Vol. 2 Chapter 39 – Maid Heaven

“…What is this?” (Hikaru)

Hikaru’s cold voice echoed from in front of me as I sat seiza-style on the floor.

“This is… um…” (Reiya)

On the table between her and me lay two slightly thick paperback books.

The items I was sure I’d hidden so they’d absolutely never be seen the day Hikaru first visited this room were now, for some reason, exposed before her.

Maid-san in Heaven National Bunny Girl Academy High School

Just looking at the covers, a hundred out of a hundred people would recognize these items as age-restricted, questionable books.

Whether they were having some effect on my mind and body, my autonomic nervous system was malfunctioning.

Unpleasant sweat had been dripping down various parts of my body for a while now.

What was the correct excuse? Or perhaps, once the situation reached this point, no correct answer existed.

“You… have a girlfriend now, so isn’t this kind of thing unnecessary…?” (Hikaru)

Was it jealousy, anger, or perhaps suspicion?

From across the table, I was being subjected to the heaviest emotions I’d ever felt from her.

“M-Mr. Chief Justice… May I raise an objection regarding that…?” (Reiya)

“…Permission to speak granted.” (Hikaru)

“Th-Thank you. Um… First, this kind of thing is a separate matter from having a girlfriend… It’s something men just absolutely need sometimes… So basically, this is like my Roger Federer…” (Reiya)

I was so confused I didn’t even know what I was saying anymore.

“You need it…?” (Hikaru)

“Well… often…” (Reiya)

“…For what?” (Hikaru)

“That… if you could just understand…” (Reiya)

I trailed off vaguely, requesting maximum consideration.

“Of course, I thought I understood that boys have various things, but…” (Hikaru)

Hikaru wore a stern expression, tormented by complex emotions.

She hadn’t touched the contents yet, but she kept glancing at them, perhaps curious.

“Maids and bunny girls… Is this the kind of thing you like…?” (Hikaru)

“No, it’s not really like that… It’s more that I chose them based on the manga artist or art style preference… Yes, I like them…” (Reiya)

Realizing further deception was futile, I confessed honestly.

I couldn’t remember the formative experience, but I had to admit that these kinds of outfits, which often appear in games, tickled my fetish.

“…Who do you like more, me or them?” (Hikaru)

“Th-That’s obviously Hikaru, no question. Like I said before, this is just… something to handle that male physiological thing, so it’s not even comparable…” (Reiya)

Perhaps those words had an effect; the corners of her mouth, which had been turned down like the character ‘へ’, lifted slightly.

“Well then… if I wore that, would you like me more…?” (Hikaru)

“Heh? Th-That means…?” (Reiya)

The conversation suddenly changed direction, and a dumbfounded sound escaped me.

“I mean, um… clothes like these… maids or bunnies…” (Hikaru)

Hikaru said, tapping the cover impatiently with her fingertips.

“No, no, no, no… I didn’t fall for you because of clothes or anything like that! Besides, I always think your usual casual clothes are stylish and super cute, and my feelings are already at their maximum no matter what you wear…………………. Eh? You’d really wear it for me?” (Reiya)

I think my eyes were probably bloodshot right now.

Because having her cosplay for me was a situation every male otaku dreams of at least once.

However, perhaps seeing through my corrupt desire, Hikaru narrowed her eyes suspiciously with a fixed stare—

“Idiot…” (Hikaru)

She muttered those two short words.

A hard-to-describe, slightly heavy silence descended.

I didn’t know what intention was contained within those words.

But she started fiddling with her smartphone, her expression displeased.

Was I forgiven, or still unforgiven?

As I stared at my original sin placed on the table, wondering which it was—

“I’m going out for a bit…” (Hikaru)

Hikaru stood up and started walking towards the entrance.

“Eh? G-Going out? Where are you going at this hour?” (Reiya)

“I’ll be right back…” (Hikaru)

She replied curtly and opened the front door, leaving.

…Eh? Is she actually seriously angry?

Snapping out of a momentary stupor, I hurriedly chased after her outside, but her figure was already gone.

Now in a real panic, I rushed back into the room and grabbed my phone.

I sent a message with words of apology, adding that I would dispose of the books immediately.

I waited for her reaction, but time just kept passing without the message even being marked as read.

She said she’d be right back, and she left her luggage for the stay, so it should be okay… right?

But that very fact made it seem like she might be genuinely angry…

The word ‘breakup’ crossed my mind.

Surely not over something like this… I thought, but once born, anxiety doesn’t disappear easily.

“What should I do… Maybe I should contact Hino-san or Taiju-san…? But if that makes it too big a deal, maybe it’ll become harder to back down…?” (Reiya)

Standing there, I paced restlessly around the room.

And so, as I spent time feeling crushed by anxiety, unable to do anything—

I heard the sound of the door opening from the entrance.

She’s back!?

In a panic, I rushed towards the entrance, almost tripping.

Opening the partition, I started spinning words of apology before even seeing her figure.

“I’m really sorry! I’ll get rid of those books right aw—” (Reiya)

“Just stop… Wait over there…” (Hikaru)

Hikaru, taking off her shoes with a displeased expression, interrupted my words.

In her right hand, she carried a large bag printed with a stylized penguin.

“Eh? Wait… why? And what’s with that bag?” (Reiya)

“Just wait!” (Hikaru)

She said, pushing my body with both hands towards the bedroom.

Immediately after the partition was closed, I heard the sound of the bathroom door opening and closing.

What on earth is going on…?

My anxiety turned into great confusion.

Did the fact she came back mean she wasn’t angry anymore? And what was that bag?

The answer to my questions became clear within minutes.

“…How is it?” (Hikaru)

She emerged from the bathroom, clad, for some reason, in a maid outfit.

“…Why?” (Reiya)

Formally, I asked, but I already knew the answer.

“Because… Reiya-kun said he likes maids…” (Hikaru)

It seemed the earlier ‘idiot…’ was her way of saying YES.

“So you went out of your way to look up where they sell them and bought it…?” (Reiya)

Hikaru nodded, still wearing a sullen expression.

A miniskirt maid outfit based on black and white, adorned with lots of frills.

The fabric quality was poor, and the design was extremely simple and uninteresting.

It clearly looked like a low-quality cosplay costume sold at the penguin-marked ‘Hall of Amazing Cheapness’.

A fan of classic, orthodox maid styles would likely dismiss something like this as heresy.

“So… how is it? Your thoughts?” (Hikaru)

“…Super cute!” (Reiya)

However, this endearing quality was nothing less than 500 quadrillion points of correct answer for me.

“…Really?” (Hikaru)

“It’s beyond just suiting you, I thought you were a real maid.” (Reiya)

“Ehh… You think so…?” (Hikaru)

My compliments, stemming from relief and happiness enough to bring tears to my eyes, made Hikaru break into a broad grin.

“Were you perhaps the head maid of the British royal family in a past life?” (Reiya)

Honest thoughts mixed with self-preservation, and compliments overflowed endlessly.

“Do I suit it that much~… Well then, how about this…?” (Hikaru)

Perhaps feeling better now, Hikaru started striking maid-like poses on the spot.

“The best! Can I take a picture to commemorate the appearance of a true maid in this world?” (Reiya)

“Ehh… Geez, can’t be helped~… Okay.” (Hikaru)

She did a quick turn on the spot, elegantly lifted the hem of her skirt.

Her natural loveliness was multiplied many times over by the power of the outfit.

And so, I became a cameraman, continuing to praise her for several tens of minutes—

“Yay!! Thanks!!” (Hikaru)

It concluded with a peace sign added to her best smile.

Things like my questionable manga were now completely beyond oblivion…

“Phew… Still, that surprised me…” (Reiya)

Freed from various worries, I sat down on the bed, and Hikaru sat down right beside me.

“I really thought you got angry and left, but then… suddenly a maid…” (Reiya)

“Angry… Did I look that way…?” (Hikaru)

Perhaps unaware, she asked worriedly.

“Mm, well… Honestly, quite a bit…” (Reiya)

“…Then, I’m sorry.” (Hikaru)

She apologized meekly, pinching the hem of her clothes.

“It’s not really something to apologize for…” (Reiya)

“But, I… I really do immediately go ‘Nooo!’ and get super jealous… This is the kind of ‘heavy’ thing people hate, right…?” (Hikaru)

“N-No way! I don’t think this much is heavy at all, and besides, I’m totally fine with heavy stuff!” (Reiya)

“Even with a girl who gets jealous of manga…?” (Hikaru)

“It’s like, bring it on. Rather, I’d get anxious if you stopped being jealous.” (Reiya)

“If you say that… I’ll become a really super heavy girlfriend, okay? Is that okay?” (Hikaru)

She said happily, leaning her weight against my shoulder.

Should I say something clever or pull her closer in times like these…?

“You mean physically…? For that, the weight currently on me is just right.” (Reiya)

“…Idiot.” (Hikaru)

Hikaru chuckled at my desperate, unfunny joke.

And so, for a while, I savored the weight that felt good both physically and mentally.

“By the way… how long do you plan to stay in that outfit?” (Reiya)

As I started to feel a little sleepy, I asked Hikaru, who was similarly starting to doze off.

“Hmm… I can change now, but is Reiya-kun satisfied already…?” (Hikaru)

“Well, I’m relatively satisfied, I guess. I got to take lots of pictures too.” (Reiya)

Enough to create a forbidden folder I don’t want to show anyone, using up all my phone storage.

“…Reallyyy?” (Hikaru)

“Really. Enough that all the fatigue I was feeling completely vanished.” (Reiya)

“See, you really were tired…” (Hikaru)

“Ah…” (Reiya)

Forgetting the original cause, I had dug my own grave.

“But you know, don’t you think a maid should serve her tired Master more…?” (Hikaru)

“…Meaning?” (Reiya)

Her words felt like my heart was being gripped tightly as I asked back—

“Since we’re at it… shall I do something n-i-c-e for you while still in this outfit?” (Hikaru)

She whispered with a sweet, melting voice.

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Author Note:

An announcement. I’m reporting that this work, ‘Regarding the Case Where the Light-Attribute Bishoujo Asahi-san Somehow Started Spending Weekends Hanging Out in My Room,’ has been greenlit for a book publication!! (Yay, clap clap clap)

Although it’s currently in the final selection for the Kakuyomu Contest, I received an offer from another company and accepted it. Information about the label and the illustrator will be announced sequentially in the future, so please be sure to check the author’s X (https://twitter.com/undonsuki) and Activity Reports (https://kakuyomu.jp/users/murabitob) so you don’t miss it.

It’s been five months since serialization began, and I believe achieving the result of publication is thanks to everyone who has supported me this far. There will be revision and addition work for the publication moving forward, but I plan to keep up with the regular updates as well, so I sincerely hope for your continued patronage!!

And, when it’s released, please buy it!!!