Chapter 20: Maid-san’s Discipline

“Keiji-kun, you’ve got five minutes to scarf down lunch.”

“Huh!?”

Lunchtime in the classroom was already chaotic, but Sayaka’s sudden declaration hit like a thunderbolt.

She slid into the desk in front of mine, swiveling to face me with a determined glint in her eyes.

“Lunch break’s short, you know. You’ll have five minutes to eat, and the remaining forty are for studying.”

“…Is it just me, or are you secretly humiliated by having to serve me?” I whispered, low enough that the chatter of our classmates drowned it out.

Was Sayaka really trying to one-up me right here in the middle of school?

“That is that, and this is this,” she replied smoothly, unfazed. “I’m moving forward with my plan to make you a master worthy of the title, Keiji-kun. Specifically, I want you standing at the top of Sōshūkan.”

“The top!?” I nearly choked on my own words. “Isn’t that way beyond a maid’s jurisdiction?”

Couldn’t I at least eat my lunch in peace?

“As long as I’m at Sōshūkan, I won’t let you slack off. But don’t give up.”

“Don’t just toss in half-hearted encouragement at the end.”

Between yesterday’s clash with Maritsuji and now this—had I made a mistake saving Sayaka from expulsion?

Talking was burning through my precious eating time, so I yanked out the convenience store lunch I’d grabbed earlier. As expected, Sayaka had her hands full with breakfast prep and hadn’t managed to whip up a bento.

“Oh, right. Sayaka, what about your lunch?”

“I had a jelly drink. Now that I’m earning, I can actually eat lunch like normal.”

“That’s not lunch!”

The classroom buzzed as curious eyes flicked our way. Crap, so much for keeping a low profile.

“…Look, eat something that’ll actually fill you up,”

“I’ve always been a light eater. I love tasty food, but I don’t need much.”

“Here, take a sandwich. It’s ebi katsu today. It’s good.”

“Thanks. I handled breakfast, so that’s why you’re covering lunch, huh, Keiji-kun?”

“Well, convenience store food’s plenty for lunch.”

Having Sayaka make me a bento would be nice, but both of us showing up with matching ones? That’d spark cohabitation rumors faster than I could blink. Not that we were far from that mess already.

So there we sat, facing each other, polishing off our convenience store haul.

“Itadakimasu,” Sayaka said, brushing her hands together. “The ebi katsu was delicious.”

“Glad you liked it. The tuna mayo, kombu, and fried chicken were solid too.”

I wasn’t a huge eater, but two onigiri alone wouldn’t cut it for a high school guy like me.

“Alright, let’s get to studying.” Sayaka’s tone shifted, all business. “No ulterior motives here, just a plain old aluminum ruler.”

“Who uses an aluminum ruler in high school!?”

She held up a thirty-centimeter aluminum ruler, smacking the tip against her palm with a sharp thwack. It was absolutely a makeshift whip for discipline.

“Fine, I’ll do it, I’ll do it,” I groaned, already regretting my life choices.

Scary stuff. I hurriedly spread out my workbook and notebook, tackling problems one by one. Who’d have thought hiring a maid would end my lazy lifestyle instead of making things easier?

“Hey, Sayaka…” I lowered my voice, glancing around to ensure no classmates were close enough to overhear. “You’re just your usual self at school, huh? Isn’t switching back and forth tough?”

“I only talk about maid stuff with people who can keep a secret. The Maritsuji family’s ojou-sama is the rarest of exceptions.”

“Got it…”

“I’m paying a million to attend here, so I’m protecting my school life too.”

“Yeah, if you were serving me at school, who knows what kind of looks we’d get.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be a proper maid at home. Honestly, you wanted to make me submit so badly, but your weird stubbornness made you miss out on the twisted joy of breaking me until now, didn’t you?”

“Can you not make it sound like I’ve got some warped desires?”

Honestly, though, Sayaka in a maid outfit did hit different. Any guy who sees the girl he likes in a maid dress and feels nothing? I wouldn’t buy it.

“Hey, keep your hands moving while you talk. Solve those problems.”

