Heartbeats and Illusions

"Hey, senpai, I never thought you'd be into this kind of place!"

Standing in front of a maid café, Isshiki Iroha raised an eyebrow and shot a questioning look at Natsukawa Kanade, who stood beside her, looking entirely too casual about the situation.

"Don't tell me... senpai, are you secretly an otaku who loves anime?" Iroha's expression was a mixture of mild disgust and disbelief. While her tone teased, it didn't cross into outright scorn. Instead, her eyes seemed to convey, I didn't expect you to be that kind of person, senpai.

Kanade shrugged, his expression calm. "I wouldn't say I'm a hardcore otaku, but I do enjoy watching anime from time to time."

He wasn't the type to deny it outright. Back in the day, he hadn't had much time to indulge, and now that he had the chance, it was his schedule that didn't cooperate. Still, he wasn't about to shout his hobby from the rooftops.

After all, in Japanese society, the phrase "otaku are worse than dogs" wasn't always treated as just a joke.

"I've always been curious about these kinds of places, but I felt too self-conscious to go alone," Kanade admitted, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Since you're here with me today, I figured it'd be the perfect opportunity."

He glanced at Iroha, whose face was now frozen in a skeptical pout.

The truth was, he didn't really have anyone else to share this kind of interest with. Sure, there were his fellow otaku seniors like Eriri, but inviting them felt... embarrassing in a different way. With Iroha, it was easier. She wasn't exactly a close friend, and her opinion wouldn't weigh on him too much.

"Eeeh~," Iroha groaned, her tone dripping with exaggerated distaste. But to his relief, she didn't outright refuse. Instead, after a moment's hesitation, she gave a small, reluctant nod.

"Fine, but let me make one thing clear: if this turns out to be some sketchy place, I'm ditching you, senpai!"

"Relax," Kanade said, rolling his eyes. "I already checked—this is a proper establishment. Nothing shady at all."

Iroha's gaze turned even more suspicious. "Checked, huh? So you've thought about going to a shady one before, haven't you, senpai?"

"..." Kanade was stunned into silence. How had the conversation turned against him so quickly?

Deciding it was best to ignore her accusation, he stepped through the entrance first, leaving Iroha snickering behind him.

"Okaerinasaimase, goshujin-sama (Welcome back, Master)!"

The cheerful chorus of maids greeting him upon entry was almost too much. Kanade froze mid-step, his expression shifting into one of faint regret.

"Senpai! You're blushing!"

A sharp jab to his side brought him back to reality. He turned to find Iroha smirking impishly, her index finger still poking his ribs.

"Where exactly do you see me blushing?!" Kanade muttered, trying to save face as they were led to a table by one of the maids.

"Goshujin-sama, here's today's menu. Please take your time~," said the maid sweetly, placing the menu in front of Kanade with an elegance that only deepened his awkwardness.

Kanade scanned the menu, his eyes landing on an item labeled "Love Omurice." This was why he'd come. He'd heard rumors about the legendary maid café experience, complete with cheesy ketchup doodles and magic chants.

"It's on the back, goshujin-sama," the maid helpfully added when she noticed his pause.

Turning the menu over, Kanade saw options like "Love Magic" and "Heartfelt Ketchup Drawing," which made him hesitate.

He cleared his throat. "I'll have the classic set meal. No special requests."

As curious as he was, there was no way he could bring himself to say those cringeworthy phrases out loud.

Once his order was placed, he glanced at Iroha, who was glaring at him with a mix of annoyance and amusement.

"What about you, Iroha?" Kanade asked.

"Hmph. Iroha's not hungry!" she snapped, crossing her arms. "Honestly, dragging me to a place like this... Are you trying to go on some kind of weird date, senpai?!"

"I told you, this isn't a date!" Kanade shot back, his voice quieter this time.

Still, guilt began to creep into his thoughts. He'd invited her purely out of curiosity, but seeing how uncomfortable she seemed, he wondered if he'd made a mistake.

"...Sorry," he muttered, lowering his gaze. "If you don't like it here, we can leave—"

"Senpai, you're surprisingly considerate sometimes..." Isshiki Iroha said, her expression softening. After a brief silence, her eyes lit up mischievously again. "But seriously, senpai, do you love maids that much?"

Kanade shook his head quickly, waving his hand in denial. "No, no, I wouldn't say I love them. I'm just... curious. That's all. Just curious."

But even as he said this, his imagination betrayed him. For a fleeting moment, he pictured Shiina wearing a maid outfit, greeting him at the door with a sweet, "Okaerinasaimase, goshujin-sama..."

"Senpai! Your nose is growing bigger again! And you say you don't like it?" Iroha's teasing voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

Kanade sighed, deflecting with a dry retort. "It's not like that, and you know it."

Scientifically speaking, excitement could cause subtle physical changes, like increased blood circulation or slightly flared nostrils. But those differences were far too small to notice with the naked eye. Clearly, this kouhai was just messing with him.

"Enough already. You should hurry up and order something. Don't make trouble for the staff," Kanade said, steering the conversation elsewhere.

"Hmph." Iroha puffed out her cheeks in mock irritation, then abruptly stood up. "Fine. But I'm going to the bathroom first. And don't you dare peek, stupid senpai!"

"Who would even think of doing something like that?!" Kanade shot back, exasperated.

As she flounced away, Kanade exhaled, shaking his head. He waved over a maid and asked her to prepare his meal. As for Iroha's order, she could decide when she returned.

However, the wait dragged on, and Iroha didn't come back. Just as he was starting to wonder what was taking so long, his order finally arrived.

"Goshujin-sama, here's your 'Love Omurice'~!"

The overly sweet tone of the maid serving his dish was enough to make Kanade shiver. He barely managed a polite nod. "Ah, thank you..."

But as he looked up, his brain froze.

The person holding the plate wasn't one of the store's maids. Instead, it was Iroha—dressed in a full maid uniform, a smug grin plastered across her face.

"...What?"

"What's wrong, senpai? You look so surprised! Doesn't Iroha look cute in a maid outfit?" Balancing the dinner plate with practiced ease, she struck a playful pose, holding up her fingers in a V-sign.

Kanade's jaw worked soundlessly for a moment before Iroha pouted. "Come on, senpai! Aren't you happy? You should be begging me to let you take a photo!"

"Oh, uh, okay..." Still in a daze, Kanade automatically reached for his phone.

Only for Iroha's face to instantly shift into one of mock disgust. "Ugh, senpai, you're such a big pervert! You got excited the second I mentioned a photo! Hentai!"

"..."

Kanade's forehead twitched as black lines metaphorically appeared across his face. His patience was hanging by a thread. For a moment, he seriously considered flicking her forehead—hard—just to remind her that the human body could produce a sound like "dong."

"Senpai, don't go silent now! Is it because Iroha looks ugly like this?"

Her sudden shift to bashful insecurity left Kanade momentarily off-balance.

"No, no. You look... fine," he managed to say, his voice tinged with reluctant sincerity.

"Yatta!" Iroha's grin returned in full force. "I knew it! You're obsessed with maids, aren't you, senpai? Just admit it!"

Kanade groaned internally.

You little...

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A win is a win folks.

Let's get them powerstones rolling.