Chapter 468: I Want to See Him

Chapter 468: Chapter 468: I Want to See Him

Chapter 468: I Want to See Him

"Huh? They have omurice like that?"

Eriri’s face immediately lit up.

Then she pursed her lips, secretly glanced at Asagiri sitting across from her, and looked back toward the smiling maid beside the table.

"Then... do you have..."

"Young Lady, for a situation like yours and Master’s, I recommend our Heartfelt Couple Set!"

The maid was clearly experienced at reading customers.

Just from Eriri’s expression, she had already guessed what the blonde girl wanted.

She clasped her hands together and introduced the set with a sweet smile.

"It includes a heart shaped omurice for two, an extra large strawberry love milkshake for two, a chocolate cake, and unlimited drinks and activities for the entire afternoon!"

"All of that is only 9,999 yen."

"If you add another 5,000 yen, you can also request an available maid to accompany you."

"Which option would you like?"

By the time the explanation ended, Eriri’s eyes were practically sparkling.

"The 9,999 yen set!"

"Understood!"

The maid smiled brightly.

"Please wait a moment, Master and Young Lady. Your order will be served shortly."

Seeing the embarrassed yet delighted smile on Eriri’s face, Asagiri decided not to ruin the atmosphere.

"A couple set, huh?"

He chuckled.

"I didn’t know modern maid cafés had special packages like this."

"Yeah!"

Eriri nodded excitedly.

"And it’s really cheap!"

Cheap?

Ten thousand yen for the actual food served at a maid café was certainly not inexpensive.

Even with unlimited drinks and activities included, there was clearly a considerable premium.

But maid cafés did not survive purely by selling food.

What customers were really purchasing was the experience.

And judging from Eriri’s expression, the maid had already provided exactly the kind of emotional experience she wanted.

For that alone, the price was worth it.

Besides, ten thousand yen was hardly worth worrying about.

"I understand now."

Asagiri looked at Eriri.

Sitting beneath the warm café lighting with an impossibly happy smile, she somehow looked even cuter than the professionally dressed maids around them.

"You picked a maid café because you were afraid that if it were just the two of us somewhere quiet, you’d get so nervous you wouldn’t know what to say."

Eriri’s face instantly flushed.

She stuck out her tongue at him.

"Hehe..."

"You figured it out."

"As expected."

Asagiri smiled teasingly.

"Toyosaki Private Academy’s number one cowardly lizard truly lives up to her reputation."

Compared with Yuuki Asuna, who was capable of taking the initiative when it mattered, Iwanaga Kotoko, who could casually joke about almost anything, and Kato Megumi, who appeared passive but could strike with frightening precision when she chose to...

Eriri was different.

On the surface, she looked like an elegant, confident young lady blessed with exceptional artistic talent.

But when it came to romance, there was only one word that accurately described her.

Coward.

Even after finally gathering enough courage to invite Asagiri on a date, she had still worried that being alone with him would make her too nervous to speak.

So she chose a maid café.

A place surrounded by familiar otaku culture.

A place where the staff could naturally keep conversations moving whenever she froze.

At that moment, the same maid returned carrying a large plate of steaming omurice.

She carefully placed it on the table before forming a heart with both hands.

"What would you two like written on the omurice?"

"Hmm..."

Eriri became unusually serious.

What should they write?

May you live happily ever after?

No, that sounded like a wedding.

May you have many children?

Absolutely not.

Together forever?

That felt much too ordinary.

While Eriri was struggling to decide, Asagiri casually spoke.

"How about..."

"’From now on, the nine of us, tentative, will live happily ever after.’"

The professional smile on the maid’s face visibly stiffened.

For the first time since they entered the café, her training nearly failed her.

Nine?

Tentative?

What exactly did that mean?

Was this boy openly admitting to dating nine girls?

And saying it directly in front of one of them?

The maid barely managed to maintain her composure.

Then Eriri delivered the second blow.

"Nine people..."

She seriously considered it.

Then she looked at the maid.

"Actually, change it to ten."

The maid’s expression froze completely.

Yuuki Asuna and the others who had participated in the final battle, plus Eriri herself, made nine.

The tenth person Eriri had in mind was naturally Shijo Maki.

Maki was her close friend.

They had gone through countless dangerous situations together.

And although Eriri could be slow about many things, even she had noticed that Maki’s feelings toward Asagiri were remarkably similar to her own.

She already felt slightly guilty for sneaking off on this date without saying anything.

Leaving Maki out completely would make that guilt even worse.

Meanwhile, the maid was experiencing a direct attack against her worldview.

