With the rapidly growing success of Lyrical Lily, the four bandmates were finding it increasingly difficult to keep up with everyday tasks.
"This is unbecoming of proper young ladies!" Haruna cried as she caught sight of Kurumi and Miiko's dorm. It was a mess! There were crumbs and candy wrappers all over the floor. There were papers and pencils strewn about on every open surface. The beds looked like they hadn't been made in forever! And clothing was scattered around the room in heaps. Haruna couldn't even tell what was clean and what was dirty!
"But Chairmaaannn!" Kurumi flopped backward onto her bed, ignoring the small pile of laundry she landed on, reaching into an open bag of chips on her nightstand. "We just finished a really long, intense concert and we're tired!" she cried. On the other bed, Miiko was facedown and motionless. Haruna sighed and shook her head, hands on her hips, but…the more that she thought about it…
A sudden wave of exhaustion washed over her. Her own dorm was much neater and tidier, but she still had things to do. Homework, studying, a bit of cleaning…But now, all she wanted to do was…nap…When she passed Miyu's dorm, she saw that the other girl was in the exact same position as Miiko. They…were going to need to do something about this. But not right now…Not just yet…First, Haruna needed…a nap…
ooo
The next day, the girls strategized around the lunch table.
"Well…How about…we get a maid?" Miyu suggested thoughtfully.
"Huh?" the other three cried.
"Well, I was just thinking, when I was a little girl, I had a maid/tutor named Saori! She was ever so helpful and kind!" Miyu smiled at the memory. "I would love to have someone like that with us again!"
"Well, if Miyu thinks it's a good plan, I'm all for it!" Haruna said enthusiastically. "It certainly does sound like a lovely idea!"
"Pfft, of course you'd agree with Miyu right off the bat, Chairman," Kurumi snickered under her breath.
"Who are you calling Chairman?!" Haruna snapped back.
"Well, Miiko thinks it's a great idea! Miiko always loves making new friends!" Miiko cried excitedly.
"Great!" Miyu smiled. "That's three votes for! I guess now all we need is your opinion, Kurumi." She turned to the other girl hopefully.
"Ehh, all right, sure, why not? If it's someone willing to help out with all the boring chores and stuff, I'm all in," Kurumi smirked.
"Kurumi! You will not take advantage of anyone we hire; do you understand?" Haruna shook her finger at Kurumi. While she lectured and Kurumi rolled her eyes, Miyu and Miiko focused on how and where to find a maid.
ooo
A couple weeks later, they managed to find someone through the internet: a young lady named Kirumi Tojo, from Hope's Peak Academy. It was in another part of the country, but it wasn't too terribly far away from Arisugawa Academy.
"And to think, she's only a high schooler like us!" Haruna marveled as she looked at Kirumi's resume. It was most impressive!
"Aww, another Kirumi?" Kurumi pretended to pout. "Oh well! So long as we remember which one is the superior one!"
She was the maid they ultimately settled on because Miyu liked the idea of having someone close to her age, as Saori had been. Kurumi and Miiko agreed they didn't want anyone too old, in case she acted like the other nuns at their academy. Haruna, of course, lectured them on that little remark. But she was also in favor of Kirumi just because of how impressive her resume was.
Another couple weeks later, Kirumi arrived at Arisugawa Academy.
"Ah, you four are Lyrical Lily, I presume?" she asked as she met them at the gates. For a moment, all they could do was stare up at the older girl with wide eyes. She was gorgeous and elegant. She carried herself with poise, purpose, and power. Haruna looked the most starstruck. This! This is what every young lady at our academy should aspire to be!
"Y-yes, it is," Miyu finally managed to speak, extending a hand to the maid. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Tojo!"
"Please, call me Kirumi," Kirumi smiled as she shook Miyu's hand.
"Ah! Right! I'm Miyu Sakurada!" Miyu said. "And these are my friends and bandmates: Haruna Kasuga, Miiko Takeshita, and…Kurumi Shiratori."
"Ah, another Kurumi?" Kirumi smiled. "It is a pleasure to meet you, too!"
