Cool Maid Hyoudou Yukine

 

♥♥♥

 

Beep beep beep. Beep beep beep.

“Mmm……”

It was Kaori’s first day off since meeting Noa and the others.

Stirred by the electronic sound piercing her dreams, Kaori shifted slightly.

“Is it morning already……?”

She reached out from her bed and turned off the alarm clock.

Rubbing her eyes, she slowly opened her eyelids—

“Ufufufu~. Good morning-maru, Kaori♡”

A squid with droopy eyes was right in front of her.

“Kyaaaaaaah!?”

“Gweh!”

From under the pillow she instinctively pressed down, Sumimaru’s muffled voice came through.

“Ah, Sumimaru-san!? I’m so sorry, so sorry!”

“Ufufufu, it’s no big deal-maru~. In fact, it’s like a reward-maru☆”

As Kaori hurriedly removed the pillow, Sumimaru winked proudly for some reason.

Kaori tilted her head.

“But…… as Noa-san told me yesterday, I locked the door. How did you get in?”

Yesterday, after Kaori’s splendid debut as a magical girl,

Noa continued living in the apartment she had rented before meeting Kaori, while Sumimaru moved in with Kaori to act as her guard.

By the way, Noa’s apartment was apparently a crumbling, 60-year-old wooden studio, with a moldy unit bath, drafty walls, and a 30-minute walk from the station.

Before parting ways, Noa had warned Kaori, “Listen, Kaori-san. At night, isolate Sumimaru in a separate room and lock your door when you sleep! Absolutely, absolutely do this!” Her serious expression had convinced Kaori to follow the advice.

Kaori looked puzzled as Sumimaru puffed out its chest.

“I obviously came through the ventilation shaft-maru!”

“The ventilation shaft!?”

“Yes-maru! Don’t misunderstand-maru, but this is something I have to do to protect Kaori-maru! It’s the duty of a guardian fairy to protect the magical girl from all threats-maru! To do that, I use my soft, shape-shifting squid body to infiltrate even the tiniest gaps-maru! This isn’t a hobby-maru, I swear-maru!”

“Wow, you’re really something, Squid Fairy-san…… But maybe you shouldn’t act so freely…… If the maids find you, you’ll get caught and turned into a delicious dish, you know?”

“Gyaaaaaah~!? That’s scary-maru~~~~~~!”

“I-I’m sorry, I was joking. But even if you don’t get cooked, you’ll definitely be kicked out.”

“I don’t want that-maru! I absolutely don’t want to go back to that apartment-maru~!”

“W-what kind of apartment is it……?”

Sumimaru trembled as it scolded itself but seemed to remember its original purpose.

“More importantly, Kaori, it’s time to get ready for the day-maru!”

“Ah, right. Today, I’m supposed to show Noa-san around the city.”

Noa had only recently arrived in the city,

So Kaori had promised to guide her.

“Um, Sumimaru-san. I’m going to change, so could you wait outside?”

“Tsk tsk tsk. I’m a guardian fairy-maru. It’s my duty to watch over Kaori at all times—”

“No!”

Kaori pushed Sumimaru out of the room and, just to be safe, blocked the ventilation shaft.

“Nooo~ Let me in-maru~! My guardian fairy privileges~!”

Listening to Sumimaru’s voice, which sounded like it was on the verge of crying blood, Kaori quickly got ready.

 

♥♥♥

 

“Sumimaru-san, sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Took you long enough-maru~”

After finishing her preparations, Kaori let Sumimaru back in.

Sumimaru floated in and clapped its hands.

“Oh, right, Kaori! Here, take this-maru!”

“This is……”

What Sumimaru handed her was a transformation wand.

“The wand I lent you before was Noa’s, so it couldn’t fully draw out your Prism Power-maru! But this one is made just for you, so you’ll be able to unleash even more power than before-maru!”

“I see, thank you so much! I’ve memorized the incantation too, so this time I’ll transform perfectly! I’ll do my best to fight Debipachi-san with magic too!”

“……Well, if you could do that much with a temporary wand and a made-up incantation, I’m kinda scared of what’ll happen when you’re at full power-maru~……”

Sumimaru’s muttering went unheard as Kaori glanced at the clock.

“Alright, let’s get going. The meeting place is in front of the station, right?”

Kaori stood up to grab her bag—

Beep! Beep! Beep!

“Kyaa!? Wh-what’s that sound!?”

A shrill alarm blared.

At the same time, Sumimaru’s enpera—the fin-like part—flashed red and vibrated like a phone.

“This is bad-maru! My enpera is flashing and vibrating like crazy—it’s sensed Debipachi’s presence-maru!”

“Eeh!? This sound and light mean Debipachi-san has appeared!?”

“Yes-maru! It’s…… coming from the direction of downtown-maru! It doesn’t seem to be causing trouble yet, but Debipachi could start any moment-maru! Let’s hurry-maru!”

“Got it!”

“We’ll contact Noa too-maru!”

Sumimaru summoned a cute compact from thin air.

“Sumimaru-san, what’s that?”

“This is a magical compact—the ‘Magical Communication Device’-maru!”

“M-Magical Communication Device, huh?”

“As the name suggests, it lets us communicate-maru! So…… Noa, it’s time to move out-maru! Debipachi’s appeared-maru! Noa~!”

As Sumimaru called out through the device, a sleepy voice answered from the other side.

“Yaaaay, there’s so much bean sprouts, I can’t eat them all~…… Mumble mumble……”

“U-um, is she still asleep?”

“Noa~! This is no time to be sleepy-maru! Noa Noa Noa~~~!”

After persistent calls, the mirror showed Noa with bedhead.

“Mmn~, Yawnn…… I was having such a nice dream, why’d you have to wake me up~……”

“Ah, Noa-san!”

“Seriously, you were still asleep-maru!? It’s almost time to meet up-maru!?”

