Seikadai is a private institution with a formidable school cafeteria. Since itâs always packed during lunch time, finding a seat is constantly troublesome. As always, I decided on the daily lunch menu, and today it was fried pork with ginger.
âAhhh, the noodles today are as delicious as ever! Iâm glad that I came to Seikadai!â
Like it was the natural flow of events, Amanashi Nui was sitting at the table together with me. In front of Nui was a big portion of cutlet curry, with a big mountain of cheese on top. Additionally, salad and one single clump of karaage next to it.
âNui, shouldnât you be wary of your proportions since youâre working as a gravure idol?â
âNnn? Ahh, well Iâll look a bit bloated, but itâll be back to normal in a few hours, I guess. If I donât eat enough, Iâll get skinny.â
âYouâd get cursed to death from the women in the world if they heard that.â
âNo way! Saigi-kun will die while covering for me! Donât leave me behind!â
âWhat kind of story are you making up on the brim?!â
Am I going to get killed off in slow motion while sad BGM is playing?
ââŚActually, some complaints have been brought to the student council.â
âEh? What complaints?â
Facing Nui and us, also sitting at the table was Jinsho Karen-senpai. She is one year higher than me, and the student council president of Seikadaiâs high school institute. Being at the top of all the students, sheâs also at the top of SID, although the existence of SIDis a secret. Iâd be troublesome if everyone knew after all. Long glossy black hair, and a well-specced features. Wearing the summer uniform, her voluptuous breasts were sticking out even more. Her firm attitude made her perfect for the role as the student council president, and she was without a doubt what one would call a beauty.
âRecently, Amanashi Nui and Saigi Makoto have been rather noisy in the school cafeteria. Though we arenât directly involved with the events of the school cafeteria, we still cannot ignore that.â
âThe only noisy one thats here is Nui. Iâm innocent.â
âAhh, donât leave me hanging here! Youâre wrong okay? Iâm getting noisy because I have Sai-kun with me! Iâm not all that noisy when Iâm on my own!â
âHow about you try to not be noisy at all when youâre alone?â
Really, being able to be noisy even when sheâs alone, this is why Nui is so scary.
âIâve confirmed that the complaints are the real dealâŚHowever, it also seems to me that Saigi Makoto is suddenly calling Amanashi Nui by her given name it seems.â
âAh, wellâŚit just sort of happened.â
âEven so, you still call me Karen-kaichou. I wonder if I should discuss that with everyone from SID with you being in a kangaroo courtâŚâ
âWait a second. Discussing and kangaroo court donât really add up here though?! No, thatâs not the problem here!â
âAh see, Sai-kun is also getting loud.â
âDonât retort there! Just no more kangaroo court pleaseâŚâ
âAlso, just until a while ago, Sai-kun called me by my full name. Even though weâve known each other since grade school, you treated me like I was a stranger.â
âStop making it sound like Iâve treated you like this for a long time and start constructing a deeper relationship with me than like beforeâŚâ
To be fair, we did apparently know each other since grade school, but I never really paid much attention to the existence called Amanashi Nui.
âSo you wonât call me by my first name because Iâm still a stranger to youâŚLord, will you forgive me if I sully this bodyâŚâ
âHey hey hey! You nun trainee! What kind of questions are you asking your god!â
Karen-kaichou was raised in a cloister. Right now sheâs a trainee while simultaneously working there.
Karen-kaichouâs nun appearanceâŚIâd like to see that once.
âSo I havenât only been left behind by Fujiki-sensei, but also Amanashi Nui, so I have to pick up some speed. Have to think a bit more.â
âNot just a bit. Please think through this deeply.â
This firm, strict beauty with long, black hair seems to be in love with me too? What has happened in this world?
âAnd, what were we talking aboutâŚOh yes, not only is Shinju Muku staying over at the Saigi household, but Fujiki-senseiâs household is also in danger.â
âBut weâre only talking about the cat cafe that Maka-senseiâs father is managing.â
I wasnât the one who brought up Kuu having run away, and neither the cat cafe pinch. Itâs all thanks to the information exchange between Maka-sensei and SID.
âMuuuâŚKuu-tan, not bad. But itâs true, running away is a possibility. Maybe Iâll start a fight with my father and stay over at the Saigi houseâŚâ
âDonât just hurt your father; And also, you wonât get to stay over even if you come.â
âWhyyy, so unfair! Are you saying that instead of this well-endowed high school girl, youâre fine with a flat grade school girl?!â
âWhat do you mean by âfineâ ?! Stop blurting out BS in a loud voice like that!â
The people around us will judge me because of that! As of recently, I had been standing out negatively already. Just by having the beautiful student council president and the gravure idol sit with me is getting me death stares.
âAnd, Saigi Makoto, are you sleeping together with an unripe grade school girl?â
âWhatâs with that questionâŚKuu is sleeping in my little sisterâs room.â
Since Miharu has countless games in her room, we brought all the goods over to my room to make space for Kuu to sleep on a futon there. Though it wouldâve been fine for Kuu to sleep in my room, she just commented with âItâs embarrassingâŚâ and declined. So itâs fine for the two of us to take a bath together, but sleeping in the same room is too much? Pretty weird if you ask me.
âWell, it doesnât matter if Kuu is staying over. Iâm used to it.â
âSo the problem is the unprofitable business operation of the cat cafe then? Why is it suddenly in such a state then?â
âWell, itâs the influence of a rival store nearby or something.â
I really didnât do anything besides the basicsan explanationâ
But this year in April, another cat cafe has opened up in the neighbourhood. Since this rival cafe is flourishing greatly, many of Maka-senseiâs fatherâs guests had started to move over there. And because Maka-sensei had been busy with other things, the bad state of the management went unseen.
âI see, but this doesnât have anything to do with Saigi Makoto, right?â
âYouâre right about that, butâŚKuu has taken quite a liking to that cat cafe, you seeâŚâ
I really canât just go âAh, is that soâ and ignore the whole situation.
âIâll do whatever I can to keep the business running again, but money is the only thing I cannot help you with.â
âI-Iâm happy with those feelings aloneâŚâ
Ms. Student Council President over here is saying tremendously bad things without any remorse at all.
âRecently, Iâve been really busy, you see. To improve my style, I got a special trainer, and so on. He warned me that heâd kill me if I eat too much.â
âNui, do you have a death wish or something?â
Is a threatening trainer like that really okay? I donât have to worry about her, right? Well, at least her job is going good these days. Maybe that photo shoot a while ago really boosted her popularity.
âSo after Amanashi Nui, itâs Shinju Muku whoâs on the moveâŚAnd Saigi Miharu has an even closer position from the get-goâŚItâs time, huh.â
ââŚâŚâŚâ
What is this âItâs timeâ?
The student council president, as well as the leader of SID; Her personality is close to Maka-sensei, so I donât even want to fathom what sheâll do if she gets serious.
âDo not worry, Saigi Makoto. I will make sure to watch over the developments of the cat cafe.â
âY-Yeah, thanks for thatâŚâ
Seems like sheâs not going to go out just yet. Still, there wonât be anything changing at this rateâŚThereâs nothing a single high school student like me could do right?
âOr so I thought. Maka-sensei showed no hesitation whatsoever to call me to the cat cafe, And also, didnât we talk about breaking up while people are still doubting us! Doing our âsecret meetingsâ outside would completely ruin the meaning!
