Nan Qinli (II)

The three of them soon began their activities as school idols, stumbling forward together through trial and error. It had already been nearly two weeks since they started. Under Umi Sonoda’s strict supervision, Kotori Minami and Honoka Kosaka trained their stamina at the Kanda Myojin Shrine. The three canvassed the entire school for a suitable name for their idol group. They asked Umi to write lyrics, and even sought out a first-year student to compose music—though that had yet to yield results.

Reactions to their efforts varied among the school and their families. The student council president was openly opposed. The teacher in charge of club activities wasn’t optimistic either. Yet among the first years, there were adorable juniors who supported their cause, and among their peers, there were girls who had always cheered them on.

Last week, Kotori Minami was pondering costume designs for the trio and decided to wander Akihabara in search of inspiration. There, she was approached by maids advertising their café, dressed in elaborate outfits, who suggested, “Why not try working here?” Though she instinctively refused, she soon found herself inside the maid café, half-pushed, half-willing, trying on one of their costumes.

Kotori, who had always been rather interested in cosplay, was instantly captivated by the maid outfit. Exclaiming “How cute!” she decided to stay and take the job. Of course, that wasn’t the only reason. Kotori wanted to use this opportunity to change herself. In her heart, she believed that among the three, she was perhaps the least talented. Unlike Honoka, who could lead them forward, or Umi, who was meticulous and dependable, Kotori felt she had nothing special. She understood the dynamic between the three of them—she had always simply followed behind the other two.

Lacking confidence in making decisions, she saw herself as unable to take charge. Yet she longed to become more passionate, more reliable, someone others could trust. With such thoughts in mind, Kotori, for the first time, chose to ignore her mother’s rule about coming straight home after school. Using club activities as a pretext, she secretly worked part-time at the maid café in Akihabara.

What she hadn’t expected was that in just two short weeks, she’d gained a rather embarrassing nickname: “That Legendary Maid of Akihabara.” In fact, because of this job, Kotori found that she was no longer as shy around strangers, and had grown more immune to the eyes of others.

As for performing on stage—something that used to make her incredibly nervous—Kotori now found herself less fearful and embarrassed. Her enthusiasm for the job only grew. On Saturday morning, after her usual stamina training with Honoka and Umi and a quick lunch at home, Kotori arrived early at the café, ready for another shift.

Even as her shift was ending, Kotori did not slack off, greeting customers with her gentle smile as always. “Welcome! Is it three guests today?” she inquired as a group entered. She quickly noticed one of them—a handsome young man—staring at her in a daze. Though she’d received such looks countless times over the past two weeks, she still wasn’t entirely used to it. Slightly displeased, she maintained her professional smile.

To her satisfaction, the young man soon realized his rudeness, looked away, cleared his throat, and answered, “Yes.” Smiling, Kotori said, “Please allow me to show you to your table,” and led the trio with light, cheerful steps to a vacant spot.

After seating them, she handed over the menus and went to fetch ice water. Returning, she was approached by one of the guests—a girl whose wide-eyed curiosity made it clear this was her first time in such a place. “Excuse me, miss, it’s our first time here. Do you have any recommendations?”

Kotori was happy to oblige, making a few suggestions. The girl quickly made up her mind, and to Kotori’s surprise, referred to the young man who had stared at her as “big brother.” He gestured for her to order whatever she liked, while the other boy—immersed in his phone and radiating otaku energy—simply said, “Same for me,” and returned his attention to his screen.

After confirming their order and relaying it to the kitchen, Kotori was resting nearby when the manager suddenly asked, “Would you like to join a little impromptu event?” Thinking it might be fun—and with nothing pressing to do afterward—Kotori nodded in agreement.

As she expected, the café was filled with multi-talented people, and the performances were quite entertaining. Just as the event was about to end, however, Kotori was suddenly pushed out by her coworkers. The girl she was closest with even called out loudly, “Manager, Nana-chan says she wants to sing!”

Mortified and trying instinctively to melt into the crowd, Kotori was gently but firmly guided to the center and handed a microphone by the manager. Flustered, she quickly searched her mind for a way to escape. Then, an idea lit up her eyes.

Asking for a moment of quiet, Kotori took a deep breath and said, “Well, I don’t mind singing, but the only song I can do justice to is ‘When the Cherry Blossoms Dance.’ If anyone here can accompany me on the piano, that would be even better!” She flashed a sly smile, secretly pleased with her clever solution. She’d noticed that no one had played piano during the earlier talent acts, so it was likely that few, if any, in the group could play. That would let her avoid performing.

But just as things seemed to be going her way, someone called out from a far corner, “We have a pianist right here!” A chill ran through Kotori’s heart as she turned to see that it was the very table she had just served. And the one being pushed forward by his friends—just as she had been—was the young man who had stared at her earlier.

As he made his way toward her, wearing a look of resignation, Kotori felt a wave of panic. She hadn’t expected that someone here would have the confidence to perform in front of a crowd, accompanying a stranger in a duet for the first time.