“But, I couldn’t sleep well at all~…… There were loud noises from the supposedly empty room next door, a long-haired woman was peeking in through the window even though I’m on the second floor, and when I tried to sleep, a black shadow stood by my pillow and started muttering stuff…… Is this normal in this world~?”

“Aaaagh! that’s scary-maru! That place is way too dangerous-maru! Ugh, just thinking about it gives me goosebump-maru, I absolutely don’t want to go back-maru…!”

“N-Noa-san, isn’t that what they call a haunted apartment……!? Maybe you should move out as soon as possible……”

“Mmm~? Well, it’s dirty, noisy, and distracting, and the only good thing is the rent is super cheap~. I really want to save up and move out~”

Hearing Noa’s tired voice through the compact, Kaori gently offered,

“Noa-san, there are a few empty rooms at my place. You’re welcome to use one if you’d like.”

“Kaori-san’s house!? It must be like a huge mansion, right!? Ugh, I’d love to freeload~, but Magical Girl Rule #317 says, ‘Except in emergencies, live independently without relying on locals.’ If I break it, I’ll be hung from a tree and have my insides eaten alive by vultures~……”

“Isn’t that rule way too harsh!?”

As Kaori looked shocked, Sumimaru chimed in.

“Ufufufu, poor thing-maru. I slept in a fluffy bed with Kaori-maru~”

“Eeeeee~~~~! I can’t forgive this! I want to cuddle and kiss Kaori-san too! ……Wait!? Did Sumimaru and Kaori-san cuddle and kiss!?”

“W-we didn’t! I did as Noa-san said and stayed in separate rooms! More importantly, there’s something serious—”

“Ah, right-maru, we detected Debipachi’s presence-maru! Let’s meet up quickly-maru!”

“Mmn~? But I just woke up, haven’t had breakfast, and there’s nothing to eat…… Oh, right, I picked some tasty wild plants yesterday! Can I eat first?”

“No way-maru!”

“But I’m so hungry I can’t use my strength~……”

“Fine-maru! Kaori will treat you after the mission-maru!”

“Huh!? Did I say that!?”

“Uoohh~~~! Yay! I’ll get ready right away~~~~!”

“Wait, of course I’ll treat you, but won’t that violate Magical Girl Rule #317!? Noa-san!? Noa-saaan!”

The call had already ended.

“Alright! Noa will catch up later, so let’s hurry to the scene-maru!”

“Y-yes!”

And so, Kaori rushed to the scene.

 

♥♥♥

 

“Um, is Debipachi-san really here?”

On the third floor of a building in downtown,

Kaori stood in front of a cute sign and voiced her confusion.

Beside her, Noa, who had finally caught up, let out a big yawn.

Sumimaru, disguised as a keychain, flapped its enpera and answered with a snort.

“Without a doubt, Debipachi’s presence is coming from here-maru! My sensors are beeping like crazy-maru!”

“I-I see……”

Kaori turned her gaze back to the sign.

It read, ‘Maid Café: Lovely House Café♡‘ in cute font.

“A m-maid café……?”

It seemed busy, likely because it was a weekend, and cheerful voices could be heard from inside.

“No commotion yet-maru! Ufufufu, I’m so excited to meet the cute maids-maru~!”

“Wait, seriously? Are you sure you didn’t make a mistake?”

Sumimaru puffed out its cheeks in response to Noa’s skeptical look.

“Of course I’m sure-maru! Debipachi is definitely hiding in this maid café-maru!”

“This is suspicious. I’m sure Sumimaru’s personal interests are involved.”

“They’re not-maru! If we don’t act, the cute maids will be attacked, and something terrible will happen-maru! I can’t let that happen-maru!”

“Sumimaru-san, you seem to know about maid cafés.”

Sumimaru puffed out its chest at Kaori’s question.

“Actually, I love this world’s anime, games, and manga-maru!”

“You do!?”

“Yes-maru! Before coming to this world, I bought tons of manga and games and subscribed to every streaming service for research-maru! With Noa’s money!”

“Wait a minute! I thought my money was disappearing—was it you!?”

“Don’t be stingy-maru, it was necessary for research-maru!”

“Grrrr……! But I guess anime and manga really are great learning materials……!”

“Noa-san, are you familiar with anime and manga too?”

Noa nodded firmly at Kaori’s question.

“Yes! Not as much as Sumimaru, but I’ve also learned about this world’s culture through anime and manga! I fall asleep reading complicated materials, but anime and manga are easy to understand and fun!”

“I-I see. It’s a great method, but the knowledge might be a bit skewed……?”

“Anyway, the cute maids are waiting-maru! Let’s go in-maru!”

“Y-yes!”

Kaori gripped her wand and took a deep breath.

“This is it, my first job as a magical girl…… I’m so nervous, I hope I can do this…… Also, it’s my first time in a maid café. What’s it like—”

“Let’s go! You can do it~!”

“N-Noa-saaan!”

Noa charged in without hesitation, and Kaori hurriedly followed.

As soon as they opened the door, maids greeted them with dazzling smiles.

“”Welcome back, Master!””

Kaori blinked at the sudden, glamorous scene.

“Th-this is a maid café……!”

“Wow, just like in anime, so cute!”

“Uooooogh! so many cute maids-maru~! This is heaven-maru~!”

The café was decorated in a cute, unified style, with upbeat music playing.

It was full and bustling, but a warm atmosphere filled the air.

Kaori looked around and whispered,

“From what I can see, there’s no sign of trouble……”

“Debipachi is definitely hiding somewhere-maru! Don’t let your guard down-maru!”

Sumimaru, still disguised as a keychain, spoke urgently, though its eyes were fixed on the cute maids.

“For now, let’s act like customers and observe!”

“Right!”

Just then, a familiar voice called out.

“Hmm. Kaori.”

“Huh?”

Surprised to hear her name, Kaori turned around.

Standing there was a girl with short hair.

Her hair had blue highlights, and her eyes were sharp and almond-shaped.

With her well-defined features and cool demeanor, she gave off a confident impression.