Anyways, classes had ended, and I headed towards the cat cafe that Maka-senseiâs father managed. On the other hand, Maka-sensei was still on her job, so I thought I might as well check out the circumstances while I can.
âMmmâŚWhere is it!â
Not good, Iâm completely lost. Well, the last (and first) time I went there, Maka-sensei brought me with her. Even my app isnât really helping me outâŚ
From the closest train station, it was three stops further, and a few minutes of walking. Since I rarely went off at this station, I wasnât familiar with the surroundings.
âNnnâŚ?â
Suddenly, my eyes stopped in front of a shop. Moving towards a nearby convenience store, I was acting like I was checking my phone while glancing over there. A sign with a cute cat illustration was drawn on it.
âŚIs thisâŚthe rivaling cat cafe?
âChange of plans, checking out the enemyâŚI guess.â
But, how do I say itâit gives off that âNo male customers allowedâ feeling. A lot of guests entered the store, but most of them were young women. I wonder if theyâll kick me out if I went in there aloneâŚIf I was with Kuu, this would be no problem. Or so I thought whenâ
âOver here is Juliette 64. Currently, number 620. I will now infiltrate the enemyâs base.â
ââŚâŚâ
Haaa, this seems like itâll be a bother again. Another person was next to me in front of the convenience store. A girl that was about the same age as me had a bob cut with brown her and a red sailor uniform on; Her red mini skirt was on the shorter side too, revealing her thighs a bit too much. Not to mention the holstersâŚSheâs not armed with a gun, right?
Still, her face is pretty cuteâŚBut that isnât enough to get my heart beating faster. On the contrary, because of all these cute girls around me these past few months, it feels like my resistance went up.
Anyways, the bob cut girl was mumbling something to herself, looking suspicious enough that the police wouldnât scold me if I reported her.
âMaybe I should put on some sunglasses? No, wouldnât that make me stand out more? MmmâŚHey, you over there, what are you looking at?â
âAh, wellâŚâ
What a bossy way to call out to meâŚSeems like sheâs not that nice of a girl. Well, something of this level can be expected from high school girls.
ââŚMm? You want to get into that store? Ahh, it makes sense that a single boy like you would hesitate to go in there. Yeah yeah, then our interests overlap. You want to get into that cat cafe, right?â
âY-Yes. I sort of got interestedâŚâ
Iâm not all that good with these abrasive girls. Though Maka-sensei and Karen-kaichou are already in the area of wild and pushy, they surely wouldnât arrive at a level like this.
âIf so, then follow me! I wonât hurt you!â
ââŚâŚâ
That one phrase gives me enough reason to worry, you know.
âAh, Iâm from Seogawa girls high, Sekiya Raiha. Second year.â
âSaigi Makoto from Seikadai institute. Iâm also a second year.â
Iâve heard of Seogawa. Itâs a girls-only high, not too far away from Seikadai.
âOhh, so youâre in the same year as me. I thought you were a middle school kiddo.â
ââŚI get that a lot.â
Kuuâs also pretty tiny, but even I donât look like your average high school second year guy.
âSeikadai, huh~ I have some peeps I know over there, but itâs pretty famous. You a rich kid or something? Will you be willing to treat me?â
ââŚIâm just your average high school student.â
Since Miharu and I attended Seikadai since grade school, I couldnât complain. Even so, I donât have the money to treat a random stranger like this.
âIâm just joking, Iâm not as crazy to ask a person I just met to treat me. My poor times had held on for so long that I happened to jump back to my old habits. Oh Lord, please forgive this sinful me!â
âO-OkayâŚâ
You say that, but you probably wouldnât have complained if I said yes. Well, itâs not like this is something youâd have to ask the gods to forgive you for. But, it seems like I have no other choice. Itâs better than entering this shop alone.
That being saidâ
The two of us immediately stormed onto the enemy territory.
âI see, it really is a nice store, and the cats here are for spoiling the guests; So the staff here can look into the hearts of the catsâŚâ
ââŚâŚâ
Sekiya-san, I cannot guess at all what youâre on about. Even though we managed to safely get in here without raising suspicionâŚisnât that just a matter of time at this point?
Before that happens, Iâd better get some information out of this.
âMmmmâŚI heard that it was a popular store, but is it really that much different from any other cat cafe?â
âNaive words amateur, Youâre the type that doesnât visit a cat cafe often, huh?â
âYes, this is just my second time.â
This is the first time I visited one during business hours.
âThe main purpose of cat cafes are cats, of course. Snacks or drinks not as much, and neither the looks of the staff. Everything in the store is supposed to put attention on the cats.â
ââŚO-Okay?â
âThere are guests who enjoy getting touchy with cats, or those that just enjoy the atmosphere with having them around. Playing with them with the toys, patting them, or drinking herb tea while watching them play with each other. Those are the two prominent types that frequent cat cafes.â
âI-Is that soâŚâ
I never once thought about the joys of visiting a cat cafe, you know.
âItâs not just about gathering cute and clingy cats. Theyâre not bad, here.â
âI still have no idea what you mean to tell me with that.â
âAnyways, Iâm a guest now! We paid the fee, so letâs enjoy ourselves!â
Sekiya-san said so, and sat down in front of a few cats, lying on the floor.
âCome on, Saigi Makoto, over here. This is your place.â
ââŚAlright.â
To have her call me with the added âMakotoâ, huh.
Following her instructions, I sat down to face her. By the way, shoes arenât allowed in here, because itâs a carpet.
âAhh, theyâre so cute though~â
To be honest, Iâm quite the cat lover. Though I definitely lose against Kuu, I was also excited to search for cats on that night stroll.
âNow, câmere, you cats~ Just do how you please with my body!â
ââŚâŚâ
Lying down in front of the cats, Sekiy-san widened her arms, and a few cats slowly started approaching her.
âŚOhh, amazingâŚIt looks like the cats are getting manipulated by her. So thereâs also the pattern of the cats approaching you, huh.
âOhhh, quite the clingy ones you have here. These cats are proficient in customer service it seems.â
âSo recently, cats need skills like thatâŚâ
âŚWait, thatâs not important.
If sheâs lying down like this while previously having faced me, her miniskirtâ
Uhm, I can see your panties. Quite the cute design too, emerald green.
âNnn? Whatâs wrong, Saigi Makoto?â
âAh, no, uhmâŚwhatâs with these holstersâŚ? Youâre not holding a gun, right?â
Trying to hide my fluster, I got on the topic of her holster, which got me intrigued from the very start.
âHa ha ha, thereâs nothing in there. It just gets me in the mood!â
ââŚâŚâ
What moodâŚBut, I understand that sheâs a military freak now.
âBut, you can put your smartphone or sweets in thereâŚLike, so!â
Sekiya-san put her hand into the holster, and in response, the cats were basically jumping onto her. Because of all the cats, her sailor uniform got wrinkled, and her belly became visible. The cats also crawled into her skirt, now completely revealing her emerald green panties.
âUwaaa, so attached to me! Kya, hey, donât lick my belly like that!â
She let out a shriek, but she sounded happy nonetheless. So happy, that she didnât realize the current state of her appearance at all.
ââŚYou look like youâre having fun.â
ââŚâŚ!â
The voice I heard from behind my back belonged to Seikadaiâs unobtainable flower. I didnât even have to turn around to check, because I already felt the dark aura she was emitting crawl up my back.
