3,000 People Are Thirsting Over You

"Those three are going to destroy me when I get my body back."

Gomi waved her hand dismissively. "Nah, they'll be fine. Girls always come running back."

"But did you see how angry they were? Reiko could probably use her family wealth to hire a hitman. And Yuriko... who knows what kind of revenge story she'll write about me."

"Hey, at least you'll be immortalized in literature." Gomi grinned. "The Great Cleaning Casanova."

I swiveled my cybernetic eye toward where Azuki had disappeared. Something about her challenge bothered me.

"How did she know Team Hanamizu would face her team? The match-ups aren't announced until right before the fights."

"Maybe she's psychic. Or maybe she just really wanted to join your harem. I mean, four is better than three, right?"

"Focus! She had to have rigged something. The qualifying brackets, maybe the team rankings… No one should have that kind of access."

"Except someone who can hack as well as you?" Gomi waggled her eyebrows. "Face it - you've got competition in more ways than one."

Gomi pulled out her phone. "Anyway, should I start taking bets on which girl wins your heart? Or maybe which one gets revenge first?"

The bell's shrill ring cut through before I could protest.

"Gotta jet. Try not to have any more girls fall in love with you while I'm gone," Gomi called over her shoulder as she headed back to class.

I activated my cleaning protocols to follow Azuki without arousing suspicion. My robotic body glided smoothly across the floor, staying just far enough behind her as she walked to Class 2-B.

Through the classroom window, I watched her settle into her seat near the center. Girls flocked to her desk immediately, hanging on her every word and giggling at whatever she said. Her long golden hair caught the afternoon sunlight, creating an almost ethereal glow around her. Even I had to admit she commanded attention effortlessly.

The teacher started the performing arts lesson, but Azuki seemed above it all. She answered questions perfectly when called upon, her voice carrying a musical quality that had her classmates swooning. Nothing seemed out of place or suspicious - she was just genuinely popular and talented.

Between classes, I observed more of the same. Girls rushed to help carry her books or bring her drinks from the vending machine. The way she moved through the halls reminded me of a queen holding court.

When the final bell rang, I still hadn't uncovered anything unusual about her besides her overwhelming charisma. She packed up her perfectly organized bag, waved goodbye to her admirers, and practically floated out of the classroom.

I followed her to her locker, watching as she meticulously arranged her shoes before heading out. Not a single clue about how she knew about the Dai-Bōku brackets. Either she was incredibly good at hiding her tracks, or I was missing something obvious.

As she disappeared through the school gates, I realized I'd spent the whole afternoon watching her and come up empty-handed. Whatever advantage she had over the tournament matchups, she wasn't giving it away during regular school hours.

-

"Still nothing on Azuki?" Gomi sprawled across the courtyard bench, chewing on another grass stalk.

"Not a speck of dirt. She's like... antibacterial soap personified. Perfect grades, perfect attendance, perfect everything."

"Maybe she's actually a cleaning robot too. You two would make a cute couple."

"Very funny. But seriously, how does someone maintain such a spotless record? Even her locker sparkles."

"Speaking of romance..." Gomi sat up. "Isn't it weird none of your scorned lovers have come crawling back yet? Usually by now there'd be at least something spicy happening."

"Instead, Reiko just walks the other way when she sees my body coming."

"And Yuriko's been writing in her notebook like crazy. Probably killing off your character in the most horrific way possible."

I attempted a sigh, but it came out as a vacuum-like wheeze. "Nezumi won't even look at me."

"Maybe they finally realized dating a cleaning robot wasn't their best life choice?"

"Hey! Technically they weren't dating a cleaning robot. They were dating... me? Or Cleansuke? Actually, I'm not sure anymore."

Gomi rolled onto her back, laughing. "Your love life is more tangled than my grandmother's yarn basket after the cat got to it."

"At least cats are cute. I'm stuck looking like a robotic dog with OCD."

"Could be worse. You could be stuck in the body of one of those weird singing toilet robots from the mall."

"Don't even joke about that." I shuddered, my parts rattling. "Though maybe then I could serenade my way back into their hearts?"

"Clean my heart, clean my soul..." Gomi warbled off-key.

I was about to tell Gomi to shut up when movement caught my eye. Azuki crept along the hallway, pressing herself against the wall like she was in some spy movie.

"Look." I nudged Gomi with my metallic paw.

"Ooh, sneaky sneaky." Gomi rolled off the bench. "Let's follow her!"

We trailed Azuki at a distance, my cleaning protocols providing the perfect cover as I pretended to sweep. She peered around corners before darting forward, her golden hair swishing dramatically with each movement.

Finally, she stopped and pulled out her phone, aiming it through a classroom doorway. Inside, I could see Cleansuke organizing textbooks.

"She's taking pictures?" I whispered to Gomi. "Can we see what's on her screen?"

"Can we see what's on her screen, she asks." Gomi rummaged in her pocket and produced what looked like a mangled air conditioner remote crossed with a fork. "Meet the Screen Sneak 3000."

"That looks like something you'd find in a junk drawer."

"Rude. Just watch." She pointed it at Azuki's phone.

A holographic display flickered to life between us, showing Azuki's screen. She was rapidly posting photos to an account called @NeatFreakFC with captions like "Our Prince reorganizing the chemistry lab! smiling face with heart-shaped eyes emoji" and "Look at those perfect right angles! heart emoji"

"Wait… She runs a fan club? For Cleansuke?"

"Oh my god." Gomi stifled a laugh. "Look at the follower count - 3,000 people are thirsting over you!"

"This is mortifying."

Azuki switched to the fan club's chat. Messages flooded in:

"OMG those organized pencils!"

"The way he color-codes everything... I can't! hot face emoji"

"Marriage material right there! ring emoji"