[Maid Cafe 1]

After many twists and turns, Nishino passed an interview for a part-time job. 

However, he was to work in a maid café on the ground floor, instead of the bar on the third floor where he had originally planned to work. As the role of the maids is to serve in the hall, Nishino's job is to work in the kitchen. 

In fact, he was interested in the host club on the fourth floor, but decided against it in order to prioritise his original goal. If he hadn't, the interview would have been more difficult. 

After a few questions, Rose and Gabriella also started to work as maids instead of waiters in the bar. Working part-time at the same place was a great opportunity for them to get to know Nishino better. 

And the news was quickly spread around the campus. 

According to them, Rose and Gabriella are going to work at a maid cafe. 

Aside from the presence of Nishino, many students were interested in the two maids. It was especially noticeable among the male students. This naturally led to rumours circulating within the school, and even the place where the girls worked, which had not yet opened for business, was identified. 

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That's why the Saturday, the maid café where Nishino and her friends work started its business. 

The café is a typical café and bar, operating as a café during the day and as a bar after sunset. The three of us who were chosen as the starting members gathered at the site from the daytime café business that day. 

The total number of part-timers hired was over 20. All but Nishino were women. However, it was said that a male employee would also be on site to handle any work that required male help.

"Welcome, I'll show you to your seat ! " 

"Cheki starts from 500 yen." 

"Would you like to have a drink with us?" 

"Please take this seat." 

"Thank you for coming!" 

From the hall, the maids could be heard serving customers. Nishino is washing plates and glasses in the kitchen, listening to their lovely voices.  From where he stands, he cannot see the hall, only the shiny new sink and the wall in front of it. 

"We look forward to seeing you again ! " 

"You get points for every visit! Please do your best to accumulate them!"

"We are open on Sundays too, so please come again!" 

"This menu is highly recommended!" 

"Welcome! "

35

The shop seems to be doing very well, with a constant stream of customers. 

There was no end to the washing up that came his way. For a couple of hours he had been in the kitchen, washing the dishes. His fingertips had become squishy from prolonged exposure to the warm water, as if he had been in a bath. 

In the meantime, the only words given by the rest of the staff were "please do this", "wash this too" and "hurry up with this". In contrast to the happy atmosphere in the hall, he spent all the time washing dishes. 

"...... OK, now let's get this big plate out of the way."

However, he is not pessimistic about this. He is positive that there will be plenty of opportunities to interact with the opposite sex during breaks and after work. After washing, the plates and glasses are all smooth and shiny. 

At a slight distance from Nishino, the maids, who are also standing in the kitchen, are whispering to each other. For some reason, there is only one male part-timer on the floor, and his presence is enough to give the girls something to talk about. 

"Why is there only one boy working here?" 

"Isn't there anyone else? He's just not in here today." 

"Didn't the flyer say that we only hire girls?" 

"What? Who's the old man over there cooking?"

"Isn't that an employee?"

They're making drinks and things and whispering.

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This was not a bad environment to be in. The fact that he was being watched by the opposite sex made him anticipate the communication that was to follow. As he washed the dishes, his mind was busy thinking of ways to talk to the girls. 

A few moments later, the much-needed break arrived. 

The employee wielding the frying pan says, Nishino, you can take a break now. 

Nodding, he left the kitchen and headed for the back, his heart pounding. There, in addition to the office space, there was a partitioned area with a small set of tables. It was a place for the staff to rest and eat.

I looked in from outside the room and saw two of the girls relaxing in their maid's outfits. They were lying down at their desks, exchanging words such as "I'm tired" and "There are so many customers". 

Then it occurred to him that he should go back to the kitchen. He gets some iced tea from the fridge. He put some glasses on a tray and headed back to the back. The idea was to present them with a drink and get closer to them. 

He walked into the rest area with great enthusiasm. 

 

37

While he was preparing the iced tea, the staff around the table set changed their appearance. The dark-eyed, dark-haired maids he had seen just a few minutes ago had somehow changed into a more colourful group.

