“Welcome.”
“Ugh…”
After the unveiling, they practiced their customer service, but it couldn’t really be called practice.
Their eyes were burning from the bright light. The light, of course, was Mahiru’s professional smile. It left the boys unable to move—they were rendered useless. All the boys who had volunteered to be her customers were shattered before her smile. As expected, her angelic smile was terrifying. Those who had withstood the first attack finally gave in after they were shown to their seats and were given a smile. Seeing this, Amane’s cheeks began to twitch, thinking that it might take a turn for the worse if she didn’t hold back.
“The Angel is terrifying… Amane, you need to stop Shiina-san. Fast.”
“Mahiru’s smile isn’t at full strength just yet.”
“No way! You’re telling me this isn’t her full power…?”
“Not the time to be amused, man. I ain’t kidding around.”
From Amane’s perspective, who was watching from the sidelines, Mahiru’s smile was still artificial. She smiled amiably. Of course, it was a professional smile, an elegant smile tailor-made for customer service. He felt like the boys wouldn’t be able to continue functioning seriously if Mahiru smiled even more sincerely.
Even the girls were captivated by the current situation, so the effect of the Angel’s smile was clear to all onlookers.
“…This isn’t customer service practice.”
Even Ayaka, who had been watching the situation, smiled bitterly.
Perhaps because he was used to being by her side all the time, he underestimated her destructive power, but Mahiru always had a beauty and atmosphere that captivated onlookers. He should have expected this to happen.
“I don’t think there’ll be any problems with the customer service itself, but… it’d be a problem if the customers started overheating.”
“Sorry, Kido.”
“Well, it’s not like you or Shiina-san did anything wrong, Fujimiya-kun…”
As Ayaka said that and looked off into the distance, he felt extremely sorry for her, but there was nothing he could do about it, either.
“…Maybe I should prepare a bunch of cold drinks.”
“Yeah… Let’s cool things down.”
The Mahiru effect seemed to engulf the entire classroom in what felt like a sweltering heat, so the two of them decided to keep tabs on the air conditioning as well.
“Still, it’d be a problem if she doesn’t hold back,” Amane mused.
“Yeah, think of the poor victims…,” Ayaka said.
“Well, that’s part of it, but… having to watch this is frustrating for me.”
Ayaka gave him a puzzled look when he spilled the beans and told her how he honestly felt.
“It’s not fun watching her smile at other boys, even if it’s just in a friendly way. Call me narrow-minded, but that’s all there is to it.”
Logically speaking, he was convinced of the reason. She was only fulfilling her responsibilities for the work she’d been entrusted with, and the smile Mahiru wore was one she showed to the majority. It wasn’t the pure, innocent smile that she would only show Amane, or the faint, alluring smile of a little devil. Even so, he was aware that the reason he felt something swirling deep in his chest was because of his jealousy.
How pathetic. Amane shrugged his shoulders in self-deprecation, and Ayaka gave him a blank look with no implication whatsoever.
“You know, you really dote on Shiina-san, don’t you?”
“…Could you not say things like that so directly?”
“Ehehe. I can tell from looking at her that she’s madly in love with you, but you don’t lose to her in that sense either… I thought you weren’t the type to get too attached to things, Fujimiya-kun, but when it comes to Shiina-san, you completely change.”
“Think about how I feel when you’re telling me all this.”
“I mean, when I look at you, I can tell she’s very important to you and that you cherish her, don’t you? Fujimiya-kun, you can be a little scary when you’re emotionless, but when you’re with Shiina-san, you smile so happily that it’s easy to tell she’s someone special to you.”
She wasn’t talking as if she was teasing him, but rather, she said it solemnly, so Amane couldn’t reject her words. Ayaka greeted him with a genuinely cheerful smile as his gaze darted around.
“Well, that’s why seeing you jealous made me smile when I realized that you’re a boy too, and that you love Shiina-san. Anyway, I just thought it was nice. …I’m not in love with you, so don’t worry, okay?”
“What’s with that ending?”
“No, I mean. Shiina-san’s staring right at me.”
“You’re looking at us, aren’t you?” Her carefree voice made him realize that Mahiru was looking their way.
What she was giving him wasn’t a doubtful gaze, but one of slight dissatisfaction. He didn’t think she suspected him of being unfaithful. Just as Amane had mixed feelings about the smile Mahiru directed at others, Mahiru was unamused that Amane was acting so friendly with other girls around her.
On the other hand, Mahiru seemed to like Ayaka as a person, so her gaze was only a little uneasy.
“You’re so loved, Amane.” Itsuki appeared out of nowhere and seemed to be listening to their conversation.
“She loves you back a great deal, Fujimiya-kun,” as if following his lead, Ayaka followed suit with a cheerful smile, and Amane frowned for a moment before turning toward Mahiru with a relaxed smile.
✧ ₊ ✦ ₊ ✧
And so, just as the girls finished their customer service training, it was the boys’ turn.
“I wanna be Kadowaki-kun’s customer!”
“Eh?! That’s not fair!” Said another classmate.
“Hold it right there! Don’t make that decision on your own! If that’s the case, then me too!”
“Since when was this based on nominations?”
