TPMITWON Chapter 66: Quite Good

“Ah! That… yes, it is like that,” said Souta, scratching his head, his expression awkward and his cheeks slightly flushed with embarrassment.

Souta tried to avoid Okabe's gaze, looking down for a moment. “But... even though Ayaka seems cold, she explains the tasks very clearly, making me know what I need to do without feeling confused. I think that’s a form of kindness too.”

Okabe squinted, a wide smile beginning to appear on his stern face. “Hmm~ so ‘quite good’, but also ‘cold’? Does that mean you actually find Ayaka a bit annoying?”

“Eh!? N–No, that’s not what I meant!” Souta stammered, his face turning a deeper shade of red, his eyes blinking in confusion as he searched for the right words. “Ayaka just... looks very serious and hard to approach. So... yeah, I can only say ‘quite good’ because I don’t know much about Ayaka yet.”

“Hahaha!” Okabe laughed, his laughter echoing in the quiet workspace. “That’s an honest answer. But indeed, Ayaka is like that. Cold, extremely cold. Sometimes, if you don’t fully understand your work, even though Ayaka has explained it, it feels like there’s a distance between you. You might think it’s because Ayaka is annoyed with you. But believe me, even though she seems harsh, Ayaka is very reliable.”

Souta nodded slowly, his eyes looking contemplative. He began to understand, but there was something nagging at his heart. Why could Ayaka be so serious and seem indifferent? Or perhaps, that was precisely how Ayaka had her own way of showing concern—despite never saying any soft words.

“By the way, Ayaka just started working a month ago. And she’s still the youngest among all the cleaning staff—uh, I mean, she used to be the youngest.” Okabe turned to Souta and smiled meaningfully, his eyes conveying a warmth different from usual. “Now that title officially passes to you, Souta.”

Souta let out a soft sigh, feeling a mix of emotions within him. A faint smile formed on his lips, despite a hint of surprise. “So that’s how it is, huh…” Souta replied quietly, staring at the floor with a blank expression for a moment.

The atmosphere between them gradually warmed. The dust swirling in the air, the wood shavings scattered around them, and the sound of busy workers’ footsteps added to the harsh impression of the world they were in. However, at that moment, for Souta, this place began to feel a little more friendly, even though it was still full of challenges.

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The break time finally ended. The rough work resumed. Souta, Okabe, and several other workers continued their tasks of cleaning up the debris from the broken Wooden Doll parts. Fine dust, broken wood, and metal shards made the air feel heavy, but Souta worked with full concentration, ignoring the fatigue that was starting to set in.

As time went on, Souta realized that he was getting better at handling this job. He listened carefully to every instruction given by Ayaka, even when she sounded a bit strict and impatient.

Souta’s attention to detail in his work made him feel more confident. Before he knew it, he began completing tasks faster than he had expected.

In the process, Souta started to notice something unexpected. Ayaka, the girl who seemed so tough and cold, actually had another side. Her Tsundere nature, which had been hidden until now, began to surface. Souta realized this when he completed the task given by Ayaka faster than anticipated.

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Ayaka stared at Souta with wide eyes, shocked, and paused for a moment. The air around them seemed to stop as the look of confusion was clearly visible on Ayaka's face.