E-book Edition Bonus Short Story: "What If Hoshine Served Kagehito?"
"What if I were in a position to serve Kagehito?"
One quiet afternoon on a day off, the young lady suddenly muttered, as if the thought had just occurred to her.
"It's hard to imagine myself not serving you, Young Lady."
"I know, right? To be honest, I find it hard to picture too. But isn't it an intriguing hypothesis? Fascinating, isn't it? Anyway, I've done it. Behold, the 'Dream-Your-Favorite-Dream Machine'!"
"Please don't announce it like you've just finished building a plastic model."
"It's not quite like that. It's just a byproduct of my real objective."
"And that 'real objective' would be...?"
"The Lucky Perv Trigger Device."
"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."
A machine that lets you dream whatever you want sounds like an incredible invention, but the fact that it was a mere byproduct of something as absurd as a Lucky Perv Trigger Device is just tragic. Absolutely ridiculous. And wait, she's still working on that thing?
"I feel like the 'Dream-Your-Favorite-Dream Machine' would be harder to make than the 'Lucky Perv Trigger Device,' though."
"Reality doesn’t go the way you want it to. Compared to that, tinkering with the brain is easy."
"Young Lady, you're starting to sound dangerously mad."
"How rude. And whose fault do you think this is, hmm? Whose?"
Why am I the one getting that accusatory glare? I can’t accept this.
"Well, anyway, let's share a dream together. One based on the premise of 'me being the maid, and Kagehito being the master.' "
"If it's at your command, Young Lady, I'd be more than happy to volunteer as a test subject... but you're joining me as well?"
"Of course. I've already built in a feature that allows multiple people to experience the same dream."
Wait—did she just casually drop something outrageous again? I really shouldn't be surprised anymore.
"We'll be sleeping together. In the same bed. Right now. Together. I mean it—together."
"Uh... well... alright, then."
Why is she putting so much emphasis on "together"?
"I've already integrated the machine into this bed, so all we have to do is lie down and fall asleep."
"I understand that, but are you sure it's alright? For me to intrude in your bed, Young Lady?"
"Of course. Absolutely. In fact... maybe it’s better if you get used to it."
"Get used to it?"
Does she mean she's planning to let me have this bed with the machine built into it? But getting used to it... Oh, I see. It’s definitely big enough for two people to sleep comfortably. If she’s giving it to me, it might take some time to feel at ease with this much space.
"You needn't worry. I've been trained to sleep in any environment, no matter how unusual."
"I understand now—you're making another ridiculous misunderstanding, as always."
The two of us lay side by side on the bed.
This feels... strange. We're always together, sure, but lying in the same bed? That's a first.
"................................"
"Young Lady?"
"I hate to admit it, but this might be a design flaw. I can’t sleep like this..."
"Really? It seems like a very comfortable bed to me."
"Why are you so calm about this?"
"It's the perfect time for an afternoon nap, after all."
".........."
Apparently, my response didn’t sit well with her. She began lightly thumping my chest with her fists. It didn’t hurt—it was soft, almost playful, and it tickled a bit.
"Ugh... I’m going to sleep. I’ll sleep. Once I do, it’ll literally be a dream come true..."
Murmuring to herself, the Young Lady closed her eyes as if to convince herself to drift off.
The sight of her trying so hard to fall asleep was, frankly, adorable.
Her faint warmth. Her long, golden hair, as smooth and lustrous as silk threads.
I struggled to resist the sweet ache that made me want to reach out and touch her.
"Goodnight, Young Lady. Let’s have wonderful dreams together."
Following her lead, I closed my eyes as well, letting my consciousness sink into the world of dreams.
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
My maid is a person who has everything. (T/N: Prologue...)
"Whoa, check this out! Tendou-san aced every subject again and took first place."
Top of the class.
"Didn’t she get scouted by the tennis club recently? Something about beating a national-level player in a practice match."
Athletically gifted.
"I heard a talent agency tried to recruit her. Apparently, she even got a CM offer. I mean, with a face and figure that put idols to shame, it’s no wonder."
Stunningly beautiful.
"She’s the maid for the Yagiri family, right?"
She’s the kind of perfect human being who truly has it all.
That’s my maid—Tendou Hoshine.
"Good morning, Kagehito-sama."
"Good morning, Hoshine."
Although our household doesn’t have a strict dress code, Hoshine insists on wearing a maid uniform. It seems to be a point of personal pride for her.
"It’s a lovely day today. I think it’s going to be a very pleasant one."
"The forecast said it’ll rain this afternoon, though..."
"I don’t believe it will."
Hoshine has an uncanny intuition. I’ve never seen her be wrong before.
Chances are, it won’t rain after all.
"Your intuition is usually spot on, Hoshine. I’ll keep that in mind."
"Would you like another cup of tea, Kagehito-sama?"
"I’d appreciate it, thank you."
She refills my empty cup with warm tea. The way she always seems to bring me exactly what I want, just when I want it, must also be thanks to her incredible instincts.
"Hoshine, the tea you make is always the best. I've tried making it myself a few times, but I just can't match your skill..."
"Fufufu, well, it is my profession, after all."
"Not to mention, you're incredibly talented."
"You're too kind, truly."
