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The opening day of the school festival went well on its way.\nI don’t know where people heard about this place but a line was beginning to form outside.\n“Sorry for the wait, we’ll be handing out tickets so please enter the store when your number is called.”\nThe operations would collapse for sure if we recklessly keep allowing people to enter so I quickly whipped up numbered tickets on the clubroom’s PC for the waiting customers. It’s already 11 A.M, one hour behind our planned opening schedule.\n“We’re ready to serve, please occupy the seats at the front in order.”\n4 sets of tables meant for 4 people were quickly filled up. The three maids followed up on the orders one by one.\n“We’ll be happy to accept your order!”

“A cutie tapioca milkshake, Mt. Kongo Omurice, Bitter love coffee float, and a fleeting love zucchini. Will that be all?”\n“Order for table No.3 coming in Hiyama-san! 4 orders of hot coffee and 4 orders of Melty Dream Hotcakes!”\n If I’m being honest, the place was a demonic hodgepodge of modern, ancient, eastern, and western styles of maid cafes. But even with our chaotic menu, our high level maids were able to keep up with it in style. I fondly look back on the time when Kiryu-san showed off his menu and everyone of us effectively face palmed at it.\n“…..I’ll execute him myself when all this blows over”

Hiyama-san ,who has become an important pillar in our shop, voiced out her dangerous thoughts, and continued--\n“I’m shoving a potter’s wheel down his ass and knead clay infused with mustard, filling every orifice in his body!”\nWhile it does sound like gruesome torture, the person in question is M so he’d probably enjoy it more than anything else.

“Speaking of which, where is he now?”\n“Since he was being a nuisance by taking pictures with Nanako’s digicam, I kicked him out to go and shop.”

“So he took pictures, huh.”

But it was Nanako’s request though….\n“She said she’ll just get the data and print it out after, but it’s definitely better to check the pictures out beforehand.”\n“I agree.”\nOne can’t be too careful when armed with only a half-baked knowledge of photography

“Hmm, Can you check that out Hashiba-kun?”\nSurveying the store, Hiyama-san approached and called out to me.\nI look in the direction she pointed out.

“S-sir, this ‘ere shop ain’t that kind of place”

Shinoaki looked bewildered as she dealt with the customer.\n“Your dialect’s cute, are you from Kyushu?“\n“Uhmm… that’s…”\n“My father’s from there too. Say- Do you know about XXX University? I’m a student there. Let’s go out for a drink next time.”\nThe situation was strange. The person she was talking to was apparently a student from a different university. The guy had two other friends sitting with him at the table, with their suntanned body laden with accessories they looked impressively gaudy. It was a far-cry from a normal conversation as he was definitely trying to pick her up and Shinoaki looks adverse to the idea. 

“Excuse me for a while.”

“Ok……. Ah, Hashiba-kun look!”\n“…..!”\nThe man reaches out for Shinoaki’s arm and grasps it. Shinoaki shakes her head, expressing her aversion stronger than before. There’s no way I’ll allow this to go on.\n“I’m going to stop it. Kiryu-san isn’t back yet right?”

Hiyama-san shook her head.\n“He should hurry and get his ass back from shopping, for goodness’ sake!”\nI would have liked to have another male hand, albeit a skinny, unreliable one, but I have no choice.\n“Hiyama-san, call Kiryu-san, tell him to come back quickly. Preferably bringing other people with him.:\n“Okay”

Hiyama-san nodded and walked out of the kitchen.\nI went straight for the show floor.\n“Esteemed guests, Can I ask you to please refrain from doing that?”

Pulling off his grip on Shinoaki’s arms, I stepped between the two of them.\n“…..The hell you want?”\nThe man was quick to show his displeasure.\n“Our staff doesn’t appreciate what your doing. Sorry but please refrain from bothering them.”\nAll three of them laughed with a mockingly uncomfortable voice.

“Do I need to repeat myself?”\nI hold myself back and ask again. All three of them stood up from their seats and turned towards me as they tried to intimidate me.\nThe tallest one, who seems to be their leader spoke up.\n“You her boyfriend or something?”\n“Not at all, but I am the person in charge of this place.”\n It’s a far cry from the truth but I deemed it necessary to say it now.\n“Tell me, isn’t this a maid café?”\n“Yes”\n“She’s dressed like a maid and we’re in a maid café, so isn’t this sort of thing normal? And if she didn’t want to be flirted on, then she shouldn’t be here in the first place, capiche?\n“You’re only saying that out of your own convenience, but unfortunately we are not that kind of store.”\nThe tanned man approaches me with a completely ridiculous look on his face. He had a blue streak on his forehead.

“You’ve been acting cocky since a while ago, looks like you won’t get it if you don’t get hit once.”