She was a student at Ousei Academy, a classmate of Yuuya, and someone Kaori knew—Hyoudou Yukine.

Caught off guard by the unexpected encounter, Kaori’s face lit up in surprise.

“Yukine-san! Oh, but—what’s with that outfit?”

Tilting her head, Kaori noticed Yukine’s attire.

Yukine was wearing a maid uniform.

Noa cheered at the sight of the cool maid.

“Wow, such a cute maid~! Do you know Kaori-san?”

“Y-yes, we do…… Yukine-san, are you working here part-time?”

“Yeah. I need money to buy items for a demon summoning.”

“A-a demon summoning!?”

While Noa trembled in fear, Kaori clapped her hands.

“That’s right, Yukine-san is part of the occult club.”

“Yeah. I found a new ritual in an old book I bought at a used bookstore. Once I have the items, I’ll try it at the club.”

As Yukine spoke matter-of-factly, Noa shuddered.

“Aaaaah, demons are those terrifying things that wrap the world in hellfire and bring about destruction, right!? And you’re going to try summoning one as a club activity!? Whoa, this is bad! We should deal with her before Debipachi!”

“I-It’s fine, Noa-san. It’s not like she can actually summon one…… probably.”

Meanwhile, Sumimaru was buzzing excitedly around Yukine.

“Ufufufu, what a wonderful maid-maru~! That cool expression is irresistible-maru~! While being served by a smiling maid is nice, I’d love to be mercilessly stepped on by this type of maid-maru~!”

“Wait, Sumimaru-san!? When did you turn back into a fairy!?”

“You’re supposed to stay disguised as a keychain!”

“Haah!? Yukine-chan is just too cute, so I couldn’t help it-maru~~~~!”

But it was too late—Yukine’s gaze was already fixed on Sumimaru.

“What’s this squid? It’s talking and floating.”

“Mukyu!?”

Yukine grabbed Sumimaru firmly.

She examined it with her sharp eyes, flipping it over, squishing it, and stretching it.

“Strange. I’ve never seen a squid like this.”

“Ufufufu, oh my, staring at me so closely is making me blush-maru~! Yukine-chan, you’re bolder than you look-maru~! Ufufufu~”

“This might be a new species of UMA. Very intriguing. Let me observe every detail.”

[T/N: UMA is an abbreviation for “Unidentified Mysterious Animal”, Believed to exist but have not been scientifically proven.]

“Of course-maru~, go ahead-maru~. The underside of my enpera is especially recommended-maru~”

“Amazing. I’ve never seen a creature like this. I want to see the inside too. Let me dissect it.”

“Ufufufu, I’d be happy-maru—wait, NOOOO~~~~!! This girl’s saying something terrifying with that cute face! I almost got turned into salted squid-maru~~~!”

As Sumimaru flailed desperately to escape, Noa sighed and cut it off bluntly.

“You brought this on yourself. You deserve to be dissected.”

“Noa, your heartless~~~! Kaori, save me-maru~~~~!”

“Ah, um, this is a squid-shaped robot with AI! It can float and talk—it’s packed with cutting-edge features, you see!”

“Hmm. Robots are outside the scope of the occult.”

Yukine seemed to lose interest and immediately released Sumimaru.

“That girl’s scary-maru~, shiver shiver……!”

Yukine shifted her gaze from Sumimaru, who was hiding behind Kaori, to Noa.

“By the way, who’s that?”

“Ah, um, this is Noa-san. She’s a friend of my younger sister and just arrived from abroad. Since she’s still unfamiliar with the area, I’m showing her around.”

Kaori introduced Noa as they had planned.

Noa saluted energetically.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Noa! My favorite phrase is ‘strike it rich,’ and my least favorite is ‘all effort for nothing’! Pleased to meet you!”

“Mm, nice to meet you too.”

Kaori glanced back at the café floor.

“By the way, Yukine-san, is it okay for you to be away from work? Everyone seems so busy……”

On the floor, the maids were working frantically.

While they kept their smiles intact, orders were piling up, and used dishes weren’t being cleared—it was clear they were short-handed.

“Yeah. We’re short on staff today, so it’s chaos.”

“Oh, I’m sorry for keeping you talking at a time like this……”

“Don’t worry about us, go back to work!”

Kaori and Noa urged Yukine to return to her duties.

Yukine stared at them for a moment, then suddenly spoke.

“I have a request for both of you.”

“? What is it?”

“If possible, I’d like you to work with me.”

“Eh, Eeeeeeeeeh!?”

“Huh!? What do you mean!?”

Shocked by the sudden request, Kaori and Noa stared at Yukine, who continued expressionlessly.

“Like I said earlier, we’re short-staffed today and in a tough spot. If you two could help out, the manager would be thrilled.”

“B-but, that’s so sudden……! Besides, we’re here for Debipachi—I mean, we have important business to attend to—”

Just as Kaori tried to decline, Sumimaru cut her off.

“Wait-maru, Kaori! This is a perfect opportunity-maru…… Play the role of maids and investigate-maru!”

“Huh!? But wouldn’t it be enough to just observe as customers……!?”

“No-maru!”

“Hieee!?”

Sumimaru argued fervently with bloodshot eyes.

“As customers, you can’t investigate thoroughly-maru! Do you think you can fulfill your role as a magical girl with such half-hearted dedication!? You need to work as maids to conduct a proper infiltration-maru!!”

“Awa-wa-wah, you’re so intense……!”

“Isn’t this just because you want to see Kaori-san in a maid outfit……?”

“That’s not it-maru! I definitely don’t hope the dress is short or has a revealing neckline-maru, not at all-maru!”

“No, you’re definitely thinking about that.”

Noa narrowed her eyes at Sumimaru but then suddenly perked up.

“Wait a minute! If we work at a maid café…… does that mean we’ll get paid!?”

“Of course, you’ll get wages. Plus, if you get requests or more customers, your pay will increase.”

Noa immediately jumped up.

