AN: Waaiii! Hehehe~ I'm pretty hyped today. As usual, some words were left in their Japanese(romanji) style cuz they sound better under some circumstances. Read and enjoy the long Kurumi one shot~ Guhehe...
Today's setting was...Moe. Well decorated tables and chairs with a bar theme. A menu full of love. Food with a five star taste. And lastly, waitresses with amazing moeness and maid outfits. This was it. A place filled with every otakus' hopes and dreams.
"Shido! My honorable brethren and friend. Today, as a symbol of our friendship, I introduce to you..." Tonomachi's eyes sparkled as did every man who walked into the place. With open arms and mouth, he shouted. "...a Maid Cafe!"
"Okaerinasaimase, goshujinsama~" On cue, six lovely maids greeted them. They bowed in an angle of 90 degrees in eagerness to salute their 'masters'.
"Tadaima, my gorgeous maid-tachi." He swiped his hair upwards with a cool tone.
Shido was left speechless. Other than the beautiful maids lined up in front of them, he was stunned by his friend's sudden impulse to go there. He didn't want to go, although Kotori approved of it since he needed 'rest'.
"Let me escort you, goshujinsama."
Black one sided hair accompanied with red eyes. For some reason, she was cuter, friendlier and seemingly dangerous compared to her colleagues. The maid outfit she wore was like looking into a gothic lolita cosplay.
"Uh, sure." Shido felt a slight discomfort. He was thinking how similar her looks were to a certain 'girl'. None the less, what he thought was impossible. That 'girl' wasn't the type to infiltrate a maid cafe for no reason...or was she?
The maid smiled. "Then, this way please." She stepped about-face and walked to the vacant table to the corner right. Shido stared. Mesmerized for a single second.
Tonomachi impatiently pushed his back. "Come on, let's go." He was having fun.
The two followed suit and sat on their respective chairs. The red-eyed maid held out a menu.
Omurice. Pancake. Parfait. Banana split. Iced tea. Coffee. Hot Choco. Everything looked so scrumptious.
"I'll have a pancake and coffee." For someone like Tonomachi, the orders were a bit mature. But it was a contrast to what he was doing. Specifically, winking on the sexy maid just beside them.
"...just an iced tea." He felt amateurish and uncertain. It was his first time to enter the haven named Maid cafe. What practices they had and what-not was unknown to him. He played safe by ordering a simple drink.
"What are you saying Shido! This is a maid cafe, you know?!" The spiky haired friend slammed a fist to the table. "Order more!"
"Tashikomarimashita~" Her smile could kill tens and thousands of men. And the way she said the word...it was sensuous to the point of seduction. Any man with an average sexual control can fall prey of the tone.
Shido jolted a forced smirk as the maid eyed at him. He felt a similar feeling of being watched so intently before from one of his girl friends. The one that continued stalking him for almost everyday. Tobiichi Origami.
The waitress exited Shido's comfort zone. He sighed for unexplainable reasons. The relief was like missing a shot from a Russian roulette.
"So, Shido. How has life been?" The question was a wild card thrown at him. Guess randomness can start a topic for once.
"Life? Well..." He tried to think of the ordinary days he once had. No dating beautiful girls. No life or death situations. No AST. But as soon as he did, his fresh routine with his blasphemy of a harem rebuked from the back of his mind. "I-it's the usual." He dropped a sweat.
"The usual? So living with Tohka-chan and those bishojous is 'the usual'?" Tonomachi created a fist with crackling veins. The fuel was added to the fire unintentionally. "Shido...I think you've lived for too long." His eyes flared with pure envy and mistrust. If there was a knife near by he would have picked it up and hit a bull's eye.
"Ahaha." The harem bast- Shido began to eye for places where he can't see Tonomachi.
Maids. Maids everywhere. They were serving each costumer with smiling faces and first rate kindness. It somehow lightens the mood of the whole cafe. Shido smirked like a person going with the flow. 'Maybe that's the trade secret of this maid cafe?'
"Well, it's been a while since we went out together." The friend with no love life bent an elbow to the table. "You've been with the girls most of the time that we couldn't spend time together like before." He sounded so defeated and remorseful with down casted eyes.
