"Sure enough, Homura-kun is actually pitying me right!" Nanami's emotions were unstable, "How could there be such a job, that's too good to be true!"
"Hahh..." Homura sighed, "I'll explain it to you in detail!"
"Nanami, you have seen my project, do you know how many people we have in our club now?" Homura gave the answer without waiting for Nanami to reply, "Six, plus you, seven in total."
"I'm not one of them," Nanami muttered quietly.
But Homura heard her, "You are already mine! Don't ever think about running away!"
*POOF!*
'Huh?! What's happening? Did I just get confessed?! This is too sudden!!!' Nanami was all hot and agitated.
"You are already the exclusive voice actor of our club! Your participation is required in all of our future works!" Homura unhesitatingly shattered the girl's illusion. He didn't know if he would regret it later...
"Oh, I see," Nanami's eyes had turned into a pair of dead fish eyes, and she said expressionlessly.
Homura looked at her strangely, "Let me continue. Basically, the people in the club are taken care of by me and by another member. Originally, it was enough for two people to take care of three people-"
"Wait a minute!" Nanami interrupted him, "Didn't you say there were six people? Two plus three only makes five, right?"
"Oh, did you think I, a student from Toyogasaki, came to Suiko for what?" Homura explained his intentions, "I came to escort the sixth member, who joined yesterday to school. And as you knew; you and I met in an unexpected way when I was on my way back to Toyogasaki."
Nanami was so embarrassed that she wanted to hide, blaming herself for saying too much and letting Homura bring up that embarrassing encounter again.
"Let's continue. There's no problem with two people taking care of three people, but the problem lies with this sixth member."
"Her name is Shiina Mashiro, a world-class genius painter, and also Chihiro-sensei's cousin."
Nanami exclaimed, "World-class!"
Homura said, "Yes, world-class. Because she is a world-class painter; she, like you, spent almost all of her time painting."
"But what's the problem with that?" Nanami didn't understand. Isn't that normal?
Homura clapped his hands, indicating that Nanami should pay attention.
"Almost all of her time! All time, including study time! Except for sleeping."
This time, Nanami finally understood, but she was also surprised. If, she didn't even have time to study; she couldn't imagine what she would become.
Homura said, "See? Mashiro really has no common sense. She can only wear clothes halfway, and she can bathe but doesn't know how to wash her own face and hair. She also doesn't know what it means to buy things and pay for them. Painting is the only thing she understands the best!"
"So! What do you think? Are you willing to accept my employment, Nanami?" Homura looked at her, not showing any disrespect.
Nanami thought about it silently and asked, "Homura-kun, the person you want me to take care of is this talented painter?"
"Yes, are you expecting me to take care of her? That's just... Ahem!" Homura smirked.
"No!" Nanami refuted without thinking, and then she blushed and said, "How can I let a guy like you take care of a girl who's as naive as a blank sheet of paper? That's like... putting a lamb into the mouth of a tiger."
Homura was speechless. 'What kind of words were those? What does it mean to put a lamb into the mouth of a tiger? Am I really that untrustworthy?'
He said irritably, "Yes~ Yes~, I'm the tiger's mouth, then. If this tiger's mouth doesn't work, then it's up to you!"
Nanami was speechless, and after thinking for a while, she said, "Okay, I accept, but I have one condition."
"What condition?" Homura asked suspiciously.
"That is, I don't want you to increase my salary. It should be the same as my other part-time job salary." Nanami could speak for herself indeed. Homura had tried to be as non-harmful as possible, but she still felt like she was being pitied. If Homura forced her to accept, she might just leave.
"Okay, I agree. This is the first time I've met an employee who wants to reduce their salary." Homura said playfully, then continued, "But... I also have a condition..."
Nanami relaxed for a moment but then became nervous again. 'Please don't do this, Homura-kun. I really don't want you to take care of me like this. If you keep this up, how can I repay you?'
Thanks to Homura not knowing her thoughts, otherwise she might have offered herself to him.
Under Nanami's anxious gaze, Homura spoke, "That... at least let me take care of your meals and lodging?"
"Huh?!" Nanami blinked her eyes and thought to herself, 'That scared me, it's just meals and lodging? But still... why do I feel disappointed?'
"Um..."
Homura interrupted directly, "Don't object, I'm doing this so you can take better care of Mashiro. It's no problem for you to live in the same room as her and eat together. Six or seven people, it doesn't make a difference!"
Actually, this was what Homura wanted to achieve the most. Nanami was always hungry and lacked food, how could that be allowed?
Nanami: "..."
'What else can I do when you have said everything and insisted so much? I guess I have no choice but to...'
"... Okay, I will move over, but not today. Today, I have to turn down all the other part-time jobs before I can accept your offer." Nanami finally compromised. This was the first time she had met someone who took care of her like this. Why was she so easily convinced by him? Why didn't she think he was a scammer?
Nanami couldn't figure it out but still believed that it was okay to trust him because she felt that Homura really wanted to be good to her, and that was something he wouldn't lie about. The rest were just small matters, and there would be plenty of opportunities to get to know him in the future.
'Great!' Homura silently congratulated himself.
"I'll come to pick you and Mashiro up tomorrow after school. Today, you can talk to Chihiro-sensei and try to get in touch with Mashiro. I'm sure you two can get along well!" Homura arranged before preparing to leave. It was almost noon!
"Well, thank you for everything today, Homura-kun. Everything was perfect, including your bento," Nanami thanked him, feeling a little embarrassed since she had eaten his lunch.
"Don't thank me! We're already friends, right?" Homura smiled and shook his head. "It was just lunch, nothing to worry about!"
"Actually... there wasn't a second bento in your bag, was there?" Nanami still felt guilty.
"!!!"
'How could this girl be so sharp!?'
"Hahaha~! What are you talking about? Oh right! I have to go now, I'm already late for school, otherwise, it really will be noon!" Homura slipped away without giving Nanami a chance to talk.
"Goodbye!"
*WHOOSH~*
He left a blur behind, and Nanami was left in the wind...
"Hehe~!" Nanami smiled and muttered to herself, "I'm really grateful to you... Homura-kun."
After packing up the bento, Nanami looked at her phone.
"Huh? When did Homura-kun leave his number?" Moved, Nanami left the infirmary. "Maybe I should get in touch with that world-class painter... Shiina Mashiro?"