“Shiina-san… how did she look?”
“What do you mean…? It looked great on her.”
It was decided that the boys on customer service were to get changed as well, but the boys themselves seemed more interested in Amane, who was the first to see Mahiru in her maid outfit. When asked how she looked, all he could say was that it looked good on her. His classmates were clearly disappointed by Amane’s indifferent impressions, and he gave them exasperated looks.
“There’s gotta be more to it than that, man? What didya think?”
“What else can I say, really?” Amane tried to pick his words carefully. “…There’s no way it wouldn’t look amazing on her.”
“True that. It is Shiina-san we’re talkin’ about, after all.”
“I so wanna be served by her, man,” another classmate chimed in.
“I wish she’d call me master and give me a big smile…”
“I’ll never let Mahiru serve you guys, though. I can say that for sure.”
“How cruel…! You’re so harsh… At least let us dream, dude.”
“That dream of yours will never come true, I’ll shatter it for your own sake.”
“Way to be harsh.”
Through the course of the preparation period, Amane had opened up to his classmates enough to banter with them. Some of them were truly wallowing in despair, though. He started talking to the other boys and was able to joke around with them; he would get the occasional, “I’m so jealous,” and a pat on the back, and he would respond in the same manner. Fundamentally, Amane was reluctant to form new relationships with them because his circle of friends was small, but his classmates were all good-natured students deep down, so he naturally made friends with them as he worked alongside them for the festival.
As they conversed lightly, he joked and purposefully responded with blunt words as he changed into the clothes prepared for him. The boys were wearing simple navy-blue jackets, slacks, and dark-gray waistcoats that were close to being pure black. It was a slim design that matched each of their physiques, giving them a refined atmosphere. As an added bonus, the white gloves they wore made them look the part. Of course, they borrowed both the maid and butler outfits from the same place, so they were very in line with the girls’ maid outfits. They gave off the same atmosphere and were matched, and when looked at together, they would appear more like genuine servicepeople.
At first glance, Amane thought it would be hard to move around in, but once he actually put it on, the fabric was more elastic than he initially expected, and he had no problem with the outfit’s mobility.
“It’s amazing, somehow Itsuki looks flirtatious even as a butler. Exactly the kind you often see in manga.”
“Huh? What’s with the roasts?”
Itsuki seemed to have finished changing as well, and the other boys were quick to start teasing him.
Taking a quick look, Amane saw that he was as cheerful as the other boys had said, but it was more like he had a somewhat frivolous air about him.
“Yeah, you definitely look frivolous.”
“You’re so mean, Amane! The way that you… Damn, you’ve got a real slick style right there, the one you show to Shiina-san.”
“Of course. Why’re you saying something so obvious?”
Naturally, if Amane was going to be seen by Mahiru, he would make sure to dress up properly, and tidily. With a comb, he styled part of his hair back and it made him look very polished and fresh. He gave off a more distinct impression than usual. Even so, he had no intention of styling it all to the back, similar to what’s commonly depicted in illustrations, but even Amane could do this much without hesitation.
“He ain’t pulling any punches… This guy’s serious…”
“Look at you all motivated now. And to think you weren’t at all enthusiastic before.”
“For some reason, Mahiru’s expectations of me are sky-high right now,” Amane explained. “So of course, it’s about time I pull all the stops.”
“Y-You’re so carefree about it all…”
“Nah, just think about it. I’m sure you guys would try your best if your girlfriend got her hopes up, too.”
“Stop right there, Fujimiya. Show us some mercy, dude. The rest of us are single.”
“Huh…? My bad, then…” Amane apologized, albeit a little confused.
“Don’t apologize for it. Now I just feel miserable…”
Amane embraced the casual side jabs from his classmates, staying silent. He then looked over and shrugged at Itsuki, who was still dejectedly grinning at being labeled frivolous.
“I bet Chitose’ll be all giddy when she sees your outfit, Itsuki.”
“No doubt. Though it’s also the perfect chance for her to go, Ikkun’s so frivolous, and laugh at me.”
“Can’t deny that.”
Amane could imagine Chitose saying that without any hostility, and chuckled to himself silently. This time, it was Itsuki’s time to jab at Amane’s sides, so he returned the favor with a pat on the back to cheer him up.
“Still, it looks like they’re going to be popular next to Kadowaki.”
“Nah. Apparently, ‘There’s a demand for the prince type, the frivolous type, the cool type, and the shota,’ or so I heard from the girls.”
“I really pity Kokonoe. He always gets labeled as the shota. Also, the frivolous archetype is definitely taken by you.”
