My Beautiful Childhood Friend Is Working in a Maid Cafe For Some Reason - Chapter 93

The stalker incident ended on Friday. It had been a busy week, and to unwind, I went to “Poplar,” just like always, to grab an omelet rice as a reward—and to see Yukina.

Of course, Yukina was the one taking care of me. She wore the frilly black-and-white maid outfit, and once again, seeing her like this made me appreciate the greatness of the maid uniform.

Yukina looks cute in her casual clothes too, but I can’t deny how good she looks as a maid. If I told her that, she’d probably say, “Yuu-kun, are you indecisive and can’t make up your mind?” And then I’d imagine countless versions of Yukina and still be unable to choose. Yeah, I can already see that happening.

“Yuu-kun, what’s wrong? You’re zoning out.”

Yukina asked curiously, not realizing that I was lost in strange (not inappropriate) thoughts.

“Uh, I was just thinking how cute you look in your maid outfit.”

“Huh?!”

Yukina’s eyes went wide, and she blushed.

“N-No, you can’t say stuff like that. Yuu-kun, are you becoming a womanizer lately?”

Yeah, even I think that was out of line, so please don’t bring it up. Lately, I’ve felt like I’m acting a bit weird, and it’s kind of scary.

“I guess I realized I never told you before.”

“Even so, it’s troubling… This is a workplace, you know? Think about how hard it is for me to hold back.”

“Yeah, sorry.”

“Geez…”

Yukina puffed her cheeks in a pout. As I scratched my head, I realized that something about her seemed not right.

“…Yukina. Want to walk home together today?”

“Sure, but what’s up? You’re being kind today, Yuu-kun.”

“I just felt like walking home with you.”

Honestly, I suspected Yukina might be dealing with something, but I figured it wasn’t the right time to bring it up. Besides, I really did want to walk home with her.

“Got it.”

“I’ll wait for you when you’re done.”

I left the café first and waited for Yukina outside. After a short while, she came out, having changed into her school uniform.

“Shall we go?”

“Yeah.”

We walked side by side in silence. No words, just quietly walking together.

Something really is nor right…

Usually, when Yukina and I walk home together, she’s much more excited. Even in casual conversations, she’s always cheerful. But today, that wasn’t the case. Did I unknowingly do something wrong?

“Um… Yukina, are you mad at me?”

If she was angry, I wanted to apologize before things got worse. Even if she wasn’t mad, it was better to talk things out so I wouldn’t regret it later.

“No, I’m not mad. Why?”

“You just don’t seem your usual self.”

Yukina smiled a little apologetically.

“Did you notice, Yuu-kun?”

“Yeah, normally, you seem to have more fun when we’re together, but today feels different.”

Wait, am I trying to convince myself that Yukina likes me? That’s just embarrassing.

“Sorry. I am happy to be with you, Yuu-kun. It’s just…”

“Just what?”

“Um, Yuu-kun, do you think I’m cute?”

What? Of course, I think she’s cute. …Then why can’t I say it? I was just saying it earlier, but when she asks directly, I can’t speak. As always, I hate how pathetic I am.

I thought about dodging the question, but Yukina was serious, so I answered honestly.

“O-Of course, I do.”

“Is it just my face? Or do you think I’m cute in other ways too?”

Does Yukina think I only like her for her looks? That kind of pissed me off.

“Of course, it’s not just your face. Your face is cute, but there are so many other things about you that are cute too.”

“Th-Thank you…”

Yukina looked down shyly, embarrassed. I felt embarrassed too and wanted to run away, but I held it in. I took a step closer, closing the gap that had been between us.

“Why are you asking this all of a sudden?”

“…You know, I’ve been wondering if the reason that junior girl got stalked is because of me.”

“Huh?”

“That girl said the only reason it got so much attention was because I was in the picture. If it had been any other girl, it wouldn’t have been a big deal, right?”

So, Yukina thinks Tadokoro got stalked because she’s too cute…?

I nearly sighed in disbelief.

“Yukina, are you smart or stupid?”

“I-I’m being serious!”

Sigh “Listen, I think you’re the cutest in the world, but that doesn’t mean everyone else does. Relax, not everyone thinks you’re the best.”

Honestly, I don’t want anyone else to think Yukina’s the cutest. But I’m too embarrassed to say that.

“What do you mean…?”

“For example, to Haru, you might just be one of many cute girls, but for him, the cutest girl in the world is Mano-san. You get it?”

“That’s because she’s his girlfriend, right?”

“Exactly. There are lots of cute girls in the world.”

“Then why did that guy say the junior girl wasn’t cute?”

“Because he’s an idiot with no taste. I think Tadokoro is cute, and I think Miyuki-san is cute too.”

…Why am I telling Yukina that other girls are cute in front of her? This conversation is getting confusing, so I should wrap it up.

“Anyway, the one who’s at fault for everything is Kurano, not you. If anything, you should be proud of how cute you are even without makeup. Just don’t brag, because no one likes that.”

Before I knew it, I had reached out and placed my hand on Yukina’s head. Seriously, what’s wrong with me lately? I’m doing things I wouldn’t normally do. This isn’t like me.

When I gently stroked her silky hair, Yukina closed her eyes, looking content. After a while, I pulled my hand away, realizing we were outside, and this wasn’t the place for that.

As I moved my hand, Yukina grabbed it tightly, making my heart skip a beat.

“Yuu-kun. I’m your number one, right? Right?!”

She leaned in close as she asked, her face inches away from mine. I could smell the faint scent of her perfume.

“Y-Yeah, you’re my number one. Absolutely.”

“Good… I’m glad!”

Yukina grinned, looking incredibly cute. I couldn’t help but turn my face away.

“Uh, um, could you let go of my hand now?”

“Nope. I want to stay like this today.”

With that, Yukina squeezed my hand even tighter.

It wasn’t that I didn’t like it, I was just embarrassed. It didn’t seem like she’d let go, so we continued walking hand in hand.

Glancing at Yukina, I saw that she looked happy again, just like always. Relieved to see she had regained her energy, I continued walking.