Chapter 185 - 183 Arakawa's Summer Phobia_1

June 3rd, Saturday. After four morning classes, students either started club activities, took part-time jobs, or went home to be couch potatoes. Arakawa Reina chose to work a part-time job. She said goodbye to her acquaintances—not exactly friends, just people she got along with ordinarily. To avoid being bullied by her classmates, she had managed to blend into a group of well-behaved students in her class. In that group, she was practically invisible. Arakawa Reina slouched as she left Brilliant High School at a normal pace. She really disliked the scorching sunlight outside; in fact, she detested any hot day. The inevitable shift to cooler clothing for girls thwarted her desire to cover up her chest. Perhaps it was psychological, but Arakawa Reina always felt that boys were staring at her chest. She hated that feeling. She did not like drawing attention, as it meant trouble and would lead to unnecessary social interactions. Her father's comics often featured demure, introverted characters who were discovered by classmates to have stunning figures, subsequently noticed by delinquent groups, leading to that specific kind of bullying. Unfortunately, Class 2-C had the most violent delinquent in the school, Hojo Tetsuji. Every time Arakawa Reina needed to collect homework or similar tasks, she didn't dare do it herself, only asking Aozawa to help. Now summer had arrived again. Each year during this season, her mild paranoia would flare up, making her feel as if everyone's gaze was concentrated on her chest. She tried to comfort herself that reality couldn't possibly be like those comics, where boys would randomly drag someone into a grove and do as they pleased. But occasional news reports reminded her that reality could sometimes be even more exaggerated than those stories. There had been news of girls imprisoned in cages for over a decade. Reportedly, when these once-beautiful girls were rescued, they had transformed into emaciated, scar-covered women. The likelihood of it happening to her was small, but if it did, wouldn't that be the end? Thinking this, Arakawa Reina became even more vigilant, pushing her glasses up and discreetly surveying her surroundings, alert for any possible risks. This state of alertness continued all the way to the Maid Cafe in Ikebukuro. Once Arakawa Reina took off her school uniform and changed into her work maid outfit, she no longer cared about others' gazes. In her view, being a maid was a job, like a virtual avatar online; nothing to worry about. Arakawa Reina looked at herself in the mirror. Her black hair reached her shoulders. After removing her plain black-rimmed glasses and putting on contact lenses, her features looked picturesque. Her fair skin reminded one of snowy winter days. The black and white maid outfit was beautiful, its collar pushed high to create an impressive fullness, almost as if padded. Arakawa Reina closed the locker, patted her face with both hands, and put on a professional maid's smile. Time to start work. She headed towards the entrance, ready to greet the cafe's customers. The door chimed softly. Arakawa Reina instinctively glanced at the entrance. A familiar boy stood there, wearing a summer school uniform: a white short-sleeved shirt, silver-grey trousers cinched with a black belt, and a schoolbag in his left hand. "Wow~ Nashi, he looks so eager! He didn't even change out of his uniform before coming to see you," a senior colleague remarked nearby. Arakawa Reina's face reddened slightly. She wanted to explain that it wasn't like that. But she knew her explanation would be feeble; the other person would only believe what they imagined. She didn't have the eloquence to change her senior's impression, so she silently accepted it. "Let Maid Number Three attend to him," the senior colleague said, perhaps to another staff member or thinking aloud. Then, she turned to Reina. "Nashi, your 'regular' specifically asked for you." Arakawa Reina ignored her colleague's teasing, stepped forward, and greeted with a radiant smile, "Master, please come this way." "Sure." Aozawa replied with a smile. He was having lunch at the Maid Cafe simply because there was no meal prepared at home. Ever since Morimoto Chiyoda joined the special task force, her days off had been reduced to just one. Saturdays weren't a day off for her. If things got busy, even that single day off might be taken away. Whenever she had a chance, Morimoto Chiyoda would complain about her boss and the jerks who made her work overtime. Aozawa could only silently apologize to Chitose in his heart. He knew who was responsible for Morimoto Chiyoda's overtime. However, for the past two days, he hadn't done much, just played around with item transmutations. Morimoto Chiyoda still seemed very busy; he'd check on what she was up to later if he had time. "Master, may I take your order?" Arakawa Reina led Aozawa to a seat by the window and asked, standing beside him. Aozawa sat down, smiled, and said, "Class President, you don't seem embarrassed at all calling me 'Master' now. Humans really do adapt quickly." "I am a professional maid," Reina replied. Her calm heart was stirred by him calling her 'Class President.' Why did such a simple title make her feel so embarrassed in this situation? She wanted to bury herself in the ground. Blushing, she said, "Alright now, Master, please don't talk about irrelevant things. What would you like to order?" "Class President, is