Everyone exercised restraint, eating only one free steamed bun each. Items like egg crepes, dumplings, and tamagoyaki were for sale at the window, but the adults only bought them for the children.
After they finished eating, they helped a dishwasher in the cafeteria wipe the doors, windows, and floors clean. Someone even tried speaking to the lawn, asking for a long branch to clean the ceiling. Sure enough, a long, thin, and perfectly straight vine shot out from the grass.
The people's fear of the vines lessened a bit more. The terror from the previous night, of seeing the vines blot out the sky, had already dissipated. The vine was friendly, which meant it posed no threat to them; rather, it was one of the base's safeguards.
After cleaning the cafeteria, they went to clean the first floor of the apartment building, as well as the hallways and walls on the second and third floors. The children weren't idle either; they helped by running errands and handing rags to their parents.