âI hurried up to finish my job, and check out the enemy. Not just the gravure idol or the young girl, now youâre cheating on me with a sailor uniform girlâŚâ
ââŚGood work todayâŚâ
Not turning around at all, I just greeted the teacher that was standing behind my back. The clingy types after a break-up really are a painâŚ
âAh? Maka-san. Why are you here?â
ââŚHello, Raiha-chan.â
Still being overrun by the cats, Sekiya-san directed her gaze at Maka-senseiâ
Nnnn� They know each other? Why does this smell like a really bothersome development already�
I couldâve sworn I heard the atmosphere grumble in an intense mood.
We were currently in the break room of Maka Papaâs cat cafe. Sitting around a long, white table, four people had gathered.
ââŚUhm, so the storeâs name is âNekoranyaâ huh. The time I came here before, I couldnât get a good look at it.â
â âNeko wa uragiranyaiâ, is what it means, or Nekoranya short. And now remember that the name came into existence from the idea of a man in his fifties.â
(TLC: Means âCats wonât betray youâ)
Maka-sensei responded, the dark aura sheâs emitting as dense as ever.
âThatâs right. Cats wonât betray you. Thatâs why we have to help these cats here, Sensei.â
Here was the other person who was emitting an aura. However, this one was filled with determination, more than anger and jealousy. Kuu seems to be highly motivated to protect this store. Her usual nonchalant expression went off somewhere, and seriousness filled her gaze.
âItâs a bit embarrassing when I give out the receipt, you know.â
And the final member was Sekiya Raiha-san. On top of her sailor uniform, she was now wearing an apron with the name of the cafe and a cat illustration.
Yes, Sekiya-san is a part-time jobber here at Nekoranya. Explains why Maka-sensei knew her.
âThough there are lots of things I want to say to Saigi-kunâŚfirst is the emergency meeting.â
Ohh⌠So sheâs prioritizing the cafe instead of her jealousy, huh. Well, Sekiya-san told her how things went down back then, so that makes sense.
âThen, letâs start the âNekoranya salvation meeting number 1â now.â
It looks like the shop is closed off today. Normally, theyâd leave the store open until 8pm, but they had to prioritize this meeting.
âBy the way, the manager is currently closing himself off the world with his lover on the second floor.â
âUhmâŚsaying lover in front of a kid is a bitâŚâ
Of course, lover referred to the cat Maka Papa liked the most. That explains why heâs not participating in this meeting as well. That reminds me, I heard a lot about Maka Papa, but I never once met him in person.
âSensei, kids or lovers or whatever doesnât matter right now.â
The young girl warned the high school student with a stern expression.
âRight now, we have to focus on saving Nekoranya. We have to think of our very first countermeasure. Of course, we canât fight against fellow cat cafes. We have to protect every cat in either store.â
âK-Kuuâs really motivatedâŚâ
This might be the first time Iâve seen Kuu so energetic. Then again, itâs like she turns into a different person when cats are involved.
âHahaha, Muku-chanâs fired up alright! Seeing a regular like this, I canât be happier as an employee!â
âLetâs work together, as store and regular, Raiha-oneesan!â
ââŚâ
Of course, Kuu also knew Sekiya-san.
ââŚWhy is Kuu always visiting this store anyway?â
I always had my doubts about that. As soon as Golden Week ended, she naturally started making her way over here as often as she couldâŚ
âMiharu-oneechan told me that sheâd heard about this Nekoranya from Maka-chan. And I always wanted to see a cat cafe for myself.â
âSo Miharu is the information broker, huhâŚâ
Well, not like telling Kuu about a cat cafe is a bad thing or anything.
âHave to scout more about Maka-chan tooâŚâ
ââŚâŚâŚHey.â
So gathering information about the rival was also a meaning for this meeting. But, she really is using the âMaka-chanâ, huh.
âScouting? Why would Muku-chan have to scout out Maka-san?â
âI donât really get it, but itâs probably for the better if you donât understand, Sekiya-san.â
âI see, so itâs fine. Then, letâs continue the meeting.â
Iâm glad that Sekiya-san possesses some rational thinkingâŚAnd our relationship with SID isnât something you can really tell other people either.
âBut, Maka-san? Shouldnât we get the manager here, or there will be things left unknown, right?â
âPaâFather is living everything to me. Saying that itâd be better if he didnât do anything to make things worse.â
âMaka-senseiâs father is really easy to give upâŚâ
âItâs because a lot happened in his past. Itâs fine, Iâm more than enough to handle the situation. Concerning the contracts and whatnot, Iâm always getting trustworthy help too.â
âI-I seeâŚâ
Because of a fraud, the company he was working at was completely squashed after all. Itâd be safe to leave it to the Maka-sensei, being not as fast to give in to temptations.
âI took a look at the account book of the store, and the situation grew worse as I was busy with my job at the school. If only I checked it earlier, we couldâve done something before the lead was this different.â
âWell, Iâm sorry, Maka-san. Every employee are just part-time workers, so we donât really understand the account book stuff.â
Ha ha ha, laughed Sekiya-san.
Even though sheâs one of the people that would suffer the most, she really is as lax as ever.
âAnyway, letâs take a look together,â said Maka-sensei, focussing her gaze on the laptop put down on the table.
âItâs even worse than I had imagined. Since we only sell beverages here, the sales arenât that bad, but after the rival opened, our performance went down very much.â
Ohh, Maka-sensei, looking so gallantâŚI kinda forget at times, but sheâs the real deal when she gets serious. Not just as a teacher, but the type that can do anything. Normally, youâd have a specialist take a look at this after all.
ââŚNnn? Maka-sensei, is it fine to help out the store like this? I thought that teachers werenât allowed to have any other jobsâŚ?â
âThatâs not a problem. Since this store belongs to my family, Iâm just helping out there.â
âI see, that makes sense.â
So the school doesnât complain if itâs like that.
âIf we have Maka-chanâs assistance, we can definitely save the store. Especially for this Kagome-chan here!â Kuu made a fist with these words.
On top of Kuuâs lap was a white cat, softly sleeping. Sheâs called âKagomeâ, and is one of Kuuâs favorites here. I wonder if sheâs the reason why Kuu had gotten in a fight with Kouko-senseiâŚWell, she really is cute. So much that even I would want to take her with me. Itâs a shame, but I already have a lazy cat at home, called Miharu.
âI will not hold back. No, I will guide Nekoranya to a new future!â
ââŚâŚâŚâ
Someone care to explain why Maka-sensei is so energetic all of a suddenâŚ? Iâm sure that sheâs troubled because itâs her fatherâs store, but something feels weird.
âBut, what should we do? That storeââCyattottoâ, was it? Going on reconnaissance there made it clear that stealing the customers back would be difficult.â
Still, first Nekoranya, and now this? Does nobody have a good sense of naming anymore.
âOur cats wonât lose in terms of cuteness. No, theyâre actually winning. Cyattottoâs cats are all plenty cute, but we are on top. Their fur is fluffy, and they all have cute faces!â
Sekiya-san proudly declared, and Kuu nodded enthusiastically. Yeah, theyâre cat lovers on a different level than me, alrightâŚ
âIt doesnât matter how cute our cats are if we donât get any customers. We have to think of a way to drag inâattract more customers first and foremost.â
For now, Maka-senseiâs actually keeping it realistic it seems.
