As the festival day continued, their class maid café ran smoothly, and Hikaru also did well in his job as a maid after being forced by Shimizu earlier. He was even using a high-pitched voice to prevent anyone he knew, other than Mizuha's classmates, from recognizing him.
"Welcome back, master."
"Oh, table for three? I will bring you there."
"Two sets of omurice, understood. Please wait a moment."
Mizuha's classmates looked at Hikaru and said, "Wow, Hikaru-kun is really great at doing a job as a maid. Having him help our class is a big deal…"
"Yeah. From how he acts, he looks like he used to do this every day."
Well, you guys actually misunderstood… Actually, Hikaru has maids at his family house.
I think he used to watch how his maids acted every day; he is just copying how they treated him. That's the whole reason, Zul thought,then giggled while watching them observe Hikaru.
Suddenly, another kitchen staff classmate called out that the order for table 4 was ready.
"Yes, I coming now…."
Hikaru's smile attracted the male classmates who helped in the kitchen.
"Hey, is it just me, or what?"
"What is it?"
"Hikaru-kun looks cute in that outfit, doesn't he?"
"Yeah, I thought about it too… Somehow he looks better in that than our female classmates."
Zul was shocked and thought, Seriously, you guys… thinking like that?
Also, why does Hikaru seem happy doing this, even though he refused to do it at first? Now, he has even accepted our classmates calling him Hikaru-chan.
Wait... Why does Hikaru look so okay with this now? He was the one who refused so hard earlier...
Then Zul noticed Hikaru and Mizuha talking with each other, smiling and laughing together.
I see, that's the reason he seems happy… He is able to work together with Mizuha…
"Hoho, so you thought that too, huh? You're so sharp, Zul," Shimizu said, suddenly interrupting his thoughts.
Zul was surprised. "Wargh, don't appear out of nowhere suddenly…"
"Haha, sorry, sorry… You were spacing out, that's why I surprised you. So, what do you think? Having Hikaru here is a big help, isn't it?"
"That might be correct as you said, but we cannot force him to do that for our class, you know…"
"But he has no problem with that, does he? Also, he seems happy with Mizuha beside him."
"There has been no progress in their relationship; it is still the same as back then. I wonder when they will go out together…"
"Is this a good chance for them to become closer? So, let's let them have a good time together right now…"
Zul sighed, "Well, I have no comment on that… I'm not a love cupid, you know…"
Then suddenly, one of Hikaru's male customers spoke to him when he delivered a food order to a table,
"You, you're really cute and good at doing your job as a maid. Can I have your contact info?"
Wait, this guy, seriously? Hikaru thought.
Hikaru gave him a fake polite smile. "Sorry, master, my contact information is confidential, so I must decline…"
"I see, sorry for that… So, unfortunately…" his customer felt disappointed.
Shimizu and Zul, who saw that, tried to hold back their laughter…
Hikaru noticed and snapped internally.
Those two are laughing at me, aren't they... Damn it...
This is all Shimizu's fault… If she hadn't forced me to wear this outfit…
Mizuha approached him and asked, "Hikaru, are you okay?"
"I'm okay, nothing happened, haha…"
"Really!? You looked pale just now. You can stop doing this if you want, okay? Don't force yourself to do this."
"Don't worry, Mizuha, I'm not forcing myself. Besides, I'm happy to be able to work together with you today, Mizuha… so let's continue, okay…"
"I see, then good for you, Hikaru…"
Shimizu suddenly passed by them after delivering food, then gave Hikaru a sideways elbow bump and said, "Yeah, good for you, Hikaru-chan… So, let's do our best, hehe..."
Hikaru snapped internally, That girl, she'll pay for that later…
Suddenly, a group of middle schoolers entered the classroom. "Ah, another customer is coming. I'll go greet them first. See you…"
"Understood, we'll talk again soon…" Mizuha said before leaving and going back to work.
It turned out the middle schoolers who came were Hikaru's sister, Shiori, and her school friends visiting.
Everyone around looked at them and whispered, saying they came from a prestigious girls' school.
Hikaru was shocked by her arrival.