“Hyahoo~! I’m suddenly super motivated! Let’s not delay, let’s go greet the manager, Kaori-san!”

“W-wait, Noa-san~!”

And so, before they knew it, the two were set to work as maids.

After Yukine explained the situation, the manager welcomed them warmly and quickly prepared uniforms for them.

Guided by Yukine, they moved to the changing room.

“You can change here.”

“Oh well, no choice. I’ll come too-maru. Debipachi might be inside-maru~”

“Perverts are banned from entering.”

“Sumimaru-san, please wait outside with Yukine-san.”

“Bieeeeee~~~~! No-maru, no-maru! Being alone with Yukine-chan is dangerous-maru! I’ll get dissected and turned into salted squid-maru~~~~!”

“I’m not interested in robots.”

Leaving Sumimaru behind, they entered the changing room.

“Whoa~, this is the famous maid uniform! I never thought I’d get to wear one—I’m so excited!”

“It’s very cute, but isn’t the skirt a bit short for a maid……?”

The black-based dress had a white material only around the chest.

Paired with the white apron worn from the waist down and white thigh-high socks, they achieved the perfect maid look.

“Whoaaa, I’m so hyped!”

“It’s my first time wearing one, so it feels fresh. I’m a bit embarrassed……”

“Wow, Kaori-san, it suits you so well!”

“Hehe, thank you. You look wonderful too, Noa-san. Let’s go, shall we?”

After changing, they left the room.

“H-how do we look……?”

“Aah~~~~! so cute-maru~~~~~!”

Sumimaru, waiting outside, wriggled its legs excitedly.

“Ufufufu, you both look amazing-maru~! A feast for my eyes-maru~! My judgment was spot-on-maru~!”

“Fufufu, of course!”

“Mm. Perfect.”

Yukine also nodded in satisfaction.

Kaori sighed in relief but then furrowed her brows.

“Um, I don’t know much about maid cafés…… Will I be okay?”

“There are specific services for maid cafés, but for now, just focus on seating customers and taking orders. Besides, this café has kind customers, so don’t worry. I’ll teach you more as you get used to it.”

“Y-yes! Thank you!”

“Got it!”

After being taught the basics, they headed out to the café floor.

“Alright, do your best.”

“Leave it to me!”

“I-I’ll do my best!”

Stepping onto the floor, Kaori nervously but determinedly began her shift.

As soon as they appeared, the café buzzed with excitement.

“Oh, are they new?—Wait, that maid is way too cute!”

“I’ve never seen such a cute girl before!”

“No way, they both look like idols~!”

“Their skin is as smooth as porcelain, and their hair is so silky! I’ll ask them later about their skincare routine!”

It wasn’t just male customers—even female customers and staff were captivated.

“Uuuhn, just stepping onto the floor is drawing so much attention……!? Am I doing something wrong……!?”

“Kaori-san, if you let their stares intimidate you, it’s over! Stand tall with confidence!”

“Y-yes! You’re right—and besides, while working as a maid, I have to look for Debipachi too—”

“Alright, let’s rake in the money~!”

“Noa-san, did you forget our actual mission!?”

Yukine introduced the two to the customers.

“These two are new maids starting today. Please treat them kindly.”

Applause filled the café, and customers immediately raised their hands.

“Excuse me, can I place an order~?”

“Over here too, please!”

“Y-yes, I’ll be right there!”

“Leave it to Noa~!”

Following Yukine’s instructions, Kaori and Noa began taking orders with ticket slips in hand.

While the café was full, the atmosphere was relaxed, and the customers were mostly calm. Despite being surprised by the new maids’ cuteness, they seemed to be watching over them kindly.

“I was nervous about what a maid café would be like, but…… it’s such a cozy atmosphere. This is a nice place.”

As Kaori took a moment to catch her breath between tasks, Yukine nodded.

“Most of the customers here are regulars. They’re all kind, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Yes! ……Ah, welcome, Master!”

As her nerves eased, Kaori’s natural charm began to shine.

With a constant smile, a soft and graceful voice, and hospitality-filled service, she quickly captivated the customers.

Meanwhile, Noa was energetically running around the floor.

“Yahoooooo~!”

“N-Noa-chan, don’t overdo it! It’s fine to split the load!”

“But that’d be a waste of time! Let’s work hard and rake in the cash! Oryaya~~~~~!”

Ignoring the senior maids’ concerns, Noa expertly balanced multiple trays and efficiently handled orders.

Impressed by the two’s efforts, Yukine couldn’t help but admire them.

“This is beyond expectations. The customers are happy, and the shop is saved.”

Thanks to their hard work, the once-chaotic café began to find its rhythm.

Noa watched Kaori’s smiling service with admiration.

“Kaori-san is truly amazing. Everyone’s completely hooked.”

It wasn’t just Kaori’s stunning appearance—her dignified demeanor and aura captivated everyone who saw her.

As Noa watched Kaori with awe, an idea suddenly sparked in her mind.

“Wait!? Could this be a money-making opportunity!? It’s time to put the knowledge I gained from anime to work!”

Noa quickly made a handmade sign and gestured to Kaori when she had a free moment.

“Kaori-san, come stand here for a moment.”

“Huh? Okay.”

Kaori stood on the small stage at the back of the floor as Noa instructed.

Noa then announced loudly, pointing at Kaori.

“Sorry for the wait, it’s the long-awaited photo time! Take a photo with the cute maid for ¥500~!”

“N-N-N-N-Noa-san!?”

“Oo, I’ll take one!”

“Me too, me too!”

“Awa-wa-wa, a line formed in no time!?”

“Yay, thank you~! By the way, as a commission, Noa takes 20%☆”

Customers flocked to Kaori, eager to take photos.

“Um, could you make a heart shape with your hands, please?”

“Yes! Umm, l-like this?”

“I’d like a finger heart, please!”

“A finger heart……? I’m sorry, could you show me how to do it?”

Kaori’s inexperience with photo sessions only added to her charm, and her polite responses to each request attracted even more customers.

