The day after school.
Having finished all my classes, I should’ve been feeling free and eager to head home, but today, my mood was heavy with gloom.
“Alright then, time to rack up those good deeds for today! Don’t you think so, Yuichi-kun?”
Shoko slapped my shoulder, grinning.
Today was the dreaded day for volunteering to clean the pool.
I’d already lost count of how many times I regretted raising my hand so carelessly, getting swept up in Shoko’s persuasion yesterday.
“Why are you so damn excited about this?”
“Cleaning the pool is, like, one of the easiest volunteer jobs there is. No crossing county lines, and you get to move around a bit. If it earns points, it’s worth it!”
“Still need more points, huh?”
“My goal is A-rank, after all.”
“Isn’t it pretty much impossible for regular folks to reach A-rank?”
“Normally, yeah. But I’ve already saved up two thousand points in eight years. Just another eight thousand to go… hoping I can get there before I die.”
“That’s… a mind-numbing number.”
To reach human level A-rank, you need to collect ten thousand points.
They say the average person gathers around three thousand points over a lifetime. For most people, the average over eight years is about five hundred points.
So, reaching ten thousand points is a near-impossible feat in a single lifetime. Well, it’s predicted that the average number of lifetime points will start to climb drastically soon.
The kind of people who amass enough points to hit A-rank usually contribute massively to humanity, creating some grand invention or other legacy that echoes through time—or, more simply, they’re mostly rich.
The most straightforward, fastest way to rack up a ton of points in one go? Nothing beats “donations.”
Celebrities and the wealthy alike started donating en masse eight years ago and earned their A-rank status that way. Hence, “the rich are good people.”
And so, while Shoko talks big, I can only imagine how much time and effort she’s spent collecting two thousand points in eight years. Even for her, that would mean another thirty-two years of grinding.
And today’s pool cleaning was step one on that long road.
“By the way, how many points do we get for pool cleaning?”
“Hmm… personally, I’d like at least seven points for it.”
“Seven…?”
That’s nothing.
“Could be lower, though. I think we’ll get five points, at least.”
“So, what does that mean? Even if I cleaned the pool daily for three months, I wouldn’t even hit five hundred points?”
“Yep. That’s if you’re volunteering, not working a paid job.”
“You really collected two thousand points?”
“Do I have your respect now?”
“Yeah, I’m genuinely impressed.”
“Never underestimate a few points here and there. Now, come on—get changed into your gym clothes and let’s get to the pool.”
“Everyone here?”
The gym teacher was counting heads, lining us up by the poolside.
Four students per grade, making a total of twelve. The gym teacher, though, tilted his head as he counted the last person.
“One’s missing. Who’s not here?”
“Um.”
A male student beside me raised his hand.
“I’m Kashiwagi from Class 4, Year 2. Looks like Kawase -san from my class is running late.”
“What’s this, skipping out?”
“No, I think she’s just delayed. It’s hard to imagine Kawase -san skipping volunteer work.”
“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean? Oh, Kawase from Year 2… oh, right. Alright, let’s get started, then.”
Seeming to reach some private conclusion, the gym teacher signaled the start of pool cleaning.
We were each handed a broom and began sweeping out the garbage and sand from the pool.
I made a half-hearted show of sweeping nearby while talking to Shoko, who was also just pretending to work.
“Hey, who was that Kawase girl just now? Is she famous or something?”
“Hm? Oh, I don’t know her well, but I’ve heard of her. Probably Mai Kawase. She’s exactly the type you hate most.”
“The type I hate?”
“A dyed-in-the-wool hypocrite.”
“Hypocrite?”
“Rumor has it, she’s so obsessed with earning points that she practically lives for it.”
If this person, with her two thousand points, was saying so, that was saying something.
“There’s someone at this school who’s collected even more points than you?”
“Rumor has it she’s got three or four thousand points already.”
“Four thousand!?”
I couldn’t help but widen my eyes at the number Shoko had just tossed out.