That was Shiori. Why is she here of all places? This is bad…
He then greeted them as usual without revealing his identity. "Welcome back, master… Oh, a table for four? Please follow me. I will bring you to your table right now," Hikaru said before leading them to their seats.
While walking to their table, one of her friends spoke in a disappointed tone,
"The planetarium earlier was good, but unfortunately, we could not see Shiori's big brother when we visited his class earlier."
"Yeah, I wonder where he went…"
"I'm sure my useless brother is enjoying this festival with his girlfriend."
Hikaru gulped and thought, Hey, your useless brother is right here, you know….
"Huh!?" His sister then noticed something was off about the maid who escorted them.
After bringing them to their table, they sat down. As Hikaru served them and prepared to take their order, Shiori gave him a long glare and spoke.
"Big sis, have we met somewhere before…?"
Hikaru was nervous. "Wait, what do you mean, master? This is the first time I've seen you here. We have never met before, haha." Hikaru tried to protect his identity.
"Wait, are you talking about Shiori? Why is this big sister suddenly asking about her?" her friends asked.
"No, I felt like I have met her before, but I'm not sure where…"
This girl is so sharp. I must be careful with her here, Hikaru thought.
"Maybe it's your imagination…," her friend said.
"Sorry, big sis, my friend sometimes has weird ideas. You can ignore that, okay," another friend said.
"Ah, it's okay… don't worry about it. Then please wait a moment, okay? Your order will be out soon," Hikaru said before leaving their table.
Once Hikaru left them, her friend said, "That big sister looks so good in that maid dress."
"Yeah, she's so cute too, and the maid dress looks so beautiful. I feel like I want to wear one too."
"Then why not borrow and wear your house's maid uniform too?"
"Oh, that's a great idea, isn't it, right, Shiori-chan?"
"Shiori-chan…?"
"Looks like she went off into her own world again…"
"Hey, I heard that, you know. Also, can you guys keep it down for a while? I'm observing something."
Her friends exchanged glances, both thinking the same thing — Shiori had been oddly fixated on that maid since they walked in.
Shiori remained suspicious of Hikaru and kept observing him.
Then a kitchen staff classmate called him, "Hikaru-chan, the order for table 7 is ready!"
"Yes," Hikaru replied before taking the prepared food. Hikaru was in his maid mode and forgot that Shiori was still observing him.
Wait, Hikaru-chan…?
This is really suspicious… By the way, Onii-chan was not in his class earlier when we visited.
Don't tell me… No way, no way… Maybe she just has the same name as him, Shiori thought, refusing to believe it.
Argh, this makes me so frustrated…
I know…. Just for a confirmation….
Then Shiori decided to make a phone call to Hikaru's number. As she called his phone, she noticed the phone in Hikaru's pocket started ringing.
At the same time Shiori made the call, he let it go to voicemail, resulting in a missed call.
Hikaru decided to ignore it, assuming it was from his classmates who kept calling him earlier…
I knew it... It was really you, huh, Onii-chan?...
No matter how well you act, you cannot deceive my eyes.
It's interesting. Maybe I'll play along with this too… Shiori thought and smirked.
Her friends beside her asked,
"What's wrong, Shiori-chan? You're grinning like that. Yeah, your attitude has been so weird since we entered this classroom."
"Don't worry, guys, nothing happened. I just found out something interesting…"
Hikaru arrived with their food order shortly after, keeping his composure as he served the table.
Then Shiori asked Hikaru to take a selfie with her.
"Hey, big sis, can we take a picture together right now…? I'd love to see you in that maid dress."
What is this girl thinking…? Suddenly asking me to take a photo together…?
"Hey Shiori-chan, stop it, you might interrupt her work…!!"
"Don't worry, she's okay with it… right…?" Shiori smiled, looking at Hikaru.
Hikaru gave her a fake smile. "Yeah, it's okay, my master…"
Shiori grabbed his arm, clung to him, and took a picture together with him, acting as if she hadn't found out anything earlier.
"Oh, it's a good picture! I can't wait to show my big brother this picture… Thank you, big sis."
Hikaru kept a poker face and said, "You're welcome. I'm sure your brother will like it…"
"Then please excuse me…" Hikaru excused himself to leave them, but Shiori stopped him.
