The Professor|| Sylus

Booth

The next day, Mei dragged herself through the hallway, barely awake and late for the first class. She yawned as Yuki approached her with a cheerful grin. "Mei, you seem...out of it."

Mei rubbed her tired eyes. "I didn't get much sleep last night..."

Yuki chuckled and linked her arm with Mei's. "Well, while you were away, Ayako volunteered us—along with Hana—for the maid booth in our class event."

Mei's eyes shot open wide, her sleepiness instantly replaced with surprise. "She did what? I thought that was only for freshmen?"

Yuki shrugged. "Seems like they've included everyone this year, even fourth years. It's supposed to count as extra-curricular activity, and we get bonus points for participating."

Mei sighed, feeling a bit overwhelmed. "But why a maid booth? Why not something else, like a haunted house or a scramble event?"

Yuki laughed, her voice light and teasing. "You're too cute, Mei. Come on, everyone's waiting for us!"

They made their way to the meeting area, where several students were gathered around Ayako and Hana. The room was already buzzing with energy as people discussed preparations for the event.

Ayako waved excitedly when she spotted them. "Hallo~! Good thing you found her Yuki! Now we can finally start."

The group gathered around a table, where Ayako began explaining the different tasks. "So, here's the plan for our maid café booth. We need a team to handle the drinks and pastries, another group to set up the booth itself, and of course, the maids who will be serving."

Hana chimed in, holding up a list. "We'll need to decide who's in charge of which drinks—tea, coffee, and maybe some fancy mocktails. And for pastries, we've already ordered some cupcakes and cookies, but if anyone wants to bake anything, feel free!"

One of the students raised a hand. "I can help with the drinks. My family owns a café, so I'm good with that."

Ayako nodded. "Perfect! Now, for the booth setup, we'll need people to decorate, make signs, and help with the overall theme. We want it to look cute but classy, maybe with a pastel color palette."

Yuki nudged Mei, grinning. "Sounds like you're going to be busy."

Mei blinked. "Wait...what do you mean?"

Ayako smirked. "Oh, Mei, you're going to be one of the maids serving! We already have the costumes ready."

Mei's face turned red. "Wait, I'm actually going to wear one of those maid outfits?! Couldn't I be assigned anywhere else besides that?-"

Hana laughed. "Yes and Nada! Everyone has their hands full and don't worry we will be joining you too plus It's all part of the experience! Don't worry, you'll look adorable."

As the group continued their discussion, assigning roles and tasks, Mei found herself roped into serving at the booth. She watched as some students started planning the setup, making lists of materials they needed for decorations and deciding how to arrange the tables. Others were brainstorming drink recipes and discussing how to prepare the pastries.

Despite her initial reluctance, Mei felt a small smile forming as the excitement of the event started to catch on. She wasn't sure about wearing the maid outfit, but at least it was something to take her mind off everything that had happened the day before.

Time passed quickly, and by the time Mei returned home with her maid costume in hand, she found Kieran and Luke lounging in the living room. Noticing the absence of Sylus, she asked, "Where's professor?"

Kieran glanced up from the book he was skimming. "He's got some meetings tonight. Nothing to worry about."

Mei frowned slightly. Sylus hadn't mentioned any meetings to her, but she brushed it off, figuring it was just another part of his mysterious life.