Crossover: After deciding to give up, i became popular

"Hey, Senpai, you never said you wanted to come to this kind of place," Iroha Isshiki said, standing in front of a maid café. She turned to Kanade Natsukawa with an exaggerated look of disbelief.

"Don't tell me Senpai's one of those anime-loving otakus?" Her tone was teasing, her gaze slightly judgmental, as if she were saying, I didn't think you were this kind of person.

"I'm not quite an otaku, but I do think some anime is pretty interesting," Kanade shrugged. He didn't bother denying it. While he didn't watch much in the past due to a lack of time, he didn't feel the need to hide his interests now.

Still, he wasn't the kind of person to proudly announce, I love anime! After all, in Japanese society, the phrase otaku are worse than dogs wasn't always a mere joke.

"I've always been curious about maid cafés," Kanade explained, "but I didn't want to go alone. Since we're out together today, I thought I'd check it out with you."

If it were his fellow club members or even Eriri, he wouldn't have dared to ask. But with Iroha? He didn't really care what she thought.

"Eek!" Iroha let out a disgusted noise but didn't outright refuse. After a moment of hesitation, she nodded reluctantly.

"Fine, but if it turns out to be a weird place, I'm ditching you!"

"Don't worry. I checked in advance—it's a reputable shop, not the kind you're imagining."

Iroha's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "So Senpai did think about that kind of place, huh?"

"...I've been baited," Kanade muttered, realizing he'd walked into a trap. Resigned, he steeled himself and stepped inside.

"Welcome home, Master (or Mistress)!"

The cheerful greeting from the café's maids washed over him. Kanade's expression turned complicated as he adjusted to the atmosphere.

"Senpai! Your nose is growing!"

A slender finger poked Kanade's side, and he turned to see Iroha following him in, her cheeks puffed out in mock irritation.

"I'm not Pinocchio," he deadpanned as they were guided to their table.

"Master, here is today's menu. Please take a look," one of the maids said sweetly, placing a menu in front of Kanade and standing ready to assist.

"Do you have the 'love omelet rice'?" Kanade asked, sticking to his original goal.

"It's on the back of the menu, Master."

Flipping the menu over, he found the signature dish, complete with various add-ons like "heart magic" and "blessing chants" that were so embarrassing they made him wince.

"...Just the classic set, please. No extras," he said, keeping his composure.

After placing his order, he turned to Iroha. "What about you?"

"Nothing! I'm full already!" she huffed, glaring at him.

"Taking me to a place like this during our date, Senpai? So lame!"

"It's not a date..." Kanade muttered. He felt a pang of guilt. Dragging her here to satisfy his curiosity was admittedly selfish. "Sorry. If it's that uncomfortable, we can leave."

"Hmph, at least you know your place," Iroha said, her expression softening. After a moment, she asked, "Do you really like maids that much, Senpai?"

"No, not really... I was just curious," Kanade replied quickly.

But in his mind, an image surfaced unbidden—Mahiru Shiina in a maid outfit, welcoming him home with a soft "Welcome back, Master" in her angelic voice.

"Senpai! Your nose is growing again! You liar!"

"That's not even physically possible," Kanade protested. Scientifically speaking, any nasal changes from excitement were too minor to notice.

"Just hurry up and order something, and stop making a scene," he said, trying to change the subject.

"Hmph…" Iroha gave him a look before getting up. "I'm going to the restroom. Don't peek, you perv!"

"Who would even do that?!"

After Iroha left, Kanade gestured for the maid to prepare his meal and decided to let her order her own when she returned.

The omelet rice arrived shortly after, but Iroha was still nowhere to be seen.

"Master, here is your 'love omelet rice,'" the server said in a sugary voice that sent shivers down Kanade's spine.

"Thanks..."

But as he turned to accept the plate, Kanade froze.

The "maid" serving him wasn't one of the café staff—it was Iroha, now dressed in a maid outfit.

"...What?"

"What's wrong, Senpai? Doesn't my maid uniform look good?" Iroha struck a playful pose, holding the tray under one arm and flashing a peace sign.

"This is the part where you're supposed to excitedly ask for a photo!"

"Uh, sure..." Kanade said, instinctively pulling out his phone.

Immediately, Iroha's expression shifted to mock disgust.

"Wow, Senpai! I knew it—you're just a big pig! The moment I let you, you're all excited to take a picture! H!"

"..."

Kanade clenched his fist. For a moment, he seriously considered teaching this cheeky kouhai a lesson—a light tap to the forehead to let her know what a "bonk" sounded like in real life.

"Don't just stay silent! Do you think I look bad in this outfit or something?" Iroha asked, her tone turning unexpectedly shy.

"...No, it looks fine," Kanade admitted, averting his eyes.

"Yay! I knew it! Senpai's totally a maid fan!" Iroha cheered, spinning in place.

"..."

You little...