This means that there are five guests at the
table. However, Maria was alone, and many of the other guests were in pairs.
Since there are quite a few empty seats, the next guest will be asked to share
a table with another guest.
Chihiro thought as he bowed to Maria when she
took her seat.
（...But looking at Maria like this, this kind
of situation suits her well）
This is not an Akihabara-style maid café
story, meaning that she is not out of place in a situation where she is being
served by a maid. The irony is that she is the exact opposite.
Still, she looks dignified and beautiful as
she sits on a chair with her back straight and takes a menu in her hand.
**a
「Can I have an iced tea and, um, assorted
crackers, please?」
「Certainly, my lady」
Chihiro takes the order, writes it down on a
note, and bows.
He tries to make his movements as elegant as
possible so as not to spoil the beauty of the girl in front of him.
After all, not many girls are better suited
for the title "Lady" than her.
Giggle...
When he looks up, he meets Maria's eyes with a
smile on her face.
She maintains her elegant attitude, but with a
mischievous look on her face. At the same time, she apologizes for her rudeness
to her master with a level of eye contact that only Chihiro can understand.
It is a very polite thing to do, even though
it is just for fun and role-playing for the time being.
Chihiro also smiles back as casually as
possible.
「Please wait a moment」
He takes a step backward, keeping his posture straight,
and tucks his long skirt lightly. He then moves to the kitchen, not running,
but walking fast enough not to look bad. He passes through the doorway and
gives his order.
「One iced tea, and one assorted cracker. Please」
「Aiyo」
「Roger. Chisato-chan」
The two boys in charge of food and beverages
respond in a flirtatious manner. They call Chihiro by his maid name, as if it
were a matter of course.
「You don't have to call me by that name」
「What are you talking about?」
「Yes, Izumi, aren't you the one who didn't like
it when I called you "Izumi"?」
「...yeah, well」
The reason is that it is difficult to maintain
the "Chisato mode" if people call him by his real name. Therefore, he
asked everyone to call him "Chisato", which is true, so he can't deny
their words.
However, he cannot deny the feeling that he
was called "Chisato" in a place where it was not necessary.
「Rather, you are really Izumi, aren't you?」
「It's not like you're his little sister or
something...」
「I don't have a sister. Besides, my big sister (Nee-san) and I are
quite a few years apart」
As they argue, the iced tea is ready.
Well, it's only a paper cup of bottled tea, of
course.
Anyway, he returns to the table with it and
sets it down with a polite hand.
「Thank you for your patience. Here is your iced
tea」
「Thank you」
Maria appears to be continuing the role play.
She gently puts her hand on the paper cup,
lifts it, and sips from it. She returns the cup almost silently to the table
and smiles.
「It's good. It tastes familiar」
「...thank you」
The sudden surprise almost made him blow up.
Of course, it tasted familiar. It was the same
tea they always drink at home.
Still, if she shows her mischievousness and
folkishness with her ladylike gesture, he can't help reacting to her.
Especially Chihiro who is usually close to
her.
Anyway, he only smiles lightly and tries to
move away.
As he turned around, Chihiro noticed a new
visitor.
Two girls peeked out from the doorway that was
not being used for the cashier, the one treated as the entrance to the cafe.
「Welcome back, my lady」
Reflexively, he smiles and straightens his
posture.
It was lucky that he was able to make it this
far on a conditioned reflex, he think.
After all, if he had checked who the two
people were who came into the cafe first, his words to welcome them might have
been choked in the middle of his speech.
「Hmm. It's a nice place. Thanks for your
greeting」
「Hello. ...umm, is it full right now?」
The blonde second-year student is beyond
regal, even arrogant, and the third-year student is soft-spoken and elegant.
Yes, they are Lucille Orwell and Kurohane
Yotsuba. Chihiro's thoughts freeze for a moment at the sight of them.
**b
* * *
Fortunately, Lucille and Yotsuba agreed to sit
together.
The problem is where to seat them. Considering
the possibility of further crowding, it would be safer to seat them with a pair
of customers, but unfortunately, the corresponding customers were a couple.
Maybe this is too much of a concern, but it might be a little harassing to
throw two beautiful girls into a place where lovers are getting along well with
each other.
...Then, there is a seat where only the same
gender people are sitting.
In a short time of thinking, Chihiro came to
this conclusion.
Aika, who is serving another customer, gives
him a glance, which he answers with a glance as well, and turns back to Lucille
and the others.
「Excuse me. Please wait just a moment」
After making an excuse, he goes to Maria, the
table he has spotted.
「My Lady. May I ask you to share a table with
the ladies over there?」
「――sure, I'd be happy to」
Maria glanced at Lucille and the others and
nodded. Chihiro returned a bow and went to join Lucille and the others again.
「Thank you for waiting. Please come this way」
This should have been the best thing to do
without getting personal.
「I'm sorry to disturb you」
「Hello. I believe your name is Fukami
Maria-san...?」
「Yes. I am honored that you remember my name」
Oddly enough, all the girls that Chihiro knows
seem to be young ladies are here in one place.
And a shiver ran down his spine with a strange
uneasiness.
「Well then, I'll bring some assorted crackers」
「Oh, please」
With that, he lined up paper plates with
store-bought crackers and topped them with store-bought cheese and chocolates,
too. Although the taste is guaranteed because it is not fancy, to be honest,
knowing the cost, he can't help but think that it is a rip-off.
As he took the plate back to the table, he
heard the conversation among the girls.
「Ah, you are the girl I saw from the data
before. But we stopped inviting her to the student council, didn't we?」
「Yes. Well, there is no need to talk about it
in front of her, but I thought her ability was better suited for a member of
the public morals committee than a member of the student council」
「Don't worry about it. I don't mind」
The topic is somewhat interesting, yet he
stops to eavesdrop, so he interrupts and puts down the paper plate.
「Pardon me. Here are some assorted crackers」
「Thank you」
「Ah. Cute maid-san. May we order, too? A coke
and assorted chocolates. And assorted cheeses. And chips」
「Umm,
I'll have... hot coffee and some Kaki no Tane[1], please」
「Understood. Please wait a moment」
...Hot coffee must be a favorite taste for
Yotsuba.
However, it was complicated by the fact that
Yotsuba only poured hot water into instant coffee powder.
And so, he went back and forth between the
kitchen and the table several times. In between, he took care of other
customers and took a break.
Aika, who was also free, came up to him and
whispered to Chihiro.