âMaka-san, as the representative of us employeeâsâno, as a cat lover, let me say one thing!â
Sekiya-san stood up, straightened her back, and gazed straight at Maka-sensei with a keen expression.
âWe are just a cat cafe! Cats are the most important aspect! We are different from other entertainment businesses! Neither the employees, not the guests play the leading role. This is a store, solely existing for the cats!â
âI see, so we canât have the employeeâs stand out more than the cats themselves.â
Ohhh, Maka-sensei is standing on the lectured sideâŚWhat a rare sight, I have to say.
âYes, I perfectly understandâŚâ
NnnnâŚ?! W-What was that grin in her face about just now? S-Sheâs not planning something, is sheâŚ?
âThen, letâs start, Saigi-kun.â
The continuation inside the break room of Nekoranya. Kuu and Sekiya-san both went home already. Maka-sensei ordered a taxi for Sekiya-san, and she took the responsibility to safely bring home Kuu to the Saigi household. Even though itâs for the safety of this young girlâŚsheâs very considerateâŚalmost suspiciousâŚ
âUhmâŚyou say start, but what exactly do you mean?â
The only two people left in the break room were Maka-sensei and I. Ahhh, I wanted to go home in a taxi too~
âOf course, the second meeting on how to save Nekoranya. Shinju-sanâŚNo, Iâll call her Muku-san, her mother is complaining about various things after all.â
âWell, thatâs one thing, yesâŚâ
âI perfectly understood Muku-sanâs enthusiasm, and Raiha-chanâs complaints. And, I will be the one to save Nekoranya!â
âYouâre taking quite the responsibility there, SenseiâŚâ
Even though she can neither order in a restaurant, nor sit at the counter fo a sushi restaurant.
âThough I heard a certain jab in those words, Iâll ignore that for today. Saigi-kun has school tomorrow, so I wouldnât want you to get home too late.â
âWell, thanks for thatâŚâ
Saying it like that makes me only worry more thoughâŚ
âFirst, Iâll have to make my goal clear here. Iâll be troubled if we run out of business with the shop. No hidden backside.â
âItâs your fatherâs store after all. But, thatâs not just it, right?â
Doubtful Saigi Makoto is here to doubt everyone and everything!
Saying that she has no hidden backside with this is like an invitation to doubt her.
ââŚI mean, my father is paying the rent for my room. If the shop runs out of business, heâll be unable to pay it, and I wonât be able to live next to Saigi-kun after all, with the both of us in joint bankruptcyâŚâ
âJoint bankruptcyâŚâ
Now that she says it, Maka-sensei is living alone in an apartment made for a small family. Makes sense that the rent would be too high to pay with just her pay from being a teacher.
âSo now youâre being honest, Maka-sensei.â
âWe wouldnât make any progress if you kept doubting me all the time, right?â
Maka-sensei pouted, her face red. But, I understand now why sheâs so motivated. Still, why canât she just be honest and say that she wants to save her father?
âThat being said, letâs start. Ahhh, how fun.â
âF-Fun?â
âIâm finally alone with Saigi-kun after all. At school, the vice principal is constantly on my back, and I canât even kiss you, you know?!â
âYou couldnât do that normally either!â
Kissing at school like that was always way too dangerous, and now even more so.
âAh, for now, letâs kiss now. Kiss!â
âNnnnâŚ!â
Maka-sensei grabbed my cheeks, and pushed her lips on mine. Itâs been so long, so the softness, and sweetness were a bit too stimulatingâ
ââŚWait, why do you suddenly kiss me like that!â
âAhhh, I donât care about a reason to punish you. I just want to live according to my desiresâŚâ
âSensei is living according to her desires alreadyâŚPlenty, I dare say.â
And sheâs way too good at hiding it.
âFuuu, for now, my desires were realized.â
ââŚâŚâŚâ
Being kissed by such a beauty, my desires will grow only more, you know. Of course, I canât say that, but does she even realize that?
âAlright, letâs return to the business. The secret Nekoranya salvation plan will start now!â
âSecret?! I feel like I cannot ignore that vocabulary, you knowâŚ!â
âImportant plans always need the secret to make them more spicy. Uhhhm.â
âS-Sensei?! Why are you suddenly stripping again in front of me?! Isnât your resistance a bit too low in front of me?!â
âDonât be ridiculous. Iâm so embarrassed I could die. Just on a side note, whenever I stripped in front of you, I was always rolling around on my bed the same evening, wishing I could just disappear, you know?â
âThen stop it already and keep on living!â
âI really donât have to strip?â
ââŚI-Itâs fine.â
âAhh, for one second, I saw Saigi-kunâs cuteness. Ahhh, my heart!â
âCan we return back to the topic at hand now!â
Since I still didnât trust her, I turned my back to her just in case.
âMuuuâŚEven though itâd be fine for you to look at bit moreâŚWell, itâll take a bit more, so wait a second,â Maka-sensei said, and continued to take off her clothes.
Additionally, I heard something like a locker open. Apparently, this break room was also used for the female employeeâs to change.
âAlright, you can turn around now.â
ââŚWow, it really fits ya!â
âHey! Where did all the surprisement go you had at the start?!â
âIâm used to Sensei cosplaying at this pointâŚâ
When I turned around, Maka-sensei had taken off her blouse and miniskirt, and finished changing into something different. Well, I did show a dry reaction, but Iâm surprised nonetheless.
âWhere did you even get that maid outfit fromâŚâ
âIn todayâs time, you can easily get one.â
Even though this person asked the same question just a while ago. Really, what happened to his countryâŚ
Anyways, as you might have guessedâMaka-sensei was currently wearing a maid uniform. Although itâs a rather classic maid uniformâŚ
âSomehow, even a normal maid uniform looks so indecent with Maka-senseiâŚâ
âOhhh, how honest of my dear Saigi-kun.â
Even though itâs just a normal maid uniform, her breast region makes it look straight out of an adult video. Her two voluptuous mountains were clearly the main attraction. The only thing different is the super short miniskirt. Itâs totally at the length where Iâd be able to see her panties if I lifted it up just a small bitâŚNot to mention her knee-socks on her radiant legs.
âI like it when you act all cheeky, but still canât take your eyes of me, you know?â
âDonât just say âlikeâ and whatnot so suddenlyâŚ!â
This woman doesnât understand how destructive the word âLikeâ can be when it comes out of her mouth.
âNya nya~ Heheâ
âYou really are in a good mood, SenseiâŚâ
Since I only saw her cool teacher side these past few days, her acting like this was a really fresh feeling. I even gave up on retorting with âStop using onomatopoeia.â
âAnd, whatâs with these clothes? Didnât you properly listen to what Sekiya-san said before?â
âRaiha-chanâs? Ahhh, that cats play the main role in a cat cafe?â
âExactly. That maid clothes pack too much customer service. This isnât that kind of store after all.â
If people saw Maka-sensei like this, theyâd definitely mistake the main business of this store. Though Iâd certainly lure in the customers of CyattottoâŚ
âDonât worry, this isnât for some maid customer service.â
Maka-sensei said so, operated the laptop, and turned it towards me.
âWhat is thisâŚAh, a Nekoranya channel?â
Shown on the LCD screen was the video site âYoutsubeâ. On there, you could create a âchannelâ and upload videos. And, about ten videos were already uploaded on the Nekoranya channel.