"Yeah, it's a pleasure to meet you two!" Kurumi laughed, holding up two fingers to accentuate her joke. Haruna sighed, but Kirumi seemed amused.
"Well, my new masters, what is your first request from me?" she asked.
"Masters?!" Miyu and Haruna blinked in surprise.
"Requests?!" Miiko and Kurumi asked at the same time, looking very intrigued. Things were about get interesting, weren't they?
ooo
"Wow, Kirumi, you're amazing!" Miyu gasped. In just under five minutes, the maid cleaned her entire dorm room from to bottom. There wasn't a speck of dust anywhere, every bit of trash was picked up and thrown away, everything crooked was straightened out, her bed was made, her clothes were clean and neatly folded and put away.
"It is my pleasure to serve you, Miyu," Kirumi curtseyed to the other woman.
"Oh, hehehe, that's not really necessary," Miyu blushed. She remembered when Saori used to tease her like this, treating her like a princess because she knew it would fluster Miyu. Kirumi only gave her a serene smile before moving onto Haruna's dorm. She cleaned that in just one minute.
"Wow, Kirumi, that's incredible!" Haruna also sounded starstruck, eyes and mouth wide. For a second time, she thought, This is what every proper young lady SHOULD be! The other Kurumi really could learn a thing or two from this Kirumi…
"I actually want to apologize in advance. Kurumi and Miiko's room—" Haruna began embarrassedly.
"Will not be a problem," Kirumi interrupted with another smile, and sure enough, in just 10 minutes, their room looked as straight and spotless as Haruna's. It was as if the rooms were new, not just cleaned out, but entirely new.
"This is AWESOME!" Kurumi and Miiko high-fived before giving a round of applause to their new maid. "We'll never have to clean up anything ever again, so long as we have Kirumi—"
"Kurumi!" Haruna interrupted. For a moment, the maid turned to her in surprise. "No, not you, the other one, sorry!" Haruna blushed, but that blush was gone quickly as she redirected her attention to Kurumi. "What have I told you about taking advantage of our maid?!"
"It's not taking advantage," both of the Kirumis replied at the same time, but while Kirumi sounded gracious, Kurumi sounded smug.
"See?!" the smaller one cried, gesturing to the taller one. "She was made to be a maid, I was born to be wild! It's a perfect match!"
"Kirumi," Haruna addressed the maid clearly, giving her a small curtsey, "I appreciate your kindness, but please, do not spoil Kurumi!"
"It's not spoiling!" Kurumi pouted. "What do you think we're paying her for?!"
"Kurumi!" Haruna put her hands on her hips, giving Kurumi another exasperated sigh. Kirumi, meanwhile, chuckled to herself.
I suppose I will know which of us Haruna is talking to, depending on what tone of voice she uses when she says the name…
ooo
But Kirumi, as it turned out, didn't just excel at basic or domestic chores. She was able to help them with their concerts, too!
"Oh, no!" Haruna cried. For some reason, her DJ equipment was acting up. Half the buttons and dials on the keyboard weren't working, even though the other half worked perfectly fine!
Kirumi was watching from the shadows. She was the band's new escort and bodyguard. As she told them, she was trained in combat, so she could protect them if need be. And she was used to chaperoning past masters around, whether as a guide, or just part of the entourage. Now she watched the concerts from the wings of the stage. She saw Haruna frantically pushing buttons, looking worried.
Hmmm, I would not normally risk intruding upon a show, but…The maid glided daintily across the stage, moving as stealthily as she could.
"Haruna?"
"Wah!" Haruna shrieked, nearly falling off her DJ stand in surprise. "Kirumi?! What are you doing here!?"
"Forgive me, but I noticed you looked troubled. May I inquire as to what happened?"
Barely two minutes later, Kirumi wedged the top half of the keyboard off the bottom half. There was the issue! Tiny pieces of paper had been stuffed inside the keyboard, preventing some of the buttons and dials from working properly. Haruna knew at once who was to blame.
Kurumi…But she managed to keep her cool long enough to thank Kirumi profusely.
"You truly are a miracle-worker!" she cried, but Kirumi humbly brushed off the praise.