"Ah, big sis, you got a missed call earlier. Make sure to check your phone immediately after you leave us, okay…" Shiori said.
"Yes…? Understood. I'll check it… soon…"
What was this girl talking about earlier…?
Hikaru kept moving between tables until things finally slowed down. He stepped to one side for a short rest and immediately checked his phone.
Umm, just a call log from Takeru and Akemi from earlier… I'm sure they will be mad at me for being away from the classroom for so long…
Wait, another one from Shiori too earlier…?
Suddenly, Hikaru got a chat message from Shiori. It turned out Shiori had sent the earlier photo to Hikaru's phone.
"Hey Onii-chan, today I got a photo taken with a maid I found at your school earlier. Want to see her?"
Quickly, Shiori sent him the earlier photo and wrote something below it: "Here she is. She looks cute, doesn't she, right, my big sis HIKARU-CHAN…?"
Wait, what…? Hikaru was shocked and looked at Shiori from afar….
Shiori looked back at him and grinned….
She found out...! Hikaru thought.
Shiori then sent another text…
"Oh, nice dress, Onii-chan. You look so good in that. I didn't know you had a hobby of crossdressing like this… Since when did you become my big sister…?"
Hikaru replied to the text, "Wait, you're wrong. This is a misunderstanding…"
"Tch, tch, you cannot deny this…. I can't wait to show this to mom and Kirisaki-chan…"
"Also, don't talk to me or come closer right now. I do not want any of my friends to know about my brother crossdressing."
"So just act like we don't know each other, okay? I am enjoying your school festival right now. See you at home, my beloved BIG SIS…."
Hikaru's face turned pale. This is over… How do I explain this to Mom and Kirisaki-san…? Damn it.
Then Shimizu approached and stood beside him, catching her breath.
"Hey, Hikaru-chan, why do you look so pale? Pull yourself together…" she said while tapping his back with the clipboard she was holding.
Hikaru was upset as he held Shimizu's shoulders and shook her.
"Shut up, Shimizu… This is all your fault. This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't forced me to wear this uniform…"
"Hey, calm down! Why did you suddenly become so upset with me…?"
Mizuha looked at them and thought, What are those two doing right now…?
As Shiori and her friends finished their meal, they spoke.
"Ah, I'm so full. The food here is really delicious," Shiori said.
"Yes, it tastes just like how my maid usually cooks," her friends said.
After finishing their meal, her friends started talking about visiting the haunted house nearby, with one of them already complaining about how scary it sounded.
As Hikaru passed their table after delivering another customer's food order, Shiori suddenly grabbed his dress.
Hikaru was shocked and shouted, "Ah…!!"
He then turned around to face her and smiled. "Yes…?"
Wait, what are you doing… grabbing my dress like that suddenly? What do you want now…?
"Hey, BIG SIS, I really love seeing you in this cute dress. Can we take another picture together… please?" She then grabbed Hikaru's hands.
Hikaru snapped internally.
This girl…! What is she planning now? This cannot happen. I need to force her to leave now…
"Sorry, master, I have to decline. Your time here is done. You need to leave now, okay? Many customers are waiting outside," Hikaru said, giving her a fake smile and pushing her hands away firmly.
Ouch, ouch, what are you doing…? It hurts, stop it… Onii-chan… she thought while wearing a pained expression.
"Shiori-chan, what's wrong…?" her friend asked.
"Ah, it's nothing… hahaha…"
Okay, okay, I give up... Shiori nodded at Hikaru, giving a signal.
Um, I'm glad you understood... Hikaru thought, then smiled at her.
Tch… Shiori glared at him.
"I see, so unfortunately… it can't be helped?" Shiori said with a poker face.
"Yeah, you're right. Our time here is up. Time for us to leave," her friend said.
"That's right. Sorry, big sis. Anyway, thanks for everything." The other friends nodded in agreement.
After Shiori and her friends started to leave the Class 1-F classroom, both Hikaru and Mizuha bowed and saw them off together as they left the classroom.
When they walked away, Shiori suddenly looked back at Mizuha and Hikaru; she saw them having a short conversation, smiling together.
