Beside You (Akira Sendoh Fan Fiction)

18

"Ayane."

Everything was a blur.

"Ayane."

Such words, each sound, everything was unclear.

I managed to say a "yes" when my seatmate smacked me in the back. We were currently having a last-minute meeting before we prepare for tomorrow's festival. I don't even know why after I said yes all of my classmates, especially the girls evilly grinned.

"You're seriously gonna do it?" Our class president, who was standing in front asked me, still a bit dazed.

"Uh... Yes, why not?"

I was certain that something problematic will result from the unplanned words I just spoke.

"It's just that it's unusual for you to agree on doing things like this, Ayane." My seatmate told me.

I nodded dumbly.

"You're sure you won't call the customers names or curse them?" Our class president asked.

"Huh? Are you starting some sort of a restaurant or something?"

"Don't worry, what you'll do tomorrow, you'll not be the only one who'll do it, some girls will, too."

After having my mouth ajar and was not able to say a word, our class president dismissed the meeting, until only the two of us were left in the classroom. My classmates dispersed and ran to the door like mice out of their cages.

"Ayane, you bake, right?" She asks while sorting through her bag. "And you make great rice balls."

"Yes, why?"

"Oh, that'll be great!" She said, clapping her hands together.

"How did you know that I bake, prez? And also how did you know about the rice balls?"

"Someone told me." She says with a smile. " And I saw your lunchbox once. Here." She hands an envelope before swinging the strap of her backpack. "It's the money our class got for the festival. Buy the ingredients you need, bake whatever you like, and bring it tomorrow."

"Why me?"

"Because you're good at it. I haven't tasted one of the things you bake, but I'm sure it'll be delicious."

"We're gonna sell it?" I asked, and she giggled.

"No, silly! We're running a maid cafe tomorrow."

"What?"

"You know, those cafes where the girls are dressed up as maids and serve the customers food and calls them masters and mistresses."

"We're doing that? That's embarrassing."

" C'mon. Don't be so negative. I should go now..." she said, eyeing her wristwatch. "I know you'll also look cute tomorrow. You agreed upon it, yes?" She says, already out of the room.

"What?" I replied, baffled.

"Because you'll also be a maid!" Her voice echoed through the walls of the hallway, and it took me a couple of seconds before I absored it.

Me? A maid?!

"N-no, wait a sec, Prez!" I fetched my bag before I went outside, and I even went down the stairs, but she was nowhere to be found.

This, this was the problematic result that I was waiting for.

Now that I'm given with this responsibility it's too late to back out, even too rude to not do what the class expect from me. Grunting as I walk out of the school building I was startled when my phone rang. I already know who it was, and opening it, his name flashed on the screen in large capital letters: