Chapter 262 First Commute
Amemiya Mido invited Shimizu Ken to sit in the living room first. Since there was no reason to refuse, Shimizu Ken followed her to the living room.

After Shimizu sat down on the sofa, he noticed that Amemiya Mido was still standing next to him.

"Auntie Amamiya, don't you want to sit down?"

"Ah... I'll sit, I'll sit."

This is clearly Amemiya Midori's home, but now it feels like Shimizu Mitsuki is the owner.

Amemiya Mido hesitated for a moment, then sat down on the sofa a little distance away from Shimizu.

The TV was playing the same variety show that had been turned on earlier, but Amamiya Mido looked like she had no interest in watching it anymore.

Maybe he was overthinking it, Shimizu always felt that Amemiya Midsuki seemed to be deliberately keeping a distance from him.

Noticing Shimizu's gaze, a hint of shyness flashed in Amemiya Mido's eyes. Thinking back to what happened just now, she rubbed her legs unconsciously.

"See... Can you please not tell Iori about what happened just now?"

"What happened just now?"

"Um... please don't misunderstand me... I just wanted to help you wash your clothes, and I didn't do anything else..."

Amemiya Mido's voice became lower and lower, and Qingshui Ken had to move his body and get a little closer to hear clearly.

"Aunt Amamiya, it's okay. I'll take the clothes home and wash them myself later. No need to trouble you."

"……Eh?"

Amamiya Midori suddenly raised her eyes and looked at the handsome face of the boy, and took the initiative to beg:
"No, that... let me help you wash it. Boys are definitely not as good as girls at this kind of thing. Just leave it to me. I will definitely help you wash it clean."

Amemiya Mido looked into Shimizumi's eyes and pleaded.

Shimizu Mi felt that Amemiya Mido was a little strange today, it was just her clothes. Should he say that she was too enthusiastic or something else?

Although Qingshuijian had no objection to this, his underwear was still inside the clothes he had taken off earlier.

After all, it was a bit too much to ask Amamiya Mito to wash her underwear.
"At least the underwear is mine..."

"…It's okay. I used to wash my husband's clothes."

Amemiya Mido blushed, turned her face slightly, and reached out to touch the braid on her shoulder.

Shimizu couldn't see Amemiya Midori's face, and her attention was drawn to the pigtails in front of her.

Then, a flash of white shone through Amemiya Midori's collar, making Qing Shui dizzy.

Because of the big cleaning today, in order to avoid getting her clothes dirty, Amamiya Mido specially changed into last year's old white T-shirt.

Besides not feeling bad when they get dirty, old clothes have another special feature.

That is, the neckline is generally looser than that of new clothes.

Although she and Amamiya Iori were the only ones at home, Mrs. Amamiya was too unprepared.

Qing Shuijian glanced at it unintentionally and immediately looked away, but he was still a little concerned.

After much thought, Shimizu finally decided that it would be better to remind Amemiya Midori and ask her to change her clothes.

Just as Shimizu was about to speak, Amemiya Mido turned around.

"Um...are you here to see Iori tonight?"

Amemiya Mido folded her left hand on the back of her right hand, and both hands were placed neatly on the snow-white thighs exposed from her shorts, looking particularly gentle and charming.

"Ah."

"That's it..."

Shimizu Miki had already said this just now, but Amemiya Mido confirmed it again, so it felt a little strange.

"Seeing you come to Iori at this time...it must be something important, right?"

Although it is not an urgent matter, Shimizu still wants to implement it as soon as possible.

After all, it's already very late today. Although the Shimizu family adopts the 'free-range' approach, if I go back at this time, Hoshino Akiko will definitely ask where I went so late.

Besides, coming home late will probably become the norm after this, so it’s better to negotiate with Amamiya Iori first.

Amemiya Mido played with her particularly eye-catching ponytail in front of her, glancing towards Shimizu from time to time.

It seemed that she wanted to continue asking what Shimizu Mi came to see Amamiya Iori for, but she didn't have the courage to open her mouth.

"Aunt Amamiya, let's talk about it together after Iori finishes his bath."

"Hey... can I listen too?"

Qingshuijian nodded.

Although he didn't mind telling Amemiya Mido, if he said it now, he would have to say it again when Amemiya Iori came, which would be too troublesome.

Then, there was a moment of silence between the two.

