My Beautiful Childhood Friend Is Working in a Maid Cafe For Some Reason - Chapter 77

Yesterday, I changed into the clothes Haru helped me pick and checked if I had forgotten anything. Although, there wasn’t much I needed. My phone, wallet, and key case…and of course, the important item Yukina’s mother gave me.

“Okay. I’ve got everything.”

I confirmed, lightly slapped my cheeks twice to gather my resolve, and then, after taking a small breath, I left the room.

I took another breath in front of Yukina’s room.

The chances of Yukina coming out…were almost zero. Even though I knew that, a foolish part of me still held on to a faint hope.

I rang the doorbell.

A nervousness washed over me, like before confessing to a girl I like. Of course, I’ve never actually confessed to anyone before. But what I’m about to do now feels very similar, so I figured that comparison was accurate.

However, Yukina didn’t come out. Even so, I didn’t get discouraged. This time, I took out my phone and called her.

After a few rings, she answered the phone. There were no words, but she was definitely listening.

“Yukina…I rang the doorbell just now. Could you please come out?”

There was no response. But I could hear some rustling noises, so she was probably paying attention.

“Yukina…if you don’t come out, I’m going to let myself in.”

“W-wait, just—”

I cut her off mid-sentence, then used the important item I received from her mother—Yukina’s spare key—to unlock the door.

I barged in and opened Yukina’s closed door. There she was, dressed as usual.

She blinked in confusion, as if she couldn’t comprehend the situation. Her eyes were a little swollen—probably from crying.

“…I-intruder! You’re an intruder!”

Yukina flailed her arms and legs, like she was trying to chase away an intruder who had invaded her precious space…or more accurately, she threw a pillow at me, hitting me in the face.

“Oh, sorry…”

She mumbled an apology while glancing at the pillow that had slipped to the floor. The accident seemed to calm her down a little, bringing her back to her senses.

“Intruder or not, go ahead and report me if you want. I came here fully prepared for that.”

Even though we’re childhood friends, it’s not okay to enter her room just because I have a spare key. It’s a crime. Still, I wasn’t going to let anything stop me from seeing her.

“I won’t report you…because it’s you, Yusuke-kun.”

She wouldn’t look me in the eyes, but at least she wasn’t going to report me. That was a relief.

“Thanks. Well then, Yukina. Go take a bath. We’re going out.”

Yukina lifted her head, surprised by my words.

“Why…?”

“What do you mean, ‘why’…? The bath? Or going out?”

“Both.”

“The bath is because you smell sweaty. It stinks here, my nose might twist.”

That was a lie. It didn’t smell bad at all. In fact, the feminine scent filling the room was making me feel a bit strange.

“Y-Yusuke-kun, do you have no sense of delicacy!?”

“Quiet down. It stinks, so just hurry up and take a bath.”

“I-I might cry again…So, why are we going out…?”

“Didn’t you give me a gift, Yukina? The right to go out with you. I’m using that today. But I don’t want to go out with a smelly girl. So, go take a bath.”

“…Are you sure you want to say that? I might come out naked and jump on you, Yusuke-kun…”

“It’s fine. Even if that happens, I won’t do anything. I’ve already told you, I’m not even a little bit interested in Yukina’s body. Stop talking nonsense and get moving. We don’t have much time.”

I practically forced Yukina to stand up and left the room. I sat on the provided chair and waited. A little later, Yukina came out with her change of clothes and headed to the bath.

“…You can peek if you want.”

“I’m good. I’m not moving from here.”

I waited for Yukina to finish her bath. Because her hair was long, it took quite some time to dry.

“I’m ready…”

Her hair, which had been messy before, was now back to its usual silky state. Other than that, she still looked like she was in her lazy day outfit. For some reason, her tracksuit seemed to look a bit dull.

“Alright, let’s go.”

I didn’t mind being a bit reckless. It didn’t matter if she ended up hating me. It didn’t matter if she thought I was a terrible guy. As long as I could take Yukina out, nothing else mattered.

We left the room together and went down to the apartment building.

“W-where are we going?”

“It’s a secret.”

I led the way, walking in silence. During the walk, neither Yukina nor I said a word.

“First, let’s grab some food.”

I brought Yukina to the ramen shop where she had made her first stop on the way home. When we went inside, it was just after noon. But since it was Sunday, there weren’t many office workers around. We were lucky enough to get seated right away.

I had Yukina sit by the wall at the counter, and I sat next to her. The same old man from before came to take our order. When he saw Yukina, he widened his eyes slightly.

After we ordered, we waited for the food without saying much. We just stared straight ahead.

We quietly ate the food when it arrived, and then I paid the bill. I had already decided that I would pay, so I told Yukina not to worry about it. She looked a bit flustered, but I quickly finished up while she hesitated.

“Thanks…”

As we left the shop, she whispered softly, and I responded that it was no problem.

“Are we going home…?”

She asked in a sad and lonely voice. When I said no, she smiled slightly, relieved.

“Next, we’re taking the train.”

I had already decided on our next destination. It was the shopping mall I went to yesterday. There, I was going to transform Yukina.

The right I received was essentially a chance to see a stylish Yukina. So, I had to make sure she looked fashionable.

To have a proper conversation…I wanted to set the mood. Time for a full-on makeover.