Walking along the relatively empty street, Su Ruanruan’s small face was still flushed. That strange, tingling sensation on the inside of her thighs seemed to linger on her skin, making her feel uneasy as she walked.
The atmosphere was somewhat silent.
Chu Youyu and Shiziori didn’t speak, but both of their expressions were quite unpleasant.
“Ruanruan…”
As they walked, Chu Youyu suddenly stopped and turned around. Her voice carried a rare hint of seriousness. “That person just now… did she really not hurt you?”
“N—no…” Su Ruanruan shook her head. “I was just… touched a little…”
“Where were you touched?” Shiziori suddenly spoke. Her voice was light, but it carried a trace of gloom.
“It was… just…” Su Ruanruan’s face turned bright red as she whispered, “My butt and my thighs…”
“…” Shiziori’s fingers tightened slightly, her knuckles turning white.
“That bastard…” Chu Youyu spat through gritted teeth. “If this Young Lady catches her, I’ll definitely show her what’s what!”
Just as the atmosphere grew increasingly heavy, Shiziori’s phone suddenly rang.
Buzz, buzz, buzz —
Shiziori took a look at her phone, and her expression instantly became even more somber.
“I’m sorry, I have to take this call.”
She walked to the side and pressed the answer button.
“…Yes, I understand. …Now? …I see.”
After a few brief sentences, Shiziori hung up. She turned around with a look even more brooding than before, though she still managed to force a gentle smile.
“Ruanruan, Youyu… there’s an emergency at home. I need to go back immediately.”
“Eh? Right now?” Su Ruanruan’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Yes.” Shiziori nodded. She walked over to Su Ruanruan and reached out to gently pat her head. “I’m sorry I can’t stay with you today.”
“I—it’s okay… family matters are more important…” Su Ruanruan said obediently.
“Then I’ll be going now.” Shiziori gave Su Ruanruan a deep, lingering look before turning to leave.
After a few steps, she suddenly turned back and spoke with an almost obsessive tone.
“Ruanruan, if anything like that happens again… you must tell me.”
“Um… I will…”
Only then did Shiziori turn away, her silhouette looking exceptionally lonely as she walked off.
Watching Shiziori’s receding figure, Su Ruanruan bit her lip worriedly.
“Don’t worry.” Chu Youyu took her hand. “Whatever is happening at Shiziori’s house probably isn’t a big deal. She’ll be back soon. Let’s go to the shop!”
“Okay…”
The two continued forward. Not long after, a three-story Western-style building appeared in the bustling district.
The exterior walls were painted a soft cream color, and a delicate wooden sign hung by the door, featuring a drawing of a proud little black cat wearing a maid’s headpiece.
“We’re here!” Chu Youyu pushed open the glass door, and the wind chimes hanging inside let out a crisp, pleasant ding-dong.
“Welcome home, Young Lady — Meow~”
Several servers dressed in Black and White Maid Outfits bowed in unison, their clear voices echoing through the shop.
The interior decor followed a vintage European sweet style. Every table was covered with a lace tablecloth, and the air was filled with the rich aroma of coffee and the creamy scent of baked desserts.
As it was currently teatime, many customers were seated in the shop, mostly fashionable high school girls.
“Good work, everyone!” Chu Youyu waved her hand with a huff of pride, then pulled Su Ruanruan to the front. “Ruanruan is back! Shiziori has business and couldn’t come today, so it’s just the two of us!”
“Wow, Ruanruan!” A maid wiping a table brightened up and waved enthusiastically.
“Hello, everyone…” Su Ruanruan lowered her head shyly.
“Let’s go, let’s go!” Chu Youyu pulled Su Ruanruan’s hand and headed upstairs. “I prepared a super cute new uniform for today! I’m going to change and wear it with you!”
“Eh? You’re changing too, Youyu?”
“Of course! This Young Lady loves maid outfits the most! Besides, since it’s just the two of us today, we have to dress up properly!” Chu Youyu said excitedly, her black pigtails swaying cheerfully with her movements.
The two arrived at the second-floor dressing room.
Chu Youyu pulled out two extremely delicate dust bags from her private locker.
“Ta-da! This is a new style I spent a lot of money to have a high-end tailor custom-make!”
Chu Youyu handed one of the sets to Su Ruanruan. It was a classic black and white Cat-ear Maid Outfit with a fluffy short skirt, intricate lace trim, and even a clever little loop on the back where a cat tail could be attached.
“Um… this skirt is so short…” Su Ruanruan held up the hem, which looked like it could barely cover the tops of her thighs. Her small face turned bright red.
“How is it short? This is the latest style!” Chu Youyu held up her own identical but smaller version of the Cat-ear Maid Outfit. “See, mine is the same! Besides, I already had safety shorts sewn inside. There’s absolutely no risk of exposure!”
“T—then let’s change…” Su Ruanruan said with a red face.
“Mm-hmm!” Chu Youyu nodded excitedly.