'Could this be bromance? It is right? Right?! Plus, is he jealous?!' Shido gulped to the thought. He held a trial with his conscience. Bromance Vs Anti-bromance. 'That guy? Bromance? Are you delusional?' His conscience was on the side of anti-bromance party. 'But this is Tonomachi we're talking about.' Rivers of sweat was flowing down to his cheeks as he saw the depressed friend.
A phone call with a weird ring tone held out a recess for Shido's trial. "Oh." It was the loveless guy. He flipped his phone to see the caller. "Sorry, Shido-kun." His eyes began to sparkle a new hope. "I have to take this phone call." For manner's sake, he stood up.
"Weren't you the one who invited me out? Isn't it rude to bail out?" Shido said it as a joke.
"It won't be for long." Tonomachi waved out a hand as he exited the cafe. The conversation sounded so weird with two men.
The lone wolf sighed from his seat. Awkward should be a word to describe his atmosphere. 'What bromance was I saying again?' A silent wind run pass the table.
"Here's your order, goshujin-sama~" The maid came with exquisite timing. She gave the iced tea to Shido. Looks like Tonomachi's share has yet to come. Eyeing on the empty seat, she noticed the missing costumer. "Ara? Where's the other goshujin?"
"Uhhh...He had some important business to attend to. He'll be back. I think." He scratched his cheek adding an awkward smile to make it believable.
"Is that so?" She was grinning as if to say 'Are you sure~?' with a seductive voice. The maid leaned forward to Shido in a face-to-face manner. With a finger to his chin, she tilted his head upwards. "Is their any other 'services' that goshujin would like me to do?"
Scarlet red eyes. He had come in contact with such eyes before. But what he remembered was that it was a pair of red and golden clockwork eyes not both-red. Not only that, the aggressiveness this girl had was the same. Is it just a coincidence? "Ermm- I don't think I have one."
She laughed like she had some hidden agenda waiting to be unfolded. "Oh, that's too bad~" She was closing-in with a slowly-but-surely pace.
"Kuru-chan you can't do that." Another maid pulled her out from Shido's range. "Sorry about that, she always does that when she's interested in the costumer." She was frantically bowing to him.
"Ara, tenchou. I don't remember doing such things to other costumers~" Now, 'Kuru-chan' was on her thinking caps. She was in a picture of an innocent loli that was thinking hard while being pulled by her manager to the kitchen.
Animosity or in other words, Shido, was being eyed on by every costumer that was male. He can feel their hostile red gleaming eyes at him like it was some daggers meant for throwing.
'Kuru-chan...' Something sparked. '! Could it be...Kuru from Kurumi?!' He immediately eyed on the kitchen door at the far side of the cafe that 'Kuru-chan' exited from. 'No. I'm over-thinking things.' Of course he was. From what he can decipher, Tokisaki Kurumi, A.K.A Nightmare, had bichromatic eyes. The name, also was so obvious that it was nearly idiotic. What's more, from the talk between the manager and 'Kuru-chan', they were close that it hinted 'Kuru-chan' was in the cafe for a long time. A thing that 'Nightmare' wouldn't bother to do. (or would?)
Instead of sighing, he sipped the iced tea to cool his head. It was hot in the throat. A bit bitter. And maybe intoxicating...huh? 'Hot? Bitter? Intoxicating?' It was like describing a different drink. He sipped again. Nothing, except for a tinsy bit of bitterness. Or maybe he got used to the taste at first sip.
He continued drinking until the glass was 1/4 empty. 'That Tonomachi...he's taking too long.' He was blushing unknowingly. He felt a bit hot from face down to the whole body. 'NNnnn...I can't think straight.' Shido buried his head on the table. The surrounding felt like it was spinning. '...just a short nap...'
The sound of people chattering went quiet. The place was now dark as he dropped his eyelids that was neither tired nor exasperated.
xxxXXXxxx
"...-shujin-..."
"NNnnn...zzz..."
"...goshujin-..."
"...Leave me alone...zzzzz"
"Goshujin-sama~"
It was right at his ear. Warm racy breath from a mouth closer than an inch. Under normal circumstances, it should send thunderous chills from the brain down to the spine; enough to make a boy insane. But this wasn't normal.