"Oh, I wonder if Nishino will take a break from now on ? " 

" ... Ah" 

"Are you going to take a break now, Nishino?" 

It's Rose and Gabriella. 

Thanks to them, He is a sad Nishino. 

With them, he was a dull man with no chance of meeting anyone. This is no different from school breaks, he thought to himself. But he couldn't just tell them that, so he sat down in an empty chair. 

"Is it possible that you have prepared it for us?" 

Gabu-chan asked, looking at the glass on the tray. 

The glass is carefully served with milk and lemon. 

"Well, sort of."

Nishino seemed to have given up and held out his glass to them. The person to whom he had originally intended to deliver the glass was already in the hall attending to a customer. It was no use, he thought. He changed his mind and decided to try again next time. 

"Most likely he wanted to give it to the girls who had just been resting."

"...... "

38

Rose could see that he was up to no good. 

She turns her attention to a display in the corner of the break area. The display showed a video camera of the restaurant, so that if there was a problem in the hall or the kitchen, the staff could get there quickly. 

As Rose says, they also see the person to whom Nishino wanted to deliver the glass. 

"..... If you're not thirsty, I'd never suggest pushing it."

"It's just a light-hearted joke, so I hope you don't look too terrified." 

The blonde-haired Lolita is happy on the inside as she sits down to drink the tea that Nishino has prepared for her. But Gabriella has a problem with her. 

"She always says too much. Why don't you just shut up and take it?"

Nishino doesn't think that Gabu-chan has found out about it. 

The glasses are disposed of on the tray. 

She picked up the remaining one and made a small gulp. 

◇ ◆ ◇

39

Nishino's first opportunity to interact with the opposite sex, other than Rose and Gabriella, came after work. 

As minors, they are not allowed to work until ten o'clock in the afternoon, according to the Labour Standards Act. After changing out of his shop uniform and into civilian clothes, he met the night staff who would be replacing him in the shop. One of them approached the futsumen as he passed him at the employee entrance to the shop. 

"Oh, so you've been hired too? I mean, in the maid café?" 

This is the woman who was waiting for her turn to be interviewed before Nishino and the others. 

"Ah, the interview ......" 

"Igarashi" 

"My name is Nishino. I'm looking forward to working with you." 

"I think there were two other cute girls with you, right? " 

"Those two are in the changing room. "

At a glance, she looks to be around 20 years old. She works at night, so she must be over eighteen. She is wearing jeans, a long-sleeved shirt and a large military jacket over it. 

Her hair is short, brown and upswept. Like Rose and Gabriella, she was employed as a maid in the maid's café, and as her background suggests, she has a pretty face. This, combined with her neat clothes, drew Nishino's attention. 

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" Will you be a maid from now on ? " 

"You're not what you appear to be, but you do have a rather forceful way of saying things."

" ... I'm sorry." 

"It's okay, though." 

As a part-time colleague, Nishino was very excited. At the beginning of the meeting, he was given a bad review. Even in casual conversation, he naturally incorporates a touch of cynicism. 

Nevertheless, in recent years, he has been frequently criticised, notably by the chairwoman. The influence of those around him has also helped, and he is beginning to feel sorry for himself. His expression becomes apologetic and he lowers the tone of his voice. 

Then she says something to him.

"Hey, I'm a Saba Saba type, so don't you care about that ? " 

"Saba Saba type ? " 

"I'm more comfortable talking like a man."

"I see." 

She called herself to Nishino. It was a Saba Saba girl.

Her choice of a maid café as a place to work is an interesting one.

However, as a guy who is not familiar with such topics, he was only aware of the fact that there is such a way of thinking.

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"If you want to see those two, I'll get them......." 

"It's not like I'm here for anything. I'm just curious." 

" Is that so ?" 

"The pay is good here, so you can make a lot of money in a short time. I was a little worried about the maid café thing, but they do offer drink rewards, so I figured it would be a good way to try it out. Oh, did you know? I heard that you can refuse the Cheki."

