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

Chapter 3: My Neighbor Turned Out to Be My Childhood Friend (1)

“Hey, Yusuke-kun. When we grow up, let’s get married, okay? Make me your bride.”

“Yeah. Yukina-chan and I will always be together!”

“I’m so happy. Thank you, Yusuke-kun. I love you.”

“I love you too, Yukina-chan—”

I opened my eyes. The familiar ceiling came into view.

“…Ugh, what a terrible dream.”

I sighed and messed up my hair with my hand.

“Is this because I talked to Yukina for the first time in a while yesterday?”

Yukina and I are what you would call childhood friends. We’ve been together since we were born because our houses are next door to each other. We’ve been through kindergarten, elementary, and middle school together, and now, as third-year high school students, we are still in the same class, bound by this annoying fate.

In the past, like in some childhood friend cliché, we even promised to get married. But as we grew older, we naturally stopped talking, and now it’s just a bitter memory—a black history I don’t even want to remember.

“When did our relationship turn out like this…”

Just because we’re childhood friends doesn’t mean we’ll become more than that. The idea of childhood friends ending up together is just a fantasy that doesn’t happen in reality.

However—

If I could, I’d cut this annoying tie with Yukina as soon as possible!

No matter how much I think that, the bond between Yukina and me is strangely strong.

Up until middle school, it made sense since our houses were next to each other. And fine, I’ll reluctantly accept that we were in the same class for eleven years straight from kindergarten through elementary school. But still, being in the same high school and the same class for three years in a row? Come on, isn’t that too much?

Whenever I see pictures of Yukina and me together, I can’t help but realize that childhood friends are a sad thing—you can’t separate from them even if you want to.

Even so, I tried to distance myself from Yukina by living alone in an apartment my mom suggested. Well, it wasn’t so much a suggestion as it was almost forced. My mom said, “You’re in high school now, so try living alone as a form of social study. Don’t worry about the money.” But I thought it was a good chance to get away from Yukina, so I went along with it. And yet… we still ended up in the same class for all three years of high school, which just gives me a headache.

When I saw Yukina’s face at the entrance ceremony, I felt like, “God, I hate you!” But our relationship didn’t change, and we haven’t spoken even once at school. Thanks to that, only a few people know that Yukina and I are childhood friends.

That’s the only relief I have.

Yukina is popular with the boys. I’ve heard rumors that she’s been confessed to multiple times and that she’s turned down every single one.

If people knew Yukina and I were childhood friends, who knows what might happen to me? Society has this weird idea that childhood friends are automatically couples. So, for my own safety, no one must find out that Yukina and I are childhood friends.

“…Anyway, there’s no point thinking about Yukina forever. I’m awake now, so I should use my day off wisely.”

I got dressed, did a bit of preparation to go out, and left the house.

Today is the release day of the new volume of the light novel Welcome to the Maid Cafe. I’ll grab a quick bite to eat and then go buy it!

As I was locking the door, my neighbor came out at just the right time.

Now that I think about it, I don’t know who lives next door.

This apartment building has six rooms on the first floor. With staircases on either side, my room is the third one from the right in the middle. I always move to the right side, so I’ve never really paid attention to who lives on the left. I tried greeting them after I settled in, but they weren’t home.

This is a good chance. I might as well introduce myself now.

With that in mind, I decided to call out. Since the layout is mirrored on the left side, I couldn’t see who it was until the door closed. My heart was pounding a bit. What if it’s a scary-looking guy?

“Um, I live next door. Sorry for the late greeting.”

I heard the sound of the door closing with a click, and I bowed my head.

“Oh, no worries. I should be the one apologizing for the late greeting.”

The voice that responded was a cute, female voice, and I felt relieved.

…But I’ve heard this voice recently, haven’t I…?

“No, really, I’m sorry—”

When I looked up, my body froze as if I’d been stuffed into a freezer.

The other person was also frozen in place.

No way… Is this really happening…?

“Why… are you here…?”

The person in front of me was Yukina. Her hair was messy, she was wearing glasses, and she was in a tracksuit… She looked nothing like the beautiful girl she usually is.

—

Chapter 4: My Neighbor Turned Out to Be My Childhood Friend (2)

“What’s going on, Mom?!”

“What’s with all the noise so early in the morning? You’re so loud.”

I was hurriedly calling my mom. She answered sleepily, sounding drowsy.

“I’m asking why she’s living next door!”

“Oh, you mean Yukina-chan? Yusuke, you’re just finding out now? She’s been living there for three years already. You’re slow.”

“It’s not about being slow or fast, just explain it! You’re the one who suggested I live here!”

“Oh, enough with the noise. I decided that together with Yukina-chan’s mom. You two weren’t spending much time together anymore, so we thought if you lived next to each other, it might bring you closer like before.”

“What?!”

“You might not realize it, but I also picked your high school together with Yukina-chan’s mom.”

Now that I think about it, my mom was very insistent that I choose this high school. Since I didn’t have a particular school in mind, I went with her suggestion, but… it’s not like Yukina had to choose the same high school.

“But why…?”

“Yukina-chan wasn’t that interested in high school either. When I suggested it, she surprisingly agreed to go there.”

“Seriously…?”

I glanced over at Yukina, who was on the phone with her mom just like me. She seemed just as shocked as I was by this revelation, sweating nervously.

“So, if you’re just finding out now, does that mean you’re still not getting along like you used to? I thought by now you’d be visiting each other’s apartments, sweating it out together all night long.”

“Pfft! W-What are you talking about…?”

“You need to get along with Yukina-chan again. You used to go everywhere together, saying you’d get married.”

“That was when we were kids.”

“Listen, there aren’t many girls as cute as Yukina-chan. You should make that childhood promise come true. Otherwise, she might end up with some random guy you don’t even know.”

“I-I don’t care about that…”

“Oh? So, you’re planning to stay single for the rest of your life?”

“Wait, how does it come to that?”

“What do you mean, how? Do you have a girlfriend?”

“Ugh…”

“If you don’t, then you’d better be ready to stay single.”

“E-Even if I don’t have one now, I might get one in the future…”

“You won’t. Thanks to having a good girl like Yukina-chan around, you’ve unconsciously started expecting all girls to be like her or better. Don’t you realize that?”

…It’s true that I haven’t really thought any girls my age were cute or wanted to date them.

Am I unconsciously in love with Yukina…?

‘What are you looking at? I have no intention of spending a good time with you. Actually, I won’t let you even try.’

…No, no way. There’s no way I’m in love with that annoying, bothersome Yukina… That’s impossible.

“If you don’t want to be single, then start getting along with Yukina-chan like before. I want to see my grandchild soon and become a grandmother.”

With that, my mom hung up.

Unable to respond, I gripped my darkened smartphone tightly.

Ugh, Mom… when did you start acting like this?

As I stood there, dumbfounded, I heard Yukina’s panicked voice from behind.

“Wait, Mom! Don’t hang up!”

When I looked over, I saw Yukina standing there, staring blankly at her phone. It seemed her call had abruptly ended too. I don’t know what she was told, but… poor Yukina.

“…What are you looking at…?”

Yukina noticed my gaze and glared at me, her eyes slightly teary.

“Nothing.”

“…Hmph, why do I have to live in the room next to someone like you?”

That’s what I want to say… but I kept my mouth shut. Saying it now would definitely make her even more upset.

…Oh God, why do you make this bond between childhood friends so unbreakable? Did I do something to offend you?

I felt a throbbing headache coming on.