Page 54 of Summer Haze & Tokyo Craze

What the hell have I signed up for?

But before I can even think about turning around and running fast and far, a girl wearing a maid uniform steps up in front of us. It’s a black dress with a frilly, white apron on top and she’s wearing some kind of ribbon in her hair.

I have no idea what I thought a maid café would be. In my head, I pictured a regular café where the servers would be wearing maid outfits. But I definitely didn’t think it would be this… gimmicky.

The woman says something to us, and I smile politely, internally freaking out a bit, because all I understand is a ‘Welcome’. In contrast, Lily nods along with what she’s saying, listens intently, then says something in Japanese herself.

"I just told her that I’m translating. And just so you know how awkward this is, she’s calling us prince and princess," she whispers as to not interrupt her and grins, then nods for me to look back at the maid. "We're to follow her."

At every step in the café, the woman wearing the maid outfit stops and says something with a bright smile and slight bow, pointing at it, which Lily takes great pleasure to translate to, "Take care, step ahead," every single time, until we reach a broader room where the actual café is located.

The maid stops in her tracks, right at the entrance, and then shouts something into the room that makes all of the maids currently in there turn to us, bow and shout something. God, I don’t understand a word and I find this awkward.

"They said welcome back, prince and princess, and that they’ve missed us." Lily giggles and I shake my head, to my surprise realizing that I’m blushing. Me. And oh my God, this is so much more uncomfortable than I thought it would be.

“Oh God.” I pinch the bridge of my nose, making Lily giggle and squeeze my hand reassuringly. "Now I get it."

"Oh, you don't even know the half of it yet," she assures me with a mischievous wink and pats my arm, pulling me after her to the table that the maid is pointing us towards.

"So," Lily says as we sit down. I can't help but notice that on the table are two of these tiny bells rich people use to call for their staff in movies. Although, I have seen people use them for real and it never failed to make me feel like the biggest douche.

"Seriously? Bells?"

"Seriously. And? Is it everything you thought it would be?" Lily raises her eyebrow at me, and I rub my hand over my eyes, shaking my head at her with a chuckle.

"You are having way too much fun with this."

"Listen, the only way to get through a maid café without cringing is to go with it. And even then, you might only be semi-successful." She grins and pats my hand, but instead of reassuring me, it makes me more fearful of what's to come. "So I recommend you just smile and gowith it."

"Go with what?"

Now she’s really scaring me.

Our maid appears next to our table, grinning so widely and talking so animatedly, it’s hard to believe she’s a real person. I've never seen that before. She is holding up the menu and pointing at picture and talking with a childlike joy and now I realize how next level Japanese hospitality is. Because I've never, ever in my life encountered a waiter showing that kind of enthusiasm back home, even in a themed café.

"She is explaining the menu," Lily tells me, and now I'm noticing that the maid is speaking exclusively to her, realizing that it’s utterly pointless to explain anything to me directly. "Basically, if you order the shake, the maids are going to do a little dance for you."

"Wait, what?"

"If you take the shakes, the maids are doing a little dance for you," she repeats and rolls her eyes at me playfully.

"They're doing what?"

"Are you already getting to an age where you need a hearing aid?" She giggles and I narrow my eyes at her, the glare utterly ineffective as she just bites the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing as she continues to explain.

"With everything you get here, it will involve some kind of gimmick," she quickly explains. When I open my mouth to ask her about it, she motions for me to shush so she can continue translating. "If you take some kind of coffee, whether hot orcold, the maids will draw a little picture on it with caramel sauce or chocolate.”

The maid turns the page, and I perk up when I see pictures of food. Lily continues to listen to her.

"If you take the omelet rice, they will draw a little picture on it with ketchup," she continues explaining, but honestly, my thoughts are still reeling around the fact that whatever I order, it has some kind of action involved with it.

"Thank you," the maid says in English and shoots the both of us a bright smile before she hands us the menu and then walks off.

"God, Lily, please order me the thing with the least involvement," I tell her, and she bursts into laughter.

"But what's the fun in that?" She looks way too happy about my discomfort, and I shake my head at her. Maybe she’s right, I need to just roll with it. Then I notice she has her phone out and pointed at me and shoot her a glare.

"Don't you dare send this to Eve or my brothers," I order her, and she only shoots me a mischievous grin as she lowers it again.

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