Chapter 145: Two Little Devils

At the same time.

Arakawa Ward, Japan — on the way back to the apartment.

"Achoo!"

Walking home together with her classmate Mizushima Iori, Kamikawa Chie suddenly sneezed.

Mizushima Iori showed concern for Kamikawa Chie.

"Chie, you've caught a cold, haven't you? Winter's here, be careful not to catch a chill."

"Iori, look how thickly and warmly I dress every day — how could I catch a cold?" Kamikawa Chie's bright, dewy eyes rolled, and she reached out a small hand to rub her nose, mumbling: "Probably Nii-san is talking about me back home."

Mizushima Iori rolled her eyes and grabbed Kamikawa Chie's little cheeks with both hands, kneading them hard.

"Bragging about your Nii-san again, aren't you."

"Not at all." Kamikawa Chie's face was being squished, making her speech clumsy, her mouth producing muffled mm-mm sounds: "Wod shuo de, dou shi shihua, na you xuanyao"

Then Kamikawa Chie counterattacked, reaching out to knead the baby-fat-like cheeks of Mizushima Iori.

This scene was very funny.

Two middle-school girls, tangled together like they were fighting, but not really fighting, kneading each other's faces the way one would a kitten or puppy.

"Oh right, we're going out to play on Saturday — Chie, did you invite your Nii-san?" Mizushima Iori, who had lost the bout, rubbed her reddened little cheeks.

A few days earlier, Kamikawa Chie had made plans with Mizushima Iori and Komuro Muroto Meijiang to go out together.

At that time, Mizushima Iori had suggested that Kamikawa Chie invite Kamikawa Zun along, the reason being that after the thug incident last time, both she and Meijiang had been wanting to find a chance to thank Kamikawa Zun, but unfortunately school kept them busy, and with so many yokai incidents happening in Arakawa Ward, their parents didn't feel comfortable letting them run around, so the matter had been delayed until now.

Recently, no yokai incidents had occurred in Arakawa Ward, things had calmed down a bit, and only now did they have the chance to extend the invitation.

"I invited him, but Nii-san has to go to a classmate's house and can't come."

"I see… alright then."

Mizushima Iori's hopeful little eyes flickered with disappointment, her spirits deflating for a moment.

"Hehe, Iori, are you very disappointed that you didn't get a chance for some close contact with my Nii-san?" Kamikawa Chie leaned in close, wearing a cute, cheekily mischievous little expression.

Having been hit right where it hurt, Mizushima Iori's face flushed bright red all at once, the blush spreading all the way to her ears.

"Not at all, don't talk nonsense, or I'll hit you, you know."

Saying so, Mizushima Iori raised her small hand to smack Kamikawa Chie.

Dodging left and right, evading Mizushima Iori's little fists, Kamikawa Chie gave a mischievous grin.

Just like that, the two little girls frolicked and bickered all the way until the fork in the road on the way home.

Before parting ways to head home.

"Iori, since Nii-san isn't coming, where are we planning to go on Saturday?"

"Well then, let's stick to the original plan and go to a maid café. I've been wanting to check out a maid café for ages — I heard it's really fun. Originally I felt it might be a bit awkward for just us three girls to go to a maid café, so inviting your Nii-san along was perfect. Your Nii-san definitely hasn't been to a maid café yet, so let him enjoy some maid treatment — that counts as a great way to say thanks."

Mizushima Iori blinked, a little devilish smirk on her face.

To properly thank Kamikawa Zun, she had really put in the work, specifically asking the boys in their class what things boys especially liked, or places they wanted to go.

The maid café was the unanimous answer from the boys in class.

In those boys' words, no boy could resist maids — the cute moe maids, the mature onee-san maids, all of it was unbearable, utterly addictive.

Mizushima Iori vaguely remembered that when the boys in class mentioned maids, their drool was almost dripping out.

For this reason, she decided to invite Kamikawa Zun to the maid café.

