My Beautiful Childhood Friend Is Working in a Maid Cafe For Some Reason - Chapter 103

“Tonight is just getting started!” or so someone excitedly said earlier.

Now, I found myself thinking that as I looked at the three sleeping figures.

First, Yukina, who was already sleep-deprived, finally hit her limit and collapsed onto the desk. Then, Tadokoro, perhaps drawn in by Yukina’s adorable little snores, fell asleep next.

I had been chatting with Akiba for a while, but eventually, he too succumbed to sleep.

In the end, I was the last one still awake.

It’s summer, so leaving them as they were wouldn’t likely give them colds, but just in case, I went to my room and grabbed four thin blankets.

I covered each of them with one.

“Well, time to get some fresh air before I sleep.”

Since this is the first time so many people have gathered at this house, I stepped out onto the balcony for some air exchange.

The summer breeze gently brushed against my skin.

With a small sigh, I suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of happiness.

At that moment, a large shadow appeared from behind, creeping up on me. Startled, I turned around—it was Tadokoro.

“Oh, did I scare you?”

“My heart nearly stopped! I thought a bear had snuck up on me!”

“Well, you’re not completely wrong.”

Tadokoro said that as she stepped out onto the balcony, letting out a big yawn while stretching her arms.

“Did I wake you up?”

“When you put the blanket on me.”

“I see.”

The two of us stared blankly at the view outside, sharing a silence that would usually feel awkward but was surprisingly comfortable now.

“Senpai, did you have fun today?”

“Yeah. Especially watching you blush during the Life Game—it was hilarious.”

“Ugh, Senpai, are you a sadist? Stop reminding me of embarrassing things!”

Tadokoro lightly tapped my back, as if trying to cover her embarrassment. But I genuinely meant it.

Yukina has gotten so used to it that she no longer says the classic lines with any hint of embarrassment… though there was one time when she did, but that was probably because I was there. Back then, during the very first time, she was much more shy.

So, hearing it from Tadokoro felt refreshing.

To be exact, it wasn’t just fun—it was cute. But saying that would be too embarrassing for me, so I kept it to myself.

“What about you, Tadokoro?”

“I had a lot of fun. This was my first time doing something like this.”

“Glad to hear that. At least hosting was worth it.”

If Yukina and Tadokoro had fun, then it was all worthwhile. I’m sure Akiba felt the same. I did too. If everyone was satisfied, then it was a success.

“Yeah, thanks for putting up with my whims, Senpai.”

“Seriously. We didn’t even do anything that resembled a training camp.”

“Eh, we ate, played, and slept together. Isn’t that camp-like?”

“That’s more of a sleepover than a camp.”

“True. But you could say it’s all about how you phrase it.”

“Don’t you get cheeky with me.”

I lightly tapped Tadokoro on the head. She let out a cute little “ow” in response.

“What was that for? Keep doing that, and I’ll bite you! Rawr!”

Tadokoro raised her hands in a playful attack gesture. Maybe because she was wearing a bear hoodie, she really did look like a bear from the forest.

“That’s not scary at all.”

“Well, I wasn’t trying to be.”

“What kind of logic is that?”

We shared a small laugh, careful not to wake the others.

“Hey, Senpai. Thank you for everything today. I feel like I’ve properly returned the favor.”

“About that, it was just a joke. Besides, I didn’t really do anything.”

Looking back, I realize just how useless I was. Yukina, Akiba, and Haru handled most of it, and I barely contributed.

“Yeah, Yukina-senpai, Akiba-senpai, and your friend did most of the work.”

Even though I knew that, hearing it so plainly reminded me of how little I helped.

“But that’s fine, Senpai. It’s exactly because you’re like that that I was able to open up to you.”

“Hearing that makes me feel even worse, though.”

“I’m not being considerate, it’s just the truth. Still, if it really bothers you, maybe you should try broadening your perspective a bit. You haven’t even realized the real reason for this ‘camp,’ have you?”

“Huh? Was there some other reason?”

“There was.”

Tadokoro sighed in exasperation, but I had no idea what she meant. I thought the goal was simply for us all to have fun together.

“I wanted to see you. That’s all.”

“…What?”

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her as she stared at me directly.

What did she just say? She wanted to see me?

“What do you mean by that…?”

I had a feeling I shouldn’t ask. Was it because I had changed? I couldn’t deny that I was considering the possibility of what she meant.

“Oh, I misspoke! I meant I wanted to see all of you, Senpai!”

Tadokoro feigned innocence.

“You little…”

“Aw, did you misunderstand something?”

She grinned mischievously and teased me. As annoying as it was, right now, it somehow felt like a relief.

“Just be careful not to get distracted, Senpai.”

“That’s different from what you said earlier.”

“It’s fine. Just widen your view while not getting distracted, okay?”

“That’s a pretty unreasonable request.”

“It’s a cute junior’s request.”

“Don’t call yourself cute…”

“Hehe. Still, wasn’t it a shame about the pool the other day?”

“Yeah, the weather is unpredictable like that.”

“Such a tsundere, right? It’s sunny when in a good mood, rainy when upset. It’s a real pain.”

“And lightning when it’s angry?”

“Exactly! It’ll flash and roar to scare you. Totally unfair!”

It seems Tadokoro is afraid of thunderstorms. Despite her complaints, with her bear hoodie on, she looked too cute to be taken seriously.

“I even bought a new swimsuit for that day, you know?”

A new swimsuit… Was that because she needed a new size, or did she just want one?

“Senpai, stop staring!”

“I-I wasn’t staring! You’re imagining things!”

“Are you sure? I felt some pretty suspicious looks just now.”

“It’s all in your head! Anyway, let’s go back inside.”

“Oh, running away, huh?”

“Shut up.”

“Hehe, teasing Senpai is always so fun!”

“Yeah, yeah… It’s exhausting.”

“But you don’t really mean that, do you?”

In this comfortable atmosphere, I almost said something I didn’t mean.

“That’s a secret.”

I managed to hide it and went back inside first.

“Senpai is so fun to be around…”

Tadokoro muttered something in a voice too soft for me to catch.

“Did you say something?”

“Nothing. Let’s sleep, or we won’t be able to wake up tomorrow.”

With that, Tadokoro quickly lay down and, not long after, her gentle breathing signaled she had fallen back asleep.

“She really messes with my head.”

I turned off the light and lay down myself. Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep too, and I had the feeling I dreamed something really nice.