"Cheki ? " 

"Have you ever heard of a service where you can take a photo with a maid? I've heard that many customers come here for this. I don't think I'd go that far to get paid for it, though. It's scary not knowing how you'll be taken advantage of later, isn't it?"

"Well, that's new to me."

"Really? How did you end up working in a maid café?" 

"Originally, I wanted to work in the bar, but there were some circumstances." 

"Hmm ?" 

Nishino took a step back after being pointed out for his behaviour. In response, the self-proclaimed sober-minded man continued. 

42

"In that sense, I wouldn't want to be in the same time as someone you know. If we were competing for customers, we'd have to work very hard to win, wouldn't we? In that sense, I think it was the right decision to start my shift at night."

"There are so many different kinds of maid cafes. "

"That's right, the relationships in these places are completely female. If you mess with the girls in these places, it's not going to end well, is it? "

" ...... " 

"I don't want to get involved in any of that stuff. I don't like that kind of girly stuff." 

Nishino had never expected to be told that he was in a bad way, even by someone he had never met before. He tried to say something back, but couldn't come up with the right words. It would have been better to stay in the bar, she thought to himself. 

On the other hand, she continued to ramble on to him. 

"I mean, what's your relationship with those girls?"

"We're schoolmates" 

"So you guys are really close, even working together?" 

"No, not really."

"......"

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I'm not sure why a boy with such a dull face and not a hint of affection would be with two such lovely girls. Her imagination naturally started to take over her mind. 

They could be distant relatives whose skin and hair colour were unrecognisable, childhood friends who had grown up together, or the daughter of a rich family who served the family's sergeant. There is no end to the possibilities of the relationship between Nishino and the Lolitas. 

As this was happening, the two girls in question appeared in front of them.

"Oh? Are you waiting for me, by any chance?"

"It just happened as a consequence."

Rose and Gabriella walked up to Nishino, who was standing in front of the entrance talking. They were dressed in plain clothes, a change from the maids seen in the shop. They are not dressed in anything remarkable, but they are both dressed from top to bottom in luxury brands. 

Their eyes immediately turn to the person who was talking to Nishino.

"And you are?" 

"I've met you before at the interview. You don't remember me?" 

"Nice to meet you, I guess." 

 After an introduction, the self-proclaimed Saba Saba girl greeted them. 

44

It was a casual approach, partly because she was apparently older than him. However, she is conscious of the fact that she looks at the clothes they are wearing and shivers. It's too much for a student to wear on a daily basis. 

"Yes, it's nice to meet you too." 

"It's a pleasure to meet you." 

Rose smiled at her, and said hello in the same way that she would to her classmates on campus. Gabu-chan is no different. She was a little stiff in her expression, but she responded with a small bow. 

However, in the back of their minds, they keep a close eye on the position of the person in front of them in relation to Nishino. In Rose's mind, in particular, a relentless process of assumptions and responses begins to take place. 

It's a warning that comes from the fact that she knows that the man in front of her has come to the same place to hunt for women. 

"Nishino-kun, let's go home then ? " 

"Ah... " 

At first, Nishino was thinking of going home alone. 

But he was caught up in the moment, and ended up going home with them. 

45

◇ ◆ ◇

The next day, Sunday, Nishino went to work at a maid cafe in the afternoon. 

Yesterday he hadn't had the chance to meet anyone of the opposite sex. He was determined to make the most of his break time today. He is conscious of the high hurdles he has to overcome, hoping to exchange contact with at least one person.

46

"........"

However, the work on site today is the same as yesterday, washing dishes. 

47

He washes the dishes at the sink in silence. 

Rose and Gabriella, on the other hand, are standing in the hall serving and welcoming customers. The restaurant has been busy since it opened. There is a constant chorus of people calling their names. Even though he could not see them, Nishino could somehow understand their work. 

After several hours of hard work, it was finally time for a break. 

