As they had agreed beforehand to watch the entire live show from the VIP suite, Chihaya Tetsuya and Wakaba Mutsumi's first stop after arriving in Yokohama was Sakurakouji Luna's hotel suite.
However, when Tetsuya was led into the room by Yamabuki Yachiyo, the scene before him made it impossible for him to take even a single step through the doorway—
"Welcome back, Master."
Dressed in a maid uniform, Togawa Sakiko held the hem of her skirt with her fingertips and gave him a perfectly standard and elegant curtsy.
"Lady Sakurakouji is waiting for you inside. Please follow me."
"..."
Faced with Sakiko's reception, Tetsuya was unable to react for a long time.
Or rather, the moment he heard the word "Master," he was as though petrified, frozen completely in place. Neither his expression nor his posture changed.
He was absolutely certain that the elegant and beautiful maid before him was the Togawa Sakiko he knew so well. Yet, her completely different aura and appearance made it impossible for him to reconcile her with the Sakiko in his memory.
The elegance and dignity of a young lady had been replaced by the respectful propriety of a maid, and the gorgeous, fantasy-inspired maid uniform brought this contrast to its peak. Add to that the knee-length skirt she would never normally wear, and the sheer stockings that had a slight sheen yet allowed a glimpse of the skin beneath...
In that moment, Tetsuya finally understood what a pathetic creature a man was, so easily swayed by desire.
Meanwhile, seeing no response from Tetsuya, Sakiko's incredibly serious expression began to visibly crumble.
"Please follow me... Master."
She spoke again, trying to awaken him from his stupor.
"Ah..."
Hearing the address again, Tetsuya's mouth opened slightly, but he still couldn't manage a proper reply.
Whether it was a sense of conquest or accomplishment, just hearing Sakiko say that name sent a tingle of unbearable numbness through his heart...
It was just like the first time Nagasaki Soyo had called him "President." Fortunately, Soyo hadn't been wearing an office lady-style suit at the time, or the mental shock would surely have been no less than this.
At this thought, Tetsuya's gaze was no longer as scattered as before, but became incredibly serious and focused as he looked at Sakiko.
That's right, it must be because of this maid outfit!
Its beautiful silhouette, its various cunning and deliberate design elements, and the symbolic meaning it represented—all of it landed perfectly in his strike zone!
No matter how embarrassing it was, he had to admit it now: he was, without a doubt, moved by Sakiko's appearance as a maid.
"..."
On the other side, seeing that he still hadn't responded, Sakiko, who had no idea what he was thinking, could only continue to hold her pose. Although she wanted to gauge his thoughts from his expression, she was too shy to look directly into his eyes, which were staring straight at her.
And so, this strange and delicate silence lasted for several minutes. It wasn't until the unbearable heat gradually crept up to her ears that Sakiko's carefully constructed mental defenses were finally broken by shame—
"Please, say something... Tetsuya-kun..."
Sakiko dropped her pose, covering her face with both hands, and squeezed out a slightly trembling voice.
"Even just playing along a little would be fine..."
"S-Sorry! Sakiko!"
Hearing the familiar name, Tetsuya finally snapped out of his long daze.
"How should I put it... the conflict between the high level of perfection and the contrast with your usual self... my brain just couldn't process it..."
"Perfection and contrast, huh..."
Sakiko bit her lip, then summoned her courage to ask:
"Well then... do you like how I look right now, Tetsuya-kun?"
"Mhm."
Although admitting it was tantamount to accepting the lewd side of himself as a man, Tetsuya nodded without the slightest hesitation.
"Honestly, I'm stunned. You've always been beautiful, Sakiko, but wearing a maid outfit... your lethality is even higher than before."
"Haaah... Thank goodness."
Sakiko knew Tetsuya's personality well. His praise would never contain a shred of exaggeration or falsehood; it was always his true, heartfelt opinion.
"It was worth mustering the courage to wear this. This makes my efforts even more meaningful."
The anxiety and self-doubt in her heart instantly vanished. Sakiko puffed out her chest and returned to her previous dignified and elegant posture.
She didn't care in the slightest about the so-called "lewdness" Tetsuya was worried about. After all, a large part of why she had summoned the courage to wear this maid outfit was to capture his attention. In fact... the bigger his reaction, the happier she felt.
This sense of satisfaction, of having her charm affirmed by the one she loved, was enough to make her forget all her shame.
Besides, in terms of material, craftsmanship, and design, this maid outfit was probably of a higher quality than the dresses of many noble young ladies.
So...
"Mutsumi."
"...Mhm?"
"If you want to take a photo for a souvenir... one or two is enough. Don't just keep taking continuous shots."
"Eh..."
Mutsumi reluctantly lowered her phone.
"But Sakiko looks really beautiful right now."
"A year from now, you'll see me like this often. There's no need to rush to take so many pictures."
Sakiko cleared her throat, feigning her usual calmness.
"Also, your outfit today is very cute too. That new hat matches your dress well."
"This hat... Chihaya-san gave it to me before we left."
Mutsumi said, placing a hand on the brim of her hat.
"So, it's all thanks to Chihaya-san."
"I see."
Seeing that Mutsumi seemed to be getting along well with Tetsuya, Sakiko nodded in relief.
"Well then, let's go inside to talk. Lady Sakurakouji has been waiting for a long time."
She once again stepped aside, gesturing for the two of them to enter.
By now, Tetsuya had completely recovered from his earlier confusion and finally took the first step toward the door.
However, as he passed in front of her—
"If you like it, I can wear it for you often in the future."
Sakiko stood on her tiptoes and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear.
"Master."
"?!"
Tetsuya, caught by the surprise attack, clapped his hands over his ears in a panic and stumbled half a step away from her. Meanwhile, Sakiko turned her back with a deeply satisfied smirk and continued to lead the way as if nothing had happened.
"Maid outfit..."
Watching all of this unfold from behind, Wakaba Mutsumi first nodded thoughtfully, then resumed her usual expressionless face and followed quietly after them.
Togawa Sakiko's first maid outfit debut thus ended in her complete victory.