this how you apologize to someone? You were the one begging me to come, insisting that you had to treat me to a meal to express your apology," Aozawa continued teasingly, a smirk in his voice. "This attitude isn't very good, whether towards your Master or towards a classmate you misunderstood." Arakawa Reina's face turned even redder. She wanted to apologize softly, but the words seemed to get stuck in her throat. Her gaze darted around, and the words she managed to force out were as light as a breeze, "I'm sorry for misunderstanding you earlier. May I take your order, Master?" "I didn't hear anything. Did you say something?" Aozawa feigned ignorance. Reina pursed her lips. She seemed to be debating whether to say it louder. Aozawa smiled and said, "Alright, I'll stop teasing you. I'll have a latte, along with tiramisu, blueberry cake, an egg tart, a doughnut, and a strawberry daifuku." "Very well, please wait a moment, Master." Reina let out a sigh of relief. Being able to express her apology with a meal felt very worthwhile to her. She turned and headed for the kitchen. Aozawa turned his head to look out the window. Bright sunlight bathed the street, where there weren't many pedestrians. A warm breeze brushed past, rustling the leaves on the roadside trees, as if drawing heat from the air and leaving a trace of coolness for passersby. When the weather was hot, there tended to be fewer people on the streets. He was admiring the view outside when his phone, in his pocket, suddenly rang. Aozawa took out his phone and saw a message from Ayatsuki Ayaka. "Meet at the Convenience Store in Adachi District, Takezuka at 7 tonight. Don't be late." Scrolling up, he could see the same reminder. Aozawa didn't know why Ayatsuki Ayaka kept sending it. But he still replied, "Received. I definitely won't be late." After the 'read' receipt appeared, Aozawa's reply quickly reached Ayatsuki Ayaka's phone, which didn't make a sound. Since she had been staring at the chat interface, she didn't need a notification; she saw Aozawa's reply turn to 'read' immediately. Ayatsuki Ayaka typed rapidly. "Okay, what are you up to? Have you eaten?" She tapped send. The corners of her mouth lifted; she was eagerly anticipating the night's adventure. She would definitely scare Aozawa until he screamed and then burrowed into her arms. Imagining the scene, Ayatsuki Ayaka rolled on her bed, giggling softly. Then the phone buzzed once more. She hurriedly stopped rolling and sat up to check the reply. "I'm at a Maid Cafe in Ikebukuro, waiting for my lunch." A photo was attached below the message, showing a rather empty cafe with a few maids standing at the counter, apparently chatting. Ayatsuki Ayaka noted that Aozawa really seemed to like Maid Cafes. Or rather, he liked the 'maid' attribute. If she had time in the future, she would also try on a maid outfit for Aozawa to see. But wearing a maid outfit outside her own room made Ayatsuki Ayaka feel a bit shy. That kind of attire seemed to carry too much 'otaku' essence, which didn't match her image as a stylish Hot Girl. Thinking this, Ayatsuki Ayaka typed, "I'm at home too, about to have lunch." After a moment's thought, she raised her phone to take a selfie, intending to send it. But before she could tap the button, she realized her background was a bit messy. Ayatsuki Ayaka deleted the photo, then turned to neatly fold the cluttered bedspread, put her socks back where they belonged, and smoothed everything out. She didn't want Aozawa to think she was sloppy. Although she was a little careless in her daily life, she absolutely couldn't reveal that before they were actually dating. She had to maintain her image as a clean and tidy person. This wasn't deception; it was a tactic girls used to maintain their image. After she had set everything in order, Aozawa's reply came through. "What are you having for lunch?" Ayatsuki Ayaka paused for a moment, then quickly ran to her door and called out, "Sis, what are we having for lunch?" "Pizza, fried chicken, and cola. Why do you ask?" "No reason, just wondering." Ayatsuki Ayaka closed the door again and typed, "I'm having high-calorie junk food for lunch. Pizza, fried chicken, cola. It hasn't arrived yet." After sending it, Ayatsuki Ayaka added another message, "I really envy you, having desserts and coffee." "If you want some, you can come over. My treat." Aozawa's reply made Ayatsuki Ayaka's eyes light up. Was this an invitation for a date? Ayatsuki Ayaka was so excited her phone trembled in her hand. Her heart pounded as she typed, "Okay, I'll come over right away!" Inside the Maid Cafe, Aozawa was dumbfounded. His offer had been a joke. From Adachi District to Ikebukuro, the coffee would be cold by the time she arrived. But clearly, Ayatsuki Ayaka hadn't taken it as a joke. It was too late to back out now; Aozawa still had his pride. He typed back, "Alright, I'll wait for you here." "Be there soon!" After sending that, Ayatsuki Ayaka looked down at her clothes. She immediately realized she had to change into a nice outfit. Preferably something that fit the vibe of their evening adventure. Aozawa would treat her this afternoon, and then in the evening, it would be her turn. They could be on a date all the way until eight o'clock! Her plan felt flawless. "Hehe, Phoenix Academy, you still lost to me." Full of excitement, Ayatsuki Ayaka opened her closet. She had already decided what to wear three days ago. She didn't need to think now, just put it on.