The girls had volunteered to be Yuuta’s practice partner first, and Amane admired them from a distance, thinking how amazing the girls were. Yuuta currently being free was probably one of the reasons for his enthusiastic appeal.
As far as he was concerned, Amane, who treated him as a friend, knew that Yuuta was a good-natured young man, and that he was attractive both as a friend and as a man, but even so, seeing how popular he was made him feel both admiration and slight pity. He had been watching from the sidelines, wondering if there was any time to relax.
The person in question, Yuuta, had a troubled, tired look in his eyes as he smiled.
“What a sight,” Ayaka commented.
Ayaka didn’t join the circle. She just gazed at it at her leisure. It was like she was watching some kind of event from afar, as if it was all someone else’s problem. She looked at Yuuta with a hint of pity in her eyes, more like the look Amane gave rather than an amused one.
“Kido, you… have a boyfriend, don’t you?” Amane asked. Remembering how she’d told Mahiru not to get the wrong idea because she had a boyfriend the last time they talked, Amane could see why she wasn’t interested in Yuuta.
“Yeah, I do.” Ayaka confirmed. “We’re in different classes, though. And we’re childhood friends. He’s actually got really big muscles.”
“That’s one hell of an introduction.”
“Well, he is my ideal. I think he’s wonderful, so I ought to praise him any chance I get.” Ayaka insisted. “…Ah, of course I like his muscles, but not only his muscles. You get me? He’s clumsy, but kind and calm.” Ayaka smiled as she said so. “If the opportunity presents itself, Fujimiya-kun, I’ll introduce you,” so he nodded in response.
Without realizing, Amane’s image of Ayaka’s boyfriend was that of a macho. Ayaka smiled and slapped her palms hard to calm the fight for the role of customer that was becoming a light commotion that drew attention.
“Listen up! Kadowaki-kun’s practice partners are in order. I’ll make a list for you, so talk it out amongst yourself and decide on the order. You’ll have to practice a few times anyway, so just take turns. This is fair, isn’t it? Actually, Akazawa-kun, you’re in charge, so it’s time for you to show off your skills as a man.”
“Well, this isn’t something a guy should be doing.” Itsuki replied. “I thought you might be able to handle it better.”
“Eh? Don’t leave it to Kadowaki-kun! And Chi-chan, don’t just stand by and watch!” said Ayaka.
“What do you mean, Eh?”
“That’s against the point. For now, let’s decide on the order of the applicants and report it to them later. Come on, the other boys are free, so let’s practice!”
As Amane smiled wryly at Ayaka, who was much more reliable than Itsuki, who was supposed to be in charge at times like this, Mahiru quietly approached him and stood next to him.
“It seems I’m your first customer, Amane-kun.”
“So it seems.” Amane replied. “And why’s everyone nominating themselves for Kadowaki?”
“Perhaps everyone thinks he’s doing a wonderful job?”
“Well, Kadowaki’s refreshing as a butler. That’s one of his good traits, I’d say.”
Yuuta, who had a troubled smile, was being swarmed by girls with sparkling eyes, and was also wearing a butler uniform. He was a calm, gentle, and cheerful, orthodox boy with a refreshing aura around him. He was the very picture of a prince, which he hated being called. His clothes suited him very well. It didn’t seem like they wouldn’t suit him unless they’re something out of the ordinary.
Yuuta himself wasn’t doing it on purpose, but he conducted himself so handsomely that he seemed to sparkle at times. As far as Amane was concerned, he’d find it troubling if he was going to be compared to Yuuta later on.
“It does suit Kadowaki-san…,” Mahiru clarified. “But that isn’t what I meant.”
“If you’re talking about preferences, it’d be a problem if you didn’t choose me Mahiru… I’m actually the one you want, right?”
“Naturally,” she said immediately, which made Amane feel a little embarrassed. But then she smoothly followed it up with, “You’re the best, Amane-kun,” so he was at a loss for words.
…It’s proof that she likes me.
It was embarrassing, but at the same time, it made him happy, so it was probably inevitable that his face would loosen up a little. Mahiru covered her mouth with her white-gloved hand to cover up her embarrassment, but then smiled very lady-like, as if she could see through everything.
And so, around the time the uproar over Yuuta’s practice partner had subsided, Amane and the others had started practicing customer service as well. It went without saying that Amane’s practice partner was Mahiru.
“Welcome. Allow me to guide you to your seat.”
He tried to smile naturally at Mahiru as she entered the classroom, as a customer, but for some reason, she froze in her tracks. She didn’t smile the same way as she did at home, instead she showed one meant for strangers, but Mahiru's gaze fluttered around for some reason.
“Dear customer, is something the matter?”
“N-No, it’s nothing.”
Mahiru shook her head vigorously, and her long braided hair swayed like a whip. Amane realized that she maintained an appropriate distance from him, her waiter, so as to not bump into him. If she kept her usual distance, it was likely to happen.
Relieved that he had enough time to think about such things, he guided Mahiru to her seat. He made sure to check the number of customers beforehand at the reception located at the entrance to the classroom to ensure that there were seats available.
“Please take a seat and wait for a moment.”