"It is my duty to serve you however I can, to help support you to your fullest potential!" she said. "Therefore, it is my honor to help you succeed!"
"Kirumi…" Haruna put a hand over her heart, truly touched by Kirumi's intense devotion to service and selflessness. Thanks to her, the show went off without a hitch. Haruna had very strong words with Kurumi after it was done.
ooo
Kurumi would later claim she would've fixed the problem herself if Haruna hadn't figured it out in time. She would never sabotage one of their shows! She just wanted to keep Chairman on her toes! Haruna was furious, but since that was nothing new, it didn't frighten Kurumi much, and she was back to her usual pranks the very next day.
"Heyyyy, Kirumiiii!" she sang. "Can you come here, please? My room's a bit messy again. Would you mind…?"
A few seconds later, her door creaked open. Kirumi felt something spindly and hairy land on her head, but she stayed calm and reached up for it.
"Hmm. Was this part of the mess?" she asked Kurumi calmly, the barest of smiles on her face as she pulled a toy spider from her hair. Kurumi's jaw dropped. As Kirumi would explain, however, because Kurumi had a reputation of being a prankster, Kirumi was on guard as soon as Kurumi called her. Likewise, as soon as she felt the toy hit her head, she had a feeling it was another prank. She was right.
Not scared of spiders, eh? I'll think of something! She may have been made to be a maid, but I was born to be wild!
Miiko was involved in the next prank. They were going to tag-team Kirumi, each girl holding a cracker. Miiko approached from the front.
"Hey, Kirumi, look what Miiko found!" Miiko chirped. Kirumi barely had any time to react before Miiko set the cracker off with a loud POP! But even though Kirumi barely had any time to react, she was still able to lift her left hand in the nick of time to shield herself from most of the cracker's blow. At the same time, she raised her right hand behind her. Barely a fraction of a second later, another cracker went off.
"It appears as though you found crackers," Kirumi said calmly. "For the future, I advise you not point them at other people. I shall fetch a broom so I can sweep up the mess," she said, then she glided away, leaving Kurumi and Miiko dumbfounded in her wake. For a second time, Kirumi said she was on guard the moment one of them called to her, and soon as there was one, she was already preparing for an "attack" from the other.
"She may be a tough nut to crack, but surely there's something we can do to get her!" Kurumi whispered conspiratorially.
"Ooh! Miiko has an idea!" Miiko suddenly cried, and Kurumi leaned closer with interest.
30 minutes later, the two girls stifled laughter as they held paint cans full of cleaning solution. The paint was now in the cleaning solution bottles. They were careful to make sure the paint matched the color and consistency of the cleaning solution. Surely this would work! Another 30 minutes later, Kirumi went to the supply closet to fetch her things. She paused and studied the cleaning solution bottles closely.
Those two, I swear, the maid shook her head, smiling dryly. She could tell the bottles had been tampered with. Also, even though the girls were clever enough to leave enough cleaning solution behind to mask the smell of the paint, it wasn't quite enough. But the maid decided to get a bit of revenge on the girls. She took the "cleaning solution" and went on her merry way to mop up Kurumi and Miiko's dorm.
"Wha-?! B-but you were s-supposed to stop once you realized that we switched out your cleaning solution!" Kurumi was aghast
"Was I?" Kirumi feigned innocence. "I thought that was your way of telling me this was how you wanted me to clean your room today."
"Who uses paint to clean floors?" Miiko whimpered. Every inch of the wooden floor was now coated in paint.
"Who switches out perfectly good cleaning solution with paint?" Kirumi countered with a shrug, smile unreadable.
"Awww, man…You got us good…" Kurumi's shoulders slumped. "If we admit defeat, will you please clean up the floor? Properly this time?"
"If you return my cleaning solution, then yes," Kirumi promised. It was with sheepish smiles that Kurumi and Miiko handed her the paint cans.
Despite herself, Kirumi had to smile again, genuinely. "You girls are both very clever," she said.
"Huuuhhh?!" Both Miiko and Kurumi were astounded. Was she…complimenting them? Was this a trap?
