We Should Have Slept While Only Holding Hands, And Yet?!: Volume 4 – Chapter 3

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3. Infiltration

 

 

I came to a decision today.

“Have a safe trip.”

I gave a polite bow, but, as expected, I received no response. Both Master and the older Miss left through the door without a word.

At the very least, the Missus gave me a gentle smile and waved back, but it couldn’t be helped that that smile seemed sad.

Expectably, the Miss didn’t come out of her room. A name that gives no response no matter how many times you say it. I probably shouldn’t say this, but I sometimes wonder if she’s even still alive. Albeit, she most likely is since the food I would put out for her would always decrease slightly.

Nevertheless, I can’t wait in front of the Miss’ door all day just to see if she’ll come out. I resolved myself, after all.

I asked their homeroom teacher and Mr. Shin Nanda about how they behaved at school, but, as I thought, it’d be better if I confirmed it with my own two eyes.

Rather than hearing about it from others, I might be able to find a key to the problem if I see it for myself. Therefore, I’m resorting to infiltration.

Last time I came to the school, Master and the Missus’ homeroom teacher told me this.

⎯⎯⎯I said this before, but outsiders are not allowed on school grounds.

Outsiders not being allowed meant that insiders were allowed.

Moreover, the insiders of the school are the teachers and students.

“I’m the one who came up with this plan, but even I feel a chill when I think about how perfect it is······.”

In truth, this was something I saw while watching a movie on cable TV, but that shouldn’t matter. There’s no copyright.

As I admired how terrifying my plan was, I looked at the clock.

Master, the Missus, and the older Miss have been going to school a little early as of late. They used to only wake up when I knocked on their doors, but they wake up early, eat breakfast separately without seeing each other, and go to school, so I’m not sure whether I should be happy about it or not.

In any case, this is why I have a little more time to spare.

I’ll put more of a distance between us and try to cut it close on time so that I can boldly hide inside the school.

“······Okay.”

Tick tock, tick tock, once I confirmed that the second hand of the clock had reached the appointed time, I spurred into action. I entered the Missus’ room and stood in front of a mirror. A girl wearing a maid uniform was reflected in the mirror.

This maid uniform was my dignity, my representation, and my pride. Despite all of the hardships and ordeals we had gone through up to this point, I had constantly refused to take this off.

But······.

“This outfit probably isn’t what’s important.”

Who I am as a person, what’s on my mind, and what I’m protecting are the things that are important.

I’m a loyal robot maid. An existence that puts in an effort to overcome the family’s crisis. I can endure this if it’s for the sake of the family. That’s right. This is all for the sake of protecting my family.

I took a deep breath and moved my hands towards the buttons of my clothes.

This was the outfit I would always wear, but I honestly wasn’t proficient when it came to taking it off and putting it back on. I knew how to, but I never had to actually do either. I’ve always been wearing these clothes, after all.

Furthermore, I may have resolved myself, but my hands were still trembling slightly. As I thought, I still had some hesitation left. I resolved myself further.

I undid the buttons on my maid outfit one button at a time. I then untied my white apron before moving my hands behind my back in order to pull down my dress’ zipper. Afterward, I loosened my skirt’s waistband before sliding it off. Finally, I removed the headband I was wearing on my head.

My body under the maid uniform, covered in only undergarments, was reflected in the mirror. Soft skin. Different from humans, slight signs of a maintenance panel that made it obvious that I was a robot. A panel line that was drawn with a faint color. Mechanical traces under my joints.

Even though I know that it’s my body, seeing it like this is weird.

“······Hoo. All right.”

I took a deep breath before holding up the school uniform I had prepared beforehand.

The older Miss’ pre-washed, reserve school uniform.

The older Miss stopped wearing her school uniform properly ever since the KSAT was over, so it shouldn’t be rude if I borrowed it. I convinced myself that it wasn’t rude. It isn’t, right?

I began to put the uniform on before my hesitation could set in again. I put on the skirt and pulled up the zipper. I slid on the white Y-shirt and buttoned it up. I had to do it again, but for the coat, once I had put it on over the shirt. I looked at myself in the mirror once I was finished. Anyone would naturally assume that I was an average high school girl if they saw me like this.

“······.”

But······.

“······Kuh.”

I couldn’t help but let out a sound.

I’ve never been concerned about these sorts of things before in my life. I never looked at other people and felt envious. If anything, I always wondered whether they inconvenienced them or not. Rather, I always thought my size was perfect. Not too big, not too small, a size that was pleasant to look at. I was proud of it in my own way.

Regardless······.

“What did she eat for them to grow this big······?!”

For the first time ever, I understood the Miss’ feelings.

A spacious chest area that was very evidently not filled out. I tried putting my hand inside the uniform and made a fist. There was still some excess room left.

In other words, it didn’t fit me.

It wasn’t a slight difference in sizes. If someone were to see me, they would most likely think that I had intentionally put on my older sister’s uniform without permission. I tried hopping. Normally, the shaking of my chest would be visible, but it only seemed like the empty portion of the clothes was flapping up and down. I tried swaying side to side. It flapped.

“E-Even if they’re this big, they’ll only be uncomfortable······!”

It wasn’t relevant to me, but I still knew from the knowledge I had. There was nothing particularly good about having large breasts. Boys will look at you weirdly, they’ll hurt your shoulders because of their weight, they become itchy because they get sweaty during the summer and this might cause an eczema rash to form, and it’s difficult to find a bra or clothes that fit your size. That’s right. There’s nothing good about it.

But why am I so upset? Why am I so annoyed? I don’t understand.

“I’m going to have to put a limitation on the amount of dairy product the Miss consumes.”

