Kurumu let out a soft groan as she stretched her arms high over her head, tugging gently on her wrist. Her purse tumbled down to her side as the strap slipped to the base of her shoulder. The soft fabric of her bright pink sundress lifted with the swell of her bosom, causing the thin dress straps to go slack. Her strapless black bra peeked out when the hem shifted too low.
Her harmless act elevated Senyou's simmering desire while also catching the attention of Ichida and Ichiboku. The trio of boys walked ahead of her along this wide, bike trail which cut through the woods. Of the three, Ichida was the only one wearing his school uniform.
Ichiboku had on a white tee with the graphic of a spiky haired blond wearing an orange outfit and a blue bandana about his forehead with a silver design. Naruto was scrawled below the character's feet. Black cargo pants were held up by a woven, tan belt about his waist.
Senyou's eyes licked her up in a delightful way. A black tee with a white moon graced his torso while a rugged pair of jeans completed his ensemble. Kurumu exhaled, lowering her hands to fix up her hem. The strap of her purse crept back down to her elbow.
"Naughty girl."
Juri bumped up against her, smirking at her. The brunette had on a simple blue tee with white lettering printed across the slight swell of her bosom. A pair of black, skinny jeans hugged her hips and thighs.
"That dress is too loose."
"That's the first time it's done that."
Yukari snorted, walking leisurely on Kurumu's right. Having attended the Saturday meeting with Ichida, Yukari was dressed in her school blouse and skirt.
"It's the first time you've worn that."
"That pink looks very good with your hair."
Hazumi strolled behind them with Madosuki on her right. The gyokuto was sporting a cherry red polo and slim khakis. Having her black hair up in her usual horns, Madosuki had settled on a gray tee shirt with crimson lettering and black sleeves. Her tight, denim shorts would have to be surgically removed.
"Should I have left it down?"
"Definitely."
Taking Hazumi's advice, Kurumu pulled her lace ribbon out of her tresses. She could feel the tips of her locks brushing against her shoulders, hoping it would only be another two or three months before the illusion would not be needed. She stuffed her purple ribbon into her purse.
"I should get a dress."
Kurumu smirked at Juri.
"Don't you have one?"
"Outside of special occasions, none of my friends wear dresses. It didn't cross my mind to bring one."
"Maybe we could go shopping afterwards."
"I'm not spending my money before the cultural festival."
"My parents will give me some money for the festival. I'll save some for shopping after it's over."
Trailing behind everyone was Endo, the last of their group. The brunette was clothed in a baby blue, short sleeved, buttoned up blouse with a pleated collar. A pristine white, three tiered, pleated skirt brushed her calves.
"Anything in particular that you're hoping to buy?"
"Not really. But I haven't had an outing with Yukino and Moe since the start of the term. It would be nice to have some money to do something fun."
"How are things going in your poetry club?"
Endo laughed nervously, rubbing her temple.
"Not much to say. We haven't seen Mr. Kyuushutsu or Ms. Yukawa since the trouble he caused."
"Well Moka told me that he's going to spend his art elective in the disciplinary room for the rest of the year. Both teachers are unhappy with what he did."
Juri giggled, jostling her shoulder.
"What did he do?"
"Charmed a bunch of girls and some teachers. It's why we were late to class yesterday."
"You mean Thursday."
Kurumu nodded, having little sense of the time due to the training. At least that would be on hold until the Headmaster felt Tsukune was cleared. He wanted Tsukune to take Rubi's blood before continuing the training. With Tsukune and Lady Hineri out, the instructors had decided to not train tonight.
Through the thinning forest, Kurumu noticed the five story hospital which stood on the outskirts of Mononoke. She fished her phone out of her purse, checking the time before dropping it back inside. It was already twenty after two.
"I hope Ms. Hitori doesn't mind us being late."
Juri snickered, shaking her head.
"You two are hopelessly addicted to that game."
"We had to finish the quest today. There won't be time to play DND during the cultural festival."
"You're lucky that we didn't leave without you."
Juri giggled at Madosuki's remark, shaking her head.
"These two would have been lost if there had been nobody to meet with them at the dining hall."
Yukari huffed indignantly.
"I would have deduced that the group had left on time."
Kurumu smiled softly as they neared the end of the woods. They had acquired their level five powers right before the final boss of their quest which had come in handy. She had to revive one of the story characters in order for them to get paid for all of their hard work.
"I wonder when we'll get to interact with the other girls' group."
"She has to make us a new quest and the others have to finish their adventure. It might be weeks before we play again."
Kurumu regarded the hospital as they exited the forest, thinking about how often they had ended up in there. Hopefully their inevitable encounter with Yoshii would not require another hospital visit.
"I hope it doesn't cost too much to make our maid outfits."
"And I'm of the opinion that we should try to get by with as few outfits as possible."
Kurumu pouted at Ichida's remark.
"I think all of the girls would like to keep their maid outfits."
"Speak for yourself, Kurumu."
"You don't want yours?"
Juri waved her hand dismissively.
"When would I ever wear it again?"
"I'm not opposed to sharing outfits if we can make that work."
Madosuki huffed at Hazumi's comment.
"I'm not sharing an outfit with the boys."
"Well that's going to be a problem."
Kurumu frowned at Ichida. A bike rack flanked the path to the hospital entrance on her left. Another paved path cut down the right, disappearing through a row of trees before it ended in a parking lot.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know about these two, but I'm not particularly interested in keeping a memento of this occasion. And if none of the girls want to share outfits with us, we can't be working the same shift."
Senyou snapped his finger, nodding.
"That's right. But I'm still needing that morning shift. There's no way I'm going to be dressed up like a maid during the peak hours."
"I don't want to be a maid when it's busy either."
"I guess if you want to keep a maid outfit, you could work the morning shift with Mr. Senyou."
Ichiboku grimaced as they passed by the hospital, approaching the first buildings of the town.
"I'd rather not keep it. Can't we donate it or something?"
"And I'd rather not waste money on outfits we plan to donate. I'm working the kitchen in the afternoons so I would have to take the evening shift. One of you girls need to take my morning shift."
Juri sighed heavily, shaking her head.
"Well I can't do the mornings."
"I can't either."
"Me too."
Senyou snickered at the three girls refusing the morning shift.
"It's not like I bite."
