Ambush

"Okay, that was your decision. I only care about one thing." Yu Xuekun braced both hands on the desk like a drawn bow ready to fire. "Can you learn to respect other people's efforts instead of always changing your mind at the last minute?"

"I... guess so," Hesta said softly. "That depends on how we define 'respect,' doesn't it?"

Yu Xuekun gave a cold laugh and rose to her feet. "Then you don't need to stay here with me. Clearly, you don't need the psychological support I provide—"

"That's not what I meant..."

Yu Xuekun hauled Hesta up from her chair. To cooperate, Hesta hunched her back slightly.

"Master Yu, something happened to me recently. I really, really need to talk to you about it. Oh, and that book you gave me last week—"

The two of them dragged and tugged their way to the door. Yu Xuekun finally let go and shoved Hesta outside.

"If there's anything you need my help with, just message me. Email works too." Yu Xuekun clapped her hands, then gripped the doorknob tightly. "Your rating last week was average. There was nothing particularly worth mentioning, so we don't need to talk this week."

"...Nothing worth mentioning at all?" Hesta froze. "Not even in the host family?"

"What did you do in the host family this week?"

"I did a lot of extra things," Hesta answered. "Uh, three people in their family were hospitalized this week, so I took on a lot of—"

"Housework?"

"Yes. Helping care for the patients, tidying things up, running errands everywhere—"

"Heh. If you want to improve your rating, don't waste your time on those things. They're useless." Yu Xuekun glared at her. "Your host-family rating didn't change last week."

Hesta clung tightly to the door. "But... why?"

Yu Xuekun