"The amount of thought, creativity, determination, and hard work you put into your pranks is admirable. I am sure you are great problem-solvers."
"Uhhh, we don't follow," said Kurumi.
"Yeah, Miiko is totally lost!" Miiko cried. Kirumi only gave them yet another unreadable smile.
As she would explain, as evidenced by their pranks, they must've thought outside the box often, and that was a skill that could come in handy when trying to think up new ways out of old problems. Kirumi even asked if they'd ever used such wit to help their DJ unit out of a pickle before. Of course, she had no idea if it was true, but her point remained the same. She saw potential in them. She may not have approved of their pranks, but she could sense that they pulled them out of sheer amusement. That could be selfish and destructive, yes, but it was not sadism or cruelty.
"I've had to serve pranksters like that in the past," Kirumi admitted, smiling ruefully.
"Oh, who?" Kurumi and Miiko's eyes went wide with interest.
"Kokichi Oma," Kirumi replied. "He was a rotten piece of work." Kurumi and Miiko's eyes went even wider. They'd never heard Kirumi speak ill of anyone before. "He pranked people, teased and taunted them, but he did it because he enjoyed hurting them, and watching their pain." Kirumi's eyes were grave, but a moment later, they softened. "I can sense you two are nothing like him. You pull pranks, and you may not always think about the consequences of your actions, but I do not think you pull them because you enjoy hurting others, or watching them suffer."
"Of course not! We would never sink so low as to use our pranks to hurt someone!" Kurumi and Miiko cried indignantly. "Not even Chairman!"
Kirumi smiled to herself. This was exactly the reaction she wanted. Of course, the most desirable outcome would be for Miiko and Kurumi to stop pranking people entirely, or at least do it less often, but that was an unrealistic goal. Therefore, Kirumi's next strategy was to find the "good" in their pranks and motives and appeal to that. By implying that they were pulling "good pranks", and associating goodness with conscientiousness, perhaps Kirumi could at least sway them to be more thoughtful and careful, if she could not persuade them to stop entirely. It was damage control!
ooo
But of course, Haruna, Kurumi, and Miiko weren't the only ones to benefit from Kirumi's services.
"Kirumi, would you like to sing with us?" Miyu asked hopefully.
Kirumi raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Is that a request?"
"Well…No. Not really," Miyu tilted her head, giving Kirumi an almost sad smile. The maid worked too hard. She seemed to have no idea how to interact with people outside of the framework of servitude. She really was made to be a maid. In a way, it almost reminded Miyu of Haruna…
"Then…why are you asking me to sing?"
"Well, I just meant, for fun! You know? Like…just singing casually with friends, making music, sharing joy and laughter! You know?" Miyu felt flustered. Maybe it was because Kirumi reminded her of Haruna that she felt herself drawn to the maid, compelled to help her out of her shell. And by the same token, maybe that was why Miyu sometimes found it hard to talk to her. It wasn't just the maid thing, or Miyu's own natural shyness.
She continued to stumble through her words until Kurumi, Miiko, and Haruna arrived.
"There you are, Miyu! We were waiting for you! Aren't you coming? We're going down to the chapel to sing a little, just for fun!"
"Oh, I know, I was just asking if Kirumi wanted to come sing with us!" Miyu smiled and waved as her friends came closer.
"Oh, do you sing?" Haruna raised her eyebrows in surprise. Wait. Why am I surprised? Of course she does! What DOESN'T she do?
"Well, I have needed to sing before, for my masters and their children, usually to soothe them," Kirumi replied. Kurumi and Miiko's eyes lit up.
"No!" Haruna cut them off immediately. "She does enough for you already!"
"Well what's the point in having a maid if—?"
"Kurumi!"
"I do not mind."
"Kirumi!"
Miyu chuckled as she watched the scene unfold before her. A maid made to be a maid, and a prankster born to be wild…
Tactfully, she slipped in and returned their attention to music. "Well, I wouldn't mind hearing some of your favorite lullabies, Kirumi," she said. "I am sure I have some softer hymns that would work excellently with them!"
