Part 14: Episode 14: Maintenance Checks

School was starting fairly slow, but a week or so later I walked into an unpleasant surprise in the classroom.

The classroom is filled with a cloud of dancing feathers.
Did somebirdie eviscerate a down pillow, or something?

Ryouta, what…?
Maybe they didn’t clean up properly yesterday…?

Now that I look closely, Ryouta’s headfeathers are looking a little loose, too. I guess everybirdie’s growing themselves new outfits.

Good morning, everybirdie!
Sir! Can we clean up a little before homeroom?
Cleaning in the morning?
This atmosphere is quite distracting. Who was supposed to clean yesterday?
Coo! (Okosan!)
Wretched mongrel! Can’t you even fulfill the duty given to you!?
Come on, arguing won’t solve anything. It’ll be easy if we all pinch in!

And so we swabbed the room down before homeroom.


It certainly is more than usual… Did they come in the window, perhaps…?
……Huh?
Sir, umm… Did you spill some chlorine on yourself?
Chlorine? We don’t use that kind of detergent…
But, umm, you really smell like it…
Oh, that would be the bleach.

B-bleach…!?

S-sir! Are you one of those degenerates who bathes with bleach powder!?

I didn’t want to believe it, but why else would he smell like bleach?

That’s even worse than what I had imagined!

Th-that’s dangerous! Sir, please be careful!
Mmm, yes, I’ll… Zzz.

I guess there wasn’t any way he was going to stay awake after helping us clean the room.





Another week and a half went by, and the school was filled with excitement.

I don’t have anything to do, so I guess I’ll go look around.



Hmm…

Oh, Lourde!
Mr. Nanaki? What is it?
Your shift is tomorrow, right?
Yup!

Of course! I shall mete out information and directions like an Oni of old, cleaver in hand, seated atop a throne wrought from the skulls of my foes!
Thank you! I’ll go get a chair.
Okay!


Wow, the crowd looked big inside the school, but outside it just looked like a giant mass of feathers!
It took almost an hour before the line started to die down.

Are you okay, sir?
I’m fine, just a little t…
…Zzz.
At least he held up pretty well until now…

It’s almost time to clear up and prepare for classes tomorrow…