It would probably be very awkward if there was no sound during this period, but fortunately, there were still the occasional sounds of the host and guests interacting on TV.

Amemiya Iori took a very slow shower today, and Shimizu could still hear the sound of running water in the bathroom.

In fact, the sound insulation of their house is quite good, mainly because the internal space is not large and the rooms are not too far apart from each other.

The distance from the living room to the bathroom is a few meters, and there is only a glass door blocking the way, so naturally it is impossible to isolate the sound of Amamiya Iori taking a bath in the bathroom.

The Shimizu family's house is similar to the Amemiya Iori family's, and even has one less guest room. It only has two bedrooms of about 50 square meters, with a kitchen, a bathroom and a small living room.

The house is pitifully small.

But don't underestimate it because it's small.

It's also expensive.

In Tokyo, where every inch of land is valuable, the monthly rent for a small house like the one where Shimizu Miki and Hoshino Akiko live is generally as high as 100,000 yen, and this is already considered a relatively affordable house.

If it were a place in a busy area like the bar that Shimizu went to today, it would probably be difficult to find a house there even with 150,000 a month.

Just as Shimizu was feeling emotional, Amemiya Mido pulled his sleeve.

"that……"

Amemiya Mito was a little embarrassed. She looked at Qing Shuijian for a moment and then invited him:

"See, it's already so late today, why don't you stay at my house..."

Staying at her house again?

After thinking about it, Shimizu Mitsuki decided to reject Amemiya Mido's kindness.

Although it was indeed a bit late, he was not homeless, and it was not appropriate for him to always stay in her house.

After hearing Shimizumi's refusal, there seemed to be a hint of regret flashing across Amemiya Midori's eyes.

After about three or four minutes, the sound of water in the bathroom gradually stopped.

As footsteps were heard, Amamiya Iori's puzzled voice sounded outside the living room.

"Eh? Honey?"

"Ah Iori, you're done washing, come and sit over here."

After Amemiya Iori came, Amemiya Midu stood up as if she could no longer sit still, made room for him, and waved to her.

Amemiya Iori responded and came over and sat down next to Shimizu Mi, while Amemiya Mido slowly walked to the floor-to-ceiling window in the living room and pulled the curtains.

"Honey, is there anything you need from my house?" Amamiya Iori quickly guessed what Shimizu Ken's purpose was.

So, Shimizu Mi simply told Amemiya Iori the whole story.

"So, dear, you found a part-time job?"

"Ah."

Including Amamiya Mito who slowly sat down on the single sofa at the side, both mother and daughter had a thoughtful expression.

"But working in a bar, isn't it a bit..."

Although Shimizu Miki had already said that it was a legitimate bar, Amamiya Iori still had a hint of concern on her face.

"Honey, how about we try to find another job?"

Amemiya Iori moved closer to Shimizu Mi in a slightly coquettish tone. She had just finished taking a shower and her hair was not completely dry yet, so both her body and her hair exuded an alluring fragrance.

Although it is possible to look for other part-time jobs, it is probably unlikely to find one with the conditions and salary offered by Xia Lin.

And most importantly, Shimizu has promised Xia Lin that he will help her look after the bar while she is away from Tokyo.

After Shimizu explained all this to Amemiya Iori, Amemiya Iori showed a clearly conflicted expression.

"But, Qiuzi is also quite pitiful..."

Amamiya Midori spoke softly.

"Although when I called her a few days ago to check on her, she told me that she was fine and I shouldn't worry too much about her, but if I lost my job in the same situation as her, I definitely wouldn't feel so relaxed, so I think Qiuzi must be holding on by herself..."

Just as Amemiya Mido said, Shimizu Mi could also feel these days that Hoshino Akiko was obviously holding on and didn't want to make people around her worry.

Although his part-time job would definitely be exposed after he received his salary, by then, at most he would be scolded by Hoshino Akiko. Shimizu Mi had already prepared himself mentally.

After a brief hesitation, Amamiya Iori finally nodded and agreed:
"I understand. If Aunt Qiuzi asks about it, I will help my dear explain it."

"Well, thank you."

"It doesn't matter, as long as I can help Aunt Akiko. But dear, don't push yourself too hard. I will also look for a suitable part-time job when the time comes." Amamiya Iori added gently.

"Well...if Qiuzi asks me, I will also help to keep it secret."

"……Mother?"