The consumption of dairy products and the growth of breasts don’t exactly have any noteworthy connections, but, as I thought, it would be better if I limited it. I’m definitely not doing this out of jealousy. If this perhaps influences her growth even slightly, then I’ll suggest this in consideration of the Miss’ livelihood in the future. Mhm.

I let out a small sigh and took off the uniform.

I considered putting in pads, but it would probably just make me stick out more. This size wasn’t normal, after all.

“······It can’t be helped.”

I let out another sigh and turned to the side.

The older Miss isn’t the only one who has a school uniform at home. Honestly, this was probably the most logical decision from the beginning. As I said once before, I was made as a substitute. I even made a mental comparison the other day. There were only minor differences in certain areas, but, all in all, we were almost identical.

But······. For some reason, this was the one thing I didn’t want to do. I couldn’t explain why I felt this way.

Nevertheless, it couldn’t be helped right now.

I took out the Missus’ extra school uniform and tried it on.

As I thought, it was a perfect fit.

It felt as if these clothes had always been mine as they provided absolutely no discomfort to me. If anything, I felt somewhat nostalgic wearing them.

I looked into the mirror. Within the mirror, there stood a perfectly average-looking high school girl. It felt a little out of place, but it couldn’t be helped if you thought about it. I have never worn these clothes before, after all.

“······.”

For a moment, I felt a bit envious.

If I had worn these kinds of clothes from the beginning, commuted to school with them, and spent time together with them there, wouldn’t it have been great? This thought went through my head.

Even though it was a fantasy that was ridiculous for a robot like myself to have.

Although I continued to feel strange, I had no other choice but to keep looking at the girl on the other side of the mirror. I stared at the girl who truly, truly appeared like an average high school girl.

“······This isn’t the time for this.”

I barely managed to shake my head and remove my eyes from the mirror. I’ve already delayed my departure for far too long. If I delay it any longer, then the normal time to enter the school will have passed. If it does, then it would become difficult for me to sneak onto school grounds.

I grabbed the book bag I had prepared beforehand and gave a slight salute to the girl in the mirror.

“Jin Jihye, high school girl version, will sortie to school!”

 

ÅΟΟÅΟΟÅ

 

“It’s rather crowded······.”

I departed a little late, but there were still a lot of students on their way to school. It was my first time seeing this many people, so I felt a bit awkward.

I’ve gone to school several times before. Before I met the teacher a while ago, and even before Master and the Missus became weird, I’ve visited the school multiple times. I went for reasons like delivering the lunches they had left at home.

However, those times were always after all of the students had arrived at school. As most of the students were already in their respective classrooms, there weren’t a lot of them in the hallways. However, it was different now.

I hid behind a telephone pole and stared at the other students before examining my own attire.

It isn’t strange, right?

From my point of view, I don’t believe I look that different, but do I actually look out of place in other people’s points of view?

Do I still look weird even though I hid all of my joints and panel lines?

If I get caught and arrested, a maid robot wore a school uniform and attempted to enter a school······. The criminal claimed ‘it was for the sake of my family’······ Wouldn’t an article like this come out?

“······Hoo.”

I calmed myself down. I took a deep breath and composed myself.

I remember a line from the spy movie I watched on TV in the past. If you want to hide a tree, then hide it in a forest. Look at all of these students. I couldn’t possibly stick out. I just have to believe that I’m a student and act accordingly.

“Okay.”

I played a simulation in my head. My name is Jin Jihye. Due to my parents being dispatched to a foreign country a short while ago, I was transferred to grade 2 class 3. My hobby is cooking. I don’t have anyone I’m particularly close to yet, but I’ll do my best!

This should be enough. This should make a reasonable excuse. It’ll be okay as long as I believe this to be true. I patted down my chest once more before stepping out from behind the telephone pole.

“······.”

······It seems I was discovered the moment I took my first step.

Although it feels like a couple of people had been glancing at me since earlier, once I made way into the street, all of the boys and girls turned to stare at me without reserve. It was honestly terrifying.

But I can’t falter here. If I run away here, then someone will shout ‘It’s her! She’s a spy!’ and chase after me. It was like that in the movie.

I calmly cleared my throat in order to hide my panic before smiling gently at a group of girls that were walking by and greeting them.

“How do you do?”

This was a greeting that I saw in a manga I read a long time ago. In the manga, this was how refined female students greeted others.

The female students seemed startled as they hesitated, but they carefully lowered their heads and returned my greeting.

“H-How do you do······?”

See? I was able to mix in without any issues.

I decided to go the extra mile while I was at it. I brought my hands to the female student’s collar. She flinched in surprise, but I didn’t stop.

“Oh dear, it seems your tie is crooked.”

With the dexterous hands of a trained robot maid, I fixed her slightly loosened necktie. Mhm, it looks much better now.

“T-Thank you very much······.”

“Fufu. Maidens should always be conscious about their appearance, should they not?”

I gave her a smile before I started to walk ahead. All right. That was perfect. But I can’t let my guard down. I recalled the demeanor of the maiden I saw in the manga as I walked. Elegant steps. Not too fast or slow. Keep my back straight and raise my gaze slightly. Being careful to not excessively shake the book bag in my hand is a basic among basics.

I heard whispering behind me so I tensed up for a moment.

“Who was that······?”

“A rich lady from somewhere······?”

“W-Was there always a beauty like that in our school? Why have I never seen her before······?”

“I thought Ja Saeyeon in grade 2 and Ha Nabom in grade 3 were the best. Did we always have this sort of proper lady type in our school······?”

Despite my concerns, it seems there was no problem. I want to have a look at the beauty as well, but I can’t stop or turn my head since I could get caught.

“U-Uhm, Unni!”
(TL note: Similar to ‘Oppa’ but for the opposite gender. ‘Unni’ is used by younger females towards older females.)