"Oh, what a lovely idea!" Haruna smiled at Miyu, mood instantly changed now that Miyu was the one talking.
A few minutes later, they were in the chapel. Kirumi started off on the piano, playing music for Lyrical Lily to sing to.
"And how do you know how to play piano?" Haruna sounded almost skeptical at this point. "Was it also for lullabies?"
"No, actually," Kirumi replied. "One of my classmates, Kaede Akamatsu, is a pianist. She taught me a little."
"How wonderful!" Miyu clapped. She was glad to hear that someone else was trying to share the joy of music with Kirumi as a friend, not a master.
"You remind me of her," Kirumi said suddenly, turning to Miyu.
"I do?" Miyu blushed as Kirumi nodded.
"Kind, caring, talented, devoted to music, and always making sure everyone is included in the fun!"
"Well then, shall we start singing?" Haruna asked abruptly, guiding the band slightly away from the piano. They spent the next 15 minutes singing before Miyu offered to take Kirumi's place on the bench so that Kirumi could sing. Her voice was gorgeous. Although it was clear she was not technically a trained singer, her voice still could've (and must've) put countless children to sleep.
"She should join LyriLily!" Miiko joked, whispering to the others. While Miyu and Kurumi nodded, Haruna narrowed her eyes, but said nothing.
ooo
"Haruna, is something wrong?" Kirumi stuck her head into Haruna's dorm room.
"What?! No! Nothing's wrong! Who told you anything is wrong?!" Haruna cried quickly.
"I noticed you've been quieter of late, and—Ah! Do you need someone to mend your shirt?" Kirumi asked. Haruna had been in the middle of buttoning up her uniform when Kirumi walked in. It surprised Haruna so much that she accidentally tore the button clean off her shirt. Haruna cringed at herself, looking as if she wished to reject Kirumi's offer, but since she had no good reason to, she accepted instead.
Haruna sat on her bed while Kirumi sat at her desk, sewing the button back on and mending the tear Haruna accidentally created.
"Are you sure nothing's troubling you?" Kirumi asked gently. She would not pry, but part of being a maid meant being a confidante, a listening ear.
"It's just Kurumi," Haruna said quietly. "Her pranks are driving me up the wall, and I'm busy enough as it is."
Kirumi nodded sympathetically. Even though she held Kurumi and Miiko in a slightly higher regard, she still understood Haruna's frustration. She related the story of Kokichi to help Haruna see that she empathized.
"But I can tell that's not all that's troubling you, Haruna," Kirumi said next, and Haruna flinched, debating on what to say…
"It's also you, Kirumi," she finally admitted. Hmm, how funny, is it destined that I will never get along with someone with that name?
"Me?" Kirumi's voice revealed nothing. She kept sewing up Haruna's shirt, but she raised an eyebrow as she met Haruna's eyes.
"You're just too perfect. Too charming and likeable. You accomplish everything you set your mind to, and everyone loves you for it." Even now, you got me to tell you all of this, even though I don't want to, even though I probably shouldn't be…
Haruna confessed that as in awe as she was of the maid, the maid also made her feel inadequate. What use was Haruna when they had Kirumi now? They didn't need a chaperone, rule-keeper, or organizer when they had all of that in Kirumi! And the way Miyu would smile at Kirumi, and the way Kirumi would make Miyu smile so effortlessly…Kirumi was just too good…at everything!
"You remind me of Taka," Kirumi said once Haruna was done venting.
"What?" That was not the response Haruna expected. She expected comfort, even if she wouldn't have wanted it. But maybe that was part of Kirumi's perfection. She knew Haruna wouldn't want her comfort, so she was going to try something else instead.
"He's another student at Hope's Peak Academy. He isn't in my class, but he is the whole school's moral compass. He tries so hard at everything he does, believing that hard work will always triumph over luck and talent. His words inspire me, and I believe them. I am not perfect, I am not effortless. All the skills you see me display are ones I've had to practice for years. That is the only reason I am good at them now."
"I know!" Haruna looked down, ashamed of her pettiness and jealousy. "I just mean that—"
"Please, allow me to finish," Kirumi's tone was gentle.