âSo youâre trying to advertise like this.â
âThis is the most basic thing of what we should do in this dire situation, I believe.â
âMmmâŚItâs pretty normal though.â
Theyâre only pictures and videos that were taken during Nekoranyaâs business hours. Trying not to show the customers faces, the attention goes fully towards the cats. With some calming BGM, the camera is closing in on the cute catsâ
Kuu probably watched these over and over againâŚ
âExactly, they are way to normal. The views arenât exactly anything to brag about, so I doubt that this will turn into good advertisement.â
âFigures. Well, getting a good amount of views is pretty difficult no matter the content.â
âAnd, on the other hand, this is Cyattottoâs channel.â
Maka-sensei once more handled the laptop, and turned it back to me.
âUwaâŚthatâs 30 times the views of NekoranyaâŚâ
Though it certainly wasnât in the top-class of channels on Youtsube. Even so, Cyattottoâs views are clearly surpassing Nekoranyaâs.
âThe contents of their videos are basically the same as ours. But, look at this one.â
âWhat is it? âŚNnn, this isâŚâ
It was a single girl, showing the viewers around the interior of the cat cafe. She was wearing an apron, clearly putting the attention on her breasts, with quite the amount of makeup. With high tension, sheâs playing with the cats.
âKoizumi HazukiâŚwas it? Isnât she an idol around here?â
I mostly skip the idol pages of a manga magazine, and I donât really have any interest in the show biz. But, I know this person. She sometimes appears on news shows and on various other occasions, mostly on TV.
âExactly. Soon after they started their business, they got an idol for the first video, and uploaded it on Youtsube. They perfectly used Koizumi Hazukiâs growing popularity for their own business.â
âOhhh, I bet that this wasnât all that cheap either.â
Seems like the people from Cyattotto have experience on how to get a business rolling, even if they have to use a lot of money first.
âIf only we also had someone from the show biz. Seems like things wonât be that easy.â
âSaigi-kun, arenât you forgetting about the existence of Amanashi-san?â
ââŚIt completely slipped my mind.â
Amanashi Nui is a gravure idol, whoâs also pretty popular. Probably even more so than Koizumi Hazuki. Though her popularity had dropped until recently, sheâll surely turn it around soon.
âIf we were to make a video with Nui now, itâll maybe help with her break as well?â
âWait, Saigi-kun. Itâs true that she has big breasts, with the necessary beauty, but if we let her talk over this, itâll only end in a self-destruction.â
âYou really talk about what you want with a fellow classmate of hers!â
And you were the one who brought her up in the first place, come on. But, sheâs right. Just letting Nui act as the reporter is kind of scary. You never know what sheâs going to say or do. Instead of advertising the cafe, she might only speed up the process of it going insolvent.
âAlso, the fee to pay her is way too big. I was talking to her manager before, right? Back then, I heard about the normal prices.â
âAh, when you were scouted as a pure idol.â
âJ-Just forget about that already!â
Maka-sensei, your face is red. Sheâs probably embarrassed about debuting as a pure idol at the age of 24.
âOur store has to do with what we have, and itâs not much. Andâthis is where these clothes come into play.â
âA youtsuber debut?â
These past few years, some of these âyoutsubersâ were on an equal level as popular TV actors and so on. Recently, they even use to advertise certain brands and get special deals.
ââŚArenât you just ripping off of Cyattotto?â
âItâs fine if we get the money!â
âWoah, no restraint at allâŚâ
Werenât teachers supposed to show no desires or something?
âSince we probably wouldnât win against an active idol like that, we have to cover with clothes.â
âSo thatâs the reason for the maid clothesâŚâ
Though I donât think that Maka-sensei would lose, even against an active idol.
âUnnnâŚEven though Kuu just recently showed me how she looked in maid clothes as wellâŚâ
âT-That young girlâŚto try and seduce Saigi-kun like that! Donât tell me, am I just the boring rerun of her?!â
âCalm down, Sensei! That doesnât have anything to do with it!â
âMuuuâŚI know. Right now, the store comes first. Once I get rid of that, I can flirt all I want with Saigi-kun outside of school.â
âYou really donât hide your true intentions!â
âThen, letâs start the photo shoot! Amanashi-san, this is payback for stealing Saigi-kun back then!â
âYour showing your true intentions way too openly, I tell youâŚâ
To think thatâd be forced to do this not only for Nui, but also for Maka-sensei~
Even though the store was closed, the cats of Nekoranya still enjoyed their daily lives inside it. But, this seems to be something normal for a cat cafe. Rather than having the staff take them home and look after them, leaving them here would certainly be less stressful for the cats, as well as the staff. Well, Maka Papa is living upstairs, so there should be no need to worry either way.
ââŚIs this really fine, with your father being upstairs?â
âPaâFather wonât get wind of this. He can only see his lover after all.â
Well, if she says so.
âRather than that, letâs start immediately. Donât worry, I already thought of a rough script.â
âYour preparations are on-point as always I see.â
âIf itâs my job, then of course. Though Iâm just helping out here. Look, you canât complain about the clothes here, right?â
ââŚâŚâ
Additionally to her maid clothes, Maka-sensei also had the cat ears headband with her. To add on top of that, a moving cat tail expanding from underneath her skirtâŚWait, how is that even moving?
Well, even if I would ask her, sheâd just lift up her skirt, so Iâd better hold off of that.
âAh, please wait a moment. Isnât it pretty bad for you to show your face on this?â
With these clothes, wouldnât she get in trouble? Seeing as how sheâs a teacher at a prestigious high school.
âTry to refrain from filming my face as much as possible. If you do, Iâll just have to edit it later.â
âO-OkayâŚâ
âSame with my panties. But, make sure to burn that sight into your brain cells, okay?â
âIâll try to not film them at all, how about that!â
Still, first Nui, and now this. Why is everyone expecting so much from my photo shooting skills?
âAlright, then, 3âŚ2âŚ1âŚHello, this is the cat cafe Nekoranya here~â
While fluttering her skirt around, Maka-sensei looked like she was dancing through the store.
âIn this store, we have 12 cute kitties, always waiting to play with you, or being spoiled by you~ Nya nya nya~â
ââŚâŚâ
Who is this person again�
This scriptâŚshe really had one prepared all along. And, without realizing my thoughts, Maka-sensei continued to explain about the store.
âWe have cats that really are clingy, just like this cute girl here. Ah, donât lick me~â
ââŚâŚâŚâ
The brown cat that Maka-sensei picked up started to adorably lick her cheeks.
âŚWhat is this otherworldly scenery right in front of meâŚ
And also, were the cats of this store always so clingy towards Sensei? Is her acting so good that the cats donât even realize?
âReally, are you a good-for-nothing, or a master at acting, just honestly tell meâŚâ
I unintentionally blurted that out. But, that doesnât matter right now. After all, all the cats are constantly hanging onto her chest, or playing with her skirtâŚEven if I didnât film her face, the stimulus of this is way too great.
Itâs almost like sheâs moving her face out of the way of the camera on purpose. Her skirt keeps flattering up and down, but I still canât catch a glimpse of her panties. Just from her back, and the coincidental shots of her profile were enough for state her beauty. Her aura too, itâs screaming out that sheâs the real deal. So her âUnobtainable flower modeâ really isnât just for show.
âKya~ HeyâŚnot inside my skirt~â
ââŚâŚâ
Sitting on the floor now, Maka-sensei stopped a cat that was about to crawl into her skirt. Ahhh, I want to be that catâWait, I never said that.