Makoto was forcibly sent out because of his appearance. In that regard, he was unique. He was shorter compared to the other boys, but he himself was rather dissatisfied when told he was the cute type, but this time around he was much more worked up about it. Glancing at Makoto, Amane immediately noticed his malcontent face. For better or worse, he was delicate and had a babyface; so he could probably satisfy people with certain needs.
Incidentally, Kazuya, who was on good terms with him, was working in the back. The reason was that he was relatively rough and had a firmer physique in comparison to the other boys. It was decided that it would be better to have him do manual labor than be at the front serving customers.
“…Kazuya, you traitor… Damn you…”
Amane pretended he hadn’t just heard a curse coming from a certain babyface.
✧ ₊ ✦ ₊ ✧
“Oh, Ikkun, you look great in it! Very frivolous, though!”
It was time for the people in charge of customer service to gather in the classroom and unveil their outfits, but sure enough, Chitose described it as frivolous with a bright smile. Even Itsuki himself seemed to be somewhat aware of it, but he looked off into the distance, saying, “So that’s how it is…” But since it was how he usually acted, Amane didn’t deny it.
Incidentally, Chitose was going to serve the customers, so she too was wearing a maid uniform. There must have been two different designs, because her uniform differed from Mahiru’s traditional-styled maid outfit, her skirt was knee-length and was designed to be fashionable and emphasize cuteness. There were fills peeking out from her hem, and her slender legs were covered in white knee socks. Combined with her short stature and frilly apron, she gave off the impression of a modern-style maid.
“Anyway, what do you think? Do I look good in it?”
“Of course. You look great in anything, Chi.”
“You’re the one who laughed when I borrowed Mahirun’s clothes and showed them to you the other day.”
“Well, that’s because the size was…”
“Ikkun.”
“I’m sorry.”
Even the (allegedly) frivolous Itsuki became docile when it came to Chitose. It was Itsuki’s fault for triggering her complex, and Amane had no intention of backing him up. Well, part of it was that he could imagine Chitose getting on his case if he did intervene.
In addition to Chitose, he could see the other girls in charge of serving customers wearing maid uniforms, and he couldn’t help but be impressed by how amazing things had gotten for their own event. If it was a café that was welcome to such gorgeous employees as theirs, it was bound to become a hot topic.
Ayaka, who was in charge of the unveiling, was wearing the same type of maid uniform as Mahiru, and she walked over to Amane with a smile.
“Ah, Fujimiya-kun, you’re looking sharp with that style. You’re really fired up.”
“Mahiru had high hopes for me, that’s why.”
“Hehe, you’re a good boyfriend, aren’t you? Look, Shiina-san, he’s wearing a butler outfit.”
“Come on, come on.” Ayaka beckoned her over with a cheerful smile, and for some reason, Mahiru didn’t approach him. Amane thought she didn’t want to at first, but as she was blushing and fidgeting, that didn’t seem to be the case.
Looking at Mahiru’s behavior, Ayaka smiled and told him, “She was looking forward to it, but now she’s fidgeting. It probably turned out better than she imagined.” She then went back over to Mahiru.
“Alrighty, Shiina-san. It’d be a waste if you didn’t see him up close. Besides, you two are both on the same shift, so you need to get used to it while you can!”
According to the arrangements made by his classmates—mainly Itsuki—his shift was set at the same time as Mahiru’s. He was worried about her potentially being sexually harassed, and he wanted the two of them to be able to stroll around the school together when their shift ended.
Ayaka gave Mahiru a push, and Mahiru approached him, albeit hesitantly.
“It doesn’t look good on me?”
“Th-That’s not true! It’s so wonderful, it’s like you’re not the usual Amane-kun…”
“That much? Just how do I look to you?”
“…You’re sexier than usual.”
“If anything, I’m wearing more than usual. I don’t usually wear so much fabric, and definitely not when we’re home.”
“There are times when it’s better to wear more!”
Amane was bewildered by the emphasis of her words and her insistence, but for some reason, the other girls nodded with understanding expressions, it wasn’t an atmosphere where he could deny her assessment.
As usual, Mahiru was blushing and fidgeting with upturned eyes, and the boys were dropping like flies in the face of her cuteness, so he had to stop them soon.
“…Mahiru, don’t let anyone see your face like that. There will be casualties.”
“You too, Amane-kun.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“S-so nonchalant…”
Mahiru seemed dissatisfied, but when it came to their expressions, there was a major difference in power between Mahiru’s and Amane’s. It was impossible for Amane to charm both girls and boys alike in the way Mahiru would.
In that regard, there was nothing to worry about, and he ignored her sentiments. However, Mahiru continued to nudge at Amane’s upper arm a little, as if she wasn’t convinced.
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