One Hour Later
The two finally calmed down, and we made udon with Tamaki's ingredients for lunch. They kept glaring at each other the whole time. What's their problem?
"Hey, how long are you gonna keep this staring contest up?" I asked.
"Until Tamaki-kun stops calling Master 'Master'!" Aqua huffed.
"It's just a name! What, are you scared I'll steal your maid identity?" Tamaki taunted.
"That's part of it! But 'Master' was my thing! Why's a non-Hololive guy like you calling him that?!" Aqua demanded.
She's got a point. Aqua calls me "Master" because of her maid persona, but Tamaki started it out of nowhere after a few work collabs. Why, though?
"Well, uh… at first, it was just business," Tamaki explained. "But seeing Reiji-kun's serious work face, or how he gently praises me when things go well… it made my body tingle, and I realized he's my Master~ My heart—and my Tower of Babel—started throbbing!"
"You were thinking that during work?!" I shouted. Just a pervert, huh? For the hundredth time, I'm not into guys!
"Master… I just want you to be happy, but going for a dude is…" Roboco trailed off.
"I'm not going for anyone!" I snapped. If my parents heard this, I'd never live it down.
"See? Master's annoyed, so back off!" Aqua said.
"Grr… I'm not giving up! Master and I are pretty close, you know!" Tamaki insisted.
Okay, ignoring her weird comments, we do get along well at work and in private. But today's pervy outburst is making me rethink that…
"Fine, Aqua-chan, let's settle this with a duel!" Tamaki declared. "Winner becomes Master's true maid!"
"A duel? Doing what?" Aqua asked.
"Obviously, Gunpla! Master loves Gunpla, so let's battle with that!" Tamaki said.
"Hiss… A Gunpla duel?" Aqua faltered.
What's with this dumb bet? And Aqua's slow as molasses at building—careful, but glacial. This could take forever.
"The challenge: an SD Gunpla speed-building contest!" Tamaki announced. "We'll use these SD Three Kingdoms Creations and World Heroes kits I brought. Whoever builds the most in two hours wins. Sound good?"
She plopped a box on the table, stuffed with at least twenty SD kits.
"Speed-building…" Aqua mumbled.
"What, scared you can't handle it? These are the easiest SD kits!" Tamaki teased.
"?! I can do it! I've built tons of Gunpla—this is nothing!" Aqua protested, her voice shaky.
She sounds nervous, but SD kits are simple and don't need tools for a basic build. Maybe she can keep up.
Thus began the Aqua vs. Tamaki SD Gunpla duel for the title of "Master's Maid."
Both Contestants Ready
"Here's the rules: two hours, one kit at a time, only start the next after finishing the last. Eye stickers only for decals. Got it?" Roboco confirmed.
"Yup, all good," Tamaki nodded.
"I'm ready," Aqua said.
The two sat across from each other, a pile of SD Gundam boxes in the center. First-come, first-serve on kits, so picking fast could make or break it.
"Alright, ready… Go!" Roboco shouted.
"I'll take this!" Tamaki grabbed Liu Bei Unicorn Gundam, the popular protagonist of Three Kingdoms Creations.
"Hey, I wanted that!" Aqua whined, snatching Sergeant Verde Buster, the kit Subaru built before. They dove into building. Let's see how this plays out…
15 Minutes In
"Done! First one's finished!" Tamaki announced, setting down her Liu Bei Unicorn and grabbing Cao Cao Wing Gundam.
"What?! Already?!" Aqua gasped, still working on her first kit but close to finishing.
Tamaki's got the edge, but Aqua's not far behind.
45 Minutes In
"Second one done!" Aqua cheered, finishing Sun Quan Astray alongside her Sergeant Verde.
"Only two? I'm on my third!" Tamaki gloated, placing Goku Impulse next to her Liu Bei and Cao Cao.
"?! I'm not losing yet!" Aqua huffed.
Tamaki's ahead, but Aqua's picking up speed. Can she catch up?
One Hour In
(Yes! Fourth one done! Tamaki thought. At this pace, I'll crush Aqua-chan~ Wait, what's she doing?) She glanced at Aqua and froze. What?!
(Aqua-chan finished her third already?! And she's almost done with her fourth?!)
Aqua had completed Sun Ce Gundam Astray and was blazing through her fourth kit, barely glancing at the box as she grabbed the next. When did she get so fast?! I remembered—Aqua's a scatterbrain during streams or group hangouts, but when she focuses, she's a machine. That focus is kicking in, not just for games but Gunpla too. She tied Tamaki at four!
(Crap, she'll pass me if I don't speed up!) Tamaki thought, grabbing her fifth kit in a panic.
This is getting intense. Who's gonna win?
Two Hours In
"Three… two… one… Time's up! Hands off!" Roboco called.
"Phew, done…" Tamaki sighed.
"…Huh? When did I…?" Aqua blinked, snapping out of her trance.
Tamaki caught her breath, while Aqua seemed dazed, like she'd been building on autopilot. That's wild. And the result?
9-9. A tie.
Both finished nine kits, stopping just as they started their tenth. Tamaki nearly fell behind—if she'd been a bit slower, Aqua would've won. What a match.
"So, a tie means Tamaki-kun keeps calling Master 'Master,' right?" Roboco said.
"Yeah, I couldn't take it back…" Aqua pouted.
"And I couldn't steal Master from you…" Tamaki sighed.
"Look, I don't belong to either of you," I said, exhausted. "And after two hours of nonstop building, you're both wiped. You okay?"
~Ring-ring~
"Oh, that's me—click—Yo, Milk! Just finished, what's up? …What?! The collab with Ai-chan and Shiro-chan is today?! Crap, I gotta go! Sorry, Master, I'm out!" Tamaki bolted, leaving her mess behind.
I get why she's scared—being late for those two is a death sentence. But clean up first, damn it!
"Phew~ I'm exhausted from focusing so hard~ Pet me, Master~" Aqua whined, flopping against me.
"Alright, good job," I said, patting her head. "Help clean up after a break."
"Nyaa~♪" she purred.
"Unfair, Aqua-chan! Master, pet me too—I worked hard as ref!" Roboco begged.
"You didn't do much…" I muttered, but gave her a pat anyway. "There."
"~♪" she hummed.
They've been working hard lately, so I'll let it slide. The rain's stopped, too. After a break, we'll clean up and grab groceries for dinner. Today was chaotic, but kinda fun.
Bonus: Tamaki's Aftermath
"Hey, Tamaki-kun, what's the deal with showing up late to me and Ai-chan's collab stream?" Shiro asked, her tone icy.
"S-Sorry, Shiro-chan! I forgot and went to Master's place…" Tamaki stammered.
"Master? You mean Hololive's Sasaki-san, right? I heard he's a super cool staff member~♪" Ai-chan chimed in.
"Y-Yeah, that's him…" Tamaki nodded.
"Hmm, so you ditched me and Ai-chan and went to Reiji's without my permission?" Shiro said, her smile chilling.
"N-No, it's not like that—!" Tamaki panicked.
"Bad Tamaki-kun needs a punishment~ First, we'll ○○ your ○○, then ○○ and ○○○○~♪" Shiro purred.
"Noooo!" Tamaki wailed, facing an unjust fate for her tardiness and unauthorized visit.