"And it is one less shift. I'm frankly surprised."
"My track seniors specifically requested a morning slot on the stage for Ms. Horie's sake. As she is the valedictorian, I believe that out slot is guaranteed."
"I don't know if ours is guaranteed, but our seniors also requested a morning slot on the stage."
"Your archery club is doing a play?"
Juri shook her head at Senyou's question.
"More like a bunch of skits and comedy routines. We've banded together with the Greetings club to help them have enough material for a whole slot."
"Why the Greetings Club?"
"One of my seniors is close friends with their club president."
This was not the first pairing Kurumu had learned about that had been made to help a club justify the use of the stage for a whole ninety minute slot. When talking about how their club was joining with the cheerleaders, Hotaru had told her about the dance club recruiting the swimming club to help them put on the ballet. The cheerleader seniors had refused to work with Akiramochi, the dance club president.
"So what's your issue with mornings, Ms. Endo?"
"Oh. Well… the literature and poetry clubs always do readings for the cultural festival. I understood that we've always been given morning stage slots so I doubt I can work a morning shift."
"Do you want your own maid outfit?"
"I don't have a problem sharing one."
"Would you share one with Mr. Ichiboku?"
"I'd prefer sharing with other girls."
Ichiboku sighed heavily.
"I guess I could take the afternoon shift. Then the three guys could share one."
"Thank you, Mr. Ichiboku. We should be allocating most of our funds to the product we are selling."
"Hold up! Juri and Yukari are covering the afternoon shift with me."
"And I agree that our sales would be best if we keep you on the afternoon shift. I am simply trying to save us the costs of an additional maid outfit that nobody plans to keep."
Senyou snickered, shaking his head.
"No way around making at least four. None of these girls could share with Ms. Sendou."
Yukari huffed as they arrived at the first intersection of the town. The group turned left, heading towards a gated complex of apartment buildings.
"I intend to keep mine."
"It's not like anything on our menu is expensive."
Kurumu grinned at Madosuki.
"Are you wanting to keep yours?"
"It depends."
"On if Mr. Tawamuru likes it."
Madosuki blushed, wagging a finger at Hazumi.
"On if I like the way it looks!"
"What about you, Hazumi? Do you want to keep a maid outfit?"
Hazumi regarded Kurumu as they passed through the primary gate of the compound.
"I was thinking I should share an outfit with you since we're working different shifts. I'll keep it if you don't want it."
Kurumu mulled that over as she followed the boys across the courtyard between these eight identical apartment buildings. Each single story structure was built from bricks and had black iron fences dividing the tiny front yards of each apartment. Brick pillars flanked the gate of each individual apartment, each mounted with a white intercom and a silver relief which displayed the number of the unit.
"If we have enough money, we can make more than four."
"You don't need a third maid outfit."
"But it would be a fond memory of my first cultural festival at Yokai Academy."
They walked a short while in silence, heading for the last building on the right. Kurumu recalled the last time she had been in this complex. It had been the day she had visited Ms. Kagome and Ms. Sasayaki at their apartment. The day Ms. Kagome had announced her resignation.
"Ichida. Are you busy tomorrow?"
"Don't you have enough boyfriends?"
Kurumu pouted at Juri's impish grin.
"I'm not asking him out."
"I am free. I did blow off a tennis meet to be here."
Kurumu smirked, aware that Nagisa had done the same.
"Could you and Mr. Noboru meet me at the chapel behind the guys' dorm at nine?"
"Will a certain harpy be in your company?"
"Maybe. But I will have someone else whom is interested in him."
They came to a stop at the gate with the number 501.
"I'll ask Mr. Noboru if he's interested."
"We usually fly Sunday mornings so dress accordingly."
Ichida chuckled, pressing the button on the intercom.
"I'll keep that in mind."
The intercom crackled with static.
"You're about a half hour late."
There was a loud buzz and the magnetic seal on the gate released. Senyou tugged it open, gesturing for everyone to go. They made their way across the short path which cut through the tiny yard. Ichiboku stepped up onto the small porch in front of the door a second before it opened.
It was different seeing Ms. Hitori wearing a simple sundress. The pixie haired instructor had left her tresses in the back unbound to spill across that yellow garment like liquid fire.
"Leave your shoes here and head into the living room."
Ichiboku and Ichida stepped through first, both boys bending over to remove their shoes. Ichida had on his school loafers while Ichiboku had a pair of sneakers without laces. The guys stepped up from the genkan and continued down the short hallway.
Kurumu entered next with Yukari. While Yukari removed her school loafers, Kurumu unbuckled her shiny, black Mary Janes which she had worn without socks. Arranging her shoes neatly beside Yukari's, she stepped up onto the hallway floor and followed Yukari down the short passage.
The layout was identical to Sasayaki's apartment. The hallway emptied into a large living space with an opening on the left for a bedroom. A black leather couch faced an entertainment center which stood in the middle of the back wall. Matching armchairs were positioned on either side of the couch while a black glass table was placed in the middle of the floor between the couch and the entertainment center. A dark haired man was reclining in the armchair furthest from them, having pulled some lever on the side which lifted a bottom panel up to elevate his feet.
"Ah. The little witch. You look well."
Yukari frowned as she wandered over to the back of the couch where Ichida and Ichiboku were already waiting. Kurumu shrugged at Yukari's glance before placing a hand on Yukari's shoulder.
"Do I know you?"
The man was dressed in a silken black pajama shirt with long sleeves which buttoned up. A matching pair of sleep pants completed the ensemble. His almond shaped, dark eyes flashed golden for a moment.
"I believe you wanted to name me Quetzacoatl."
"What are you doing here?"
"Enjoying some time off."
Kurumu flinched from a tap on her shoulder. Juri giggled at her as Hazumi and Madosuki wandered over.
"Who's this guy?"
"The phoenix Huang summoned."
The man laughed, yanking on the lever to put the bottom panel back in its place. He hopped to his feet, bowing his head slightly to them.
"I am Huang. Founder of that whelp's family."
"Could you make some tea for our guests?"
Kurumu turned wide eyes as Ms. Hitori strolled into the room behind Senyou and Endo.
"You're living with him?"
"No. He is staying here until he feels like returning home."
Huang chuckled as he retreated to the kitchen which was arranged about the corner created by the hallway wall and the front of the apartment. The stove was the last feature at the end of the counters near the window in the middle of the wall facing the front yard.