"Huh?" Haruna tilted her head in surprise. Kirumi wasn't lecturing her?
"You judge yourself too harshly. You haven't had as much time to gain as much experience as me because you've been mastering other things! You are the DJ for Lyrical Lily, you are the one that keeps Kurumi and Miiko in line. They may listen to me, and I may know how to outsmart them from time to time, but I can promise you that it is you whom they really love and trust. They listen to you because you won their hearts. And Miyu is the same way. I never meant to make you think I was competition. I have no interest in romance at all. But I can assure you, as easily as I may make Miyu smile, the smiles she gives me are nothing like the ones I've seen her give you."
Kirumi slowly, tactfully worked into the comfort portion of her little spiel, and like magic, it worked. Haruna let her walls down for a second time, after revealing her true thoughts to Kirumi at the start of their little chat. By the end of it, although Haruna still looked ashamed of herself, Kirumi's words had emboldened her. They reassured her that she had nothing to fear from the maid, and that she was far more talented in her own way than she gave herself credit for. She was just blinded by constantly comparing herself to Kirumi.
"As similar as we are, we are not the same. I am a maid of Hope's Peak Academy. You are the DJ of Arisugawa Academy." Maybe it seemed like Kirumi was stating the obvious, but Haruna understood the underlying message. Do not compare yourself to me. Judge yourself by your own merits, you will see they are far greater than you realize.
It was like a DJ unit, each member needed to be unique to make it work. They couldn't compare themselves to one another, nor should they try to strive to be one another when it was much more important and practice to strive only to be the best version of themselves, individually. That was what really made a DJ unit successful! When Haruna realized this and voiced it to Kirumi, Kirumi smiled at her.
"You see? A brilliant analogy that only you could create, since I am not a DJ."
For the first time in several days, Haruna smiled a real smile, and she smiled it at Kirumi.
Huh, just like the other Kurumi, maybe this one isn't as much of an enemy as I feared…
ooo
There finally came a time for Kirumi's service to Lyrical Lily to come to an end. When the busier part of school was over, Lyrical Lily had more time and energy to look after themselves again. Of course, Kurumi and Miiko were sad to see their chore-doer leave, but Kirumi, Miyu, and Haruna (of course) were all in agreement that it would do no good to grow too dependent upon Kirumi.
"A maid's true desire should be to teach their masters self-sufficiency," she said. "I will still be glad to answer your call, should you ever need me again, but it is important for you all to see how far you can go on your own before you rely on me."
Begrudgingly, Kurumi and Miiko had to agree.
"But we should do something special for her before she goes back to Hope's Peak!" Miiko said.
"No pranks!" Haruna snapped.
"No, I meant, we should make her a gift!"
"A gift?"
"Yeah…I think that's a great idea! But…what shall we make her?"
Half an hour later, the quartet was busy making a mess in the kitchen.
"Kurumi! Stop whisking so fast! You're making a mess everywhere and wasting all the batter! And Miiko! Stop eating all the cookie dough! That also counts not licking the spoons! Or at least, be sure to wash them before using them again!" Haruna's lip curled.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever, Chairman!" Kurumi rolled her eyes.
"Who are you calling Chairman!?"
"Oh, Haruna," Miyu patted Haruna on the shoulder consolingly. "They're just having fun!"
"Don't spoil them, Miyu!" Haruna sighed, but she looked soothed after Miyu had touched her. She quickly settled back down into a rhythm after that, working alongside Miyu while Kurumi worked alongside Miiko. All four of them recounted Kirumi stories fondly.
"I've always wanted to meet that Tsumugi girl," Miyu admitted. "The one Kirumi said was really good with costumes and cosplay?"
"Or maybe Hiyoko, she sounds fun!" Kurumi grinned. Haruna gave her a deadpanning look, but said nothing.
From Kirumi's description, Hiyoko was a bit like Kurumi, except nastier. She was a traditional dancer, so there were a few videos of her around, and Miyu was surprised to realize that she sounded quite a bit like Rika Seto, from Merm4id, the same band Saori was now DJing for. Kirumi told them about Hiyoko when she was giving further explanation as to what sort of clientele she was used to working with.
