“I propose a maid café.”
{EH─────!?}
The moment I made that proposal, the classroom erupted with the screams of the female students.
“What do you mean by that!?”
“Exactly! Why would we do something like pretending to be maids!?”
“It’s obviously for some lewd purpose!”
“Seriously. Boys are so perverted!”
“That’s right! That’s right!”
“This is what boys are like!”
The criticism was overwhelming.
Currently, all the blame was focused on me, as I stood up and spoke.
On the other hand, Amelia stood in front of the blackboard with a serious expression, while the male students silently watched the situation unfold.
Elisa also stared at me with a look that seemed to indicate she had steeled herself.
This was all according to plan.
It was a kind of performance, and I was ready to accept all the criticism. I could feel the envious gazes of the other male students directed at me.
It was as if they were saying, “You’re being reckless…”
Now, this is where the real challenge begins.
──To accomplish my mission, I can’t afford to be picky about the means.
So, how did we end up in this situation? That takes us back to yesterday.
◇
The new semester had successfully begun.
The next big event on the horizon was the school festival. After doing some research, I learned a lot.
First, there were the class presentations. It seemed that each club could also have their own presentations, but both needed to be approved by the student council.
If we couldn’t get approval for our proposal at the planning stage, neither the class nor the club would be allowed to present.
The same applied to individual performances.
Apparently, there were also students who performed individually or in volunteer groups in the auditorium on campus every year.
The remaining events were the Miss Contest and the Physique Contest. Participation in these was open to any student at Arnold Magic Academy, either through self-nomination or recommendation.
Beauty Contest.
Commonly referred to as the Beauty Contest, it was a competition for the beauty of female students, with freedom in clothing and hairstyles. Last year, records show that Rebecca-senpai won the title.
The Physique Contest was for male students and primarily focused on body balance and body lines. The key aspect was the inverted triangle shape of the upper body.
Unlike bodybuilding, the lower body was not a major judging factor since participants wore surf shorts.
By the way, the club president had achieved three consecutive victories, securing an overwhelming win. There are high expectations that he will again this year.
Finally, there would be a night festival, where a dance party would be held outdoors around a campfire to conclude the event.
It was said that many couples formed during this time, or so the rumors went… This was what the cultural festival at Arnold Magic Academy was like.
“Hmm. I see…”
Having gathered this information from the library, I had a general overview of the situation.
That being said, the main tasks were the class presentation and the club activities.
The club activities would likely be led by the seniors, and as for the class, Amelia would surely take the lead since she had become the cultural festival committee member when the new semester started.
All the other students probably had experience from their previous schools, so I thought my role in the class would be minimal… or so I believed, but it seemed that things were about to change significantly.
“Ray! There you are! I found you here!”
“Amelia, what’s wrong?”
After school.
It was already dusk. The time for sunset was gradually getting earlier, and it was becoming cooler as well.
This was a sign that autumn was approaching.
At the same time, it was also a sign that the cultural festival was drawing near. There was about a month left until the festival.
As I turned around in response to the voice from behind, I saw Amelia, who was out of breath. Bathed in the twilight light, she slowly approached and said something unexpected.
“How about we go to town for a bit?”
“Right now? Is there enough time? You have a curfew, don’t you?”
“It’s fine! Besides, it’s hard to talk about this on campus. Please…”
I couldn’t just dismiss Amelia’s earnest request.
I immediately agreed to her proposal.
“Understood. And, well, even after it gets dark, I’ll make sure to escort you back to the girls’ dorm.”
“Yeah. Th-thank you… Oh! D-dangerous, dangerous… Anyway, let’s hurry!”
I was pulled along by Amelia as we headed out to town.
“So, what’s the topic?”
“Um… well…”
We had arrived at a small café in the central district. Our orders had already arrived; I had black coffee while Amelia had tea. The cups were in front of us, emitting a faint steam.
Amelia seemed hesitant, so I decided to break the ice.
“It’s about the cultural festival’s event…”
“Hmm. But this is my first time participating. I think it would be more appropriate to consult other students or upperclassmen.”
“Actually… I already have a specific event in mind.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“Well, um… I want to try doing a maid café!”
“A maid café? That means it’s a café where maids work, right?”
“Yes! Exactly! Listen, you know that maid outfits have been gaining attention lately, right?”
“No, I wasn’t aware of that.”
“I see. It seems I need to explain everything from scratch.”
She elegantly took a sip of her tea and paused for a moment. How should I describe that atmosphere?
But one thing was certain.
Amelia was definitely serious about this cultural festival.
Her gaze was sharper than usual, and her expression showed a clear sense of tension.
──It’s been a while since I’ve seen Amelia this serious, since the Magic Chevalier .
Then she took out a piece of paper from her bag and handed it to me.
“What’s this?”
“It’s reference material. And the schedule for today’s meeting.”
“I see. Let me take a look.”
As I read through it, I could see how she came to propose the maid café. It also detailed the budget and challenges needed to make it happen. Amelia had clearly done her research, and it seemed feasible overall.
But when I flipped over another sheet of paper, I found a section labeled [Super Important Issue].
The main issue was the process of making the maid café a reality.
Specifically, it was about the backlash from female students. The current challenge was figuring out how to navigate this and make the maid café our class’s event…
“Amelia. I’ve read through it, and I think it’s a good idea. But how do you know there will be backlash from the female students? Won’t the boys oppose it?”
“…”
A chilling tension filled the air.
Amelia leaned both elbows on the table, resting her hands in front of her face.
After slowly releasing that pose, she opened her heavy mouth.
“…Our class has a lot of noble kids, right?”
“Ah.”
“Do you think noble people would want to pretend to be maids?”
“I see… I understand now.”
In other words, even though she wants to fully embody the role of a maid, her pride won’t allow her to take that position… That’s what it seems. I couldn’t understand it immediately due to my shallow understanding of nobility, but that’s the gist of it.
However, if we follow that logic, it shouldn’t matter whether one is male or female.
Why is Amelia focusing only on female students? Is there something I can’t see that she can?
“Amelia. I understand the outline. But why aren’t the boys resisting?”
“Because men have always loved maids!”
Amelia declared this loudly, shattering the tension that had built up until now. She stood up with enthusiasm and began to speak rapidly, as if overflowing with excitement.
About the charm of the maid.
“Listen, Ray! Maids are incredibly charming! They seem obedient all the time, but then they occasionally show a seductive expression! And that outfit is wonderful! While it may not be flashy, it has a minimum level of beauty! My suggestion is to shorten the length of the skirts for the maid outfits in class! This is definitely going to be the next trend! Oh, I’m just terrified of my own genius…! The maid, who exists just a step behind her master, is finally going to show her presence! This is exhilarating, exhilarating!”
“…”
“Ah!?”
Amelia suddenly realized something and sat down with her face bright red.
“I-I’m sorry. I got a little carried away…”
“…”
“R-Ray? C-Can you say something?”
“──Wonderful.”
“Huh?”
“Amelia. It seems you really are a genius. This is going to work, it’s going to work! I feel like I’ve also realized the charm of it after hearing you say it.”
“Really!?”
“Yeah!”
“Y-Yeah! Plus, our class has a lot of cute girls, so it will definitely stand out! Hehehe…”
“There’s no doubt about it. It’s always the presence of a genius that breaks through the old, stagnant system. Amelia. I would like to help, even if just a little.”
“Then let’s do this──”
After that, we lost track of time and immersed ourselves in planning.
This is the story of the trajectory leading to the birth of the legendary maid café at Arnold Magic Academy, the first of its kind.
Next Chapter was not tomorrow. (Sorry)
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