Nishino put his drink on a tray and went to the back with great enthusiasm. He had arranged his break time with the staff manager so that it would not conflict with that of Rose and Gabriella.

However, there was no maid in the rest area. 

Instead, sitting at a table set up in the same place were a couple of men who looked like bad people. In addition, the brown-haired man who was in charge of interviewing Nishino and his friends, the owner of the shop, stood there looking rather dignified. 

"It's quite a beautiful group of people, isn't it? Mr. Manager." 

"Thanks to you, we are doing very well."

Nishino was familiar with the duo who seemed to be bad at the gala. He is a yakuza who kidnapped Takeuchi-kun and Matsuura-san who went out for shopping during the preparation period for the school festival. At that time, there was a duo of a man who seemed to be the boss he encountered in the office and a someone who was called Kotetsu by him. 

"Hey, you, what are you looking at?"

48

Holding a tray in both hands, Nishino stepped into the room. 

His presence was noticed by Kotetsu, who raised his voice. Naturally, the attention of the Boss and the owner of the shop who were present also turned to him.  

"Wha... "

The most striking reaction came from the Boss. His eyes widened in astonishment when he saw the face of the man. The chair he was sitting on clattered loudly. He seemed to remember him, his body tensing up noticeably. 

On the other hand, Kotetsu, seemed to have forgotten Nishino's face. He threatens an employee who unexpectedly appears at a conversation. This is no doubt due to the fact that he was quickly beaten up in a previous encounter with the futsumen. 

This is not helped by the fact that the Futsumen's face is too ordinary. 

He has a face that is hard to remember and easy to forget.

It's not good that the face of Futsumen is too normal.

"Oh, you're very clever, aren't you?"

Looking at Nishino with a tray in his hand, the owner raised his voice. 

It seems that he misunderstood the futsumen's ulterior motive. 

"You can add more milk and sugar to this one." 

"......" 

49

Thanks to this, Nishino wonders what's going on and ponders the relationship between the owner and the yakuza. His classmates have been abducted before. It's a fact he can't ignore. Even though the matter has already been settled, it is no fun to see the main culprit hanging around. I'm not sure why these men are visiting our maid café in the first place. If they are planning to do something bad, then they need to be handled again. 

In the meantime, there was a change in the Boss. 

He sat up from his chair and bowed his head. 

"Thank you very much for your help!"

Kotetsu and the owner were stunned. 

What's the matter with him? 

He was dressed like a typical yakuza, in a black shirt and a white suit. His face is as stern as it should be. The sight of such a dreadful man bowing down to a dull-faced boy in a restaurant uniform is quite incongruous. 

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"Big brother, why do you bow your head ... "

"You idiot! Get your head down too! " 

"....... " 

The boss's fist struck Kotetsu on the head. 

A good blow was heard.

From the standpoint of the boss, he is a person above the clouds.

Nishino somehow knew that this was a reaction to that memory.

He could not help but be impatient when this happened. 

In the back of my mind, I thought of the complaint that Matsuura-san and Takeuchi-kun had told me when I was involved with the men in front of me before. They said that they were afraid of the yakuza.

I couldn't possibly replicate that at my part-time job. With Christmas coming up next month, I'm a guy who wants to get a girlfriend at all costs. He is determined not to be disturbed by his new location, and he is determined to get rid of the person in front of him.

51

Hurriedly looking around the rest area, Nishino saw no sign of any other staff, including those across the wall. When he realised that there were no witnesses other than the owner, he called out to the boss. 

His tone of voice is what he considers to be his so called work tone. 

" ...... Come here for a minute." 

"Hey, hey !" 

The Boss nodded his head in agreement. 

He didn't have the same swagger as when they first met.

"Hey, Kotetsu ! Let's go ! "

He grabbed the head of the fainting Kotetsu by the scruff of the neck and followed quietly behind Nishino, who had turned on his heel with the tray in his hand. They left the room and headed straight for the shop's entrance, their footsteps gradually fading away. 

" .... "

The owner, who was left behind, could only watch in dismay. 

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