Spare Time (2)

Before I started cleaning, I took a look around the house.

Food waste piled up in every corner. Belongings scattered without rhyme or reason. In a word, it was a complete disaster.

I really had no right to say anything about Elizabeth's workshop.

Even in a mess this filthy, the cleaning skill still had an answer ready. Residual afterimages blanketed my field of vision, pointing out every action I needed to take. I slowly began to clean, following those afterimages.

So cleaning has an order to it, too.

Just like in Elizabeth's workshop, the afterimages had me clear the trash first. I hauled garbage around in a frenzy, stuffing bag after bag, over and over. After about thirty minutes, five trash bags sat piled in a corner of the house.

Once the garbage was gone and I looked around again, it felt like my eyes had finally opened.

"Ahh, just clearing the trash makes such a difference."

But the afterimages insisted this was only the beginning.

Well, it'll end eventually.

I set the bags outside and went back to cleaning.

Two hours and thirty minutes later, the cleaning was finished.

Thankfully the place isn't that big, so it wrapped up pretty fast.

My master's endlessly vast mansion flickered through my mind for a moment.

It's cleaner than my place, sure, but it's way too huge…

Moving into the mansion was still a problem ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠for the future, so I shelved the worry and took in the freshly cleaned house. The home that had somehow started to feel cramped now seemed surprisingly spacious.

This place wasn't small after all.

The gloomy interior had shed its dark palette and now shone bright. The main culprit behind that dinginess had probably been the black dust that came off on the wet wipes I'd been using in a hurry. And more than anything, the stale air had cleared. That lingering, unnameable unpleasantness that used to cling on even after airing the place out was gone.

Taking in the results of a cleaning job done in a space I knew so well left me genuinely moved.

Cleaning… might actually be pretty decent?

On a hopeful whim, I opened my status window.

My proficiency had jumped a full three ranks.

I cleaned once either way — why is the proficiency gap this huge?

A few hypotheses came to mind right away, but I had no solid proof, so I let it go.

And I picked up a new effect, too.

—— Cleaning speed increases by a fixed amount.

It was an effect that scratched the cleaning skill's itchiest spot. With this, cleaning the mansion would get a whole lot easier.

So what I need to do is raise my proficiency before I head to the mansion?

I checked the clock. It was already past three in the morning. After working my body this hard, even that damned nightmare wouldn't dare show up.

I roughly brushed the dust off myself and headed for bed. The moment I lay down on freshly made bedding for the first time in ages, sleep crashed over me in an instant.

When I opened my eyes again, warm sunlight was streaming through the gap in the curtains. The clock read eight in the morning — I'd only slept five hours. And yet my body felt exceptionally good. Despite thrashing myself around every which way the day before, I didn't even have muscle soreness.

Is this the cleaning effect?

The boost to recovery efficiency was stronger than I'd expected.

"I might actually be kind of amazing. Hahaha."

I was embarrassed even as I said it, but I couldn't hold it in. Feeling this satisfied with myself was something I hadn't experienced in far too long.

Alright, now I need to find somewhere to clean…

No family, no friends, no job — there wasn't exactly an obvious place to go scrub. Should I just trash my own house again? Still, deliberately wrecking a place I'd sweated over just yesterday didn't sit right with me.

After mulling it over for a while, I pulled up a community service website.

If I take a part-time job, I'd have to quit within a week anyway…

As luck would have it, a volunteer listing related to an orphanage had just been posted. I filled out the application without much hesitation. Awakened personnel were premium labor — it would almost certainly get approved without a hitch.

Time for breakfast.

I'd eaten big last night, so this morning I'd wrap a microwaved rice pack in seaweed and call it a meal.

After eating, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I lay back on the bed and checked my phone. An email confirming my application had been approved was waiting for me. The time slot I'd signed up for was later today at five in the afternoon — not far off. There was no reason to push it back, so I'd packed the schedule a little tight.

"As for clothes…"

Showing up looking like a slob would be rude.

In that case…

My eyes drifted to the maid outfit, neatly folded after I'd taken it off. Come to think of it, raising my Synchronization Rate came with all sorts of benefits.

If I wear the maid outfit, my Synchronization Rate will climb faster, and the kids will probably like it too, right?

