When I found out about the student council president's secret, she became my exclusive maid [Haitus] - Chapter 26 - Her Past

“There is a rumor going around about you, are you aware of it?”

“Stop it.”

Yuki Ohira, dressed as a maid in a short skirt that she had become used to by now, sat down on the dining table with me. Today’s menu was fried chicken. The juicy looking chicken was seasoned with soy sauce and looked delicious. It reminded me of the chicken dish that my mother used to make at home, and just looking at it reminded me of my mother’s cooking. Side dishes were also prepared, and the kotatsu table was filled with a variety of colorful dishes.

Just as we were about to start eating, today’s events were brought up as a topic of conversation by her.

“Of course, I know it’s a joke, but the fact is that you two are too close to each other, isn’t it?”

“Well, we’re just good friends.”

Shogo could confidently say that we were best friends. We were among the few people who could be themselves around each other without any reservations. That’s why the expression resonated with him.

Upon hearing his answer, Yuki Ohira asked as if she was reminded of something.

“It seems rare for you two not to be together at school, though.”

“Well, I don’t have any friends other than Shogo.”

As I said these words, I couldn’t help but feel that she was feeling a little sad, but it was the truth, and there was nothing I could do about it.

Yuki Ohira made an indescribable expression, and for once, I squinted my eyes, feeling a little annoyed, and said,

“What’s the matter? Is it bad to have few friends?”

“Oh, no.”

She immediately denied it and explained the sad expression on her face from earlier.

“I was just surprised. I thought that Morigami-kun would have many friends.”

“Do you think I probably have a hundred friends?”

“Come to think of it, that’s scary.”

“Agreed.”

As we joked around and laughed together, Yuki Ohira asked me something she was curious about.

“Why don’t you make more friends?”

“Don’t make it sound so easy. If it were that easy, I’d be eating onigiri on top of Mt. Fuji with a hundred friends.”

“With your communication skills, Morigami-kun, I think you could do it.”

“You’re overestimating me too much…”

As I muttered, I leaned forward and rested my hands on the dining table, looking up at the ceiling. The familiar, dirty white ceiling became a substitute for a screen and my mind flickered with flashes of memories from the past.

“I have been obsessed with baseball since I was a kid. I didn’t know how to make friends.”

I accidentally blurted out my true feelings. I didn’t intend to complain, but I couldn’t help but remember the past. To cover up for it, I sat back up and clasped my hands together.

“Let’s eat. Shall we?”

“Sure…”

Perhaps sensing my feelings, without further probing my mutterings, she ended the conversation with me and after saying “Itadakimasu” she began eating her food.

I reached out for the main course, the fried chicken, and began to eat it.

The taste was heavenly as the juicy texture spreaded through my taste buds.

If someone were to see my facial expression, they would mistake that I was appearing for a commercial, as the savory taste of the fried chicken filled my mouth.

It was delicious. Too delicious. It felt like I was eating at a luxury restaurant. It wasn’t just similar in taste, it was the same as my mother’s recipe.

Maybe my mother had secretly taught Yuki Ohira the recipe. It was so similar that I had that kind of illusion, but these days, recipes are posted online, and fried chicken is pretty much the same everywhere.

As I tried to reach for my second piece with my chopsticks, I noticed that Yuki Ohira was smiling happily.

“Is it delicious?” she asked.

“Yeah. It’s really delicious.”

If I were to say that it tasted similar to my mother’s cooking, I would be seen as a “momma’s boy,” so I just gave a simple answer. It seemed that the simple answer was the right one, as she smiled brightly and happily.

“Why is Ohira so good at cooking? Did your mother teach you?”

A casual question that I didn’t have any ulterior motive for. I was just curious about where someone who could make such delicious food learned how to cook.

However, Yuki Ohira squeezed her hand tightly in a fist and had a somewhat sad atmosphere.

She glanced at me and then hesitantly said, as if she were a lost little girl.

“My mother huh…”

She continued, even though it was difficult for her.

“My parents don’t care about me at all.”

This answer reminded me of the complicated family situation that I had heard about in the elevator before. I felt it would be impolite to pry any further, so I tried to change the subject. However, she forced herself to smile.

“I learned how to cook from the housemaid a long time ago.”

“A housemaid?”

There are few households with housemaids in ordinary families.

I had imagined that Yuki Ohira, with her demeanor, tone, and atmosphere, was a wealthy young lady, and it seemed that I was right. But the fact that such a young lady was living alone in an ordinary apartment meant that she had a complicated family situation.

“I wasn’t raised by my parents. They left me alone. They treated me like a nuisance, even till now.”

She bit her lip and lowered her gaze.

“How many times have I thought to myself, ‘Then why did you give birth to me?'”

As if recalling her parents, she muttered with a slightly irritated expression, “I don’t want to acknowledge those people as my parents. That’s why I left home when I entered high school.”

When asked about the reason for her living alone, she continued, “The one who raised me was the maid who took care of me since I was born. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to call her my mother.”

She then placed her hand on her chest and spoke about her innermost thoughts, “I also wanted to become a kind and caring person like that maid. I wanted to try the same job. To take care of someone. I wanted to be like her.”

“Is that the reason why you became a maid?”

“Hehe~ it’s simple, right? But I’m serious. It doesn’t matter much about my family background or anything like that. I decided to become the person I admired and here I am.”

Her gaze conveyed a strong determination. I felt ashamed of myself for thinking that she worked at a maid cafe just because she liked maid outfits. I realized that being a maid was the result of her painful past memories. She became a maid because she wanted to get closer to the person she admired. For her, who thought that doing household chores was a given, there must have been a difficult process. It was proof that she had made an effort.

“Was it good? To tell someone like me about your past?”

She had not yet told me the details, but I had caught a glimpse of her past conditions. I wondered if it was good for me to listen to her painful story.

“Maybe I wanted someone to listen to me for a long time. But I didn’t know who to talk to. I don’t have anyone I can call a friend. So I kept it to myself and never told anyone.”

While saying this, she looked straight at me.

“I’m your personal maid. It’s the duty of the master to know about their maid’s past.”

The words “duty” came out as a heavy word, but she laughed a little and said it jokingly, “You can say it that way as well.”

“So, even the master has a duty?”

“Of course.”

She said it as if it were a matter of course, but then continued, “Being a maid is a job that involves taking care of their master. It’s not just about household chores. It’s also my job to take care of your heart.”

Therefore, she said with a little shyness, “Please feel free to talk to me about anything. I’ll listen to your story anytime.”

Those words made me realize that the trust she had for me had increased even more.

“Thank you.”

Having said that, I decided to enjoy the dish that was the result of overcoming her painful past.

☆☆☆☆☆☆

I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Don’t forget to react to the chapter and drop a comment if you enjoyed reading it!

Found any errors or typos? Feel free to contact me on Discord. 

TL : Zenon#4120