âYou tooâmake sure to properly film me,â said Maka-sensei, looking straight at me.
Hugging a cat, she showed a wide smile towards the camera.
âKyan!â
Suddenly, the cat she had picked up gave Maka-sensei a clean cat paw punch to the face. But, without collapsing backwards, she still perfectly hit her panties with her legs. Just like in a cute illustration, a pose that would get you fired up for sure.
âReally~ donât punch a girlâs face like that. What a bad kitty.â
Again, who in the world are you. Sheâs not the Sensei I know thatâs for sure. Itâs the unseemly indecent, cat-ears wearing maid Maka-chanâŚ! Maybe itâs because I didnât receive any âeducationâ recently, but the impact of this sight was too much.
âEven if I donât film her face or underwearâŚcan we really broadcast this?â
This definitely had more impact than the video of some run-off-the-mil idol. Well, if it gives the channel a big boom, then so be itâŚ
âW-WoahâŚâ
Looking at the phone, I unconsciously gasped. Beneath the thumbnail on Youtsube, the views of the video were raising rapidly. No matter how much she brings out her beauty aura, this was just a video of a maid, playing with the cats of a cat cafe.
âThe views really keep coming inâŚâ
The following day, Maka-sensei finished editing the video, and uploaded it on the Nekoranya channel. Such fast work~ So much that Iâm worried if sheâs properly doing her teaching. She seemingly did a good job on editing it, since the channel didnât get hit by the BAN! hammer. Even though the channel views were relatively low, this video spread like a wildfire. After three days, today, the views wouldnât lose against the ones a popular youtsuber would bring in.
âAmazingâŚThereâs even the talk of a âMiracle Maidâ going around on the internet, Sensei.â
Kuu, standing next to me, was also gazing at the video. She seemed to be surprised to see an indecentâbeautiful maid dancing around in the cat store she knew so well.
âYes yes, weâre the famous âNekoranyaâ from the Youtsube video. Right now we have the 90 minute course and 120 minutes course for 10 percent off! And all the cats shown in the video are present today!â
The person happily announcing that was Sekiya-san. She was wearing the same maid uniform like Maka-sensei in the video, with the cat ears and the cat tail.
Right now, we were in front of the closest train station to the cat cafe. Classes had ended for today, I was called here by Sekiya-san, and forced to help out. That being said, I wasnât wearing a maid outfit (sorry to disappoint). Kuu also came here to help in handout flyers.
But, as far as I can see it, there are a lot of people that take the flyers by themselves. It seems like many people got interested after seeing that video.
âRaiha-oneesan, you were pretty angry after seeing the video, but youâre really quick to adapt, arenât youâŚâ
âYeah, Iâm a professional merchant after all!â
No, youâre just a part-time jobber.
By the way, the flyers that we were handing out were also designed by Maka-sensei. And on another side note, Maka-sensei also got the permission for these flyers. Of course, the person providing the cat accessoriesâŚMaka-sensei.
This beautiful teacher really can do anything.
âN-Nekoranya, the cats, cute. Full of cats, here, fun. P-Please take itâŚâ
ââŚIs that person going to be okay?â
On the contrary to the relaxed, almost professional Sekiya-san, there was another person, not moving at all while averting her eyes.
Kisou Tenka-san, maid version.
Twintails, tiny, and big breasts. Of course, cat ears, and a cat tail. I hate to say it, but she also was really cute.
âS-SaigiâŚI canât anymore!â
Kisou-san moved over towards me.
âWhy do I have to hand out flyers! Iâm not made out for this!â
âEven if you say that, I wasnât the one that forced you here, you know?â
âUuuuâŚOnee-chan, you idiotâŚâ
Normally Kisou-san would be so radical, aggressive, but now sheâs got tears in her eyes. It seems like sheâs bad with standing out in front of people like this. Of course, the plan who came up with all of this was Maka-sensei.
âMaka-sensei canât just stand here and hand out flyers, you know.â
No matter how much sheâs helping out a familyâs store, sheâs still a teacher. And thatâs how her little sister, Kisou-san came into play.
âSince itâs your fatherâs store, shouldnât you be blaming him instead?â
âUuuuâŚFather, you idiotâŚâ
Though their parentsâ relationship after their divorce is a mystery, it doesnât look like she hates him.
âAnd itâd be troublesome if there were no employees back at the store. You can do it, Kisou-san. Ah, tapping on your phone during work hours is not allowed, okay?â
ââŚSaigi, you better remember thisâŚ!â
While glaring at me, Kisou-san resumed to hand out flyers. For some reason, she is always typing something on her smartphone-joined keyboard. Maybe something like a âLove and Adolescence Recordsâ stuff.
âUuuâŚEven though I have a maid uniform preparedâŚI want to hand out some flyers as wellâŚâ
âNo, we canât have a grade schooler hand out flyers like this.â
Kuu really looked frustrated. Maybe because she canât help in saving Nekoranya, even though she was so energetic.
âReally, Kuu would even change her personality for cats, I swear.â
âYes, cats are just too cute. AndâŚSensei was the one to taught me about the cuteness of cats.â
âNnn? Did I really? Even though this isnât something youâd teach other peopleâŚâ
âNo, thatâs exactly it. Sensei taught me so many important things!â
âG-Going so farâŚ?â
Well, I did teach her letters, writing and other essential thingsâŚ
âThatâs why, I will work hard! If I act like a high school studentâcat ears maid Kuu will be on the attack!â
âAttack, arenât you getting a bit poisoned by Sekiya-san?! And no acting like a high school student!â
âMy breasts are growing too, here, feel them!â
âWah! Whatâre you doing, Kuu?!â
Kuu grabbed my hand and brought it towards her chest. And, I could actually feel something soft, unexpectedly.
âHey hey, doing something like that outside is no good!â
âI-Is that so? I donât mind if itâs Sensei thoughâŚâ
Right hereâs a high school student, copping a feel of a grade schoolerâs breast in front of the train station. A total out, no matter how you look at it.
âEh, so heâs doing that indoors like itâs normalâŚ?â
âWhat should we do, should we report it to the policeâŚ?â
ââŚâŚâŚ!â
Not good, the girls walking past us are going to socially kill me!
âA-Anyway, itâs a no. Letting a grade schooler work would bring the store into danger as well.â
âUuuâŚthatâs right. I canât bother NekoranyaâŚâ Kuu sighed, and dropped her shoulders.
âYou donât have to be so disappointedâŚAh, the Nekoranya twitter is getting updated. Looks like theyâre all full.â
âYouâre right. Amazing, they even have pictures.â
Maybe they received the permission, but theyâre even uploading pictures of the customers with the cats. Though the people might accept the flyers, I only guessed that about one out of ten people would actually visit the store.