A voice called out to me along with some hurried steps. I contemplated for a moment, but it seems that they were talking to me. I was worried that my disguised had been seen through, but I stopped and turned to face the voice.

 

 

“Yes? What is it?”

“I-If it’s all right with you, can I go to school together with you······?”

Considering her height and appearance, she appeared to be a grade 1 student. No wonder her eyes were sparkling. It’d be suspicious if I refused her here. I smiled elegantly and nodded my head.

“Of course you may.”

“T-Thank you! Is it okay if I call you Unni?”

“Of course you may.”

“C-Can I go to school together with you as well?”

“I’ll hold your bag!”

“O-Oh dear······.”

My approval acted like a signal as several other female students approached me all at once. I was surprised, but I couldn’t let that mess up my speech pattern. This could be a test of sorts. I nodded and did my best to smile in a non-suspicious manner.

“Thank you very much, ladies. Rather than commuting alone, going to school together with such pretty flowers like yourselves would be much more enjoyable. Now then, let us go.”

“Yes, Unni!”

I conversed with them with my refined way of speech as we commuted to school together. Although it felt like the number of eyes looking at me had increased, it should be fine since I was between so many other female students.

Commuting to school isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Maybe I should do this more often.

 

ÅΟΟÅΟΟÅ

 

“······It seems I was able to infiltrate the school successfully.”

A person who appeared to be a student council member tried to stop me because they didn’t recognize me, but thanks to the friends I made on my way to school stepping forward to block them, I was able to get through the school gates safely.

As I expected, the strength of connections is amazing.

After exchanging sad farewells, I decided to wait in the female bathroom. It’s great that I was able to get inside, but this didn’t mean I could come and go into the classrooms as I pleased.

During morning assembly and the class times, I plan to hide here like this and only go out to gather information during the breaks.

If I could, I would just go to Master and the Missus’ classroom, but, as I thought, that would be impossible. Not only do I not want to trouble them, but I’m currently acting in secret. It was said in the movie that not getting caught was a fundamental of infiltrations.

Watching Master and the Missus from a distance in order to not get caught and gathering information by asking the other students about Master and the Missus’ reputation and if they’ve been acting weird lately was my goal today. Any more than this would be excessive.

“······Did you hear? About the refined girl that came to school today?”

“Yeah, I did. I heard she’s really pretty and that she’s overflowing with culture.”

“Is she a student here? She isn’t, right?”

“Did she come here for some TV program?”

“Or is a girl from some rich family coming here to study society?”

“It’s like we’re in a manga!”

“I’d like to meet her······. I wonder what kind of person she is.”

······On another note, it seems I’ve become more of a topic than I wanted. It’s weird. All I did was act like a normal student according to the various mediums that covered student life like manga and dramas. I guess this information gathering might become harder.

The bell that sounded the beginning of the first class rang roughly 20 minutes after the female students who were having that conversation earlier had left. I’m going to have to wait quite a long time before the first class ends.

It was a little regrettable. If I’m going to hide in the school anyway, it would be good if I listened to the class as well in order to know how Master and the Missus are doing.

I know that’s being greedy, but I couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

“······It’s also boring.”

Not doing anything doesn’t match my personality.

Robot maids are always looking for work to do. Housework is like a neverending battle. Things become disorganized even if you organize them, rooms get dusty again even if you vacuum them, dirty dishes pile up again after you’ve already washed them, and more laundry appears after you finish doing the laundry.

Regardless, there were still things you could do at home after you’ve finished all of your work. Things like watching cable TV, cooking, and reading; however, there was nothing here.

“······Moreover, it’s messy.”

I was gradually becoming impatient. This bathroom felt like a place that was testing my patience as a robot maid.

It couldn’t be helped since this space was used by many students and cleaning the bathroom was the least liked task, but, although I felt like this was at least on the good side, in the eyes of a thorough maid, this place was naturally filled with flaws.

The dirt between the tiles, the dust above the stalls, and the faded graffiti that had once been erased, all of these things bothered her.

I know that I don’t have to do anything about these things. That I shouldn’t. That the best thing to do now would be to quietly wait for my time to come.

Nevertheless, I had an urge to clean.

This small greed gradually became bigger and created an excuse.

That’s right. There are times when students clean the bathroom. For example, being punished for not listening to the teacher. Wouldn’t I be able to explain myself with this?

“Coincidentally, there are some cleaning utensils here too······.”

A brush to wipe away the dirt, chloride, wax, mold remover, a mop, and a hose to spray water. It felt as if all of these tools were pleading to her to use them in order to clean this bathroom.

By the time the thought that I shouldn’t be doing this went through my head, it was already too late.

“······Uhm, what are you doing right now?”

“Pardon?”

The door creaked open. There, in front of her, stood a woman that appeared to be a cleaning lady. She was looking at her weirdly.

“N-No, it’s, I was······.”

I had thought of a rational excuse, but I was surprised that the event I had predicted beforehand had actually occurred, so I couldn’t speak properly. Furthermore, why did she have to show up while I was crouched down and trying to remove the mold between the tiles?

“I-I dozed off during class and was······!”

“You’re amazing!”

As I was awkwardly getting up and trying to give her an excuse, the woman smiled brightly and grabbed my hands.

“I thought that students these days only knew how to mess things up and would always mess around during cleaning times, but look at how clean this bathroom is! It almost looks brand new······. I don’t think I can do much here. You even look like a cultured girl from a good family too!”

“I-I just did my best to do the work that was assigned to me. It’s also a hobby.”

This task wasn’t assigned to her, but she wound up spitting it out on reflex.

“Hey, what class are you in? I’m going to have to go to your homeroom teacher and tell them to praise you! No, more importantly, what teacher tells their student to clean the bathroom just because they dozed off? Which teacher was it?”

“That’s······.”

As I thought, I shouldn’t have done anything!

