Chapter 5: The School Maid

At Sōshūkan Academy, tests came nearly every month.

The school followed the traditional three-term system, with two midterms, two finals, and a year-end exam—five regular tests in total. In months without those, proficiency tests filled the gaps.

While proficiency tests didn’t technically impact grades, Sōshūkan had a peculiar tradition: posting the results in the first-floor hallway for all to see. Only the top 100 names made the list. With roughly 200 students per grade, that meant half the class was left out.

“Top 50 would’ve been enough. Listing 100 names feels like they’re trying to shame us,” I muttered under my breath.

A proficiency test had just wrapped up after the new school year kicked off. Now, after school, the results were posted, and a crowd of students buzzed around the hallway, scanning for their names and rankings.

“Yo, Kiyomiya!”

“Fujikawa…”

A tall figure with neatly styled brown hair loomed behind me—Fujikawa Koutarou, a classmate I’d known since elementary school. Then again, in an escalator-style private school like this, most of us had been stuck with each other for years.

“This time… Kiyomiya Keiji, 100th place, huh?” Fujikawa chuckled. “Dead center, as always.”

“Obviously,” I replied, flashing a grin.

“I don’t wanna tank it and get stuck in remedial classes, but I’m not about to grind for a top rank either. This balance? Pretty slick, don’t you think?”

“Kiyomiya, you’re seriously aiming for the middle?” Fujikawa’s tone dripped with disbelief.

“I know my limits. No matter how hard I push, I’m above average at best. So, I aim for the middle of the middle without overdoing it.”

“This guy…” Fujikawa’s eyes narrowed, his expression caught between exasperation and amusement. “Wouldn’t it be easier to just bomb it on purpose?”

Proficiency tests didn’t come with remediation, but my approach to them was exactly as I’d laid out. It might look like I was slacking, but it was deliberate. I wasn’t here to chase glory or crash and burn—I’d carved out my spot right in the center, and I was doing it on purpose.

“Haha, I’m still a Kiyomiya, you know. A little effort keeps me out of trouble—can’t have the family name dragged through the mud,” I said, my grin unwavering.

“A little?” Fujikawa scoffed. “The Kiyomiya name’s practically weeping. Why are you smirking like that, you slacker?”

Slacker, huh? No matter what anyone threw at me, I kept the same easy grin Fujikawa was calling out.

“If you’re a Kiyomiya, at least aim for top 50. It’s not just you who gets laughed at—it’s your dad.”

“My dad gave up on his deadbeat son ages ago. As long as I’m not scraping the bottom, he doesn’t care what I do.” Truth was, my dad never hounded me about grades. I had my freedom, and I used it.

Fujikawa raised an eyebrow. “I got second place this time. Not to brag or anything.”

This guy had it all—looks, grades, and the title of basketball team ace since middle school. His family background was flawless, and he sat high on Sōshūkan’s social ladder. A bit arrogant? Sure, but at this school, that was practically a personality trait.

“If you trace it back, the Fujikawa family branched off from the Kiyomiya line,” he went on, his tone sharp. “It’s honestly embarrassing that a direct descendant of the main Kiyomiya house is languishing at 100th.”

“If you go that far back, half the students here are probably related. Don’t sweat it.” He wasn’t wrong—the Fujikawa family had split from the Kiyomiya clan centuries ago. Noble families intermarried, adopted heirs, and branched off, weaving a messy web of connections. At Sōshūkan, dig deep enough, and most students were distant cousins.

“Hmph. I’m from a distant branch and scored second, while you, the main house’s heir, sit at 100th? Pathetic slacker.”

“Hahaha.” His insults bounced off me, and I just laughed.

He wasn’t wrong about the slacker bit.

“What’s so funny?” Fujikawa’s eyes narrowed. “Come on, Kiyomiya. I’m gonna knock some sense into you.”

“I’m still full from those basketball matches. Just the other day, you had me running around for a whole thirty minutes.” I barely knew basketball beyond gym class and could hardly keep up with the rules. Fujikawa just wanted to toy with me on his turf, and I wasn’t biting.

“If you wanna play basketball, go mess with your buddies,” I said, brushing off Fujikawa’s challenge.

“Oh, come on. The 100th-ranked guy’s defying the second-ranked one?” Fujikawa’s voice carried a mocking edge.

“What, test scores decide who’s above who now? Let’s go by family status. I’m higher.”