I knew it. He wants me to leave because he wants to talk to another girl… Tch, that's my selfish brother…
Wait, both of them seemed very close, and I have never seen Onii-chan smile like this with another girl.
And that girl… Where have I seen her before…?
Shiori recalled walking past Mizuha near her house after returning from school two weeks ago.
That's right… it was her… The one I saw near my house back then… during Onii-chan's fever.
Wait… at that time, is it possible she was returning from visiting Onii-chan?
Her friends called out for her to catch up. Shiori replied and followed, but her mind was already made up.
There is no mistake. She must be Onii-chan's girlfriend, she thought before joining her friends.
At the same time, Hikaru sighed, "Huh, finally they left… It was so tough with them here, especially that girl."
"What's wrong, Hikaru? You look kind of tired, yet somehow relieved, after they left… Do you know them, Hikaru?" Mizuha asked.
"Oh, yeah, it's… it's just an acquaintance… nothing big deal, haha." Hikaru did not want to tell Mizuha about his little sister having come earlier.
Hikaru changed the subject and nudged them both back to work, and Mizuha followed without pushing further.
Then Mizuha thought, Is it just me, or did we just forget something right now…?
Meanwhile, in Class 1-B, "Geez, where has Hikaru-kun gone? He has been gone since morning…" Akemi yelled.
"Yeah, that guy still hasn't returned since he went to Mizuha's class. I wonder what he is doing now…" Takeru said.
"It has been 3 hours already, since he left. We just finished our student council duties, and now we are stuck here replacing his role. We cannot enjoy the festival."
"Relax, Akemi-chan. I'm sure that guy has his own reason for that."
"Why are you so calm about this? Because of him, we cannot fully enjoy the festival together…"
"We already walked around together since morning, right? So, this is fine too. Just calm down."
"Takeru-kun…"
Akemi's face turned red. "Geez, why do you say things like that now…? But still, I really enjoyed walking and enjoying the festival with you."
"Then let's enjoy it when he returns, okay…? I promise…"
Then their classmate approached them, "Akemi-chan!!!!"
"Ah, you guys, what's wrong...?"
"We just came back from taking a look at Class 1-F from outside like you asked, but Hikaru-kun wasn't there at all..."
"Huh, he wasn't there...? Are you sure?"
"Yes, we checked but couldn't find him anywhere..."
Akemi frowned. "And he's still not picking up calls either..."
"So, where did he even go..." Takeru muttered.
"When he gets back, I will definitely lecture him severely. Just you wait, Hikaru-kun...!!"
Wow, my girlfriend's face looks really scary. I pray for your safety, Hikaru-kun... amen, Takeru thought.
After that, back to class 1F, Mizuha and her classmates continued their maid café activities until the time reached 2:00 p.m., and the number of customers slowly started decreasing.
Shimizu saw off the last customer and headed back to the kitchen side where Zul was waiting, relieved the crowd had finally thinned out.
Zul agreed — the café had drawn a lot more customers than expected today.
Shimizu then announced to the classmates, "Hey, you guys, since the number of customers has slowed down, why don't some of you go enjoy the festival too?"
The classmates agreed and started dividing themselves — some heading out to enjoy the rest of the festival first, while the others stayed behind to keep the café running.
Then Shimizu noticed both Mizuha and Hikaru were still cleaning up the tables. She watched them for a bit.
Huh, are those two still doing their work...?
...Those two really won't stop on their own, will they.
Shimizu called out, "Hey, Mizuha! Hikaru!"
"What are you guys doing…? Everyone is leaving to enjoy the festival already… Why aren't you guys going too…?"
"Ah, is it okay…? What about the rest of the class…?" Mizuha asked.
"Don't worry about that… Let me and the others handle it instead…"
"You guys had better go now, or you'll miss your festival date today…"
"Wait, a date…!?" Both Hikaru's and Mizuha's faces turned red.
"Haha, she's teasing us again, huh!?" Hikaru laughed.
"If she says so, why don't we go too… Mizuha…?"
"Yes, it looks like that… Well, let's go…"
"Thanks, Shimizu. We're going now… See you soon," Mizuha said before leaving with Hikaru.
"See you later. Enjoy your time together…!!" Shimizu waved.