Sumimaru, now fully accepted as an AI-equipped robot, crossed its arms and nodded.

“Kaori’s charm truly captivates so many people-maru. This is what makes her worthy of being the Perfect Pure Princess-maru.”

By the end, every customer in the café had taken a photo with Kaori.

“Hah, hah, the line’s finally gone…… I should get back to my regular duties……”

As Kaori returned to the floor, Noa watched her with a beaming smile.

“Wow~! We made a ton of money! Kaori-san is amazing! Oh, right, I saw in anime that you can draw pictures on omelets! The price is higher, and if I do it myself, I’ll get all the profit, heehee! Alright, let’s make more money~!”

Noa made a new sign and held it high.

“Next up is the Cute Omelet Drawing Time! Get a custom omelet drawing for ¥1,500~! It comes with a ‘Moe Moe Kyun♡’ service~!”

“Wow, I’ll take one!”

“Me too!”

Noa’s energetic pitch won over the customers, and orders began pouring in.

“Sorry for the wait, here’s your cute omelet! Now, let me draw a picture for you!”

Humming a tune, Noa began drawing on the omelet.

“Phew, done! Take a look at this cute ca—”

“Wow, it’s an adorable piggy♡”

“Huh?”

The female customer’s eyes sparkled as she looked at the uniquely designed four-legged animal on the omelet.

“I’ve never seen such a cute piggy before!”

“Th-that’s right! It’s definitely a premium Iberico pig, Heheh!”

As Noa puffed out her chest, Sumimaru chimed in.

“Noa, your drawing skills are terrible-maru.”

“Shut up! ……Oh, I almost forgot the final touch! Here we go—Moe Moe, Kyun~!”

“Kyaa, so cute~♡”

As Noa formed a heart with her hands and winked, the female customers cheered.

The uniquely drawn omelets became a hit, and orders flooded in.

“Excuse me, I’ll take three omelets! I’ll finish them all!”

“I’ll take five!”

“Got it!”

Thanks to Kaori and Noa’s efforts, the café became even livelier.

Even the usually cool Yukine was impressed.

“Kaori’s service is perfect, and Noa has a knack for business. I’d love for them to stay as part-time staff.”

Amidst the hustle, Kaori turned to Sumimaru with concern.

“Um, Sumimaru-san, is it really okay to be doing all this!? What about our mission as magical girls—”

“Ufufufu, this angle is perfect-maru~”

What appeared in Kaori’s line of sight was Sumimaru lying on the floor, trying to peek under the maids’ skirts.

“What are you doing, Sumimaru-san!?”

“Hyah!? N-nothing-maru! I was just cleaning the floor to make sure Kaori and Noa could focus on their maid duties-maru~, ufufufu! ……Ahem. As for Debipachi, I’m keeping an eye on its presence, so don’t worry-maru! Besides, making people happy is also an important part of a magical girl’s job-maru!”

“O-oh, I see!”

“Well, I just came up with that excuse-maru!”

“An excuse!?”

“Alright, I’ll continue polishing the floor-maru~! Make way for the cleaning fairy Sumimaru-sama-maru~, ufufufu~♪”

“I-I hope we’re not causing trouble for the maids or the customers……”

Despite her lingering unease, Kaori continued busily darting around the floor.

“Ah, what kindness and hospitality!”

“It’s been so long since I felt this happy, I’m moved to tears……”

Moved by Kaori’s smiling, hardworking demeanor, some customers even began tearing up.

“As expected of Kaori-san, her lady-like charm is incredible! There’s a line forming outside the building!”

“Eeh!?”

Yukine nodded.

“This is a first. The manager’s thrilled and wants us to keep the momentum going.”

“But why is this happening!? Isn’t it getting too crowded too fast!?”

Yukine showed her smartphone screen.

“This. It’s trending on social media.”

“Th-this is me!?”

Videos and photos of Kaori working at the café had gone viral on social media.

Since the café allowed photography, customers had posted Kaori’s images, causing the buzz.

“Yahoo~! Kaori-san, you’re amazing! With more customers, our earnings will skyrocket! I’m looking forward to the rewards~!”

As they spoke, the café’s popularity continued to grow, attracting even more customers.

“Wow, it’s getting busier! Let’s make more money~!”

“Uurgh, it feels like we’re forgetting our original purpose……!?”

Despite her concerns, Kaori continued managing the bustling floor—until something happened.

A male customer who had been enjoying himself suddenly called out to a passing maid.

“Excuse me, I’ll take one omelet, please.”

“Yes, right away.”

“And also, a drin……—ugh!?”

Mid-sentence, the customer suddenly slumped.

“S-sir!? Are you okay!?”

As the maid worried, the customer slowly raised his head.

His dull eyes gleamed eerily.

Then,

“Wow~, what a cute maid~. Why don’t you sit on my lap~?”

He began making outrageous demands.

“Huh!? S-sorry, that kind of service is a bit……”

“Then let me touch your thighs. Just a little, okay~?”

“P-please stop! What’s gotten into you……!?”

The frightened maid backed away.

Suddenly, the customer became enraged.

“Tch, what’s wrong? Can’t you listen to a customer!?”

“Kyaaa!?”

“I’ll wreck this place!”

The man began rampaging, grabbing chairs and swinging them around.

“Iyaaaaa!?!”

“Sir, please calm down……!”

“Everyone, step back.”

Yukine calmly guided the maids and other customers to keep their distance.

The man continued to rampage.

“Maids should listen to me! Feed me omelets! Give me a lap pillow! Clean my ears~!”

Kaori and Noa stared in shock.

“Wh-what’s going on……!?”

“That customer was so kind earlier, but now he’s suddenly going berserk……!”

Even Yukine was surprised by the man’s sudden personality shift.

“This is strange. He’s a regular and always so gentle and kind. He’d never do something like this.”

“Aaah~ lap pillow~……”

The man’s vacant eyes wandered the floor, eventually landing on Kaori.