“Who’s dexterous enough for that? This workbook’s pretty tough, you know.”

“…If you get stuck, you can always come crying to me.”

“See! You’re totally trying to lord it over me when you get the chance!”

At home, she was a submissive maid, but at school, she morphs into a strict teacher cracking the whip.

“…Hold on. Keiji-kun, no joke, you’re doing way better than I expected. This problem you just solved? Even I’d pause for a second.”

“Sorry to ruin your cryptic tone, but I did pass Sōshūkan’s entrance exam and have been here for nine years, you know?”

The classes here were brutal, so you picked up a decent amount of smarts whether you liked it or not. Even the kids at the bottom of the class rankings would probably ace national mock exams.

“In that case, with my teaching, your rank might shoot up faster than I thought.”

“Might as well pay you tutor fees while we’re at it.”

“I’m training you for my own personal reasons, so I won’t take your money.”

“Personal reasons… You mean getting a kick out of bullying me?”

“Okay, sure, whipping you into shape does spark my inner sadist, but the fun’s just a bonus.”

“You’re not even denying you’re enjoying it!”

Well, if she wasn’t having fun, she probably wouldn’t bother teaching me when she didn’t have to.

“Oh, while we’re at it, let’s settle some things.” I snuck another glance around. Some classmates seemed curious, but there was an odd distance between us. They were probably intrigued by our conversation but too proud as elite kids to eavesdrop.

“Like I said before, the million is a contract fee. Let’s say it covers this school year.”

“So, as long as I don’t quit being a maid during this year, that’s the money I get.”

“Exactly. Knock on wood, but if you get sick or injured, we’ll work something out. I’d never ask for the million back, though.”

“I’ll gratefully use the money you paid to ‘buy’ me, Keiji-kun,”

“That’s one crooked way to put it.”

I know she was joking, but still.

“Covering tuition isn’t enough, though. You’ve got a life to live, Sayaka. First, I’ll guarantee your food, clothing, and shelter. This school’s got all sorts of extra fees—donations, savings, whatever—so I’ll handle those too. On top of that, you’ll get a monthly salary.”

“That’s pretty generous.”

“The salary itself is low. Think of it as part-time job pay.”

“That’s more than enough. With food, clothes, and a roof, I don’t need much else.”

“It’s a proper employment contract, so make sure I pay you right.”

I might not be the heir, but I’d watched my father—a natural-born leader—my whole life. If there was one thing I was certain of, it was this: across time and place, anyone who didn’t pay fair wages had no right to employ others. And just throwing money at someone wasn’t enough either.

“This might be a weird place to say it, but let me make one thing clear.” I closed my workbook and notebook, placing both hands firmly on the desk.

“You don’t have to worry about anything anymore. From now on, I’ll protect you, Sayaka.”

Sayaka stared into my eyes, her face unreadable.

Wait, that wasn’t the reaction I’d expected.

I’d gone pretty bold—maybe too bold. To be precise, it wasn’t just about “protecting Sayaka” but taking responsibility for ensuring her life was secure, right? Had I not explained enough? Did I say something that could be misunderstood?

“Sayaka, to elaborate—”

“Don’t.”

“Huh?”

The moment Sayaka spoke, her face still expressionless, a single tear traced a path down her left cheek.

“Thank goodness…” Her voice trembled, soft and fractured, but every word reached me. “I didn’t know what would happen to me… I can only study, I’ve got a rotten personality, there’s no way I could survive on my own… I really thought my life was over…”

Right. Sayaka was genuinely scared.

Of course she was. Even the stunning, brilliant, untouchable Hisaka Sayaka was still just a first-year high school girl—separated from her family, no home to call her own, crashing at someone else’s place as a last resort. How could she not be anxious?

How had I missed Sayaka’s fears and kept refusing to hire her as a maid? Especially when I’d always liked her.

From here on, I wouldn’t screw this up. I didn’t care what misunderstandings people around us had. My job wasn’t to drag Sayaka away or make excuses to others.

“…Keiji-kun.”

I reached out, gently taking her hand resting on the desk. It wasn’t much, but for a girl crying from anxiety, this couldn’t be wrong.