"Or until we are successful with our duty to our race."
Ms. Hitori huffed, stalking over to the dining room table.
"That was unnecessary to add. I stopped by Ueda's Fabrics this morning to pick up a few fabric samples. Let me know which kind you would prefer to make your outfits with."
Ichiboku had claimed one of the armchairs while Hazumi, Endo and Madosuki took up most of the space on the couch. Not wanting to squeeze in with them, Kurumu wandered over to the cherry wood table as the instructor picked up two swaths of black fabric. Two more black squares rested upon the table.
"What's the difference?"
"Price. Durability. How it feels."
"We would prefer the cheapest."
Kurumu wagged a finger at Ichida's remark, picking up one of the squares of fabric as the teacher gave another to Juri.
"The boys want to share one outfit so we won't need as many."
"If the boys are all close in size, that shouldn't be a problem."
Senyou snickered as he stood up next to Ichida. The height difference between the boys had to be about the same as the difference between Tsukune and Ginei.
"We're not exactly the same height or build."
Kurumu grinned, rubbing the fabric between her fingers. It felt rather simple.
"Which fabric is this?"
"That's cotton. The cheapest option."
"Hand that one over to me."
Kurumu chuckled, grabbing the other square of fabric before returning to the back of the couch. She surrendered the cotton fabric to Ichida whom felt it for only a few seconds before giving it to Senyou.
"We don't have much of a budget and I'd rather spend most of that on food."
"How much did the committee approve?"
Yukari reached into the pocket of her jacket and pulled out a scrap of paper, presenting it to Ms. Hitori.
"They were willing to reimburse this much. Every café was given the same number."
The teacher glanced over the number before giving the paper back to Yukari.
"It's hard to say how many outfits you should make."
"Which is why I insist that we do as few as possible. We won't make more money with more costumes."
Kurumu pouted as she absently felt up the second square of fabric. It felt thicker and heavier.
"You're far too obsessed with making money."
"That is the point of this festival."
"No it's not."
"The money we make goes to funding club activities and our next cultural festival."
"I wonder if it could be used to fund a school trip."
Kurumu perked up at Yukari's remark.
"Could we do that?"
Ms. Hitori waved her hand dismissively while Senyou passed his fabric back to Hazumi.
"Monster schools don't do trips. Too much liability."
"But we want to do a school trip."
"What's a school trip?"
Juri giggled at Madosuki's frown, handing her fabric square over to Yukari.
"I've heard of those. Humans go with their classmates to places like Kyoto for a weekend."
"How funds are used is up to the next student council. But a school trip would at least need the blessing of the Headmaster. It might even require authorization by Fairy Tale."
"I'll ask my Grandfather to let us have one."
Kurumu smirked as Yukari gave her fabric square to Senyou.
"Aren't you getting ahead of yourself? We don't know if he'll be the next Headmaster."
"Is the Headmaster retiring?"
Ms. Hitori chuckled, giving the other square of fabric she had been holding this whole time to Juri.
"It's not official news, but he has been asked to step down at the end of this school year. He will likely remain as an advisor for the next Headmaster."
"This fabric is cool. What is it?"
Ms. Hitori gestured at the fabric Senyou presented to her.
"That's crushed velvet."
"Nice. Check this out."
Ichida frowned, taking the fabric from Senyou.
"It feels expensive."
Kurumu laughed, passing him the square she still had.
"And how does this one feel?"
He nodded thoughtfully as he compared the two squares of fabric. He gave her the crushed velvet.
"I think this one is more durable. What is it?"
"Linen. The oldest fabric known to mankind. It's the most durable of the samples. The last one that I passed out is silk."
Yukari nodded, feeling the silk square.
"Yea. This is nice."
"Which is the cheapest?"
Ms. Hitori chuckled as Ichida handed Senyou the linen square.
"The cotton followed by the linen. The silk is the most expensive, running about eight hundred yen for a meter of fabric that is a meter and a half wide."
"And how many of those would be needed to make one outfit?"
"That depends on what style you are going for. You might be able to get away with using only two meters for an entire outfit."
Kurumu gave the crushed velvet sample to Madosuki whom was feeling the cotton square.
"That doesn't sound too bad."
"Oh hell yes. I want the velvet."
"Hold on. How much is the cotton?"
"I'm not keeping a cotton outfit."
"The cotton would be four hundred in those dimensions. Both the linen and crushed velvet are around six with the linen being slightly cheaper."
Senyou snickered, handing off the linen square to Hazumi.
"This would be like wearing curtains."
Hazumi felt the fabric between her fingers, nodding.
"True. But it is the most durable."
"We don't need to worry about durability for something we're wearing only one weekend."
"This feels like my mother's lingerie."
Ichida smirked at Senyou.
"Why would you know what your mother's lingerie feels like?"
"I do laundry sometimes. Here."
Ichida chuckled, taking the fabric from Senyou. He rubbed it between his fingers.
"I don't think this is practical for an outfit we plan to be serving customers in."
"I'm fine with the velvet."
Ichida surrendered the silk fabric to Hazumi.
"Will there be an issue if the three of us wear the same outfit?"
"That depends on your third. Young man. Please come over her and stand beside these two."
Ichiboku had yet to touch a single piece of fabric. He got up from the armchair and quietly drifted over to stand beside Senyou. The height difference between him and Senyou was about the same as the one between Moka and Tsukune.
Ms. Hitori stepped back, crossing her arms below her bosom as she regarded the trio.
"Yes. It may be best to leave the outfits as two pieces."
"What do you mean?"
"We could have the top separate from the bottom. That would allow more versatility with the skirt. You could even do pleats, though that would require more fabric."
"Oh, this silk is nice."
Ichida laughed, shaking his head at Madosuki's comment.
"We're not doing the silk. And as far as I'm concerned, I don't care about the skirt. Whatever design is the easiest and least expensive."
"Will Ms. Kurono and I be able to wear the same outfit?"
"Stand next to her."
Hazumi hopped to her feet, coming around the couch to stand beside Kurumu. Hazumi was taller than Moka but not quite as tall as Tsukune. Ms. Hitori nodded thoughtfully.
"The skirt might look shorter on you than Ms. Kurono. Will you be fine with that?"
