Chapter 94: Beautiful Girl Celebrates Her Best Friend’s Birthday

Hmm…

Staring at the accursed item—the maid outfit—spread out across my bed, I let out a frustrated groan.

Why did I even keep this thing? I was forced to wear it during the obstacle race at the sports festival back in May. Then they made me take it home, so I shoved it into my closet and forgot about it. It’s not like it’s something I’d ever treasure…

Everyone gave it to me together, and while I didn’t want to wear it again, I also couldn’t bring myself to throw it away. My own weakness is what created today’s disaster.

The reason I dragged out this maid outfit I absolutely don’t want to wear is because today is Ryoji’s birthday.

Today—September 24th—is Ryoji’s birthday. When I asked him what he wanted for a present, all he said was that he wanted a home-cooked meal.

He gave me a stuffed toy for my birthday, so I figured I should give him something in return, but apparently food was enough for him. It’s easy on my wallet, and if that makes him happy, I really can’t complain.

…Honestly, if it’s just cooking, I can make him food any time, not only on his birthday.

And then came his extra request—that I wear the maid outfit.

From Ryoji’s perspective, maybe just eating a meal isn’t very entertaining. So he probably wants the cosplay as a joke or for the fun of it… Ugh, what a nuisance.

Still, I already told him I’d do anything I could, and I even agreed to the maid outfit part. I can’t suddenly say “Actually, never mind!” today. I just have to accept my fate.

Besides… if someone says they want to see me wearing it, it doesn’t feel entirely bad. It kind of makes me think… fine, I guess.

Even so, when I look at the reality—the maid outfit sitting right in front of me—I still hesitate.

"Whatever. I’ll just think about it when Ryoji gets here."

I mutter to myself.

There’s no way he expects me to greet him at the door wearing this… right?

I decide to leave the maid outfit aside for now and check my appearance. Even if it’s just Ryoji, I’m celebrating his birthday, so I can’t look sloppy. I face the mirror, fix my hair, and make sure there aren’t any wrinkles on my skirt.

Just as I finish my routine check, someone knocks on my door.

"Ayunee-chan, I’m coming in."

It’s my little brother, Kaname. Thanks to him finally learning to knock, I can respond without panicking. It’s basic manners, but still.

He probably picked up the habit from back when I was still his older brother. He used to barge in while I was changing all the time. I swear he was doing it on purpose…

I tell him to come in, and Kaname steps into the room.

"Whoa! Ayunee-chan, you look way more fired up than usual today! And you seem kinda happy too."

"Eh, really?"

"Yeah! You’re grinning like crazy. You were even humming earlier."

"What!? Seriously!?"

"You didn’t notice?"

I absolutely did not notice.

I was humming? Loud enough for someone outside the room to hear? And he heard it too? That’s even more embarrassing.

All because Ryoji’s coming over to hang out? Am I okay? Back in middle school he used to come over all the time—it wasn’t anything rare.

Speaking of “not okay,” there’s also the whole love letter mess from the other day. Thinking back on it now, why did I get so gloomy about it?

"Hmm. Judging from that reaction… is Ryoji your number-one pick?"

Number-one…? Number-one pick!? What!?

"No no no! There’s no way! Ryoji’s a guy! I mean—no, that’s not even the issue—um, what I mean is—"

"Aww, look at you getting all flustered. You really did become super cute, Ayunee-chan."

I am being toyed with by my own little brother.

How frustrating. He’s only in sixth grade, yet he acts so mature. And here I am, a high schooler, being played by a sixth grader. He’s really sociable and has tons of friends at school. Maybe that confidence comes from navigating all those relationships.

"But Ayunee-chan, you’re kind of a femme fatale, you know."

"…Huh?"

A femme fatale? Since when? Do I really seem like someone who toys with people?

"I mean, Aoi-san, right? You hang out with him too, and now you’re inviting Ryoji-san over to the house?"

"Is that… bad?"

I tilt my head, and Kaname gives me a big “good grief” gesture. Getting that in real life is surprisingly irritating.

I’ve been hanging out with Aoi-kun, sure, but we’re not dating.

Does going somewhere together count as some kind of established connection? He’s not a bad person at all—in fact, he’s genuinely nice. Among the people around me, he’s one of the most normal ones, right up there with Yoshino-san.

But imagining him as a boyfriend? I can’t picture it. Maybe because I used to be a boy? Or maybe I just don’t like him that way.

Then what about Ryoji? Dating Ryoji…? No, that’s ridiculously embarrassing. He’s my friend—I don’t think it’s like that between us.

Maybe I get awkward because we spend so much time together.

Ryoji knows who I was before—when I was still a boy. There’s no way he’d fall for a girl who used to be a boy. Us dating is just… impossible.

Maybe Kaname is trying to say my distance with both of them is weirdly vague. Does he want me to do something about it? Hmm…

"By the way, Kaname—did you need something?"

"Oh, right! I forgot. Actually, Ryoji-san is already here."

"WHAT!? Tell me that sooner! H-he didn’t hear any of that, right!?"

"He’s waiting in the living room, so I think you’re safe."

"Okay. Tell him I’ll be right there!"

I shoo Kaname out of my room. Seriously, if he’d just skipped the nonsense and gotten straight to the point, this would’ve been easier.

He finally came over, so I don’t want to keep him waiting. Actually… isn’t he here kind of early?