But since Kamikawa Zun couldn't come, that didn't stop Mizushima Iori from wanting to go to the maid café.

Because the three little girls — Mizushima Iori included — also really liked maids, all because… maid outfits were so cute.

"So which maid café are we going to?" Kamikawa Chie asked.

She had heard from Komuro Muroto Meijiang that apparently when girls go to a maid café, not only can they enjoy being served by maids, they can also buy maid outfits.

Maid outfits were too cute!

She had to buy one when the time came!

Kamikawa Chie made up her mind, and murmured to herself: "Should I buy one for Nii-san too? I feel like Nii-san in a maid outfit would be really fun."

Hearing this, Mizushima Iori's eyes curved into crescents with a smile.

"Chie, that's a great suggestion. Kamikawa Nii-san is so handsome — if we dressed him up… hehe…"

"Right, right! Nii-san's skin is so nice, and his eyes are so pretty. With some careful styling, and putting a wig on Nii-san — wow, the perfect image of a cool, composed head maid."

"Chie, stop, stop, I'm going to get a nosebleed."

Mizushima Iori covered her nose, feeling a rush of heat about to surge up.

Imagining Kamikawa Zun in a maid outfit serving her, Mizushima Iori felt a strange little thrill, her legs pressing together slightly.

"But you know, Nii-san in a butler outfit would definitely be really cool," Kamikawa Chie suddenly said.

Hearing this, Mizushima Iori couldn't help but picture Kamikawa Zun in a black tuxedo, one hand clasped behind his back, the other extended forward, smiling as he said, "Hello, my dear guest, is there anything I can serve you?"

Once the image appeared, Mizushima Iori's legs clamped tight, her nosebleed nearly flowing out.

Serve me, hurry up and serve me!

She didn't notice that the smile she wore bore a striking resemblance to the perverted smile that kunoichi Sarutobi Ayame from Gintama gives Gintoki.

For a moment, the two little girls revealed smiles like devils and Satan, laughing wickedly.

Far away in his apartment, Kamikawa Zun felt a sudden inexplicable chill.

He turned to look back; the window behind him was open.

"Is it windy? Is it this cold today?" Kamikawa Zun assumed winter had arrived and a cold wind had blown in.

He then walked to the window and closed it.

"Mm, it doesn't seem so cold anymore."

Kamikawa Zun nodded and glanced up at the time.

Chizuru was almost home from school, so she should make dinner first.

Meanwhile.

"I wonder if the maid café sells butler outfits." Mizushima Iori wiped an imaginary nosebleed.

Kamikawa Chizuru cut her off.

"Setting aside maid outfits and butler outfits, Iori, you still haven't said which maid café we're going to."

"I don't know, I haven't decided. Mainly I've never been to a maid café either, so I don't know which one's good. How about asking the boys in our class? No good either — you can tell at a glance they're all just fantasizing and would never actually go."

"Then how about the one near my place? Yesterday when I was on my way to the convenience store, someone handed me a flyer — there's a maid café that just opened near my home. The flyer had a really pretty maid printed on it, apparently the café's signature maid, and it said she's number one on Japan's newest top-ten maid ranking."

"That impressive? Then when I get home tonight, I'll ask Muroto Meijiang for her opinion. If she has no objections, let's settle on this one. It's close to your place anyway, no need to go far."

"Sure."

Then Kamikawa Chizuru and Mizushima Iori waved goodbye to each other.

……

Arakawa Ward, Tokyo, Japan. An apartment.

"Nii-san, I'm home."

"Welcome back. Go wash your hands — today I bought something you like to eat…"

Kamikawa Mitsu, who had just finished cooking, washed his hands and brought the rice over.

At that moment, Kamikawa Chizuru bounced up to Kamikawa Mitsu, and their eyes met. Tilting her head, she grinned playfully:

"Nii-san, are you really not coming with us on the weekend? Iori, out of gratitude, is willing to take you to a maid café — all kinds of maid types available."

"Huh?"

……