Chapter 05: Extinguishing Wisdom
Yuuta acknowledged the challenge of looking after three girls and questioned if he could manage without using the restroom for an hour. Nevertheless, he was reluctant to inconvenience the three girls.
"Alright, I'll head to the nearby convenience store to handle this. But what about showering? Since there's no bathing area here, I'll need to shower at home," Yuuta remarked.
He made a concerted effort to accommodate the girls and was open to discussing various concerns with them. The restroom issue could be resolved at the convenience store, as using it in their confined space would disrupt everyone.
However, the shower matter was more complex. It was summertime, he had work to do, and he anticipated feeling exhausted. Going without a shower while staying with the girls would be uncomfortable, as Yuuta couldn't endure the sensation of uncleanliness.
"Ah..." Sora realized this dilemma and was suddenly overwhelmed. To ensure that the boys and girls didn't use each other's bathing water, they couldn't afford to skimp on water usage.
"I'll go first! Afterward, I'll make sure the bath is spotless! It'll be super clean!" Sora clenched her fists, determined to contribute.
Yuuta didn't want the girls to overexert themselves, especially Sora, who had gone through an emotionally taxing day just to uplift her sister's spirits. "It's alright, I can clean the bath myself."
However, for Sora, this was a task she felt compelled to handle. She couldn't trust Yuuta with it at all. "No! I'll clean it myself!"
She was resolute in preventing the boys from having any opportunity to use her bathwater, and she certainly didn't want any remnants, like hair or... anything else.
In the past, she might not have pondered so many details, but the circumstances were different now. The room was small, and both she and Yuuta were relatively young. Miu was also a second-year middle school student, so they were all attuned to various concerns.
With no other option, Yuuta nodded in resignation. "Alright, I'll head out for now. I'll bring dinner back later. Is there something specific you'd like to eat, Hina?"
"Pudding! Ice cream!" Hina responded eagerly, raising her hands.
Yuuta then glanced at Miu and Sora. "Miu, Sora, do you have any preferences? Is there anything you'd like me to buy?"
"No," both Sora and Miu shook their heads in unison.
Observing their response, Yuuta started putting on his shoes, preparing to make a quick trip to the convenience store to attend to his personal needs.
"Well, I'm off then. It should take me a little while, about an hour or so," he clarified the timeframe to avoid unnecessary concerns.
Yuuta was mindful of various circumstances, including potentially walking in on the girls changing clothes, among other situations. He genuinely wished for these three girls to find happiness and aimed to consider their feelings and preferences.
"Yes, thank you," Sora nodded, expressing her gratitude to Yuuta. However, she quickly thought of another concern. "Remember to wash your hands when you come out!"
Yuuta chuckled wryly, "I'm aware. It's common practice to wash your hands after using the restroom. I'm a clean person; you don't need to remind me."
As he left the house, Yuuta exhaled deeply. "They're doing well. It's quite impressive for such young kids to recover from their sadness so quickly."
However, after only a few steps, he was summoned back by Sora and Miu.
"What's happening?" Yuuta had just left, and everything seemed fine. He hurried back upon seeing that Hina was safe and inquired, "Is something wrong?"
Sora explained apologetically, "If I want to take a bath now, I'll need to clean it first. Then, after I finish, I'll have to clean it again. So, you go ahead."
She refused to enter a bathtub that had been used by a man without cleaning it, which meant she would need to clean it twice, making the process quite inconvenient.
"I see..." Yuuta nodded and then curiously asked, "But if I use it now, won't you still have to clean it twice?"
Miu and Sora were both taken aback by this realization!
It was indeed true!
Even if they allowed Yuuta to use the bath first, they would still need to clean it once before using it and then once more after.
"No!" Sora swiftly contested, "If you use it first, then after I use it today, tomorrow I can go first and save an extra cleaning, right?"
Yuuta regarded Sora with an amused expression. "So, you won't clean the bathroom after you've bathed?"
"Of course not! I'll clean it!" Sora exclaimed loudly. If the bathroom was also connected to the toilet, what if someone found any leftover hair... Oh, no, no, no!!!
Yuuta calmly responded, "Exactly, you'll undoubtedly clean it thoroughly, and you won't allow me to do it, so it's the same regardless of who goes first."
This is truly a perplexing reality...