I tried to think about what excuse I should give, but I couldn’t think of a satisfying answer. If I tell her that I’m from the class I arbitrarily set as my backstory earlier, then everyone will realize that I’m not a student, but a spy, no, a robot maid. Even if I don’t respond, the result will most likely be the same.

“E-Excuse me!”

“Oh, hey! Wait! ······Huh? A book bag?”

I believed that running away was the right choice in that situation.

I shook off the woman’s hands and ran out of the bathroom. I planned to run away without interfering with any of the classes and as quietly as possible in order to not get caught.

“Ah, it’s that girl!”

“Unni! So you were here! I was looking around to find your class!”

“Ah······!”

However, the hallways were already filled with students. By the looks of it, classes had ended while I was busy cleaning and it was now break time.

Wait, why did the cleaning lady come to clean the bathroom during the break? Wouldn’t they usually do the cleaning during classes?

“Whoa, look at that! Hey, look over there!”

“Hey, what class are you from? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around before. Are you a transfer student?”

“Don’t try to flirt with our Unni!”

“Unni, if it’s all right with you, how about having some tea with us? We want to become refined like you, Unni!”

There were a lot of people. Furthermore, they were all talking to me.

Before I could answer one person, another person would ask a question. People were swarming to me. I have never been the center of attention like this before. I’m a robot maid. The most I’ve ever done was stay at home or chat with the old ladies at the market. I don’t know how to react when so many people are talking to me all at once.

My identity will be discovered at this rate, but I’ve missed my timing to run away. My surroundings had become so crowded that I couldn’t see a gap to slip out through. My panicked electronic brain was so busy trying to process all of the information that was coming in around me that it couldn’t give an answer.

“Ah, there you are.”

At that moment, someone grabbed my hand. I was so alarmed that I almost let out a cry.

However, once I saw who had grabbed my hand, a wave of relief washed over me.

“I’ve been looking all over for you. Now then, let’s go.”

Without panicking or showing any sign of surprise, Mr. Shin Nanda smiled and spoke a matter-of-factly as he pulled me away from the crowd. People started to clamor.

“Hey, Shin Nanda! Do you know her?”

“You bastard, you always acted like you weren’t interested in girls, but you’ve finally revealed yourself!”

“Don’t act friendly with our Unni!”

“More importantly, where are you trying to take our Unni?!”

“Ah, well······, ······Mm, it’s like.”

······He didn’t think this far ahead, huh? Did he just intervene on a spur of the moment? It was a little disappointing.

“Like what? Do you know her?!”

“You were trying to flirt with our Unni, weren’t you?!”

It became noisy again. However, instead of me, Mr. Shin Nanda was the center of attention now. Mr. Shin Nanda backed away bit by bit with a troubled smile on his face. He let go of my hand.

“Well, ah, ahahaha······.”

He turned to the side and awkwardly cleared his throat, but as he was doing so, he turned to look at me and blinked a single eye. It was a wink.

I thought momentarily about the meaning behind his wink, but I soon figured it out. There was a scene like this in the movie.

“Answer me, Nanda! Appearing out of nowhere and suddenly acting all friendly!”

“We won’t forgive you for trying to flirt with our Unni!”

Little by little, I backed away carefully so that they wouldn’t notice. Everyone was focused on interrogating Mr. Shin Nanda, so no one was looking at me.

I turned around just like that and began to walk away quietly.

Even after I escaped that spot with nonchalant steps and with a casual look on my face, I could still hear the bustling behind me in the distance.

I broke out into a sprint the instant I turned a corner.

 

ÅΟΟÅΟΟÅ

 

“Ha, ha······. I-I should be fine here, right?”

I patted down my chest while breathing heavily. In truth, I wasn’t actually short of breath. I’m a robot, after all. Nevertheless, I still felt as if I had to do this. It was similar to a response I was programmed to do.

The place I had secretly run off to was Master’s clubroom. It was a place that borrowed a storage room behind the school and I had visited it several times before.

To be honest, out of all the places in the school, this clubroom was the only place I knew best.

People usually never go out of their way to visit this clubroom since it was in a far corner of the school. No one should be able to find me if I hide here. I should have come here from the start.

Of course, there was a reason why I couldn’t.

“What will I do if Master comes here?”

I muttered as I leaned against the door.

This was Master’s space. Master could come here at any moment. Honestly, if you think about it, the chance he’ll come here is even higher since his relationship with the Missus hasn’t been good lately. This is troubling. He wouldn’t like it if he knew that I had snuck into the school and he might even find out that I had caused a ruckus in the school. And most importantly······.

“······.”

If it’s Master, then he’ll most likely immediately know whose uniform I’m wearing.

That was strangely scarier than being scolded. I had a foreboding feeling about being caught. It was different from being embarrassed.

“······But it can’t be helped right now.”

I had nowhere else to run. Despite this, I haven’t accomplished enough to simply go back home like this. At this rate, this excursion will become no different from a brief walk around the neighborhood. I can’t let that happen.

However, as I’ve already stuck out more than necessary, will I be able to keep investigating as planned? I’m worried.

“In any case······.”

This place always feels intriguing no matter how many times I visit it.

The shelves that filled the wall and the inventions made by Master that filled those shelves. There were inventions I had seen before and inventions I was seeing for the first time. It was like a treasure trove.

Furthermore, I don’t know why, but I would also get a sense of deja vu whenever I’m here.

I shouldn’t have any memories of this place since Master creates me after he graduates, so it’s strange.

“Is it because there are objects I’m familiar with here······?”

I folded my arms and tilted my head as I muttered to myself. That sounded like a reasonable answer to me. Well, I did come here all the time as a high school student, so it’s only natural.

“······Hm?”

What did I think just now? There was definitely······.

