I Was Supposed to Be Giving Love Advice on the School Radio, but Before I Knew It, the Beautiful Girls at School Were Hitting on Me
One day, I was summoned by the president and rode my bicycle to a certain building. When I arrived, I checked my smartphone and confirmed that this was indeed the destination.
“…Prez, are you really here?”
Standing in front of the imposing store, I felt a sudden sense of trepidation.
…..I knew this kind of store existed, but I had never actually been inside one before, so I felt myself breaking out in a cold sweat…..
“But the president is waiting inside, so it would be rude to leave now, right?”
I muttered to myself to convince myself, then made up my mind and stepped into the dim elevator leading to the store.
The elevator arrived at my destination floor, and I stood in front of the door. The lively sounds leaking out from behind the door confirmed that this was a popular store.
“…Alright.”
There was no point in hesitating now. I steeled myself and opened the door with a creak.
“The prince has returned !”
“Welcome back, prince !”
After a light “ting” sound, I was immediately greeted by a warm welcome from several people. As I stood there awkwardly, a woman in a blue, flowing dress approached me.
“Prince, is this your first time here?”
“Ah, yes, but my companion arrived first…”
“I see ! Then please enjoy a elegant time at the castle~”
Saying that, she walked away. …I don’t think there’s any point in hiding it now, but the store designated by the president was, so to speak…or rather, it was a maid cafe.
This was my first time at such a place, so I was nervous… There seemed to be all sorts of rules and manners, and I was afraid I might unknowingly step on a landmine…
“Kageyama kun, over here.”
As I wandered aimlessly with my gaze, the chairman waved at me from afar. She was sitting comfortably in a seat in the back. Relieved, I approached the seat where she was waiting.
“Welcome, Kageyama kun. Is this your first time at a place like this?”
“Yes, I didn’t know what to do.”
I had assumed that the president would choose a stylish café, but this was a surprising combination. However, she sat there with a calm demeanor.
“Do you come here often?”
“Yes, I like coming here because I can forget about everything else.”
“Huh, that’s a bit surprising. The president at a maid café?”
“That’s not right, Kageyama kun.”
The president immediately corrected the words I had muttered. Without hesitation, she continued.
“This is a café inspired by a medieval castle. We are the prince and princess who have returned from the battlefield, and they are the fairy maids who heal us after the exhaustion of battle.”
“…Isn’t that just a maid café?”
“No, they’re not maids, they’re serving fairies. It’s more of a concept café.”
I see, concept cafés are deep. I thought serving fairies = maids, but apparently that’s not the case.
“Have you decided what to order?”
Just then, a maid came to our table. I hurriedly looked at the menu… Thankfully, the menu was normal.
“I’ll have the original cocktail.”
“Oh, then I’ll have the coffee float.”
“Understood ! Then, Prince and Princess, please enjoy your time here !”
The maid…I mean, fairy left with a cheerful voice. The two of us faced each other, and the president took a sip of water.
“So…how have you been lately? How’s school?”
“Are you my father that I haven’t seen in a while?”
“…Um, have you found a girlfriend yet?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Oh, really?”
The president covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled. Despite her title and demeanor, she was still as playful as ever.
“…Well, I’m enjoying myself. I’ve started doing radio again. I was reluctantly put in the executive committee, though.”
“Oh, didn’t you run for it?”
“No…Mashiro sensei recommended me without asking.”
“Oh, I see…Izumi chan can be pretty pushy, you know.”
“Yeah, she’s a pain…wait, what? Izumi chan?”
The president, who was probably completely unaware, stiffened her expression for a moment.
“Ah, I’m just a casual acquaintance of Mashiro sensei. I call him Mashiro sensei at school, but I guess I let my guard down.”
The president stuck out her tongue sheepishly. I felt a slight discomfort at her uncharacteristic attempt to cover it up, and I remembered something Mashiro sensei had once said to me.
(“Well, yeah. I’m close with her sister.”
“Oh, the president’s sister? What kind of person is she?”