Mahiru twitched as she pulled her seat back and smiled at him. It was probably out of embarrassment and nervousness, but the embarrassment was that he was sending her a customer service smile prepared by Ayaka. He didn’t know why Mahiru was embarrassed, and if anything, Amane was the one who was embarrassed.
Since it was practice, for the time being, he decided to ignore Mahiru’s reaction, and told her what he recommended on the menu. Then he wrote down her order on the note, and headed for the simplistic kitchen, which was hidden by curtains in the room.
✧ ₊ ✦ ₊ ✧
“…This is like an ambush.”
“Not sure what you mean.”
After they took their orders, customer service practice continued on, and after watching them until they left the store, it was finally over.
When he finished practicing with Mahiru and headed over to his instructor, Ayaka, she nodded solemnly. Incidentally, Mahiru seemed restless the whole time, so he was worried that he might have made a mistake somewhere.
“Oh, there were no problems with your responses and the way you moved.”
“What about Mahiru? Why’s she acting like that?”
“Isn’t that because you were cool? You looked really good, Fujimiya-kun. Want to work part-time at our café? The manager would be happy.”
“I’ll think about it when I need money personally.”
Ayaka smiled regretfully as Amane implied he had no intention of doing so at the moment, and then glanced at Mahiru, who was fanning herself with Chitose’s file.
“Looks like Shiina-san’s going to have a rough time at the cultural festival, too~”
“Well, no doubt there would be a lot of customers coming for her.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“What do you mean?”
“Her boyfriend might attract a lot of attention, you know? I think you’d be popular if you always smiled that way.”
She poked his cheek with the end of her ballpoint pen, and he brushed it away with his fingers.
“Personally, I don’t think I’m popular or anything.”
“Fujimiya-kun, did you know? It’s true that people judge people by their appearance, but their appearance isn’t just about their facial structure… There’s cleanliness, and then their atmosphere, their movements, and their expressions. It might be rude of me to say, but I think there are people better than you when it comes to their face. But I don’t think that’s enough to decide who is favorable.”
“Well, I get what you’re trying to say, and I think so too.”
When Amane first became involved with Mahiru, he didn’t have much affection for her. He recognized that she was a beautiful girl, but he didn’t harbor any feelings for her. Part of it was that he wasn’t particularly interested in the opposite sex at that time, though.
“At least agree that you could be popular. Your smile is wonderful.”
“No, if I agree to that, It’ll make me arrogant.”
“Ahaha. But it’s true that you should smile more. You’re no match for my boyfriend, though!”
“You just casually dropped that on me after all that?”
“If you say that much, I vote for you to meet my boyfriend.”
“Hm… Well, it might be possible.”
Even Amane, who had only known her for a short period of time because of her honest, cheerful, and caring nature, was interested in her boyfriend. He wanted to see who she was so in love with. All he knew at the moment was that he was a good person and had a good body.
“Well, that’s fine. Anyway, you pass the customer service test. Here’s a flower for your good work.”
Ayaka pulled a sticker with a flower circle drawn on it out of her apron as proof that he had passed, and handed it to Amane.
Itsuki was watching from the sidelines and had a “Failed” sticker on his forehead. It wasn’t so much that it was pasted on more than that it had been given to him by Ayaka, though. As it were, Itsuki smiled way too much, and it earned him a failing mark. He was warned not to smile too flirtatiously.
“Anyway, I’ll attend to the other girls now, so why don’t you go see Shiina-san?”
“…I’ll go do that, then.”
“And if you start flirting…”
“I won’t do that.”
He appealed to her with his gaze, wondering who would do such a thing in front of so many people, but she brushed it off with her usual cheerful smile.
He was drained of any discontent he had, and he felt an indescribable itchy feeling and scratched his cheek as he made his way over to Mahiru.
“Mahiru.”
“Uu, ah, Amane-kun…”
“Oh, here comes the cause of Mahirun’s drowsiness.”
By drowsy, Chitose must have meant that Mahiru’s cheeks appeared feverish. Her white cheeks were colored even as she was serving customers.
A maid with slightly moist eyes on her red cheeks leaned back in her chair as she looked up at him, which was extremely bad for his heart.
“You know, Amane has the ability of being a Mahirun Killer, so don’t bully her too much, okay?”
“What’s with that ability…?”
“A special-attack ability that only activates on Mahirun?”
“…I don’t think I’m Amane-kun’s only target right now,” Mahiru muttered to herself, and she smiled awkwardly as Amane sat down next to her, her body quivering.
“Did I really look that good?”
“…Yes.”
“It’s a good thing I’m your boyfriend. …Well, at least understand that I don’t intend to look at anyone other than you, Mahiru.”
“I-I know that, but… I still feel complicated.”
Mahiru was fidgeting uncontrollably and shrinking down, so he patted her head to soothe her, and she blushed even more.
“…Perhaps it’s more like an attack that’s super effective on Mahirun, or an area of effect annihilation ability. By making Mahirun blush, she can cause catastrophic damage to the surroundings.”
“Did you say something?”
“No, nothing at all.”
He gave Chitose a sharp look when she started saying these weird things, and she looked away, feigning ignorance.
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