Each of them walked to a different corner of the dressing room.
Su Ruanruan turned her back to Chu Youyu and carefully unbuttoned her school uniform top.
Ever since she had learned about Chu Youyu’s feelings for her, she felt particularly shy about changing clothes in front of her.
She stole a glance behind her and saw that Chu Youyu was focused on taking off her own clothes. Her petite body looked remarkably slender beneath the oversized school uniform.
“Ruanruan, what are you looking at?” Chu Youyu suddenly turned her head and winked slyly.
“N—nothing!” Su Ruanruan quickly turned back, her face growing even redder.
She sped up her pace, shedding her school uniform until she was only in her white undergarments, then clumsily pulled on the tight black top.
“Ruanruan, you can’t reach the ribbons on the back, can you? Let me help!”
Chu Youyu had already finished changing and came skipping over.
“Th—thank you…” Su Ruanruan stood stiffly.
Chu Youyu stood behind her, her small hands picking up the ribbons to start tying them. However, whether it was intentional or not, her fingers “accidentally” brushed against Su Ruanruan’s bare back several times.
“Mm…” Su Ruanruan’s shoulders twitched.
“Don’t move, or I won’t be able to tie it properly,” Chu Youyu said with a giggle, her fingers wandering even more boldly across her back.
“You—Youyu…”
“There, there, all done!” Chu Youyu clapped her hands in satisfaction, then pulled two fluffy cat tails from her pocket. “Come, let me help you put the tail on, too!”
She moved behind Su Ruanruan and clipped the cat tail onto the small loop on the back of the skirt. During the process, her hand “accidentally” lingered on Su Ruanruan’s backside for several seconds.
“Ah… Youyu, you’re doing that on purpose, aren’t you…” Su Ruanruan protested with a red face.
“No way! I’m just working hard!” Chu Youyu sounded perfectly righteous. She then pulled Su Ruanruan to the full-length mirror. “Come, come, come! Look at the result!”
In the mirror, two cat-ear maids stood side by side.
Su Ruanruan’s silver hair paired with the cat ears, and her red eyes held a hint of innocence. The black and white maid outfit accentuated her slender waist, and her fair thighs were visible beneath the short skirt.
Meanwhile, Chu Youyu was even more petite and cute. Her black pigtails paired with cat ears, and her delicate, doll-like face wore a triumphant smile. The fluffy skirt made her look like a living plush doll.
“How is it! Aren’t we a perfect match?” Chu Youyu asked proudly.
“Um… it’s very cute…” Su Ruanruan praised sincerely.
“Hehe!” Chu Youyu suddenly leaned in and hugged Su Ruanruan’s arm. “Then let’s go down and open for business! Today, we’re going to make all the customers die of cuteness!”
“O—okay…”
Hand in hand, the two walked out of the dressing room and headed downstairs.
—
The first-floor hall.
When the two “kittens” walked down the stairs side by side, the originally noisy cafe fell silent for three seconds.
Immediately after, whispers exploded like boiling water.
“Oh my god! Two cat-ear maids!”
“The silver-haired one and the black-haired one are both so cute!”
“Wait, the black-haired one is the manager, right? The manager is actually wearing a maid outfit!”
“Aaah, I have to take a picture!”
Facing dozens of pairs of eyes that looked like hungry wolves, Su Ruanruan’s legs went weak from fear, and she instinctively hid behind Chu Youyu.
“Hmph, what are you afraid of!” Chu Youyu tilted her small chin up proudly and pulled Su Ruanruan’s hand to the center of the hall. “Today, this Young Lady will personally serve the customers! You’re all in luck!”
“Long live the manager!”
“The two kittens are too cute!”
The guests clapped and cheered one after another.
Chu Youyu smiled smugly, then led Su Ruanruan to the nearest table of customers.
They were two girls who looked like college students, excitedly discussing something.
“Welcome home, Master — Meow~”
Chu Youyu spoke in a sweet voice, then nudged Su Ruanruan with her elbow.
“W—welcome home, Master… Meow…” Su Ruanruan followed in a small voice, her tone so soft and sweet it felt like it would melt.
Standing side by side, one cat-ear maid was proud and lively while the other was soft and adorable. It was a complete visual strike.
“Aaah! Too cute!” one of the customers cried out, clutching her chest. “I want to take a photo! Is that okay?”
“Of course!” Chu Youyu said generously, then pulled Su Ruanruan close. “Come, Ruanruan, let’s strike a cute pose!”
“Eh? What pose?”
“Like this!” Chu Youyu suddenly hugged Su Ruanruan from behind, resting her chin on her shoulder. Their sets of cat ears were pressed tightly together. “This angle is the cutest!”
“Wu… Youyu…” Su Ruanruan’s face instantly turned completely red.
The soft sensation pressing against her from behind and Chu Youyu’s warm breath hitting her ear made her entire body go stiff.
Click —
The flash went off.
“Perfect! One more!” the customer said excitedly.