“What brings you to our clubroom? While classes are ongoing at that.”

“Hiik?!”

I let out a scream in response to the door opening all of a sudden along with a voice. I jumped. I managed to calm myself down by patting my chest before turning around.

“For starters, this room is club members only.”

A girl in casual clothes and not her uniform. Curly, silver hair flowed down over a conservative, navy blue coat. Her expression was, as usual, sleepy and impassive.

It was the older Miss.

“I doubt that you came all the way here to sign up for the club this late in the semester, but in case you are, can you come back after······ Hm?”

The older Miss, who didn’t even look my way as she spoke in an annoyed tone, seemed to notice that something was off as she turned to face me. Her already half-closed eyes narrowed further.

“I-It’s me, Jihye.”

“······.”

······I feel like an incredibly annoyed expression just brushed past the older Miss’ face the moment I said that, but I was just seeing things, right?

“······So, Miss Jihye, what brings you here? You’re even wearing a uniform from who knows where.”

The older Miss shook her head and spoke as she returned to her normal, expressionless face. I answered carefully.

“That’s, older Miss, it’s because······.”

“Please refer to me as Miss Ha Nabom like you did before.”

Her words were bitingly sharp.

“······Y-You don’t have to speak formally to······.”

“It’s a habit. Don’t worry about it.”

Her words were bitingly sharp.

“······Okay.”

I’ve had a hunch since a fair while ago, but I think the older Miss······no, Miss Nabom dislikes me. I don’t know why, though.

Back when I met her for the first time to report that the Miss had gone missing in the future, once I met her again after coming to the past, and after that as well, it strangely felt like she has constantly been avoiding me. Even when we’re with other people, I get a faint feeling that she’s ignoring me.

I thought that her relationship with Miss Jaim has been improving somewhat too. As I thought, was there still some bad blood left even after she has grown up? Or did something happen before I was made?

“I still haven’t heard your answer.”

Miss Nabom brought me back to my senses. I erased the gloomy expression that was on my face because of my train of thought before answering her.

“Ah, well······. Master and the Missus have been acting weird lately, haven’t they? Miss Jaim refuses to come out of her room too······. I was worried, so I thought that I could maybe find the answer if I came to school······.”

“In other words, Miss Jihye is here for the sake of Underclassman Jin Jaro and Ja Saeyeon’s reconciliation.”

“Yes. Ah, I borrowed the Missus’ extra uniform. The older······. Miss Nabom’s uniform didn’t fit me. Ehehe······.”

“I don’t care about something like that.”

I said that as a joke, but, as expected, she remained stern.

Miss Nabom stared straight at me as she spoke.

“Did anyone tell you to do this?”

“Ah, well······.”

“Answer me. Someone told you to do this, didn’t they? Doesn’t Miss Jihye say almost habitually that you’re a ‘loyal robot maid’? And yet, you’re doing something like this when you haven’t been ordered to? What kind of robot acts arbitrarily when they haven’t been ordered? This act which a robot maid should not be able to do or even consider?

A cold gaze and tone came towards me like daggers.

“Furthermore, do you not care that you’ve left Jaim all by herself at home? Is this arbitrary behavior of being incapable of discerning what you should and should not do represent that ‘loyal robot maid’ you mentioned, Miss Jihye? Answer me.”

Her words stabbed into me in places where I couldn’t answer.

“That’s······.”

She’s right. Other robot maids wouldn’t do something like this. Rather, they would do housework and worry both materially and morally about the Miss so that she would come out of her room.

Nevertheless, does she have to say this much?

I did this after working hard in my own way and making calculations.

All I’m trying to do is do my best in order to restore Master, the Missus, and the Miss’ relationship.

Miss Nabom snorted once she saw that I couldn’t answer her. Even that noise sounded as if it were blaming me.

“If you understand what you’ve done, then go home. Stop trying to play house.”

“······Miss Nabom, are you not worried?”

I somehow managed to squeeze out those words.

“Both Master and the Missus haven’t uttered a single word to each other in the past month and they don’t eat together. The Miss refuses to come out of her room as well······. I, I was just worried, so······!”

“That is an issue which the family should be concerned about. A mere robot maid like Miss Jihye, who doesn’t know anything, shouldn’t concern yourself over this matter.”

I felt something get caught in my throat because of those words.

If I had let it go, I might have shouted and gotten mad, something which a robot maid shouldn’t do.

But······.

“······I understand.”

A loyal robot maid shouldn’t do that.

I erased the words that had come all the way up to my voice box and obediently lowered my head. Miss Nabom had already turned away from me by this point. Throughout this exchange, she had already pulled out a book and had begun to read it.

“Pardon me.”

As I excused myself and made my way out of the room, Miss Nabom didn’t turn to look at me even once.

 

ÅΟΟÅΟΟÅ

 

I may be a robot maid, but I also have times where I feel crestfallen.

“······Wasn’t that going too far?”

I trudged through the hall as I muttered to myself. I could feel the students’ gazes on me, but I wasn’t in the mood to be worried about them. Fortunately, no one tried to approach me.

Certainly, her words were right.

Wearing a school uniform which I shouldn’t have on and going around the school trying to pry into the family’s personal lives wasn’t a robot maid’s duty. She’s right.

Definitely, this might seem like I’m trying to play house.

I had put on a school uniform, pretended to be a student, and was reenacting the stuff I saw in spy movies and manga. I even went and did something ridiculous like clean a bathroom.

As I predicted, there might be a sizeable error in my body. Will I be disposed of if I return to the future? Will I truly be sent on my way to a scrapyard as Miss Jaim had once said before?

Moreover, the older Miss was probably right about the other thing as well.

Robot maids aren’t a part of the family. It was similar to how you couldn’t call a housekeeper family.

