Chapter 24: Hospitality of the Maid

The next day in the classroom—

Sayaka Hisaka arrived at school as she always did, slipping into her seat with her usual air of indifference. Her cool, composed expression betrayed no trace of the tears she’d shed in that same classroom the day before, as if she’d willed the memory into oblivion.

“Her skin’s thicker than a fortress wall, isn’t it, Hisaka? Don’t you agree, Kiyomiya?”

Fujikawa’s voice cut through the air, sharp and taunting. For some reason, he’d claimed the seat in front of me, swiveling around to face me with a smirk. A large piece of gauze clung to his left cheek, the stark white patch looking painfully out of place against his skin.

Painful or not, I was the one who’d put it there.

“Hey, don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten yesterday,” I pressed, my tone mocking. “Did getting punched too many times scramble your memory?”

“I took one hit to the face. Trust me, it’s crystal clear. A memory that thrilling—and that humiliating? No way I’d forget it, Kiyomiya. One day, I’m going to crush you.”

“Come at me and try to kill me all you want, Fujikawa.”

Our lips curled into matching superficial smiles, the kind that didn’t reach our eyes. To the rest of the class, we must have looked unsettling—two people trading veiled threats under the guise of pleasantries. After all, everyone knew Fujikawa treated me like dirt, and I just laughed it off like a fool.

“Fujikawa.”

“Whoa!” Fujikawa flinched, startled by Sayaka’s sudden presence at my side.

“Fujikawa, move. That’s my seat.”

“It’s not your seat either.”

That seat belonged to a guy named Shimazaki.

“Hmph, you two are awfully chummy. A commoner and a half-commoner piece of trash, huh?”

He stood, his chair scraping against the floor. “Still, Hisaka, if it’s you, my group might welcome you. Not as a full member, of course, but maybe we’d have you work in a maid outfit. Hahaha!”

“Me, your maid? Don’t make me laugh.” Sayaka’s lips curved into a rare, radiant smile, sharp enough to cut.

“I’m Kiyomiya-kun’s—Keiji-kun’s maid, after all.”

“…Hah! Hisaka, you couldn’t be a maid for the Kiyomiya family. Sure, the heir’s a mess like this guy, but the Kiyomiya name stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the Toyohara and Maritsuji families.”

“I know that very well,” Sayaka replied, her smile unwavering, serene yet unyielding. For a fleeting moment, Fujikawa’s expression faltered, and then he slunk away, his bravado crumbling.

“H-Hey, don’t go saying dangerous stuff like that!”

“No way they’d think it’s true.”

“But I guess I’m not even fit to be a Kiyomiya maid, huh?”

“W-Well… I’m not sure about that,” I stammered, caught off guard. Prestigious families like mine often employed maids, and many were particular about their servants’ status. Some clung to bloodlines that had served for generations; others hired relatives or close associates, rarely outsiders.

Should I reveal that Sayaka was the daughter of a former Kiyomiya servant? The thought lingered, heavy with implications, as her words hung in the air.

“Whatever, it doesn’t matter. So, we’ve officially made an enemy of that pervert—er, Fujikawa. What’s the plan?”

“Making an enemy of Fujikawa isn’t actually that big of a deal.” Did I just blurt out something that could land me in serious trouble if overheard?

“The real problem is that I’ve outed myself as not being the same old me. If things keep going like this, I won’t survive at Sōshūkan.”

The nail that sticks out gets hammered down. To avoid that fate, you need a backbone strong enough to make the hammer-wielders think twice. The Kiyomiya name carries weight, but everyone knows I’m not recognized as the heir. Relying on it would be a flimsy shield at best.

“Fujikawa’s probably plotting revenge. Even after getting beaten down by five guys, he’s too dumb to learn.”

“Beating him down didn’t mean much,” I said firmly. “Neither Fujikawa’s group nor I can talk about that fight. If the school found out, I’d be punished, and for Fujikawa, it’s just humiliating. If I’m going to take him down, it’s got to be out in the open, fair and square.”

“There are plenty of chances to compete at school—tests, events, you name it.”

“We’re gonna need more allies, though.” Tests were solo battles, but events like the sports festival or culture festival were perfect stages to outshine Fujikawa’s crew. I needed to be ready to seize any opportunity that came my way.

“I’m on your side, Keiji-kun.”

“Yeah, having Hisaka Sayaka by my side is a huge deal.” No doubt about it. She was Sōshūkan’s top student, holding that rank for an entire year, and the only scholarship student. Even after her scholarship was unjustly stripped away, she’d managed to cover the steep tuition and stay enrolled. With Sayaka as my ally, she was a formidable deterrent against those eager to swing their hammers.

“But we need more numbers, Maritsuji’s neither friend nor foe, you know.”

“Feels like an enemy to me,” she replied, her voice edged with disdain.

