Chapter 234: The Mysterious Masked Maid, Suisei Z
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 234: The Mysterious Masked Maid, Suisei Z
Kim Yoo-Sung! Who is he?
A member of the dark student council that rules the academy, a legendary man who has built countless legends during his short two years of attendance!
According to the rumors circulating within the school, his true identity is said to be the sole successor to the End-of-the-century SUPER NINJA Assassination Art. Some say he once fought a legion of ninjas in a hotel, outnumbered 1-to-100. Others claim he’s the prospective son-in-law coveted by the boss of the Russian Red Mafia. But these stories were so outlandish that I never believed them.
‘This isn’t some manga. What kind of idiot would believe such nonsense?’
Even I, a guy obsessed with cosplaying cute anime girls and reading manga, don't confuse the boundary between 2D and 3D.
If anything, the otaku world is one where you become even stricter with your own actions, terrified of the prejudiced glares and bullying from those around you.
‘It’s probably just some exaggerated rumor that started because people saw his balloon muscles, pumped up with steroids.’
I’m used to popular kids slandering people based on looks alone.
‘Hey! Hey! Gomikawa’s drawing pervy pictures again!’
‘Ah… I told you to stop…’
‘I told you to stop~’
For a moment, Gomikawa’s vision blurred as his school days flashed before his eyes like a panorama. He quickly wiped his tears with a handkerchief and sat down at the window seat Kim Yoo-Sung had guided him to.
‘Right! Don’t lose your nerve! Me!’
No matter how scary he looked, he was still a human made of flesh and blood, just like me.
Besides, I was here as a customer. There was no need to get scared and make things awkward.
Just as he and his friend sat down, Kim Yoo-Sung, dressed in a maid outfit, bowed slightly and spoke.
"Are you ready to order, Master?"
‘His voice is terrifying!!’
He was clearly just serving a customer normally, but his deep, cave-like voice made it feel like I’d been dragged here by a loan shark to have my debts collected.
"Th-the menu, please…"
His earlier resolve now a distant memory, Gomikawa requested a menu in a timid, shrinking voice. Maid Kim Yoo-Sung swiftly pulled one from his apron.
"Today's recommended dishes are the Chinese-style Omurice and Tantanmen."
"Ch-Chinese-style?"
In a maid cafe?
"I am confident in the taste. Because I make them myself."
But at Kim Yoo-Sung’s follow-up explanation, Gomikawa couldn't help but clamp his mouth shut.
‘Food at maid cafes is already famous for being a terrible value, but 1500 yen at a school festival is just…’
Seeing the price, a wave of rationality washed over Gomikawa. He was about to order a relatively cheaper drink instead of a meal, but his friend Yoshida, unable to withstand Kim Yoo-Sung’s subtle pressure, ordered immediately.
"W-we'll take both!"
Are you insane, Yoshida!
This isn't the middle of Akihabara! You're going to burn 3,000 yen on a single meal at a school festival cafe?!
Gomikawa shot his friend a shocked look, but Yoshida, already consumed by fear, was out of his mind.
"Heh, heheh."
‘Tch! I have to be the one to keep a level head!’
Feeling a strange sense of hostility toward Kim Yoo-Sung for strong-arming a meal onto a valued customer, Gomikawa clenched his teeth and said.
"I'll have the coffee and madeleine set, please."
"…Thank you for your order."
After giving him a strangely disappointed look, Kim Yoo-Sung turned his back and walked into the kitchen. His lonely figure disappeared from view.
Gomikawa felt a sense of triumph and muttered to himself with a twisted smile.
‘Too bad, Kim Yoo-Sung! I win this time!’
But ten minutes later, Gomikawa would come to regret his choice.
*
"Your Chinese-style Omurice and Tantanmen."
Fwoooosh!
The moment the lid was lifted, an overwhelming aroma filled the classroom.
This wasn't the work of some clumsy student. The presentation was impeccable, as if it had been crafted by a first-class chef at a five-star hotel.
And the red broth, wafting a scent that was slightly spicy yet sweet!
Contrary to his expectations, what lay before Yoshida was a magnificent Chinese dish.
"And here is your coffee and madeleine set."
"Urk!"
What is this difference!
This was completely different from what I’d imagined.
I thought I was the one making the rational purchase, but when the food actually came out, the one who’d been suckered was me, the guy who chose the 800-yen coffee and madeleine set.
Trying to ignore this cruel reality, I tore my eyes away from my friend, who was eating with a blissful expression, and shoved the coffee and madeleine into my mouth.