Shido, who had a flashy wake-up with a burning red face, was as calm as day. His face was like the emoticon l-_-l with a blush. His body was perceived to be above 37 degrees Celsius from within. He felt light headed to the point that he's not thinking at all. And his spine was tingly. All of these direct to one illness. A thing called intoxication or drunkenness.
He glanced-up to the right at exactly Kuru-chan's face. Stare stare stare.
"Ohayo gozaimasu~" She smiled brightly. "It's already closing time." Her tone remained respectful and...revealing? It was already 8:00PM. He had slept for a span of 5 hours.
Stare stare stare. He didn't react. Just...well...stare. The situation lasted for more than ten seconds. Nothing felt awkward to both. The girl kept the luscious grin while the boy didn't blink.
He stood-up unexpectedly. Now the distance was a foot. "You..." Shido consecutively moved-in to the black haired beauty. Face-to-face. "You look familiar..." He doesn't know what he's talking about. His voice was much more mellow and mature. Something that can be unlocked only when drunk.
"Ara, really~?" She wasn't fazed. In fact, she was enjoying it. Her lone time with maybe someone she didn't even know.
Shido, the boy that looked cool when drunk, stepped an impossible step. It made Kuru-chan stride back. And back. And back.
The wall was helping Shido trap the 'astonishing beauty'. With her back on the corner, she had less than zero to step back. "Oh my~" The verbal expression was clearly unnecessary 'cause it contradicted her arousing grin. A grin that was far more than appreciating the drunk-aggressive Shido.
Exactly like a shojou manga, he pressed a hand on the wall. "...Tokisaki...Kurumi..." His head was near her's.
She can see his drunk-blushed face so closely. To her, it was attractive. Inviting. Tempting. "Looks like I've been caught~" She chuckled softly as she made their eye-to-eye contact more intense. Like adding fire to an alcohol, she stroked his broad muscular chest with her right hand. She was teasing him in this manner. Touching him. Slowly making her index finger dance on his sturdy ches-
Before she continued, a hand belonging to Shido grabbed her arm assertively. Kurumi turned to a surprised victim as Shido pushed her arm against the wall. "Ara ara~" Even as the events unfolded beyond her calculation, she was still pleased. "An aggressive Shido-san...this isn't bad~"
The drunkard was being honest with his feelings. It was all the intoxicated man could think about as he tucked is head closer to hers.
"Itadakimasu wa, Shido-san~" Her voice was so alluring. Like the very alcohol itself that no man could resist.
Just when their faces could collide, Shido flanked his body to her left. He was like a falling log that lunged through Kurumi's arms. Again, she didn't expect it. She was looking forward to a scrumptious meal. A meal worth five spirits.
"Sorry..." The boy in her arms started sleep talking.
"...I...couldn't save...you..." He was crying without tears.
Nightmare heard the words at that feeblish volume. 'Couldn't save' was especially highlighted in her thoughts. The Shido that slept soundly in her arms gained a little bit of her maybe-existent sympathy.
"Shido-san is really unpredictable when drunk." A smile escaped from her lips. It looked different from her other sadistic smiles. This was rather soft, kind and warm.
"Kuru-chan is the costumer awa-" The manager entered the scene with wide open eyes. On the wall was Kurumi with the sleepy costumer in arms. "Uhh...did I interrupt your conversation?"
"Not at all." Kurumi laughed at the topic. "About this costumer..." She eyed at Shido's sleeping figure.
"?"
"...could you please help me move his body? He's a little heavy~" It just looked like she was hugging him tightly but the exact truth is that she was carrying a 58 kg teenager.
"Ahaha. Right."
Both of them mounted Shido's body to a chair. As they did so, his cellphone dropped from his pocket with little climax.
Kurumi saw the black smartphone slip-out. Within mili seconds, she just gazed at it. Within seconds, it rang with accompanied vibration.
-Calling... Itsuka Kotori-
"..." It rang for seconds and so on. "Tenchou..."
"Yes?"
"Can you answer this one?"
"Why?"
"Because you're the manager."
"Ehh~ But you know him don't you? Isn't it better if you answered?"