I decided to go in the maid outfit.

As for the free time left…

I still didn't know much about being an Awakened, so I needed to dig deeper.

Time to rummage through the Awakened gallery.

After four hours of gallery diving, it was time to get ready for the orphanage.

First things first — put on the maid outfit.

I pulled up the message Elizabeth had sent me on my phone and, following it step by step as I dressed, sorted through what I'd learned from the gallery.

For a gallery, there wasn't much detailed information…

Aside from the fixed-nickname user DunnoMaster, whose post I'd read last time, practically no one wrote anything thorough. Still, I'd managed to dig up a few facts. Summarized, there were about three:

1. An Awakened's level rises by achieving results related to their class or by clearing gates.

2. The ranks of skills and traits can also rise depending on proficiency and conditions.

3. Skill and trait descriptions are trustworthy, but unlisted effects also exist.

Laid out like that, it looked pretty meager for four hours of work — but they were clearly useful pieces of information.

I'll have to look into this more carefully later.

While my mind wandered, I finished putting on the maid outfit. If I left now, I'd arrive at the orphanage with time to spare.

Taking public transit was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a bad idea, based on my experience on the way home last ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠time. No — it simply couldn't be a good idea. Once I started freeloading at my master's place, my expenses would shrink anyway, so I decided to take a taxi today.

I climbed into the cab I'd reserved in advance, and the driver struck up a conversation.

"Lovely afternoon. It's been a while since I've had an Awakened as a passenger."

"Is it that obvious I'm Awakened?"

"People dressed in outfits that sharp usually are."

In other words, he'd figured it out from my maid outfit.

"Haha, I only Awakened recently."

"I'm sure you'll go far."

"Thank you…"

"What brings you out today?"

"I'm heading to volunteer at an orphanage."

"Off to do a good deed, then."

"I have my own reasons for going, though."

"Even so, it's thanks to Awakened folks like you that society still holds together."

"Ehehe."

"You meet a lot of self-righteous Awakened out there, living as long as I have."

At the words "self-righteous Awakened," one face floated up. That damned master of mine — that damned face with the long straight hair and those impossibly beautiful violet eyes.

My master and her friend Elizabeth were pretty self-righteous too…

The taxi driver's words felt right on the mark.

"We're almost there, miss. Thank you for listening so kindly to an old man's rambling."

"Not at all. I actually enjoyed listening."

"You can get out here. Enjoy your volunteering, and have a wonderful day."

"Thank you."

I paid the fare and stepped out of the taxi. The orphanage came into view. It was a gray building that showed its age, but it didn't look shabby or dirty.

I walked up to the intercom and pressed the bell.

Ding-dong.

Something like the sound of someone rushing out came from inside, and the door swung open. The person who appeared was an older woman with grayish hair and glasses.

"Hello."

"Welcome. What brings you here?"

"I applied to volunteer."

"Ah, you must be the Awakened scheduled for today… Is your name Kwon Siyu?"

She checked her phone as she asked.

"Yes, that's right."

"Glad you made it. I'm Lee Seryeong, the director of this orphanage."

"I'm Kwon Siyu — Maid-class Awakened and orphanage volunteer applicant. Looking forward to working with you today."

"Come on in. I'll show you around the facilities."

Inside, a large room opened up. Children around waist height were gathered in little clusters, playing. Some were building with blocks; others were drawing.

"Alright, kids — this is the person who's come to help you out. No mischief, and give her a nice smile."

Every pair of eyes swung toward me at once. A few of the children stopped what they were doing and came over.

"Who are you, big sis?"

"Unnie, your clothes are so weird!"

"Unnie, what are you gonna do?"

Having them all pile on with interest at once was dizzying.

"Goodness, children, ask one at a time. Siyu, would you mind giving a short introduction?"

The director rescued me from the kids. An introduction, though — I hadn't heard that word since middle school.

How am I supposed to introduce myself…

"Nice to meet you, everyone."

"Nice to meet you too, pretty noona."

A little boy cut in midway.

"Hahaha, thank you. I'm Kwon Siyu, and I'll be spending time with you today. My job is being a maid."

"Unnie! What does a maid do?"

This time a little girl asked the question.

"Hmm… Today, I'm going to clean!"