For: Victor Petrenko

Prompt: Takei/Yoshika

Smile, bow, and… "Come back soon, master!"

With the last customer herded out the door, everyone slumped over, tired and annoyed. Tomoko ripped the headband from where it sat on her crown and huffed angrily.

"Did you see how that one was leering at me?" she grumbled. Takeko patted her on the back and smiled sympathetically.

"Cheer up, girls!" Mio was met with angry glares and incredulous stares. "Yes, being a maid is hard, it's Golden Week, and high school boys don't know self-control, but they always spend the most."

Tomoko huffed. "And they don't understand they're not supposed to touch. I swear if I feel another hand on my rear, I'll…"

"Smile politely and deal with it," Takeko finished. "Our reputation's more important than your pride, Tomoko."

Laughing a little, Keiko slung her arms around both Tomoko and Takeko's shoulders. "It's okay. Just tell me who did it, and I'll 'trip' and pour hot coffee on their laps."

Yoshika chuckled at their interaction, feeling unable to enter it herself. She was just a part-timer, a high schooler, who had to work longer hours because of the Golden Week rush.

She didn't hate her job like Tomoko – she hasn't been working long enough to develop such strong feelings – but it was hardly something she would want to spend her life doing. For Mio to willingly run, and occasionally fill in when they needed extra help, a maid café with such vigor was a complete enigma.

Grabbing the bag of garbage beside the back door before she left, Yoshika inhaled the night air deeply. Tomorrow she worked from eight to two, and then she could enjoy her vaca-

"Ahh!" Yoshika didn't think; she just screamed.

"C-calm down!" a shady figure called back.

Yoshika was about to reach for a rusty pipe lying on the ground to defend herself, but Mio burst from the back door brandishing a bokken intimidatingly. The stranger held out his (her?) hands in a defensive manner and stepped into the light from the restaurant.

"Junko? Why are you skulking around the back alleys?"

The person, whoever she was, was prettier than most women Yoshika's ever seen. She wondered if this Junko had worked for Mio's café before.

"I tried the front door, but it was locked," the woman explained. "I noticed a light was still on, so I decided to try the back." She paused. "I didn't expect to be threatened with a weapon, Mio, or see such a cute girl," she laughed, winking at Yoshika.

Mio let out a hearty laugh and rested her wooden sword on her shoulder. "Drop by during business hours if you want to admire the workers, but if you want some tea, come on in."

"Tea? I'll have to accept then," the stranger joked. She turned and glanced at Yoshika. "Maybe I will have to drop by when you're open."

Yoshika flushed as Mio chuckled again. "You can go ahead and leave, Miyafuji. I'll finish cleaning up. Besides," Mio said, voice thick with laughter, "I don't want anyone ogling the merchandise without paying."

When Yoshika arrived at work the next morning, she was surprised to see the woman from the night before sitting in her section, sipping from a teacup. The woman (Junko was it?) looked even more beautiful in full light, and she had a certain elegance that Yoshika couldn't seem to place.

She smiled at Yoshika when she spotted her, the way her lips upturned a little too knowing for Yoshika's comfort.

Making her way to the back where her locker stored her maid uniform, Yoshika did her best to rid that woman's pretty smile from her memory. She would be serving high school boys and unemployed men today; if she acted too enamored, they might think they're allowed to touch her.

Yoshika changed quickly and gave her reflection a short once-over, fixing her headband and apron. She still had a few minutes before the store opened, but the others were already dressed and waiting to start work.

Walking back into the dining area, she noticed that woman still sitting in her section as serenely as she had before Yoshika left to change. Yoshika wondered if she knew that the doors were opening soon and that there was already a line right outside. Maybe she should tell her…

"Miyafuji!" Mio barked suddenly, waving Yoshika to the bar counter. "Junko's an old friend, so it's important that she enjoy her time here." She paused and let her words sink in. "I was going to let someone more experienced like Keiko or Tomoko take care of her, but she insisted that it be you."

Yoshika just stared blankly back, before nodding in understanding. She didn't know who this "Junko" person was or why she was so important, but she knew not to disobey her boss.

"So, how did you get started as a maid anyway?"

Yoshika looked up from the table she was cleaning and stared at the woman sitting across from her.

"Sakamoto-san recruited me. I'll need the money for college anyway, so I took the job," she explained, feeling very self-conscious all of a sudden.

"You're still in high school?" The woman sounded surprised. "I suppose I can't say anything though. Mio and I started working here when we were in high school too."

Almost dropping the saucer in her hands, Yoshika stared at the other woman. "You used to be a maid?"

"It pays well," the woman explained. "Jobs like this aren't very popular, and the demand is surprisingly high. Mio was smart to take over. She even got our old co-workers to help out!"

Yoshika glanced around the café at the other maids. They worked with the sort of ease developed by experience, something Yoshika had assumed was simply because they were older than her.

"If you don't mind me asking," she asked, nearly forgetting herself and quickly adding "ma'am" to her sentence, "why did you stop working here, if everyone else still does?"

Taking another sip of her tea, the woman considered the question. "I want to say it's because my current job is too demanding to work as a maid on the side, but it's really because I hated working here. Servitude never sat well with me, I guess."