Obviously, they can’t literally become your family, but you can treat them like one; regardless······ they still aren’t a true member of the family.

Even if you bring up words like mistress or 2nd mother, in the end, I’m nothing more than a single robot maid unit. It’s probably like that.

It’s an obvious truth, but I felt an aching in my chest.

It’s strange. I shouldn’t have a sense of pain since I’m a robot. I don’t have any feelings to be hurt. Was this also Master’s fault for making me so well?

Should I just go home? Before it’s too late.

But if I do leave, then why did I come all the way here for?

Did I only come here to play house, pretend to be a spy?

“······Ouch!”

It seems I was too lost in my thoughts. Did I already arrive at the end of the hallway? I rubbed my nose that had collided against the wall and looked up. Though it didn’t actually hurt, this was also a reflex action.

“······.”

“······Huh?”

It wasn’t, a wall.

How should I put it? It was quite an interesting sight. It felt like a gorilla you would normally see in a zoo was walking around school wearing a y-shirt, pants, and a necktie. Is it fine for a robot maid and a gorilla to be walking around this school?”

“T-Teacher······.”

Of course, this obviously wasn’t the case.

Master would often say that he resembled a gorilla and I’ve met him several times before, but when he’s making an expression like this, he really does resemble one.

Master and the Missus’ homeroom teacher just looked down at me quietly. As a robot maid, I’m programmed to be able to read people’s expressions well, but I couldn’t read this one. It appeared as if bewilderment and a look that seemed as if he had anticipated this were mixed together.

“Ah, teacher! What are you doing there? Did you perhaps find them?

Behind that gorilla······, no, homeroom teacher, I heard a voice. It belonged to an adult male and not a student.

At that moment, a very bright, but low-spirited bell sound rang.

“······Testing, testing testing. We’d like to make an announcement. It has been reported to us that an outsider wearing our school uniform has entered the school. The students are advised to not make a ruckus and immediately report to a teacher if you find the outsider. If the outsider is listening to this announcement, then please leave the school grounds immediately. If you stay here any longer, then we may have to call the police. I repeat. It has been reported······.”

“······.”

“······.”

T-This is bad.

I didn’t think they would actually call the police. If I get caught and interrogated by the police, then my identity as a robot would be revealed, which would cause a great uproar, and it definitely wouldn’t end there either, so I have to get out of here as soon as possible.

······But I already got caught.

“Teacher? Is there a problem?”

The voice behind the homeroom teacher drew closer. This is the end. I will, without a doubt, be taken to some research center and be treated as a research subject as they disassemble me. Miss Jaim will also be taken and this will make headlines throughout the world. I should have calculated the possibility of this happening from the beginning. I shouldn’t have done this.

The homeroom teacher put his hand on my shoulder. I closed my eyes tightly.

“······It’s nothing. There’s just something I have to discuss with this student. More importantly, have you found the outsider?”

But the words I expected didn’t come.

The homeroom teacher hid me behind his massive body and only turned his head back to talk with the teacher behind him.

“No, I haven’t found them yet. What is this person thinking······? What do they expect to do by putting on our school uniform and trespassing?”

“Well, they’re probably messing around. I saw online that some graduate students would occasionally mess around by putting on their old school uniforms and visit their old schools. This person must have a lot of free time.”

“Haha, that may be the case. If it’s someone who had graduated from here, then I’m going to scold them thoroughly. All right, good luck searching on your end, teacher. If you find them, then make sure to escort them out immediately. We can’t bring the police into a matter like this.”

“Yes. I will.”

After that exchange, the sound of footsteps faded into the distance. I felt like my knees were going to buckle.

“Oh, by the way.”

The voice returned.

“Did that student do something?”

“Yes. They did something rather bad. I plan to admonish them severely. You don’t have to concern yourself about this.”

“Hahaha, don’t be too mean.”

“······.”

The sound of laughing and footsteps resonated. I finally managed to let out a sigh of relief.

“T-Thank you very much, teacher. I-I was really worried about what was going to happen to me······.”

“······I’m the type of person who considers others as students if they’re wearing a school uniform. Therefore, as a teacher, I also speak informally and give warnings to students.”

However, my smile shriveled away in response to the homeroom teacher’s low tone. I heard a sound from my shoulder. A signal telling me that an immense pressure was being applied to my shoulder was being transferred to my electronic brain. I let out a light cry on reflex.

“O-Ow ow ow ow······!”

“I’m, pretty, certain, I told you, to not come here, if you aren’t a student, but now you’ve snuck in wearing one of our uniforms, huh?”

“I-I’m sorry······. I-I won’t come again······.”

“······Hey, you there. You know my class, right?”

The homeroom teacher growled as he pointed at a passing student. The student nodded in surprise.

“Go to grade 2 class 8 and tell Ja Saeyeon to come to me right now. Right, this, instant. Okay?”

“Y-Yes!”

The student seemed relieved that he wasn’t in trouble as he hastily made his way down the hall. The homeroom teacher turned back to me and spoke.

“For starters, I can take a guess as to why you’re here, so I’ll call Saeyeon for you. You better hurry on home after you meet her, understood?”

“U-Understood.”

“······Also. If something like this happens again, you better prepare yourself.”

“I-It absolutely won’t happen again!”

“······Hmph.”

As I was urgently nodding my head, I heard footsteps coming down the hallway. The Missus, who was coming down the stairs with no clue as to why she was called, blinked her eyes in surprise once she saw me.

“You’re here, Saeyeon?”

“Ah, yes······. But······?”

“She has some business with you, so hurry on back to class after you’ve finished talking with her. All right, I’ll be going then.”

The homeroom teacher ended his explanation there and left down the other end of the hallway. The Missus watched him leave before turning to look at me. She still appeared surprised.

“Uh, uhm······ Miss, Jihye? What brings you here······? You’re also wearing our school uniform······.”

