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"Tha-thank you…"
Gotō Hitori said softly, her voice sounding a bit strained due to nervousness.
As she spoke, she seemed at a loss as to how to start eating the large sundae in front of her.
Asakura took out a plastic spoon from the takeout bag, scooped a spoonful, and put it into the girl's mouth, making her let out a small 'awu' sound.
"Wagnaria's strawberry syrup isn't a ready-made product bought from the market; it's made by their chef using a special syrup and fresh strawberries. If I had to say the best part of this sundae, it would be these."
Asakura explained as he fed her.
"Re-really… It's so sweet… but not cloying at all…"
After the initial panic, Gotō Hitori also felt the fragrant, rich sweetness in her mouth, covering her small mouth and speaking softly.
"Right~"
Asakura said triumphantly.
The girl looked at him, then quickly lowered her head, taking out another spoon from the already opened takeout bag—this extra-large sundae was originally meant for two people, but both Wagnaria's manager and Yanami seemed capable of finishing it by themselves—the girl's face was flushed, and while trying to control her hand from trembling, she also scooped a spoonful of cream with strawberry syrup and offered it to Asakura.
"Th-that… Ah—"
Overwhelmed by nervousness, she didn't even dare to look at Asakura's face.
"Hitori, I'm really happy you have such a thought… but if you poke any more, you'll stick it up my nostril."
After Gotō Hitori drew a small mustache similar to a colonel's on his face with cream, Asakura said helplessly.
"Huh?! I'm so sorry! I'm truly, truly sorry!"
Gotō Hitori came to her senses, immediately wanting to bow in apology, but forgot she was still holding the spoon.
The violent movement caused the cream on the spoon to perform a peculiar Brownian motion, avoiding the spoon Asakura instinctively extended to catch it, and simply landed on the girl's fair chest.
How to describe it…
Asakura had seen Ijichi Nijika wear this maid outfit before, but at that time, the buttons on the girl's chest were fastened, paired with a long skirt that covered even her calves, which could only be described as a fairly typical classical conservative maid outfit.
But when it was Gotō Hitori's turn to wear it, as Asakura had just said, as the one closest to a 'mountain' among all the girls he knew, he didn't know if it was difficult to breathe with the buttons fastened, or simply impossible to fasten them completely. In any case, Hitori's chest was open above, and if the angle was slightly better, one could even see the cleavage hidden within the girl's décolletage.
At this moment, the already fair skin was stained with milky white cream, combined with the originally un-provocative conservative long maid dress, it actually looked even more suggestive.
Asakura couldn't help but fall silent.
He raised his face emotionally, looking at the pitch-black ceiling. At this moment, Ijichi Seika's phantom seemed to be reflected on the ceiling.
Asakura wiped away non-existent tears from the corner of his eyes, giving a thumbs up to the other party in his heart: Although I don't know why you, Manager, prepared such a maid outfit in STARRY, I must say it was a very wise decision. Let me enjoy it with my utmost respect for you…
"Excuse me, could you please not harass my staff during working hours?"
Suddenly, someone spoke loudly beside Asakura.
Asakura turned his head and saw that it was Ijichi Nijika, who had appeared at some point.
He was silent for two seconds before asking, "Then is it okay after work?"
"Why does it have to be under the premise of harassment?!"
Nijika puffed out her cheeks and glared at Asakura with a menacing look, but unlike Yukinoshita Yukino's cold, piercing gaze, Ijichi Nijika's eyes didn't look scary at all; instead, they had a cute, adorable quality that made one want to shout, 'More, more!'
"No, no, no, it's okay, I don't mind…"
Gotō Hitori frantically wiped the cream off her chest, then took a deep breath and managed to button up her chest: "This should be fine…"
"Wait—"
Ijichi Nijika's face turned pale with shock. Just as she was about to say something, the overwhelmed button was directly flung off by the fabric stretched to its limit on both sides.
Asakura, whose reflexes were beyond ordinary, instinctively tilted his head, and the button flew past him, then splatted onto Ijichi Nijika's forehead with a 'pah-ji' sound, making the girl let out a muffled 'gu'.
"So, so sorry, Nijika-senpai!"
Gotō Hitori quickly apologized again.
And Ijichi Nijika, after taking off the button and repeatedly confirming the button in her hand and Hitori's chest, looked utterly defeated and dejected: "It fit so well when I wore it… Why is it like this… I never noticed such a big difference normally… Hitori is even a year younger than me…"
It seemed that while the button caused little physical harm, it was extremely insulting.
Seeing Ijichi Nijika looking like she might turn to ashes and disappear at any moment, and Gotō Hitori desperately comforting her, Asakura couldn't help but find it amusing: Normally, their positions should be reversed.
However, if he continued to watch, it would never end today.
So Asakura pulled a small box from his pocket: "Nijika-san, this is for you."
"Eh?"
Ijichi Nijika finally came to her senses, looking at the small box in Asakura's hand with a blank expression.
And Gotō Hitori's expression was even more shocked.
"Today is Nijika-san's birthday, right? This is your birthday gift."
Asakura said calmly.
"What, so it's a birthday…"
Gotō Hitori first let out a sigh of relief, then her voice suddenly rose: "Eh, eh, eh, Nijika-senpai's birthday—?!"
"Ahahaha, I don't really care about such things… But Asakura, how do you know my birthday?"
Ijichi Nijika didn't accept the gift but asked curiously.
"Because some time ago, Yamada-san very overtly hinted that today was your birthday and hoped I could treat her to a big meal."
Asakura said expressionlessly, "Also, I learned her birthday is in September because of that…"
Ijichi Nijika was immediately speechless: "It was Ryo, that girl… I'm sorry, Asakura, I can't accept your gift…"
"It's not anything expensive."
Asakura opened the box, which contained only a golden braided bracelet: "I originally wanted to buy you a drumstick, but the accessories store didn't sell those, so I got this instead."
Ijichi Nijika took the bracelet, finding it unexpectedly simple and pretty, and she couldn't put it down. It also looked like something one would find at a 100-yen store, so she didn't decline and accepted the gift. However, she still seemed to want to return the favor: "Um… Asakura-kun's birthday is?"
Just as Asakura was about to casually say a date, he noticed Hitori also perked up her ears.
So he could only say helplessly, "It's in February, it's long passed."
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