“So that’s how it is…”
After hearing Akiba Sakura’s response, Zaolai Qianxiao thought seriously for a moment, then lifted her face and looked at Akiba Sakura with a beaming smile.
“Sakura-chan, there’s something I want to… ask you, um, it’s…”
“?”
Seeing Zaolai Qianxiao stammer, her cheeks inexplicably flushing slightly, Akiba Sakura, who had been holding back anger and warily watching her, suddenly felt her curiosity piqued.
‘What’s there to be so shy about? Just say it if you want to. All this hesitation is making me more curious.’
Zaolai Qianxiao bit her lower lip, her eyes darting around—looking at the table’s pattern, then at Akiba Sakura’s clothes.
After holding back for a long time, the words reached the tip of her tongue only to be swallowed back.
She couldn’t manage a single complete sentence, and the tips of her ears turned red from anxiety.
Akiba Sakura just watched her quietly, her confusion growing, and the anger in her heart gradually worn away by this strange atmosphere, leaving only bewilderment.
“Master, you…”
Just as Akiba Sakura was about to ask, unable to hold it in any longer, Zaolai Qianxiao seemed to make a huge decision.
She suddenly clenched her fists, closed her eyes, then looked at Akiba Sakura with a serious and solemn expression, and said loudly—
“Sakura-chan, can you teach me how to become cuter?!”
At these words, Akiba Sakura froze on the spot, her eyes widening slightly, her smile stiff, completely dumbfounded.
‘Teach her to be cute? Did I hear that right?’
It took a while for Akiba Sakura to snap out of it.
She looked at Zaolai Qianxiao in front of her with a bewildered expression and couldn’t help asking—
“You want me to teach you to be cute? But I think you’re already cute enough. You look very charming. There’s no need to put in extra effort to become cuter.”
Akiba Sakura meant it.
Setting aside the matter of Yuuma Tsugumu, Zaolai Qianxiao herself seemed like a lively, cute girl.
There was no need for her to deliberately imitate others.
Hearing these words of praise, Zaolai Qianxiao just sighed, her head drooping with a disappointed look.
Then she raised her head and glanced at Akiba Sakura, a hint of curiosity in her eyes, and asked softly:
“By the way, Sakura-chan, which school are you from?”
Akiba Sakura was puzzled, but she answered honestly—
“I’m from Asahi High School.”
“Really?!”
Hearing this answer, Zaolai Qianxiao’s eyes instantly lit up like two sparkling stars.
Then she suddenly stood up from her chair and shouted excitedly at Akiba Sakura:
“Master! We’re from the same school! That’s great!”
Her shout was a bit loud, instantly drawing the attention of other customers in the shop.
Alarmed, Akiba Sakura quickly stood up, reached out to cover her mouth, and smiled awkwardly at the surrounding customers.
Then she quickly looked at Zaolai Qianxiao and raised her index finger in a “shush” gesture—
“Keep your voice down! Master, even though this isn’t a library, shouting and disturbing other guests is not okay!”
Once Zaolai Qianxiao nodded obediently, Akiba Sakura let go.
Then, seeing her expectant expression, she could only respond grudgingly:
“Let me be clear… I haven’t agreed to be your master. Don’t call me that.”
Zaolai Qianxiao giggled and stuck out her tongue, looking very playful—
“I know, I know, I get it~”
But the next second, she raised her face again and continued calling out expectantly:
“Master~ So which class are you in?”
Akiba Sakura held her forehead, too lazy to argue about the title anymore, and just turned her face away indifferently—
“I won’t tell you my class.”
She didn’t want to be recognized by this person at school.
As she spoke, she suddenly remembered the question she hadn’t finished asking earlier.
Leaning forward slightly, she pressed on seriously—
“By the way, you still haven’t told me—since you’re already this cute, why do you insist on becoming cuter? And what does that have to do with school?”
Unexpectedly, at Akiba Sakura’s question, Zaolai Qianxiao’s expression suddenly turned mysterious.
She quickly glanced left and right, and confirming that no one nearby was paying attention, she leaned her small body closer and asked cautiously in a voice only the two of them could hear—
“Master… then do you know—Akiba Sakura?”
“???”
Akiba Sakura completely froze on the spot, utterly dumbfounded.
‘Know her?’
Seeing Zaolai Qianxiao earnestly waiting for an answer, Akiba Sakura’s mind raced.
Finally, she went along with the flow and nodded with an exceptionally serious expression.
“…Mm, I’ve heard of her but don’t know her very well. I’m a new student after all…”
“Yeah? Me too! Looks like we’re the same grade, Master!”
Zaolai Qianxiao’s eyes grew even brighter.
She lightly clapped her hands, her face full of surprise.
“Uh…”
Seeing her like this, Akiba Sakura’s heart was pounding wildly—
‘So why did you suddenly bring me up? What exactly do you want? Could it be that you know I’ve been pestering Piggy Xu and want to get rid of me?’
Zaolai Qianxiao sat back down in her chair, her brows slightly furrowed, her voice full of disappointment and lack of confidence—
“Actually, the reason I want to become cute is all because of this person named Akiba Sakura. She’s also a new student, but not long after enrolling, stories about her greatness are everywhere in school—they say she’s super cute, has a great personality, and just by being cute she’s won over many people. Even several clubs are scrambling to invite her to join. She’s incredibly amazing.”
She looked up at Akiba Sakura, then lowered her head, her voice muffled—
“I used to think I was fairly cute, but when I found out there was such a perfect person in my grade, I suddenly lost my confidence. I always feel that I’m not cute enough, so I wanted to ask Master to teach me to be cuter. That way, maybe I could become as amazing as her.”
After hearing this, Akiba Sakura was stunned.
Although she thought she had some popularity at school, she never imagined there would be someone like Zaolai Qianxiao who wanted to become cuter because of her.
‘But… didn’t you still take something from me, you little girl?’
Zaolai Qianxiao, of course, couldn’t hear Akiba Sakura’s thoughts.
She just sighed, then suddenly turned her gaze to Akiba Sakura and carefully studied her.
‘What the heck? Why are you staring at me? Did you recognize me?’
Zaolai Qianxiao stared at Akiba Sakura without blinking, looking from her brows and eyes to her cheeks, getting more and more puzzled.
She couldn’t help tilting her head and speaking—
“Master, I think you’re even more beautiful and cute than Akiba Sakura. Your aura is also great. Why have I never noticed you at school? Logically speaking—someone as good-looking as you, even if I didn’t see you, other guys would have seen you and it would be all over the school…”
What Zaolai Qianxiao didn’t know was that Akiba Sakura was already panicking.
She instinctively turned her head away to avoid Zaolai Qianxiao’s gaze, afraid of being seen through, while her mind raced to come up with an excuse—
“That’s because I’m completely different at school… I usually wear a pair of dorky black-rimmed glasses, my hair is tied up carelessly, and in my school uniform, I’m inconspicuous in a crowd. Very plain. Only when I come to work part-time at the maid cafe do I dress up properly. The contrast is huge, so you definitely wouldn’t recognize me at school…”
Unexpectedly, after hearing Akiba Sakura’s forced explanation, Zaolai Qianxiao’s eyes widened into perfect circles.
She grabbed Akiba Sakura’s hand excitedly, her voice full of excitement and anticipation—
“Really? Then Master’s secret to becoming cute is hidden in this maid cafe, isn’t it! So working part-time as a maid can make someone this cute. That’s amazing!”