They all have hidden attributes!

The cold words broke the atmosphere.

"If you want to help with the cleaning, at least change into clothes that allow you to move around easily." Uesugi Maya walked over with a polishing tool in her hand and reprimanded her mercilessly.

She was dressed in casual trousers, her hair was tied in a bun, and she was wearing rubber gloves, looking fully armed.

Junko Shiraishi wore a gray twill maxi skirt and a black sweater, an elegant yet alluring look that suited her perfectly, but clearly not suitable for cleaning.

—It gets dirty easily, or fades when it gets wet with detergent.

"I'll help after lunch."

Makoto Takahashi stroked Shiraishi Junka, who was huddled in his arms, and turned to Uesugi Maya, saying, "Don't count on Junka for this kind of thing. She's not very strong."

Seeing that he was protecting Shiraishi Junka, Uesugi Maya put down her polishing tools, turned around and walked towards the bathroom, and ordered in a voice that was even colder: "Go and polish the kitchen sink clean, and then come and help me clean the bathroom."

"Yes," Takahashi Makoto replied earnestly.

Chapter 182 Daily Life Before the New Year

"You've really worked hard."

Seeing the various dishes that Shiraishi Junka brought out from the kitchen, Takahashi Makoto couldn't help but praise them from the bottom of his heart.

The dishes on the coffee table were of various kinds and many varieties, most of which were his favorite foods. It must have taken him quite a while to look at them.

Chawanmushi (steamed egg custard), potato salad, lemon-flavored silver cod, salmon sokyo-yaki, buttered beef cubes... This was much more abundant than I had imagined for lunch.

Of all the dishes, the most eye-catching is the omelet rice topped with braised beef, its aroma is irresistible.

It's hard to imagine how much effort Shiraishi Junka put in to improve her cooking skills so significantly and quickly.

“I added corn, tofu, and carrots to the miso soup.”

A slight blush rose on Shiraishi Junka's face as she received the praise, and joy shone in her clear, wine-red eyes: "These are the only dishes I can make right now. Try them."

She smiled and handed him the spoon, which Takahashi Makoto took, a smile naturally appearing on his face.

"That's impressive. I can tell you've always worked very hard. I'm starting now."

After saying that, under Shiraishi Junka's expectant gaze, he used a spoon to cut the beef and put a spoonful of stewed beef omelet rice into his mouth.

The ingredients are of high quality, and the food is not dry at all; it tastes delicious after chewing it carefully.

Seeing that Makoto Takahashi was enjoying his meal, Junko Shiraishi sat down on the sofa next to him, legs together, and asked, "Will Makoto come back to stay after the New Year?"

"Yes, of course."

Makoto Takahashi swallowed the food in his mouth, nodded, and said, "Going to Roppongi is fine too. Have you bought the piano yet?"

"I entrusted it to Leng Zi."

"Then let's go to Roppongi to learn piano. Getting started before spring break shouldn't be a problem?"

"I'm sure I can do it."

Shiraishi Jun gently hugged him, burying her face in his shoulder, the sweet scent of roses swirling around her.

She closed her eyes, her body gradually relaxing, seemingly exhausted from preparing lunch, and soon began to doze off.

Makoto Takahashi picked up Junka Shiraishi, put her on his bed in his bedroom, covered her with a blanket, and then went back to the living room to continue eating lunch.

A hearty and delicious meal fills the stomach, and one's mood is instantly refreshed.

After finishing lunch, he hummed a song as he walked into the bathroom. Fully armed, Uesugi Maya stepped onto the floor, which was covered in cleaning agents, and was cleaning the small corners of the bathroom where dirt and grime could easily accumulate.

Bathrooms are inherently humid places, and even with ventilation, they are prone to mold growth, such as the rubber mats on the door frame, which must be cleaned frequently.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Makoto Takahashi asked.

"No need, the bathroom is too small, you'll only make things worse if you come in."

With focused eyes and without looking up, Uesugi Maya said, "Use sandpaper to sand the sink from coarse to fine until it looks like a shiny new product on TV."

"Why not just buy a new one to replace it?"

Uesugi Maya didn't answer his question, but looked up at him with an impatient gaze. Takahashi Makoto had no choice but to raise his hands in surrender and back away from the bathroom.

He took the waterproof sandpaper and abrasive from the living room and went to the kitchen, where he patiently began polishing the sink covered in limescale.

Amidst the subtle polishing sounds, the sink gradually regained its metallic sheen, and just as my mood was rising with the reflected luster, a heavy sound came from the bathroom.

It looked like something very large had fallen.

Thinking of the cleaning agent on the bathroom floor, Makoto Takahashi dropped the sandpaper in his hand, rushed into the bathroom without even turning off the tap.

Uesugi Maya sat on the ground, looking somewhat dazed. Water kept spraying from the showerhead that had fallen to the ground, soaking her, but she showed no intention of getting up.

"Are you okay?"

