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“This is really what things are like for you even at home?” Tenko frowned, one hand resting over her heart as she looked around. The tiny studio apartment was almost Spartan in its practicality, hardly any signs of personality. If it wasn’t for Kirumi standing beside her, watching as she took things in, she would wonder if she was in the wrong place. Absolutely nothing about the small space—which she could see every inch of save for inside the bathroom and closet—reminded her of her girlfriend. It was elegant, she supposed, if that was specific enough, but there was no heart.
“Yes,” Kirumi said, tilting her head slightly. “Are you unsatisfied? I made sure to clean before you arrived, and the kitchen is stocked if you’re hungry or thirsty. Given the space, I cannot make anything quite as complex as at Hope’s Peak, unfortunately, but I will do my utmost to fulfill any possible requests you may have.”
“That’s not it!” Tenko exclaimed, turning away from the empty living area in favor of making eye contact. “Tenko just means...don’t you ever just want to relax and enjoy something nice? Or put up some decorations that’ll make you smile? Tenko would feel lonely being by herself in somewhere that feels so cold. N-not that there’s something wrong with this kind of place if that’s what you like, Kirumi! It’s just...” She trailed off and reached out for her hand, hoping that physical contact might communicate what her words couldn’t.
“It seemed unnecessary when I was spending the majority of my time at school.” She broke eye contact, looking down as her thin, gloved fingers interlaced themselves with Tenko’s calloused ones. “And even now, working long hours as I do, I seldom spend time just sitting around at home. It’s a place to sleep, bathe, and little else most days. A maid has no need for frivolous indulgences.”
Tenko let out a heavy sigh. She hadn’t been dating Kirumi very long, but their pre-existing friendship alone provided her with a lot of experience in how consistently Kirumi disregarded her own needs in favor of others. Sometimes Tenko thought Kirumi didn’t even know how to want something.
“Well, Tenko just won’t stand for that,” she declared, slipping off her shoes and venturing out of the entryway in favor of leading Kirumi over to sit on the immaculately made bed. “Maybe you don’t need indulgences or whatever, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have them. Tenko learned a lot about living with less at the temple, and that can be an important lesson...it definitely helped with getting into the right mindset for aikido. But you don’t have to give up everything to train your mind. You’re super disciplined already!”
“Am I?” Someone else might not be able to tell, but Tenko picked up on that tiny smile instantly. Just the slightest curling up of Kirumi’s lips was enough to make her beam right back, overwhelmed by her beauty. “I’m glad you think so, but there’s always room for improvement.”
“Room for improvement...that applies to Tenko too then, right? And I’m going to improve as a girlfriend by pampering you all the time. As much as you’ll let me!” She laughed, squeezing Kirumi’s hand tighter and pulling her into a sidelong hug, just long enough to feel some of the tension begin to drain out of her body.
“Tenko will learn how to be the maid’s maid, so you can sit back and relax like you deserve. So, as Tenko’s first act, she’s going to make Kirumi some tea. Don’t you dare get up, Tenko will do it all.”