I'm actually a huge AyaYui fan. But there's always that soft spot for Subaru somewhere...

Anyway, it'll take a while for my next chapter to be up, since I'm heading to Tokyo this month. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews as usual!


"Thank you, Master, and please come visit again soon!"

Yui bowed as she said goodbye to the customers, who were really mostly students near her age from around here. The café was actually performing quite well. Looking around, it feels like everyone's having fun. There were rock-paper-scissors matches, board games, and even photography with the maids and butlers going on. Things were running smoothly.

As Yui cleared the table of the couple that just left, she noticed from a side that Ayato was snapping Polaroid photos with a girl. Polaroid photography were one of the 'extra services' they offered, so if anyone was willing to spare a coupon, they get a free photo with any maid or butler of their choice.

Until now, Ayato had been really popular, if not the most popular butler around in class. The rules were quite simple; While no customer's allowed to pick the maid or butler who serves you, anyone can ask for a photo with any maid or butler. A good 4 hours have passed since the cultural festival started, and it doesn't seem like Ayato's popularity is going to drop any time soon.

The petite girl next to Ayato stood beside him shyly, posing with a twist. In return, Ayato smiled widely into the camera. With a snap, the photo came emerging from the camera.

As they waited for the print to develop, Yui noticed how the girl tried her best to make small talk with Ayato. She couldn't hear their exact conversation from a distance, but whatever he replied made the girl quite happy. She watched as Ayato scribbled one of those quick thank you messages on the photo, before sending her on her way. He even waved.

And to think a few days ago, he wasn't even keen to do this. Meanwhile, I've not even had one person want to take a photo with me…

Yui bit her bottom lip as she wiped down the table. When she got around to the back to rinse the cloth, there she saw Ayato.

"How am I doing, Chichinashi?" he grinned, "I'm doing pretty good, aren't I?"

Yui gives a nod, although she still isn't able to shake off the discomfort she is feeling.

"I'm a bit surprised but you're doing really good today, Ayato."

"Of course! If I gotta do something, I'll always be the best!"

"Mm."

It didn't slip him by that something was a little off with Yui. And whatever it was, he intended to find out.

"What's wrong, Chichinashi?"

"Huh?"

"What are you thinking of? Say it now."

She guessed whatever it was was just jealousy, although she had no right to be. The café was her idea in the first place, and she had egged Ayato to do this, to be part of the class activity. Now, to be jealous of him taking photos with random girls…it wasn't necessary at all.

"I think I'm just a bit tired, but it's really okay." She lied through her teeth.

Ayato didn't look like he completely bought it, but then he heard his name being called. Turning back to Yui, he asked her to go get a break.

"But I can't, it's not even my break time yet."

"This place will be fine even with one less person. Anyway, it's not like you're always getting called to take photos, not like the great me."

Yui stared at him, mouth agape, although what he said was sort of true. If it were a competition, she wasn't sure she'd quite make it to the top of the list of maids.

"I don't know, Ayato…"

Frustrated at how slow she was being, Ayato grabbed her by the wrist to lead her to the door.

"Don't you dare forget the fireworks later!" he uttered, before pushing her out of class. There, Yui finds herself standing in the middle of the bustling corridor. As it should be, the festival was going on smoothly.


On Subaru's end, his job as vampire was fairly simple. All he had to do was stand at the end of his lane, and if anyone comes up, he just has to show himself, 'bare his fangs' and then let them through so they may continue on. In his opinion, it was pretty fucking stupid.

His class representative also tasked him beforehand to get some 'vampire fangs from the party store', and he even got a bit of money to do so. Needless to say, that wasn't necessary at all. He recalled how amazed the guy looked when all he had to do was pull back a side of his lips to reveal actual fangs. From that, he even earned some praise from his class representative.

On a side note, he kept the money.

Subaru was literally counting down the minutes he has left till his shift here ends. Then, it's over and he doesn't have to stick around anymore if he doesn't want to. He could hardly wait.

At a farther distance, he noticed someone heading down his lane, which snapped him out of his thoughts. The moment the girl came really close; he stepped out from behind her, bent lower next to her face and bared his fangs. The girl let out a short scream and bumps into him as she turned around. She practically stuck her elbow into his ribs.

It takes a moment, but she seemed to recognize him. "Su-Subaru?"

Subaru was surprised to learn that it was Yui. What was she doing in the haunted house?

"You," was all he said in acknowledgement.

Meanwhile, although Yui could barely make out his face in the dark, but the moment she heard his voice, it confirmed whom she thought it was. It perked her up to see that it was Subaru here.

