Chapter 14: Maid-san’s Physical Contact

“There was a time when the Reizen family took in Saya and her mother for a while,” Reizen-sensei said, her voice carrying its usual natural cadence.

As she often mentioned, the Reizen family was, for all intents and purposes, commonfolk—yet their tenuous ties to high society meant she typically cloaked herself in layers of carefully crafted masks. A fortress of composure, really. It was safe to say no student at school had ever glimpsed the real Reizen-sensei.

“Even now, the mansion’s enormous,” she continued. “My cousin, the one I mentioned before, sometimes stays over. She’ll come to me with heavy dilemmas—like how she’s fallen for her best friend’s older brother, and it’s a complete mess. Puts me in quite a bind, honestly.”

Was it really such a big deal to like a friend’s brother? Perhaps there was some tangled situation complicating things. Either way, the Reizen main house apparently boasted a surplus of empty rooms and a long history of hosting freeloaders.

Sayaka’s mother, it turned out, had ties not only to the Kiyomiya family but also to the Reizen family. After leaving her role as a servant for the Kiyomiya household, she and Sayaka had briefly taken shelter at the Reizen estate. Back then, a younger Reizen-sensei, still a student herself, had looked after Sayaka.

“The entrance exam for Sōshūkan Academy requires a recommendation from a prominent family,” Sayaka explained softly. “The Reizen family was the one who helped me.”

In a hushed aside, she added, “Miyabi-san used to dote on me like a little sister.”

Yet, after Sayaka enrolled at Sōshūkan, the two had maintained a careful distance. It made sense—teacher and student acting like sisters would hardly be appropriate.

That polished, grown-up demeanor Reizen-sensei displayed in the staff room… was it all an act? I’d been stunned when she abruptly shifted gears, stepping in to help Sayaka. But perhaps those were her true feelings, bubbling to the surface. Maybe, when I brought up Sayaka’s situation, she’d been secretly thrilled for the chance to act on her lingering care for her.

“Phew…”

After that whirlwind of a talk in the guidance office, I’d finally made it home. A quick bath later, I shuffled back to my room and collapsed onto the bed, limbs sprawled like I’d run a marathon.

“Man, I’m exhausted,” I muttered. “That was… way too unexpected.”

I’d marched into school that morning, fists clenched, ready to fight tooth and nail against the abolition of the special scholarship slot. But somewhere along the way, the conversation had veered off into uncharted territory, leaving me reeling.

Relying on Reizen-sensei had been a practical choice—she was my homeroom teacher, after all. But now, a nagging thought tugged at me. “Hold on…?”

Realistically, the scholarship issue was a beast far beyond my ability to tackle alone. I’d gone in to protest, fully aware that overturning the decision was a long shot. But if I could secure Reizen-sensei’s cooperation—an adult, a teacher with real sway at the school—maybe, just maybe, there was a chance.

“Kiyomiya-kun, don’t fall asleep.”

“Whoa!?” My heart nearly leaped out of my chest at the sudden voice, jolting me upright.

“Sa-Sayaka!?” I stammered, eyes wide. “When did you—!?”

There she was, Sayaka, perched on the bed—more accurately, straddling me. Naturally, since we were in the old manor, she was dressed in her maid outfit, the frilled skirt fanning out as she loomed over me.

“Before you sleep, I wanted to thank you.”

“Thank you?” I blinked, still processing her presence. “You don’t have to say it while sitting on me.”

“It’s to ensure you’re awake.”

“Well, it’s way too effective,” I shot back, my pulse racing. A cute maid-san pinning you to the bed? No guy in the world could stay half-asleep through that.

“So, what’s this ‘thank you’ about?

“For going to Miyabi-san—Reizen-sensei—to protest on my behalf,” Sayaka replied, her voice earnest. “Even though it could’ve landed you in hot water with the school.”

“Reizen-sensei probably won’t snitch on me for griping about the school’s methods. Wait, no—if she does keep quiet, that might actually be a problem.”

“No, it’s better if she stays quiet. Reizen-sensei’s just a young teacher. She’s not a grade head or vice-principal. If she gets on the school’s bad side, she’ll be the one in trouble.”

The thought made my stomach twist. “…If I got Sensei fired, I’d feel pretty awful about it.”

It’d be bad enough if Sayaka lost her scholarship, but dragging Reizen-sensei down with us would be unfair. “You’re right,” I admitted. “Reizen-sensei could be a reliable ally, but that’s exactly why we can’t lean on her.”

“The school already knows about my connection to her. If Reizen-sensei protests the scholarship issue, they’ll just assume she’s protecting someone close to her.”

“Yeah, that makes sense,” I sighed. I’d hoped Reizen-sensei could be our ace in the hole, but that path was a dead end. For a moment, I’d glimpsed a flicker of hope, only for it to slip away.

“For now, let’s forget about Reizen-sensei,” Sayaka said, shifting the topic.“ More importantly, Kiyomiya-kun, thank you.”

“You’re a freeloader in our house, Sayaka. I can’t just ignore you.”

“Aren’t you a bit too nice to a mere freeloader?”

“I’m a scumbag, you know. I’m soft on cute girls.”

