Hi, I'm back. It took a little while to come back around for this, but when I did I was surprised at the reception it got. Everyone seems to like it which is good! Unfortunately, I'm far too busy to update as often as I'd like, and with 4 fics, it's hard to update even then, but fear not, I'll get through this. You'll just have to wait a bit.

I hope you guys can understand. Also, I don't intend to stick with canon events as you'll see here. I'll certainly use some but with my own thing to them. Things'll be different rest assured.

My betas, XenoTime39 and Aerex, help out all too much improving this fic. I have a lot to thank them for with molding this into something better than I alone could write.

Discord: [discord . gg / yARsw4UtaC]

Please review to give me your thoughts! I appreciate every one of them and they fuel my motivation for each chapter!

"I hope that visit to your specified workplace helped you get a sense of your journey to becoming successful adults," Hiratsuka-sensei said, giving a cough to change the course of the class.

I, of course, was deeply invested in class and was on the edge of my seat thinking about the many important things Hiratsuka-sensei had to teach the class… not.

Opting for a better use of my energy, I felt that the desk looked to be the perfect pillow for my head to lay on. Oh, if only that had been true. The desk is cramped and rickety. So, not am I not getting a lot of room to maneuver my head into a suitable position on a solid platform, I'm making a small bit of noise that is ever so bothersome.

What a mess.

There is a not so small nuisance that I have been enduring ever since the day of the Tennis match. It's troublesome power is over 9000 when it comes to causing me irritation. In fact, I'd say that it could go further beyon-

"Hikigaya, have you been paying attention with your head down like that," came the seemingly innocent but actually dangerous question that Hiratsuka-sensei raised.

Shooting up my posture quickly, I said, "Yes, of course sensei. I don't know what could give you the impression I wasn't," I said, trying not to throw in any snark, but inevitably, it's thrown in there anyway.

"Oh really?" she asked, emanating an aura of danger that promised pain if I don't respond carefully, "Then what did I just say. And don't be vague. I expect a verbatim recitation."

Clearing my throat, I calmly said, "I believe your exact words were when referring to the book The Temple of the Golden Pavilion "The young man's increasing desire to destroy beauty shows that the world around him was coming apart and he couldn't see the hope for a future even among the less than beautiful." Taking a breath, I met Hiratsuka-sensei's eyes and asked, "Well, I assume this proves my attention was on you?"

Hiratsuka-sensei turned away and walked back to her desk, saying, "Sit up, so I won't have to check for your attention." Turning around, she faced the class and said, "Alright. Moving on from that small disruption, let's continue the discussion on The Temple of the Golden Pavilion.

I laid back in my chair to avoid any more testing from Hiratsuka-sensei. No doubt that she's going to be on my case later for this. Maybe I can avoid her by hiding out in the clubroom…

I took a quick look at the class. Ais looks a little confused but quickly adjusts back to taking her notes. A vast improvement from her first week of school. Ryuu, on the other hand, was a little more curious about me. In fact, our eyes met during my little cursory glance. I guess, with how much she's been busy with the Archery Club and her job, she's been a little too spread out all over the place to know my current dire circumstances.

Do I dare look at them?

Sure.

(-)

I should not have taken that chance.

Rising from my seat to head to the clubroom immediately after the bell rang, I was interrupted by a few words.

"Where do you think you're going, Hikio? Don't you want to chat with us?" Miura said, referring to her and the clique.

Clearing my throat, I smoothly said, "As much as I'd like to do just that, I have the Service Club to attend to." The whole get-together would devolve to her getting me back into the tennis court at some point... Which is far too troublesome.

Flicking her hair out, she laughed and said, "Do you really think that old excuse will work? C'mon, you can come with Ais and the rest of us as we hit up the arcades. Tobe and Hayama don't even have soccer practice today, so it can be a big group!"

First off, Hayama will be there? I'm so not going. I may be an adult mentally but I'm still young enough to be petty!

Secondly, that's right. I've been trying my best to avoid Miura's attempts to rope me into their clique as much as possible. No, this is not me running away! As a man mentally in his early 20's, it's only natural that I wouldn't want to hang out with teenagers. So, of course, I try to avoid Hiratsuka-sensei and Miura by… hanging out with the high school girls of my club.

Maybe I didn't think this one through.

"Uh, Yumiko. We really do need to get to the clubroom or else Yukinon will yell at us," Yuigahama cut in. Good job Yuigahama! Maybe all your brains didn't just go to your boo-

"Tsk, that girl pisses me off," Miura muttered before turning to Yuigahama and said, "Fine, I guess I'll let both of you off this time. But text me whenever you want to join in! That reminds me! Hikio, give me your number."

"I sense Yukinoshita's icy gaze sharpening. I have to get there immediately." Before I dashed out of the room, I met Ryuu's gaze and she nodded. Ah, so the usual. I then escaped the classroom without giving out said phone number like a champion.

However, my victory was short-lived.

"Hmph, if Hikio won't give his phone number to me then maybe one of you two will," I heard Miura say probably to Yuigahama and Ais.

"Haha. Hiki's just being a little shy I guess. Don't worry, I'll text you it later. C'mon Ais. I'm worried Hikki's words may be right about Yukinon!" Yuigahama said, hurrying to meet up with me.

How did my private personal information get to be so public?

(-)

Sitting back in my chair at the clubroom, recollections of the troublesome events following the last request were all that was on my mind.

Yukinoshita was as sharp-tongued as normal, but something seems to have mellowed her out? Not entirely of course, but enough to where Yuigahama and Ais have more sway with her than normal. I do not have such a privilege, however.

Yuigahama is as nice as always. Although for some reason, that niceness seems to be drifting away from my reach. She's always trying to engage in conversation with Ais, Ryuu, and I. I'm… concerned of her in a lot of ways. She might get to be even more of a pain to deal with than Yukinoshita.