“Woaah~, you there!”

“Y-yes!?”

“I’ve been captivated by you since the moment I saw you! Give me a lap pillow~!”

“Kyaaaaa!?”

Kaori screamed as the man charged at her.

However, in his path,

Sumimaru was lying on the floor.

“Ufufufu, I’m so close to glimpsing paradise-maru~. Pink—no, white is nice too-maru~…… (Squish!) Bueeeeeeee!?”

“Ugyaaaaaa!?”

Crash!

The man slipped on Sumimaru, tumbled with a chair, and fell spectacularly.

“Owa—!? What a disaster! Also, Sumimaru, what the heck are you doing in this crisis!?”

“I-I wasn’t doing anything wrong-maru! I was just acting as a guardian fairy, cleaning the floor while keeping an eye on the maids’ skirts-maru!”

“Get lost, you pervert squid!”

“Uugh, ugh…”

The man groaned in pain from the fall.

As Kaori looked at his back, her eyes widened.

“Ah! That’s—it’s Debipachi!”

A black octopus was attached to the customer’s back.

“This is bad! That customer’s been possessed by Debipachi!”

“Debipachi can do something like that!?”

“Yes, it’s a type of Debipachi that attaches to people and amplifies their desires! If we remove Debipachi, the person will return to normal!”

Sumimaru’s face, bearing the imprint of a footprint, tightened with determination.

“Both of you, transform-maru!”

“U-understood!”

“Leave it to us!”

Kaori pulled out her wand—then hesitated, glancing around.

“Um, if we transform here, won’t everyone find out I’m a magical girl!?”

“It’s fine-maru, probably! The magical girl costumes have a recognition-blocking feature, probably! People watching the magical girl won’t recognize it’s you, probably!”

“O-oh, that’s a relief…… wait—probably!?”

“We don’t have time, Kaori-san! Come on, say it together!”

“Y-yes!”

Shaking off her embarrassment, Kaori raised her wand.

Noa shouted energetically.

“Here we go! ‘Sparkling and shining in this Seven-Colored—……’ Uhh? Wait, what was it again? It’s been a while, so I forgot~”

“Sparkling, Shining, in this Seven-Colored World! Perfect Pure Princess, Dress Up!’ Like this, Noa-san.”

“Ah, got it~”

In that instant, a blinding light filled the floor, and the two transformed into their magical girl outfits.

“W-we transformed just like that……!?”

“Well, the result is what matters!”

“Wh-what!? Wait, is that……!?”

“Could it be…… magical girls!?”

The sudden appearance of the dazzling magical girls left the customers in shock.

“Amazing. Magical girls just appeared out of nowhere.”

Even Yukine was surprised.

“Ugh, this is so embarrassing~……!”

“Ufufufu, it’s fine-maru~, you’re so cute-maru~”

“It’s alright, Kaori-san, stand tall!”

“Noa-san…… Y-you’re right, our mission is to defeat Debipachi and protect peace! There’s no time for doubts—”

“You’ll get used to the embarrassment soon! Before you know it, you’ll even start enjoying being watched!”

“Is that really okay!?”

Amidst the commotion, the man possessed by Debipachi slowly stood up.

“Magical girls…… huh?”

Kaori pointed her finger sharply at the groaning man.

“Please follow the rules when visiting a maid café! If you can’t, you’ll get punished!”

“Yahoo~, long live the cute magical girl’s punishment~!”

“Kyaa!?”

The man charged at Kaori with full force.

Dodging instinctively, Kaori watched as the man crashed headfirst into a table.

Dishes shattered, and water and tea spilled everywhere.

“Kyaaaaa!?”

“Uoooooh, more service! Give me more extreme service!”

Like a wild boar, the man continued to rampage, chasing Kaori around.

“This is bad-maru! He’s completely out of control-maru!”

“We can’t hurt the customer, but how do we even remove Debipachi……!?”

As Kaori panicked, Noa shouted.

“Noa has a great idea!”

“Noa-san!? What’s the idea……!?”

“Noa can temporarily turn objects I touch into magical tools!”

“Ah……!”

Kaori remembered when she first met Noa.

“Like when you turned the tennis racket into a magical tool!?”

“Exactly! For example, um, uh—oh, this’ll work! Let me just—”

“Is that…… ketchup!?”

Noa grabbed a nearby ketchup bottle and infused it with her power.

“Thou, inner radiance, grant me magical power through my prayer… And so on! Here we go, Doryaaaaa~~~~!”

“Is ketchup really okay!?”

Fwoooosh!

Instantly, the ketchup began glowing with a rainbow-colored light.

“W-wow, the ketchup is emitting a mystical light……!”

Noa handed the magical ketchup to Kaori with a proud look.

“Here, Kaori-san, use this to remove Debipachi!”

“With this ketchup!? How!?”

“……Eh.?”

“Eh!?”

“……Honestly, I didn’t think about it before turning it into a magical tool!”

“Eeeeeeh!?”

“It’s fine-maru! Kaori can handle it-maru!”

“That’s right! Leave it to her!”

“H-handle it……!?”

At that moment, the man possessed by Debipachi charged at Kaori again.

“Uoooogh! do a Moe Moe Kyun, magical girl~~~~~!”

“Awa-wa-wa!? What should I do……!? I-I guess I’ll just pour this ketchup on him with my Prism Power, right!?”

As Kaori aimed the ketchup, Sumimaru shouted.

“Prism Power alone isn’t enough, Kaori! Pour in the maid power you’ve cultivated here too-maru!”

“Huh!? M-maid power!?”

“What a maid needs is grace, elegance, dignity, strength, and kindness…… Kaori, as a maid, you’ve already gained that power by making so many customers smile! Unleash it with a full-power Moe Moe☆Kyun-maru!”

“R-really!? I’ll try it!”

“No, Sumimaru definitely just wants to see it for himself.”

Kaori channeled her power into the ketchup.

“Haaaa~~~~…… Moe Moe☆Kyun─────!”

