Ketto was in a terrible mood. After searching for the ring for what felt like forever, he had no choice but to give up. He felt listless, hollow, and deeply unhappy. Without a word, he pulled off his shoes and walked straight toward the pool entrance.
Hanky, realizing his teasing might have gone too far, called after him. "Ketto! Hey!" But Ketto ignored him completely, pretending he hadn't heard a thing.
Hanky was surprised. He hadn't expected this reaction. Frowning slightly, he took off his own shoes and followed Ketto inside.
Ketto reached the pool manager first. Hanky arrived just as the manager looked up at them.
"You're the two cleaning the pool?" the manager asked.
They nodded.
"Names?"
Hanky spoke first. "Hanky."
After a brief pause, Ketto muttered, "Ketto."
The manager checked his register, found their names, and made a mark—a circle or a checkmark, Ketto didn't bother to see which. The manager noticed Ketto's sour expression and offered a small piece of advice. "Don't look so down. The faster you work, the faster you leave." He continued, "I know it's a lot, but you can handle it. First, check the pool—see if anything's left in it. Then change the water. After that, clean the walkway. If you find anything like slippers, swim rings, floats—put them back where they belong." He pointed toward the equipment storage room. "When that's done, clean the shower room. It might be dirty, so pick up any litter and rubbish. And organize everything I just mentioned."
He paused, looking them over. Hanky had already stopped listening. Ketto was still listening, but only because he felt he had to—it was boring, but he wanted to get it right.
Finally, the manager left.
Ketto still wasn't talking to Hanky. It was clear he was genuinely upset. He walked straight to the cleaning room and began gathering tools: a fishing net for scooping debris from the water, a broom for sweeping, a mop for the floors.
Hanky trailed behind him, uncertain. He'd never done this kind of work before and had no idea where to start. "Ketto?" he tried.
Ketto ignored him.
"Ketto, I was just kidding earlier. It was a joke."
Ketto stopped, turned, and gave him a brief, cold glance. Then he kept walking.
Hanky sighed. "I'm sorry."
Ketto let out a flat, sarcastic "Hehe" and disappeared into the pool area.
Hanky watched Ketto work for a moment, trying to learn by observation. He wasn't lazy—he just genuinely disliked cleaning. But he figured he should at least try to help.
Ketto started by scooping the water with the net. He noticed Hanky hovering behind him and finally spoke. "Okay. I'm going to start sweeping. You stay here and finish scooping."
Hanky perked up. "Okay! No problem."
He walked around the pool, peering into the water. Fortunately, there was nothing to scoop—the pool was clean. He set the net aside and jogged over to Ketto, striking a playful pose. "Sir! All done! What's next?"
Ketto rolled his eyes. "Uh... sweep. I'll do this side. You do that side." He pointed to the opposite end of the pool.
Hanky grabbed a broom and got to work. Or rather, he attempted to. Ketto watched in disbelief. Hanky was sweeping with one hand while the other stayed jammed in his pocket. He moved awkwardly, like someone with only one functioning arm—like a disabled person trying to sweep one-handed.
Ketto couldn't help it. A laugh escaped him. "Oh my god, you're a disaster! Sweep properly! You look like you've lost the use of your other arm!" He was laughing now, genuinely amused despite his earlier anger.
Hanky looked up, completely unbothered. "You know what? This is excellent. This is my style."
Ketto rolled his eyes again but didn't reply. He just went back to work.
The pool wasn't very large, so they finished faster than expected. After cleaning the water and changing it, they mopped the floors thoroughly. Hanky, despite his earlier awkwardness, turned out to be surprisingly fast at mopping. He moved like a bull charging through a field, mopping at top speed with wild energy.
"Piece of cake!" he announced proudly.
Ketto made a face like he was about to vomit and muttered under his breath, "Shameless."