Monday could not come any faster. Yuriko felt like the weekend passed within a blink of an eye, and she was struggling with anxiety on the cultural festival Monday. She debated on pretending she was sick so she didn't have to go, but she sighed as she remembered Jayce using his I.O.U. ticket for the entire ordeal.
Sitting in the classroom, the boys were setting up a tarp in the corner for the girls to change behind. Some were excited about dressing up, but the others were quite upset about having to do it. Yuriko was dreading the moment, staring at her desk – Jayce was too busy setting up the tables and chairs to notice her depressed state.
Ever since Saturday, though, she felt a bit different. She had seen her mother again, and… she didn't know what she expected, but she didn't think it would go exactly as it did. Throughout the entire time, she could hear her mother's thoughts spiralling in distress as she tried to figure out if she missed Yuriko or hated her completely. Honestly, she was the same way after it all.
Finally, the time came for the girls to change. Yuriko stood up with knots in her chest, following the other six girls into the curtain. Seven maid costumes laid on a chair, and each of them took one. They chattered and bickered about the ordeal, but got dressed anyway. Yuriko took the last one, looking it over carefully before she took off her school uniform and put it in the temporary box-locker that had her name across it. Placing the costume on appropriately, she did it all by herself besides the knot in the back, which one of the girls was going around and tying it for the others.
She stared down at her outfit, the black and white contrasting against her pale skin. The skirt reached her knees in ruffles, a band in her hair to tie it up in a ponytail with a bow. Shaking her head in disgust, she stepped out into the open after the others, where the boys cheered and complimented them. However, when she came out, nobody paid much mind to her – except Jayce.
He stood up as she exited the curtain, having been seated at a close by desk. His blue eyes widened in awe as he stared at her, and she looked over at him as his thoughts mixed into her own. She looks… His words never finished as he stepped up to her, smiling. She looked at him with her eyebrows raised, her face still flat without any emotion.
"You look good," He said.
She looked down. "No, I look ridiculous."
"Stop it, you're fine," Jayce waved her off, grinning. "Come on, I'll show you how to make the drinks."
Yuriko followed him to the back of the classroom, where he displayed the three coffee machines and pastries they had. Scones, muffins, etcetera. He showed her where the makeshift menus were and practised with her on what to do when someone came in – the girls would take turns greeting the customers at the door, calling them sir or ma'am or miss. They decided not to do the normal routine of Maid Cafes and say master because it was looked upon as sexualised sometimes, and they were only high school students. She sighed, looking rather upset but not voicing any of her concerns. Hopefully it would all be well and done with soon.
The first few customers were parents and teachers, who Yuriko did her best to put on a kind face and serve them accordingly. She had so far not made any mistakes, and the customers seemed happy enough to just be getting food and coffee. Nobody seemed to think twice of her, which she was pleased about, until her thoughts were plagued by someone familiar.
She turned to the door, watching as Mystic walked inside. Their eyes locked, and she seemed surprised for a moment before she grinned. Yuriko looked at Jayce as he smiled and walked over to his friend, saying something unheard. One of the maid students welcomed Mystic excitedly, and seated her in Yuriko's section.
She sighed, walking over to her with a menu and setting it down in front of her. "Welcome, miss," Yuriko said. "Would you like a water or coffee while you look through our options?"
"Water is fine," Mystic responded, still grinning as she crossed her legs. "Y'know, I didn't believe Jayce when he told me that you dressed up, so I am pleasantly surprised."
Yuriko narrowed her eyes, not giving her the reaction she desired. "I will go get your drink, miss," She said calmly, walking over to the counter.
She reached the designated area, pouring water from a large stein into a cup. Filling it to the brim, she put down the stein and turned back around, but stopped when she saw a man enter through the door. She was about to greet him, being the only one close to the entrance at the time, when she froze. His thoughts entered her mind uninvited, and her eyes widened.
This is perfect… I love it when high school kids think it's a good idea to start up a maid cafe for the festival. Now, where is the best spot to sit to see them bend over? I can't wait until they call me master.