Ais is sticking around with the Service Club more than I would've thought. She even filled out a form to join. Thankfully, after trying out the Kendo Club, she's been requested to help them out. Hmm, maybe I should sit in on a meeting to make sure she's maintaining her strength correctly. That and a check in with Ais should do the trick.

Ryuu… is sitting right next to me and wants to hear what she missed while she was helping out the Archery Club.

Giving me a glare, she said, "I'm not fond of being left out. You should tell me what happened."

That doesn't make much sense. Especially because, "Didn't Totsuka fill you in while we were at the workplace tour? You seemed to have struck up a friendship with him. Also, you don't need my specific recollection of events. You could ask Ais, Yuigahama, or Yukinoshita for theirs."

"U-uh, he's right, Lion-san. I'd be happy to tell you what happened. I participated in the doubles match as well, you know!" Yuigahama said enthusiastically.

Yukinoshita didn't offer her own version of events. That book she's reading must be very captivating to ignore everything that's happening. Ais didn't offer her own version either, opting to just watch Ryuu bother me.

"Yeah, Yuigahama is probably going to be more enthusiastic telling you what happened and I can assure you that you'll receive much more details if you listen to her," I said, trying to sway her off of me.

Ryuu glared at me for a solid 6 seconds before conceding. "Fine then," Ryuu said, turning to Yuigahama's direction. "Please inform me of what made those people interested in leeching off of- I mean, what happened at the Tennis match. Saika-san only informed me of the general events."

Uh oh. Ryuu, you let your intentions slip. That could spell out a lot of trouble for you. Yuigahama is technically a part of the clique after all.

"Alright then. First, Yukinon was teaching Saika-chan some super-duper Tennis techniques but then," she paused for a dramatic effect, "she got interrupted when…" Yuigahama continued, very animatedly. Quite the storyteller, the little- or well- the not-so-little Yuigahama, but I zoned out as I don't care to remember it. Also, it seems Yuigahama somehow didn't notice Ryuu's true intentions. Ahh, obliviousness is bliss...

I, on the other hand, noticed another thing. Ryuu really did make friends with Totsuka while we were in a group together for the workplace tour. I'm glad that she took that opportunity to adhere to my commands.

Speaking of the workplace tour, that was both a good opportunity for growth… and a massive pain in the neck.

Thankfully, there was no request to handle at the time, so everything was handled rather smoothly all things considered. I made a group with Totsuka, who asked to join mine, while Ryuu wanted to come along.

Ais quickly made a group with Yuigahama and was going to get Miura or Ebina to join as well, but they both had already joined another group. They ended up pairing up with another girl from class. Kawa-something. She was competing for who could be the most stoic with Ais. Personally, I was rooting for the newcomer.

Anyway, Miura and Ebina were a part of Hayama's group, leaving out the three stooges. They were left to form their own group of three. It didn't seem to matter who was in Hayama's group though because nearly half the class wanted to follow them.

My hope for the workplace tour was that this would be a chance for Ais and Ryuu to think about their futures here more concretely. This is the first time they've had to really consider a piece of their future in this world, and I think that's important for their development into working adults that doesn't include adventuring.

So, we were set to visit some big name technological firm. We got to "expand our understanding of modern workers" as sensei put it. It was an enjoyable time admittedly, but all too frustrating to manage. Why? Because while Hayama dealt with half the class, my job was harder. Managing my group and Ais'.

Thankfully, having Totsuka there bumped up the guy count to 2 so mostly nothing was amiss. I did hear some comments from Kawa-something about Yuigahama and Ais wanting to follow my group though.

She also said something about maybe visiting the Service Club for somethi-

The door interrupted my train of thought and Yuigahama's story.

"I have a request for the Service Club."

Ah, it's Kawa-something.

Yukinoshita closed her book and faced the requester with the grace as expected of her. "And what sort of request might that be? The Service Club will do its best to serve you the best way it can, but that will require just as much work on your end. Will you be ready for such an undertaking?"

Kawa-something seemed a little intimidated by Yukinoshita's intensity, but wasn't affected largely. "Uh, I wish to request extensive tutoring. Specifically from Hikigaya if possible. I wish to get a scholarship for college but my grades are far from perfect. Hikigaya seems to have gotten smarter all of a sudden from the way he acts in class."

"Eh? Hikki is super smart? I thought he was in the same boat as I was!" Yuigahama exclaimed.

Wait what? I thought I was doing a good job about keeping that under wraps. Also, that doesn't mean that I'd be good at tutoring! Also, screw you Yuigahama.

Kawa-something continues, ignoring Yuigahama, "He's been helping Wallenstein and Lion since their transfer into our class, so he's probably picked up some tutoring capability."

...Crap, that's a good point. I can still bring this back. "While I may be able to tutor you in some areas, I have my own failings. Yukinoshita would be a much better tutor to rely on," I said.

Yukinoshita seemed surprised by my admission of her academic excellence, but quickly regained her composure and said, "Well, in that case, the solution is simple. We'll both tutor you, Kawasaki-san"

Ah, that's her name. But wait, that still leaves me with another person to tutor! "Maybe you should tutor her alone, Yukinoshita. I have my hands tied up teaching Ais and Ryuu this afternoon. We have to teach at Ryuu's workplace to be able to get anything done at all." Ryuu and Ais had no skin in this race, so they simply kept quiet. There was some red that could be spotted from Ryuu's face for some reason. Is she embarrassed at her workplace being exposed?

That doesn't quite make sense given her past in Orario, but maybe it's different now for some reason.