The familiar taste of a mass-produced product.
‘It’s not bad! It’s not, but!’
The food my friend was eating right in front of me just looked too damn delicious.
"Excuse me!"
"Yes?"
"Can I get an additional order of the Chinese-style Omurice?"
Just as the saying goes, dumplings over flowers. In the end, Gomikawa knelt before his boiling appetite.
*
"Kyaa! It's a huge hit on the first day!"
I could hear the delighted voices of the girls from the cooking club behind me.
And for good reason. Our maid cafe had just opened, but in less than an hour, it was already packed with customers from other classes.
The reason a simple cosplay cafe like this was doing so well was all thanks to the two dishes I had prepared.
Chinese-style Omurice and Tantanmen.
This was the result of the class president, Ayase, putting her full trust in me, the son of a restaurant owner.
For the Chinese-style Omurice, I simply filled a standard omelet with Chinese fried rice. For the Tantanmen, I used a peanut butter base and added some simple seafood, vegetables, and minced meat.
Truthfully, there's a limit to what you can cook in a classroom.
Chinese cuisine, in particular, relies heavily on high heat. If you just wing it, you run into all sorts of problems, so I used a bit of a shortcut.
The Chinese fried rice for the omurice was something I had already cooked at home before coming to school. For the Tantanmen, I simplified the process by using store-bought Chinese noodles and adding my homemade sauce and pre-portioned ingredients.
As a result, the authentic aroma of Chinese cuisine, something you couldn't find in a typical maid cafe, played a huge role in drawing in customers.
"Two omurice and one tantanmen for table three!"
"Hurry up with the dishes over here! We're running out of plates!"
The male students in maid outfits were running around frantically.
Of course, the female students in butler uniforms were just as busy.
Honestly, at this point, I was starting to think, did it even need to be a maid cafe? But it was a decent feast for the eyes, so I guess it was fine.
I was thinking this as I wiped a frying pan.
"Hey! When someone calls you, you should answer! Gomi!"
That's when the commotion started outside.
*
In the end, I couldn't resist the delicious smell and ordered the Chinese-style Omurice, but I had no regrets about my choice.
‘It’s delicious!’
The white grains of rice, coated in chili oil, mixed harmoniously in my mouth with the various vegetables and strips of egg.
The more I chewed, the more I could taste the savory rice and the rich flavor of the meat.
The spiciness of the chili oil perfectly cut through any potential greasiness.
"Hah, huff, hah, huff."
Breathing out hot steam, I continued the lonely battle between myself and the fried rice. Before I knew it, the omurice was nearly half gone.
‘There’s only half left already.’
Not that there was still half left, but that there was only half left.
Flinch!
Surprised that I, someone who usually had very little appetite, would have such a thought, I instinctively glanced toward the kitchen.
‘He said Kim Yoo-Sung made this.’
Maybe I was the one who had misunderstood him based on his appearance.
There was no way someone who could make such wonderful food could be a bad person.
‘I should apologize when I see him again.’
Thinking that, Gomikawa let out a small chuckle and was about to resume eating.
Smack!
"Hey! When someone calls you, you should answer! Gomi!"
Suddenly, someone slapped him on the back of the head.
"……."
Pulled back to reality from his own little world, Gomikawa turned around with a dazed expression.
Then, his face twisted into a scowl.
The one who had hit him was Nagamatsu, one of the bullies from his class.
Seeing Gomikawa's expression, Nagamatsu grinned.
"Hey, fix your face. Someone might think I'm bullying you."
"Don't do this here, Nagamatsu. People are watching."
"Don't do this? Are you ordering me around now? You've gotten bold, haven't you? For a piece of trash like you."
Smack! Smack!
Ignoring his words, Nagamatsu kept hitting him on the head.
But Gomikawa knew what would happen if he fought back, so he gritted his teeth and waited for this humiliating moment to pass.
"Hey, hey, what's with that look? You could kill someone with those eyes."
Perhaps conscious of the people watching, Nagamatsu was being particularly persistent today. Just as his friend Yoshida, who was watching from across the table, couldn't take it anymore and was about to step in—
"Stop it."
Grip!
"Wh-what the!"
Startled by the thick hand that suddenly snatched his wrist, Nagamatsu spun around.
Standing before him was a maid with a suspiciously muscular body, her face hidden by a mask.
"Violence is forbidden on school grounds."
"K-Kim Yoo-Sung!"
"...I am not Kim Yoo-Sung."
He said, pointing to the name tag pinned to the chest of his maid uniform.
"The name is Suisei Z (ZANG)."