“Don’t screw with me, Kiyomiya! Have you no shame?!”

“Shame’s easier to deal with than a pointless match.”

“You little… Besides, even if you’re a Kiyomiya son, you’re just—”

“Kiyomiya-kun, what are you doing?”

A voice cut through, sharp and clear. Hisaka Sayaka strolled up, her eyes glinting behind black-rimmed glasses, sharper than usual.

“H-Hisaka…” Fujikawa faltered, his bravado slipping.

Even someone as thick-skinned as him couldn’t stay composed in front of her stunning beauty.

“Oh, the proficiency test results, right?” Sayaka’s gaze flicked to the board. “Kiyomiya-kun, 100th place… Hurry up and catch up to my level.”

“You want me to overtake 99 people?” I shot back. Sōshūkan was packed with elite kids who took their studies seriously. With so many sharp, diligent students, climbing the ranks was no small task.

“Hisaka, don’t interrupt—er, I mean, Kiyomiya’s not worth it,” Fujikawa muttered, regaining his footing. “I lost to you again this time.”

“Lost?”

“I hate to admit it, but I got second. Hisaka’s first,” Fujikawa grumbled.

“I see.” Sayaka’s tone was calm, but a sly edge crept in. “So that means I have the right to give you orders, don’t I?”

“Ugh…!” Fujikawa flinched, clearly stung.

“Hey, Sayaka,” I said, catching her act. “You were listening the whole time, weren’t you?” That innocent “what are you doing” line was just a front—she’d heard everything.

“Fujikawa, can you back off quietly? We’ve got somewhere to be,” she said, her voice cool but firm.

“What…?” Fujikawa blinked, caught off guard.

“Let’s go, Kiyomiya-kun. Follow me.” Sayaka turned, already moving.

“Does first place get to boss around 100th place too?” I asked, half-joking.

“If you beat me, you can order me to do anything.” Her eyes gleamed with challenge. “And just so you know, I don’t joke around.”

A murmur rippled through the crowd, especially among the guys. Hisaka Sayaka, with her renowned beauty, was a legend among Sōshūkan’s lineup of stunning girls. The thought of ordering her around was enough to rattle any guy.

“Hey, Kiyomiya… Don’t get too full of yourself,” Fujikawa muttered, his tone sour.

“I’m not even doing anything, am I?” I threw a quick reply, already catching up to Sayaka as she strode ahead.

I had no clue what she was thinking, but if it got me away from Fujikawa’s pestering, I was all in.

Sayaka walked ahead, her steps brisk, and I trailed behind as we left the school grounds.

“Sayaka, you really saved me back there. That Fujikawa jerk’s been hounding me forever.”

“He must have it out for you, Kiyomiya-kun.”

“Fujikawa’s family ranks high, but they’re still below the Kiyomiyas. Not that I care about that nonsense.”

“Some people care a lot about that stuff. Is Fujikawa annoyed because you’re a Kiyomiya son but in a… complicated position?”

“Yeah, probably.” I nodded without hesitation. “After all, I’m what you’d call an ‘illegitimate child.’”

That was the truth. I was the only child of the Kiyomiya family head, but not the heir. Terms like “bastard” or “illegitimate” were too crass for polite company, so they were sidestepped in public. Put simply, my biological parents were never officially married. My mother was a so-called “commoner,” and their social standings didn’t align. You’d think class distinctions were outdated, but apparently, they still held weight.

My father couldn’t get the Kiyomiya clan to approve his marriage to my mom. Recognizing me as his son was the most he could manage. In high society, scandals like that were impossible to bury. The Kiyomiya family knew, the branch families knew, and by now, every student at Sōshūkan had heard the whispers.

“People just love their scandals, don’t they?”

“Gossip magazines fly off the shelves, and scandal articles online rack up clicks, don’t they?”

“Wow, Sayaka, you’re pretty well-versed in this.”

She didn’t seem fazed by my words, not even a little. No matter how cool-headed she was, nobody stayed that composed unless they already knew the story.

“It’s not like I picked it up from school rumors,” she said. “I was taught the basics about the Kiyomiya family.”

“Makes sense.” It wasn’t hard to uncover my status as the Kiyomiya family’s illegitimate child if you dug even a little. For someone like Sayaka, whose mother had been a Kiyomiya servant, it’d be stranger if she didn’t know.