She stared at him for a moment, then looked around at the other girls and students in the class. Gritting her teeth, she knew she very well couldn't just beat him up for having morbid thoughts nobody knew of. However, she could not just let him do as he pleased, either. She knew it would happen at some point – people sexualised maid cafes, and she hated it.
Taking in a breath, she matched her pace with his as he stepped inside, and purposefully bumped into him. Her tall glass of water spilled down his shirt completely all the way to his pants. He yelled in surprise at the cold touch, and she gasped and dropped the cup. Looking at him in perplexed surprise, she covered her mouth.
"I'm so sorry," Yuriko said, knowing by his mind he was already seething. "I didn't see you, sir."
"You little-" He started, then looked around as everyone was staring and thought better of calling her a bitch. "It's fine, just go get a napkin or something."
"Of course, sir," She bowed quickly.
However, she wasn't done. Turning around, she had sneakily hooked her foot in his long shoelace, and pulled his step forward. He cried out as he slipped on the water, full on stumbling before landing on his back. She faked a gasp, looking behind her again and leaning down. He groaned in pain, looking up at her.
"Are you okay, sir?" Yuriko asked innocently.
"You did that on purpose!" He yelled, struggling to his feet.
"Did what on purpose, sir?" She looked up at him, feigning a startled expression.
"You tripped me!" He argued.
"Sir," A voice sounded behind him, and they both looked to see Jayce intervening. "I think it's best if you leave and clean yourself up."
"Are you kicking me out?!" He yelled. "How dare you! I'll report you to your teachers-"
"What will you report to the teachers?" Another person spoke from the doorway. Yuriko looked over, seeing a tall, long haired man standing in the hall – Matsuda. He came forward, adjusting his clipboard. "You slipped, sir. Nothing to get worked up over. Please," He took a napkin and handed it to the man. "Clean yourself up and go enjoy the rest of the festival."
The man glowered at him, then snatched the napkin and stormed out of the classroom. Yuriko let out a sigh of relief, and she saw Mystic walking up out of the corner of her eye. Her and Jayce stood on either side of her, and Matsuda looked at her in worry. The rest of the maids started working again, still glancing over periodically in confusion.
"What happened?" The teacher asked her.
"He was a pervert," She whispered quietly. "I didn't want him to take advantage of the other girls."
Matsuda sighed, but then nodded. "I understand. Yuriko, Jayce, why don't you two take a break?" He smiled and looked at Mystic. "You as well. Go with them."
"Sure," She smiled. "I have the perfect thing I want to show them. Come along."
Mystic started leading them out the door, Yuriko simply pleased she did not have to deal with any more perverts. Walking out into the hall, she could see that the room next door was a haunted 'house' ordeal, which she sort of wanted to see. Alas, Mystic led the two in the opposite direction, continuing down the hallway.
It became apparent to Yuriko that most of the student males were staring at her, and the reason why was obvious. She was still dressed in a maid costume. Glancing at Jayce, she could see him smiling, apparently noticing all the attention she was getting. She glared at him, grimacing.
"What's wrong?" Jayce asked her.
"Everyone is staring at me," She mumbled.
"That's because you're in a cute outfit," He explained.
Almost immediately, blood rose to her cheeks in embarrassment. Had anyone called her cute before? Maybe her mother, when she was young. No, he called the costume cute, not her. She tried to convince herself that was the case, but he was still looking at her with one eyebrow raised.
"Are you blushing?" Jayce asked.
"No," Yuriko quickly answered, feeling her face getting hotter.
She heard him chuckle. "Liar."
The three travelled through the halls, Mystic telling the two about her own class presentation. Apparently they split their room into two sides – triangle and square. Their president would ask trivia questions while the sides were made the two choices, and people would go to which side they thought was correct. Then, the president's assistant would announce the right answer, and those who were correct would be given a small prize. It didn't take many people, which was why Mystic got to wander around so much.