In an instant, a rainbow-colored beam erupted from the ketchup, striking the man directly in the face.

Splaaash!

“Bleeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!?”

“Kyaaaaa!? I’m sorry, I’m sorry!? It’s way more powerful than I thought……!”

“Awa-wa-wa, he’s covered in ketchup—what a disaster!”

“Yay~, Kaori’s Moe Moe Kyun was so cute-maru~!”

“Ah, wait! Debipachi is……!”

“Gya gya gya!?”

Drenched in ketchup infused with Prism Power, Debipachi was forcibly removed from the man.

The man regained his senses and looked around.

“Huh!? Wh-what? What was I doing?”

“It worked-maru! Debipachi’s been removed, and he’s back to normal-maru!”

“As expected of Kaori-san!”

“Th-that wasn’t exactly my intention……!”

“Alright, now all we need to do is purify Debipachi—”

Mid-sentence, Yukine calmly pointed to the café’s exit.

“Over there. That weird octopus is trying to escape.”

“Gya gya gyaah!”

Debipachi was charging straight for the door.

“Ah, ah, Debipachi’s going to get outside!”

“Uwaah~!? Stop it!”

Noa infused a nearby teapot with magic.

“Thou, inner radiance, grant me magical power! Here we go, Doryaaaa~~~~!”

“You can abbreviate it that much!?”

The teapot glowed and rapidly expanded, transforming into a giant water cannon.

“The teapot turned into a water cannon!?”

“Now, channel your Prism Power into this and give it your all!”

“Don’t forget to add your maid power too-maru!”

“O-okay!”

Kaori took the water cannon and aimed it at the fleeing Debipachi.

“What a maid needs is grace, elegance, dignity, strength, and kindness……!”

Remembering what she had learned as a maid, Kaori poured her power into the cannon.

Gooooooooooooooooooooh……!

The cannon filled with magical tea in an instant.

“W-wow, that’s incredible-maru! What a volume-maru……!?”

“And that dazzling light……! Kaori-san’s Prism Power and maid power are limitless!”

“Go for it-maru, Kaori! Pour all your maid power into it-maru!”

Kaori aimed the water cannon at Debipachi and unleashed it.

“Thank you for waiting, Master! Here’s our special Special Blend Cannon!”

Splaaaaaaaaaash!

“Gyaaaaaaaaah~!!!”

“Whoa──────!? What an incredible Prism Power──────!?”

A torrent of light swirled around.

When the magical tea finally subsided, all that remained was a soaked Debipachi.

Black mist rose from its body and turned into a rainbow-colored glow.

“Gya… gya…”

“Ah, Debipachi’s turned into a rainbow color!”

“The purification worked!”

“Leave the rest to me! I’ll collect it with the Shiny Octopus Jar-maru! Here we go~!”

Sumimaru summoned a jar from the air and aimed it at Debipachi.

“Gya gya~~~~~!”

A gust of wind sucked Debipachi into the jar with a plop.

“Alright, mission complete for today-maru!”

“Yay, we did it!”

“Phew, somehow we managed.”

Kaori let out a sigh of relief—and then, the broken cups and chairs began to repair themselves.

“Eh!? Th-the broken things are fixing themselves!?”

“Once Debipachi is collected, the damage it caused is restored by magic-maru! ……Well, not completely-maru.”

As Sumimaru said, the spilled water and tea remained on the floor.

“But it’s good that the damage to the café was minimal. That customer was just being controlled by Debipachi, after all.”

Kaori patted her chest in relief.

At that moment, cheers and applause erupted from everyone who had witnessed the entire event.

“Amazing! Those girls defeated that suspicious octopus thing, right!?”

“How brave! Thank you so much!”

“K-kids, your magical girls, aren’t you!? You’re so strong! And so lovely!”

“You saved us, thank you!”

“So strong and cute—I’ve become a fan!”

“Keep it up, we’ll support you!”

Overwhelmed by the praise and gratitude, Kaori and Noa blushed with happiness and embarrassment.

“Ehehehe, it’s nothing~”

“I-I’m glad I could help!”

Watching this scene, Sumimaru trembled with emotion.

“Uuu~, this is the first time I’ve been thanked so much-maru! When it was just Noa, all she did was mess up……!”

“Hmph, shut up! I don’t want to hear that from a perverted squid!”

“I don’t want to hear that from a perpetually broke, useless magical girl-maru~!”

“Grrr! Half of Noa’s poverty is your fault~~~~!? I won’t forgive you~~~~!!”

“U-um, please, both of you, stop fighting……!”

As Kaori tried to stop the two from grappling, Yukine suddenly spoke to her.

“Thank you, magical girl. You saved us.”

“Ah, Yukine-san! I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Huh? How do you know my name?”

“Ah, th-that’s……──”

“Come to think of it, you remind me of someone I know. Could it be……──”

As Yukine seemed to piece something together, Kaori panicked, “Awa-wa-wa……!?” Just then,

“Hmph! Noa’s clumsy, always half-asleep, and terrible with money—she’s way worse than me-maru~!”

“Grrrrrr! Don’t just shift the blame onto me, my patience has run out! Take this, Iron Fist Punishment~!! (Slap─────!)”

“Bueeeeeeeeeh!?”

Sumimaru, slapped by Noa, flew into a puddle on the floor.

Splashhh!

“Kyaa!?”

The splash of water drenched Kaori, Noa, and Yukine.

“Whoa~! What are you doing───!?”

“It’s not my fault-maru, it’s Noa’s!”

“A-are you okay, Yukine-san?”

“Amazing. Soaked.”

“Here, take this handkerchief──ahh!? O-our clothes are wet, their see-through~……!”

Their soaked costumes clung tightly, revealing their undergarments.

“A-ah, this is so embarrassing~!”

“Hmm. Unexpected.”

“Whoa────!? Sumimaru, do something~!!”

“Ufufufu, what a feast for the eyes~! Squid fairies don’t get up for free-maru!”