She watched until they were completely out of sight, then turned back around with a satisfied look on her face.
She then noticed Zul smiling at her suddenly. "What!? What with that smile….?"
"It's nothing, but that's really nice of you, huh, Shimizu... You're really rooting for their relationship…"
"Of course, I am. After months have passed, their relationship is still the same without any progress. It really makes me curious, you know…"
"Maybe they have their own reasons for that, I think…"
Shimizu sighed and mumbled slowly, "You and Eri are not so different, you know...."
"Huh, did you say something, Shimizu?" Zul asked, confused.
"Ah, it's nothing... don't worry about that..."
You two actually really like each other, but both of you haven't realized it yet…
Honestly, these two's relationship is more complicated than that of Mizuha and Hikaru.
Ah, whatever, Shimizu thought before turning around.
Alright, enough with the talk. It's now time to continue cleaning up and make more preparations."
She glanced toward the entrance. "Maybe another wave of customers is coming after this... who knows. Hey, Zul, lend me a hand... just a bit."
"Alright, alright, I'll help you..."
Honestly, this girl… Zul thought.
Meanwhile, Mizuha and Hikaru were walking together after leaving Class 1-F.
Even as evening approached, the school corridor was still packed with students and visitors moving between booths and exhibitions.
"By the way, which one would you like us to visit first, Hikaru?"
"Umm, I don't know. There are too many booths and stalls; I cannot choose. I'll leave it to you to lead, Mizuha. I'll just follow you around."
"Geez, you are always like this, always leaving it to me to decide. Why don't you take the lead for once…?" Mizuha pouted.
"Wait, am I always doing that…? Sorry about that…" Hikaru scratched his head.
"Then, how about visiting your class planetarium now…"
"My class, huh." Hikaru paused and thought…
"What's wrong with that?"
"Umm, Mizuha, can you save that for last…?"
"Huh, why…?"
"If we go there, that might be my last stop for today. It might shorten our time together. I think I want to enjoy our time together for today… So, anywhere but there, okay."
"Hikaru…"
"Alright, let's save it for last… Then…"
"Umm, Hikaru… can you give me your hand…?" Mizuha asked hesitantly.
"Yes…?" Hikaru asked, confused, while giving his hand.
Mizuha grabbed and held Hikaru's hand, causing both of their faces to turn red.
"Is it okay for us to hold hands while walking right now…?"
"Wait, Mizuha, what are you doing? We are inside school! What if anyone sees this? What might they say about us later…?"
"Well, you don't need to worry about that. I think they won't recognize you in that maid outfit. They might think we are just two girls together, I guess…"
"Wait, what…?" Hikaru just realized and was shocked by his maid uniform still being on.
"Ah!!! I forgot about this… I can't believe I'm still in these clothes…"
Mizuha chuckled, "You just realized that… haha. You're so funny, Hikaru."
"Yes… I made so many mistakes today," Hikaru said, scratching his cheek with one finger.
"Ah, never mind. Anyway, let's go, Mizuha. Just tell me where we are about to go. I'll follow you, okay?"
Mizuha nodded, and they started walking together, hands still held.
While walking, Mizuha noticed a long line of people ahead. Hikaru glanced over and caught the upperclassmen calling out their stall.
"Choco bananas! Let's try our choco bananas here!"
"Choco banana!? Oh, it looks good… I feel like trying one…"
"Then, let's get in line here too. Let me treat you to one, okay…?"
"Is it okay…? You don't have to do that for me like you always do. I can pay for it myself."
"Don't worry, today is a special day for you, Mizuha… I'll pay for everything, okay…"
"Umm, a special day…? What do you mean, Hikaru…?" Mizuha asked, confused.
"Well, you will find out about that later…"
Both of them lined up together to buy some. When their turn finally arrived, Hikaru said,
"Mizuha, which one do you want…?"
"Well, let me see…" Mizuha thought about which choco banana she wanted.
"Alright, then I'll take the same one as you…"
"Senpai, give us two regular choco bananas, please…"
"Alright, please wait a moment… Two regular choco bananas coming up…"
"Here, three special choco bananas are ready."
Hikaru turned back to him, confused. "Wait, Senpai, I didn't order these three. Also, these are special ones. I asked for two regular ones only."
