"Hey, welcome to Mocha Café. How could we be of service…"
The voice was as unenthusiastic as I felt. At one of the tables sat a girl who looked no older than me—maybe just a year or so above that. Her short, dark blue hair framed her face, with bangs lazily tied off to the side with a rubber band, hovering over her left eye.
Her pink gaze didn't even bother to lift in my direction, locked instead on this world's version of a phone—a holographic illusion flickering with magic. She wore a short skirt, her thighs pressed together as she sat with one leg resting over the other. Over it all, she had on a hoodie—an outfit that screamed casual and unconcerned.
Her shark tail was hitting against the wooden floorboards repeatedly in a constant rhythm.
"Um… excuse me," I muttered, unsure how to respond to the half-hearted greeting. "Where are the maids that work here?"
"Bao isn't here yet," she reported, her eyes finally drifting to me, taking in my appearance. "So I'm the only one working here right now, ma'am."
"I'm a boy!" I snapped, my arm folded as I registered what she told me— "that aside…" I muttered, taking in her appearance one last time.
"Where's your uniform?" I asked, watching her tilt her head in confusion at my question. "Uniform?"
"Yes, your uniform! You're a maid, aren't you?!" She blinked slowly, as if I'd just asked her to recite a spell backward.
"I mean, technically," she said, finally locking eyes with me. "But I don't really do the whole dress-up-and-say-'yes-master' thing. That's more Bao's thing. I just serve drinks and don't get fired."
"But this is a maid café," I said, my voice rising slightly. "There's a sign outside. There's lace. There are little bells on the door!"
She shrugged. "Yeah. Management says it boosts tips."
I stared. She stared back, finally setting her illusion-phone to the side with a lazy flick of her finger. The magic folded in on itself like mist retreating into the air.
I could feel my eyebrow twitch at her words, my mind recalling something my father had warned me about before he sent me off on my way.
"Oh yeah, a little tip: it's not like the other maid cafés I run. You might find it… difficult…" Yeah, very difficult!
I groaned, my hands reaching for my eyebrows, pinching the bridge of my nose.
"Well then, I've been tasked by my father to see this place grow—so from now on, you answer to me," I coughed into my arm, as if trying to garner her full attention, my hand on my chest as I spoke.
"In case you didn't hear me earlier, my name is Haru Mishamiya, and I'll be instructing you on your maid duties!"
"Yui! I'm back—I got the—" Bao returned, her crimson dragon tail swaying behind her. She held bags upon bags in both arms, stopping at the door to see both of us arguing.
"I said put it on!" I snapped, shoving the dress into her face. Yui pushed back against my arm and won—it was unbelievable how strong she was!
"I already told you I'd rather die!" she shouted, the two of us not even noticing Bao's presence.
"Um, what's going on?" Bao asked, standing in the doorway, arms loaded with bags, her crimson dragon tail flicking behind her.
Neither of us noticed her at first.
"I said put it on!" I snapped, thrusting the dress at Yui's face. She swatted my arm away with one hand—and won, which was insane considering how casual her effort looked.
"I already told you I'd rather die!" she shouted, eyes narrowing in defiance.
"Seriously?! What kind of maid refuses to wear a uniform?!"
"A smart one!"
"A lazy one!"
"Obsessive!"
"Unprofessional!"
"U-um, hello—"
"What?!" We both turned to her, snapping in annoyance at the interruption. Bao just stood there, completely baffled. Her hands tightened into fists, her teeth grinding as anger bubbled up before we felt the weight of what felt like 1,000-pound dumbbells on our heads, causing us to collapse to the floor in pain.
"O-ow! Bao!" Yui whined, groveling on the floor with me.
"Now let's try that again—" Bao insisted, her arms folded under her chest, pushing up the frills that hugged it tightly. She looked down on us with judgment and disappointed eyes. "Explain—"
"W-well, I was sent here by my father and—" She cut me off, her eyebrow raised.
"You're Haru?" she pondered, taking in my appearance.
I nodded hesitantly, careful not to get hit in the head again. Now that I looked at her, she looked oddly similar to that Bao from the video game I played back in my old world.
"Well, whatever. Your dad told me you were coming—" She sighed, walking past the two of us, my head raised slightly in confusion and intrigue at what he could've possibly said.
"In fact, he gave me a job just for this. He instructed me to let you and Yui take care of things on your own." Yui's tail perked up at her words as Bao handed her a closed envelope.
"It has a list of errands that you two will be doing. I'll manage the café here myself." Her words left no room for argument.
Yui grunted, turned on her heels, and walked ahead.