"Maid…la..lat…latee," Emiko mumbled to herself as she stared at the sign outside the front of the café.

I squeezed her hand with a smile. I knelt down next to her.

"It's Latte."

Emiko pouted.

"Then it should be spelled "L-A-T-A-Y"."

I shook my head. Emiko was a smart five year old since both Ichirou and I were helping her with her schoolwork, but things usually had to be her way or she didn't like it. Then again, most five year olds wanted things their way. I stood up and opened the door, leading Emiko inside. The inside of the café was cute. It was set up to look like a house with an upstairs and a downstairs. It was like a giant dining room in a cutely decorated house. Emiko looked around in amazement.

"So pretty…"

A waitress in, of course, a maid outfit came over to his. She had a bright smile on her face. She had shoulder length dark hair.

"Welcome home, mistresses. Let me show you to your table."

Emiko tugged me along happily as we were led to our seats. I lifted her up onto her seat before settling down in mine. After ordering chocolate milk for Emiko and a cream soda for myself, I smiled as Emiko bounced in her seat. Even if she didn't get to see Aoi-chan, I had a feeling she'd be more than happy have visited a new place like this. I was just looking around the shop when Emiko squealed, along with more than half of the café. A girl with blonde hair and wearing a fluffy red and black dress came out of the kitchen looking rather unhappy.

"But I want to wear the outfit…" the net idol complained.

The maid waitress who was serving us shook her head as she brought our drinks.

"I've told you no enough times. Here are your drinks, mistresses."

Emiko jumped up and tackled Aoi-chan.

"Aoi-chan! Aoi-chan!"

The net idol looked down before her cheeks when bright red. She lifted Emiko up in her arms and squeezed her in a hug.

"You're so cute! You're mommy dresses you wonderfully. Who is your- MARIKO-CHAN?"

I waved before pointing to myself.

"I would be "mommy"…"

Aoi-chan looked between me and Emiko before putting the little girl back in her seat. The maid waitress looked somewhat confused.

"Classmate?"

The net idol nodded before grabbing my wrist and pulling me up from the table.

"Excuse us," she said, cutely to those in the area.

I began to get dragged toward the back of the café. I looked at Emiko.

"Stay right there!" I told her as I disappeared into the back hallway.

Aoi-chan dragged me into the break room and sat me down before glaring at me. Her voice dropped a few octaves.

"How can you dress her all cute and not yourself? What is wrong with you?"

I looked down at my outfit feeling a little bad now.

"I thought I looked okay today…"

Aoi-chan put her hands on her hips and glared at me.

"I mean on most days. Sure you're…" Aoi-chan's face went a little red," cute today, but I saw you walk by here earlier and you looked…"

I looked up in horror.

"You saw me?"

"Sadly."

I pouted.

"I buy all the cute clothes for Emiko since she's cuter anyways! It's not like I have much money to spend in the first place."

"She's your little sister, right? Tell your parents you want cute clothes!"

I sighed.

"Yeah…sure…"

Aoi-chan sighed as the maid waitress came in. She was smiling happily.

"I didn't know you had a friend from school!"

Aoi-chan blushed and looked at the woman.

"She isn't my friend. Just a classmate."

"Well, you two apparently talk frequently since you call her Mariko-chan."

She giggled as Aoi-chan blushed and stuttered out protests. She looked down at me.

"I'm Satsuki, Aoi's aunt. I own Maid Latte."

"Oh…"

I looked between the pouty net-idol and the store owner, suddenly seeing the resemblance.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Mariko Sato."

"And is that your little sister out there?"

I leaped up and dashed out to the store. Emiko was happily drinking her chocolate milk as she waited for me. Satsuki and Aoi-chan followed me.

"That's Emiko…and she is…kinda my sibling."

"Kinda?" my classmate asked, looking at me suspiciously.

I moved back over to the table. I hadn't told anyone at school that I was an orphan. I didn't want people pitying me or anything. I was even afraid they might not want anything to do with me if I didn't have parents. The boys had gotten a lot of bad looks from people who had learned they had no parents. It was as if it was assumed that we had no manners or we just weren't brought up right since we didn't have parents. It was unfair, but I didn't want that kind of attention, so I didn't invite anyone over or tell them I lived with people who weren't my biological family. I'd never known my family anyway, so what I had now was important to me. Emiko liked that Aoi-chan came with me back to the table.

"Mariko! Can Aoi-chan go shopping with us?" she asked, eagerly.

I smiled at her.

"I think Aoi-chan brings too much attention to herself already."

"Oh," Emiko pouted.

I looked over at the net idol, who seemed to be contemplating something. I picked up my cream soda and drank some of it.

"Wow! This is really delicious!"

Satsuki looked very pleased at my reaction. Aoi-chan suddenly turned and walked into the back. We didn't pay too much attention until a boy with dark purple hair came out it black jeans and a white t-shirt with a sleeveless jacket on top, worn open. Satsuki attacked him in a huge hug.

"GET OFF!" he complained.

"You look so good, though!"

He blushed and walked over to the table Emiko and I were sitting at. We'd finished our drinks.

"Ao-"his hand slapped onto my mouth as he looked around the café.

"We're going shopping."

He grabbed my wrist again, dragging me up. Emiko jumped up as well, looking extremely confused. I pulled out my money to pay for the drinks, but the boy handed money to Satsuki before I could.

"You're welcome, now let's go."

Outside, my wrist was let go and Emiko grabbed my hand, suddenly shy.

"Is that a boy or a girl?" she asked, looking up at me.

"This is my classmate," I smiled at her," He's a boy."

"Another one? What's his name?"

"Uh…this is Aoi-kun."

Emiko blinked at me. Aoi looked back at the girl with a blank expression. She blushed.

"He's cute…"

I sighed. She couldn't tell. I didn't blame her. Aoi-chan had transformed into Aoi-kun. The whole school pretty much knew that Aoi was actually a boy. Most people found it weird that he like to crossdress and look cute most of the time, but I figured that everyone is different and what you like is what you like. And Aoi had practically ripped my head off the one time I'd asked him if he was gay. Aoi was not gay. I would never make that mistake again. I stared at the back of his head as we walked down the street. I didn't understand why he was dragging us to shopping places, but I had learned to be wary of him. He liked to yell at me. It was one of his favorite pastimes. Then again…it appeared that he yelled at everyone he talked to.

"Aoi-kun, where are we going?" I asked.

He glanced back at me with a mischievous smirk. A shiver ran down my spine.

"You're going to get some cute clothes."

"But I don't have money for it…"

He stopped and sighed. He seemed to size me up with his eyes.

"Then I'll make you clothes!"

"WHAT?"

He put a hand on his hip and frowned at me.

"I make all my outfits. You think my parents would buy me girl clothing? No way. Tell me where you live and I'll bring you some stuff tomorrow."

I shook my head.

"No, no. That's okay!"

Aoi narrowed his eyes at me. He then looked down at Emiko. He put on a charming smile. He knelt down to her level.

"Emiko, where do you live?"

I tried to put a hand on her mouth, but she'd been trained to answer on instinct in case she ever got lost.

"Middle Road Orphanage."

Aoi stared at the little girl before looking up at me. I laughed and picked Emiko up in my arms.

"My, my, look at the time. I have to go. Bye, Aoi-kun."

I took off running with Emiko in my arms. I was amazed at how fast I could run in sandals. Now I was slightly afraid. He might tell people that I had no parents. He might hate me even more than he already does. I almost cried at the thought of losing all my friends, but I sucked it up and kept running. I'd find out on Monday.