“It’s got nothing to do with me,” Sayaka said, her tone flat. “From a commoner’s perspective, who your mom was doesn’t matter.”

“That’s the first time I’ve heard a commoner’s take on it.”

“Your mom was just a regular person, right?”

“Not rich or from a fancy family, from what I hear. What, you curious?”

“Not really.” Sayaka shut the topic down without a flicker of interest.

Even if she was curious, I wouldn’t have much to share. My mom passed away before I was old enough to remember her, leaving me with little more than vague stories.

“To me, Kiyomiya-kun, you’re just a spoiled, carefree, lazy rich kid.”

“Ouch. Being mocked as an illegitimate kid somehow feels kinder than that.” Could it be… did Sayaka actually dislike me? The thought of someone who hated me serving as my maid sent an odd thrill through me.

“You’ve got that look like you’re thinking something stupid,” Sayaka said, her eyes narrowing.

“Wha—?!” I flinched, caught off guard.

“Keep thinking stupid things, and you’ll stay stupid. Landing 100th place is a problem.”

“You said something like that earlier. Why do you care if I’m 100th or 200th, Sayaka?”

“I have my reasons.” She stopped abruptly and pointed at a building along the road. “Oh, this place looks good.”

“Huh?” I blinked, following her gaze. It was the supermarket closest to the Kiyomiya Family Old Manor.

“Wait, you were serious about us having somewhere to go?”

“It’s not just an excuse to get you out of there. Mind tagging along?”

“Sure.” So, she wanted help with shopping. If Sayaka was starting to take housework seriously, grocery shopping made sense.

“Teijou Imai… that fancy high-end supermarket, huh?” I muttered, eyeing the sleek storefront.

“It’s the only supermarket close to the house. Others are too far. You can grab ingredients at a convenience store, but for serious shopping, this is the place.”

The Kiyomiya Family Old Manor sat in an upscale residential area. Budget-friendly stores were scarce—not just supermarkets, but anything affordable.

“…” Sayaka hesitated at the entrance.

“Hm? Sayaka, you’re not going in?”

“Kiyomiya-kun, you go first. If a commoner like me walks in first, they might kick me out.”

“What kind of discriminatory supermarket would do that in this day and age?!” I exclaimed. “They’d get shredded on social media in a heartbeat.”

“I’ve never actually been in this supermarket either,” she admitted. “I’ve been getting by with convenience store stuff until now.”

“Even rich people shop at convenience stores, huh?”

“That’s some wild prejudice. Even the kids at our school hit up convenience stores like normal. Chain cafes, fast food, you name it.”

“If rich people keep shopping at cheap places, the economy won’t—wha?!” I yelped as Sayaka, standing behind me, suddenly grabbed my shoulder with a tight grip.

“W-What’s that, all of a sudden?”

“You don’t have money?” Her voice was sharp, almost accusing. “D-Don’t tell me you don’t have the cash to pay me… You tricked me!?”

“Hold on, hold on!” I waved my hands frantically. A refined-looking lady, about to enter the supermarket, shot me a piercing glare, her eyes like daggers.

“That came out wrong,” I said, waving my hands. “No, I’m not hiring a maid… but I’ve got enough money to cover help if I wanted. The Kiyomiya family handles the mansion’s maintenance costs. Paying for staff is no issue.”

“Phew…” Sayaka exhaled, her shoulders relaxing. “I got worried you were just messing with me. I need to be paid properly, you know.”

“Watch how you phrase things!” I hissed, glancing around. That lady from earlier was pulling out her phone—was she calling the cops!?

“A-Alright, let’s go, Sayaka!”

“Oh, right. We’re here to shop.”

We slipped past the lady and into the store, side by side. We’re fine, right?

“Hmm, it’s not much different from a regular supermarket inside,” Sayaka murmured, her voice low.

I wished she’d kept it down outside too.

She grabbed a shopping basket and headed for the aisles, but I quickly snatched it from her hands. “Oh, I’ll carry the basket.”

Sayaka was the type to insist on doing it herself because of her maid role, so I had to be firm.

“I thought Teijou Imai stores were usually small, but this one’s surprisingly spacious,” I said, glancing around.

“Yeah, it’s got that vibe.” The Teijou Imai near my family’s place was in a building, but it never felt this open.

“The selection’s good, and the quality looks great,” Sayaka noted, eyeing the shelves. “The prices aren’t cute, though.”

