Walking

"Then I'm going out."

"Ah, wait a minute."

Sayu hurried out.

"Hey."

Her slender feet in calf socks slipped into small leather shoes; she leaned over to adjust the heels and said to Yusuke.

"Let's go downstairs together~"

"Taking out the trash?"

Glancing at the plastic bag in Sayu's hand, Yusuke's eyes widened with surprise.

"Yes."

Sayu nodded lightly, her face bright with a smile.

"By the way, you can accompany me for a walk are you happy?"

"Umm." Yusuke nodded slightly, noncommittally: "Let's go then."

So the two went out together and walked toward the nearby garbage collection point.

Since today was a school day, Yusuke was also naturally wearing his school uniform.

The two walked side by side on the road, looking like a couple in love. They were young and beautiful, which attracted the attention of passersby.

Unlike Sayu's Western-style uniform, Yusuke's uniform from the private Toyonozaki Academy was a sailor suit. Whether one looked better than the other, Yusuke thought, depended mainly on the wearer's physique and appearance.

Setting aside the stand-up collar uniforms for boys, the blue and white sailor suits worn by the girls at Toyonozaki featured a high bust line with arcs at the placket sides and two lines on the collar, known as the second line.

Given Sayu's looks she would definitely suit our school uniform, right?

Sailor suits, short skirts, and red bows or uniform ropes exuded purity and vitality.

After visualizing the scene in his mind for a moment, Yusuke couldn't help but sigh: "It really is a looks-driven world."

"Huh? What does that mean?"

Sayu looked over, puzzled.

"It's nothing." Yusuke shook his head: "Just thinking aloud."

"Speaking of which..."

He rubbed his chin and asked, "What kind of garbage are we throwing out today?"

"It's burnable garbage."

Sayu replied with a smile, looking very cheerful.

"Is it…"

Yusuke responded, realization dawning on him.

Ever since Sayu started managing the household, he hadn't given much thought to these things.

In Japan, the management of waste sorting is very stringent. Depending on the type, the schedule and frequency of curbside collection vary.

In their area, for instance, the collection frequency for combustible waste is three times a week, non-combustible waste is collected twice a month, and recyclables (such as plastic bottles, paper, bottles, and cans) are picked up once a week.

Moreover, there are specific times for disposal. Residents need to place their trash at the designated collection point before 8 am on collection days. This timing cannot be too early or too late; it must be on the designated day, or there could be warnings or fines.

Furthermore, certain items, like milk cartons and disposable lunch boxes, must be cleaned before disposal. Overall, it's a cumbersome process, and it was something Yusuke had always detested.

Before Sayu's arrival, his meals were mostly pre-packaged bento boxes.

A wave of guilt washed over him.

"Sayu," he said, "it's tough for you to manage all this at home."

"Eh? It's nothing like that." Sayu waved her hand dismissively: "You always take care of me, and..."

She paused, then smiled sweetly.

"Actually, being able to walk with you like this makes me happier."

Her tone was sincere, and her smile blended seamlessly with her cheerful demeanor, appearing entirely genuine.

"Speak up."

Sayu tilted her head and asked, "You have an exam coming up, right, Yusuke?"

Yusuke nodded: "There are still about ten days."

"How are you feeling? Confident?"

"Somewhat, it's just the start of a new semester, so there isn't much to memorize yet."

"But weren't you struggling before?"

Sayu teased.

"That was before. I was too caught up with my part-time job before school started, so... This time, there should be no issues."

Yusuke looked somewhat relieved as he scratched his head.

"And I really don't understand why our class's average grade was so high last time. It's not like we're a special class."

"Ahaha, that's true~"

Sayu covered her mouth and giggled.

"It hasn't been easy for you, Yusuke."

Yusuke sighed: "Especially with our overzealous class guide."

"But..."

He changed his tone: "Thanks to your help over the past month, I've had time to review my studies. Thank you, Sayu."

After he finished speaking, Sayu paused, her cheeks flushing slightly.

"What, are you trying to sweet-talk me?"

She turned away and said.

"I'm just thanking you," Yusuke pointed ahead, "Also, we've reached the garbage collection point."

Hearing this, Sayu turned around and looked in the direction he was pointing.

A small open space not far away was piled with rubbish, covered with a layer of blue netting to keep wild cats and crows from scavenging.

Yusuke stepped forward and lifted the netting, and Sayu placed the garbage bag down.

"Then I'll head off first," Yusuke said, "Make sure you're safe on your way back."

"Okay."

Sayu nodded, then made an "ah" sound as if she had just thought of something.

"What's wrong?"

Yusuke looked back, puzzled.

He saw Sayu approaching him.

"Wait a minute."

Saying that, Sayu raised her hand and picked a few strands of lint from his neckline, then said with satisfaction.

"Okay~ That's it."

She stood still and looked at him with a smile.

"Be careful on the road."

The rising sun cast a glowing veil over her.

...

"Maybe it's time to consider buying her something else," Yusuke thought as he walked the second half of the road alone.

After all, she is a young girl with only one set of uniforms and one set of pajamas, which seemed rather pitiful.

"And getting that reward two days ago is largely thanks to Sayu. I really should buy her something."

Yusuke glanced at the time. Today was May 20, and just under a week ago, he had received the second reward from the system.

**[Cohabitation Check-in: Sayu Ogihara · One Month]**

**[Host Receives a Sign-in Package]**

**[Points: 5000]**

**[Money: 500,000 yen]**

It was a significant sum of money. Thanks to this, his recent financial pressures had eased, making Yusuke eager to show his gratitude to Sayu, who had brought about these changes.

"Thinking about how to pcik sizes..."

The young man frowned.

After a period of hard thinking, he shrugged and sighed in resignation.

"It's better to take her to the mall directly after the exam."

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