“That’s nothing compared to how much you have helped me with the election… And that’s far from the only time you’ve been there for me. You—”
“You don’t need to thank me… I only do these things…because I want to,” he whispered, almost completely out of it. That was the end of the conversation. It was time to sleep, believed Masachika, but Alisa was still saying something, much to his surprise.
“Because you want to? What does that mean?”
“Hmm? What…?”
“Why do you always help me?”
“That’s because…I…”
“…Kuze?”
“…”
Alisa was asking him a question he knew he had to answer, but he couldn’t overcome the sandman dragging him down, so he let go of his consciousness. But right as he was about to pass out, he heard these words:
“Good night…Kuze.”
“Nngh…”
When Masachika finally awoke, it was pitch-black outside.
“Ah…”
He felt a lot better already, perhaps thanks to the medicine. While his senses were still slightly dulled and his mind foggy, it might have been because he slept too much. When he looked up at the clock, it was already past eight, which meant he had been in dreamland for over five hours. It became clear to him that he had snoozed way too long after he added in the hours he had already slept that morning.
Alya must have already gone home…right?
But before he left his room to check, he grabbed his phone out of habit and curiously raised an eyebrow. There were two messages from Yuki displayed on his lock screen: Did you order a maid? and Sent you a ticking time bomb. BOOM! ☆
Masachika instantly started to worry. His gut twisted as he opened the door to his room…and he immediately imagined himself in a different world in an attempt to escape reality…because two beautiful young women were quietly…oh so quietly glaring at each other in the living room.
I see… So this is what a cold war is like. I had no idea Russia and Japan were about to go at it again.
Only his absurd imagination was keeping him from breaking down, but he was too loud when he opened the door. The two girls in the living room looked over in his direction and greeted him, dragging him back to reality whether he liked it or not.
“Kuze, are you sure you had enough rest?”
“How do you feel, Sir Masachika?”
One was Alisa, and the other was a young lady who usually always had her hair down sloppily covering her face at school but now had it neatly tied up, exposing her face, and was fully equipped (?) in a maid uniform: Ayano. Incidentally, her maid uniform was frilly, like one of those so-called maid uniforms you would see in Akihabara, but this wasn’t the Suou family staff’s official uniform. This was something she wore because Yuki wanted her to. The Suou family staff’s official uniform was far simpler. They didn’t even wear those frilly headbands. Ayano only ended up with this outfit because Yuki went straight to her grandfather and demanded, “Young women should wear cuter clothes!” Her grandfather reluctantly agreed but only if Yuki promised Ayano would not dress like that when they had guests over. Therefore, Ayano’s maid uniform was something Yuki fought for. That was how much it meant to her.
It is a cute uniform, but there’s a time and a place for it…and that place isn’t here or now.
Masachika’s eyes unfocused, staring into the distance after seeing Ayano dressed as a maid for the first time in a long time. Meanwhile, Ayano, who was sitting across from Alisa, stood swiftly and silently from her chair and slipped under his arm like some sort of teleporting wizard.
“Allow me to lend my shoulder.”
She was under his right armpit before he realized it, with her left arm wrapped around his waist and her right hand on his chest.
“Come on, now. I can walk on my own.”
“I do not want you overdoing it.”
He tried to walk away, but Ayano immediately tightened her arm around him, stiffly pressing herself against his right side.
“You need to relax, Ayano. You’re making me feel like some underground syndicate’s boss who sexually harasses his slaves.”
“You’re the one who needs to relax, Kuze… Ahem. Let go of him already.”
“I will not. It is my duty as a maid to take care of him.”
“You’re Yuki’s maid, not his.”
Ayano immediately froze…allowing Masachika to softly slip away. However…
“Lady Yuki gave me orders to take care of Sir Masachika, so it has become my duty to take care of him.”
Ayano squeezed him in her arms once more as if to say, “I won’t let you escape!” Alisa’s eyebrow suddenly twitched.
“Therefore, I will be taking over from here. You may go now. It is late, so I will have the Suou family driver take you home.”
Ack! I know she probably means well, but the way she said that sounds like she’s trying to start a fight!
“It’s getting late, so you should probably go home and get some sleep. I can handle the rest,” was what Ayano probably meant, but thanks to her detached tone and the fact that she was holding Masachika tightly in her arms, you could also interpret her words as, “You’re of no use now that I’m here. The driver’s already waiting for you outside, so hurry up and get out of here.”
Alisa raised her eyebrows sharply before fixing Ayano with a fierce glare, but Ayano stared right back at her without blinking.
Wait… Ayano did mean well when she said that…right?
Wouldn’t she look more confused if she meant well? You wouldn’t glare back at someone like this, right? Hold on… Is there going to be a bloodbath? Did I walk into a battle zone?