“It’s hard to describe in one word, but she’s more intense than Saionji.”)
As I recalled my conversation with Mashiro sensei, I became a little curious.
“Um, Prez. What kind of person is your older sister?”
It was an offhand question, but the president’s expression stiffened for a moment. After a few seconds of silence, she slowly opened her mouth.
“…She’s someone I admire very much.”
Despite her words, the president’s face looked very bitter. I felt like I had touched on a sensitive subject.
“No, I’m sorry, I feel like—-“
“Here you go ! This is the princess’s original cocktail, and this is the prince’s coffee float !”
“Thank you.”
However, just at that moment, the food arrived, interrupting the conversation. The two of them drank their beverages. The coffee didn’t taste like instant coffee, and it went perfectly with the cream.
This is a good opportunity to change the subject…
“Speaking of committee, are you helping out this year too, huh? I thought the student council and exectuvie committee were pretty separate, so that’s surprising.”
“The Akihito Festival is advertised a lot to the public, so the executive committee is known to be really busy. I thought I’d help out a little.”
The president casually said something really impressive. She’s totally different from me, who was forced into this…
“Still, isn’t it a lot of work to be in both the student council and the cultural affairs committee?” “
“Not really. One of them hardly has any work to do.”
Her words, which sounded somewhat resigned, made me pause.
“…It’s about time to retire, isn’t it?”
“Yes, there’s still some time left, but in reality, I’m already retired.”
An atmosphere that doesn’t quite fit the café’s vibe, a somber one, fills the air. The president takes another sip of coffee and speaks softly with her eyes closed.
“…To be honest, I feel a bit regretful.”
“Regretful?”
The president nods.
“Yes, since I’ve been active in the student council all this time, I haven’t really participated in cultural festival events. So I wanted to create some good memories in my final year of high school.”
“That’s why you joined the cultural festival committee?”
“Did I cause any trouble by joining?”
“Not at all ! Everyone was thrilled to have you.”
‘Really? That’s good then.”
When I expressed my honest feelings, the president smiled shyly.
“So, I want to do my best to make sure I have no regrets at this year’s cultural festival.”
“Prez…”
Just as I was about to speak, the president held up her finger and brought it to my mouth. Then she smiled mischievously.
“We’re on the same committee now, so instead of calling me by my title, can you call me by my name?”
“…Saionji senpai…”
“Oh, you won’t call me Chihaya senpai?”
“No, that’s a bit much…”
“You call Makino chan by her first name, though.”
“Um…”
Senpai pouted. I was wondering how to respond when the president laughed mischievously and said, “Just kidding.” I was strangely startled, so I tried to change the subject.
“Um, but why did you tell me this? And why here…”
I looked around again. Maybe I was a little confused after seeing so many different sides of the president today.
“Hmm, well…”
But the president remained calm, putting her hand to her mouth and thinking. She made another unusual “hmm” sound.
“I don’t know either !”
“Eh…”
“Don’t be so obvious about it. The drinks here are delicious, right?”
“They are delicious, but…”
But I felt a little let down. As I slumped my shoulders in disappointment, the president spoke in a light tone.
“Because I wanted you to know how much I care about the cultural festival and my favorite shop. It can’t be helped.”
“…..!”
Immediately after that, an awkward silence fell over the maid cafe. Without saying a word, I slowly chewed on the meaning of her words.
“…What’s wrong, Kageyama kun? You look scary…”
But the president peered at me worriedly as I suddenly fell silent. Ignoring her, I downed half of the coffee float in my hand in one gulp.
It hadn’t been stirred properly, so after the sweetness came a sharp bitterness.
My head spun a little from drinking it all at once, but I was fine. With a new resolve in my heart, I looked the president straight in the eye.
“Prez, let’s make this the best cultural festival ever !”
“…Eh, yes !”
After a moment’s pause, the president broke into a wide smile. She seemed relieved and began sipping the remaining original cocktail slowly.
…Somehow, you know?
That’s the ultimate proof of trust, isn’t it?
Maitoshi