"If possible, I would like it to be regular skirt length."
"I'll take some measurements in a bit. As for the top, I can give it adjustable straps to accommodate the different bust sizes."
Hazumi blushed slightly.
"Straps? Are we having that kind of dress?"
"If you want cheap, you don't want a dress with sleeves. I can stitch some adjustable straps into the top from the inside so it won't be noticed."
"But I don't own a strapless bra."
Madosuki huffed, kneeling up on the couch to drape her arms over the top.
"So buy one."
"It's not easy to find something in my size."
"What size might that be?"
Hazumi stuck her tongue out at Senyou's snaggletooth grin.
"I'm fine with cheaper costumes. I don't care if my shoulders are bared."
"Easy for you to say, Mr. Ichida. It's tacky to wear an outfit with your bra straps showing."
"So don't wear a bra."
"I can't do that!"
As Senyou and Ichida chuckled, Ms. Hitori gestured at Ichida.
"You're the tallest. Should I size the skirt for your knees?"
"Wouldn't it be cheaper to size it for Mr. Ichiboku?"
"It won't save you that much money."
Ichida wagged a hand dismissively.
"I can always pick up some black leggings. Size it for him."
"You're going to wear leggings?"
"It's not unusual for guys in athletics to wear spandex, Ms. Kurono."
Senyou snickered, draping an arm around Ichiboku and tugging him in close.
"I'm thinking we should all get black leggings. I'm not shaving my legs for this."
"How many outfits are we planning to make here?"
"At least four. Maybe five. We still need two of these girls to take the morning shift."
"I'll do it!"
"But I wanted to work with you."
Madosuki huffed at Hazumi's pout.
"That can't be helped. Someone from our evening shift has to take a morning shift and both you and Ms. Endo can't work mornings. I have to take the morning shift."
"Well… we don't know if Ms. Endo has a morning performance."
"She can swap shifts with Ms. Morisato."
Ichida nodded at Madosuki's remark.
"And since Ms. Morisato can't work mornings, Ms. Sendou will have to be the third."
"Wait! The whole reason I wanted a maid café was to work with Yukari."
Yukari huffed, shaking her head.
"Don't worry. I can help with your shift. It's not like I'm sharing my outfit with anyone."
"Can we have white lace stitched along the hems?"
"We're trying to keep this cheap, Ms. Madosuki."
"If it's not cute, I'm not keeping one."
"We can get a meter of rolled lace for about six hundred yen. If we're only doing the top hem of the torso and the bottom hem of the skirt, we should be able to do at least two outfits a roll, if not three."
"I'll buy that myself."
Juri giggled, wandering over to Kurumu's side.
"Sounds like someone is wanting to keep hers."
"I think you should size the outfit I'm sharing with Ms. Kurono for her. I have black leggings I can wear if the skirt is too short. And I don't want a sleeveless maid outfit."
"But you can buy a strapless bra."
Hazumi frowned at Kurumu.
"I don't own anything else that requires me to get a strapless bra."
"Are there other girls wanting to share outfits?"
Juri and Endo both raised their hands. Ms. Hitori nodded, gesturing at the girls on the couch.
"You two come over to stand by Ms. Morisato."
Madosuki frowned, getting off the couch and following Endo over to Juri's side.
"What do you want from me?"
"The three of you are working different shifts. If you could share, it would save you outfits."
Juri was the smallest of the trio with Endo as the tallest. None of the girls were taller than Moka.
"I guess I don't mind sharing with other girls. Do you two not want one?"
Juri shrugged indifferently as Endo smiled nervously.
"I'd never have a reason to wear it again."
"I'd rather not have one."
"Suit yourselves. You have to make it cute. I want some flare to my outfit. Maybe a ruffled skirt."
"That would take more fabric. We want this to be cheap."
Madosuki wagged a finger at Ichida.
"We are only doing four outfits. We can afford to do a little embellishing. Could we do a hoop skirt?"
"That can be done but you have to buy the frames which would be inserted between two layers of fabric. It's easier to do than pleats. I might be able to finish two this weekend."
"A good thing we eliminated a few outfits. It sounds like you would have not been able to make a whole nine before the cultural festival began."
Ms. Hitori smirked at Ichida's remark, glancing at Kurumu.
"I had ways of getting more time. If you girls are ready, I can accompany you to the fabric store. I don't want you buying the wrong kind by mistake."
"Let's get going then."
As they all started walking for the hallway, Huang chuckled from the kitchen.
"Do I still have to make the tea?"
"Is this the place?"
Holding a bag which contained a pair of scissors, a small sewing kit and other sewing things Ms. Hitori had bought for her at Ueda's Fabrics, Kurumu shrugged at Senyou. He was pointing at the small shop on the corner of the upcoming intersection between the Clique and the theater. They were in the place Tokori had said it would be.
Uehara Industries owned this rundown, single story building on their left which came after the alleyway flanking Kogyo Diana. That weekend when she had seen Nana with Yukari the business had added a homemade banner pinned beneath their sign with the phrase 'We Like to Move It' between two raccoons, finally giving Kurumu an idea what services they provided.
The squat building on their right had to be vacant since all of the windows were boarded up. The next structure on the right was on the street corner and belonged to Hogo and Sons. The red brick portion of this building was single story and faced the intersection while a two story metal structure was attached to it further down that street. The business sold paint and provided interior decorating services.
"Ms. Unari is going to kill you."
Senyou snickered at Juri as they started walking by the corner buildings.
"I couldn't possibly go home knowing that you three were coming here."
The two buildings across the intersection looked about the same as Kurumu remembered them. The long, white brick structure on the right still had most of its windows boarded up. The two story building on the left with faded brown paneling had a central porch preceding a set of glass double doors, likely opening into a central lobby. Tokori had told her that their destination was a standalone building.
So that left only the one Senyou had indicated. While the stone remained a dingy gray, the boards from the windows had all been removed and the glass had been cleaned. Sadly these windows were smaller and elevated, making it difficult to see inside the store.
"Well we're not going to be here for long. Milady expects me to serve her dinner tonight."
They arrived at the intersection and Kurumu was mildly surprised with the change to the storefront. A fresh coat of bright white paint had been applied to the stone while the window frames had all been given a golden hue. A white canopy had been drawn over the steps of the porch, held up with steel posts secured to the ground with sandbags. A banner was drawn between the posts declaring the place was the Gates of Heaven.