âSo theyâre full to the brim, even though itâs not that time of the day yet.â
ââŚMaka-chan really is amazing. Even though I canât do anything, Maka-chan is gathering so many customersâŚ.â
âKuu was a customer to begin with, and Maka-sensei is a functioning member of society, so you canât even compare.â
Though itâs not like every member of society would be able to pull such a feat off like that. And, Iâm her target in a senseâŚ
âThatâs right, butâŚKuu also wants to grow upâŚâ
ââŚâŚâ
Kuuâs pretty hung-up on that it seems. Though she can have her weird spots, she wouldnât just let me touch her chest like that. Itâs probably because Maka-sensei is a rival for Kuu, so she feels frustrated that sheâs losing against herâŚ
âAh, Iâm getting a request for help from the store. âEmergencyâ it says. Guess itâs time for some behind the scenes help.â
âY-Yes. Behind the scenes help!â
âSomething of that level should be fine. Though I donât think that youâre getting paid for it.â
âBeing able to save the cat cafe I love so much, itâs more like a reward!â
âThatâs also true. Then, letâs go.â
Kuu seemingly recovered from her foul mood, and went back to full energy. In response, I took her hand, and headed to the store.
âWait, Saigi! What should I do, alone with her?!â
I heard some faint complaining behind my back, but I ignored that for now. Even if some trouble came up, Kisou-san and Sekiya-san should be able to handle it.
Ever since the release of the cat ears ero maid Maka-chan, thousands of customers came in.
âAlright, we can do this. At this speed, squashing Cyattotto will be only a matter of time.â
âSquashing them wasnât our goal though.â
At the counter of Nekoranya. I was helping out as usual, while Maka-sensei came in to check on things.
âButâŚthings really changed.â
âRight? Itâs perfect,â Maka-sensei winked at me.
She had her beautiful, long brown hair loosely bound together behind her back, and her bangs hold back with a pin. Black-framed glasses, a simple black t-shirt and jeans. And, an apron with the Nekoranya logo. Maybe sheâs wearing a special bra, but her breasts also kept it quiet today. How do I say it, it was neither her unobtainable flower mode, nor her real personality mode, but a mix in between, and her aura as a beauty was completely hid.
âNot just at first glance, but the atmosphere also feels like it changed. Amazing.â
âNot a big deal. This is what adults can do.â
âThis feels like a battle manga development all of a suddenâŚâ
Anyways, thereâs a certain reason why Maka-sensei has to be present.
âPeople keep asking about the maid, right. Wondering if sheâs not from the staff.â
Even being called the Miracle Maid, the high popularity of ero maid Maka-chan is an established fact at this point. Now that a few days had passed after the upload of the video, the view count was still raising like ever.
âItâs fine itâs fine. The job of maid Maka-chan is to lead the customers to this store here. She doesnât plan on bothering with the clingy guests.â
âThis clearly is a fraud hereâŚâ
To make sure that the customers donât spot her, sheâs hiding behind the counter. And, even if they were to see her âPlain bibliothekarâ look, they would never guess that she is the ero maid. Well, although we lost some disappointed customers, most of them enjoy their time here nonetheless. And those customers are exactly what Nekoranya needs right now. At this right, the danger should be averted.
âBut, is this really fine. Doesnât Maka-senseiâs father hate frauds and the suchâŚ?â
âItâs not like my father necessarily hates fraud. He hates himself for being made a victim of it.â
âWoah~ so grown-up~â
So far away from the Makoto-kun, starting to hate his kindergarten teacher because of that certain event. Even so, that Maka Papa is still staying shut-in on the second floor.
âRight now, everythingâs going as planned. Fufufufufu, it looks like I wonât have to worry about the rent like this. Itâd be troublesome to be thrown out of the flat at this point in time before having smashed in the wall between my home and the Saigi household.â
âJust what are you planning this time!â
Youâd totally have to pay for the repairs on top of your rent! Can you really afford that?
âOh, that plan is still a secret. Donât worry about it.â
âI clearly do if you say it like that!â
âAhhh, and Muku-san is perfectly working into things right now. This is quite unexpected, I dare say.â
ââŚâŚâ
Maka-sensei focussed her gaze onto Kuu, who was currently present inside the store. Using a cat toy, she was enthusiastically playing with her favorite white cat Kagome. Around her were also two friends of hers.
âWhen thereâs kids playing in a store, female customers are more likely to enter because they feel at ease here. How about we give her a free pass for a year?â
âYou really donât hold back on using even your rival, I seeâŚâ
You complained about Kuu, but now youâre doing the same, huh?
âKuu is also standing out herself, but she doesnât seem like sheâs realizing itâŚâ
âIsnât that fine? Sheâs just here to play. so we might as well let her.â
âYouâre not wrong about thatâŚâ
âO-OneeâRenku-san! Help, please!â
Kisou-san intruded the counter. Sheâs helping out today as well, as if it was the most natural thing. And just to make sure, Maka-sensei took on a pseudonyme.
ââŚMmm, well, whatever. Letâs see how good this disguise works out.â
âEhhh, are you serious?â
Are the guests not going to find out about her, I wonder?
Just in case, I followed their backs with my eyes as they left the area behind the counter. Because of that unfamiliar pants-style sheâs rocking, I canât help but gaze at her thicc butt being wrapped in those tight jeans.
âYou suspicious person over there! Donât look at butts and wash the glasses! If you waste time like that, youâll be brought into the detention barracks!â
âY-Yes!â
This time Sekiya-san appeared, and put down several used cups down in front of me. I completely forgot her sergeant attitude. Since the girls were responsible for the customer service, my role is to do the jobs behind the scenes. Since not many people were ordering drinks or light food, it was a job even I, not experienced in the slightest, would be able to fulfill.
ââŚHey, Saigi Makoto.â
âUwa! What is it this time?!â
âItâs my job to look at the store as a whole. I wouldnât be able to do that while being on the floor all the time.â
âWhat exactly are you, really.â
She should only be a part-time jobber.
âWhatever. Just look at camera 3 here.â
â3? UhmâŚâ
On the screen behind the counter, several camera screens for crime preventions where showing various different angles inside the shop.
âWhat exactly is this about? I donât see anything irregular. Isnât there only an old ladyâa female customer there?â
She looked about to be in her fifties, but she was energetically playing with the cats. Even though it was already early summer, she was wearing a knitted hat, and floating long clothes, so I couldnât clearly make out her body line. Though sheâs wearing sunglasses, she doesnât look all that suspicious.
âFuu, how naive of you, Saigi Makoto. This person is quite famous in the cat industry.â
âC-Cat industry?â
Weird people keep appearing around me, alright.
âSheâs called âMadameâ. Always visiting cat cafes, picking up stray cats, sheâs like the personification of a cat lover.â
âThat life sounds pretty fulfillingâŚâ
Greatly different from me, who canât even spend a single afternoon freely these past few months.
âYeah, thatâs not important right now. The cats are gathering around Madame. We really canât have her hort all the cats, or the other guests would be boredâŚâ
Itâs true that around half of the cats in the store were making their way towards Madame. And some guests are enviously looking at Madame as well.
âWe canât really do anything besides leave her alone, right? Though these customers might not turn into regulars, itâs not like Madame was doing anything badâWait?â
âWhatâs wrong, Saigi Makoto. Ahhh, thatâs right, you constantly keep gazing at Maka-san, right? I thought that you liked older women, but youâre setting the bar pretty high right there.â
âWhat are you even talking about! Thatâs not it!â
Weâre not supposed to talk about my strike zone here.
âThat personâŚdonât tell meâŚ?â
If my hunch is on point, this might be pretty bad! This Madame-san, might she beâ
The interior of the shop isnât all that crowded, even though it is full to the brim. After all, with too many customers, the cats would get stressed out. Just as Sekiya-san said, the main attraction of a cat cafe are the cats. Customers arenât gods. And now, all the cats have gathered in a certain corner, together with a lady, sometimes taking pictures of them if an opportunity arises.
