After dinner, the clinking of dishes being washed in the kitchen provided a rhythmic backdrop to the quiet evening. Makoto was humming a tuneless song, lost in the suds and the satisfaction of a full stomach.
In the living room, Yuna was prowling around the dress form that held her Shinobu costume. "The sleeve drape is still off by two centimeters," she muttered, adjusting a pin.
Ayane was sprawled on the floor, surrounded by various wig heads. "Relax, boss," she drawled, combing through her long pink wig. "Nobody is going to measure your sleeves with a ruler. Unless it's Makoto, and he'll be measuring something else."
Yuna shot Ayane a glare. "It's about cosplay integrity, you cow, it's something you wouldn't understand."
While the loud ones bickered, a quieter scene unfolded at the small dining table. Mafuyu tilted a ceramic pot, pouring a stream of pale gold liquid into a cup. The steam curled upward, carrying the soothing, floral scent of jasmine tea and cutting through the chemical tang of the craft supplies.
She placed the cup in front of Mika with a gentle grace, not spilling a drop. "Here you go. It's steeped just right."
Mika accepted the cup, her fingers brushing Mafuyu's warm hand. "Thank you, Mafuyu-san," She took a sip, her shoulders relaxing just a fraction. "Delicious! You always know exactly what I need."
Mafuyu smiled, but her expression was fragile, trembling at the edges. She sat down, wrapping both hands around her own mug as if trying to draw strength from the ceramic.
"It's the least I can do," she whispered, her gaze drifting toward the kitchen where Makoto was whistling. "Your advice about standing up for myself, about finding my place here... I don't think I could have done it without you, Mika-chan."
Mika set her cup down on the saucer with a soft clink. She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand, her pink eyes studying the older woman. "You give yourself too little credit. You're much stronger than you think."
Her gaze narrowed slightly, picking up on the tension in Mafuyu's posture. "But you seem restless tonight. Is something wrong?"
Mafuyu bit her lip, her eyes darting toward Yuna, who was now aggressively blow-drying a bang. "It's Yuna-chan," Mafuyu confessed, her voice barely audible. "I did something impulsive. I challenged her."
Mika's eyebrows rose, a spark of genuine interest lighting up her face. "You challenged Yuna?"
"It's... a contest," Mafuyu clarified, a deep blush spreading across her cheeks. "To see who could please Makoto-kun more. After the convention."
A delighted smile spread across Mika's face. "Oh?" she purred. "You challenged the Main Wife on who can make Makoto cum more? That is incredibly bold of you!"
"I know," Mafuyu sighed, slumping in her chair. "Yuna was so confident, saying she knows his body so well that she can make him cum faster than any of us. I let my emotions get the best of me. I just wanted to... prove her wrong."
She covered her blushing face. "But I'm just... me, an older woman, with not so much experience despite my age. I can't even cosplay like you all. I don't know if I can win."
Mika hummed when she looked at Mafuyu's soft curves and her gentle demeanor. She could feel the hidden fire that Tatsuya had almost extinguished, but Makoto had fanned back to life. She tapped a manicured fingernail against the rim of her teacup.
"Yuna relies on brute force," Mika analyzed calmly. "She overwhelms him with aggression and familiarity. She screams and demands, and Makoto gives in because he loves her."
"If you try to play her game, you'll lose." Mika leaned in closer. "But you are Mamafu, someone who gives. You nurture, you care, you serve. You have your own advantages."
Mafuyu blinked. "What do you mean?"
"We need to weaponize that. We need to turn your caring nature into a weapon." Mika glanced over at Ayane, who was now trying on a pair of cat ears. "And I believe the Third Wife might have just the thing."
She stood up, her movements fluid. "Come with me, Mafuyu-san. We are going to ask Ayane for another weapon."
They found Ayane in the guest room, which was slowly becoming a costume storage facility. She was currently holding up a small shiny piece of vinyl.
"Ayane-chan," Mika announced. "I remember you owed me earlier. We require your assistance, and your inventory too."
Ayane turned, grinning. "Ooh, what are you two planning? What do you need? Handcuffs? A riding crop? I think I have a spare gag somewhere..."
"Your wardrobe," Mika corrected her. "Some specific costumes... Mafuyu-san is gonna start a battle against Yuna-chan."
Ayane listened to Mafuyu's story, her grin spreading wider and wider until she looked like the Cheshire Cat. "You challenged the gremlin? Holy shit, Mama-fu, you've got guts," Ayane laughed, slapping her thigh. "I love it. I am fully invested in this coup d'état."