"...No." She had two reasons. One, this was Itsuka Kotori, commander of Fraxinus. She might find out her identity if even a little of her voice was heard. Second, this was Itsuka Kotori, a spirit named Efreet. The one that she had a one-on-one with. The one she found annoying due to the spirit's regenerative abilities.
Kurumi snatched the phone from the ground and handed it over to her manager with a sweet caring smile. "Here~" She was pushing it to her boss. Not giving another choice.
The manager sighed and accepted it. Not like she had options.
"Onii-chan! Where are you?! Did something happen?!"
The receiver wasn't even putting the phone on her ears and she already heard it out loud. "Errr..Uhhh..." She answered without a word.
"? Who is this?"
"Ummm...I'm the manager of the Maid Cafe that your onii-chan went into."
"... he did say he was going with that guy." Kotori paused. "But I don't get why you have his phone."
The manager took a second glance to Shido and then to Kurumi. She smiled to say 'Go on~'
She can feel her smile twitching as she saw her employee's action. "Actually, your brother slept err- i mean is still sleeping here in the cafe. I believe that he's drunk...for unknown causes." The girl felt awkward as she said the words to the sister.
The sound of a girl coughing for air was heard from the other side of the line. It was like she choked on something with the name of lollipop.
"I -*cough*-I think I get the situation." She was still suffering from the choke hazard lollipop.
Kurumi was snickering from the side-lines. The mastermind aura was surrounding her.
"Just leave him outside. Someone will pick him up."
"Eh? Outside? Are you sure?"
"Just do it."
"Wai-"
-Call Ended-
The phone hanged. So much for a conversation. The manager was just being tossed here and there.
"Good luck, tenchou~" Kurumi started walking towards the staff room.
"Hey, wait!" She reached for Kurumi to no avail. "Ahh geez!" She screamed in the room along with the inactive body of Shido.
xxxXXXxxx
...White. Pearl colored ceiling. He'd see this image every time he'd wake-up from sleep in his bed. '...bed...?' It felt like he was going to die when everything that happened today flashed in his mind. Maid cafe. Tonomachi. Iced tea. And lastly- "Kurumi!" He shouted the name as he hastily got up from bed.
"What about Nightmare?" A stern cold voice elapsed in the room. She was there, sitting in a chair she got from her room. The glaring white-iris red eyes. Looks like she's angry.
"Kotori...why-"
"Do you even know what time it is?" She didn't give him time to say what he has in mind.
"?" Shido looked at his watch. 8:45PM. Time way pass dinner. "Wha-"
"Stupid onii-chan." Kotori stomped. "Reflect on what you did." Lastly, she banged the door to Shido's room tight shut.
"..." All hell was spread all over his head. What happened for the pass 5 hours? Why was he in bed? Where is Tonomachi? 'Why was Kurumi in that Maid Cafe?' He sighed deep and sluggish. Reflect? What would he reflect about if all he can remember was a maid cafe and a girl with close resemblance to Tokisaki Kurumi?
He scratched his messed up hair. 'I feel like vomiting...' Shido held his stomach. It was like it was turned upside down for some reason. All in all, his decision was to get changed and sleep at it.
Finally. A comfy bed to sleep at after a long day even though all he did was rest the whole day. The lights were turned off and his blanket was greeting him good night. He rested his eyes for the third time.
...
Meanwhile, Tonomachi was outside the closed maid cafe. "...My pancake and coffee..." He cried. The call earlier was from an unknown number he answered. The voice was a girl's. A seductive and inviting tone. He couldn't resist it as the voice said to meet at a certain place only to find out he was tricked for 5 hours.
...
The wind felt good as he slept. The monsoon was cool as it ran past his whole body. '...was the window open?' He opened his eyes. "!"
"Ara, Shido-san. You're awake~" The voice was provocative, seductive, inviting and most-describably sexy.
"Kurumi?! Why are you-"
She placed a finger to his lips. It was to hush him. Now leaning-on and riding him was the only known S-class spirit. Nightmare. "You can't do that, Shido-san. Someone might hear you~"
This was it. He's already knocking at death's door.
"Let's continue our conversation from earlier... Ne~"
AN: So...*dog's tail wagging* how was it? Was it too long? Too short? Too boring? Kurumi a bit OoC? Any problem with the story?