There the paints still were, out of place and papers scattered all over her desk. Michiru had left in a hurry a few hours earlier and hadn't had enough time to put them back in their proper place. It was hard to believe Haruka hadn't thought to organize one of the most important rooms inthe house. The room Michiru spent most of her time in. She could hear the girl cleaning the guest restroom, which was hardly used. There was no reason to clean it so often. Itseemed it was time for another talk, which Michiru hated. She once again questioned her decision in hiring such a young girl as a house keeper. She had turned eighteen just over a month before. She was still a child to Michiru, but she'd seemed so eager during the interview, with her bright smile. She did a decent job, but she worked too slowly. She seemed lost in thought most of the time, absentmindedly cleaning the same spot over and over. She was a bit clumsy too, and had broken a few things around the house. Nothing expensive, thankfully. Not yet at least.
Michiru shook her head slightly, and reached for a notebook from the drawer in her desk. "Haruka!" she called, before taking a seat to wait for the girl. The girl appeared in the door way with a slight smile, despite how tired she truly was. A glimpse at Michiru's expression was all it took for her smile to falter, and for her to look down. She was very tall, with short blond hair, and kind dark-blue eyes that made it so easy to trust her. She wore men's clothes usually, too loose for her thin body. She looked so innocent, it broke Michiru's heart to know her next words would upset her. She hated having so much power over the girl's life. If she dismissed her from her positions, she very likely would not find another job with pay high enough to cover her all her expenses. A child should not have to worry about such things. Michiru sighed. She couldn't let every mistake Haruka made slide, this was her job, and she had to do it properly. In the future Haruka might encounter a strict boss who would not think twice to let her go, if she could not perform as she was expected to. Going easy on her would have done just the opposite of doing her a favor.
"Take a seat, please." Haruka approached slowly, almost as if she were scared Michiru would hurt her, but Michiru waited patiently with the notebook in front of her until she was finally seated across from her. "Haruka," she began, struggling to find words that wouldn't sound too harsh to the girl who seemed to be having a hard enough night already. "We've spoken a few times about cleaning the areas that are used often, and still, I see this room hasn't been cleaned in days. That is not alright, Haruka, this is the room I work in." Haruka fidgeted with the cleaning rag in her hand.
"I understand," she nearly, mumbled. "I'm sorry." Those were the same words she always said when she'd done something wrong, and Michiru was tired of hearing them, but today she'd refrain from telling her so.
"I know you're sorry." She slid the notebook over to Haruka, who looked up at her in confusion. "From now on I want you to write down every task you complete, so I can keep track of what you're doing. I will be checking this each time you leave, so please make sure you write neatly and make sure to write the correct date too."
"Okay," Haruka said with a nod. She was fighting to keep the disappointment in herself from showing, but Michiru could see it. She smiled sympathetically at Haruka.
"You're a good worker, Haruka. You just need to focus a little more, and you'll be fine." Haruka gave her a smile in return, but Michiru knew she was beating herself up internally. "Its late, and you've got school tomorrow. Go home and get some rest." She stood, ready to lead her to the door. "I'll put that away," she said, gently taking the rag from the girl's hands as they walked through the hall, towards the front door.
"Good bye," Haruka said to her, with the same sad look she wore each time she left.
"Take care of yourself," Michiru mumbled, as she watched Haruka's weather-beaten car leave the driveway and disappear into the darkness.