But upon reminding herself that she isn't yet done with the haunted house, Yui stops herself short. "Ah- I think I should be going now."

Subaru quickly quips, "I get off in about 5 minutes." He had no idea why he did that, but silently, he thought if Yui was alone and had the free time, they could maybe spend it together.

"OK," she replied cheerily. "I'll be outside."

5 minutes later, Subaru emerges hurriedly from the classroom, minus the cape and all. He spots Yui at the class opposite, staring at some of the handmade accessories they had to sell. She was holding a pretty pink brooch in her hand, seemingly quite fascinated.

"Yui," he called.

"Subaru!" Yui turned around to beam at him. "You're here."

The girls from the opposite class seemed more amazed looking at them than Yui had been when she was staring at the brooch, one of them even going red in the face, and when Subaru noticed, he immediately returned their looks with a scowl. It caused them to look away. Thankfully, Yui had her back turned and didn't see.

He instinctively grabbed her by her arm and led her away quite suddenly, before Yui could say anything. They got to an emptier side of the corridor.

"Don't you have a café to run?" he asked.

"I was told to go take a break. That's why I'm just checking some of the classes out."

"Oh."

"Are you done with yours?" Yui asked.

"Yeah, that just now was my final shift."

Yui let out a giggle. "You make a pretty convincing vampire."

Subaru recalled his role from before. "You didn't sound as scared as some of the others."

"Let's just say, well, maybe I'm starting to get used to being around vampires." She smiles.

Whether that made sense or was valid or not didn't quite get into his head, not as much as him watching her light expressions. It also doesn't slip by him that Yui looked extremely cute in a maid outfit up-close.

"Well," Subaru asks nonchalantly, sticking his hands deep into his pockets, "Where to next?"

"I'm not done with most of the stalls. If you don't mind, maybe we could walk around?"

Subaru nodded, and for the next hour, that was their agenda. Since Subaru was in the first year, and this is also Yui's first time attending a school cultural festival, it was something new for both of them. From the food stalls, to the live performances, to game stalls, it was easy for them to hang out with each other. They talked about all kinds of things pertaining to the day, like what they liked and disliked about school, which stalls were more interesting and how their day working for the festival had been. And despite rejecting a few offers at the start, Subaru eventually warmed up to the festival, and ended up trying a lot of food.

"I thought you didn't want that just now," Yui said in between bites. They were eating Taiyaki, a fish-shaped cake. Initially, Subaru had rejected it, but the moment he saw the satisfaction on Yui's face as she ate it, he decided to give it a try.

"I don't get why it's in the shape of a fish," he commented flatly.

Yui ponders for a while, but comes up empty.

"I don't know either. Why is it shaped like a fish?"

Subaru wasn't thinking about the answer at all. He was silently observing Yui from a side, as they weave through the sea of people, seeing at how she's pulling this face of pure bliss as she savours her food. Her other hand was empty, and it brushed against his unintentionally.

How would she react if I took her hand? Would she be okay?

He kept wondering. Yui's hands had looked really soft, like she had the finest blood running beneath that smooth, supple skin.

If I could, when would be a good opportunity to hold her hand? How much strength should I use? What sort of expression should I show?

When Yui says next that she has to go back to her class already to clean up, Subaru fights to hide his slight disappointment, but could only watch the girl take off in a hurry. He'd missed his chance. All of a sudden, Subaru found himself on his own again.

With the stalls gradually closing and performances all wrapped up, some students were also already leaving school, but most stayed back to hang around the bonfire or wait for the fireworks. Many students were eager to make the most of it. Subaru, with a hand still holding onto a bunch of packed snacks, slowly made his way back to class.

Expectedly, the haunted house was already torn down. Their things were all over the place and the tables and chairs were messily arranged. No one was in sight. Subaru dropped his things on a table, and went by the window to observe the bonfire outside. In the end, he never got the guts to ask Yui about the fireworks.

He was silent, till he heard the sounds of someone's footsteps coming from the corridor, drawing closer. It was light, a little hurried, and probably belongs to a girl.

At first, Subaru assumed it to be a student passing by. But then he realised the steps stopped right outside his class.

Could it be…?

Subaru turned around a little too eagerly, locking eyes with the girl standing at the door. But it was just that one girl from the opposite class, the one who had blushed profusely while selling her class' handmade accessories earlier.

"Subaru? I'm Ami, from the class next door," the girl squeaked. "I…I have something to tell you!"


When Yui got back to class, there were only a small handful of girls left, cleaning up. Everyone else had already gone, and most of the things were already packed up.

"Yui! We were wondering where you'd gone!"

When Yui began to apologise, her classmates only laughed and then went on to reassure her.

