscellaneous items into his pockets.

Ignoring the notification sound from his phone, he opened the door and headed for the elevator.

Much later.

Looking at the completely packed Palette Cafe, Kamigami Haruo sighed, indirectly contributing to global warming.

He had thought Palette would not have so many customers at this time.

But he had still underestimated the students' enthusiasm for a popular cafe.

Left with no other choice, he could only wait in a corner for other students to leave.

"But I should be able to finish reviewing before noon."

He took out his phone, looked at Horikita Suzune's message, and replied at the same time.

"Meet at Palette."

Kamigami Haruo had only just managed to get a seat.

A familiar figure with straight black hair entered his sight.

After scanning the cafe once, Horikita Suzune found her target.

She passed through the crowd and sat in the empty seat across from Kamigami Haruo.

Kamigami Haruo, meanwhile, examined her outfit.

She wore a white undershirt beneath a pink jacket.

All he could say was that it looked pretty good.

With both of them present and their seats secured, they went to the counter together to order.

A deluxe parfait and a low-sugar latte, respectively.

While waiting, Horikita Suzune seemed to take out a copy of Crime and Punishment to pass the time.

"Horikita, you like reading that much? How about we go to a bookstore later?"

"That truly surprises me. What possible purpose could someone like you, who either sleeps or spaces out in class, have for going to a bookstore?"

Horikita Suzune's fixed impression of Kamigami Haruo could be summed up simply: a pest to society.

Even the ability he had displayed in the club that day only made him, in her eyes, a mysterious poor student who knew a little martial arts.

It was not arrogance on her part. Her written test scores and athletic ability were both the results of hard work.

No one had the right to mock someone who worked hard.

But she had always lived in her own world. Other than matters concerning Brother, she had never seriously looked at the world outside.

That much was clear from how she later apologized to Sudo.

After their conflict, she went back and researched basketball before she understood how difficult it was.

She believed Brother was the best, and no one else could ever compare to him.

It could be understood as the mindset of a little girl who had not yet grown up.

The only reason she got along with Kamigami Haruo now was because he had no shame.

And after a week of getting used to each other, she had gradually become accustomed to Kamigami Haruo's noise, while he happened to meet her needs.

"Of course I'm going to a bookstore to buy books to read. What else, go there to look at pretty girls?"

"I can't rule that out. Perhaps you've set your sights on some girl who loves books and want to use this to get close to her. Of course, if it's me, then allow me to refuse."

Only halfway through speaking did Horikita Suzune realize that she might also be the target, so she politely declined.

Though that was indeed the truth, Kamigami Haruo did not say so.

"What kind of person do you take me for? I just want a novel to kill some time."

"Your frivolous attitude toward girls is exactly what conveys that impression."

"Fine, I was wrong, okay? Die, your mother, sai!"

When apologizing, Kamigami Haruo deliberately said it with Chinese intonation, venting a little frustration.

Yet Horikita Suzune narrowed her eyes as though she understood, then stared at Kamigami Haruo.

Like a tigress that had spotted her prey and was ready to pounce.