“Just fix our clothes already~!”

The three ran to the back, trying to cover themselves.

 

♥♥♥

 

“Phew, that was a shock.”

After Yukine changed into a spare maid uniform and returned to the floor,

Kaori and Noa also reverted to their normal clothes and returned to their temporary maid duties.

The staff rushed over to them.

“Ah, where did you two go? Just now, there were magical girls fighting that octopus—it was amazing!”

“They were so cute. I wish I’d asked their names~”

“Wh-what!? Th-that happened, huh!?”

“Kaori-san, your acting is terrible……”

Seeing the café buzzing with talk of the magical girls, Kaori sighed in relief.

“I’m glad. It seems our identities weren’t exposed.”

“Kaori.”

Hearing her name, Kaori turned to see Yukine standing there.

With an unreadable expression, Yukine stared directly at Kaori.

“Yukine-san, is something wrong?”

“……That magical girl looked like you.”

“Wh-what!? N-no, it must have been your imagination! There’s no way I’d wear such an embarrassing outfit, right!?”

“Hmm. Now that you mention it, that’s true. I could never wear something so embarrassing. You probably wouldn’t either.”

“Ugh, uuugh~……!”

Kaori could only blush, unable to say anything.

Meanwhile, the customer who had been possessed by Debipachi was apologizing profusely.

“I’m so sorry! I don’t remember what I did while I was out of control…… What was I thinking……!?”

“It’s alright, but are you hurt?”

“I don’t really get it, but it was because of that octopus, right?”

“As a fellow customer, I get it. I’d want a lap pillow from a maid too.”

“Mm. Everyone knows you’re a good person. Don’t worry about it, come back anytime.”

“Ugh, thank you so much……!”

Since the customer’s behavior while possessed was clearly unusual, no one blamed him. Instead, he bonded with the maids and other customers.

The maid café resumed operations, and by evening, the temporary shift came to an end.

“Thank you for today. Here, from the manager—your payment for today.”

“Uhyaa~! Finally, I can eat something other than bean sprouts~!”

As Noa received her payment from Yukine, she jumped for joy.

Kaori bowed to Yukine.

“Thank you so much for everything. Good luck with your work here.”

“Mm. If you feel like it, come work here again. We’ll always welcome you.”

“Yes.”

“Goodbye~!”

Leaving the maid café, they began their journey home.

“Still, to purify Debipachi so easily—Kaori-san, you’re really amazing!”

“Ah, thank you. But really, there are so many types of Debipachi…… I never thought they could possess people……”

“Yes! This type of Debipachi becomes even more flavorful when dried and is very popular!”

Standing beside the cheerful Noa, Sumimaru rubbed its tentacles together.

“It’s delicious even without drying, but it’s perfect with Prism Water-maru~”

“What’s Prism Water? Is it like alcohol from the magical kingdom?”

“It’s not alcohol-maru! It’s magical water that makes you a little cheerful and improves your circulation and mood-maru!”

“Um, so it’s kind of like alcohol……?”

“Anyway, this Debipachi will sell for a high price in the magical kingdom~! Today’s a big win~!”

“This brings us one step closer to paying off our debt-maru~!”

“That’s good. But…… um, I think Yukine-san might have figured out my identity……?”

Sumimaru stuck out its tongue.

“Hmm. Honestly, I’m not sure how effective the recognition-blocking feature is-maru☆”

“Eeh!?”

“It’s fine! Even if she found out, it just adds to Kaori-san’s charm!”

“Th-that’s not good~……!”

Kaori teared up, but Noa, completely unfazed, rubbed her cheek against the envelope containing her pay.

“Hehehe, forget about that, I worked so hard today, I can’t wait to see how much I earned! It’s gotta be a fortune! Maybe I’ll splurge on some eel~, and I want cake too~”

Noa excitedly turned the envelope upside down—and a single ¥10 coin rolled out.

“Eh?”

She shook the envelope, but nothing else came out.

“Th-that’s it!?”

“I only got one ¥10 coin too……”

Beside the wide-eyed Noa, Kaori tilted her head in confusion.

“Wh-wh-wh-what!? The photo sessions and omelet drawings were so popular, why……!?”

Kaori noticed a note inside the envelope.

“Oh? There’s a note here. Let’s see…… ‘The floor got sticky from the mucus your squid robot spewed, so I deducted the cleaning fee from your pay. -Manager’…… it says.”

“……Huh?”

As Noa stood frozen, Sumimaru stuck out its tongue.

“Now that you mention it, I might’ve gotten a little carried away while cleaning and leaked some mucus-maru☆”

“Whaaaaaaaaaat are you doing!?”

Clutching the ¥10 coin, Noa burst into tears.

“Sob, I can’t even afford bean sprouts now~! After all that hard work, it’s all for nothing~!! Sob!”

“N-Noa-san, cheer up…… I know! You’ll be able to eat your fill soon!”

“Huh?”

Kaori smiled and told the confused Noa.

“Actually, your enrollment is complete! Starting after the break, you’ll be attending Ousei Academy!”

“Yay, I did it! Now Noa’s a student~! ……But how does enrolling in school mean I’ll eat my fill?”

“Ousei Academy’s cafeteria has a wide variety of dishes, and the daily student lunch is completely free.”

“Whoaaaaaaaaa!? Ousei Academy is amazing! Thank you, Kaori-san, no, Lady Kaori! Let me lick your shoes, lick lick lick~!!”

“N-Noa-san, that’s really not necessary~!!”

Noa, forgetting her earlier despair, began skipping around.

“Yay, I can’t wait for the daily lunch! I wish it was already the day after tomorrow~!”

“Hehe. I’m looking forward to what school life will be like.”

“I’ll be able to legally infiltrate a high school full of girls-maru~!”

“Uwaah! don’t do anything weird! Perverted behavior is strictly prohibited!”

Their lively voices echoed through the evening streets.

And so, Kaori’s official debut as a magical girl and her hectic day as a temporary maid finally came to an end.