She tossed the vinyl aside and clapped her hands. "Okay, Mama-fu. So what's your strategy? Are we going for 'Innocent Virgin'? 'Dominatrix'? 'Nurse who accidentally drops the soap'?"
Mafuyu blushed furiously. "I don't know, I just want to... serve him."
"Serve him," Ayane repeated, tapping her chin. She walked over to a large trunk at the foot of the bed and began rummaging through it, tossing aside various pieces of fabric: a bunny suit, a cheerleader outfit, something that looked like just three strings tied together.
"Too flashy," Mika critiqued as Ayane held up a gold bikini. "We need something understated but devastating. Something that emphasizes her role in the household but subverts it."
Ayane kept rifling, the hangers screeching against the metal bar. "Okay, so Yuna goes for the bratty little sister vibe. We need to go in the complete opposite direction. We need something that screams 'submission' but also says 'You can't take your eyes off me.'"
Her hand dived deep into the trunk and pulled out a hanger. She held it up with a flourish; it was a maid outfit. Not a cheap, Halloween-store maid outfit, but a high-quality one.
The black fabric was a satin that shimmered under the room's light. The skirt was scandalously short, designed to barely graze the upper thigh. The white apron was more decorative than functional, a scrap of lace meant to draw the eye to the waist.
But the real weapon was the cut. Its neckline plunged dangerously low to show the cleavage fully, while the back was completely open, held together only by a corset-style lacing of delicate white ribbons that would frame the spine and the curve of the buttocks perfectly.
"The Meidri' Classic," Ayane announced proudly. "I made it for our Maid Cafe in sophomore year. The apron is stain-resistant."
Mafuyu stared at it. It was cute and classic, and it was perfect. "It's so short and skimpy," she murmured while touching the hem. "My thighs and ass will be exposed."
"It's tactical for easy access. Plus, the petticoat gives it volume, which makes your waist look tiny, and your hips and bottom look..." Ayane made an exploding motion with her hands.
Then she dug back into the trunk. "Wait, there's more!" She pulled out a pair of black stockings with little bows at the top, and a black velvet choker with a small silver bell. "Accessories make the outfit."
Ayane handed the bundle to Mafuyu. "Go try it on. The bathroom is free." She grinned at Mika. "Watch the door. If Yuna comes in, distract her with something shiny."
Mika saluted mockingly and took up a post by the door. "I'll handle security."
Mafuyu took the clothes, her heart pounding with thought. "I'm going to become a maid. I will call him Master, to serve him, to clean him, to fully become his. And... to make him mine only!"
"Thank you, Ayane," she whispered.
Ten minutes later, the door opened. Mika and Ayane turned.
Mafuyu stood there. The dress fit her like a glove, hugging her bust and flaring out at her hips. The black stockings emphasized the soft curve of her legs. The choker sat perfectly against her throat.
Mafuyu turned and looked at herself in the full-length mirror that Ayane kept propped against the wall. She looked like a fantasy come to life. "I feel... different," Mafuyu murmured, her voice breathy. She ran her hands down her sides, feeling the smooth satin. Then she looked down and fidgeted with the apron strings. "Is it too much?"
Ayane let out a low whistle. "Mama-fu, you are really a weapon of mass destruction."
Mika walked over, adjusting the headpiece slightly. She stepped back, her eyes calculating. "It's very sexy and eye-catching. Yuna relies on tsundere aggression. This relies on overwhelming sweetness and service."
She leaned in close to Mafuyu, her voice low and serious. "When you wear this, become his maid. Just serve him and ask him to take you. If he spills a drop, you clean it with your tongue. If he wants water, you give him... your fluids."
She smiled with an encouraging expression. "Make him depend on you. Make him feel like a king who cannot function without his maid."
Mafuyu looked in the mirror. She no longer saw the scared victim of Tatsuya. She saw a woman who had found her new power.
She curtsied to her reflection, the bell on her choker giving a soft ding. "Thank you," she said, turning to Ayane and Mika. Her eyes were shining with a new light. "Both of you."
Ayane grabbed her phone. "Okay, hold that pose. I need a picture for this."
Mika smirked, then let a genuine, warm expression soften her features. "Beat her, Mafuyu-san. Topple the Main Wife."
Mafuyu looked back at the mirror. She adjusted the headband, squaring her shoulders. A new resolve settled in her chest, replacing the fear. "I will," she whispered, her fingers tracing the lace of her apron. "I'm going to serve Makoto until he can't walk, and I'm going to win."
Outside the room, Makoto walked by, drying his hands on a towel. He heard giggling and the sound of a camera shutter. He smiled, shaking his head. "They're getting along," he thought naively. "How nice."