"Yea. I think this is the place."
"I can't wait to see her face."
Senyou flashed a snaggletooth grin as he bounded over to the porch which was positioned in the center of this single store building. Kurumu took Yukari's hand as they approached the building.
"Do you have any plans for tonight?"
"I'm not eating dinner with you."
Kurumu managed a smile as they started up the steps.
"I wasn't planning to ask you. I was just curious."
"I can spend a night with Rubi. And I also have five more volumes of Full Metal Alchemist to read."
Kurumu smirked as Senyou opened the door for them, aware that Kokoa had only started on the fourth volume of Hellsing this morning. The frame and the handles for the double glass doors had also been painted in gold. Kurumu crossed the threshold, shivering from the sudden dip in temperature.
She immediately noticed the wall on her right which cut over to the far wall. Both of the walls had been painted the same bright white as the exterior. There was a black door on this right wall not far from a white topped counter. An old register rested on the end of this counter, pressed against the wall.
Chairs were lined up along the length of this wraparound counter. The frames of these metal chairs had been painted gold while the cushions were white. A blond haired man stood behind the counter, rubbing it with a white cloth. This man was dressed in a white dress shirt and black slacks.
The remaining interior of this café off to her left looked like it had been gutted. The concrete floor had been painted a glossy black which reflected the overhead lights dangling from golden painted cords. The structure above had all been painted white to match the walls.
"Greetings, my ladies. May I help you today?"
A blond with wavy, cornsilk tresses bowed to them. She was dressed in a pink, short sleeved dress which stopped at her knees. The garment was lined with white lace with an apron tied about her neck and waist to cover most of her front. White leggings covered every hint of her legs down to her shiny black loafers. Pink armlets lined with lace rested between her wrists and elbows.
"How much for a lap dance?"
The girl looked up at Senyou's snaggletooth grin with wide cyan eyes. She blushed, shaking her head.
"We don't provide such services, Sir."
Juri giggled, hopping beside the flustered girl whom had been hidden behind a podium flanking the entrance. The sprite was barely taller than this girl.
"Ignore him. We're here to visit and maybe get some snacks before we head back to campus."
The girl managed a smile, gesturing at the space behind her.
"Do you have a seating preference?"
Most of the barren space was littered with tables and chairs similar to the ones flanking the counter. The tables were like the chairs, having metallic frames which were painted gold while the tops were painted white. There were no booths, which had Kurumu wonder what the question was for.
"Does it matter?"
"Seat us close to the exit."
The maid smiled brightly, bowing to them once again.
"Of course. Follow me."
The lithe girl grabbed up a few menus from her podium before prancing over to the nearest table which had four chairs arranged about it. She placed the menus upon the table.
"Would you like anything to drink?"
Senyou snickered as he took the seat furthest from the door.
"Can we look at our menus first?"
"Yes. Of course."
Juri giggled, sitting down on Senyou's right while Yukari claimed the chair on his left. Kurumu settled on the chair across from him with her back to the entrance.
"I wonder if it's too late to add aprons."
The maid frowned as Senyou picked up his menu.
"Aprons? I don't think we sell aprons."
"He meant for our outfits. Our class is doing a maid café for the festival."
Her eyes lit up with a cute grin. The girl pulled an order booklet and pencil out of her apron's pouch.
"So is mine. Not a maid café, but a café."
Kurumu smiled, placing her purse and bag of goods on the table before picking up her menu.
"You must be Wanibuchi Bunii."
The girl shivered, clutching the booklet and pencil against her almost undetectable bosom.
"Yes. Though my name is Bunko."
"I'm Kurono Kurumu."
"I'm well aware of whom you and Ms. Sendou are."
"I'm Morisato Juri. We're all classmates with Ms. Unari. Is she busy?"
Yukari snorted.
"Does this place look busy?"
"It would suck if they sent her home."
Kurumu agreed with that. They had left Ms. Hitori's place around five so they had to be here before the end of Satsuki's shift at six. The sun would have set if it was after six.
"No. She's here. I can get her if you want."
"Could you also get Tokori?"
"Sure. I'll be right back."
The maid hopped away which caught the attention of the man behind the counter.
"Did you take their orders?"
"They're here for friends, Uncle."
The girl's tone caused the man to chuckle as she disappeared through the door.
"She seems like a sweet girl."
Kurumu grinned at Juri, nodding.
"I'm surprised that Tokori doesn't talk more about her."
"You could ask Kana about her. I recall that Ms. Wanibuchi is one of her chemistry lab partners."
"That's right. She's with my cousin and Ms. Kubo."
"What does your cousin think about her?"
"I wouldn't dare ask him stuff like that. He might say something creepy. I just tease him over being paired with a bunch of girls because he looks like one."
"Does he look like a girl?"
Juri smirked at Senyou, shaking her head.
"Not anymore. He got himself an ugly haircut last year so he would look more masculine."
"Now I'm wondering what this Ms. Kubo is like. I know she's from Moegara."
"Is Milady ready to order?"
Kurumu smirked at the sound of Tokori's voice. She turned a wide grin upon Tokori whom was holding an order booklet and pencil. The girl was sporting a pink, sleeveless blouse with a white peter pan collar which she had tucked in a black A-line skirt. The style of attire was the outfit for waitresses at Mix it Up.
"Oh? No maid outfit for you?"
"This is temporary."
"Where's Unari?"
"Mrs. Okada is showing her how to cook some of the desserts. She'll come after she cleans up."
Kurumu glanced over the menu. It was a single, laminated sheet which had items listed on both sides. The back was split up between desserts and beverages. The front was a mixture of things ranging from omurice to nikujaga.
"Anything we should be trying out?"
"As they will be closing after Ms. Unari's shift ends, I would recommend not ordering anything that requires a lot of work in the kitchen."
Yukari huffed, perusing the menu.
"I'm fine with just ordering drinks."
"We have to do more than that."
Senyou grinned at Juri's remark.
"Yea. We have to make the kitten work for her money."
Kurumu smiled as she glanced over the items on the back of the menu.
"I probably can only afford a drink."
"Oh. You can order taiyaki in a bag of six."
"For a thousand yen."
Senyou waved his hand dismissively at Juri.
