Twenty minutes later, Su Ruanruan arrived at Amour Maid Cafe on Commercial Street.
As she pushed open the heavy wooden door hung with delicate brass bells, the rich aroma of freshly ground coffee and the melodious strains of a violin piece wafted toward her.
“W-welcome…”
Su Ruanruan looked up instinctively and froze instantly, her fingers tightening slightly around her canvas bag.
Standing there was unexpectedly Saginomiya Shiori.
She was wearing a slim-fitting, navy blue suit paired with crisp trousers and a vest. Her short, neat black-blue hair was styled meticulously, with a few stray strands brushing against her cheeks, revealing her smooth forehead and her handsome, dashing face.
“Ruan… Ruanruan…”
Upon seeing Su Ruanruan, Shiori’s “stoic” persona, which she had been forcing for her role, instantly shattered. Her cheeks flushed red as she awkwardly tugged at her cravat, her eyes darting nervously.
“Does this… look strange? Youyu insisted I wear this… I knew she was playing a prank on me. It’s not cute at all…”
“N-no, not at all!”
Although Su Ruanruan’s heart was pounding at how beautiful Saginomiya Shiori looked, she could only stutter in response, not even daring to meet Shiori’s eyes. “It looks… great! Really! You look just like… like Amami Yuki from Takarazuka.”
“Hmph! Where are you looking, you dummy!”
A willful and childish shout came from the second floor, dripping with jealousy.
Su Ruanruan jumped, looking up like a startled hamster.
Chu Youyu stood on the stairs, hands on her hips, glaring down at them crossly.
She was dressed in a pink and black Lolita-style cat-girl maid outfit. Beneath her puffy short skirt were white silk over-the-knee socks tied with bells, and a fluffy black tail swayed restlessly behind her. Atop her head sat a pair of moving mechanical cat ears that twitched along with her emotions.
“How dare you ignore me and keep staring at Saginomiya…”
Chu Youyu gritted her teeth and stomped down the stairs in her buckled leather shoes. *Clack, clack, clack.* She rushed toward Su Ruanruan like a furious little cannonball.
“You… Youyu…?” Su Ruanruan was so intimidated by her aura that she backed up against the door.
“Look at me!”
Chu Youyu domineeringly reached out with both hands, grabbing Su Ruanruan’s collar and forcing her to look down.
Then—
She suddenly hugged her!
“Whoa!” Su Ruanruan let out a short cry of surprise.
A soft, fragrant little body was suddenly pressed into her arms. Chu Youyu buried her face in Su Ruanruan’s chest and rubbed against her forcefully, like a cat asserting its dominance over its territory.
“Am I not cute? Huh?”
As Chu Youyu rubbed against her, she demanded an answer in a tone that was both embarrassed and forceful.
“Say I’m cute! If you don’t say it, I’ll bite you!”
Su Ruanruan froze entirely, her hands hovering in the air with nowhere to go.
The sensation in her arms was too real, too soft. The mechanical cat ears on Youyu’s head were rubbing against her chin, making it itch.
“C-cute! Youyu is the cutest in the whole world!” Su Ruanruan cried out, terrified she would be bitten if she delayed even one second.
“Hmph, that’s more like it.”
Satisfied with the answer, Chu Youyu did not let go. Instead, she hugged her even tighter, even standing on her tiptoes to whisper fiercely into Su Ruanruan’s ear.
“Since you think I’m cute, look at me closely! You’re not allowed to look at anyone else! From today on, you’re my employee. Your eyes can only look at the boss!”
Just as Su Ruanruan was about to faint from a lack of oxygen, she felt a sudden chill behind her.
“Um… Youyu, I think you’re scaring Ruanruan.”
Saginomiya Shiori’s voice came from behind, carrying a trace of imperceptible jealousy.
She stepped forward and gently wrapped her arms around Su Ruanruan’s waist from behind. She looked like a knight protecting a princess—or perhaps like someone competing for prey.
Shiori lowered her head, leaning her handsome face close to the back of Su Ruanruan’s neck. Her warm breath brushed against her skin.
“Ruanruan, don’t be afraid… I’ll protect you.”
‘Oh no… I can’t take this… I’m going to die…’
Steam practically rose from Su Ruanruan’s head as her eyes turned into dizzying swirls.
