“Haa, that’s depressing…”

I came to Yuika’s room, sat down in front of the table, put down my schoolbag and paper bag, and sighed.
Every time, my childhood friend in her pajamas was in bed, holding her phone and working on her dailies.

“Hey, what’s with coming into someone’s room and sighing? What’s with the recession?”
“You’re comfortable aren’t you? You’re already wearing pajamas as standard equipment. A bourgeoisie who lives a carefree life as a NEET can’t understand my problems.”
“My current equipment is the Tropical Summer set for against the tropics.”
“When did we talk about the game? I’m talking about real life, real life.”

“I told you about my pajama obsession the other day, didn’t I? See, today’s pajamas have a bunny pattern. Apologize to my bunny with a dogeza for insulting her.”
“It’s a fancy rabbit character, but the level of apology for it is outrageous… I’m sorry, Usa-chan. I’ll reflect, but please don’t give me a hot iron plate from nowhere.”
“Good. I’ll give you a special pardon for your honest apology. …Anyway, what’s with the paper bag?”
[TLN: Usa = bunny (not the country), Dogeza getting on knees.]

Yuika was tugging at the rabbit picture on her chest, talking to it, when her eyes fell on the paper bag next to my schoolbag. I sighed again.

“Open it and you’ll see.”
“Maybe it’s a present for me? Like a full-size Ex-Gulliver? Yes, thank you! The one thing I have is a childhood friend who’s financially rich!”
“No, not even close. Don’t make me, who has a reputation for being a petty peasant, live like a rock star. Where does your self-confidence come from, that you think it’s a gift for you?”

Brilliantly ignoring my simple question, Yuika got off the bed and peered into the paper bag.
“Oh?” She raised her eyebrows.
With a suspicious look on her face, she took out a maid’s uniform with lots of frills and a short skirt.

“…Souta, have you woken up to your preference?”

“That’s the part where you can misinterpret it as a gift to yourself, right? Although it’s not. But how can you question my preference at the first judgment? Hey, stop it, stop that look. Don’t give me that stubborn smile while you’re on the verge of tears! I’d rather you laugh at me than pity me!”
“…Don’t worry, no matter how many wrong turns Souta takes, I’m on your side. I’m not going to let something like this ruin the bond between childhood friends!”
“Don’t make any grave decisions!”
“From now on, we’ll be shut-ins in our rooms and behind walls. But I’ll write to you every day! You have to listen to the guards, okay?”
“I’m under arrest!? In your mind, what did I do wrong? This is a costume for the cultural festival! It’s not that I’m a bad person!”

The highlight of any cultural festival was the cafe. At first, we talked about doing something unique, but the only ideas that came up were unfeasible ideas like a VR cafe or inviting celebrities.
In the end, we settled on a standard maid cafe, but our desire to add a twist took a strange turn and we ended up having the boys be the maids.
After hearing my explanation, Yuika nodded her head with a distracted “Hoo-hee.”

“Cultural festival. So Souta’s going to wear this?”
“Regrettably.”
“Why can’t the girls just do it?”
“I agree with that wholeheartedly.”
“Hmm…”

Holding the maid’s uniform in her hands, Yuika pondered something.
Then she said abruptly.

“Turn around for a second.”
“Why?”
“Just turn around. I’ll get mad if you look at me, understand?”

“Hurry,” she said, pushing me by the shoulder and making me turn around.
As I was looking at the posters of battleship characters on the wall, I heard the sound of clothes rustling behind me. The next sound was that of a light jacket falling to the floor with a crisp….

…………Hmm!?

“Oi, Yuika! You’re not changing your clothes, are you?”
“I told you not to turn around!”
“No, I want to turn around! I really want to turn around!”
“Honestly!? You can’t do that! If you turn around, I won’t let you in my room for three days.”
“Rather, is a three-day ban is enough? Isn’t that too light a punishment? It’s not even close to the dogeza when I disrespected Usa-chan! Are you doing your job, Justice Department?”
“It can’t be helped! It’s hard enough not to see you for three days!”
“I can stand it!”
“But I can’t stand it!”
“Really!?”

I felt like I’m saying a slew of things because of the raging confusion.
But in the meantime, it seemed Yuika had finished changing her clothes. “Don’t you turn around!” But then, after a moment, she said, “okay, you can turn around now.”

With considerable disappointment, I replied, oui.
To be honest, I wanted to watch her change clothes. I was ready to endure a three-day ban if I could see my childhood friend half undressed. …Well, if I had really seen it, my wallet would not have been able to handle it, because she would have been completely displeased and I would have been forced to offer up a lot of prepaid cards. I don’t want to go broke paying her charges when I don’t even play the game.

Sighing in my chest, I turn around.
And then.

“…”

I was speechless.

There was an extremely beautiful maid standing there.
They had purposely prepared clothes for girls so that the boys could wear them and look funny, so the sizes fit Yuika perfectly.
Her slender arms and legs stretched out from her frilly maid’s outfit, and her soft hair waved above her apron dress.

To be honest, I knew that she was wearing a maid’s uniform.
Still, I was caught off guard. I’ve always only seen her in her pajamas, so the gap between the two is huge.
That’s right, my childhood friend is a beautiful girl. The stock price will break through the atmosphere if a beautiful girl wears a maid’s uniform.

“So, a special maid version of Yuika-chan. What do you think?”

Yuika paused to pick up her skirt and ask for comments.
She didn’t know what I was thinking, but she had her usual smug look on her face.
I tried my best to regain my composure somehow, but it was impossible. Yeah, that’s really impossible.

“Cu…”
“Cu?”

 

“…Cute. It’s really, seriously, super cute. I’m so lucky to be able to see such a cute Yuika.”

 

“Wha——!?”

Hearing my thoughts, Yuika’s face instantly turned bright red.

“What are you saying with a straight face? If you put it like that, I don’t know to respond. Souta is already, well…”

She tried to mix it up in her usual way, but Yuika stopped mid-sentence.
Her cheeks flushed and her gaze wandered.

“Th-thanks…”

She looked away, shyly fiddling with the tips of her hair with her fingers, and added another word.

“…Master”

The stock market broke through the atmosphere and flew out of the galaxy.
I fell down on the ground.

“…Hehe, long live the galaxy. Now I’m richer than Gates…”
“Souta!? Are you okay!?”
“Yuika, tell the future generations of investors. Tell them that the only thing that can save us from the Great Depression’s Black Monday is an after-school Galaxy Monday with maids descending on us…”
“What are you talking about? Pull yourself together! Souta! Hey, Souta!”

Yuika ran up to me and magnified me up-close with her maid outfit on.
I said back with a smile on my face…

Lesson learned.
It is too dangerous for a beautiful girl to wear a maid’s outfit.
For what it’s worth, Usa-chan’s pajamas were just right.