My Beautiful Childhood Friend Is Working in a Maid Cafe For Some Reason - Chapter 44

“Phew… Thanks for the meal. It was really delicious.”

Yukina finished eating after I had already cleared my bowl. It was unusual—I had finished eating first. Well, the reason was that Yukina had ordered two extra servings of noodles.

Seriously, how much can she eat… Even the other customers and staff were whispering about her appetite. But I guess it’s understandable; a girl her size eating that much is bound to attract attention.

“Are you satisfied?” I asked.

“Yes, I couldn’t eat another bite.”

Of course, you couldn’t. If you ate anything else, I’d be genuinely worried about your stomach.

“Okay, let’s pay and head home.”

We both stood up and walked towards the register. Since it was my treat today, I pulled out my wallet and paid the bill—an amount that seemed unimaginable for one person.

“Here you go, miss.”

The older man who had taken our order handed Yukina a lollipop from a jar next to the register.

“It’s a thank you for eating so much.”

“Um… but it says for children only.”

The candy was meant for small kids, and it didn’t seem right for a high schooler like Yukina to take it. So, she hesitated.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Just come back again, okay?”

“Thank you!”

Yukina accepted the candy with a truly childlike smile—so innocent that I felt my heart skip a beat.

“As for you, young man, you’ll have to eat a bit more if you want one,” the man said with a laugh.

“We’re not a couple!” Yukina immediately denied.

I didn’t want to be misunderstood, even though I knew we wouldn’t be coming back here together. This wasn’t a date, just a detour.

We left the shop and started walking home side by side. Yukina was already enjoying the candy she’d been given.

Do we really look like a couple…?

Maybe to others, a boy and girl walking together like this does seem like a couple. But no, that’s not it. Yukina and I are completely mismatched, so there’s no point in overthinking it.

Yukina laughed cheerfully, completely unaware of what was going through my mind.

“You look really happy. Is the candy that good?”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just my first time taking a detour with someone, so it’s fun!”

First time, huh…

“…Are you sure you’re okay with it being me?” I asked.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Earlier, I saw some boys in class asking you to hang out. Wouldn’t it have been more fun to be with them?”

Right. Yukina wouldn’t have enjoyed herself much with me on this detour. I couldn’t make her laugh, and even when I tried to be considerate, she told me to stop.

Hanging out with those guys would have been much more fun for her.

“Hey, Yusuke, aren’t you having fun taking this detour with me?”

Honestly, I didn’t know. I couldn’t tell if I was having fun or not…

“It’s not bad, I guess.”

“Well, I’m having a lot of fun.”

“That’s because you don’t know any better. The world is full of things that are way more fun. Those guys could show you that, but I can’t.”

“What are you saying? I didn’t come here for that. I came because I wanted to eat ramen with you, Yusuke. Why would I want to hang out with people I don’t even know well?”

“It’s for your own good,” I replied.

Yukina’s expression darkened instantly.

I regretted it immediately, but it was too late.

“For my own good? Are you saying that hanging out with those guys instead of taking a detour with you is better for me?”

Her tone became sharp, and I wasn’t sure what had upset her.

“What if you made friends? You could take even more detours.”

“I told you before—I don’t need friends. Stop deciding what’s best for me!”

“I’m sorry…”

“Hmph. I had a great time taking this detour with you, Yusuke. Now be quiet!”

“Mmgh!?”

Yukina suddenly shoved the lollipop she had been licking into my mouth.

Even I knew how bad this was. It wasn’t just an indirect kiss; it was something… I didn’t even know how to describe it.

The fact that Yukina had been licking it just moments before left me with mixed feelings I couldn’t quite put into words.

My body felt warm…

“Let’s get home, quickly!” Yukina’s ears were bright red as she walked ahead.

We finally arrived back at the apartment, and Yukina and I were about to part ways at the door, both feeling awkward and not saying much.

“Hey, are you coming today?”

The way she asked made it clear.

So she’s going to be there too…

“Yeah, I was planning on it.”

“I see. Want to go together?”

“It would be weird for a maid to come with a customer.”

“It’s fine. We can just say I brought you there.”

It might work if I were a new customer, but I’ve been a regular for over two years now.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be there, so just wait for me.”

“Got it. But you better come! I won’t forgive you if you lie!”

There’s no way I wouldn’t go. I’ve been going there every Friday, even though I didn’t like it when Yukina was there. But lately, she’s been treating me well, and it doesn’t bother me as much anymore.

So—

“I’ll definitely come—for the omelet rice.”

“Say you’re coming to see me, too!”

“Why would I do that? My goal has always been the omelet rice!”

“Hmph, you never know how to wrap things up. But I’ll be waiting, so see you later.”

Yukina put her hand on the door.

At the same time, I did the same.

“Yeah, see you later—”

“Y-Yusuke! Th-the detour… it was fun! See you!”

Yukina quickly shut the door behind her.

Left alone, I stood there frozen, as if struck by lightning.

A date… She said date… But this was supposed to be just a detour, not a date, right? Yukina herself had said it was just a detour, but now she’s calling it a date… What was today, really?

I don’t know.

But strangely, I don’t feel bad about it.

Does that mean I enjoyed it too? The date…

I’m not sure how I feel, but I’ll figure it out as time goes on.

After all, the bond between Yukina and me is still far from being broken.