“Saying random stuff to hide your embarrassment? That’s pretty scumbag of you. If I become your maid, I’ll whip that attitude into shape.”

“With studying and training?” I groaned. “Yeah, maybe making you my maid was a bad idea.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything extra either,” she murmured.

Before I could respond, Sayaka’s hand grazed lightly across my chest, sending a jolt through me. My breath caught, and for a moment, the room felt far too small.

“W-What are you doing?” I stammered, my voice betraying a mix of surprise and nerves as Sayaka’s hand lingered on my chest.

“You worked hard for me today. So I thought I’d give you a massage. It’s about the only service I can offer right now.”

“N-No, you don’t have to do that kind of service…”

Sayaka retorted, undeterred. “Kiyomiya-kun, haven’t you been tired since I came here? My job as a maid is to ease your burdens, but right now, I’m doing the opposite.”

“I-I’m not physically tired or anything.”

“You’re surprisingly stubborn. At this rate, I’m gonna lose confidence as a girl, not just as a maid.”

“You don’t need to lose confidence as a girl…” I mumbled, feeling my resolve waver. If it weren’t me, any guy would’ve crumbled under Sayaka’s charm in a heartbeat. Letting her serve me like this? I might end up hiring her as a maid for real—and I wasn’t ready for that.

Before I could dwell on it, Sayaka shifted gears. “Hey, Kiyomiya-kun. This house is way too big, don’t you think?”

“Huh?” I blinked, thrown by the sudden change in topic. “What’s that now?”

“It’s so big, it’s almost a little scary.”

“You’ve never said anything like that before.”

She wasn’t wrong—the Kiyomiya Family Old Manor was absurdly massive, a sprawling Western-style mansion with an eerie edge. Even I got spooked wandering its halls at night. But Sayaka, always so cool and composed, had never let on that it bothered her.

“Uh, you’re sleeping in the servant’s room, right?”

“Yeah,” she replied, nodding faintly.

The mansion’s layout kept the family rooms and servant quarters in separate wings—a relic of old customs. Servants were often tucked away in isolated corners, sometimes in basements or attics. Sayaka’s room, though comfortable, was far from the main house, and I suddenly wondered if the distance ever felt unsettling to her.

“There are plenty of empty family rooms,” I said, trying to reason with her. “You could sleep in any of them, no problem.”

“No way,” Sayaka shot back, her tone resolute. “I want to be a maid, so I’m not budging from the servant’s room.”

I groaned. “You’re the one who’s too stubborn…”

With so many vacant rooms in the mansion, she could pick any she liked. But before I could press the point…

“But if it’s to serve my master… how about I sleep next to you?”

“Huh?” My brain stalled as she reached for her maid apron, deftly untying it. In one fluid motion, she slipped off her knee-length black dress, revealing a long white camisole beneath. The fabric clung to her, her cleavage faintly visible, the delicate white straps of her bra peeking out.

“I’m in the mood for some special service tonight. Your actions today were unexpected. Protesting to the school for me?”

I swallowed hard, forcing my gaze away from her near-underwear state. “Even a scumbag like me gets pissed when someone does something scummier than me.”

What’s going on? Why was she stripping?

“You worked hard for me today, Kiyomiya-kun. So I’m gonna put in some effort as a maid tonight, too.”

“Effort? What do you—whoa!” My words cut off as Sayaka grabbed my wrist, tugging me down onto the bed. We collapsed side by side, her sudden closeness stealing my breath. Her full chest rose and fell softly, mere inches from me.

“H-Hey, Sayaka,” I stammered, my heart pounding.

“This mansion’s big and scary, right? So your maid’s gonna sleep with you.”

“Aren’t you the one who’s scared? I’m just a guy in your class, you know.”

“You’re the guy in my class I want to be my master,” she replied, pressing her face to my chest. Her body shifted closer, her soft curves molding against me, her chest pressing tightly enough to make my head spin.

“I really wanted to be your maid,” she whispered, her voice tinged with something heavier, “but things aren’t that simple anymore.”

“Reizen-sensei will probably help, and there might be other ways—”

“Miyabi-san is dependable, but at Sōshūkan, she’s just a young teacher. She doesn’t have the power to overturn the school’s decisions. Not at all.”

“Even so, I can’t just let this go,” I insisted. The sweet-tart scent of her hair enveloped me, and almost instinctively, I pulled her closer, my arms wrapping around her back. Was this okay? Just because Sayaka called herself a maid and treated me like her master didn’t mean I should take advantage of her. She was just a classmate, a freeloader.

Her chest pressed even closer, the warmth of her body overwhelming. “You’re kind for a scumbag, Kiyomiya-kun,” she murmured, nestling deeper into my chest.

“It’s no use,” she continued softly. “I’m not your maid yet, so you don’t have any obligation to help me.”

I stayed silent, my thoughts racing. There was an obligation. To me, Hisaka Sayaka wasn’t just a classmate—she was the girl I liked. If she lost her scholarship and had to leave Sōshūkan, I’d be the one in trouble. So I’d help her. It was as simple as that, perfectly logical.

If that’s the case—to save this girl, I should use every resource I have.