Yukinoshita wasn't budging. "Then we'll simply expand it from an one-on-one tutoring session. That's what I had in mind anyway. We'll make it a studying group involving everyone in this room. Hikigaya and I can be the main source of authority when it comes to offering help. If memory serves, Yuigahama also needs dramatic help with her studies."

All eyes turned to her. "What? That's not very nice, Yukinon! I try my best, but it's hard to remember everything," Yuigahama said, looking a little hurt from Yukinoshita's criticism, "You're making it sound like I'm stupid."

I might as well submit to Yukinoshita's idea. She's not going to let up, already making plans like this. "You are stupid, Yuigahama. That's not to say you can't improve, but there's some work to be done," I said, rising from my seat and grabbing my bag, "We should get going then. Are you good with a study group tonight, Kawasaki-san?"

Ignoring the "Eh, you too?!" from Yuigahama, Kawasaki responded saying, "That works for me. I don't expect to be the top of the class, but getting an improvement from where I'm at would help greatly."

"Good luck," Ais offered, speaking for the first time in a little while. Those words were filled with a lot of sincerity though, so at least she made her few words count. At it, the apparently named Kawasaki gave a kindred nod. I guess she found a small sense of friendship with her fellow stoic?

"Fine then," Ryuu said, "I guess I'll go into work a little earlier than usual then."

"Stupid Hikki," Yuigahama said, a little dejected from being ignored.

(-)

"Welcome! Ah, it's Ryuu-chan. You're here early." Shio-san said, surprised.

"We're going to do a study group here if you don't mind Shio-san. Ryuu will be ready for work if you need her shortly, but I want to get her started on some problem exercises," I spoke up.

"Ah, is that so? Well, you can come in at any time, Ryuu-chan. Business is picking up tonight. There have been lots of big groups coming in!" Shio-san said, animatedly.

"I'll be there shortly, rest assured," Ryuu said. We moved over to our seats. The 6 of us fit 3 on each side of a booth, so it shouldn't be too tight of a squeeze to all get together.

"It's very impressive that you're working all the time. It makes you seem so mature, Lion-chan," Yuigahama said, getting more familiar with her.

"It's nothing special. Don't a lot of highschoolers nowadays work," Ryuu asked.

"Yeah, but a lot of places ask for higher qualified workers even if they accept part time students," Kawasaki said, "Trust me, I was going to save up some money while working, but a lot of places were too hard to do if I wanted to keep my grades up."

"Right then," Yukinoshita said, coughing to draw attention to her, "Let's cover the basics before going into a deep dive."

Handing out some pre-prepared flashcards for Ryuu, I told her the things she needed to work on plus a few things to think about in the future. She seemed to understand what she needed to work on and left to get her shift started. While she was leaving to go get changed into her outfit, I felt lots of eyes on me when my attention turned back towards the table.

"Woah, Hikki, you were super prepared, huh. That surprised me," Yuigahama said.

Ais tilted her head, "Hachiman has been doing these things for us since we started getting tutored. Before… Before that even..." she ended with a mutter. "Is that strange?"

"Very strange. Hikigaya doesn't seem like the type of guy to put so much work into something like tutoring."

Hey, hey, I don't appreciate this slander! Just because you're right about me, doesn't mean there are exceptions to the rule! "Some things you have to put in a little more effort to save on later," I said.

"Ah, so that's the type of person you're like. Somehow, I'm not surprised," Kawasaki said. Hey, is this a dig at my appearance? Fair enough, but I'm demoting you to Kawa-something in my head for this hurtful insult. "Anyway, shouldn't we get started? I don't wanna be out too late. I have siblings at home I need to look after."

"Alright, we'll start with each person's weakest subject and we'll go from there. Hikigaya and I will be here looking over our own notes and we'll offer assistance when you need it. Is that ok with you all?" Everyone agreed and got out their notebooks.

Throughout the course of the study session, having Ais sitting next to me definitely kept her with me in terms of asking me for help. Yuigahama would alternate between Yukinoshita and myself as would Kawa-something. Initially, there seemed to be some awkwardness with asking for help and then the exchange of finding the answer to their problems but once things got going, it seemed like a system was established.

It seemed like Kawasaki's academic level was around an average student's, with some deficiencies in math (Just for being my comrade in math haters, I've promoted her to Kawasaki) and Science. Since I've struggled in math before, I let Kawasaki in on a few tricks that my advanced mental capabilities have cooked up. Yukinoshita handled science for her while we both tag-teamed her other subjects.

Yuigahama was just a slacker all the way around. A good brush up and work into keeping with studying will greatly improve her grades.

Ais was a simple matter of bringing her up another level of knowledge. She's gathered some life skills for school, but lacks the pieces to line them all up. Thankfully, I had prepared exercises for her to go through and fill out, so I didn't have to reveal too much of her lacking knowledge. Doing that would've drawn suspicion.

It wasn't long though before Ryuu came over to me with a problem.

(-)

"Please," Shio-san said, bowing wide to me. We were both in the back of the restaurant. Ryuu had told me that Shio-san had asked for me. "We're understaffed right now. I don't want Ryuu to be overwhelmed even if she's as skillful as she is, so I need someone to also be a server."

"How did this happen? Don't you have other staff here to use?" I asked.

"All our other staff left before this huge wave started. They're off for the night. We simply weren't expecting all these big groups. Even if the restaurant can hold them, we can't serve them fast!"

Sighing, I said, "I'll help, but I gotta fill the others in. I'm going to be largely occupied after all." If I don't help, then Ryuu won't have any free time to look over her exercises.

Going back over to them, I laid down the news.

"Hmm, that won't be largely an issue since they can go to me for help, but the burden of serving shouldn't just be on you, Hikigaya." Gesturing to herself, she elaborated, "I'll switch off with you at some times, so you can tutor them yourself. As Service Club President, I have to do this much."

