Chapter 171: Do You Need Me to Hold Her Down Tonight?
Luke was now filled with questions about his maids.
What exactly was going on with this friend of theirs?
And for that matter, what was going on with the two of them?
At this point, his curiosity had completely overwhelmed any desire to look at cute animals. He stood between the small-animal area and the cat and dog sections, waiting for that high school girl named Something Megumi.
"Have you spotted your friend yet?"
Luke helplessly looked at his maids.
One was locked in a staring contest with a husky, while the other crouched nearby with a teaser wand, casually attracting both cats and dogs.
"Hmm? We already told her we'd wait here."
Still crouching on the floor, Annie looked up and answered just as helplessly.
"Megumi doesn't seem like the kind of person who'd end up joining our household as a maid, so don't get your hopes up too much."
She paused, then added, "Besides, three maids are probably enough in every possible sense. Also, that new tall maid clearly has feelings for you too. She's probably the type who acts cold on the outside, but could be pushed down with just a flick of a finger."
"Hiss…"
Luke sucked in a sharp breath.
Annie had delivered that entire terrifying analysis without changing her expression.
'What kind of person does she think I am?'
Kawasaki Saki did take her maid work extremely seriously. Whenever she had free time, she came over on her own and immediately started helping with the housework.
Her long ponytail would bounce left, right, forward—
Anyway.
Whenever Luke told Saki she did not need to come over so often, she usually responded by glaring at him.
How did any of that translate to "easy to push down with a crook of a finger"?
"Stop talking nonsense. How could I possibly be that kind of person? I'm impressed you suddenly came up with such a detailed analysis."
"Oh. It's what a maid should do for a master who loves surrounding himself with girls, gets bored easily, and keeps finding new favorites."
"…"
Tonight, Luke was absolutely going to pin Annie down on the bed and tickle her feet until she finally pouted and begged him to stop.
He would keep going until those dead-fish eyes were overflowing with resentment.
Seriously.
She was infuriating.
After the husky snorted and turned away, Mikasa finally ended their silent staring contest and slowly looked back.
"Megumi has a trait that's different from ordinary people."
"What do you mean?"
"She's definitely a cute girl, and she has a kind personality. But for some reason, she barely stands out in class."
Mikasa thought for a moment.
"Actually, she barely stands out anywhere."
"…Every class has one or two lonely people."
Luke immediately thought of himself.
Thanks to work, he had practically lost the chance to casually mingle with classmates from the beginning of the school year.
His front-seat neighbor Hikigaya was similar.
Speaking of which—Hadn't it been ages since their class last changed seats?
Luke shook his head.
Wrong point again.
Mikasa continued, "That's not what I mean. Even if she were the only person you knew in an entire crowd, you could still somehow fail to find her."
"Like this?"
Luke pointed toward his [Inconspicuous Glasses].
"Yeah. That kind of weak presence."
'Can someone besides me really reach that level?'
Then again, considering all the unusual people Luke had met, someone like that existing was hardly unbelievable anymore.
Still curious, he began carefully watching the passing crowd.
"Ah, Mikasa-san, Annie-san."
A girl finally walked right up to them and greeted the two maids.
Only then did Luke notice her.
She wore pink princess-style shoes and a fitted dress with a neat waistline. Her hair was cut into a bob, her skin was fair, and her features were clean and cute. Her figure had curves in all the right places, and she easily qualified as a beauty.
Luke had only noticed her once she came extremely close, so he guessed this had to be the friend they were talking about.
"Hello…"
Luke greeted her first.
He tilted his eyes slightly while searching his memory, then continued uncertainly.
"Uh… Ito Megumi, right? I'm Mikasa and Annie's… hmm, family."
He chose that wording to avoid creating a strange first impression.
"Hmm?"
The girl named Something Megumi tilted her head in confusion.
She looked at the girls on either side of Luke, then seemed to realize what had happened while remaining remarkably calm about it.
That description sounded contradictory, but somehow it perfectly matched her expression.
"Ah, nice to meet you."
She introduced herself.
"Um… I'm Mikasa-san and Annie-san's classmate, Katou Megumi."
'Huh?'
So she was not Ito Megumi.
Or Fujiwara Megumi.
She was Katou Megumi?
Luke remembered how confidently Mikasa had stated her name before and silently turned toward her.
Mikasa immediately shifted her gaze toward the floor.
Then she quietly made eye contact with another husky that a visitor had brought inside on a leash.
This girl could be strangely stubborn.
Her expression remained as calm as ever, but after living together for so long, Luke could still tell she was probably embarrassed.
Still…
She had actually remembered her friend's name incorrectly.
Could this relationship truly be called friendship?
Luke withdrew his speechless gaze and turned back toward Ka—Katou Megumi.
"Ah. Hello, hello…"
Then he reached down and dragged Annie away from the cats and dogs she had been playing with.
"Hey."
Annie understood what he wanted.
Once she stood up, she asked Megumi, "Is there any section you want to see first? Cats or dogs?"
Megumi pressed her lips into a straight line and looked upward.
No reaction.
"Uh… what's wrong?"
Luke asked in confusion.
"Ah, nothing. Um… I'm thinking."
Her strangely calm manner made Luke raise an eyebrow.
No wonder she had managed to become friends with the two girls from his house.
That calm attitude, combined with a near-total unwillingness to show expression, was almost identical to Mikasa and Annie's usual state.
Luke immediately formed a rough impression of her personality.
After thinking for a moment, Megumi answered, "Hmm… maybe the dog section."
"Hmm? You picked dogs?"
Annie finally pulled her dead-fish gaze away from the nearby cats.
"I thought you'd choose the cat section."
"Hmm… cats would be fine too."
Megumi touched a finger to her chin.
"But dogs somehow feel a little more straightforward."
"Then let's go to the dog section."
Since this was the Cat and Dog Exhibition—its full name being the Tokyo Cat, Dog, and Pet Supplies Exhibition and Sale—most animals being sold were naturally common household pets.
The majority were young and relatively small breeds.
Chihuahuas, Dachshunds, Shiba Inu, Corgis…
Every kind of dog seemed to be present.
Barking echoed from every direction, mixed with the occasional creak and scrape of teeth against cages.
This dog section was certainly…
Hmm.
"This dog has won a lot of awards."
Megumi pointed toward a golden retriever nearby.
Luke looked over.
The area beside the dog was packed with certificates, medals, competition victories, nominations, and all sorts of awards.
"Uh… even the pet world is this competitive now?"
"Yeah. Just like the maid profession."
Annie smoothly played along.
"Maybe one day we'll be replaced too."
Luke said nothing.
He merely turned toward Annie with a bright smile and narrowed eyes.
"…I was joking."
Even the usually hardened Annie visibly trembled when she saw that familiar expression.
Apparently, some unpleasant memories had immediately resurfaced.
She hurriedly avoided her master's gaze.
"Let's go look over there."
Annie grabbed Megumi and quickly escaped.
Mikasa seemed to remember something as well.
A faint smile appeared on her face as she apparently guessed exactly what Luke was planning.
"Do you need me to help hold her down tonight?"
…
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