“Ah, well, I······.”

I wanted to answer her, but I didn’t know where to begin.

There was the fact that I was wearing her uniform, but Miss Nabom’s words were also lingering in my head still.

As I thought······. Wouldn’t the Missus also think of my actions as needless meddling? Wouldn’t she be mad if she knew that I had left the Miss at home, stolen her spare uniform, and snuck into the school?

She didn’t tell me anything the last time we spoke and even shed a few tears.

In order to find out how Master and the Missus were doing at school, even though I’m not family, even though I’m nothing more than a mere robot maid.

“······I came to see how Master and the Missus have been doing.”

However, I decided to give her an answer instead of hesitating.

“You came, to see how Jjaro and I’ve been doing······?”

“Yes······. Well, I wanted to ask last time, but you two didn’t seem like you’ve been getting along that well lately, and I figured I might be able to find out why if I came here······. I thought I could help you two reconcile if I knew the reason······.”

Carefully and slowly, I told her the truth.

She might get upset at me, she might scold me, but I believed I should at least tell her the truth.

“I see······.”

The Missus nodded in response. She did so with a rather gloomy smile on her face. Thus, I bowed.

“I apologize! I had arbitrarily done something needless, even though I’m not family······.”

“No, don’t apologize.”

I raised my head in response to the warm voice.

The Missus spoke with a gentle, but bright smile.

“If anything, I’m happy and grateful that you’re worried about us. For also trying to help us. So don’t say something like that.”

She softly held my hands and smiled.

“And what do you mean not family? I told you this before, but Miss Jihye is a part of our family. Jaim’s second mom, Jjaro’s mistress, and even if you don’t think this is the case, you’ve already lived with us for the past several months now.”

“Missus······.”

Although I felt like some of that weren’t exactly right, I could tell that she was being sincere and that her words weren’t empty lip service.

“Actually, I wanted to ask this of you last time, but I couldn’t say it.”

“Ask something of me?”

The Missus nodded.

“The reason why Jjaro and Jaim have become like this······. I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you. Regardless, I also want to reconcile with Jjaro. I want everything to go back to how they used to be, but I don’t know what I can do by myself.”

The Missus looked straight at me as she spoke.

“So, I’d like it if you could help me, Miss Jihye. As two individuals who both like Jjaro and are both Jaim’s mom, I want to combine our strength. Can you do that?”

“······Of course!”

I’ve been constantly waiting for these words.

I’ve always wanted to say those words, after all.

I put some strength into my hands as I held the Missus’ hands as well.

“Let’s work hard together, Missus! For the peace of the family!”

“Ehehe······. Yeah, Miss Jihye. Let’s work hard together!”

The students around us watched quietly as the Missus and I smiled and held each others’ hands. 

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Intermission. Haeyeong

 

 

Jaim didn’t come to the playground today either.

The swing creaked as I weakly drew circles on the ground with my feet.

It’s already been more than a month since I haven’t seen Jaim’s face.

“Haa······.”

A small sigh came out.

Jaim is a friend I made this year. Her sort of unique name and unique hair accessory are her two distinct characteristics. She’s the same age as me, but she told me that she doesn’t go to school. I envy her for that.

Even though we’re the same age, Jaim acts a little more mature. She even gives off an older sister vibe. No matter who the other person is, she would always bluntly say the words she wants to say and wouldn’t back down before anyone.

The exact opposite of me. I’m timid, so I can’t say what I want to say and I’m afraid of a lot of things. That’s why I’m jealous of Jaim. That’s why I’m doing my best to copy Jaim and be like her.

That’s also the reason behind how we became friends.

When I refused the boys who wanted to kick the girls out from the playground because they wanted to play there, I was pushed down.

I managed to hold back my fear and utter my refusal, but I ended up like that, so I almost started crying because it hurt and I felt sad. It was at that moment that Jaim stood forward and fought for me.

She even managed to win against several boys. It was amazing.

But the boys brought middle school students later and that naturally scared me. They were big and tall. That’s why I said to Jaim that we should go play somewhere else.

“Why?”

Jaim spoke confidently that she didn’t want to. She told them that if they want to play somewhere with no people, then they should find another place.

When the middle schoolers called her arrogant and hit her on the head with their knuckles, she bit their hands and fought to the very end. She lost in the end, but she looked so cool. The fact that she fought in order to protect me and the others was really cool.

That’s why I wanted to become like her. That’s why she’s a friend I admire and really like.

Jaim told me that she has some issues back at home, so she’s living apart from her parents for a bit. This is also the reason why she isn’t going to school. She is instead living with her brother and an Unni who’s his childhood friend.

Although I think that calling her brother and his friend ‘dad’ and ‘mom’ is a little weird, there’s probably some circumstances behind it.

Ja Saeyeon Unni, whom she calls mom, is kind and nice, so I like her, but her brother, who she calls dad, Jin Jaro Oppa is a little scary.

Nevertheless, since I’ve gotten used to him, he doesn’t seem like a bad person.

Every time I went to play at Jaims place, he would talk curtly, but he would occasionally play together with Jaim if she asked. He even invited me when they were planning a trip during the summer break.

Dad might be a bit too much, but I think he’s a good brother.

That’s why I figured that Jaim would be able to live happily in a household like that. That the Jaim I like will be able to spend her time happily.

But I’m curious as to why I haven’t been able to see her lately.

It’s only natural to not be able to see her for a couple of days, but I started to worry after a week. Thus, as an entire month has passed, I’m very worried now.

I tried visiting them, but Jaro Oppa and Saeyeon Unni wouldn’t tell me anything. Moreover, they were acting a little weird.

I’m worried that the mom who didn’t cherish Jaim and the dad who made her leave had taken her away. This might explain why Jaro Oppa and Saeyeon Unni seemed unenergetic and why they didn’t answer me.