The upperclassman grinned, "Just for you, my cute junior. This big bro is treating you to an extra one today… Just pay for the regular size you ordered, okay…"
"Wait, what 'cutie'…?" Hikaru's face turned red.
Mizuha, beside him, tried to hold back her laughter.
"Wait, don't laugh at me, Mizuha. That's so mean…"
Ah, never mind… I'm tired of all the harassment I've been getting because of these maid clothes…
Hikaru then paid for the order. "Here, Senpai, you can save the change… Let's go, Mizuha."
"Thank you, please come again, cutie…" the upperclassman said.
As they left the upperclassman's stall, Mizuha chuckled.
"That was really hilarious. You got an extra one because you looked cute… Good for you, Hikaru."
"That compliment sounds so mean, Mizuha… geez…"
"Seriously though, what's wrong with those guys... First that customer back at your class, then just now... Why do they keep approaching me like that...?"
"Hey, do I truly look like a girl in this…?"
"Yes, from head to toe, you totally look like one…"
Hikaru's expression turned completely lifeless, all spirit drained from his face. "Really? Ah, I feel like I want to die now… Please kill me, Mizuha." Hikaru slumped, completely defeated.
"Calm down, okay… I was just kidding. Smile, smile, okay?"
Hikaru then looked at Mizuha,
Mizuha looks happy right now. Looks like she's really enjoying today. I shouldn't let my own problems bring her down.
Mizuha looked at him, confused. "What's wrong, Hikaru...? You suddenly spaced out."
"Ah, it's nothing. Anyway, let's find a place to eat this choco banana for now, okay?"
"Yes…"
After that they found a spot along the corridor near the choco banana stall and stopped there to eat.
Mizuha took a bite and her eyes went wide. "Oh… this is really good."
"Yes, you're right. Not bad. It looks like those senpai are really good at making this… No wonder so many people lined up at their stall earlier."
They stood there finishing their choco bananas, watching people pass by.
Then Mizuha glanced over at him. "Hikaru, wait... you've got something on your lip."
"Huh, where...?"
"Here..." She took out her napkin and wiped the chocolate from under his lip.
Hikaru's face went red. "...Thanks."
Mizuha smiled. "You're welcome…"
Then Hikaru hesitated. "Ah... sorry, Mizuha. I got your napkin dirty... give it to me, I'll wash it and return it to you later."
"It's fine, it's just a little."
"Really...!? I still feel bad about it though..."
Without wasting any more time, they continued enjoying the festival together.
While walking through the corridor, one of the outdoor stalls caught their attention — a ring toss run by one of the other classes.
Hikaru got a few in but Mizuha ended up doing better than him, laughing a little each time she landed one.
Hikaru sighed at his own result but ended up laughing along with her anyway.
Next, they stopped at a fortune teller booth run by one of the literature club girls. Hikaru's fortune came out average and Mizuha's came out good. She read hers with interest while Hikaru stared at his slip like it had personally offended him.
At the calligraphy club they both tried their hand at writing. Hikaru's strokes came out slightly uneven while Mizuha's looked neat beside it. She took her time with each stroke, more absorbed in it than either of them expected.
They caught the tail end of the drama club performance in the gym, standing near the back since all the seats were already taken. Mizuha watched with full attention, leaning slightly forward as the scene on stage got more intense. Both of them stayed until the curtain closed and the audience started clapping.
After that they made their way back into the corridor, and before long they found themselves standing outside the haunted house.
Outside the haunted house, "Kyaa, so scary…!!" Some of the visitors were shouting from inside.
After hearing that, Hikaru hesitated at the entrance.
"Mizuha, are you sure you want to go inside…?"
"Yup… I'm really excited for this…"
Ah, I forgot she is a big fan of this kind of thing.
"What's wrong, Hikaru? Are you scared…? Well, if you don't want to, I can go inside alone instead…"
"Oh, of course not! I'm a man. Things like this are nothing to me…"
"Really…!? That's good. Then… how are we going inside now…?"
"Wait… Mizuha…?" Hikaru said as Mizuha dragged him by the hand and went inside.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp0ThW7QG7u
To be continued… Part 5
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