Scratching the back of my head, I could only respond with, "You don't have to, but sure." Gesturing to Ais, I said, "You can look over your exercises probably by yourself, but if you do need help, Yukinoshita will be here."

Turning to go back, I walked up to Shio-san and affirmed that I was ready to help get some work off of Ryuu and Yukinoshita's part to play.

"Lovely. Now change into this," she said, holding up an outfit. Oh no.

(-)

Yuigahama

I-Is that Hikki in a butler outfit?

I know he said that he was requested to help the restaurant as staff but I wasn't expecting that! He looks too cool! The sleek design of the outfit seems perfectly fitted around Hikki's body. In fact, it might be hard to tell, but his form almost seems to be muscular.

I swallowed a sudden great amount of saliva at the idea...

"Hmm, that uniform suits Hachiman," Ais said. It seems like whenever it comes to Hikki she likes to talk more.

I wasn't inclined to disagree with Ais though. "Hehe, this might be fun to tease Hikki about later."

Yukinon chimed in as well, adding, "Hikigaya is certainly out of his element here. I wonder, given how unusually willing to work Hikigaya is nowadays, how he's going to handle this."

"Who knows? Maybe Hikigaya actually is more amazing than you give him credit for," Kawasaki said. Does she know something!

"Perhaps," Yukinon conceded, "Anyway, we should probably keep up studying instead of being distracted by Hikigaya's new uniform."

Oops. It looks like Yukinon noticed my staring. I better keep it more subtle.

Now to get back to more, ugh,studying.

Over the course of the studying, however, I kept an eye on Hikigaya. He seemed to effortlessly take customer's orders and report back only to carry a lot of dishes towards the tables. He had almost as skill as Lion-chan had at it and she seemed to be a pro!

Sigh, I wonder if Hikigaya remembers me from when he saved Sablé. He certainly made an impression on me when he did that. From there on, I just grew to learn more about him and get more interested in him.

Because the thing is, underneath his jerky facade, is a guy that is kinder than he knows.

He seems to have changed so much though already. He's almost more mature nowadays, but it's not like he suddenly grew dramatically older! Also, it's a wonder how he came to know Ais-chan and Lion-chan. They also seem to be really attached to him.

Hmmmmm, I wonder if I can afford to wait to get to know Hikigaya more.

Wah, where did my mind wander to! Back to studying Yui! Yukinon is giving me her time to help me with my studies and I should make the most of it!

Seemingly only after a short while, Yukinon rose from her seat and said, "It's time for me to switch with Hikigaya. Don't fall too behind under his guidance." Pfft, Yukinon certainly has a good relationship with Hikki.

A short time later, Hikki, in full butler outfit, sat down and said, "Alright, it's time to pick up where Yukinoshita left off."

Uwah, Hikki up close is really stimulating for me. This… might be hard to pay attention to.

"What are you staring at Yuigahama? You aren't going to get better grades that way," Hikki said, snapping me out of my Hikki-daze.

"Right, I guess I'm just not used to seeing you all dressed up," I said, trying to downplay it.

"Well, don't," Hikki responded, "This getup is tight, hot, and drawing attention, three things I'm not fond of."

"You sure?" Ais-chan said. She seemed to enjoy the suit on Hikki as well.

"I'm sure. I'm only doing this to help Ryuu out after all," Hikki said, firmly. What a shame.

"Let's get down to business. If I don't get started quick enough, Yukinoshita is going to get out here and start glaring at me."

"Really? Something tells me that you're afraid of her," Kawasaki-chan said.

"I think if you're a normal human being, you have a healthy fear of her," Hikki snarked. At that comment, Kawasaki-chan let out an unexpected cute laugh at that.

It was actually really cute…

"Huh, hey! What're you guys staring at? Let's get back to studying. I still have Japanese Literature to brush up on!"

"Hmm, maybe if I joke about Yukinoshita more, I can get Kawasaki to laugh again," Hikki muttered audibly.

"T-that's not going to work!" Kawasaki-chan said with some red on her face. "Grr, it was a mistake to laugh. That won't happen again," she murmured.

"Ahhh, but it was a cute laugh. That's a shame," I said, trying to cheer her up.

"Agreed. You should laugh more," Ais added.

Kawasaki-chan was having none of it as she huffed and got right into her notebook. Ais and I went to it as well. Hikki jumping in any time one of us asked for help was a real lifesaver. Kawasaki-chan didn't ask for much help though. She must still be embarrassed.

We did see Yukinon working and she was adorable as can be. She has this sophistication to her while wearing something that I don't think she'd wear unless it was necessary. She's still very cute though.

"Yukinon!" I called out to her, "Come here, I want to get a picture with you! Hikki, you join in!"

She wasn't handing out plates at that moment, so I thought it'd be the perfect moment, but she ignored me.

"She's working hard right now and probably didn't hear you," Hikki consoled me, "Yukinoshita seems like the type of person to get wrapped up in whatever she's doing. Try again when she switches with me. Although, if you try to get her to take a picture with me, I don't think your attempt is going to work out."

Ah, that sounds like her. Except for the part about Yukinon not wanting a picture with HikkI! "Fine then. Let's get a picture of just us right now!"

"Eh? Maybe if you can solve this problem," he showed me his notebook which had written scenarios from the book.

"U-uh. I'll try my best!" Even if I don't solve it, I know I can persuade Hikki to give me a picture!

(-)

Ais

Something wasn't right. Maybe it's because I grasped swordsmanship so quickly and my magic, but studying is different.

It's way harder for me.

It almost feels like I'm making no progress and even the progress I do make is inconsequential.

It's not as if I'm not motivated to do it, but this large amount of knowledge I need to possess seems out of my reach. Maybe I'll get better through doing it more?

No, I know that's not true. I've been studying almost every day with Hachiman and I'm only at this level… Why?