"That's not bad. I'll order some green tea and the taiyaki to give Unari something to botch in the oven."
"Are you planning to share?"
Senyou chuckled at Kurumu.
"Sure. Since you're broke and Ms. Morisato was trying to save her money for the festival."
"That's cool of you. I'll just have a green tea then."
"I shall have the same, Ms. Meirowasa."
Kurumu glanced over the beverages when one caught her eye.
"You have yuzu tea?"
"Yea. Would you like that?"
"Sure. I didn't know that was a thing."
Tokori snorted, jotting things down on her writing pad.
"You must not do much shopping for flavored tea."
"I can't say that I have. Kokoa buys that stuff."
"You know. This place doesn't feel like a restaurant. You don't have the large windows facing the streets."
Tokori nodded at Juri's remark.
"This used to be an office that sold insurance. The company went bankrupt after the big fire. Bunii's uncle acquired the place a few years back and has been steadily reworking the interior."
"Will he be able to stay open like this?"
Tokori shrugged, glancing back at the man behind the counter.
"He bought the place outright so it's not like he's making payments on it. I'd guess that he's getting just enough customers to cover the costs of being open."
"The place is dead."
"It's not like he could handle a large crowd. He doesn't have a commercial kitchen in the back. He's got four stoves, three of which he salvaged from abandoned homes. The fourth is a new one that he only uses for desserts as he doesn't want to mix flavors."
"That sounds like a lot of stoves."
"Not really. We were pushed to our limits during the lunch hour."
"So this place does get busy."
"For about two or three hours."
"Does this place have bathrooms?"
Tokori laughed at Juri's inquiry. She pointed to the door by the counter.
"It has those, though he had to replace all of the fixtures. He did have plumbing work done to put in a big kitchen sink near the bathrooms. It would have been impossible to clean dishes without that."
The door opened and Satsuki emerged from the hallway beyond with Mikomi. While Mikomi was still dressed in her school uniform from the morning meeting, Satsuki was garbed in a baby blue maid outfit with the same white lace and apron.
"There's my lovely kitten. So adorable."
Satsuki scowled as she came up beside Tokori. She promptly crossed her arms below her bosom.
"Why did you bring this dog?"
"I already took their order. I'll run this to the back."
"Hold up a second."
Tokori paused at Kurumu's comment as Mikomi drifted over to the table beside Yukari.
"Is Sabaku meeting with you at the end of your shift?"
"As far as I know. But if he doesn't, all four of us will pay Fuwaki a visit."
"I hope that Ms. Arai and her mother are safe. I haven't spoken with them since father's funeral."
There was an uneasy moment of silence. Tokori stalked off.
"It will take about a half hour to make this. And don't try eating it right away. The filling is really hot."
Juri giggled as the girl disappeared into the hallway. The door closed on its own.
"You better not ask for some stupid charm."
"Charm?"
Mikomi laughed softly, covering her mouth.
"Yes. Customers often request for the girls to cast a spell on their orders to make it taste better."
"Does it cost anything?"
Satsuki huffed at Senyou's snaggletooth grin.
"It should. It's embarrassing."
"What exactly does this charm consist of?"
Mikomi smiled softly. She pressed her thumbs and index fingers together, holding it over her right breast. Her thumbs were pointed down with her fingers curled in to create the semblance of a heart.
"The girls do this and say a phrase. I had Bunii charm my tea when I stopped by."
"Why are you here, Ms. Sawayaka?"
"It is my birthday tomorrow, Ms. Sendou."
Kurumu gasped as Juri and Senyou murmured obligatory congratulations.
"I forgot all about that."
"Tokori's mother took the whole weekend off to throw a party for me. Apparently the house isn't ready for me and Ms. Naratoki was recruited to speed up the process."
"It's her birthday tomorrow too."
"Yes. And since I didn't want to deprive her of spending her birthday with her junior high friends, I'm celebrating mine tonight. We're having a sleepover."
Kurumu pouted at Satsuki.
"You could have told me about it."
"Don't look at me. The last time I was in Mononoke was Sunday."
"I imagine Kori didn't mention it because she was unsure if she could attend a sleepover herself. She has been training with the PSC every night for the past week."
Kurumu sighed, guessing that made sense.
"So you were at school this whole time?"
Mikomi laughed politely, nodding.
"We spent almost the entire day making props and rehearsing for our play."
Kurumu smiled, aware that they were doing Snow White with Mikomi as the lead. Makiba was the evil queen while Naratoki was the prince. Meisai was not too happy with her role as one of the dwarves.
"We came here after lunch to meet with Ms. Hitori. She's helping make our maid outfits."
Senyou snickered.
"Which will be skimpy since Mr. Ichida has no shame about being a cheapskate."
"The outfits are cheaper if you use less fabric. We're baring our shoulders and our midriffs."
Mikomi smiled warmly.
"Sounds scandalous, Ms. Sendou. I will have to pay your café a visit."
"Did you have lunch on campus?"
"I did. It's the first time I've ever had lunch at the dining hall."
Kurumu smirked, leaning back in her seat.
"You need to get used to eating with the peasants if you want to be a good student council president."
"Will you be running for that?"
"I intend to, Ms. Morisato."
"Ginei is seriously planning to run for it. He has Hajihachi as his running mate."
"His big plan is to promote funding a school trip."
"School trip?"
Yukari nodded at Mikomi's frown.
"A trip funded by the school usually to a major location like Kyoto. It's normally something the second years do. Once my Grandfather takes over as Headmaster, I'm certain that we will be able to have one."
"That does sound intriguing. I wonder if I could propose the same thing."
"Wouldn't that be stealing?"
"It's not unusual for candidates to promise the same thing. And I'm sure that his promise would be more geared towards funding a trip for his grade while my promise would be targeted for ours. While I don't know how much a school trip costs, I doubt that either of us could make this promise for both grades."
Kurumu nodded thoughtfully, seeing the logic in that.
"Whom do you have in mind to be your vice president?"
"I have yet to ask anyone, but it might be best to recruit an influential second year."
"Well you can rule Mr. Machida out. I heard a rumor that he plans to run for the student council president himself."
"I never considered the possibility of using him."
Kurumu smiled, thinking over the many second years that Mikomi could use.
"I interviewed Mr. Hosokoun and Mr. Akegawa recently."