âHaaaaâŚto think that thereâd be store like this. How could I be so late to check it. Though I realized it because of that irritating videoâŚâ
ââŚUhmâŚyouâre the vice-principal, right?â
ââŚâŚ?!â
With a twitch, Madameâs body immediately froze up, and she let go of the cat in her hands. Right after that, the other customers come storming to play with themâŚWow, this is like a war for the catsâWait, thatâs not important.
ââŚW-What might you want, Mr EmployeeâŚno way, 2nd year Saigi-kun?!â
âSo you really are the vice-principal.â
At least try to hide it, will you? And if she knows my name, then thereâs no mistake.
âH-How could you see through my disguiseâŚItâs been thirty years since I became a teacher, and not once has a student seen though my private life like this.â
âVice-principal, youâre normally wearing thick makeup, but today itâs your normal look. Though it makes sense to change yourself for a disguise, that only attracts more attention. Itâs easy to see if you take a closer look.â
âThick makeupâŚ? Should I teach you some manners towards women, Saigi-kun?â
âAh, excuse meâŚU-Uhm, why would you go so far to disguise yourself?â
âFor the sake of myself, and my students of course. You wouldnât like it to meet me on a day off, right? That goes both ways.â
The vice-principal tried to hide her face beneath her hat.
ââŚThatâs.â
Of course sheâs not wrong about that, but I certainly canât say âYes thatâs rightâ in front of her.
âThat reminds me, youâve always been weirdly doubtfulâŚâ
Being doubtful just means that Iâm careful. I probably wouldâve figured out ero maid Maka-chanâs identity without knowing.
âTo think that I would meet Saigi-kun here. No, why are you even here in the first place?â
ââŚIâm helping out an acquaintance. Since Iâm not getting paid, it doesnât count as a part-time job.â
Yes, jobs like these arenât permitted from the school. Though I panicked a bit, I wasnât lying. Not like I could ask for money when the store is in this kind of mess.
âIf thatâs so, then I wonât pry any further into itâŚAhh, as a teacher, I guess I should meet the people involved here.â
âNo! The person responsible isnât here today!â
âAhh, is that so.â
Not good, not good! Canât reveal that this store belongs to Maka-senseiâs father. Not to mention that Maka-sensei is just about three meters away from us. I hope that neither of them have seen through each otherâs disguises thoughâŚ
Thinking about it, this is way too dangerous.
Inside the store that is owned by Maka-senseiâs father, the two of us are working together. If the vice-principal found out about thatâŚI donât even want to imagine.
âB-By the way, vice-principal, I never expected you to like cats to this extent. Not to mention that youâre pretty famous as Madame.â
ââŚâŚ!â
That made it the second time that Maka-sensei froze up.
âW-Whatâs your aim, Saigi-kun. Are you going to use that against me?â
âI wonât threaten you!â
I knew that she was a rather strict and firm teacher, but she probably didnât want anyone to see such a soft side of hers.
âSensei, whatâs wrong?â
Holding her favorite white cat Kagome, she slowly approached us.
âS-SenseiâŚ? Saigi-kun, youâre making a young girl like her call you like that?â
âCan you stop draggin my human worth through the mud?!â
âItâs true, I regret jumping to conclusions back then with Fujiki-senseiâŚâ
âDonât just put me off as a lolicon!â
Though itâs still troublesome that she doubts my relationship with Maka-sensei, making me a lolicon is even worse.
âThis girl is nothing more than a daughter of an acquaintance!â
âNothing moreâŚthan the daughter of an acquaintanceâŚ?!â
Ah! That must have hurt Kuu!
âJust wait a second, Kuu. Donât mind it, this person here is the epitome of just an acquaintance!â
ââŚ? Okay, then Iâll play with Kagome-chan,â nodded Kuu, as she sat down with Kagome.
It seems like Kagome has also taken a liking to Kuu.
âThis grade schoolerâŚthatâs quite the technique she has there. Itâs like Iâm seeing the young me again.â
âWhat kind of techniqueâŚâ
No, thatâs not the topic right now. This might be a chance.
âVice-principal, I didnât get a chance to properly explain myself the last timeâŚAbout the incident in the preparation room.â
âUhm, Saigi-kun? Do we really have to bring up a serious topic in a cat cafe?â
âBe it the schoolâs teachers office, or the counselling room, for us students, it always feels so depressing. Like an atmosphere that tells us we lost immediately.â
ââŚYou really only say the things you wantâ.â
The vice-principal shifted her sunglasses, and looked straight at me.
âThatâs why, let me say one thing.â
âCanât help itâŚLetâs hear it.â
I glanced behind me. Maka-sensei doesnât realize our conversation, busy with customer service. She probably wouldnât be able to hear this.
âMaka-senseiâFujiki Maka-sensei is a good teacher.â
ââŚâŚâŚâŚâŚâŚThatâs all?â
I wordlessly nodded. Trying my best to explain it one by one would make it only more fishy. That is something that I, a doubtful person, understands the best. And the vice-principal probably hurt enough lies in her thirty years of being a teacher.
âThatâs why I only said what was the truth, what I felt from the bottom of my heart. Yes, Iâm trying to look about that skirt-lifting incident, what about it?
ââŚI know very well that Maka-sensei is a good teacher. Sheâs doing an excellent job, and she looks after her students.â
The vice-principal softly started pating a cat that had gotten closer to her.
âRecently, Iâve been waiting for a chance to talk with her, and I realized something. She canât be dealt with with ordinary means.â
ââŚâŚâ
Not good, she might have felt Maka-senseiâs real personality there.
âYes, she might be able to do it. To rehabilitate this problem child here before graduation.â
âEh, me?!â
âIf we leave you to your own accords, god knows what you will do.â
âYou really have it out for me today! There wasnât a teacher who had to stop with me, okay?!â
âWhat should we do if sheâs the only one left. The numbers of teachers have been going down as of recently as well.â
ââŚâŚâ
Hey hey hey hey hey! You say that itâs my fault, right?! The reason that the contact between me and Maka-sensei was prohibited wasnât because of the skirt incident, itâs because of my misdeeds?! No, you canât call them misdeeds in the first place!
âThen, let us leave Saigi Makotoâs rehabilitation to Fujiki-sensei. Since you yourself call her a good teacher, the chances of success are way higher here.â
ââŚYou really talk about the weirdest things in your private time.â
Iâm still not satisfied with a lot of things, but Iâll let those slip for now.
âOnce you chose the path of becoming a teacher, youâll lose the right to a private life anyway. Wearing a disguise, and being called Madame is just a way to cope with it.â
ââŚTake your time then, Madame,â I said, and separated from the vice-principal.
Iâd feel bad for disturbing her paid time here.
âAh, by the way, Saigi-kun.â
âEh?â
Turning around, the vice-principal didnât look over here, and just looked at the cat she was holdingâ
âFujiki-senseiâs disguise is pretty weak. Youâre not the only one who has seen through her, you know?â
ââŚâŚâ
Ehhh⌠Hey, just how much does she know, and how much does she not know now?
âEven I have seen a lot of things happen in my thirty years as a teacher. I will keep this a secret though.â
ââŚâŚYes.â
Iâm slowly starting to lose my hate in âteachersâ. But at the same time, Iâm losing my ability to understand teachersâŚThough, this certainly shouldnât be a bad thing.