I was actually a panicking a little bit. It’s not like I’m intimidated though, but I’m not a big guy and I’ve hardly ever been in a fight, so “talking with my fists” per say is not a strong suit of mine.\nBut I can’t stand down here. I have to protect Shinoaki and the shop from these dumbasses.

(Why the heck are you so slow Kiryu-san!?)\n And then at the last minute, as I was having a staredown---\n“Hmm~. Even if you do go to a good school, it seems that you’re no better than a bunch of random street punks.”\nNanako unknowingly snuck up from behind the backs of the men and took the ID from the wallet that was left on the table and nodded as she looked at it.\n“You bitch, who gave you permission to look at it!? Give it back!!”\nThe tanned man hurriedly swiped back his student ID back from Nanako.\nBut Nanako just giggled.\n“Your university just made the news the other day because someone forced an underclassman to drink alcohol. I don’t think you’ll be left off the hook that easily if the police get involved. Don’t you think so? Mr. 3rd year Economy Student Matsushima-san.” 

*tsk* He clicked his tongue.

“Where’s the proof? You can’t have a case if you don’t have……. Eh?”\nNext to him, Keiko-san points at the screen of Nanako’s digicam and plays the video.\n“Uwaa, how terrible even though Shinoaki-chan obviously doesn’t like it……..Your faces can clearly be seen, you can’t worm your way out of this one.”\nWhile expressing her thoughts she grinned as she stirred things up.\nHis earlier threats to me when I grabbed Shinoaki’s hand was recorded. He couldn’t get away even if he wanted to.\n“So you’ve been doing this earlier……!”\nThe tanned man was visibly upset, he didn’t think he was being caught on film.\n“Get going. If you leave now we’ll pretend this never happened. If you’re going to make this hard then….that can be arranged for.”\nNanako glared at them. It was powerful enough that for a split second all of three of them flinched.\n“Hasshi-, are you okay!? I heard trouble was brewing!”\nKiryu-san came back with his usual vigor.\n“I’ve got together amazing guys from the wrestilng, sumo, and karate clubs! Where re those annoying thugs!?”\nThere were three huge men towering for about 190 cm tall and were on stand-by watching from the entrance. The tanned man and his cronies faces turned blue at the sight.\n“F-fuck it. This is a pain in the ass, come on guys let’s get out of here.”

And with a few parting words, they stood up quickly and went on their way.\nAfter seeing them go, I breath a sigh of relief. The tension of the customers and the other people involved dissipated along with it.\n“Thanks Nanako. That was a super fine play!”

I called her attention for her excellent assist. Along with Keiko-san, they managed to defuse the situation and didn’t cause a huge commotion. At the next moment though, she staggered and put her hands on the wall.

“H-Hey Nanako are you ok?”

“I’m fine, an incompetent like me shouldn’t be pushing too hard, it would’ve been bad if I got cornered….”\n*Hehehe* she said with an embarrassed laugh.\n“Because I look like this, I give off the impression that I’m actually courageous, but I really don’t like doing it one bit. But you know, I felt like I just had to act earlier.”

“….I see, thank you for that. Your actions save me and Shinoaki.\nI then looked at Shinoaki. Poor girl had tears rolling due to the shock.\n“Kyouya-kun”\nShinoaki came up running to my side.

I managed to keep my composure and utter a few lines, then gently let go of Shinoaki’s body.\n“Everyone was also here to help.”\n\n 

“Shinoaki you’re not hurt or any-…..”\nShe then hugged me head on.\n“Those guys ‘ere where scary…. Thanks for the help.”

Her hug became tighter. Shinoaki’s face is right up to my chest, her nose and mouse hitting it so it tickled a bit. Below that though, there was something very soft but….

“This is the same thing with Nanako the other day….!”\nIf one could just keep basking in this feeling of happiness even after this….I can’t help but think that it’s just a man’s nature to think so.

“Ahh, uhm…..I’m just glad you got off safe and sound, yup. But Shinoaki…”

“There are other people you know. Right here”\nThe customers and the staff’s eyes were all on us.\n“Oh, I’m sorry….”\nWhen brought to her attention she quickly let go of my body.\n“…..You don’t have to be. Ahaha”\nThe staff’s grins  were especially uncomfortable.\n\n 

It’s now 5PM.

Even with the need for a few emergency purchases, we managed to get through the first day of the school festival. We were able to recoup our expenses on the first day with grat success so we were now in the black.\n 

“Well, what can I say? Thanks to my genius, it looks like we managed to rack up a budget that’ll last us till the next term.”\n“Kiryu-san, please don’t ever say that in front of Hiyama-san. Blood will definitely be shed.”\nI remember the look on her face when she said “Execute” earlier with bloodshot eyes

“I’m not that brave, I know I can only say that stuff in front of you Hasshi, my pervert-in-arms.”\n“Please don’t classify other people in weird categories of your own volition!”\nI hold Kiryu-san in high regard as a senior from the photography department, but his faults are another matter entirely.\n“Don’t be like that. Can you really deny it with what happened with Shinoaki and all that.”

