Work Text:
“Hmm…”
Marika hums, finger tapping her cheek as she stares absent-mindedly at the city streets before her. Ah, she was so bored… Sure, there was plenty she could do, but nothing seemed to draw her attention. It felt like no matter how much she liked doing something, she got bored of it so quickly… Which often left her in something of a rut when she ran out of ideas for new things to try. Aside from being an idol, of course- even she was amazed that she’d been able to stick with it for so long- but when she wasn’t at school or training, she had no idea what to do! She stands up from the stairs she was sitting on with a sigh, brushing the dirt from her school uniform. Well, no point in moping around about it! She’d just have to wander around and find something interesting!
How about the arcade? She tried the claw machines for a while, but quickly tired of losing.
Maybe she could go shopping? She wandered the various shops on the street, but she had no idea what she’d want to buy, anyways.
Sachiko might be doing something interesting… Ah, but she was usually playing that roleplaying game on her days off, wasn’t she? She couldn’t be interrupted!
Right as Marika was beginning to lose hope in finding any shred of entertainment, the smell of food made her stomach growl, and when she turned her head to find the source, amber eyes settled on something surprising- a girl in a maid outfit beckoning passersby into the small restaurant. A maid cafe? Since when had there been one of those in town?! Her bored expression immediately lit up as excitement and relief flooded her. This was it! She’d never been to one of these before, finally, something new!
There’s a new bounce in the girl’s step as she quickly crosses the street, practically skipping as she makes her way inside. She’s so lucky she found this on a weekday, this place must get busy on the weekends! Despite the number of customers she’s sure have been in and out throughout the day, the place is kept pristine, the decorating is all pastels, and best of all, every girl is wearing an adorable maid outfit! They weren’t all the same, though they did match the overall theme of the place, the frilly outfits coming in light shades of pink and blue. She watches them go about their work as she waits to be seated, although one in particular catches her eye, with her silver pigtails curled at the ends… Wait, was that…? No, it couldn’t be, this place wasn’t Sachiko’s type at all!
She’s so distracted that she almost doesn’t notice that a different employee is trying to seat her, though when she hears the girl's voice, it’s all too familiar. The hostess holds the menu up too high, as if trying to obscure her own face, though of course Marika immediately sees through the feeble attempt at hiding. She would recognize those adorable brown eyes and cute bushy brows anywhere!
“Aya?” She gasps, though the shock quickly turns to glee, clasping her hands together and bouncing on her toes as she leans in closer. “I had no idea you worked here!! Why didn’t you tell me? You’re totally the cutest maid I’ve ever seen!”
The compliments only make Aya’s already pink cheeks flush even darker, pale skin burning to match her dress. “U-um! No reason!” She squeaked out, just shaking her head. “Anyways, I’m- I’m still at work, so! If you’d follow me, please!”
“Hehe, okay, whatever you say~!” Marika giggled, deciding not to tease her any further, at least not while she was on the clock, following her friend and fellow idol to one of the small tables. “When do you get off, anyway?”
“In an hour… Here’s the menu, a server will be with you shortly-!” The brunette practically shoved the menu into her hands before rushing back to the front.
“Aw man, I was hoping you’d be my maid for the day…”
The girl is gone before Marika can even finish her sentence, and she can’t help thinking this has to be the most embarrassed she’s ever seen her, maybe aside from the aftermath of their first few performances. Oh well, she supposed Aya couldn’t host and serve at the same time… But why was she so flustered? Sure, the outfit wasn’t something she would normally wear, but it was cute! It was just a job, anyways, there was no shame in that… She’d just have to wait until her shift ended to talk to her.
The hour flew by as Marika enjoyed talking to her waitress and chowing down on some desperately needed food, purposely taking her time with finishing her main dish so that by the time she ordered dessert, it had nearly been an hour. She watched the clock eagerly, tapping her fingers on the table in anticipation… Until Aya finally emerged from the back, having changed back into her school uniform, still blushing as she sat down across from her.
“There you are!” The auburn greeted enthusiastically, beaming so brightly that Aya felt like she needed sunglasses. “Why’d you change? That outfit looked good on you!”
“Well, I couldn’t sit down with you if I had it on… People might get the wrong idea.” She muttered sheepishly, dark eyes cast down to the table. “A-anyhow, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about this job, just… Ah, I’ve never worn a costume like that, so it’s kind of embarrassing…”
“No need to apologize! I was just surprised to see you here is all. Look, I got somethin’ sweet for us to share!” She pushed the plate of strawberry cake and a fork across the table. “I don’t get what’s so embarrassing about it, though. We wear cutesy outfits all the time as school idols, don’t we?”
“Oh, thank you-!” Aya picks up the fork, though she doesn’t dig in yet, fidgeting with it nervously instead. “And I guess you’re right, but… Aah, it just feels different.”
“Mm…” Marika hums in response, taking a bite of cake as she thought. “Well… Think about it like this! As an idol, you wear costumes and put on a certain persona in order to make people happy, right? And there’s no shame in that! You’re doing the same thing at a maid cafe! Though instead of singing and dancing, you show people where to sit… Which is like, the most different part I guess, but still! It makes customers happy when they get a seat, doesn’t it? Just like our audiences!”
“I don’t think seating people makes anyone nearly as happy as seeing a concert, haha…”
“You never know!” She insists, amber eyes sparkling as she shoots her a wink. “With a maid as cute as you at my service, I’d be the happiest girl in the world!”
“Ahh-!” Aya covers her face to hide her tomato-red face. “I-I’m not that cute, you know!”
“You’ve gotta give yourself more credit, Aya! You’re one of the most adorable girls I’ve ever met!” Marika assures her, reaching across the table to move her hands away. “It’s okay that you’re not super confident yet- the way you get all flustered makes you even cuter, actually- but I’m not lying, I promise.”
“Hehe, if you say so…” Aya chuckles a bit, if only in disbelief at how insistent her friend was about how cute she was…
“I do say so!” She grins, before picking up a strawberry with her fork and holding it out to the brunette. “Now have some cake! You’ve earned it.”
The girl finally relented, sheepishly leaning forward to eat the fruit. Aya’s lack of confidence was one of the things she struggled the most with as a school idol. She just never saw herself that way, but… Hearing Marika say it with such conviction made her believe it just a little bit more.