Four thousand points—more than the lifetime points an average person collects.
Human level is a lifetime tally of one’s good deeds. Naturally, the longer someone lives, the higher their points tend to go.
A high schooler with four thousand points? That’s anything but normal.
“What kind of life is she living?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if she spent every spare moment doing good deeds. Plus, she does everything that might earn her points, without skipping any step, no matter how inefficient.”
“And you’re always taking shortcuts, huh?”
“Of course. Like right now, look around.”
Shoko gestured to our surroundings.
The students around us held brooms, sweeping the pool floor… but it was clear everyone was half-heartedly going through the motions.
All eleven of us stood eerily in place, barely moving. They were all just waving their brooms back and forth, and slowly at that. Not a single person here was genuinely focused on cleaning.
I remembered Shoko’s words from yesterday: just pretending was enough.
What mattered was showing the intention to participate, and the gods didn’t care about the effort itself. Whether you were earnest or not, the points would hardly differ.
These students certainly didn’t look like they’d volunteered willingly.
Apparently, that Kawase Mai girl was a different breed.
“…Isn’t that a good thing, though? Doing good deeds without worrying about efficiency, without slacking. Doesn’t sound like a hypocrite to me.”
“Sure, if it were a thousand points. But four thousand? That’s just too much. When you talk about ‘good people,’ you mean the ones who would still do good deeds without any human level to track it, right?”
“Well, yeah.”
“Someone who’d help anyone in need, spend their days off volunteering, dedicate most of their life to others, and keep it up every day for years on end, with or without human level tracking. You think there’s someone like that? What is she, Mother Teresa?”
“So, what?”
“Kawase Mai’s type is the kind who cares more about saving up points than about doing good itself. Nothing unusual about that.”
It was, in other words, a value system that went beyond even a second life.
It’s like being someone who finds satisfaction in watching their bank account grow even if they never actually spend the money.
I can understand how chasing high human level points might give someone a sense of fulfillment.
Shoko calls people like that hypocrites, people I wouldn’t like. I guess she’s nailed it. I wonder what this girl’s like.
“—Sorry I’m late!”
Just then, a girl dashed over to the poolside, almost out of breath.
“Is that Kawase Mai from Class 4, Year 2?”
“Yes. I was delayed by class responsibilities.”
Everyone cleaning the pool turned to look at her at once.
“Oh…”
I recognized her face. Short black hair and a timid look.
It was that girl from the train yesterday.
“So that’s Kawase Mai…”
I felt a twinge of surprise, but mostly it was a strong sense of understanding. Guess her reputation for being charitable daily was legit.
“It’s only just started, don’t worry about it. Here, grab a broom and start sweeping the pool floor.”
“Yes.”
Kawase grabbed a broom, then awkwardly climbed down into the pool with an “oof.”
We’d been cleaning the pool for about thirty minutes. Amid the scraping sounds of brooms, there were occasional murmurs and laughter as students chatted amongst themselves.
As if that was their real task, the students were anything but diligent in their cleaning.
Some occasionally moved to a new spot as if remembering to, sweeping while chatting, but that was about it.
Some weren’t moving at all, talking excitedly about yesterday’s comedy show instead.
Shoko was one of them, chatting with me about everything and nothing as we both idly scrubbed the same spot over and over.
It was clear we weren’t going to finish by closing time, and yet, the cleaning was somehow progressing.
The reason?
“…Hup… almost there… just a little more…”
Kawase was silently working on her own.
Since starting, Kawase hadn’t said a word, diligently sweeping every corner of the pool and gathering all the debris in one place, while the rest of us halfheartedly slacked off, she kept at it.
Seeing her working so hard and covered in sweat, I began feeling guilty for slacking off.
“Alright, that’s enough for now. Next up, we’re scrubbing the pool tiles!”
With all the garbage removed, the boys were handed deck brushes. Shoko quickly volunteered to handle the hose. This was where the real cleaning began.