Right as the suspicions started popping into Masachika’s mind, he suddenly remembered the second message Yuki had sent him: Sent you a ticking time bomb. BOOM! ☆ Were the chills running down his spine caused by his cold…or was it something else?
“Besides, shouldn’t you be preparing for tomorrow?” added Ayano.
“…”
Alisa’s eyebrow twitched again…but Masachika had no idea what Ayano was talking about.
“Tomorrow? What’s happening tomorrow?”
“Nothing. It’s a school day. That’s all,” replied Alisa quickly, talking over him, but her answer didn’t really make him less concerned. However…
“Kuze, who do you want to stay here to take care of you?”
A small question instantly came to mind.
What kind of question is that?!
It was a question that led nowhere good, and it made Masachika inwardly scream.
I’m more used to Ayano taking care of me, and I feel guilty for keeping Alya this long already, so my answer is Ayano…but that’s not what kind of question this is, is it?
This wasn’t about logic or reasoning. Women want to hear how you really feel about them when they ask you questions like this, and Masachika knew that.
How do I really feel? What do I want?
He spaced out somewhat, as if his fever was slowly returning, and he asked his heart what it wanted—what it desired. Whom did he want to stay with him? That answer was simple and naturally rolled off his tongue.
“I want a harem.”
Dammit! I forgot I was human garbage! recalled Masachika suddenly as the light in Alisa’s eyes vanished.
“Oh, uh. No. What I meant was, uh…”
“…”
“Very well. Shall I call for Lady Yuki?”
“No!”
“Lady Alisa, could you support Masachika’s left side for me?”
“I don’t need anyone supporting anything.”
“You do not need to be embarrassed. We understand that all men desire to impregnate as many women as possible.”
Ayano’s eyes were crystal clear, a complete reverse of Alisa’s.
“I know your heart’s in the right place, but do you think you could stop making me sound even worse than I already do?!”
His painful shout was met with Alisa’s deep sigh, which tickled his ear and made him jump.
“I suppose there’s nothing to worry about if you’re feeling good enough to scream that much.”
“Huh? Alya?”
“I’m going home. I made you some borscht, so feel free to help yourself whenever you get hungry.”
“B-borscht? Oh, is that what that smell is?”
Masachika looked around the living room as an aroma filled the air. Alisa quietly nodded, then picked up her belongings and started to walk out.
“A-Ayano? I’m having a hard time walking with you holding me like that, so do you think you could let go?”
“…Very well.”
After finally managing to break free from Ayano, he followed Alisa before stopping at the front door and apologizing.
“I’m really sorry, especially since you came all the way here to help me… Anyway, I really appreciate what you did for me today. Thanks.”
Her expression softened.
“It’s fine… I helped you…because I wanted to, too.”
“Hmm? ‘Too’?”
“…Don’t worry about it.”
She shifted her gaze away from his curious expression and locked eyes with Ayano, who was standing diagonally behind him.
“Take good care of Kuze for me.”
“I will.”
She bowed slightly to Ayano before looking at Masachika again.
“…?”
Alisa’s eyes. Her eyes harbored a strong will, as if she was determined to do something—something unknown to him.
“Alya?”
“Good night, Kuze.”
“Y-yeah… Good night.”
But she smoothly turned on her heel, pushed the front door open, and left without responding to his call. He watched, feeling like something was off, but his worries were pushed aside the moment Ayano locked the front door after quietly slipping past him.
“Are you okay? Do you need me to lend you my shoulder?”
“No, I’m fine. Really.”
Ayano took a step closer to him, but he retreated.
“Hold on. Something has been stabbing me in the leg. Do you have something in your pocket?” he whined, painfully rubbing the outside of his thigh. She froze for a moment and tilted her head before blinking hard as if she had just realized something.
“Oh, that’s…”
Out of nowhere, she grabbed her skirt and confidently lifted it in one quick swoop.
“What the…?!”
Ayano’s white knee-high socks were revealed in all their glory before Masachika’s wondering gaze, including her…bare thighs…?
“…Ayano. What’re those?”
Something inside him died when he saw what was wrapped around her thighs: two black bands on each leg holding what appeared to be silver pens.
“Weapons.”
“They’re what?!” shouted Masachika in an almost shrill voice. Ayano suddenly swung her right arm, slapping her skirt and causing it to flutter, just barely covering the secrets to the universe. No man could resist staring in anticipation, Masachika included. She then thrust a palm forward but stopped before his eyes.
“They’re weapons.”
“…What are you doing?”
Wedged between her fingers were three extremely pointy metal pens. With enough force, a hit to the throat with one of these could easily kill someone, but…why was she hiding something like this under her skirt?
“Lady Yuki told me it ‘wouldn’t be right’ without these.”
“Yep. Figured.”
“She told me that a maid dress was a type of combat uniform, so I had to be prepared for battle at all times.”
