[You did not take your physical condition seriously.] I thought.
[You attributed the discomfort, the result of prolonged guitar practice and your part-time job, to them.]
[After resting for two days, you felt much better.]
[The chest tightness and headache were gone.]
Could it have been a false alarm?
Kita did not believe it.
The development of the simulator was never smooth, it was always full of twists and turns.
This was the experience she had gained from playing it many times.
[On Monday, you spoke to Toru again.]
[This time, he proactively returned your morning greeting and did not ask for your name.]
[Your relationship improved.]
[However, one thing perplexed you.]
[During the break, when you talked to Toru about things that happened the previous week, he always failed to answer.]
[Sometimes, he would flip through a diary to chat with you.]
[Other times, he would freeze in place, finally giving you a helpless expression and saying he did not remember.]
[You did not understand how someone could have such a poor memory, completely forgetting things from just a few days ago.]
[For the following month, you and Toru maintained a casual acquaintance.]
[Due to band activities, you put most of your energy into your bandmates.]
[Summer vacation was fast approaching.]
[Lately, you were tight on money, partly due to the band's activity funds and partly due to the loan you took out to buy your guitar.]
[You considered whether you should look for a part-time job.]
[After searching online.]
[A message titled "Chef Recruitment" caught your attention. It listed the job requirements: preferably over 30 years old, proficient in cooking. Job duties: preparing breakfast and one bento lunchbox for the employer every weekday; no work on Sundays. Monthly salary: $350,000 yen. Work location: Minato Ward, Tokyo; no accommodation provided.]
[Please note, a special event card has been triggered!]
"Did Kitahara-kun post this recruitment notice?"
Kita quickly deduced it.
This, coupled with her previous suggestion that he hire a chef to cook for him, made sense.
[Faced with such an attractive job, you decide to: ]
[1. Disguise yourself as a 38-year-old single mother with a child and try for the job.]
[2. I do not meet the job requirements, and applying will surely inconvenience the employer, so I should give up.]
[3. I will practice my cooking skills first, then try applying.]
"Should I choose 1 or 3?"
The former was aggressive, the latter conservative.
Kita was undecided for a moment.
Perhaps, she should just follow her intuition?
She chose... 1.
[You masqueraded online as a 38-year-old single mother and asked the employer if they would be willing to meet.]
[Before long, you received a reply. The employer asked you to go to a café near Mita Station in Minato Ward on Saturday.]
[On the appointed day, you arrived as scheduled.]
[You peeked inside. The person who appeared before your eyes was unexpected. After confirming the location and looking around a few times, you realized the employer was actually Kitahara Toru!]
[Why was he...]
[Coincidentally, Toru also saw you.]
[The scene fell silent for a moment.]
[It was not until you walked toward him that Toru snapped back to reality.]
[Toru did not expect that a simple cup of coffee on a Sunday would lead him to run into a classmate.]
["H-hello, I'm here for the interview."]
[The moment you said those words, Toru choked abruptly, and he quickly grabbed a napkin to wipe his mouth.]
["Kita-san, you're 38 years old and have a daughter?"]
["...Th-that was a lie. The website said the age should preferably be over 30, so I just thought I'd arrange to meet the employer first, then negotiate."]
[Hearing your reason, Toru choked again, coughing loudly.]
[He pounded his chest, recovering to say-]
["I apologize, but I cannot accept. Kita-san, please go home."]
[Toru wanted a skilled chef to help him cook, not a girl his age. It would make him very uncomfortable.]
[Furthermore, he did not want to form a close connection with you.]
["But, I really need a job," you explained your predicament.]
[Toru thought for a few seconds, but still shook his head.]
[He could not agree to it.]
["Please, I beg you."]
[Your relentless pleading annoyed Toru a bit. He refused tactfully.]
["How about this? If Kita-san, you can accept lower pay and wear a maid outfit to serve me every day, becoming the maid in my house, then I will agree."]
[Toru was convinced that no young girl would accept such an outrageous demand.]
[But you were no ordinary person.]
["Is that really okay?"]
["..." Toru was dumbfounded.]
["I can accept what you just said." You looked at him with an expectant gaze, which Toru could not meet for a moment.]
[Your fervent eyes, full of 'Kita' energy, assaulted Toru's brain center.]
[He stood with his mouth open, unable to think of a reply for a full minute.]
[Finally, Toru said helplessly, "The probation period is $200,000 yen for the first month. If I'm satisfied, I will renew the contract with you. The work is very simple: helping me cook. Your commuting expenses will be provided separately."]
["Also, you can skip the maid outfit."]
[That's great.]
[You were happy to have secured a good job!]
[However.]
["I will wear the maid outfit, since I promised," you insisted stubbornly.]
["...Fine." Toru sighed.]
[At that moment, he made up his mind: he would use every means possible to persuade you to quit.]
[Subsequently, you drafted the employment agreement.]
[Then, you accompanied the employer back to the workplace, a luxury apartment in Minato Ward. A rough estimate put the size at about 150 square meters.]
[In the afternoon.]
[Toru had you put on the maid outfit. The style was slightly embarrassing, a French maid outfit paired with white garter stockings. The skirt was very short, not looking like the kind of outfit a typical maid would wear.]
["Is this level of exposure acceptable?"]
[You replied, blushing, "Y-yes, it is."]
[You did not believe Toru would do anything to you.]
[Moreover, you felt a slight attraction toward him and were not resistant to being seen by him in a provocative manner.]
["Then, what about morning desires? Can you take care of those for me?" Toru deliberately teased you.]
["...N-no, I cannot." You waved your hands and retreated a few steps.]
[Although Toru was handsome and matched your aesthetic, that kind of thing was still too soon.]
["I was just kidding, don't be so scared." Toru laughed again.]
[After several seconds, he rubbed the tear from the corner of his eye, his voice gentle-]
["Let's get along well from now on, my maid-san."]
["...Mm." You returned his smile.]
[And just like that, you became his exclusive maid.]