NOVEL NEXT Chapter 27: Chapter 26: A Maid Café?
"Akatsuki Café, Akatsuki Café…"
Walking along the street, Nino Nakano glanced around while murmuring under her breath.
Akatsuki Café—this was the location Gojo Satoru had sent her.
"Ah, found it!"
Her eyes lit up as she spotted the iconic crescent moon sign and the words "Akatsuki Café" on the hanging board. She broke into a light jog toward the entrance.
Pushing open the café door—
"Welcome, milady!"
A cheerful maid in uniform greeted her warmly from the side.
Huh? HUH?!
Nino froze, her face stiffening. Mechanically, she turned her head toward the maid, her movements as robotic as a wind-up doll.
The maid tilted her head slightly, puzzled.
"Is something wrong, milady?"
"N-No, it's nothing," Nino stammered, her expression odd as she shook her head.
Maid café? Really?!
Why on earth did that stinky guy Gojo invite a girl like me to a maid café?
"Excuse me, um…"
"Please call me Sweetie, milady," the maid replied with a sweet smile.
"Uh… Sweetie… have you seen a tall man with white hair? He should already be here."
Nino struggled to utter the name "Sweetie," her face twitching slightly.
"Oh~ you mean Master? He's upstairs. Let me take you to him."
The mention of a white-haired man seemed to energize Sweetie, who perked up instantly.
This must be his girlfriend, Sweetie thought, glancing at Nino. She's gorgeous.
What a pity. Sweetie had hoped to ask for his contact information, but since he already had a girlfriend, there was no point.
As Nino followed Sweetie up the stairs, her face remained dark, her mood sour.
She wasn't genuinely angry at Gojo—what irritated her was the idea that, despite having her, a stunning girl, by his side, he still came to a maid café.
Arriving on the second floor, she spotted Gojo sitting in a corner.
Surprisingly, there weren't any maids gathered around him. He sat there simply, flipping through a notebook.
Nino's mood eased slightly. After nodding to the maid, she strode over to Gojo's table.
Plopping into the seat opposite him, she puffed up her cheeks and glared at him.
"Gojo-kun, you invited a girl to a maid café. Classic move. I'm not even surprised."
"I had no idea it was a maid café when I picked it," Gojo replied with a helpless shrug, closing his notebook. "I was about to leave when I realized, but since you were already on your way, I figured we might as well stay."
He was telling the truth. He'd thought Akatsuki Café was a normal café with a respectable name, only to find out it was a maid café upon entering.
Seriously, if you're a maid café, why pick such a proper name?
I should download that anti-scam app.
Hearing his explanation, Nino couldn't help but nod in agreement.
She'd thought it was a regular café too, only to be surprised by the maid uniforms.
Meanwhile
Ichika and her three sisters, disguised and inconspicuous, arrived outside the Akatsuki Café.
"A café?"
Miku frowned, her face conflicted.
She didn't like coffee. Even with milk and sugar, it was still too bitter for her.
Matcha and green tea drinks are way better!
"You don't have to drink coffee, Miku. Just get some dessert," Ichika said, wrapping an arm around Miku's waist and smirking mischievously.
"Desserts?! Let's go!"
Hearing the word "dessert," Itsuki's eyes lit up.
She pushed open the door and walked straight in.
The power of food truly is irresistible to gluttons.
"Itsuki, wait for us!" Yotsuba called, trailing behind her with a soft complaint.
With two sisters already inside, Ichika and Miku had no reason to linger. They followed them into the café.
But the moment they stepped in—
"Welcome, miladies!"
Several maids greeted them with gentle bows and sweet smiles.
What?!
The sisters were stunned.
A maid café?!
They were certain Nino had walked into this café, so there was no way they'd gotten the wrong place.
"Uh… Ichika, what now?" Yotsuba whispered nervously, retreating closer to Ichika.
She'd never been to a maid café before—she'd only heard about them. Now that she was here, she felt incredibly out of place.
If you don't feel awkward, it's the others who will.
Clearly, the maids—veterans of countless such encounters—were utterly unfazed.
"What now? We drink coffee. What else?" Ichika rolled her eyes.
It's not like this is some dangerous place.
A maid café wasn't anything outrageous. It was just a café with some extra theatrics—maids calling you "Master" or "Milady."
Meanwhile, Itsuki couldn't care less about the theme. She was starving after following Nino all this way.
She found a spacious booth, grabbed the tablet menu, and immediately started ordering food.
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Author's Note: Lets pretend that did not happen... ;-;
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