“······.”

And, if this is what happened, then that’d make me sad and lonely.

She should have been able to say goodbye to me before she left.

She could have told me her address so that I could either call her or send her a letter. I thought we were best friends. It’s sad if I think that she left without a word.

What could have possibly happened?

Creak, creak, I slowly swung on the swing by myself. Right when I was thinking about going home, I saw someone.

“Ah······.”

In an alley next to the playground, I saw a familiar figure.

Furthermore, if this person is here, then that means my theory was wrong. Moreover, if it’s this person, then they should be able to answer me.

I stomped down and shouted.

“Jihye Unni⎯⎯!”

She must have heard me as Jihye Unni turned to look at me and waved. She then made her way to me.

Jihye Unni is a housekeeper that works for Jaim’s family. She calls herself a maid so I looked it up in a dictionary, but, as I thought, she is a housekeeper. She’s probably calling herself that because she lived overseas.

In any case, I heard that Jihye Unni first came here to bring Jaim back. As expected of Jaim, she had run away from home and came here in secret, so her father had asked Jihye Unni to bring Jaim back. But it seems Jihye Unni also believed that it would be better for Jaim to stay here since I heard that she decided to stay for a while longer. Therefore, Jihye Unni being here means that Jaim is also here.

“Long time no see, Miss Ahn Haeyeong. Have you been doing well?”

Jihye Unni’s way of speech is unique. She speaks formally to everyone, refers to Jaro Oppa as Master, Saeyeon Unni as Missus, and Jaim as Miss. She also adds Miss to my name as well. It feels nice to be called that, but I wish she’d stop since it’s embarrassing.

In any case, Jihye Unni’s attire is weird today. She’d usually wear a black and white dress which you would often see in manga, but she’s wearing a school uniform today. Even though she told me that she didn’t go to school.

“Jihye Unni, do you go to school?”

“Pardon? Oh! No. I had some momentary matters to take care of today, so I wore this. How is it? Does it look nice on me?”

In response to my question, Jihye Unni smiled brightly as she spun around. It’s very apparent that something good must have happened to her today.

“But what are you doing here, Miss Haeyeong?”

“······I was waiting for Jaim.”

I hesitated, but once I answered her carefully, the brightly smiling Jihye Unni’s face became a bit dark. As I thought, something must have happened.

“Jaim didn’t go home, right? Why hasn’t she come to see me lately?”

I asked as if I were slightly pressing her for answers.

Strangely, Jihye Unni and my time never matched, so I would never be able to meet her whenever I visited Jaim’s place. Nevertheless, since I was able to meet her like this, and since Jihye Unni hasn’t changed, she’ll tell me.

“That’s······.”

Jihye smiled sadly as if she were troubled, but she soon appeared as if she thought of a good answer as she crouched down to my eye level and spoke.

“Mm, actually, Miss Jaim hasn’t been feeling well lately. That’s why she hasn’t been able to play with Miss Haeyeong.”

“But it’s already been a month? Is it a big illness?”

I was a little surprised. It’s hard to imagine that the brave Jaim could be sick for an entire month. I asked worriedly.

“Was she admitted to a hospital? What hospital? Can I go to visit her?”

“No. She hasn’t been admitted to a hospital. I’m taking care of her at home. Nonetheless, I think it’s a bit too soon for her to have visitors.”

Jihye Unni smiled wryly as she answered me. Something about her words bothered me, but Jihye Unni isn’t someone who lies.

“So, she hasn’t gone home······?”

“Yes. She is still here. Oh right, I forgot. She told me to inform Miss Haeyeong that she’ll get better soon, so the two of you should play again when she does.”

With a gentle smile on her face, Jihye Unni patted my head. But I knew that she was lying. If Jaim had actually said that, then Jihye Unni would have told me that as soon as she saw me.

“······It really isn’t a big sickness, right? She’ll get better, right?”

So I asked hesitantly.

Jihye Unni grinned brightly in response. As if to tell me to not worry.

“Of course! With the Missus and my strength combined, the Miss will get better quickly. So you shouldn’t worry too much and head on home before it becomes too late. Your parents will probably be worried if you stay out too late.”

I’m curious as to how much of that was the truth.

It seems Jaim really hasn’t gone home, but her being sick sort of sounds like a lie. If Jaim were sick, then Jihye Unni wouldn’t be wearing a school uniform and be in a place like this at this time, after all. Unless she had intentionally come here to tell me.

The thought that something must have really happened went through my head.

As I thought, this worries me.

But······.

“······Please tell Jaim to get better soon. It’s boring playing by myself, so she should get better soon and play with me again.”

There’s probably nothing I can help with since I’m still too young.

So I decided to pray. In order for Jaim to get better soon. This is probably the most I can do at the moment.

“Okay. If Miss Jaim knows that Miss Haeyeong is waiting for her, then she’ll most likely try to get better as soon as possible.”

My feelings must have gotten across as Jihye Unni beamed at me as she replied. She stuck her pinky out to me.

“So promise that you’ll play with the Miss again once she’s feeling well.”

“Okay. I promise.”

I stuck my pinky out as well and promised.

This seemed to please Jihye Unni as she smiled brightly.

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TL note: Thanks for reading the chapter. It honestly feels weird going around in Jihye’s shoes since she literally has no idea what has happened. Makes you want to see how she’ll react when she finds out as well. That she isn’t only a ‘substitute’.

In any case, I’ll be going back to DD again before coming back. I should also mention that I’ll become busier in the middle of December till late January because I will be going on a trip to America in January. I have to save money, but it’s hard at the moment because of how weird my schedule is this semester and how much work I have to get done (I have a Patreon haha).

I’ll see you guys in DD.

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