The boy had casually declared there were nine girls.

The girl sitting opposite him had not gotten angry.

Instead, she had corrected him.

Ten.

What kind of relationship structure was this?

What kind of customers had walked into her workplace today?

Still...

Professionalism was professionalism.

"Um..."

The maid took a breath.

"Understood."

Using ketchup, she carefully wrote their requested message across the omurice.

Then she recovered her practiced smile.

"Would you like me to perform the deliciousness spell now?"

"Then allow me!"

Asagiri immediately raised one hand.

The maid blinked.

Before she could even react, Asagiri reached into his pocket and produced a tiny mysterious instrument.

Then he began playing.

"Is that..."

The maid stared.

"A kazoo?"

Several seconds later, Asagiri completed his performance.

Scattered applause immediately came from the surrounding tables.

Asagiri stood as though he had just finished a prestigious solo recital and graciously acknowledged the audience.

"Thank you."

"Thank you very much."

The maid remained frozen beside the table.

What kind of customers were these?

They had somehow transformed a maid café into a street performance venue.

Just what kind of bizarre atmosphere had taken over her shift?

...

That evening, at Asagiri’s home.

"That was really fun..."

Eriri sat on the sofa with a dreamy smile.

She kept remembering the afternoon.

Sharing the same heart shaped omurice.

Drinking from the same oversized strawberry milkshake.

The ridiculous kazoo performance.

The maid’s increasingly confused expression.

A foolishly happy smile appeared on Eriri’s face before she even noticed it.

"Wake up."

Asagiri looked at her.

"You’re starting to look suspicious."

"Shut up!"

Eriri immediately snapped back.

"I’m not suspicious!"

Then...

She secretly glanced toward him.

Her cheeks became slightly red.

For several seconds, she said nothing.

"Um..."

"Well..."

Before Eriri could invent another excuse, Asagiri smiled.

"So?"

"Are you going to tell me this is still research for improving your skills as a creator?"

Eriri froze.

Then nodded a little too quickly.

"Y-yes."

"Exactly."

"That’s definitely it."

Asagiri looked amused.

Before she could continue defending herself, he gently touched her cheek.

Eriri’s voice disappeared.

Then he kissed her.

Her entire body stiffened for an instant.

"Mmm..."

The reaction surprised even Eriri herself.

She had always believed romance stories exaggerated moments like this.

How could something as simple as a kiss make someone’s mind go blank?

There was no supernatural ability involved.

No spell.

No hypnosis.

Yet...

When it was someone she truly cared about...

Apparently, it really could feel that overwhelming.

When they separated, Eriri’s face was bright red.

Her usual confident demeanor had completely disappeared.

She lightly bit her lower lip.

"I’ve drawn things like this plenty of times..."

Her voice became very quiet.

"But actually experiencing romance is completely different."

She looked away.

"So..."

"I’ll leave the initiative to you."

"Is that so?"

Asagiri pulled her into a gentle embrace.

The warmth helped Eriri’s nervous body gradually relax.

Then he spoke quietly near her ear.

"Let me make one thing clear."

Eriri listened.

"I’m not doing this because it’ll improve anyone’s game development skills."

He smiled.

"I simply wanted to spend this time with you."

Eriri froze.

Any remaining tsundere defenses collapsed immediately.

Her hands tightened around his clothes.

"I..."

Her voice was soft.

"Me too."

She looked up at him.

The embarrassment was still there, but she no longer tried to hide behind an excuse.

"I wanted this because it was you."

Asagiri smiled.

Eriri quietly leaned against him again.

The rest of the night passed without any need for research, excuses, or creator terminology.

For once, Eriri allowed herself to simply enjoy being close to the person she had worked so hard to ask out.

...

Meanwhile, at Kasumigaoka Utaha’s home.

"It’s raining."

Kasumigaoka Utaha walked barefoot across her room and opened the window slightly.

Cool air entered.

Outside, rain had begun falling from the dark sky.

She rested her cheek against one hand.

A complicated look appeared in her dark red eyes.

"I don’t actually have anything important to discuss with him."

The Death Game was over.

Scripts could be discussed by message.

Plot revisions could be handled over the phone.

There was no practical reason for them to meet face to face.

And yet...

Kasumigaoka Utaha stared quietly at the rain.

"Why..."

Her voice became softer.

"Why do I still want to see him...?"

....

https://discord.gg/KvMN2CFsMR

[If you don’t want to wait for the next update, read 50 Chapters ahead on P@treon.]

[[email protected]/FanficLord03].