In fact, the literature club activities weren’t that busy last year either.
Last year, we worked on related matters almost up to the “Hako Festival,” but there wasn’t really much content for the literature club during the festival. Most of it consisted of just printing a bit and preparing some snacks for packaging.
In reality, there weren’t that many guests either.
So even though we were somewhat busier than usual, we weren’t moving around like we were out of breath.
But—
“……Why is it like this….”
I slumped in my chair and muttered.
That’s right. This year has been super busy.
Surely, I had been preparing steadily since the beginning of the semester this year. I had written several pieces during the first semester and jotted down some articles. I even organized a guide showcasing the wonderful points of the island we visited, complete with photos from our retreat.
In the second semester, I received some anecdotes from classmates about the school trip and wrote more pieces. Earlier this month, I edited everything nicely, printed them out, and even had them bound at a printing shop.
So, normally, we wouldn’t have been this busy—
“Having a cafe means there’s no choice but to be busy.”
Yuka said as she patted my shoulder in comfort.
Right. This festival, we decided to open a literary cafe.
Let’s try to create a calm atmosphere that seems a bit youthful. That was the idea I suggested.
“It’s a bit odd to use the desks from our usual club, isn’t it?”
The desks we used were purely just ‘desks’. They were plain, functional objects meant only for placing books on to write, so honestly, if you asked if they’d fit a cafe, the answer would be no.
So, first, we had to clear those desks out.
Then we decorated the empty space with various ornaments and filled it with round cafe tables that the school maintained, for some reason, in the supply room.
But, you see, the issue was that there was no elevator in the old building. I don’t really know if they just didn’t care about the rights of students with disabilities back when this building was constructed or what.
However, at least now that there were no classrooms in the old building, it meant that the school recognized that it was a problem.
If you wanted to nitpick, you could ride down the elevator to the connecting corridor between the old and new buildings, but thankfully, the teachers allowed us to simply store the existing desks on the rooftop.
In the end, even though we had to go up and down the stairs, it was more rational to just haul them up one floor.
Fortunately, the desks in the club were foldable, so we took those up to the rooftop. It was a good thing the weather was nice and didn’t seem like it would rain.
The cafe tables were small enough to move easily, but that didn’t mean it was easy work.
“Besides, moving desks shouldn’t be that hard,” Yuka said, throwing me a side glance as I let out a long sigh.
“I’ve been back and forth to the teacher’s office, you know.”
Since we were selling food, there were many conditions to meet. We weren’t professionals dealing in food products. Naturally, there were quite a few things we weren’t allowed to do according to food-related regulations.
Also, lighting fires in classrooms was difficult for various reasons. Boiling water could be done without a fire, but—
So, I made sure to check those regulations once again and confirm with the teacher whether we were blocking the hallway too much and if we could clear everything by the end of the cultural festival.
Only after we neatly organized the other classroom we borrowed for space did our work finally finish.
I wasn’t physically exhausted, but I was mentally drained in many ways.
“Good job, good job,” Yuka said, ruffling my hair.
“You’ve worked hard, you’ve worked hard,” Harumi chimed in from nearby, also ruffling my hair.
By the way, Koko had already been petted by the kids around. And her hands were resting on Tsuneda’s head, who wore a slightly complicated expression.
Seeing that made me chuckle.
“Do you think it will go well tomorrow?”
Izumi murmured, seemingly worried.
Even though she was a test-taker, she insisted on being with us for the cultural festival. I truly felt it was about time for her to study hard, but at the same time, excluding Izumi and Kaoru felt a bit wrong.
Both of them were already seriously studying ahead of time, so taking a slight break wouldn’t have a huge impact on their scores.
Besides, this might be the last time.
After this activity, both of them would truly wrap up their time in the literature club. That doesn’t mean they wouldn’t see each other at school, but it might be challenging to meet in the club room until graduation.
“It will go well,” I said while imagining how Izumi and Kaoru would look in maid outfits.
