Slow Start ch167

School assembly.
Ka~mu~

Have you decided what to talk about for today's morning assembling?
I'm looking forward to it~<3
Yep. Leave it to me.
I've settled on something perfect.
Ooh, good girl.

Alright, you lot. Today,
I'll be having you kill each other.

Um... Kamuri-chan...!?

She got quite the telling off.

Ch-Cheer up, Kamuri-chan!
Let Hana-chan's pleasant talk cheer you up, Kamu-chan!
Hyeh!?

E-Erm.

I've been playing screw puzzles lately.
You sure like talking about screws, huh, Hana-chan.
After clearing just one stage, I got an ad.
That happens a lot, huh.

And the game inside that ad was another screw puzzle...

So I played a little of the one in the ad too.
Ah, it's one of those ads that let you play a little bit, huh?
Eventually, I couldn't tell which one of them was the ad...

Screws are scary...
So you get scared from screw stories, huh, Hana-chan.

Yep.
Thank you. That cheered me up.
That story cheered you up, huh.

Now, now, now. Let's keep this up and cheer her up even more with a bang...

BANG

Hyeh!?
Wh-What happened!?

The blackboard in the classroom next door came off and fell down.

Eh? That's scary!
It's a good thing there weren't any lessons in there at the time.
I'm so glad no teachers got crushed.

Well, if it were me, I could've dodged it no problem.
Swiftly?
Swiftly.

Wow, that I'd like to see~
You're the one person I wouldn't show.

Well, that aside,

all the classrooms will be undergoing reinforcement work,
so school will be temporarily closed.
That was quick!
I know you just got here, but go home already.

I-It's because I was talking about screws...
It's Hana's fault?
The power of words, I guess?
Hana-chan's influence on the world of screws is way too powerful.

I knew it! It is my fault!
At this rate, it'll be like Kamuri-chan came all the way to school only to get yelled at!
Nng!
Ah, that pierced right through her.
Hana shows no mercy.

But well, I'm glad we get some time off school.

Hana-chan, mind if I come to hang out at your place?
Mi casa es su casa!

Eiko~
Wanna come over to my house?
Hmm?

Well, y'see,
there's some knitting I wanted to get finished by today...

Yep.
Got it...
That's why

it'll be a somewhat chatter-free day. Is that okay with you?
Aha
Yep.
Yep...!

Yep. I'll play the piano for you.
Wow, knitting with free background music. How luxurious.
Yep. Leave it to me.

Hopping Home From School♪

Huh?

Hiroe-san?
Ah, Hana-chan and Tama-chan!
What are you doing??
Well...

Shion-chan?

I spotted her on the way back from the convenience store a short while ago
and there was something I found curious...
A tailing operation, huh?
Let's do it.

Is she on a walk?
I've got this nagging feeling it's something different...

She's looking smarter than usual.
Yes...
Also, there's something about the way she's dressed...

Ah.
I feel like Shion-chan hasn't been wearing her apron lately!
Ooh, I see!!

Hmm...
Going for a walk in an apron that she doesn't wear during her usual housework is strange...
Indeed...

Ah.
She went inside.

Is her destination this apartment building?
Let's see.

Kara...age... Hei...ghts?
That's a tasty name for an apartment building.

Wait.
This is
Kariage Heights!
Kariage (crew cut) Heights?
Wah

Yeah.
It's the apartment building Shion-chan inherited from Grandpa when she was little.
She's the one who named it too!!
He let a little girl inherit his apartment building?
Does that even happen?

Erm, overthere.
It's for the people who work for that company to live in.
Ah, kariage (leasing)...
That's pretty much say-what-you-see...

I heard about it before, but this is where it was, huh...
You're acting like it's a legendary fairy village.

Ah.
She's coming out.

Good morning.
G-Good morning, Shion-san!
Good morning~
Fufu. Good morning.
Do your best with your work, okay?

Thank you very much!
I'll do my best!

Shion-chan's so cool...
She sure is.
She's like a madonna...

Eh?

Hana-chan!?
Wawawah!

Tama-chan and Hannen-san too!
What are you doing here?
Uhehe.
We just happened to see you and decided to tail you.

I-I see.
So you work here too, Shion-chan?
Yes. This is where the property management company is based,
but I really only come here from time to time.

Is that so. That's remarkable...
No, no. Not at all...
They saw me...

They found me out...

Hana-chan and the others found out that I come to Kariage Heights in my free time,
so I can play the part of a cool landlady and feel good about myself...!

Tenants

She's so cool.
She sure is.

Those pure eyes are hurting Shion-chan, everyone!?

Warning