“A-Arisa…!? What on earth is this…?”
“Please, do come in.”
Arisa smiled sweetly as she spoke.
It was slightly different from her usual smile—more like the polished, customer-service smile she’d honed at her part-time job.
Yuzuru had seen that “smile” many times while she was working—
But this was the first time it had been directed at him.
(S-so cute…)
It was so devastatingly effective that Yuzuru felt dizzy.
He liked Arisa’s natural smile, of course—but this kind of crafted smile… wasn’t bad either.
“I’ll take your coat.”
“A-ah… yeah.”
Before he realised it, Arisa had already slipped off his coat and school jacket.
After neatly folding them, she guided him into the living room.
The living room…
(Ah, this part hasn’t really changed.)
There weren’t any special decorations.
With only the duration of a film to prepare, she probably hadn’t had time to go that far.
“Please, have a seat.”
“Alright.”
Yuzuru sat down on a cushion as instructed.
“I’ll bring you something to drink.”
With that, Arisa disappeared into the kitchen, returning with a bottle and glasses.
She set a glass on the table and poured the drink.
Naturally, Yuzuru’s gaze drifted—
Not to the drink,
But to her chest.
From the neckline of her maid outfit, a glimpse of pale cleavage peeked through, and he couldn’t help but stare.
“This is champagne… well, a non-alcoholic version. I’ll bring the food now.”
Once she finished pouring, Arisa stood up and carried dishes in from the kitchen.
“This is smoked salmon marinade.”
“Th-thanks…”
A small portion was elegantly arranged in a glass dish.
It looked beautiful, and even the green sauce seemed carefully prepared.
“…Thanks for the meal.”
Yuzuru lifted a forkful to his mouth.
Arisa watched him closely with her emerald eyes.
“How is it?”
“Yeah, it’s delicious… as expected of you.”
At his praise, Arisa smiled happily.
(But… is this an amuse-bouche?)
If it were home cooking, it could easily pass as a main dish—
But the portion size suggested otherwise.
As a starter, though, it made perfect sense.
“…Next is the appetiser?”
He asked experimentally.
Arisa gave a gentle smile.
“Yes, of course.”
“I-I see…”
So tonight’s dinner was a course meal.
Even Yuzuru couldn’t hide his surprise at that.
“By the way, aren’t you going to eat too, Arisa?”
“I was thinking of focusing on serving you, M—Master, today…”
Serve.
That word made him momentarily lightheaded, but he pressed on.
“Didn’t you make anything for yourself?”
“I did, but… um, would you rather I join you?”
“Anything is more enjoyable when I’m with you.”
After going to this much effort, having him eat alone felt a bit wrong—even to Yuzuru.
Of course, he understood this was Arisa’s way of hosting—and part of their “maid and master” roleplay…
But he wanted to share moments like this with her.
“…Honestly, I thought you might say that.”
With that, Arisa stood and returned with what looked like the appetiser.
This time, it was for two people.
She also brought her own glass—and the earlier dish.
“I’ll pour your drink.”
“Huh? Ah, no, I—”
Right now, Arisa was the maid, and Yuzuru the master.
From that perspective, it might not be proper for him to pour for her.
But sticking too rigidly to roles wouldn’t be very fun either.
“…Are you going to reject your master’s goodwill?”
“I-I wouldn’t dream of it… thank you.”
Startled, Arisa accepted the drink from him.
Once she had her glass, Yuzuru gently raised his.
“Well then… cheers.”
“…Cheers.”
Their glasses clinked softly.
From the amuse-bouche and appetiser onward—
Soup, fish, palate cleanser, meat dish…
Arisa brought each course one after another.
Needless to say, every single dish had been carefully prepared.
Yuzuru had expected a course meal—
But even he hadn’t imagined a full course.
All he could do was marvel.
“…Wasn’t this a lot of work?”
After finishing the meat dish, he asked.
Arisa nodded lightly.
“Well… it was, to an extent. Though honestly, I didn’t plan to make this much at first…”
“…What do you mean?”
“Um… I guess I got carried away while cooking. I kept thinking, maybe I’ll make this too, and that as well…”
“I-I see…”
It seemed Arisa herself had enjoyed the process.
That made Yuzuru feel a little relieved.
After all, having someone do all this just for him felt a bit much.
“Well then… shall I bring out today’s true main event—the dessert?”
At her words, Yuzuru nodded.
That’s right—today was his birthday.
And when it came to birthdays—
“Master, happy birthday.”
Of course—
A birthday cake.