Finally, the three made it outside. A band was playing in the courtyard, while stands were put about to accommodate foods and drinks. Some were even handing out toys to kids and fun little trinkets. Mystic weaved them through the crowd easily, apparently very talented in such a skill. Yuriko was about to ask where they were going until they reached the band's crowd, and she saw exactly what she was leading them to.
There, in the back of the crowd, were two girls. They had fair dark skin, one with long white hair and the other with long black hair. Their clothes matched – long sleeved blue shirts and dark jeans, with boots on their feet. They were smiling and talking freely, one of them pointing up to the stage excitedly.
"Is that-?" Yuriko started.
"Flower and Petal," Mystic finished for her.
"I did not know they could leave their dimension," She said.
"Well, it isn't technically their dimension," She explained. "They just care for it. Y'know, like a person cares for a puppy. Right now, this is just their break."
"I see," Yuriko responded.
Petal glanced over at them, smiling as she raised a hand and waved them over. Flower noticed this motion, and turned to look at them. She seemed to smirk at something, and Yuriko glowered at the ground – she was laughing at her outfit. Mystic led the two over to the girls, where the twins greeted Mystic and Jayce like old friends, which they probably were.
"It's nice to see you again, Yuri," Flower said, a hint of teasing in her voice. "You look good."
Yuriko ignored them, looking up to the stage. She saw something rather strange, and her suspicions were proven correct when she locked her eyes on it. Vinhatri was on the stage, playing a red electric guitar and singing backup vocals in his native language. She was surprised to see the shy boy being so high strung and excited.
When the song ended, he played a long lasting chord that ended abruptly with a high sound. He put down his guitar on a stand and stepped off the stage, the others following. She saw them talking for a little bit in between the crowd, before he said his farewells and walked away, towards the group of five in the back. He stopped in front of them, waving a hello before looking at Yuriko strangely.
"What are you wearing?" He asked.
"Direct that question to Miller," She hissed, glaring at the American.
Vinhatri raised an eyebrow at Jayce, and he shrugged innocently. "Maid Cafe?"
The two paused in silence, before they both started to chuckle. Mystic rolled her eyes, scoffing before giving Yuriko a light pat on the shoulder. "Ignore them, you look fine."
"I feel ridiculous," She seethed.
"I would, too," The girl shrugged. "But just think about it," She leaned down to whisper in her ear. "You can make Jayce wear a maid outfit later." Yuriko looked at her in surprise, and the girl cackled. "Your face!"
"C'mon," Vinhatri interrupted them, waving them over to the school again. "They're going to announce the winners of the festival soon."
The group migrated over to the gym, where many other students, teachers, and parents already were. Lights were on still, but a few of the band students were standing on the stage, setting up shouldered snare drums in preparation for the announcement. The principal was putting up a microphone, and when the clock hit 3:00 PM, he stood before it and cleared his throat.
The talking ceased, and quiet excitement spread throughout the room. Yuriko didn't pay attention as the winner of the festival was announced – some first-year class that did a play about a kid's story book. The lights started to dim and soft, light jazz music played over the speakers as the annual school year dance started.
Most of the students started dancing with each other, including Flower who dragged Vinhatri across the room. Meanwhile, her other half remained and started up a conversation with Mystic. Matsuda was somewhere among the scattered teachers, but she didn't care where.
Which left Yuriko and Jayce standing a metre apart, staring in opposite directions silently. The sudden awkwardness of knowing he wanted to ask her to dance, but was worried about the answer of no, was palpable. Which she would most certainly give. Why he wanted to dance of all things, she had no idea. Perhaps he was just bored. Finally, he turned to her, a shy smile on his face.
"Do you wanna-" He started, but was quickly interrupted.
"No," She said flatly, crossing her arms.
"You didn't even let me finish," Jayce argued.
"I know what you are going to ask, and I have an answer," She said defiantly. "You have already embarrassed me with this maid outfit, and now you want me to dance with you?"
"Yeah?" He raised an eyebrow. "What's the real reason?"
Yuriko paused. "I don't dance."