Hachiman doesn't think anything is wrong about my progress for some reason, but I am feeling this way because I know I should be able to do better. This.. anger is hard to deal with. Hmm, maybe, sparring will help? That's what we did when I used to get frustrated with getting stronger.

Yes, we haven't sparred ever since coming here. We used to do it so regularly that I grew accustomed to waking up and doing it with Hachiman.

I'll ask him...

(-)

Hachiman

It took a lot of work, but I think this first session was very productive. Yuigahama certainly brushed back up on her neglected subjects despite being partially distracted by this outfit. How she got me to take a picture with her and I I'll never know. Kawasaki seems satisfied with her improvement, and Ais did well. Ryuu, on the other hand, is mentally and physically exhausted, even at her level. Ok, maybe not exactly at her level.

Ais did request privately something of me that I'll have to address tonight. I haven't exactly prepared myself for it in a while, but I think this is imperative. But first, I need to get out of this butler outfit.

Walking into the backroom, I opened the door to see the figure of Yukinoshita changing out of her maid outfit and was now in bra and pan-

I shut the door immediately. No, I'm not going to deal with this rom-com development.

Maybe she didn't notice… I doubt it. I'll wait to change later.

"Thank you very much for your hard work!" Shio-san said, approaching me from the counter. "I can compensate you and your friend for the work you did tonight.

"That's not necessary. You can ask Yukinoshita, but I'm sure she'll refuse. Also, I was doing this of my own benefit. As for thanking me for my work, you should really thank Yukinoshita, I think," I said, deflecting, "Another maid probably did a lot more than a butler."

"I don't know about that," said a smiley Shio-san, dropping the payment point, "I think the regular female customers were happy to get some male fanservice."

"I doubt it," I said. And what am I, the entire novel?

"You should recognize your own strengths," Shio-san disagreed.

I had nothing to say. Thankfully, Ryuu coming in interrupted any more badgering from Shio-san.

"I'm glad more help was out there, even if I could handle it on my own," Ryuu said, not having changed out of her outfit.

"Hmm, maybe, but you wouldn't have time to look over your notes, which remind me, did you?"

"... Yes, you were very helpful. I feel like I learned a lot. Thank you," she muttered out quickly. It's safe to say from her diverted eyes and red face she's embarrassed to admit it.

"You're welcome," I said, stretching as much as I can in this tight suit. "Anyway, I think most of us are about to head out of here soon unless something comes up."

"Haha, even if you all don't order stuff throughout your little study sessions, I'm glad to get some teenagers in here, freely advertising by being next to the window!" Shio-san said.

"Ah, what a practical way of looking at things. As expected from a maid cafe store owner," I said matter of factly.

"That's how Shio-san is. She also instructed me on some extra maid techniques to get customers to buy more. New techniques." Ryuu admitted.

"New techniques?" I asked. "That's rather impressive, but something tells me at the same time cutthroat."

"Oh, nothing like you're imagining! You two are so serious!" Shio-san said.

Before Shio-san could elaborate, she was interrupted by Yukinoshita coming out of the backroom. Unfortunately, this could spell my end. Maybe I can sneak around?

I tried to walk past her only to be blocked by Yukinoshita's body blocking the way.

"Excuse me, Yukinoshita, I'm trying to change out of these clothes. They're rather uncomfortable." I said, trying to be respectful. She may not be able to hurt me physically, but I want to keep my mental capabilities in tact!

"Yes, I'm sure the butler outfit is as uncomfortable as the maid outfit, however, that shouldn't allow for some hasty door opening to happen now does it?" Yukinoshita said this all without a glare but with a straight face. The only hint at anything amiss was her words and the small bits of red on her cheeks.

Deciding to get right to the point, I bowed and said, "That was an accident. I'm sorry, but I don't wish to die from your wrath today."

"Hmm. It's no matter," she said, turning her head away from me, "But after you change out of that outfit, you're going shopping with me."

Bleh, this little game of conditions for forgiveness. I've had to do this hundreds of times. "Can we do it tomorrow? It's getting a little late. Also, what exactly is the occasion?"

Yukinoshita seemed a little distracted by that question and brushed me off saying, "Fine, tomorrow. You'll know later why we're shopping. Now go on."

And so I complied, going to the backroom and finally getting this outfit off.

I did have something to address afterwards though. That is, Ais' request.

(-)

"So, you told me you felt like you needed to blow off some steam?" I said while situated in an uninhabited forest. Getting here unnoticed was a pain, but was definitely necessary.

Having to spar at this time, a little late into the night just after the study session was hard to deal with, but seemingly necessary. When Ais made the request, her eyes were clouded with something. Hopefully, I'll be able to clear them once this is over.

Thankfully, this forest didn't have anyone around. We'd have to not go all out, but we should be able to have her calm down.

"Yes. I don't feel like I'm making enough progress. I wanted to get calmer through sparring, just like back in Orario," Ais said. Ah, so like back then. I definitely disagree with her lack of progress considering she's gotten to around a middle school level in an astronomically short time compared to where she was at. She was only taught the bare minimum as an adventurer and isn't even used to the lifestyle here.

I guess I'll have to beat that into her. Weapons were a need for us to fight with though. Ais and I know some hand-to-hand fighting, but Ais is most comfortable with a sword.

Thankfully, there was a shop that I could stop by for wooden swords. It'll suffice for this purpose, but no doubt they're going to be unusable afterwards.

"Let's get started then," I said and from the moment those words left my mouth, Ais jumped into action.

Squaring off against my sword almost immediately, Ais challenged my reaction time. Ais is still held back in her swordsmanship by her preference in dealing with monsters, but she's still an excellent swordswoman.

But I'm no slouch either.

