The day continued without much incident—at least for Elias. Lila, on the other hand, was still clearly flustered from what had happened during gym class. Every time someone glanced at them, she groaned. Every time she heard a whisper in the hallway, she buried her face in her hands.
By lunchtime, she finally slumped onto the cafeteria table with a dramatic whimper.
“Elias.”
“Yes?”
She lifted her head just enough to glare at him. “Do you realize what you’ve done?”
Elias blinked. “I carried you.”
Lila groaned. “No, no, no. You publicly carried me. In front of everyone.”
“That is correct.”
“You did it so casually!”
“You issued a challenge.”
“As a joke!”
“You should specify next time.”
Lila groaned again, dramatically dropping her head onto the table. “I hate you.”
“As I have told you multiple times, that is untrue.”
She waved her hand weakly. “One of these days, Elias, I will mean it.”
“That is unlikely.”
Lila lifted her head just enough to glare at him again before sighing. “…Whatever. It’s done. I’ll just have to live with the humiliation.”
Elias took a bite of his food. “Why does it embarrass you?”
Lila hesitated, then turned pink again. “B-Because it was like… romantic or something!”
Elias stared at her. “You are once again applying emotions where there were none.”
“But other people perceive it that way! And now they’re all talking about it!”
“Then let them talk.”
Lila groaned, shoving a spoonful of food into her mouth aggressively.
Elias simply watched, trying to understand why it bothered her so much. Perception mattered to people—he understood that. But why did this specific incident fluster her so much?
After a moment, she sighed again. “…You really don’t get it, do you?”
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
“No.”
Lila shook her head, but there was amusement in her expression now. “I swear, you’re like a romance protagonist who doesn’t realize he’s in a romance story.”
Elias frowned. “That statement makes no sense.”
She giggled, waving her spoon at him. “It does, but you don’t realize it yet.”
Elias stared at her for a long moment. Then, deciding this was another puzzle he could not currently solve, he simply went back to eating.
—
Later that day, Lila pulled him aside in the hallway, looking excited.
“Elias! Guess what?”
He blinked. “I do not enjoy guessing games.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine. I’ll just tell you, then. There’s a festival coming up!”
Elias tilted his head. “Festival?”
“Yep! A school festival! It’s in a few weeks, but we have to start preparing for it now. Each class has to do something, and guess what our class voted for?”
Elias stared blankly. “…I have no idea.”
“A maid café!”
There was a long silence.
“…What.”
Lila grinned. “You heard me. A maid café! Which means people will be dressed up in cute outfits and serving food.”
Elias processed this. “…That does not sound like an efficient use of time.”
Lila pouted. “It’s fun, Elias! Festivals aren’t about efficiency, they’re about enjoying things!”
Elias folded his arms. “I fail to see the appeal.”
“You fail to see the appeal in most things.”
“That is correct.”
Lila huffed, then suddenly smirked. “Well, too bad. Because we all have to participate.”
Elias frowned. “I was not informed of this.”
“Because you never pay attention when the class votes on things!”
“That is because the majority of decisions do not concern me.”
Lila tapped his chest. “Well, this one does! You, my dear Elias, will be working at our maid café.”
Elias stared at her. “…I do not believe I would be suited for that.”
“You totally would!” Lila grinned. “You’re already naturally polite and composed! You’d be like one of those cool, elegant butlers!”
“Butlers and maids are not the same.”
“Close enough.”
Elias continued to stare at her, but she only looked more amused by his reluctance. Finally, he sighed. “I see no logical reason to refuse.”
Lila beamed. “That’s the spirit!”
“I did not say I was enthusiastic.”
“But you did agree.”
“…Unfortunately.”
Lila giggled. “This is gonna be so much fun.”
Elias somehow doubted that.
—
The days leading up to the festival were chaotic. The class was in a constant state of preparation—decorating, designing menus, practicing roles.
Elias was assigned to be a “butler” rather than a maid, which seemed to satisfy Lila greatly. “See? I told you you’d be perfect for it,” she said when he was handed the uniform.
Elias examined the black and white formal attire. “This does not seem practical.”
“It’s fashionable.”
“It is inefficient.”
“It’s attractive.”
Elias blinked at her. “Why does attractiveness matter?”
Lila coughed. “N-No reason.”
Elias narrowed his eyes slightly, but before he could question her, another classmate called for her help. She fled before he could continue the conversation.
—
On the day of the festival, Elias found himself standing in the café, dressed in his butler uniform.
Lila had not stopped grinning since she saw him in it.
“I knew it,” she whispered gleefully. “You totally look the part.”
“I look the same.”
“You think you do. But trust me, Elias, this is dangerous.”
“How is a uniform dangerous?”
Lila smirked. “Because now, I bet half the school is gonna swoon over you.”
Elias frowned. “That seems unlikely.”
“Oh, you just wait.”
As the first customers entered, Lila wasn’t entirely wrong.
Several girls blushed when Elias politely greeted them. Some even giggled behind their hands, whispering to each other.
Elias did not understand. He was simply performing the role assigned to him.
Meanwhile, Lila watched from the sidelines, arms crossed, looking far too entertained.
At one point, she came up to him and poked his arm. “See? What did I tell you?”
Elias glanced at her. “That people would swoon?”
“Yep.”
“…They appear to be exhibiting unusual reactions.”
“That’s because you’re charming.”
Elias processed this. “…I do not believe I am.”
“You so are. But you’re the only one who doesn’t realize it.”
Elias continued working, but he noticed something strange.
Lila—who had been so amused earlier—suddenly wasn’t smiling as much.
At one point, when a girl leaned a little too close while talking to him, Elias noticed Lila turn away quickly, her expression unreadable.
Was she… displeased?
For the first time, Elias found himself puzzled for a completely different reason.