I check the clock—it’s only a little past ten in the morning. Coming over at this hour on a day off, seriously?

Just to be safe, I check my appearance again before stepping out of my room and heading toward the living room.

Ryoji is sitting on the sofa fiddling with his smartphone.

"Morning. You’re early."

When I call out from behind him, he whips around with way too much enthusiasm.

"Hey! Morning! Nah, I just couldn’t wait! I got so hyped that I ended up waking up at four today."

"You’re literally just coming over to eat lunch. You don’t have to look that excited."

"No no. Having a girl cook for you on your birthday is basically the dream—no, it’s romance! The kind of thing you only see in manga or anime is actually happening to me! I got so fired up that I accidentally did a handstand somersault in my room."

If he was flipping around like that at four in the morning, I feel bad for his family.

"But having me cook for you isn’t exactly thrilling."

"Oh, come on. You’re a girl, right? No problem whatsoever!"

Being called a girl by Ryoji makes me a little happy. Before summer break, that would’ve been unthinkable. But I decided I would live as a girl.

Alright. I’ll give this my best and make something good for him.

"By the way, Ayumi. I’m pretty sure I had one more request! You know, the maid outfit! Sure, the food’s great, but I’d like the outfit too! And if possible, call me ‘Master’!"

"I am NOT saying that!"

…Maybe I shouldn’t put too much effort into the cooking after all.

By the way, Dad and Mom are both out since this morning. They’re doing some neighborhood clean-up, so even though it’s the weekend, they left early. And afterward they’re going drinking with the town committee, so they won’t be back until late.

"It’s not even close to lunchtime yet, so I don’t have to be dressed up right now."

"Oh… I guess that’s true. Still, I was kinda hoping for a ‘Welcome home, Master!’"

"Then go to a maid café."

When I brush him off, he looks a little disappointed.

When he looks that gloomy, I feel a tiny bit… No, no, no—I’m not falling for that. The whole reason he’s sulking is because of a maid outfit. That’s ridiculous.

Just as our conversation winds down, Kaname walks into the living room. His timing is suspiciously perfect. He was definitely eavesdropping.

"Hey hey, Ryoji-san, you’ve got some time before lunch, right? Could you help me with Dragon Hunter for a bit!?"

Kaname is holding his handheld console.

Dragon Hunter—“DraHan” for short—is a popular game among middle and high schoolers. It’s fun solo, but the real charm is the co-op. Everyone brings their consoles and plays together, making it extremely popular. It even caused problems with students crowding fast-food chains and family restaurants. Ryoji used to play it with Togo during lunch breaks.

I tried borrowing Kaname’s game once, but I burned through all my continues immediately and failed the mission. I gave up on it as a game far too difficult for me.

Without hesitation, Ryoji takes his handheld out of his bag and powers it on.

After a short moment, the two of them set off on a mission together. They’re already getting loud and excited.

I sit down next to Ryoji, but honestly, I’m completely out of the loop. I’m terrible at the game, but watching them have so much fun makes me want to join in. Not that I have the game cartridge.

He came all this way and now I’m being ignored—but they both look so happy I can’t exactly complain.

"As expected of you, Ryoji-san! You’re way better than my classmates!"

"Experience makes the difference!"

Ryoji’s acting like some seasoned veteran showing off. Well, he is good at most games. He just has a natural sense for them. I, on the other hand, am terrible at almost every game, so I guess you could say I have a different kind of “talent.”

…Honestly, I’m bored.

My friend is here, yet I’m just sitting beside him doing nothing. And if they’re having this much fun, of course I’m going to get curious.

So I decide to peek at Ryoji’s screen. From where I’m sitting, the glare makes it hard to see. I scoot little by little along the sofa until I get a clear angle.

…Just a bit more. Ah, there. Now I can see Ryoji swinging a huge greatsword at a massive wyvern.

"Whoa, that’s amazing! I wouldn’t be able to dodge that!"

As expected of Ryoji. He dodges the monster’s breath attack like it’s nothing, slips under its legs, and slices off its tail. It’s like he can read the monster’s movements before they happen. Watching a skilled player is fun. Even just from the side, I can’t help getting excited.

Then, as he tries to drink a healing potion, he accidentally eats a piece of meat instead and gets run over by the dragon—instantly dying. After all that smooth, expert movement, he suddenly starts making beginner mistakes.

Ah—there he goes again. Another death.

"What’s wrong?"

"N–no… It’s just… you’re too close."

"Too close? Oh—was I making it hard to play?"

If leaning in messed up his controls, I’d feel a bit bad.

"NOOOOOOO! I mean, yeah, it’s hard, but not the controls! It’s impossible to play when your thighs are right in my field of view! I can’t focus on the game at all!"

"Ryoji-san… If you didn’t say anything, you could’ve kept staring as much as you wanted."

"N-nooo! Why did I say it out loud!?"

So the reason was unbelievably stupid. Does he not have the gentlemanly skill to hint at things without making it awkward?

I let out a sigh and stand up from the sofa.

Seeing this, Ryoji looks at me nervously.

"A-Ayumi, are you mad?"

"Nope. I’m exasperated, sure… but I need to start getting lunch ready anyway. So I guess I don’t have to change into the maid outfit anymore, right?"

The instant he hears that last part, Ryoji freezes, eyes wide. Ah—he died again. Mission failed.

I sigh once more and head back to my room to change.