"Because?" Jayce drew the word out, and she failed to answer. "You don't know how to dance, do you?" She looked at him sharply, and he only smiled and held out his gloved hand. "Come on, I'll teach you." When she seemed to hesitate, he chuckled. "You can beat the crap out of people but can't try a little dance?"
Yuriko remained tense for a little while, glancing at his hand momentarily. Then, with a sigh, she uncrossed her arms and took his hand. He smiled, pulling her to the dance floor that was lit up by lights overhead. Taking her other hand, he showed her the right position to use and moseyed her feet in the correct spot. He showed her how to hold him, moving her arm to rest on his upper bicep.
With that, he started to move her to the music, their feet in between each other's so they didn't step on one another. She kept her face down, glancing around as she was worried people would stare – but the only ones looking were Mystic and Petal. Looking back up at him, she saw he was looking at her with a smile.
"See?" He whispered. "Not so bad, is it?"
"...I suppose not," She said carefully.
They continued to dance, the music filling her ears while Jayce's mind filled her thoughts.
She's so beautiful.
She was overwhelmed, staring into his chest and not really paying attention to what he was thinking.
I'm glad we're friends.
They turned, her ponytail swishing around behind her as they flourished.
But…
She looked up at him, matching his blue eyes as her grey ones shimmered.
I feel like that's not enough.
He smiled softly – such a smile that made her feel warm inside.
I think I'm…
She stared at him, almost eager to know the rest of the sentence, as if expecting something but even she didn't know what.
I think I love her.
The music stopped as soon as Yuriko froze, staring at him in shock as it became real. He paused, raising his eyebrows in confusion as her lips parted. She wanted to say something, but no words came out, lost for how to feel about what was just revealed to her. Letting go of him, she stepped back, gazing at him. Suddenly recollecting herself, she gave a short bow and quickly started heading out of the gym.
Yuriko didn't listen as he called her name in worry. She had to get out of there. She had to change out of the ridiculous costume. She had to get away from him. As soon as she reached the halls, she nearly started running from how fast she was walking. It wasn't until she heard footsteps behind her that she grit her teeth, her name being called ever so relentlessly. Finally, she stopped and turned around, facing Jayce as he panted and froze in front of her.
"Why did you run?" He asked in confusion.
"Because I heard you," She said, glaring. "I heard your thoughts."
"Heard what?" When she just glared at him, he shrugged uselessly. "I don't remember what I was thinking, you're gonna have to help me here."
"You said…" Yuriko began, then found the words stuck in her throat. She sighed and shook her head, looking away. "I can't even describe what you said."
"Was it something bad?" Jayce asked. "An intrusive thought? Did I think weird thoughts?"
"No," She looked up at him. "No, it was nothing like that, it was just…" She found herself hesitating.
"What?" He said desperately. "I don't understand, what did I say that was so-?"
"You said you loved me!" Yuriko shouted, shutting her eyes and turning away. He went silent. "I cannot… let that happen."
Jayce was quiet for a moment before he spoke. "I'm sorry… I didn't realise I thought that." When she didn't answer, he went on. "It was probably just a silly thought. I've never had feelings for someone, and me being me, I don't think I will ever be able to." Still, silence. "It was probably just a random boy thing; I doubt it meant anything. Y'know, puberty, it causes weird spurts of… awkwardness."
"It's okay," She said, opening her eyes. "I understand, but… I cannot let you start catching feelings for me."
"Don't worry, I won't, I swear," He said, stepping forward. "I already know you don't care about me in that way, or even at all. We're just friends."
"That's the problem, Jayce," Yuriko looked over her shoulder, pain in her face. "I already do care about you." He widened his eyes in shock, freezing as he held his breath. Yuriko turned away again, staring at the ground. "I'm going to go get changed," She sighed, starting down the hall again.
She could feel his eyes on her back, but she never looked at him. Instead, she only turned the corner and disappeared, letting out a shaken sigh. The truth was out… but even she didn't know what it meant. As she continued on, her heart was pounding against her chest like a drum. She knew she had to let these weird emotions out of her chest somehow, and she knew just what would cure them.