“Uh, um… I’d like to help scrub the pool tiles, too,” Kawase hesitantly said to the gym teacher.
“Hm? No, no, the girls are just here to scatter some detergent around. Leave the scrubbing to the boys.”
“But… since I was late, I’d like to help too.”
“Well… I don’t mind, but…”
The gym teacher handed Kawase a deck brush.
“Alrighty, here comes the water!”
Grinning, Shoko turned on the hose full blast. The water splashed all over the pool, spraying all of us inside.
“Gah! Hey, Shoko!”
“It’s my job to hose things down! Take that!”
“Cut it out, you!”
Amused, Shoko aimed the water directly at me. The gym teacher scolded her, and she reluctantly stopped. Soaked, I brushed my hair back and started scrubbing.
I scrubbed where the girls had scattered detergent, and the other boys did the same, but the enthusiasm lasted only a few minutes before we were just chatting and barely cleaning again.
All the while, Kawase continued to scrub tirelessly.
She kept going for over twenty minutes, way past the point where the other boys had given up. Seeing her pushing through, panting and exhausted, made me feel a bit guilty.
“…At this rate, she’ll end up cleaning half the pool tiles herself.”
…Guess I’ll try to be a little more serious about the cleaning.
Though it was only May, it was plenty warm. Under the beating sun, the physical labor was tough.
Why am I even doing this? I was about to mutter a complaint when Kawase’s determined scrubbing caught my eye, and I sighed and kept at it.
“…She’s doing this every day, huh?”
To her, I thought, this kind of exhausting task is something she’s willing to do, all for just a few points of human level, even if no one appreciates it anymore.
If Kawase was really the kind of person who only cared about points, would she be putting in this much effort?
Shoko, who aimed for A-rank, was slacking off, after all. Effort and results hardly seemed to impact the points. Surely Kawase understood that too.
“…What a weird person.”
I couldn’t figure her out and, in time, decided not to think too much about it.
Two and a half hours later, the pool cleaning was finally over, leaving just enough time before closing time.
If we’d run over, we’d have had to come back tomorrow to finish, so it seemed everyone was putting in a bit more effort at the end.
“Ugh, I’m so hot…”
“Good work. You really went all out today. What’s up with you?”
“Hey, Shoko, hose me down.”
“Sure thing!”
Shoko pointed the hose at me and turned it on full blast. Cold water drenched my face, but it felt good on my sweaty, overheated body.
“Alright, that’s it! We’ll handle the rest, so you’re free to go.”
At the gym teacher’s words, everyone headed to the changing rooms.
I was about to follow when I noticed Kawase Mai.
She was drenched in sweat, sitting exhausted on the poolside, catching her breath.
A girl who didn’t look particularly strong had taken cleaning more seriously than anyone for over two hours; it was no wonder she was wiped out.
“Hey, Shoko, you don’t get any extra points for working harder, do you?”
“I don’t think so. Back in the day, I thought working hard in volunteer work would give me more points, but it didn’t make any difference.”
“Kawase would know that too, right?”
“You mean Kawase -san? I don’t know… she was working so hard, she might not know. Anyway, let’s go, I’m beat!”
Shoko answered dismissively, leaving the pool quickly.
I stared at Kawase for a few seconds, then shook my head and headed to the changing room.
I quickly got ready to go home and waited for the train at the station platform.
“I’m so tired…”
I said it out loud for the first time. I’d been exhausted all along and had almost let it slip a few times during pool cleaning, but I’d held back.
With Kawase, who was obviously more worn out than me, nearby, it felt rude to say it.
Honestly, I’d felt like snapping at the others who’d whined about being tired when they barely did anything. Especially Shoko—her most of all.
“So that’s five points, huh?”
It really didn’t feel worth it. Volunteering was something I’d never do again.
A few minutes later, the train pulled into the station. Just as I boarded, I spotted someone running up the stairs to the platform.
It was Kawase Mai. She barely made it onto the train, slipping through the doors as they closed.
Oh, right, she used the same line. I guess I should say hello.