Clearly, Sayaka and Maritsuji Anri were still at odds. Was I about to get caught in their crossfire?

“So, the current Kiyomiya group is just me, Sayaka, and Maki, huh?”

“I’m getting dragged into this!?” Maki’s voice shot up in protest. She’d been stealing glances at us from her desk and now stomped over, her expression a mix of indignation and curiosity.

“Maki, how much did you hear?”

“Something about maids and the Kiyomiya group. You guys are muttering too much. You’re young—talk louder!”

“Says the one eavesdropping and acting all high and mighty,” I countered. “Anyway, Maki, you free after school today?”

“Hmm, my date plans… how were they again?”

“As if you’ve got a boyfriend.”

“What, you ditched being a jerk just to become tactless!?” Maki slammed her hand on my desk, her eyes flashing.

“Even if you had a date, cancel it. Maki, come to my place after school.”

“You were all reluctant last time, and now you’re inviting me over?”

“Of course. I’m a Kiyomiya, after all. I’ll treat my guests properly.”

“Fine, then,” Maki said, nodding as she stepped back. “I’m expecting some top-notch hospitality.”

“Sayaka.”

“Yes?” When I called her, Sayaka leaned in close to my ear.

“Like you heard, we’ve got a guest today.”

“Understood.” As expected of an honor student—and a maid at heart—she grasped my intentions perfectly, reading the unspoken with ease.

“Welcome, Sogano Maki-sama.”

“…Keiji, what’s this?” Maki froze at the entrance of the Kiyomiya Family Old Manor, her eyes wide with disbelief. Sayaka’s maid-like welcome had clearly thrown her off. Understandably so.

“Oh, Sayaka, no need for overly formal language with my friends. Especially with her—first name’s fine.”

“Very well, no trouble at all, Maki,” Sayaka replied smoothly, adjusting without missing a beat.

“You’re turning into a feudal lord, Hisaka-san!”

“Just kidding, Maki-san. Let me introduce myself properly. I’m Hisaka Sayaka, the maid serving Keiji-kun at the Kiyomiya Family Old Manor.” She pinched the hem of her above-the-knee skirt and dipped into a small, graceful bow, her movements polished from practice.

“The drawing room should do for today,” I said. “Sayaka, could you prepare some tea?”

“As you wish.” Sayaka nodded and glided toward the kitchen, her steps silent.

“…You’ve got her well-trained, huh?” Maki’s gaze followed Sayaka, her expression a tangle of curiosity and unease. Seeing a classmate working as a maid would unsettle anyone.

“Wait, was she here the last time I came over? I thought I smelled a girly vibe or something.”

“A vibe? Your nose that sharp?” I teased, leaning back.

“Not literally a smell, dummy,” she shot back. “It’s just, for someone living alone, the place was too tidy, and the way it was organized screamed ‘girl.’”

I held my tongue. Maki wasn’t just a chatterbox—she had unnervingly keen instincts. I’d deliberately messed up the drawing room to pass it off as a bachelor’s pad, but my half-hearted cover might’ve only made her more suspicious. Hiding Maid Sayaka from her was probably a lost cause from the start.

We moved to the drawing room, settling across from each other at the table, each sinking into a plush sofa.

“I was already shocked that you left the Kiyomiya main house to move into this old, massive mansion. But hiring a gorgeous maid? Keiji, who do you think you are?”

“You already dug up that I moved, right? You didn’t know about the maid, though?”

“I’d need to plant a surveillance camera to figure that out!” she huffed, then shifted to an exaggeratedly polite tone. “Oh, Keiji-san, might I use your restroom?”

“What’s with the prim-and-proper act? You planning to sneak in a camera?” I asked, smirking.

“Tch, caught me.” Maki half-rose from the sofa, only to plop back down with a grin. “This mansion seems like a riot every day… Not planting cameras or mics feels like a betrayal of my info-broker pride.”

“My place has security, you know,” I said, my tone firm. If I caught anyone planting hidden cameras or mics, I’d sue, classmate or not.

“But seriously, this is wild. Having a classmate as your maid? Is it okay to let me in on this? I’m, like, the worst person to spill this to, aren’t I?”

“You’re my friend before you’re an info broker. We go way back, don’t we?”

Maki was a mystery, especially with her murky family situation, but I knew her character. She’d never betray a friend.

“Keiji, um…”

“Hm?”

“Sorry for the wait, Keiji-san, Maki-san,” Sayaka announced, gliding into the drawing room with a tray before Maki could finish.

“Oh, did I interrupt?”

“Nah, it’s fine. Tea, tea! I’m parched!” Maki exclaimed, her earlier hesitation swallowed by enthusiasm.

I caught a flicker of something in Maki’s expression, but she said nothing more.

“Huh, Hisaka-san, only two cups and cakes?”

“I’m the maid, so I’ll have mine later.”

