"..." Even though Sogo Doma had resorted to self-deprecation to show that he knew nothing, Mafuyu Kirisu was no fool. "Y-You... you both saw it?"
It sounded like a question, but given the female teacher's suddenly pale face, not only Sogo Doma—even Utaha Kasumigaoka could not bear to watch. She had suffered social death, the kind with no possible excuse...
"Ha, haha..." Of course, not being able to find an excuse applied to Utaha Kasumigaoka. Sogo Doma did not see it that way. He laughed first, since a smile could bring people closer together. "Kirisu-sensei's work must be really demanding. I suppose you were about to clean up, but because you were too busy with work..."
Mafuyu Kirisu: "..."
That could be explained away like that!?
"Y-Yes, that's right. I-I was planning to do a thorough cleaning yesterday, but I didn't expect..." What a blunder. If she had known, she would not have gone drinking with Shizuka-senpai.
"So you were planning a thorough cleaning..." Utaha Kasumigaoka, unusually, did not make a cutting remark. "I was wondering how anyone could possibly live in an environment like this..." Though her underlying malice remained.
"O-Of course no one could..." Mafuyu Kirisu broke into a cold sweat. Damn it, this was all because finding a job had gone too smoothly. If she had not found work at Toyogasaki, she definitely would have gone to Imouto's place. With Imouto helping her clean, her living environment would certainly have been vastly different. No, how could she push all the blame onto Imouto...?
While her thoughts ran wild, Sogo Doma said, "In that case, we won't disturb you while you're doing your cleaning. You go ahead and get busy..."
There was nothing wrong with those parting words in any other situation, but Mafuyu Kirisu wanted to prove