Outside the door, three beautiful girls walked in together.
Quite a few customers and maids in the Maid Café noticed them and turned to look, a flash of amazement appearing in their eyes.
Although the maids employed by the café were all fairly attractive, with every one of them scoring at least a seven out of ten, they suddenly seemed much less dazzling after the arrival of these three girls.
The girls glanced around the café and suddenly spotted Sato waving at them. Surprise immediately appeared on their faces.
"Why are you here?!"
Sawamura Eriri trotted over with visible delight, but halfway there she seemed to remember something and abruptly slowed down, adopting a more reserved demeanor.
"I was discussing some things with Akane-sensei."
Sato gestured for Eriri to look at Kosaka Akane, who was seated across from him.
With a cheerful smile, Kosaka Akane waved at Eriri.
"So you're Kashiwagi Eri-sensei. I'm Kosaka Akane. It's nice to meet you!"
Hearing the name "Kashiwagi Eri," Eriri inevitably blushed. Her face turned red as she replied weakly,
"H-Hello..."
"Kashiwagi Eri-sensei is so cute."
Kosaka Akane covered her mouth and laughed softly before turning her gaze to the two beautiful girls standing behind Eriri. A gleam flashed through her eyes.
"Miyabi-sensei, aren't you going to introduce these two lovely girls to me?"
"I'm Kasumigaoka Utaha."
Before Sato could speak, Kasumigaoka Utaha shifted her gaze away from him and introduced herself to Kosaka Akane with a faint smile.
"Chiba's Fallen Angel, Black Cat."
Gokou Ruri immediately followed with her own introduction. Then she looked at Sato, joy from a long-awaited reunion visible on her face.
"It's been a long time, Senpai."
"It's been a long time."
Sato smiled and nodded.
"Ara~ they're all students brought up by Miyabi-sensei."
Kosaka Akane looked at Kasumigaoka Utaha and Gokou Ruri in surprise before smiling.
"If you don't mind, why don't you sit with us?"
The seating in the Maid Café consisted of extended booths, with each row able to seat three people.
"Sure, sure!"
Eriri's eyes lit up. Without hesitation, she squeezed herself beside Sato, nudging him further inward.
This caused Kasumigaoka Utaha, who had been about to speak, to slowly close her lips again. She gave Eriri a deep look before sitting beside Kosaka Akane.
Gokou Ruri sat down next to Eriri as well.
Glancing at the things the three girls were carrying, Sato asked with interest,
"Did you come here to work on your manuscripts?"
"Yeah. Drawing drafts is so exhausting."
Eriri pouted and looked at Sato pitifully with her sapphire-like eyes. A crafty glint flashed through them.
"So... would you treat us?"
Sato couldn't help laughing. Looking up at Utaha and Ruri, he said,
"Sure, my treat. Order whatever you want."
"Then we'll gratefully accept Miyabi-sensei's generosity."
The corners of Kasumigaoka Utaha's lips curved upward slightly as she reached out her slender fingers and picked up the menu on the table.
"Thank you."
Gokou Ruri, meanwhile, looked a little embarrassed.
"Minami-san!"
Sato waved toward Minami Kotori, who was not far away. The cutest maid in the café immediately came over, and this corner instantly became the most eye-catching spot in the entire Maid Café.
When Minami Kotori arrived, she froze for a moment, unable to understand how several more beautiful girls had appeared in the blink of an eye.
However, she quickly recovered and asked in her soft, adorable voice with utmost sincerity,
"How may I help you?"
After the girls finished ordering, Minami Kotori retreated once more.
Kosaka Akane observed the girls at the table with a smile for a while before suddenly sighing regretfully.
"Actually, I noticed Kasumi Utako-sensei and Kashiwagi Eri-sensei quite some time ago..."
"Hm?"
The two beautiful girls looked at her in confusion.
"Both of you possess exceptional talent and ability. I originally planned to invite you to join my circle, but later my circle ended up being swallowed by Miyabi-sensei..."
Kosaka Akane took a sip of coffee and spoke gloomily.
"Hey, we're partners, okay?"
Sato couldn't help rolling his eyes at the Kosaka Akane sitting across from him.
What nonsense are you talking about?
"Oh? Aren't we? Then why do I feel like I've become one of Miyabi-sensei's employees?"
She blinked.
"Look, even on weekends, the big boss has me working."
Sato waved his hand dismissively.
"That's just your imagination. Pure imagination. You're still the boss. Isn't working hard for yourself perfectly normal?"
"If Miyabi-sensei weren't spending every day so leisurely, I might actually have believed that."
Kosaka Akane sighed, poked her cake with a small fork, and took a bite.
"So... you're working right now?"
Sawamura Eriri seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and revealed an innocent smile.
"Of course. Otherwise, what did Kashiwagi Eri-sensei think we were doing? Or could it be... Kashiwagi Eri-sensei was worried we were on a date?"
Kosaka Akane suddenly gave Eriri a meaningful smile.
"W-Who... who's worried?!"
Eriri immediately reacted as if something had triggered her. She shot to her feet, face red and stammering as she refuted the claim.
"I-I h-how could I possibly worry about a guy like Miyabi?! Ha... haha!"
The blonde twin-tailed girl laughed awkwardly, her face completely red as she desperately tried to look unconcerned.
Sato wore a subtle expression as he looked at Eriri.
This girl really wasn't good at hiding things...
The others exchanged strange looks at Eriri before casting meaningful glances at Sato.
How interesting.
Kasumigaoka Utaha narrowed her eyes.
Still... this really was a textbook example of a tsundere. How could such a troublesome personality trait exist in this world?
Looking at Eriri, she sighed inwardly.
"Um... here's what you ordered."
Suddenly, Minami Kotori's somewhat awkward voice sounded from beside them. She secretly glanced at Eriri, then quickly turned away and spoke in a small voice.
"T-Thank you..."
Eriri's awkward laughter abruptly stopped, as though someone had grabbed her by the throat. With a flushed face, she lowered her head slightly and sat back down.
"Ugh..."