"Both would be excellent choices but I'm trying to avoid the athletic clubs. I will certainly come back to those if my other options are exhausted."
"What other options do you have in mind?"
Mikomi favored Kurumu a wry grin.
"The top of my list is the young man you were flirting with this morning."
Kurumu blushed at the thought of Amesuki's brother. He had arrived a few minutes late to the meeting, electing to talk to her instead of running in with Yamashita. He had complimented her attire and she had joked about him likely preferring her naked. He avoided talking any further about her looks, though she had felt his desire. They had been harmlessly chatting about their likes when Mikomi had arrived.
"I was only being sociable."
"I'm aware of the rumors, Ms. Kurono. I also enjoy the company of Mr. Amesuki. He is intelligent, easy on the eyes and a dependable class manager despite his habit of tardiness."
Kurumu blushed deeper as Juri regarded her with an amused grin.
"It's not like he's popular."
"I wouldn't say he's not. He shares homeroom with Mr. Kyuushutsu and Mr. Miyamoto. While those two are certainly more notorious than Mr. Amesuki, I would never discount his influence."
"What other second years are on your radar?"
"The only other guy I've considered is Mr. Ishikure. I know from Ms. Katahara that he will not be taking over the computer club and that he is quite intelligent and dependable."
Yukari snorted, shaking her head.
"That guy is not remotely popular or influential."
"I was thinking to ask him to be my treasurer if I can secure a more suitable vice president."
"I'd go with Mr. Amesuki and have Kurumu as your secretary."
Kurumu hastily waved her hand at Juri's wide grin.
"I'm not cut out for student council."
"But it's a secretary position. It can't be much different than what you do in club."
Kurumu frowned at Senyou.
"That's not the point."
"Not to interrupt your fun, but I do have secretaries in mind as well as two other vice president options. I know it's unlikely but I simply have to try asking Ms. Okimune if she would run with me."
Kurumu snickered, shaking her head.
"If you get her on board, Ginei is sunk."
"I'm fully aware of that, though she actively avoids involvement in school politics. Which is why I have more hopes of getting Ms. Amatsu. Like Mr. Amesuki, her academics are top notch, she's a dependable class manager and she's gorgeous."
Juri grinned, wagging a finger while nodding.
"That's a solid choice too. Everybody loved Ms. Amatsu in junior high."
Kurumu heard the door open with the giggles of Bunii. The girl was holding a black tea kettle while Tokori approached with a tray laden with glasses.
"Looks like our tea has arrived."
"Unari. I'm going to need mine charmed for maximum flavor."
The eye roll Satsuki favored him had everyone in giggles.
"When you've finished with the dishes, you can start on my laundry."
Kurumu groaned as she scrubbed the last bowl in the sink. Dressed in the clingy maid outfit Kokoa had originally bought her, Kurumu was starting to think she should have stayed with Yukari and came up with some random excuse to ditch her duties.
"Why didn't you do your laundry? You've been home all day."
Kokoa huffed, flopping onto the couch beside Hikari. Both girls had already dressed down for bed before dinner. The vampire had on that satin nightgown with the floral sash tied about her waist to keep the garment closed. Hikari had changed into that baby blue tee with the white stars scattered all about the front. A pair of rich blue, cotton shorts graced her hips and thighs.
"I did no such thing. I went to the morning meeting and their afternoon practice for their play and their dance routine with the cheerleaders."
Nagisa strolled up to the back of the couch, tousling Kokoa's unbound locks. A pastel pink slip hung off the undine's slender frame, almost reaching her knees.
"You read comics while watching them."
"What else could I do?"
Ishiko was sprawled out on the bed, reading the first volume of Full Metal Alchemist which Yukari had left here this morning with the rest of the volumes she had completed. The gnome had on a brown, corduroy tank top and gray, cotton shorts. Her goggles dangled by the strap about her neck.
Hotaru clapped her hands, having finished pushing the table beneath the bed. The sylph was wearing her maid outfit and had helped Kurumu a little with making the meal. The girl had already ran a bath.
"Is Milady ready for her bath?"
"I need a few minutes. Help Kurumu for now."
Kurumu placed the last of the plates into the dishwasher as Hotaru bounded over.
"What assistance do you require?"
Kurumu snorted, closing up the dishwasher and spinning the dials to start it. She turned off the sink faucet and started drying her hands on her apron.
"I need somebody to do her laundry."
"Nope. My Hotaru isn't allowed to leave this room. Ask one of my other girls for help."
Hotaru giggled, cupping her own breast and squeezing.
"Milady wishes to have her way with me tonight."
"I'm drinking your blood, moron."
"Shall I strip down to not make a mess?"
"If the other girls don't mind."
Hikari pouted at Kokoa.
"I don't want to see her running around naked."
"Then I guess you won't be joining us in the bath."
"I didn't mean it like that."
"You could help Kurumu with the laundry she forgot to do."
Kurumu huffed, leaning against the counter.
"I haven't been home all day. And I have my own laundry to do."
"Either Hikari or Ishiko can help you. You should thank me for allowing that."
"Why not Nagisa?"
"Nagisa isn't dressed appropriately."
Kurumu smirked, pushing off the counter to saunter over to the other girls.
"What she has on is not much different than what I wore the whole day."
Nagisa grinned as Kurumu came up beside her.
"You can get away with that."
"You could too."
"If Nagisa wants to help you with my laundry, I'm fine with that."
"Oh no. I think we can let Hikari be the one to handle your lingerie."
Hikari blushed, glancing away.
"I guess that's fine with me."
"Well… what am I supposed to do?"
Kurumu chuckled at Hotaru.
"Maybe you could rehearse lines from your play?"
"As if. We barely have any lines."
Kurumu smirked, aware that Hikari and Hotaru were both soldiers in their reverse gender version of Mulan. It was amusing that Kokutan, the guy from the astronomy club on Tsukune's floor, would be playing a girl pretending to be a guy.
"Don't you guys have a song?"
"We're not doing a musical."
"I agree. Today was worse than going to school."
Kurumu and Nagisa giggled as a moment of silence fell over the group.
"So what have you done all day, Ishiko?"
Ishiko glanced up from the comic and shrugged.
"Nothing much. Helped homeroom with decorations."
Kurumu nodded, aware that Moka's homeroom had planned to meet up after lunch to do that. The vampire was spending the night with Michiko and Kiki in Baratoge.
