Episode 17: Maria’s Invasion
“Sora-chan and Ruri-chan, could we get a cheki with the two of you together, please!”
“Two more of those, too!”
Sunday afternoon. Sweet Stella was nearly packed, buzzing with energy.
“Ruri-chan, let’s go.”
Sora-san took my hand and led me to the cheki photo area. Waiting for us there was Akane-san.
Ever since that day, she’d been coming to see me almost every single day.
“Ugh… Sora-Ruri, so precious…!”
And, right on cue, she’d fallen completely for the “yuri act” Sora-san had proposed.
Chekis with just me, group chekis with me and Sora-san together… Akane-san really has been spending an enormous amount of money on me.
“Um, Akane-san, is there a pose you’d like this time?”
“Ahh, Ruri-chan said my name…!”
Akane-san nearly ascended on the spot, but managed to hold onto her composure and pulled up the notes app on her phone. Apparently she spends her work breaks writing out lists of poses she wants for our chekis, or poses she wants me to do.
“Fufu, how about a hug, just the two of you…!”
“Got it!”
Physical contact with customers is off-limits, but contact between cast members is fine.
I want to fulfill as many of her requests as I can and send Akane-san home with a cheki she’s genuinely happy with.
“Ruuuri-chan.”
Sora-san called my name in a bright, bouncy voice and wrapped her arms around me, pulling our cheeks close enough to touch.
Still just as much of a perfect idol during her shifts as ever…
That said, I’ve gotten a little more used to it myself, bit by bit, too.
Nervous, shy, but a hard worker — that’s “Ruri,” the character I built for myself.
Some parts of her overlap with the real me, but “Ruri” is still, at the end of the day, “Ruri.”
Drawing that line clearly has let me move a lot more smoothly than before.
For chekis, I tuck my chin slightly and open my eyes wide.
Customers are paying real money for my chekis. I always want to give them the cutest version of me I possibly can.
“Here’s how it turned out!”
Akane-san’s eyes lit up at the freshly printed cheki.
“I’m, I’m framing this as a family heirloom…!”
“That’s a bit much. But hearing you say that makes me really happy.”
“Ruri-chan… my angel…!”
Today, just like always, Akane-san had one of my solo chekis tucked into her phone case. Her lock screen was set to a cheki of the two of us, too.
Someone who came all the way to see me, thinking of me even during the hours we’re apart.
I think that’s a really wonderful thing.
◆
Once the lunch rush started to die down a little, I noticed some commotion outside the shop.
Wondering what was going on, I checked out the window — a conspicuously luxury car had pulled up right in front.
“Eh…?”
And worse, I recognized the license plate.
While I was still processing it, Saijou-san — Maria’s Baaya — stepped out from the driver’s seat and opened the back door.
The one who stepped out, of course, was Maria.
Not in her school uniform, but in regular clothes, with a refined air about her. Without a single moment of hesitation, Maria walked straight into Sweet Stella.
Wh-why…!? I never told her I was working here…!
I’d kept it secret, assuming she’d be against the idea of a maid café. I hadn’t announced on social media that I’d started working here either.
Although… I had ended up giving out my account directly to customers who came in.
“Welcome home, Ojou-sama!”
Milk-san was the one who greeted her cheerfully. But Maria only gave her a polite, forced smile before walking straight toward me.
O-oh no, she’s angry… isn’t she!?
“Ruri.”
The fact that she used “Ruri” instead of my real name, even while angry, was probably her way of still protecting my privacy.
Maria gripped my hand tightly and pulled.
“Come home with me. Okay?”
Her words were gentle, but her eyes weren’t smiling at all.
Wh-what do I do…!
Before I could get any words out, Maria pulled even harder, more forcefully. Just as I was about to get dragged out of the shop, Sora-san caught my other hand.
“Ojou-sama. Please don’t interfere with business.”
Completely different from her idol-mode work persona. And different from her usual self, too.
“…What exactly are you to Riri?”
“Her partner.”
The two of them glared at each other with me caught in between.
Please don’t fight over me! — was a joke I couldn’t have made even if I tried. The air around us made that much very clear.