"Ah, no, nothing... nothing."

Amemiya Mido waved her hand and said that she would go back to her room to rest.

Looking at his mother's slightly flustered back, Amamiya Iori's confused face showed a thoughtful expression.

……

……

In the few days after that night, the sun seemed to show its light and heat to the whole world. The sunlight poured down like molten gold. The air was filled with a dull atmosphere, and even the breeze was evaporated without a trace by the heat wave.

Basically, the temperature is over 38 degrees every day.

After suffering from the scorching heat for several consecutive days, the sky finally showed a hint of change.

On Tuesday evening, thick clouds began to gather in the sky and slowly approached the city.

At first there were only a few light breezes blowing through the streets, but soon the sky began to turn dark gray and thunder could be heard faintly in the distance.

Soon, the first drop of rain fell on the scorching ground, and then the rain gradually intensified, from point to surface, and finally turned into a downpour.

The rain poured down, washing every inch of Tokyo's streets.

On one of the streets, Shimizu was pedaling his bicycle with all his might against the headwind.

I remember riding a bicycle often when I was in elementary school in the countryside of Fukuoka, but Shimizu never expected that one day I would be riding a bicycle desperately in the rain to rush to work in Tokyo.

Today is Tuesday, and it is also the first day that Shimizu will go to work at the bar.

However, because the RPG game that Shimizu Mi was playing last night happened to have a major update, in order to play the latest new version, Shimizu Mi accidentally played it all night, and he didn't wake up until this afternoon.

The bicycle made a creaking sound under my feet.

No matter how hard Qingshui stepped on the pedal, the car showed no signs of moving forward. He even had the illusion that he was being blown back.

Contrary to the scorching heat of the past few days, today's rain and wind were quite strong. Qingshuijian was panting so hard that his heart was about to burst, but he still tried his best to exert force on the pedals.

The sun doesn't set that early in the summer, and it shouldn't be completely gone yet. The sky is dark only because the thick clouds are covering the sun.

The street lamps set up at regular intervals emitted a faint light, and the plastic bags and empty cans on the road were blown everywhere by the wind.

In the dim vision, raindrops, regardless of the clear water, were still on their way. One drop after another fell from the sky, making a clear dripping sound when they landed on the asphalt road.

The raindrops felt stinging on my arms that were exposed from my short sleeves.

The heavy rain hit Shimizu mercilessly, and his short-sleeved shirt became transparent almost instantly. It was a pity that there were no high school girls passing by nearby.

It was my first time at work, but I encountered this situation...

Shimizu complained quietly while taking out an umbrella from the basket in front of the bicycle.

Because I noticed it was windy when I went out, and thinking it might rain, I brought it with me in advance.

Qingshuijian opened the umbrella with great effort, but in the next moment, the umbrella was immediately blown away by the strong wind, the ribs broke, and the umbrella cover turned into a sail.

The strong wind blew the umbrella, and the car body suddenly lost balance. Qingshuijian quickly put his feet on the ground and almost fell down with the car.

The heavy rain made it almost impossible to open one's eyes. Qingshui wiped the rain and cold sweat from his face and put away his umbrella in despair.

Is this the despair of adults?

Before he even started work, Shimizu seemed to have realized it.

But even so, we still have to keep moving forward.

In the heavy rain, along with the bicycle tires, all words and thoughts slipped.

……

By the time Shimizu arrived at the big hotel by bicycle, it was already 5:57 in the evening.

There are still two and a half minutes until business hours start.

Fortunately, I was not late on my first day at work.

Qingshuijian felt relieved as he parked his bicycle downstairs, then walked into the hotel and took the elevator upstairs.

After reaching the top floor, the elevator door slowly opened.

The bar hadn't opened yet, so naturally there wasn't a single customer inside.

Qingshui saw him walking inside and thought it would be better to change his wet clothes quickly.

I remember Xia Lin had explained before that all the work uniforms of the bar should be kept in the locker room at the innermost of the bar.

Shimizu came outside the locker room. Due to the limited area, the men's and women's locker rooms were the same.

Shimizu Michi is not the only employee here, and Shimizu Michi is not like the male protagonist in Japanese comics who opens the door mindlessly, followed by a series of welfare scenes.

Therefore, when Qingmizu held the door handle, he paused for a moment.

Then, as expected, rustling sounds were heard in the locker room.

(End of this chapter)