Seeing Takahashi Makoto's panicked expression, Uesugi Maya looked up with her caramel-colored eyes, shook her head, and said calmly, "You slipped, but you didn't twist your ankle. Your butt just hurts a little. Don't worry."

At the corner of the wall at her feet, bubbles were being pushed together by the water flow.

While Uesugi Maya was speaking, Takahashi Makoto turned off the shower and helped her stand up, her body stiff: "It would be better to check her carefully."

"it is good."

Seeing that Uesugi Maya nodded, Takahashi Makoto picked her up by the waist, carried her out of the bathroom, and placed her on the sofa in the living room.

"Take a shower first, be careful not to catch a cold."

Hearing the worry and self-blame in his voice, Uesugi Maya stared intently at Takahashi Makoto, letting him take off her socks.

A warm hand touched her ankle, and Uesugi Maya lowered her head in embarrassment, only then noticing that she was already soaked.

The clothes, which originally fit her perfectly, became more revealing after being soaked in water, highlighting her body curves and showing the color and shape of her underwear, but they did not attract his attention at all.

I don't like black, or...

"Can you feel it?" Makoto Takahashi asked, gently massaging his ankle.

"It's normal, no pain, no soreness, and no numbness."

Her heart pounded wildly. Maya Uesugi stared at his expression, a barely perceptible smile playing on her lips.

"I know exactly what a sprain feels like. May I use your bathroom for a bit? It's a little cold."

"I'll go rinse off the foam first."

Makoto Takahashi stood up, his gaze sweeping over the skin and blackness visible beneath his soaked shirt. Maya Uesugi's face turned cold as she reached out to cover her chest.

"Lend me your clothes and your towel."

“Your house is right next door.”

"I slipped and fell while cleaning your bathroom."

"That's true, but never mind."

Seeing Takahashi Makoto's resigned expression as he turned to go back to his bedroom to get his clothes, Uesugi Maya brushed aside the long black hair sticking to her face, a relaxed and cheerful smile appearing on her delicate features:

"It's not so bad to clean with someone you like."

what?

Did I hear that right?

When did Hagiwara become so destructive?

Takahashi Makoto's mind was filled with countless questions. When he turned around, Uesugi Maya still had a cold face, exuding a calm and composed aura.

Auditory hallucination?

Seeing the suspicious look he gave her, Uesugi Maya put on a blatant expression of disgust: "Don't dawdle, you still have to clean my house later."

"Yes."

Makoto Takahashi went into the bathroom, turned on the shower to rinse off the foam, and went back to the bedroom to get her clean clothes.

Maya Uesugi picked up her socks from the floor, took her clothes, and went into the bathroom. The sound of water splashing on the floor quickly reached Makoto Takahashi's ears.

Go back and continue polishing the sink.

Just as I was about to go back to the kitchen, I heard the scraping sound of the door lock being opened coming from the entryway.

Kashima Reiko pushed open the door and walked in, putting away her keys and skillfully finding slippers: "Hanaori asked me to help her find an apartment near Shinjuku."

"She told me that it doesn't seem to be a bad thing."

Makoto Takahashi walked into the kitchen with her, turned off the tap, and used abrasive to clean the sink: "I guess she's planning to share an apartment with Haruna."

"Yes."

Kashima Reiko nodded, stood aside and watched for a while, then said calmly, "I'll arrange for someone to do this kind of thing."

Makoto Takahashi rinsed the abrasive residue off the sink, and the reflected light smoothly illuminated his face.

"No need. You all know how to use the kitchen, so I need to do something."

"..." Kashima Reiko nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.

"There's a bunch of keys at the bottom of the bedside table in the bedroom. Please give them to Huazhi. I might be home late tonight."

Are you coming back for dinner?

“Of course.” Takahashi Makoto turned to her and smiled.

After Kashima Reiko went to the bedroom to get the key and left the apartment, Takahashi Makoto washed his hands and thought about what to do next.

The cleaning seemed to have just begun, but he couldn't figure out where to start, so he simply took out the coffee equipment that Uesugi Maya had left at home and started brewing coffee by grinding coffee beans.

Grind the coffee beans into powder, put them into a Belgian pitcher, make sure it's sealed properly, and then light the alcohol lamp.

In the kitchen cabinet, there is a coffee cup that Uesugi Maya uses.

The young lady's tea set was placed next to him. Takahashi Makoto took a cup, then took out milk from the refrigerator and returned to the living room.

Just as the coffee was ready, Maya Uesugi walked out of the bathroom in her slippers.

Makoto Takahashi's clothes are too big for her and don't accentuate her curves. The loose clothes that don't match her figure actually give her a homey feel.

She's still very cute, after all, she's a beautiful girl.

"I hope you didn't waste my coffee beans."

Maya Uesugi sat down on the sofa opposite Makoto Takahashi across the coffee table. The warm, moist scent of her shower gel wafted around her as she had just taken a shower.