“Maybe it’s better not to hope that it goes too well,” I added.
“Hmm? What does that mean? Isn’t it just good if it goes well? Why not let it be too good?”
“You’ll probably understand once tomorrow comes.”
I deliberately spoke vaguely.
Kaoru seemed to get some kind of understanding from my words, while Izumi just tilted her head in confusion.
*
See? I told you.
The ‘literary cafe’ had a long line from the moment the festival started, and by the time we opened, there were tons of people lining up.
It’s no surprise, really.
It’s not just because the maids working there were cute. Of course, that reason probably played a significant role, but school festivals naturally attract people.
At least all the students studying at this school were potential customers. When you think about their friends and family they might invite, it’s even more of a guarantee.
While it’s called a school festival, the actual places for it were fixed. Naturally, there were also set spots for enjoyment, so once the crowd started gathering in those smaller locations, they filled up quickly.
“Yes, yes, I’ll be right there…!”
Izumi, dressed in a maid outfit, was rushing around, even forgetting to say things like ‘Yes, Master’.
Even though the maid cafe couldn’t be just us, guests kept flocking in. And even though we were on the top floor.
Thanks to that, the photography club in the room next to us was having an unexpected boom.
Honestly, what the photography club was doing was not too different from sticker photos, but since they were right next to the bustling cafe, people naturally flowed into their crowd.
“Thank you. I hope you enjoyed your time.”
As a professional maid with experience, I gracefully saw off guests after calculating their bills without getting flustered.
There were all kinds of people. Some were smiling, while others appeared oddly discontented. But even though it looked like this, I had worked in a maid cafe for about two years. I knew well how to handle problematic customers, and mostly, the people around here were acquaintances of the students, so it wouldn’t be easy to make a fuss.
And then—
“……”
Yes. There had been a woman hanging around my vicinity for a while now.
She had a striking beauty that would catch anyone passing by, but she also had a somewhat scary aura surrounding her, which made her continue watching me intently.
“…Um, excuse me, is everything okay?”
“She’s my mother, young lady.”
When a customer who looked like a university student appeared to worry about me, I politely responded, making her go “Ah…” while nodding her head and leaving the area.
“……”
I sank into thought for about five seconds before walking over and clasping my hands together, speaking in a polite tone.
“Miss, you’ve used the space for thirty minutes.”
“Oh my, calling me a miss.”
Upon hearing that, Kagami seemed to squirm as if unsure what to do.
“…Other masters and young ladies are feeling uncomfortable.”
“…Um, I’m sorry, but could you not use that ‘master’ term?”
I mean, what am I supposed to say if we don’t use that here at a maid cafe?
Of course, it’s called a literary cafe, but still.
“In the 21st century…”
The excuse for this was that I was anxious about using such terms with other guys.
While there was an adult where I was working, here, it was different.
Well, it’s not weird for a mother to worry about a daughter who has already been stalked.
Still.
I hesitated for a moment and said, “Miss, would you like to wear a maid outfit?”
We have extra ones, but I’m not sure if it would fit Kagami. It might be a bit tight around her chest?
“…No, even so, I don’t want to do that.”
Surprisingly, Kagami firmly refused.
Guess maid outfits might be too much for regular folks.
It’s usually something someone would wear only when pressured by financial constraints or caught up in the festival atmosphere… Not something you’d wear casually for any regular job.
“……”
“Ah, alright. I’ll be quiet.”
I mean, you’ve been quiet up to now, haven’t you?
The real issue was that you kept glaring at the guys who called me ‘Master’.
“……Why not wait inside instead? I can clear a table for you.”
“Really?”
When I dropped the maid-like tone and said that, Kagami’s eyes sparkled with interest.
Could it be that she’s been doing this just to hear that?
I appreciate the compliment, but there are times when it feels a bit overdone.
…Well, I do agree that wandering around alone during a festival feels a bit strange.
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