Pushing her off with a kick, I was on the offensive with a flash of slashes that Ais was struggling to defend against. I had to be careful though because Ais doesn't defend for long. Usually she-

Ais parried my sword and got in closer to my area, armed to do a finisher. Even a spar with Ais is going to be intense. With quick thinking, I grabbed her sword blade first and threw it and her away. Ais recovered and faced me down, her sword raring to try and cut me again.

-goes in for the kill! I can't think fast enough! The time for methodical thinking is over. Time to kick things up a notch. "You can use stronger hits and magic. Just don't go too much stronger. You wanna get the most out of these swords!"

At my command, Ais was flying. Ariel was one of her main methods of offense and using that for her movement definitely makes the most out of her skills. However, I had a bit of skill with countering it. You see, even if she flies in this dark forest, I can always see her.

Swinging my sword upwards, I met Ais' sword. Ais wasn't surprised by this, but instead continued her assault from all around me. I parried each attack.

That in and of itself wasn't hard, but there was another factor I needed to keep in mind.

My sword's durability.

While these were finely made wooden swords (they better be. I paid good money for them), the force we're putting into these weapons can break them very easily if we don't scale back like we're already doing.

So, with each parry, Ais was chipping away at my sword's durability and hers. Her hitting mine though has given her an edge.

With another parry, I quickly formulated a plan.

Y'see, while I was in Orario, I had a little bit of my chuuni self come out in some ways. Not intentionally, but it was just something I couldn't help but pick up. I've been told my eyes change when I'm in combat.

No, I do not have an ambition to kill a certain person.

Deflecting another slash from around, I let magic flow through my right arm and out my palm.

Rapid Flashing! With the chant in mind, the magic granted by this chant was released. And that magic is a lightning based one.

Just a spark, a mini-lightning bolt with a reduced amount of electric magic flowing through it, pierced through the sky as it went the direction I shot it. With my ability to sense her coming, I knew where she was approaching and that there was little time to dodge while she was moving like that.

However, Ais could handle my magic.

Quickly situating the sword in between her and the lightning, her Ariel gathered around her body, protecting her. She uses that quite often, Lil Rafaga, I think is the technique's name.

My magic didn't simply get reflected by her shield though. My target wasn't exactly her after all, but rather something else.

Getting on to her feet, Ais recognized the end of the spar with two words, "Ah, it broke." My magic only pierced through her defenses enough to get at the brittle sword.

It's a good thing that it did too because I'm rusty. This was a good spar for both of us.

"Are you satisfied for now?" I asked Ais.

Tilting her head, she said, "Yes, for now. Maybe more later?"

"Perhaps. Keeping our skills sharp will remind us of what we left behind and remember the experiences we had, but we can't really use our skills to their fullest potential here, a double edged sword."

"It also let me… gain perspective on my progress," Ais said, "Thank you."

Waving her off, we took off back to the homes of Chiba. And yes, tonight I didn't have to rely on Hiratsuka-sensei to bring Ais back because Ais is now capable of entering the apartment on her own, Relative to my house, it's too far to walk normally, but if I text Hiratsuka-sensei that she went there earlier then there's nothing to be suspicious about.

I'm very glad for this day to be over, however, tomorrow I have to go shopping with Yukinoshita of all people. I wonder why.

(-)

Well, I guess a Saturday with Yukinoshita isn't the worst way to spend a Saturday. Also, surprisingly, Yukinoshita having my number wasn't that annoying. She was able to text me in the form of a formal letter the time and exact location I needed to be.

When I got to the meeting place, I thought I was pretty early though, but Yukinoshita was already there. Even 20 minutes early, I can't beat Yukinoshita, huh. I wonder what she was doing while waiting.

Her hair was done up in twintails. Red ribbons tied each end off, contrasting with the light blue garment over a white sundress. All in all she looked quite cute. I definitely wouldn't say that out loud though.

I didn't do much with my outfit. Just a gray shirt with black pants.

"Oh, you're here. Let's get started then." Yukinoshita said, not even commenting on the time.

"So why are we here so early on a Saturday? Also, you could've told me what we're here to do over text."

"Ah, well," Yukinoshita said, getting a little flustered over it, "It has come to my attention that Yuigahama's birthday is coming up, so I thought as friends we should pick out gifts for her."

"I didn't know we were that close to pick out a gift together," I deadpanned.

"We're not," she said firmly, "But admittedly, my sense of gifts is not the greatest, so I wish for your input."

"I'm not a girl nor do I really know what Yuigahama likes that—" the ice queen wannabe glared at me, not backing down from her request. I guess, I did peek at her… "Fine then. Where do you want to start first? A clothing store or a pet store?"

"I'm assuming you're accounting for Yuigahama's dog? That's a good thought. We should probably start at the clothing store first. It's closer and most of the options there are to Yuigahama's tastes." Yukinoshita explained.

So, we walked together over to it. And while I say "together", that means me following behind Yukinoshita. She is really motivated to buy Yuigahama something nice and her walking speed is too fast for this time in the morning.

Entering the store, I immediately understood what Yukinoshita meant when referring to Yuigahama's taste. In a word: pink. In another word: cutesy. There were lots of shirts, coats, scarves, and other apparel that Yuigahama probably would appreciate.

But it's all so expensive.

How can something that pink be that expensive? That was my only thought looking at a ghastly sports jacket. Not that Yuigahama would even like that one to begin with. I think something more like a sweater would work.

In fact, I found something that matched my thought process. A cozy pink sweater with various hearts on the front. Something most girls would like I think. There's no telling what Ryuu or Ais would like though.

"I think I found something," I called out to Yukinoshita. Even if this price was a tad higher than I would've liked, I didn't wanna spend all day looking for something. Not that I don't care what I'm buying as a gift for Yuigahama, but this fits her. There's also plenty of room in the sweater for her assets-

Returning my mind from the dirt, I realized that Yukinoshita hadn't responded to my call. A little looking around and I saw the cause. That is, cat apparel. There was a whole wall of cat hats, jackets, socks, you name it.