“Hah… hah…! Ah—”
Noticing me, Kawase nodded with a polite bow.
“You look exhausted.”
“Yes, I’m totally wiped out.”
She said, smiling.
“Oh, I’m sorry for being late today and holding everyone up with cleaning…”
Kawase apologized, sounding genuinely sorry. I had no idea why she was apologizing to me.
“You were the one who cleaned the most, though. I don’t have any complaints.”
“No, that’s not true…”
She shook her head, waving it off.
“Why were you working so hard to clean?”
Kawase tilted her head as if she didn’t understand the question.
“Well, since I volunteered, isn’t it just natural to clean properly?”
For a moment, I thought she was subtly calling me out, but she seemed to mean it sincerely.
“…Even if you work hard, you don’t get any extra points.”
“Yes, that’s how it seems.”
With no particular emotion, she simply nodded in agreement. She was probably just answering normally, like it was obvious.
I decided to get straight to the point.
“You and I earned the same points, even though you worked hard and I slacked off. Are you okay with that?”
“I…”
Her gaze wandered, and then she hesitated.
“I… don’t really care about human level points…”
“….”
I thought about it for a moment and then had an idea.
“Hey, why were you late today?”
“Oh, um… one of the kids on cleaning duty was out with a cold, so I was covering for them.”
“You clean alone?”
“No, there were three of us.”
“Then, there were two others, right? Why were you the one who was late?”
“That’s… well, I’m just slow and clumsy…”
Kawase lowered her eyes apologetically.
“….”
Slowly, I began to piece together an image of who Kawase Mai might be.
For example, forcing your duties on someone else would definitely count as a bad deed.
The gods would deduct human level points from anyone doing that. That’s why no one would do it these days.
But what if someone else volunteered to do it?
If someone else insisted on doing their own work and then took on yours as well, without complaint…
Watching them do it, keeping quiet while they handled your duties, that’s… not technically a bad deed.
That’s exactly what happened today during pool cleaning. If everyone had forced Kawase to do all the work, it would’ve been bullying.
But with her choosing to take on extra work herself, there’s no reason to stop her. No one can be blamed for leaving it all to her.
The gods don’t see that as evil. Instead, they grant points to everyone equally.
In other words, Kawase Mai is the type of person who does the work of three on her own, cleans half the pool by herself, all without complaint, and could keep doing that every day.
People like her get called hypocrites these days and end up being used for others’ gain.
“—Good for you, Yuichi.”
Suddenly, a memory of someone’s words came to mind.
“—Now, your sister can surely go to heaven.”
“…I hear you’ve racked up a fair amount of points, too.”
I asked, struggling to keep down the anger bubbling up inside me.
“If there were no human level, could you still do the same things you do now?”
“Yes.”
She answered immediately, smiling.
“So, what do you think about human level points?”
“I think it’s a great system. Thanks to human level points, people are kinder to each other. That makes me really happy.”
“Is that so…”
I must have been looking at her with pity in my eyes then.
“I hate human level.”
“Why?”
“…”
For a second, I felt like I wanted to tell her everything, all the thoughts I’d never shared with anyone.
But in the end, I figured there was no point.
“…I just know. People like you exist. But every time I see you, I… get angry.”
“?”
“Living like that… you’ll regret it someday.”
“? What… do you mean?”
“…Or maybe people like you are exactly the ones who need human level points.”
“??”
It seemed I’d utterly confused her as she blinked, looking lost.
With a small, self-mocking chuckle, I told her to “forget it” and got off the train at the next stop. It wasn’t even my station, but I didn’t want to sit with her any longer.
Being around her felt like it would dig up memories I’d been trying hard to forget, and that scared me.
At home, after a quick shower and a thrown-together dinner, I collapsed onto my bed, falling asleep almost instantly from the exhaustion.
And even as I drifted off, thoughts of that girl, Kawase Mai, lingered in my mind.
More precisely, a woman I’d known, someone a lot like her.
