The café was a gentle hum of clinking porcelain and rustling skirts, the afternoon sun spilling through arched windows in golden stripes. Light jazz trickled from hidden speakers, weaving seamlessly with the chatter of students and the delicate tapping of utensils against fine china.
Victor stood behind the polished counter, posture rigid, expression unimpressed.
Just a few paces away, Eden sat with one leg crossed over the other, her phone held aloft like a camera blessed by artistry itself. Her smile was all pride and mischief as she tapped the screen again and again.
Victor turned to her, flatly. "...I doubt any of this is necessary."
"Mmhmm," Eden hummed, clearly not listening. "Turn a little more to the left."
"Oh, let her have her fun," Mobius drawled, appearing behind him like perfume made manifest. Her gloved fingers brushed lazily across his shoulder, her voice low and wicked. "It's not every day we get to see you dressed like this."
Victor's suit fit too well for his liking—midnight blue with silver trim, hugging his frame like it was tailored by the gods of smug elegance. Crisp white undershirt, a silk cravat knotted perfectly at his throat, and gloves that fit with precision.
He looked good.
And he hated it.
"Ugh, you're complaining? At least you get to wear a suit," Yuzuki muttered, doing his best to ignore the shutter symphony coming from every café window. "They're going to post me on the internet."
He had a point.
The black-and-lilac maid uniform hugged a little too well. Ruffled apron.
Thigh-length skirt. Modest neckline.
And the bows on his head—he looked less like a server and more like someone who lost a bet with the universe.
"Hey, you look great!" Kiana beamed beside him, twirling once before hugging him around the shoulders and dragging him into an impromptu pose. Glitter caught in her hair as she laughed. "C'mon, think of this as training for a modeling gig!"
"Why would I want to be a model? And why maid cafés?" Yuzuki grumbled.
"Because it's tradition~!"
Across the room, Victor stood unmoved behind the counter, arms crossed, every inch of him screaming 'hostile elegance.'
His sleeves were rolled back just enough to show forearm, the kind that made nearby customers start blushing unprompted.
"Still doesn't make sense I'm the one serving," he mumbled as another trio of girls at a corner table giggled behind their menus.
Yuzuki's deadpan said everything.
"You're asking that now?"
Victor ignored him, wandering over to Mobius, who lounged like royalty, scrolling through a suspiciously large collection of photos of him.
"Send those to me later," she told Eden, who had already applied a 'Divine Glow' filter to her favorite ones.
"It makes sense, you know," Kiana piped up again, suddenly beside him. She waved an arm toward the crowd outside. "They're literally lining up to be served by you, hot stuff."
Victor stared at her. Blinked. "I hate this."
She grinned. "But you're so good at it~!"
He turned with a sigh, ignoring the sparkle in her eyes.
"Though I'm still confused. What exactly are we doing here again?" she asked.
"That's what I've been trying to ask," Yuzuki added, dabbing sweat off his temple with the hem of his frilly glove.
Victor exhaled, sweeping a look across the tables—packed and buzzing. Every chair filled. Every eye on them.
"Because," he finally said, voice low, "as the new Student Council of St. Freya, we're tasked with managing the events for the school year."
He exhaled, half in annoyance. "Which we can't do if we don't have any money."
Yuzuki stared. "Can't the school fund us?"
A smooth voice answered before anyone else could.
"We could," Chris said from a corner booth, sipping something fruity and overly garnished, "but Miss Theresa believes the students should enjoy the fruit of their own efforts. That includes this."
All heads turned.
Theresa sat daintily at a nearby table with Himeko, sipping melon tea from a cup as big as her face. She raised a hand with a cheerful smile.
"Yep! You're doing great!" she beamed.
"And this melon tea? Tastes even better when it's served by a cute maid~!"
Himeko clinked her cup to hers. "No budget until you earn one."
Victor sighed.
Yuzuki groaned.
Kiana twirled.
Eden kept snapping photos.
"Ah—maid~ I'm out of tea~!" Theresa's sing-song voice chimed across the café, one finger raised like she was summoning a servant.
Yuzuki closed his eyes in defeat.
"...Coming," he muttered, dragging his heels like a prisoner to execution.
Victor murmured, "I'll go check on Mei."
A chorus of disappointed sighs echoed behind him.
"Aww, but we wanted to order another dessert…"
"Can he feed it to me this time?!"
He ignored them and vanished through the kitchen door, coat tails swaying behind him like a final curtain.
Inside, the kitchen was warm with activity. The scent of citrus and vanilla filled the air. Mei stood at the center station, sleeves rolled up, her hair tied in a loose bun. She was surrounded by trays of fruit-topped soufflés and miniature lemon tarts, meticulously arranged in neat rows. A sheen of sweat glistened on her brow as she carefully piped frosting over a final cake.
Victor leaned casually against the doorway. "Holding up?"
Mei glanced up, blinked. "I'm fine," she said, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek.
He didn't move.
Just looked at her.
"I know," he said softly. "But I'm not asking because I think you can't do it."
She stilled, piping bag pausing in her hand.
"If you ever need help, tell me," he continued. "Even if you don't need it. Even if it's just because you'd rather make it easier for yourself."
Mei looked at him for a long second. Then sighed, a soft breath escaping as she returned to frosting. "You're spoiling me," she murmured.
Victor didn't miss a beat.
"I am."
A pause.
"So?"
Mei's eyes widened—just a little—and the heat that touched her cheeks had nothing to do with the ovens. She opened her mouth, just about to say something—
"VIIIICTORRRR~!"
Kiana's voice came crashing through the door like a sugar-powered hurricane.
"Customers wanna know if you're single and if you'll write their names in syrup!"
Victor closed his eyes. Sighed.
"I'm coming," he called, glancing once more at Mei.
She nodded, just a little red. "Go. Before they riot."
He turned.
"...Victor."
He stopped.
"Thanks."
He nodded once.
Then stepped back into the chaos with a straight face and reluctant grace.
===========================
Heya everyone~ HundredMasks-chan here, Sir Author is quite sad about the lack of comments, and therefore, has asked, does everyone want this story to continue? he's quite pessimistic about the opinion of the readers, so he's asking for honest opinion, please comment your opinion! thank you!