Chapter 114: Maid Cafes Really Are Profitable
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 114: Maid Cafes Really Are Profitable
This was my first time ever stepping into a place like this.
Usually, I don't even go to regular cafes. The coffee inside is terrifyingly expensive; I stick to instant coffee—it tastes fine and it's easy on the wallet.
But now, I think I understand why cafes exist.
It’s for those times when you’re out and about, don’t quite want to head back yet, but have nowhere else to go and just need a place to kick back. That’s the demand, right?
With a heart full of trepidation, I approached the entrance.
"Welcome, Little Master~!"
"Would Little Master like to come in and play~?"
Immediately, the Senior Sisters stationed at the door in maid outfits greeted me with overwhelming enthusiasm. I truly admired how they could say such embarrassing things with perfectly composed smiles.
After all, just being addressed that way made me want to curl up and die of embarrassment.
I felt like just for that "Little Master" alone, I was practically obligated to go in and spend some money.
Fortunately, my wallet was still reasonably well-padded. I should be able to afford the most basic level of service here; I just hoped they wouldn't mind too much.
My momentary hesitation only made them more fervent in welcoming me.
Ultimately, I couldn't resist and followed them inside. This was a cat-ear themed maid cafe. Although it was called a cafe, the primary selling point was clearly the maids.
I looked around, feeling a bit out of place, trying to gauge whether the prices were something I could actually stomach.
At the front desk stood another maid with cat ears on her head. No matter how I looked at her, she was a Senior Sister older than me, yet she naturally "clipped" her voice, using a social-suicide level of tone and phrasing to introduce the establishment to me.
They had time-based experiences here, costing about 80 yuan per hour. The price fluctuated depending on which maid you chose.
During that hour, the maid would accompany you, mixing various drinks, making desserts, and engaging in different types of interaction.
Of course, I could also opt out of that service and just order drinks, alcohol, or desserts a la carte. Those were priced separately. Naturally, if you had enough personal charisma, you might be able to hook a bored maid into interacting with you for free. And if you were willing to tip... well, you know how it goes.
Seeing this, I breathed a small sigh of relief. It seemed the spending in a maid cafe wasn't entirely out of reach. Still, to wear a maid outfit and serve guests in such a shameful manner... I imagined it required a massive amount of mental preparation.
But looking at it now, maybe it wasn't so unacceptable?
"Does Little Master have a specific maid he would like to request? There’s actually a big difference between a formal request and the services provided via tipping~" The Front Desk Maid Senior Sister handed a tablet to me.
"If you have a preference, you can select them right here~ I’ll introduce them to Master one by one~"
"Uh... let me see..." Swallowing my embarrassment, I took the tablet.
I wanted to see if any of these Senior Sisters actually hit my "strike zone"!
If there was one, I’d pick her in a heartbeat!
As long as it was under a hundred, relaxing for an hour should be fine, right?
Then again, nearly a hundred yuan for just one hour felt pretty steep. That didn't even include extra desserts or drinks, and the alcoholic ones were even pricier. Luckily, I wasn't much of a drinker.
I flipped through the profiles of various Senior Sisters, each with a different personality. They slid past under my finger, every display photo radiating a warm, welcoming smile.
Until... I saw a little maid with a strained smile who looked incredibly familiar. I took a deep breath, rubbed my eyes, and finally swallowed hard.
I tapped on her photo.
Name: Dongli Yiren
Employment Fee: 60 yuan/hour
Type: Introverted, Passive, ♂→♀
After reading it, I was utterly shocked. I even looked at the Front Desk Maid Senior Sister in disbelief.
"The one Little Master is looking at is a freshman who recently joined us for part-time work. I heard today is her last day, since school is about to start. If Little Master wants to choose her, I’ll go call her over right away~"
The front desk girl explained with a smile.
At that moment, I finally understood one thing. If Dongli Yiren was working here part-time, it made sense why she was so reluctant to talk about it.
60 yuan an hour!
Even if I didn't know how much she actually took home, the fact that she could set aside her dignity to work here showed just how much money could be made.
While I was dazed, a few more customers arrived. They made their selections with practiced ease; clearly, they were regulars.
Sigh... My roommates back at the dorm really were all geniuses. Every single one of them could pull off a stunt that was blindingly brilliant—or just plain blinding.
"I'll pick this one!"
I pointed at Dongli Yiren’s maid photo.
"Certainly~ I’ll arrange that for Master immediately~ Please, come this way~"
I was led inside by the guiding maid.
The interior decor was quite exquisite. Since it was a cat-ear themed maid cafe, there were plenty of feline elements. I even saw fluffy creatures darting nimbly around the table legs. So, there really were cats here.
"Master, please sit here~ I’ll go get your exclusive maid now~ Please wait a moment~"
The maid who led me in naturally guided me to a table. I noticed there were private booths, but those came at a different price point.
I had only ordered the 60-yuan Dongli Yiren package, which included some very basic drinks. The main focus was the interaction and playing small games with the maid.
"Alright."
I nodded with a smile. The maids here were very particular about how they spoke. Even an introverted person could communicate with them without obstacles. They didn't even seem to feel shame, fully immersing themselves in their roles as maids.
Even if you were a total loser or a country bumpkin in reality, as long as you paid here, they wouldn't look down on you.
At least, that was the impression I got from my brief experience so far. I was already starting to look forward to how meeting Dongli Yiren here would go.
If she made me unhappy, would her pay get docked?
I noticed her price was cheaper than the regular maids; maybe it was because she hadn't gone through professional training.
"Hello~ Master, your set menu is here~"
Before long, I heard a familiar voice. It was indeed different from the way the other maids spoke—it sounded unnatural, tinged with a hint of shyness, the kind of feeling where someone just can't let go of their inhibitions.
I turned my head and locked eyes with Dongli Yiren.
In that instant, it felt as if the very air in the room had frozen. Dongli Yiren froze, too.
The Dongli Yiren before me lacked that "tsundere" edge she had in the dorm. It felt as if her sharp corners had been sanded down. In fact, if I hadn't appeared, she would have been doing her best to blend into this atmosphere.
However, I had to admit, Dongli Yiren in a maid outfit was truly cute. Although it felt slightly at odds with her personality and usual appearance, I could feel her trying her best to play the part. She had the clumsy, endearing vibe of a complete novice on the job.
"Hi~ Nice to meet you. Please take good care of me." As I spoke, my lips curled into a devilish arc.