Kiryu-san looked at me with leering eyes.\n“Hrmm…..” 

That topic with Shinoaki is a bit of a sore spot. I’ve been pestered with questions of whether we were dating or the like.\n“But you were a life saver Hasshi~. Thanks to you my neck was saved. I am truly sorry for what happened earlier.”\nHe held both my shoulders with his two hands and thanked me for my efforts.

“I’m just glad that it went well enough.”\nAfter the turmoil, Kiryu-san apologized to everyone for not being there, as he scurried around gathering his strong trio of friends as fast as he could. Speaking of which, we treated the three buff seniors to a drink for their troubles and they left in quite a good mood due to being attended to by the maids.\n“The maids were really high level…..I got a taste of heaven.”

“Were you talking about their work ethic or purely on a visual standpoint?”\n“Both. I admire both the aspects.”\nIt was a fact that they performed above and beyond. At first their movements were awkward because of nerves and embarrassment. Half-way in though, they got used to the mannerisms needed and I was able to watch on with peace of mind. 

“Even Nanako managed to do pretty well and came out of her shell.”

Brushing away her nerves to turn away thugs was as good as customer service gets.\n“Kogure-san….right? She did it with quite of an energy too.”\n“Yeah, she somehow got used at serving customers. If I remember correctly she was the most popular one.”

The customers lined up to take pictures with her one after the other.\n“I’m glad to hear that. She even looked a little distracted too.”\n“Eh?”\n“She looked depressed…. I just hope she gets a chance to cheer up a little with all this horsing around….”

Kiryu-san narrowed his eyes as he puff out smoke from a cigarette.\n“Because the only thing I’m really good for is for causing these foolish things to happen.”

“Kiryu-san……”\nI look at his visage.

“…..You only came up with this recently right?”

“Oh? How’d you guess?”

I mean it should have been obvious. Even Kiryu-san noticed it and they’ve only known each other for a month…….

 ------------

The first day of the school festival is now officially over and after a brief cleanup, the members of Biken were dismissed. 

“Wew…..as expected, standing all day is pretty tiring….”\n“Talking too~. My throat feels raspy.”

By the time we returned to the share house, it was already after dark. Both Nanako and Shinoaki were completely knackered out.

“Yo, welcome back.”\nTsurayuki, who’s come back from his part time job calls out to us.

“By the looks of it, the Copping a Feel Maid Café was a huge huge hit!”\n“Who said anything about being that kind of maid café!? Well as for the idiot who did that. Kyouya gave him a good talking to and sent him packing.”  \nShe gallantly took Tsurayuki’s jest head on.\n“Eh, You actually had such a weirdo guest? Were you guys hurt?”\n Hearing it from Nanako, Tsurayuki’s expression turned grim.

“We’re fine~ M’ hands were only grabbed a little bit.”\n“A “little” doesn’t really make it sound better you know.” 

“It really was ok.”\nTsurayuki looked seriously worried. It felt like he won’t budge on it.\n“It was really amazing ya know. Nanako was able to fend them off.”\n“Is that really amazing? It’s like a normal day for her.”\n“Hey wait a minute! Shouldn’t you worry for me even a little bit.”\n“What’s this ex-yankee Kogure saying?”\nThey both butted heads again.\n“Don’t mess with my name! And who are you calling ex yankee!?”\n….Nanako, punching someone doesn’t really help your case.

After the thugs went on their way, Nanako took care of the other customers who reeked of trouble. It was a great help.\n~

“Eh? You want to cop a feel? I’m telling you now it’s pretty expensive~. What to do~ do you want to talk about the hidden fees?”

~

It made people lose a lot of motivation, but that’s besides the point.\n“Tsurayuki, why don’t you swing by for a day. It’s on a larger scale and more interesting than one would expect.”\n“Right-, you don’t have to work all the time, so why not take a break?”\nMe and Nanako tried to invite Tsurayuki to join us.\n“I’m fine, It’s not like I don’t want to but….”\nTsurayuki then spread out a pamphlet he got from somewhere.

“I heard that that Eiken, the film club, will screen “The Demon’s Banquet”. If I miss it, I won’t have a chance to see it for a while….\nNanako exaggeratedly sighed .\n“You should just say so if you want to go, no need to make excuses.”\n“Shaddup! You’re completely and utterly mistaken!”

The two then had a friendly quarrel about this and that. *My my* I watched the scene with a smile on my face when….\n“Huh….?”

My eyes met with Shinoaki.

“……..”

We stared at each other for a couple of seconds.\n“……..”

I don’t know what that was supposed to mean. When we smiled at each other, we evaded eye contact.\n