“Huh, I wonder who she plans on fighting.”
Masachika returned to the living room, not even in the mood to comment on it anymore.
“Are you hungry? There is borscht in the kitchen, as you know.”
“Oh, right. Do you think you could get me a bowl?”
“Very well. I will be back shortly.”
Long after sitting down in a chair and checking his temperature, a wonderful aroma wafted by.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. What was your temperature?”
“According to this thermometer, it’s 37.4 degrees Celsius, so way better already.”
“I am glad to hear that. Here, I reheated it for you.”
“Thanks.”
When he grabbed the spoon and peeked into the bowl, he found exactly what one would expect to see with borscht: a dark-crimson soup. Alisa apparently didn’t put any meat in it and only went with thoroughly boiled vegetables, probably due to him being sick.
“So… Let’s see how it tastes.”
He scooped a spoonful into his mouth, nearly wincing at the soup’s acidity, but the sweetness from the vegetables almost immediately followed. Masachika could feel his dulled senses rapidly awaken.
“This is delicious…”
His appetite returned in the blink of an eye, and he scooped up a large helping of vegetables next, each one perfectly boiled, melting in his mouth without him even having to chew. The cabbage and onions were sweet, and the beets didn’t have much of an earthiness to them, either.
I really wasn’t a fan of the earthy beets in Grandpa’s borscht back in the day… He always laughed and said they wouldn’t be beets without the flavor, but I prefer these beets way more.
He continued fervently eating in a daze until he realized his bowl was completely empty.
“There is still some borscht in the pot if you would like seconds.”
“…Yeah, I could go for a little more.”
He ended up finishing off the pot after that. Even Masachika was kind of surprised he could eat that much.
“That was delicious… I really owe Alya one.”
She’d said something like it takes four or so hours to make borscht, and Masachika felt nothing but gratitude for someone who spent that long doing something for him.
“Phew…”
His head started to feel a little fuzzy again after eating. It could have been because he was stuffed, but maybe his fever was returning, too.
“I brought you your medicine.”
“Oh, thanks.”
He took his medicine once more, then stood up so he could go lie down. After stopping Ayano from helping, he sluggishly dragged his legs back to his room and crashed onto his bed.
“Hff…”
“Would you like me to draw a bath for you?”
“Hmm… I think I’m good for today.”
“Then at least allow me to wipe your body for you.”
“I think I’m gonna go hop in the shower.”
He immediately reversed his first decision when he saw the glowing determination in Ayano’s eyes and her clenched fists. His gut told him that something really bad would happen if he allowed her to help when he was in such a weakened state.
“Then allow me to wash your back—”
“No. I’m fine.”
“There is no need to worry. I will put a blindfold on.”
“Huh, I was wondering when the blindfold setup was going to show. Anyway, blindfolded body washing? Sounds dangerous.”
“Then I will not put on a blindfold.”
“Sounds dirty.”
“You can feel comfortable around me. As your maid, I promise not to look at your nude body sexually.”
“What kind of declaration is that? Like, who declares something like that?”
“And if I break that promise, you can do whatever you want to my—”
“Okay, okay, okay. I’ve heard enough.”
After his shower, Masachika continued to do whatever he could to keep Ayano from trying to help him do every little thing, and by the time he was ready to go to bed, he was utterly exhausted both physically and mentally.
“Sleep well.”
“Yeah… Good night.” He waved, pretending not to notice how restless she was acting.
“Perhaps I should sleep by your side and—”
“No. I don’t want you catching my cold.”
“Then how about a lullaby?”
“No thanks.”
It was as if she were saying, “Really? Are you sure?” as she refused to completely close the door to his room, peeking inside through the crack.
“Ayano.” Masachika sighed softly and narrowed his eyes.
“…! Yes? What can I do for you? You do need me, don’t you? You want me to sing you a lullaby, don’t you?” said her glittering eyes as she opened the door.
“This is an order. Go to Yuki’s room and go to bed,” he sternly demanded.
“…! Very well. Good night.”
The instant he uttered the word order, she sprang into the air, and she promptly bowed before withdrawing from the room.
“I should have said that an hour ago…,” said Masachika with an exasperated smile, and he grabbed his phone to check it before going to sleep, discovering yet another message from Yuki displayed on the screen: Ayano VS Alya—Match 1: Ayano wins.
“You make it sound like there’s gonna be a second match,” he joked in a whisper, placing his phone down before rolling over. Although he figured it’d be hours before he could fall asleep after sleeping so long that day, the urge to get some shut-eye came quickly, so he surrendered himself to the force, and he slowly fell asleep.
…Yes, he fell asleep without even revisiting what was bothering him about Alisa’s attitude when she left…and without thinking deeply about what Yuki said in her texts. But by the time he realized that, it was already over. It was all too late.
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