“Hey! Saginomiya Shiori! What are you doing! Ruanruan is mine!”
Chu Youyu’s hair practically stood on end. She shoved Su Ruanruan away and shouted at Shiori, her face as red as a ripe tomato.
“You… you let go!”
To hide her embarrassment and her lapse in judgment from throwing herself into Ruanruan’s arms earlier, Chu Youyu yanked Su Ruanruan out of Shiori’s grasp and roughly shoved an exquisite gift box into her arms.
“Su Ruanruan! Go change your clothes! Stay away from this stupid dog!”
***
Su Ruanruan, her head still steaming, carried the gift box into the dressing room. She leaned against the door and gasped for breath.
‘That was terrifying… Is this heaven?…’
She patted her burning cheeks, her hands still trembling slightly.
She opened the box.
Inside was an extremely high-quality Winter Limited Skin maid outfit (inspired by Rem’s winter outfit).
It featured a black long-sleeved design with white plush fur trim, a signature hollowed-out chest area with a blue bow, and a puffy, layered skirt.
Most importantly, at the bottom of the box lay a pair of high-quality black pantyhose.
‘Thank goodness they’re pantyhose. As long as they aren’t those strange garter belts…’
Su Ruanruan breathed a sigh of relief.
***
[The Lobby]
Click.
The dressing room door slowly opened.
The still-bickering Chu Youyu and Shiori turned their heads at the same time.
The next moment, the lobby fell into a deathly silence.
Exquisite pink flower hair accessories were pinned into Su Ruanruan’s silver-white short hair, with a few stray locks framing her face.
The winter maid outfit perfectly hugged her petite frame. The white fur at the collar and cuffs made her small face look even more delicate and lovely, while the hollowed-out design at the chest perfectly revealed a hint of snowy skin and her dainty collarbones.
The black pantyhose tightly encased her slender, well-proportioned legs, tracing their perfect lines. Because the skirt was puffy and short, those legs wrapped in black silk appeared exceptionally long and alluring, radiating an aura of a forbidden yet captivating “absolute territory.”
Su Ruanruan gripped her skirt nervously with both hands. Her legs were pressed together, and she stood slightly pigeon-toed. The black silk covering her ankles shimmered delicately under the lights.
She looked up timidly, her red eyes filled with a mix of shyness and a desire to please.
“You… Youyu… is this… is it too thick?”
Pfft!!
Chu Youyu suddenly covered her nose, looking as if she had been struck by lightning. She froze on the spot.
Her face turned red instantly, becoming even redder than the red bow on her head.
‘Oh my god… this is exactly the perfect maid I imagined! I want her to step on me… No! I want her to give me a knee pillow! I want to touch those legs!’
(PS: Chu Youyu was an irredeemable fan of black stockings.)
“Cough! Cough, cough, cough!”
Chu Youyu hurriedly turned away, frantically pulling out a handkerchief to block her nose. Her voice trembled, yet she tried to maintain a facade of composure.
“B-dummy! Who cares if it’s thick or not! This is… this is a Winter Limited Skin! You wouldn’t understand!”
“It’s… it’s barely acceptable! At most, it’s just a little bit better looking than that vase over there! Anyway… don’t move! Stand still! Let… let me check carefully for any wrinkles!”
On the other side, Saginomiya Shiori’s amber eyes were also glued to the sight.
As she looked at Su Ruanruan’s calves wrapped in black silk, she couldn’t help but swallow hard.
“Ruanruan… I love you!”
Shiori stepped forward, a look of infatuation flushing her handsome face.
She dropped to one knee and gently straightened Su Ruanruan’s skirt, her fingertips grazing the smooth surface of the black silk.
“It looks beautiful… black suits you very well.”
“Shi… Shiori?” Su Ruanruan was startled by the sudden kneeling. Her face turned as red as an apple, and she wanted to step back but didn’t dare move.
“Don’t… don’t do that… it’s embarrassing…”
Just then, the brass bell at the door rang.
Ding-ling—
“Ah! A guest is here!”
Su Ruanruan was startled, and she quickly recalled the lines Chu Youyu had taught her.
For the sake of that 4,000,000 debt… she would give it her all!
She turned around, folding her hands over her lower stomach, and gave a deep bow toward the door. Her voice was soft and sweet, carrying a hint of practiced nervousness.
“W-welcome back… Master~”