Another Manager (Akashi Seijuro x OC)

1.11 Decision

I'll tell you later why her conversation with her mom is in bold!

***

Golden Week. They had the first week of May off of school due to consecutive holidays, starting Wednesday.

Before leaving the house that morning, Ai had indulged in her mother's judicious spiel about being careful around boys coming of age.

"Don't worry, mom. They're all good people."

"But, be careful! And, call me every day."

Ai gave her a weary smile. "Yes, mom." She knew her mother didn't mean to be malevolent, but avoiding stressing her out more than necessary was a caution she often took.

.

Ai went to the gymnasium after school for practice like any other day, but as soon as she got the guys settled to the start of their routine, she left to go to the inn early.

They were staying at a quaint, reasonably old inn, so she wanted to look at their equipment and appliances so that she would know what she'd have to work with for the coming week. It gave her the chance to check some things off, consult the ledger to make frugal decisions, and run to the dollar store on errands.

She then started preparing dinner. The ingredients were delivered to the inn's kitchen, a favor called in to Shimada Mart through Coach Ukai. It was a per-case situation where she would have to make do of the things she'd gotten for each meal.

She chose curry to make the first night, being conscious of the nutritional values. She thought of sources of animal protein and vitamins from vegetables as she considered salads and other dishes.
Once the menu was decided, she quickly became engrossed in prepping and chopping the vegetables. Feeding twelve hungry high school boys plus the coach, teacher, and two managers required a lot of food.

.

When the guys came over famished after sunset, she was done with most of it. She served many bowls of pasta salad and entrées, setting the two long tables for everyone.

When Takeda-sensei and Kiyoko came to take over, kicking her out and banishing her from the kitchen, she went over to the big room that would serve as the team's sleeping quarters.
The fusuma door was open, so she peered inside. "May I come in?"

Daichi noticed her from the futon closest to the doorway. They all had to lay down their own futons and claim their spaces with their overnight bags.
"Oh, Ai." He saw the large baskets she carried and called everyone over. "Gather 'round!"

"Is everyone here?" She looked around just as Tanaka and Nishinoya came from the hallway, looking rejuvenated and talking about Kiyoko.
"I have two laundry baskets here that I'll place by the doorway. It doesn't matter which basket you put your clothes in. I'll wash them all. Every person also gets a laundry net, and each one has a ribbon tied to the zipper."

She picked one up to demonstrate. The ribbons were scraps she'd gotten from her mother's craft shop.
"Please memorize your ribbon. Uniforms and anything else with your name on it can go straight into the basket. Otherwise, please put your personal clothes, underwear, and socks into the nets. And don't be shy. I won't look. I'll be sure to have them washed and dried by this time tomorrow."

She was so happy that the inn had a clothes dryer. It wasn't common to have both washers and dryers installed, and people would have to hang the clothes to dry instead.
"I've also written instructions, in case anyone forgets." She taped a paper memo above the laundry baskets. She wouldn't put it past a few of them to not remember. "Any questions?"

"Yes." Sugawara raised his hand like an enthusiastic student.

"Sugawara-senpai?"

"How do you think of everything?" he teased.