Yukinoshita was enamored with this wall. Maybe I can have some fun with this.

Picking out a pair of cat socks, I caught her attention and I said, "I think I found a present for both you and Yuigahama."

Yukinoshita was indignant though. "I'm not quite sure why you'd be buying a gift for me. I also don't know why you'd buy those socks for me as they lack simplicity."

They were quite busy with the design of the socks, but I knew she liked them. "Even if you don't wear them, I know you'd appreciate the design. You have an affinity for the snootiest house pet. As a cat owner, I can say with definitive expert opinion that you resemble a cat." I said.

Yukinoshita's face was a little embarrassed at that comment, but she wasn't going to back down from that comment. "How so? I don't have cat ears nor whiskers. How can I resemble a cat, Hiki-needs-eyes-checked-gaya?"

"For you, that's quite the weak insult." I said right off the bat. "You are like a cat in a way. You take care of yourself, and you don't like incomplete or dirty things. Also," I said with a finger pointed lazily towards her, "You're quite well-assured of yourself, Ms. I'm cute."

She huffed at that and walked past me. "I don't think I'm buying anything here. You can do what you want. We'll visit the next store after you finish your purchases."

Heh, I guess I threw her off. And while it's true Yukinoshita knows that she's cute, it'd probably be a falsehood that she's thinking about it all the time. It was a little jab at her. She's probably more worried about having her cat affinity discovered.

In any case, I had some things to buy. That, of course, includes cat socks.

My wallet can suffer for now.

(-)

Our next destination was the pet store, but we went around dozens of stores nearby anyway to see if we could get anything for Yuigahama. It mostly consisted of window shopping, but it was admittedly fun for what it was.

Yukinoshita was surprisingly thrifty for a rich girl. I assume that comes with perhaps having a sense for money and her own budget. From what I hear, she lives alone so her food expenses are probably managed by herself.

It makes sense that throughout all the "trendy clothing" stores, she'd be surprised by some article of clothing's cost. Fashion is weird, especially when it comes to brands.

There was one notable moment to be seen from a toy store as while none of the toys would really suit Yuigahama, Yukinoshita was again confronted by cats. These were kid-sized cat plushies that were really irresistible for her. So irresistible that she bought them herself. She didn't say a word to me about her decision to buy them though.

Upon entering the pet store, Yukinoshita made a beeline for the dog section, resisting the cat-lover inside of her.

"So, what exactly are you thinking of buying for her, a leash?" I asked.

"While surprisingly, not a bad present idea, I had a different idea in mind," she said, holding up a product.

"Ah, but that doesn't look like enough for a present. Are you going to get another thing to add to it?"

"Hmm, I guess so, but I'm having a hard time coming up with what," she admitted.

Looking around a little bit, my eye caught on to some of the side items. "Maybe that doggy apron would work for her. She certainly needs it," I said, thinking back to her cookies. I wonder if she's improved any since.

"I wonder why a pet store is selling clothes, but you're right that Yuigahama would probably appreciate it." And so, with nothing more to say, Yukinoshita bought her presents.

Walking to a fountain, our plan was to take a break and sit before going our separate ways.

Of course, it wasn't in silence, even for as awkward of a person Yukinoshita is.

"I'm surprised that you knew so much about what to buy Yuigahama. It's almost creepy that you know exactly what she'd like," she said.

"Hey, it's not like I'm thinking too hard about what to buy her. Yuigahama is just very simple. Is it hard to believe that I could see something cute that she would like instantly?"

"No, you're right. I just wonder if you have any experience with this sort of activity," she fished for information.

"Shopping for girls?" I questioned to which Yukinoshita nodded. "Not really to the extent I think that you're thinking. I have certainly given gifts before, to people like Ais and Ryuu, but their tastes are so wildly different from Yuigahama."

"Really?" Yukinoshita asked, astonished.

"Maybe I was exaggerating a little bit, but most of the items I bought were more utilitarian than cosmetic. Of course, whenever they were dressed up, they cleaned up well, so I might not be privy to their aesthetic decisions. Ryuu does make a maid dress work. You do as well though." It was not flattery in the slightest. Just a fact, like with her "I'm cute" situation.

"That somehow doesn't surprise me. Hikki-Insensitive-gaya doesn't seem like the type of guy to buy amazing presents," Yukinoshita said.

"Uh, I protest! I give amazing gifts! Ais and Ryuu were really appreciative of any gift I gave them for your information! Even Komachi likes my gifts!"

"Whose Komachi?" Yukinoshita asked.

"My sis-" I started before I was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Onii-chan? What're you doing here with a cute girl?"

"Komachi? What're you doing here?" I asked, looking over to find more than just Komachi.

"Hi," Ais said, waving to Yukinoshita.

"I wonder what you'd be doing here," Ryuu said with a hint of venom in her voice.

Ah, some explaining to do.

(-)

"Ah, so you're a part of onii-chan's club. That's good to know. If only someone had introduced me to all your clubmates!" Komachi said, not being so subtle with who that someone was.

"Ah, yes, And someone had failed to introduce me to their little sister. Vital information like that should not be kept out."

"Ah, so you wanted to know about Komachi?" Komachi said, referring to herself in the 3rd person. "What do you want to know?"

"Nothing too much," Yukinoshita admitted. "I just wanted to get to know Hikigaya's sister and find out just how he turned out the unfortunate way he is now. "Also, you look like you're quite different from him."

"She's the exact opposite of me, so she's amazing," I said. Sometimes I feel like I'm repeating myself, huh.

