My Beautiful Childhood Friend Is Working in a Maid Cafe For Some Reason - Chapter 84

“Ah.”

“Ah.”

Both of us let out a voice at the same time as we were heading to the Maid Club after school. That’s when we unexpectedly ran into Haru’s girlfriend, Megu Mano.

“Mano-san…”

“Oyama-kun…”

It was an awkward encounter. This was the third time I’d met Mano-san. The first time, we only exchanged glances without speaking. The second time, I had some conversation with her when Haru helped me pick out clothes because I couldn’t do it alone before going out with Yukina. So, this was technically the first time we were meeting one-on-one…well, even though Yukina was beside me.

I knew I needed to thank her for her help the other day, but despite running through various simulations in my head, I couldn’t figure out how to bring it up. Mano-san also seemed a bit nervous, her eyes darting around as if she wasn’t used to talking to boys.

“Who’s this?”

Yukina, noticing the tension between us, interrupted the silence. She seemed slightly irritated, probably because she sensed a weird atmosphere between Mano-san and me, like we were an ex-couple or something. Of course, I’ve never even had a girlfriend before, so that shouldn’t have mattered.

“Uh…this is Mano-san.”

“Mano-san? I don’t know her.”

Yukina narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Mano-san. Mano-san, in turn, seemed a bit scared of Yukina’s sharp gaze. I lightly tapped Yukina on the head.

“Hey! What was that for!?”

Yukina, now holding her head with teary eyes, protested.

“Well, you’re scaring her.”

“But…Yuu-kun was giving off a suspicious vibe with a girl I don’t know, so I got worried.”

“You say you don’t know her…but you met her that rainy day, remember?”

“…I don’t remember.”

“That’s rude.”

“But! I was so happy to walk home with you under the same umbrella. I was excited!”

“Mano-san was standing right next to Haru, you know?”

“She didn’t even register in my mind…”

I was speechless.

Sure, Mano-san isn’t the type to stand out like Yukina, who draws attention immediately with her beauty. She’s quiet and doesn’t attract much attention. But she was definitely there, smiling softly with a faint blush on her cheeks.

I really wish Yukina could broaden her awareness a bit. If Mano-san weren’t such a kind person, this could have escalated into a fight.

“Haah…There’s really nothing between us. She’s just an acquaintance…right?”

I passed the conversation over to Mano-san, who nodded quickly in agreement.

“Y-yes. I’m Megumi Mano, Haru-kun’s girlfriend. I’m just an acquaintance of Oyama-kun.”

Hearing this, Yukina’s expression brightened instantly.

“Oh, I see~”

Both Mano-san and I were left speechless by the sudden shift in Yukina’s attitude.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Yukina Himemiya.”

Yukina was all smiles. Mano-san, on the other hand, was taken aback by the change and her face tensed up, stepping back a bit.

“Y-yes, I know. You’re famous, Himemiya-san.”

“Hey, Yuu-kun, how did you get to know Mano-san?”

“Eh?”

How should I explain this?

It would be hard to admit that I showed Mano-san a picture of Yukina and asked for advice on what clothes would suit her…

“Uh…I accidentally interrupted their date the other day. That’s how we met.”

“Yuu-kun, you shouldn’t interrupt other people’s precious time together. I wouldn’t like it either if someone interrupted our time alone.”

While internally blaming Yukina for the whole situation, I bowed my head apologetically. At the same time, I looked at Mano-san, who gave me a reassuring smile and nodded.

“Mano-san, thank you for the help the other day. And I’m sorry for the interruption.”

“N-no, thank you for the juice. It was delicious.”

“I checked with Haru beforehand to find out what you liked. Was it okay?”

“Yes.”

I had given them drinks as a thank-you for helping me reconcile with Yukina.

“What are you two talking about?”

Yukina, not knowing what had happened, tilted her head in confusion. But I wasn’t going to tell her. This was my little secret.

“It’s a secret from Yukina.”

“Come on, tell me~”

“Nope, not happening.”

Watching our back-and-forth, Mano-san chuckled softly.

“Himemiya-san can make such expressions too.”

“What kind of expression?”

“Oh, I’m sorry! Um, I just thought you always had a cool, distant aura…but now you seem so warm.”

Mano-san shrank back, probably finding Yukina a bit intimidating. Thinking I should help her out, I offered her a way out.

“Mano-san, are you heading home with Haru?”

“Y-yes.”

“Then you’d better go soon. If you take too long, Haru might sulk.”

I said with a smile, and Mano-san laughed, nodding as she said, “That’s true.” She bowed and left. After seeing her off, Yukina was still pouting, left behind and sulking.

“Are you still upset?”

“I’m not sulking.”

“Yes, you are.”

“It’s because Yuu-kun said it was a secret…”

Getting her back in a good mood was simple. I could just tell her the truth, and she’d be fine. But, for now, I wanted to keep it a secret. Otherwise, she might get upset about me showing her picture to someone. Then I’d have no choice but to apologize.

Sure, I was wrong to show it without her permission, but she was also partly responsible for escalating things into a fight, so I didn’t feel like apologizing sincerely.

“Well, to put it simply, I asked for advice on how to make up with a girl.”

That seemed like a reasonable explanation. But Yukina just puffed up even more.

“So, Yuu-kun can’t even figure out how to make up with a girl without asking someone else.”

“It’s not my fault. I’ve never had a fight with a girl before. Besides, I really wanted to make things right with you, Yukina.”

“…If that’s the case, then I guess it can’t be helped.”

We both fell into an awkward silence. To break it, I suggested, “Let’s go?” and Yukina responded, “Yeah…” before we started walking again.

“…Hey, Yuu-kun.”

“…What?”

“The spot where you hit me earlier still stings, so…can you rub it when we get home?”

I didn’t hit her hard enough to cause any pain. This was just an excuse for her to ask me to pamper her. She was indirectly saying she wanted to be spoiled.

“I don’t mind…but are you sure, Yukina?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, then, when we get home…”

“Yeah…”

Our conversation felt just like something between a couple. With that thought, we arrived at an empty classroom. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door, ready to switch gears.

“…What’s wrong?”

Inside, I found Sakuya Tadokoro, one of our juniors, and my classmate Taichi Akiba, both looking quite downcast.