"You've already been doing so much for us over the festival! We don't mind at all that you'd gone to have some fun. You deserve it after all!"

Yui looked up at the faces of her kind female classmates, feeling blessed that despite all the pressure she had had to endure, most of everything had ran smoothly. It was all worth it after all.

Remembering something she must do, Yui scrambles to change out of her outfit, grab her things and go. She has something to do first before meeting Ayato to watch the fireworks, and if she doesn't hurry, she won't be able to make it in time.

Yui zips through the hallways towards the first year classrooms and comes to Subaru's classroom. She was just about to head in when she saw two figures, and she instantly stops to press her back against the wall outside. She's not sure if she's right, but…could this be…

Yui couldn't hear much, just a bit of mumbling coming from Subaru. She didn't mean to eavesdrop, but then she heard.

"I've liked you for a long time now, ever since the start of the year," said the girl.

It's a confession! Yui clasps a hand to her mouth.

"I know you always prefer to be on your own, but I really like cool guys like you and I can't notice anyone else when you're around. I…I've been waiting for today to confess, for a really long time now, and…I'll be happy if you could give me a chance. I'll wait for your reply."

Subaru didn't say a word, only nodding once silently, so the girl then turned to go. Incidentally, she bumps into Yui, who was just standing outside.

"I, uh, came to pass something to Subaru…" Yui opened her mouth to say, but the girl, who was completely red in the face didn't even make eye contact, before rushing off in the opposite direction.

Yui enters the classroom, surprising Subaru.

"Yui! What are you doing here?" he asked.

"That just now…it was a confession, isn't it? I didn't mean to, but I overheard. Sorry."

"It's fine," Subaru turned away, "I'm going to reject her anyway."

Yui was taken aback. "But why? You didn't even give her a chance!"

"I don't know her at all."

"You could try. She seems like a nice person, and it probably took her a lot of courage to say those words to you. Why don't you just give it a chance?"

"Because…" Subaru turned to look away, feeling frustration grow from within him. It's obvious that Yui would never get it.

"Just, never mind!" He shouted.

Yui stopped speaking, and an odd silence hung in the air till Subaru broke it quickly (before he could live to regret not doing so).

"Look, I-I'm sorry, okay. I didn't mean to yell."

Yui shook her head, looking up at him. "I'm fine, really. I wasn't in any position to comment."

"What are you doing here anyway?"

Yui suddenly remembered again, and took the contents out from the paper bag she'd been holding onto all along. There was a prettily wrapped gift, and a small cake. Yui sticks a single candle onto the cake, lights it quickly with a spare lighter she borrowed from a friend, all while Subaru watched in bewilderment.

"What's this for?" he asked.

He watches as a small smile spread across her face, as she holds the cake up before him.

"Happy birthday, Subaru!"

Subaru was genuinely surprised, and even more so puzzled. "How did you know it was my birthday today?"

Yui answered, "Today's the 4th of November, isn't it? I only got to know about it when I collected your class' register a few days ago. I didn't really have the spare time to bake so I could only buy you something, and I'm also a few hours late but…"

She continued. "…But thank you for being my friend and for everything else. Happy Birthday."

Subaru watched on, until Yui reminded him that if he doesn't blow the candle out soon, the wax is going to get all over the cake, so he did so hurriedly. Yui then presented him his gift, but told him he could open it later.

"Ah!" Yui exclaims suddenly. "You forgot to make a wish, Subaru!"

"What?"

"A wish, a birthday wish! Usually people do that before blowing out the candle, but it kept melting and I forgot to remind you…"

"Then just leave it," Subaru said.

"We can't," Yui replied insistently, "Just, close your eyes and make a wish!"

Subaru was annoyed but Yui seemed like she wouldn't let it go until he made his wish, so Subaru shut his eyes reluctantly. After a short while, he opened them up, his facial expression unchanging.

"Are you done?" Yui asked.

Subaru grunts once, although silently, he's feeling quite happy. When Yui continues to stare in his direction, he said, "What, did you want to hear what sort of wish I made?"

Yui threw her hands up, "No, it's your wish! You don't have to say it, although it's really up to you."

Subaru gulped, thinking about the wish he just made. If his face could grow red, it probably would have by now.

It doesn't hurt to say it. Just say it!

"It's just a wish. I don't mind saying it."

"Are you sure?" Yui asked.

Subaru takes a deep breath, then made eye contact with Yui. As he opens his mouth to speak, colourful explosions and loud popping noises shot up into the night sky, outside the window from behind him, casting sudden brightness over Yui's petite face. The fireworks have begun.