"Asatsuki Café… Asatsuki Café…"
Walking down the street, Nino Nakano's lips moved silently, reading the signboards as she passed. Her red twintails bounced with every step, her eyes darting across the bustling row of shops. She repeated the name of the place like a mantra.
"Asatsuki Café… yeah, this has to be the place that stinky Gojo told me about."
And then she saw it.
A half-moon sign hung elegantly above the door, the words Asatsuki Café written in graceful calligraphy. A warm aroma of roasted beans and something sweet drifted from the entrance.
"Found it,"
Nino murmured, a small victorious smile curling her lips. She adjusted her butterfly headband, smoothed her black Lolita dress, and strode toward the door with confidence.
The moment she pushed it open—
"Welcome, Miss!"
A girl in a pristine maid outfit greeted her with a bright, professional smile.
Nino froze mid-step. Her brain stopped working for a second—
A… a maid café?
She turned mechanically to look at the maid again, her face stiff. The maid tilted her head in confusion.
"Is something wrong, Miss?"
"No, no, nothing at all," Nino muttered quickly, shaking her head. Her cheeks warmed despite her best effort to stay composed.
'Unbelievable! A maid café? And he… he invited ME here of all places? That idiot!'
Inside, she groaned silently.
'Gojo Satoru, what the hell are you thinking, calling a girl out to a place like this?'
But there was something else too—an unpleasant twinge when she saw how pretty the maid was, greeting her so warmly. Her stomach knotted with jealousy before she shook it off.
No, no… don't overthink. He probably didn't even notice.
"Ahem, this way, please. I'll take you to the second floor," the maid said politely.
Nino followed, her steps stiff. The long corridor seemed endless, her thoughts spiraling.
'Ugh, he probably comes here often. I bet the staff know him. I swear, if I see him surrounded by girls, I'll—'
But as she reached the second floor, her doubts dissolved.
There he was—Gojo Satoru, sitting in the corner. No maids clinging to him. No other women fawning.
Just him, calmly holding a book, his expression relaxed as if nothing in the world could disturb him.
Nino let out a small, invisible sigh of relief. Okay… not what I expected.
She offered the maid a polite nod, then marched toward Gojo's table and slid into the seat opposite him.
"Gojo-kun…" She puffed her cheeks slightly, voice tinged with tsundere irritation. "Of all places, you had to call me to a maid café? You're unbelievable."
Gojo glanced up, amusement flickering in his bright eyes. A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"I didn't know it was a maid café either," he said casually. "Was about to leave when I saw the uniforms. But then I remembered you were coming… figured I'd stay and spare you the trouble."
He closed the book—a record tracking recent filth activity—and set it aside. His tone was light, but honest.
Nino blinked.
"Wait… so you didn't actually pick this place?"
Gojo shook his head, chuckling. "The name sounded classy enough. Reality… well, reality is frilly skirts and cute headbands."
For a moment, Nino just stared at him, then looked away, crossing her arms with a little huff.
"Hmph!. Fine. I'll let you off this time."
Her lips curved into the faintest of smiles, though she'd never admit it aloud.
…..
Meanwhile, outside the café—
"Here it is! Asatsuki Café!" Ichika Nakano whispered, tugging her disguise cap lower over her head. She squinted at the sign like a detective in a crime drama.
"A café?" Miku muttered, adjusting her headphones nervously. "If it's coffee, I'm not sure I'll like it…"
"You don't have to drink coffee, Miku," Ichika teased, slinging an arm over her shoulder. "Desserts exist, you know."
"Dessert!?" Itsuki's eyes lit up instantly. "Alright, let's go in!"
Before anyone could stop her, the red-haired quintuplet pushed the door open and strode inside, drawn by the promise of cake like a moth to flame.
"Itsuki! Wait for us!" Yotsuba yelped, scrambling after her with energetic hops.
That left Ichika and Miku blinking outside.
Ichika sighed, amused. "Well, so much for stealth."
"…We're supposed to be spying, not eating," Miku muttered, but she followed anyway, unable to resist.
The second the sisters stepped inside—
"Welcome, ladies!"
A chorus of cheerful maids bowed gracefully, their skirts flaring. The brightness of their smiles was almost blinding.
The Nakano sisters froze—
"This is…" Miku whispered, her face flushing.
"A maid café!?" Yotsuba gasped, bouncing in shock. "Whaaat!? Why didn't anyone warn me!?"
Ichika smirked, whispering slyly, "Relax. Just blend in. Think of it as… field research."
Itsuki, however, was already scanning the menu tablet with single-minded determination.
"Oh! Pancakes! Cheesecake! Chocolate parfait!"
Her stomach growled audibly, and she plopped into the nearest seat without hesitation.
"Unbelievable," Ichika muttered, though she sat down too, her grin betraying her amusement.
Nino, upstairs with Gojo, caught the faint chatter from below. She tilted her head, and quickly catching familiar voices.
'No way…'
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. She leaned closer to Gojo, lowering her voice. "Hey… do you hear something?"
Gojo raised a brow, but his grin widened. "Oh? You think you're being followed?"
Nino stiffened. Don't tell me those idiots actually…!
Meanwhile, down below—
Yotsuba waved at a maid enthusiastically. "Excuse me! Can I order a strawberry soda with extra ice, please?"
Miku groaned, hiding behind her headphones. "This is the worst mission ever…"
Ichika leaned back in her chair, smirking. "On the contrary, Miku… this is entertainment."
And Itsuki, oblivious to the drama, stabbed her fork into a slice of cake with divine fervor. "Mmm! Worth it!"
Back upstairs—
Nino buried her face in her hands, groaning. Those absolute morons…
Gojo chuckled softly, resting his chin on one hand as he watched her. "Looks like your backup squad has arrived."
Nino peeked at him through her fingers, cheeks burning.
'I swear, if they embarrass me, I'll never forgive them!'
Gojo's grin widened. "Relax, Nino. If anyone can survive being spied on by four sisters, it's you."
She glared at him, twintails swishing. "Don't you dare laugh about this!"
But the corner of her mouth betrayed her—curling into the tiniest, reluctant smile.
For once, Gojo Satoru didn't tease further. He just leaned back, the sunlight catching his snow-white hair, and let the moment settle—Nino fuming, her sisters below wreaking chaos, and the strange calm between them hanging in the air.
...
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