"Haha, aside from the silly things that Onii-chan is saying, "I'm in my final year of middle school and I'm the only person who can take care of my useless Onii-chan. He can be difficult, heehee."

Lightly tapping her on the head, I said, "Hey, you shouldn't be airing our family's dirty laundry. I do that enough, myself. Anyway, you didn't tell us what you were all doing here."

"Teehee," Komachi laughed, tapping herself on the head with her fist, "I decided to call them so that we could go shopping for new cute clothes! Since I had their numbers and you were out of the house, it was easy for me to do!"

"I'm not sure why I need new clothes, but I wasn't going to refuse your sister," Ryuu chimed in.

"Hmm, I was interested," Ais said.

Ah, so they wanted to know about my (in)famous sister. They've only heard the stories from me back in Orario. Prepare to be amazed by the bestest little sister ever!

Or not. It would be hard to glean her greatness in one afternoon, even for the perceptiveness of Ryuu.

"That's right, so I gathered them all together, and we're going to go on a big shopping screen," Komachi said, as bubbly as usual.

Letting out a yawn, I said, "Have fun. I'm going home. Yukinoshita and I were doing some important club stuff and since we're done, I'm going to nap."

"Oh no, you're not," Komachi said. "You're going to shop with us, Onii-chan. It's not like you're doing anything important."

"What? No! I planned on sleeping my Saturday away like I always do."

"Pleeeeaaaaase Onii-chan." Komachi said, batting her eyes.

"Uh, Fine then," I said, admittedly losing any will to leave with those eyes looking at me like that.

"And will you stick around as well, Yukino-chan?" Komachi asked, batting her eyes as Yukino.

Not used to the overfamiliarity that Komachi gave, Yukino was at a loss for words. "A-ah, alright then. If you don't mind, Hikigaya-san."

"Yay!" Komachi said, celebrating her victory. "Also, call me Komachi. With Onii-chan here, it'd be too tricky not naming one of us, haha!"

And once again, another person has been caught in the web of my almighty little sister's power. She might even be stronger than myself. That thought doesn't sit right with me… Maybe I'll train more and to do that I'll need...

Hey, does Ais need to blow off some steam again?

Omake: A Weird One Grabs My Hand.

If someone asked me to describe how I try to interact with customers, I'd tell them that I try to get them the most efficient business possible without compromising on time.

Being a waitress at Mama Mia's establishment comes with its fair share of problems, but if anyone could deal with the negative attention it gives, it would be me… after Mama Mia. I'd say that I handle things well and am a proficient maid.

However, it was that person that I met that made me think differently of my disposition.

One day, just like any other, an adventurer clad in dark clothing went alone into the shop. Of course, there's nothing too strange about that, there are always some lonely adventurers around this hour even if they're a part of a big guild.

So, I did my service as usual. "Sir, what'll you have this evening?" I said, acting as professional as I usually am which is very.

With a particular cadence, the figure gave his order that it seemed strange to leave it off like that. It seemed as if he was neither eating enough nor undereating. It just seemed inadequate, but I went ahead as it wasn't my job to question the orders customers give.

Passing along the order, I could overlook my friend and savior, Syr, somewhat interested in the adventurer I served. I don't know why she was looking at all, but maybe she sees something I don't.

She saw something in me, after all.

It was a short wait until his order was served. He seemed appreciative of the meal, muttering a weird phrase before digging into his meal.

There was something about his demeanor, his attitude about his surroundings, him that was strange to me, but there were a few other customers just like that, except more mysterious and powerful.

I thought nothing of it all. He was just another weird customer to me. Hmm, at least he's not loud and annoying like some guilds are. They're good for business and Mama Mia likes them, but they are way too wild to manage.

Thanks to the weird amount ordered, the adventurer was finished quickly, and so I notified him of the amount he has to pay and he pays in full and a little more. Strange, I'd think he'd be the thrifty type.

Coincidentally, this hesitation with verifying the amount paid triggered a domino effect of events to occur shortly.

"Is that enough," he asked, "I believe I paid the correct amount."

"Yes sir, but you gave a little more than needed," I said, not wanting to be dishonest. Maybe he made a mistake.

"That was the amount I wanted to spend. This high-quality place has my respect, so I think I should show that in how much I pay," he said. That is… unnecessary.

It was at that moment that with my mind occupied around this odd situation, I neglected thinking of my surroundings. A newly level 3 had been treated to a celebratory dinner and the drinking was in full swing. I was fully aware of this, but I had neglected keeping my attention on them.

This level 3, drunk out of his mind, wanted to show off with his large broadsword. With the lack of a stable mind to keep him footed, however, he instead was falling back… on me. All of this happened within seconds after I had talked to this odd customer. It was at that instant that I was about to be hit in an accident that even with my advanced skills, I can't avoid.

But something happened.

In a sensation I shan't forget, someone pulled me out of the danger by grabbing my hand. It was almost a foreign feeling in my hand to experience.

After saving me the adventurer said, "Keep your wits about you. You wouldn't want to get hurt from some drunk maniacs."

And with those words, he started to leave.

Don't let go of any man that's able to grab your hands.

I acted and I grabbed his hands, "Wait! Who are you?"

"Hmm? The adventurer made a questioning noise, "I don't see why that's exactly relevant. Maybe ask me next time I drop by." He said before taking off out of my reach.

Next time I drop by, huh. I'll be prepared for when that happens.

I eyed Syr who was talking up a customer like she usually does. She's always doing this to get adventurer gossip and usually I'm just confused why she would do it but… When thinking about that adventurer, I can't help but think that doing a similar thing would allow me to learn more about it. If I can fish for more information, maybe I can find out just who was the weird one who grabbed my hand.

I guess I should engage the adventurers more. Who knows who I'll meet in the Hostess of Fertility?