“Rich folks gotta keep the economy spinning, right? I’m not stingy about food, but I’m not wasting money either.”

“S-So, I can buy whatever I want?” Her voice perked up.

“Huh? Yeah, sure, go for it.” It wasn’t like I earned the money myself, so I couldn’t act all high and mighty about it.

Sayaka’s eyes seemed to sparkle faintly as she scanned the shelves. At school, she always had those icy snow queen eyes, but now… was she actually enjoying this?

“Kiyomiya-kun, do you prefer meat or fish?”

“Huh? Uh, well… I don’t dislike either.”

“Then I’ll make both a meat dish and a fish dish.”

“W-Wait! Uh, I’m kinda in the mood for meat today!” I blurted out. This girl didn’t know how to hold back. Making her cook two main dishes felt way too unfair. Plus—

“Are you really gonna cook for me, Sayaka?”

“This is just to show off my skills for the job, so I won’t ask for payment.”

“That’s not what I meant. Having a classmate—a girl—cook for me feels kinda…”

“Think of it as thanks for letting me stay over. And while you’re at it, you can judge my work and decide my salary.”

“You’re jumping straight from hiring to salary negotiations!” I groaned. If I let my guard down, she’d steamroll me into decisions I hadn’t even agreed to.

“Meat, huh…” Sayaka mused, eyeing the display. “It’s all premium cuts I’ve never even seen before.”

“Yeah, it’s pricey. In a regular supermarket, you’d probably find meat for a third of these prices.”

“Oh well. Since we’re shopping at a place like this and can buy whatever we want, it’d be a waste not to enjoy it.”

“E-Enjoy?” A high school girl having fun shopping at a supermarket? Sayaka almost seemed like she was relishing this maid gig.

And so, trailing behind a clearly delighted Sayaka, we took our time browsing the store’s aisles—

“Ugh, heavy…!” I groaned, struggling under the weight of two eco-bags stuffed to the brim with ingredients.

“I told you I’d carry some of it, didn’t I?”

“N-No, I can’t let a girl carry this.” I tightened my grip, determined.

Apparently, Sayaka always carried two foldable eco-bags, and she’d calculated exactly how much would fit while shopping. Is this what they call being a savvy shopper…?

“Kiyomiya-kun, I’m a maid before I’m a girl,” she said, stepping closer. Before I could react, she grabbed one handle of the eco-bag in my left hand and lifted it with ease.

“Whoa!” The load lightened significantly, but—

“This much shouldn’t bruise a boy’s pride, right? I think I’m quite the steal as a considerate maid.”

“…I’ll take it under consideration,” I muttered, caught off guard.

“Thank you,” she replied, a faint smile flickering across her lips. A rare sight—Sayaka smiling? Or had I imagined it?

“Still, though.”

“What?”

“Shopping for ingredients together like this… doesn’t it feel less like master and maid and more like a married couple?”

Sayaka’s gaze snapped to mine, sharp and unyielding. As if someone like you could be married to a beauty like me—you’re way out of your league. That’s what her look seemed to scream, though I’d admit my paranoia might’ve been doing the talking.

“From now on, I’ll do the shopping alone,” she said, her tone clipped. “I’m a scholar and an athlete, you know. Carrying heavy bags is no big deal.”

“Oh yeah, you’re a total all-rounder at sports too, huh?” Hisaka Sayaka wasn’t just the top student in our grade—she’d outrun the athletic kids in sports tests, or so I’d heard. These eco-bags were probably nothing to her.

“Being called a married couple…” She paused, her voice softer. “That kind of talk puts me in a tough spot.”

“Hm…?” I glanced at her, expecting another glare. But instead, her cheeks were faintly flushed, and she looked away. Was she… embarrassed? Maybe Sayaka wasn’t as used to couple stuff as I’d thought.

“Let’s hurry home,” she said, picking up her pace. “I’ve gotta work hard on dinner. I’ll make you eat till you burst.”

“This amount of food isn’t for just one meal, right!?” I called after her, half-panicked.

Sayaka, still gripping the eco-bag handle, strode briskly ahead. I couldn’t tell if she was hiding her embarrassment or deadly serious, but one thing was certain: tonight’s meat dish was going to be a feast.

Just getting to eat Hisaka Sayaka’s home-cooked meal was enough to make me happy.

The truth is, I’d had a crush on Hisaka Sayaka for a while now.