“C’mon, that’s no fun. I wanna sip tea while admiring a pretty maid.”

“The guest insists, Sayaka. Sit with us.”

“Fine, this gyaru…” Sayaka muttered under her breath, a faint smirk tugging at her lips as she sat beside me. Having a beautiful maid so close felt oddly intense.

“For now, let’s catch up on the last few days,” I said. “Sayaka, is it okay to talk about you too?”

“Go ahead,” she replied. “If Keiji-kun trusts her, I trust her too?”

“Was that a question just now?”

“Your imagination, Maki-san,” Sayaka shot back, her tone slipping effortlessly into the playful cadence she used in class. She switched vibes like it was second nature.

“Oh, by the way, you’re calling me by my first name now, huh, Hisaka-san?”

“Ah, sorry about that. It’s just that Keiji-kun’s always going ‘Maki, Maki’ like you’re his girlfriend or something.”

“Calling my friend by her name makes me sound like a creep now…” Even as a maid, Sayaka didn’t hold back her jabs.

“It’s fine, you can call me Maki.”

“Thank you, Maki-san. You can just call me Sayaka-sama.”

“So, Sa-chan, are you seriously serving Keiji?”

“I’m seriously serving Keiji-kun, not some cosplay or maid café gig, but as a real maid.”

It felt like watching a subtle fencing match, their words probing and parrying with delicate precision.

“A real maid, huh… Even in high-class households, ‘professionals’ are rare these days. Live-in maids? There can’t be many left, right?”

“Maki, you sure know a lot about upper-class family affairs. There was a pro right next to the chairman, you know.”

“Oh… Kino, right? That woman somehow ended up working under Toyohara, who was supposed to be her enemy.”

“What, you know Kino-san, Maki?”

“Well, I’m an info broker, after all, I know all about how scary Toyohara can be.”

“I didn’t expect you to know so much about Toyohara. Just don’t go sticking your hand into a dangerous bush…”

Curiosity killed the cat, as they say.

“Well, it’s exactly because you’re like that that I feel okay telling you about our situation,” I continued. “You, more than anyone, understand the value of information. The more important it is, the less likely you are to blab, right?”

There was a risk she might sell the info, but Maki would likely handle it with care. If I could get an info broker like her on our side, it was worth a calculated gamble.

“Alright, let’s talk about our situation. Showing you this mansion probably gave you a pretty good idea already.”

It all began with Sayaka’s special scholarship being revoked. From there, I hired her as a maid, clashed with Fujikawa, and decided to plunge headfirst into Sōshūkan’s faction wars.

“Hmm, a faction war at Sōshūkan, huh? Honestly, it’s gonna be hell.”

“Really? It doesn’t exactly feel like someone’s scheming in the shadows.”

“It doesn’t show on the surface. But underneath, there were even rumors about people fighting over Sa-chan.”

“Over me?” Sayaka blinked, genuinely startled.

“Well, you’re the top student in our grade, after all,” Maki continued. “Apparently, more than one or two people approached the school offering to cover Sa-chan’s tuition.”

“What…!? Hold on, is that for real!?” I blurted out, my voice rising. That wasn’t just surprising—it was downright shocking. At Sōshūkan, plenty of students could toss around a million yen without blinking, but even for them, it wasn’t pocket change. No one would cover that kind of money without a serious motive.

“So, there are people who want Sayaka that badly…” I muttered, glancing at her.

“Plus, she’s a beauty. If it means getting Sa-chan, they’d throw out her tuition like it’s nothing.”

“People who think they can buy others with money are just pathetic.”

I froze for a moment, wondering if that was a subtle jab at me. This maid…

“So, if Keiji and Sa-chan form a group, the impact on the school might be bigger than you think. Sōshūkan’s gonna be shaken to its core!”

“And if an info broker like Maki joins in, it’ll be even more intense…”

“Hey, I haven’t said I’m joining yet, you know?” Maki protested.

No, you’re joining. I wasn’t about to let her slip away after spilling this much. There was no way I’d let her back out with a casual, “Nah, I’m out.”

“To protect mine and Sayaka’s safety and school life, we can’t just stay on the defensive,” I said firmly. “Suppressing the other groups is the key to staying safe.”

“You’ve got a surprisingly aggressive mindset, Keiji,” Maki said, stroking her cheek thoughtfully. “Not that I hate it.”

She let out a hum, her eyes narrowing as if weighing her options. It was obvious she was running some sly calculations in her head, but I knew Maki well—background aside, her character was clear.

“Alright, Keiji, Sa-chan, I’m in.”

“That’s my Maki, quick to decide.”

“But, of course, there’s a condition.” Her grin turned mischievous as she stood, her posture brimming with confidence.

“This mansion’s freaking huge, right?”

“Huh? What now?”

“Give me one of the rooms here. I’m moving in starting today!”

“Haa!?”