"And your current job?" Yoshika asked, tentatively, as if she were afraid of pushing too much.

"I'm a talent scout. I like to go to maid cafés, like this one, and find young girls who want out," the woman explained, fishing a business card from her bag. The gleaming golden characters read Takei Junko. "Have you heard of Suwa Amaki or Nakajima Nishiki?"

Yoshika nodded vigorously, remembering when she heard about their debut and how amazed she was when she discovered they were only a couple of years older than she was.

Takei smiled gently at her. "I guess that means you know what comes next." She stood, leaving her tea half-finished. "Keep the card and let Mio know she's doing a good job. I'll drop by in a few days to hear your decision."

Yoshika spent the next week in utter dilemma. She kept the small business card Takei gave her in her pocket at all times, and she often took it out just to look at it or feel the now wrinkled paper.

The concept of stardom, of fame, was too surreal. It was too fast.

But… there was something about Takei that Yoshika didn't want to refuse. It was a feeling she couldn't explain.

Flipping the card in her hands again, she rubbed the bright (but quickly fading) lettering on the card. If she said yes…

Yoshika never imagined such a glamorous life before, unlike most girls her age; she was satisfied with going to college and becoming a physician like her mother and grandmother and ultimately taking over the family practice. After all, she can't sing or dance, and she never considered herself particularly pretty, but she liked helping people. Becoming a doctor was perfect for her.

But (she hesitated and turned the card over again) whenever she imagined Takei's disappointed face or Takei leaving the restaurant and never coming back, Yoshika felt compelled to learn to dance or sing or model or be pretty…

She didn't tell her parents or Mio about the offer. It was still up in the air, and she knew this was a decision she needed to make herself. Besides, how could she tell her family that the main reason she was considering it was because she was oddly attracted to the person who asked her.

Sighing, she ran her thumb over the card's smooth lettering.

Outside Yoshika's window, her mother was chatting happily with a neighbor. The calendar on her wall had one date circled in bright red with "Micchan's birthday!" written inside. A cup of now cold tea sat on her desk, brought in by her grandmother half an hour ago. The unreadable script her father wrote in, detailing the end of his business trip, was visible from where she sat.

A picture, propped against her other picture frames, displayed Yoshika smiling and surrounded by her coworkers.

Dropping the small, wrinkled paper on her desk, Yoshika stood, determined. Her shift started in almost an hour.

Yoshika was completely unsurprised when Takei walked in that day. Beaming, Yoshika greeted her like she would any other customer and sat her down at the first available table in her section. Takei ordered her usual tea and handed over the menu, looking expectant.

There was really only one response Yoshika could give, the longer she thought about it. In a choice between her current life or a glamorous one beside Takei, the answer was obvious. At least, it was to her.

Placing the full teacup and saucer in front of Takei, Yoshika clutched her serving tray to her chest. Takei had a soft, elegant smile on her face, and Yoshika could feel her face heat up a little.

"Takei-san," she started, fidgeting. "I suppose you're waiting for my answer."

With an encouraging nod, Takei's smile grew slightly. "Quite eagerly."

Yoshika heaved a sigh to calm herself. Her heart was nearly thumping out of her chest.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out, suddenly as though she wouldn't be able to get out the words if she didn't say it quickly. "I can't accept your offer, but I'm very thankful you considered me."

Takei, her smile cracking into a grin, let out a sigh of her own. "I knew you were going to say that," she laughed, "although I was hoping you wouldn't."

Shifting her weight from foot to foot, Yoshika felt like a young child unsure if she was about to be punished. Takei just waved her off and took a long sip from her tea.

"I'm not mad, Miyafuji-san. A little disappointed, maybe, but not mad. It's such a waste to let a cute girl like you get away."

Yoshika flushed appropriately. "I-I'm not that cute," she muttered, embarrassed.

"I think you're adorable," Takei responded unabashedly. "And I think it's a pity I won't be able to see you every day."

Unable to form proper words, Yoshika stood completely still in a mixture of surprise and disbelief. Takei, clearly amused, finished her tea and placed just the right amount of money on the table. She rose from the table, her serene smile in place.

"But, that doesn't mean I can't stop by every now and again does it?" she asked. Yoshika, still too uneasy to talk, nodded numbly. Inside, she was soaring.

Takei made her way to the exit, but stopped right before the door and held out a business card, very much like the one she gave Yoshika before but still crisp and wrinkle-free.

"And just because we won't be working together doesn't mean you can't still call." Another number was scrawled on the back. Utter elation welled in Yoshika's chest as she took the card. A pleased expression on her face, Takei turned to leave.

Grinning widely, Yoshika bowed lowly and recited her exit line with complete conviction.

"Come back soon, master!"

A/N: Let's ignore everyone's ages for the sake of keeping the story hole free.

Well, this was a late update, and I have no excuse other than "the end of the school year's a pain." No worries, though; if you have a request pending, I have every intention of getting to it. It just might take longer than I'd like.

This chapter is the perfect way of showing I know far too much about maid cafés and Japanese pop culture. I'm not entirely sure what brought the idea on, but it's one of those things you just roll with in hopes that it goes well. That said, I hope you readers enjoyed this chapter enough to make up for the wait.