"I'm sure Kurumi is still worse," Haruna smiled dryly.
"Not necessarily," Kirumi replied, a twinkle in her eyes. "Just as Kurumi has soft spots for those she loves, so too did Hiyoko." Hiyoko was soft for big-sister types (Miyu found the thought of that extremely cute) and Hiyoko's favorite "big sis" was a redheaded photographer named Mahiru.
"So…You and Yuka smashed together?" Kurumi asked Haruna, referring to one of the members of Peaky P-Key.
Well, Mahiru could certainly be a disciplinarian at times, Kirumi thought to herself with a smile, but she wisely held her tongue. No use in giving Kurumi more ammunition for her taunts and jests.
About two hours after the quartet entered the kitchens, their farewell cookies were done! And they turned out surprisingly well!
"I told you I wasn't going to ruin anything, or eat it excessively!" Kurumi bragged as the cookies came out of the oven, almost perfect.
"I guess you were right," Haruna admitted begrudgingly. If there was one thing she was thankful for about Kurumi, it was that she always knew how to set aside her difference with Haruna (and vice versa) when it really mattered. Now all that was left to do was deliver the cookies…
ooo
"For me?" None of them had ever heard Kirumi sound so touched before, raising a gloved hand to her mouth. "I…almost don't want to eat them!" she chuckled. The others were startled to hear what sounded like a sob in her laugh.
"Oh, don't worry about that!" Kurumi held out a photo of Lyrical Lily during one of their performances. "We'll just autograph you a photo instead!"
"Kurumi!" Haruna sighed, but Kirumi shook her head.
"No, please, thank you, that would be lovely…I'll cherish it forever…"
"Yes! I get to sign something!" Kurumi fist-pumped before pulling a sparkly pink pen from her pocket.
"You've been waiting for this, haven't you?" Haruna sighed. Kurumi really was born to be wild…But Haruna couldn't deny some pride in Kurumi. It was as she noted earlier. Kurumi always knew how to do what was right when it really counted.
The group passed the photograph around, leaving kind notes before giving it back to the maid.
"And actually, if you want, we can take one last photo now, just so you can be in it!" Miyu offered. Kirumi nodded, unable to speak. Five minutes later, Miiko came rushing back from her dorm room with a camera. Another two minutes later, the photo was developed.
"Thank you all, I will never forget any of you!" Kirumi breathed. "I know it may not be appropriate, but…" she opened her arms. The others were more than happy to jump in. Even if maids weren't normally supposed to hug clients, Kirumi wasn't technically their maid anymore, now was she?
"But don't worry, Kirumi, we'll give you a call if we ever need you again," Haruna promised, shaking Kirumi's hand warmly.
"Or maybe we'll just invite you back to sing! Have some fun again!" Miyu suggested. "Or maybe we can visit your school someday…"
"I'm sure they would love that," Kirumi smiled. "I will try to attend more of your concerts in the future."
It was a bit of a sad farewell, but they managed to end it on a happy note with promises of a budding future together, like lilies in the spring. The last the quartet saw of the maid was her waving farewell as she existed Arisugawa Academy, but they knew it wouldn't be goodbye forever…
"So…Now that she's gone, who's up for some pranks?!"
"Kurumi!" Why couldn't THIS Kurumi have been the one they were sending away? Haruna thought in exasperation.
"What can I say? She may have been made to be a maid, but this Kurumi, the better one, was born to be wild!"
While Haruna went sprinting after Miiko and Kurumi before they could do anything stupid, Miyu watched them go with a laugh, shaking her head. Some things never changed, did they? But there was something reassuring in that. No matter what happened next, they had each other, and this was not the end of anything. They would see the other Kirumi again someday, Miyu was sure of it!
AN: Thx to Penguinfangirl611 and Net Neutrality for inspiring this fic! It was fun!
Unrelated, but watching all the events where Miyu gets really lucky… I think she might be more like Makoto than Kaede, LOL