"Sing a song for me."
Kurumu frowned at Kokoa's random demand, noting the other girls were equally confused.
"I want Hotaru to sing a song for me."
Hotaru laughed with a slight blush. She wandered over to the stacks of CDs the girls had left her for more than a week.
"What do you want me to sing?"
"I don't care."
"Are you guys singing the songs you're dancing to?"
"We can if we want, but the seniors aren't requiring it. They'll be playing the songs over the speakers, so it's not like we need the crowd to hear us botching the lyrics."
Kurumu smirked, mildly curious about this performance.
"What songs are you guys dancing to?"
Hotaru shrugged as she shuffled through CDs.
"I've heard of some of the songs but not that Wo Ai Ni by Monkey Typhoon. Never even heard of that band but Ms. Shiawase insisted that we do it."
"We're doing that Sakuranbo song of hers."
"The cheerleaders are doing Valenti by BoA and Candy Girl by Hitomi which is from her earliest album which I don't have."
"You're not doing the same songs?"
"No way. That's way too much work. We're doing five and the cheerleaders have five."
"We're doing Surreal by Hamasaki Ayumi. I'm so glad Kokoa bought that CD for me."
"Any Utada songs on your routine?"
"Traveling."
Kurumu smirked, thinking that was an upbeat and catchy song.
"So you aren't doing any songs by guys?"
"The cheerleaders are doing Arashi by Arashi which is that guy band you had Kokoa buy for you last month. I don't remember the other songs they are doing."
"Oh? No songs by your beloved Chemistry?"
Hotaru blushed at Nagisa, shaking her head.
"There's an M-Flo song with Chemistry called Astrosexy that we are doing. Never heard of that band but it's a good song to dance to."
"I was certain you would be doing Aikagi. You're humming it all the time."
"Sing that song for me."
"I don't know the words."
"How do you not?"
"I haven't tried to sing along to it."
"You should sing a song that makes Kokoa take her clothes off."
Hotaru laughed at Nagisa's remark.
"If I knew such a song, I'd be singing it already."
"Would you pick a song? I'm not bathing with you until you do."
"I can't pick any song. It has to be special."
Nagisa giggled, slipping away from Kurumu. The girl drifted around the couch to join Hotaru.
"I think we have a special song. We should sing Hikari."
"You want me to sing with you?"
Nagisa laughed, shaking her head and wagging a dismissive hand.
"No. There's a song by Utada called Hikari. You must be familiar with that."
Hotaru frowned as Nagisa fetched a CD from the stack.
"It's not one that I've memorized."
"Me either. But we're both familiar with it. I'll share in your misery."
Nagisa pushed a button on the tower, causing the tray to slide out. She flipped open the jewel case and popped the CD out. She swapped the CD with one in the player, closing up the tower. While she bent over to find the case for the CD she had removed, Sakura Drops started playing. Aware which song was the first on the compilation, Kurumu knew this CD had to be the original one the song had come on.
"How low should my expectations be for this?"
Nagisa giggled as Hotaru sheepishly picked up the microphone. The undine found the CD case for the one she had removed and put it away.
"Very low. She's not my favorite singer."
"You better not embarrass Hikari."
Hotaru frowned as Nagisa started skipping through the song list.
"Why would she be embarrassed? I'm the one that has to sing."
The music started playing a heartbeat rhythm. Nagisa hopped up to stand beside Hotaru.
"We'll need the interlude. The actual song starts right away."
A mixture of sounds started to play with a violin dominating the rest. It was a catchy tune with a bunch of other sounds. Then it suddenly ended and it was back to the steady heartbeat. Hotaru took a breath.
"Donna toki datte. Tada hitori de. Unmei wasurete. Ikite kita no ni. Totsuzen no hikari no naka me ga semeru. Mayonaka ni."
Kurumu was impressed. Despite downplaying their capabilities, both girls had nearly delivered the opening without messing the lyrics up and almost in perfect synch. The pitch was off. Hotaru was trying too hard to sing it high and Nagisa came off more like a smooth talk than something melodious.
The slower part of the song was a mess as Nagisa started to giggle at Hotaru's stiff performance. Kurumu grinned, thinking about the lyrics as they eventually made it to the next chorus. No matter the time. We'll be together. No matter the time. My light that is you finds me. In the middle of the night.
"Urusai!"
Hotaru's decision to shout that had Kurumu and Nagisa bust out in giggles as the song continued to play. Hotaru warbled out the rest of the line before properly drawling out unmei. Nagisa had recovered to give a decent attempt at the English line in the background before they continued with the melody.
The second verse was one that Kurumu could not recall too well. She mumbled a few words as the duo powered through the lyrics. Eventually they reached the next chorus.
Kurumu blended her own voice in with the other girls. It was okay to keep going. One scene at a time. But the chorus pitched up into a new one which Kurumu knew very well.
"Motto. Hanasou yo mokuzen no. Ashita no koto mo. Terebi keshite. Watashi no koto dake o. Miteite yo."
Hotaru touched her finger to her cheek below her eye as she let those last words fall. The lyrics ended with only music playing for a good minute afterwards. The two girls bobbed in place to the beat before it faded into silence. It lasted only a moment before a new song started up which was identical to Hikari but was entirely in English. Nagisa promptly turned the song off.
"So… will that be good enough?"
Kokoa let out a heavy sigh, pushing herself up onto her feet.
"Yes. I think it's time for our bath."
Hotaru grinned with flush cheeks. She handed Nagisa the microphone and pranced across the room for the bathroom door.
"Shall I scrub your back with my breasts?"
Kokoa snorted, loosening her sash so the nightgown fell apart. She slipped out of the garment, revealing she was naked beneath. She draped the fabric over her arm as she entered the bathroom before Hotaru.
"Don't push it."
"Of course, Milady."
"Don't disturb us for the next half hour or so."
Nagisa giggled as the door closed. They heard the door lock.
"Sounds like someone is going to be naughty tonight."
"That's not fair. We barely kissed after she took my blood last time."
A sensual moan greeted them. Kurumu blushed, guessing Hotaru was having her blood taken.
"I don't know about you two, but I'll happily run off to do laundry now. I'd rather not spend the next half hour listening to that."
Kurumu had more than one helper with laundry that night.