Chapter 146: The Maid Supporting the Melody of Flowers and Music

[This won’t work. The income won’t meet the target, and as you know, I probably don’t have that much time.]

Yukina replied.

[Are you short a lot of money?]

[I guess so.]

[Well then… with Shiomi-san’s looks, maybe you could consider making money through internet traffic. I remember you were the head of the support group, right?]

[I was only in charge temporarily that one time… and I messed it up.]

[You can’t be blamed for that!]

[It doesn’t matter. Anyway, this path won’t work either. Popularity and attention require a lot of time to build up, and it’s not easy to convert that into profit immediately.]

[Tutoring?]

[I can’t do that…]

Yukina could almost imagine how awkward it would be to go to a stranger’s house to be a tutor, given her personality that wasn’t good at dealing with other people.

[Speaking of which, don’t Agents get paid?]

[I don’t count yet, so…]

In fact, Yukina wasn’t even a quasi-Agent.

She hadn’t been admitted through the official review process.

And seemingly because of her connection to Ephnel, Masaki Hinaki’s attitude towards her was more like that of a “friend’s little sister” rather than a “quasi-Agent.”

She hadn’t placed any restrictions on her, nor had she provided her with any special conveniences.

Right now, she was basically operating outside the organization.

[Oh, is that how it is?]

Hanasou Kotone seemed to be a bit stumped.

It was a while before she sent the next reply.

[In that case, I guess a part-time job is still the best option, right? We’ll just have to be selective… I know a place. That place… might be a bit special. Some of the upperclassmen from our school go there often, and of course, some people work there too. I heard that for part-time work, you don’t have to go in on a fixed schedule, and the pay is quite good. I don’t know if you’re interested.]

Yukina’s eyes lit up.

Since it was a place frequented by students of Tomosumi Girls’ Academy, which was known as the “Young Ladies’ Academy,” it should be a pretty decent place, no matter how you looked at it.

[Hanasou-san, I think this could work. Please, tell me the details!]

[Don’t be so quick to decide… I have a few pictures here. It’s not too late to decide after you’ve seen them.]Following that, several images appeared in the chat window.

But as soon as Yukina glanced at them, her expression became complicated.

They were a few concept images of a recruitment notice and a store introduction, as well as some actual photos from inside the shop.

It had to be said, the business looked really good, and the interior decoration was very natural, quiet, and comfortable.

If she were just looking at it, Yukina would probably like this place a lot.

But…

[Why is it a maid cafe!]

For the time being, Yukina at least knew what a maid outfit was, and she knew what a maid cafe was.

She could also guess a thing or two about its target audience…

When it came to maid outfits, what Yukina wanted to see was Naoko wearing one, not herself!

Besides, she didn’t want to be stared at by men with strange gazes.

Although she wouldn’t casually develop a prejudice against men, the thought of wearing a maid outfit and standing in front of them was still somewhat repulsive to her.

As if worried that Yukina would get the wrong idea, Hanasou Kotone quickly added a sentence:

[To avoid any misunderstanding, Shiomi-san, let me explain: this maid cafe is actually only open to women, and it’s run by an upperclassman who has already graduated from our school. So, most of the customers there are also students from our school.]

Eh? Yukina was stunned for a moment.

Only open to women? And they were all students from her own school?

…If that was the case, it seemed a bit more acceptable.

[But speaking of which… why do you have this recruitment notice, Hanasou-san?]

Hanasou Kotone was silent for two seconds, then retracted the image of the recruitment notice.

[The daily tasks aren’t too different from a waitress in any other restaurant. The “maid” aspect is just part of the restaurant’s design. If I had to describe it, it’s more like a classical-style restaurant.]

To put it simply, it was a unique restaurant business model inherited from the old generation.

And the target audience was mainly students from Tomosumi Girls’ Academy.

[I also know some classmates who have worked there part-time. Well, our school is called the “Young Ladies’ Academy,” after all. For “young ladies,” the “maid experience” is probably essential, isn’t it?]

Hanasou Kotone said, adding a funny and mischievous emoji.

Yukina had also heard some ‘stories,’ such as: in the old generation, noble ladies in certain countries often had maids in these elegantly styled clothes by their side; or sometimes, they would undergo training as handmaidens to cultivate their etiquette and upbringing… and other such tales, plucked from who knows what storybooks or historical anecdotes of dubious authenticity left over from the old generation.

In any case, whether these claims were true or not was beside the point.

Given the current situation humanity faced, it was difficult to verify them one by one, and there was no spare time to distinguish or refute them.

But this kind of “culture” was indeed quite attractive to the girls of today.

Spending time and money to enjoy a momentary “young lady” life, even if it was fake, was a fresh and unique experience for them.

Then there were those who simply liked this atmosphere, liked this cultural remnant of the old generation, or simply found it interesting.

These people were the main source of traffic for this maid cafe.

[And, there are also people who come there because they enjoy playing the role of a maid.]

Hanasou Kotone said, having just given a long-winded introduction to “maid cafe” culture.

[Is that you, Hanasou Kotone?]

Yukina asked, and received a string of emojis in reply, but in the end, Hanasou Kotone didn’t deny it.

[If you just want to give it a try, I actually have the uniform here. If you don’t mind, you can take it and try it on~]

[That would be too much trouble for you, and you need to use it yourself, right… so there’s no need.]

[It’s fine for me. I can’t use it right now anyway.]

Hanasou Kotone’s arm was injured.

Although it wasn’t serious, she was not in a condition to continue working as a waitress.

[You’re the one who needs to find a part-time job right now, aren’t you? It’s said that just by standing in front of a mirror and trying it on, you’ll know if you’ll like it or not.]

This would save more time, and… something like a maid outfit, it would probably be easier to accept if she tried it on at home first, right?

It was much better than wearing it in front of people right away.

At least she could be mentally prepared.

Yukina was a little moved.

“Then… won’t it be a bother to take the store’s uniform out?”

[This one is my own, so it’s okay.]

Hanasou Kotone said.

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