"Even the stars wouldn’t be enough to count all the words that could praise your abilities. That hasn’t changed since we were kids."
Hoshine had always been gifted, even as a child. Sometimes, I feel a twinge of guilt for keeping her all to myself as my maid.
"Now that I think about it, we’re already high schoolers. A lot has changed... especially recently. I really feel it."
"Did something in particular change?"
"Actually... I got confessed to by a student from another class."
--- Crash! ---
Startled, I turned toward the sound. The teapot in Hoshine's hand had slipped, shattering loudly as it hit the floor and spilling tea everywhere.
Even so, Hoshine remained frozen, still holding the posture as if the pot were intact. It was as if time had stopped.
"Hoshine!? Are you alright? Did you get burned?"
"And? What did you do?"
"Huh?"
"I’m asking, how did you respond to the confession?"
What... was this? Hoshine’s face was smiling, but somehow, it didn’t feel like a smile at all.
"I turned them down, of course..."
"Really?"
"Yes..."
"You’re not lying, are you?"
"Of course not."
"................"
"................"
"...I see."
Hoshine let out a soft sigh, her shoulders relaxing. Ah, good. She’s back to her usual self.
"Hoshine, are you sure you didn’t burn yourself?"
"No need to worry. More importantly... I must apologize."
"Don’t worry about the teapot. You’re far more important."
"...That being said..."
"What?"
"How does being confessed to tie into what you said about things changing?"
"Oh, that... Well, I mean, it’s not like I’ve ever been confessed to this often in such a short period before..."
--- Crash! ---
"Hold on a second."
"Hoshine!? Are you hurt? Did you burn yourself?"
"That’s irrelevant right now."
"No, it’s definitely not irrelevant! What about the broken pieces of the cup?"
"Those? Just kick them out of the way."
"Please don’t do that, it’s dangerous!"
I quickly called another maid to clean up the shards. Hoshine was clearly not herself right now.
"...So. What do you mean by being confessed to ‘so often’? Care to elaborate?"
"Huh? I meant exactly what I said. There was this stretch of time where I kept getting confessions day after day. Being in high school, I guess you could say it’s a new kind of experience."
"When exactly was this?"
"When you were sick and had to take some time off, I think."
"Tch...! That time... I let my guard down...!"
Amazing. I've never seen Hoshine this flustered before.
"…Did you reject all the confessions?"
"Yeah. It was hard, but…"
"…Why?"
"The reason is… because there's someone else I like."
"〇※☆＠■△×◎!?"
"Hoshine, Hoshine. Your language is glitching."
"Who does Eito like!?" (T/N: This is in English)
"Close. Your English is fluent, though."
"Wh-Who does Kagehito-sama like!?"
Who I like, huh… That’s been decided a long time ago.
"Are you curious? About who I like?"
"Of-of-of course I am!"
Normally the picture-perfect maid, but now she’s clearly shaken.
…Cute. Even though I know I shouldn’t, I can’t help but tease her.
"Here’s a hint: ‘The same age as me.’"
"…That’s way too many students to narrow it down…!"
"‘Beautiful golden hair.’"
"Are we talking about someone from overseas!? No, it could also be dyed…"
"‘Eyes like dazzling blue gemstones.’"
"Definitely someone from overseas… Or maybe colored contacts…?"
"‘A maid.’"
"A maid, the same age as Kagehito-sama, with blonde hair and blue eyes… That only leaves… me…?"
"‘And her name is Tendou Hoshine.’"
"Yes, Tendou Hoshine is— …wait, what?"
Hoshine, who had been flustered and panicking just moments ago, suddenly froze in place.
"Me…?"
"Yeah. The one who's captured my heart all this time… is you, Hoshine."
I finally said it. I had planned to wait until I improved myself more before confessing.
But I couldn’t hold it back any longer. My feelings spilled over. Maybe I should’ve undergone some special training for this moment.
"Tendou Hoshine."
"Y-Yes…"
"I’ll say it again. I… am in love with you――――"
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
"I feel like I woke up at an incredibly good part of the dream!"
The first thing out of the young lady’s mouth after waking was a cry straight from her soul.
"Hmm. I do feel the same. There’s also this… lingering sense of embarrassment for some reason."
"Ugh! I’m so mad at myself for not remembering even the slightest detail of the dream!"
"Yeah, it’s a shocker. You know you had a dream, but you can’t recall anything about it," I added.
"But it was so frustrating and disappointing when I woke up that it must have been an unbelievably good dream!"
"Not that you remember it, though."
"Arrrghhh…!"
The sound she let out didn’t resemble anything human. It was more akin to the cry of some strange insect.
"To leave me hanging at the most crucial moment after building up so much anticipation! What a cruel, demonic machine! I want to see the face of the person who designed it!"
"If you’d like a mirror, I can fetch one for you."
"What you'd see there is probably a stunning genius beauty."
In any case, the young lady seemed deeply frustrated. Shouting about "revisions" and "urgent improvements," she turned her attention to some data and began glaring at it intensely.
(…I feel bad for her, but I can’t help but feel relieved.)
Knowing she couldn’t remember the dream brought an undeniable sense of relief to my heart.
A dream is just a dream.
A "what if" is just a "what if."
Perhaps that dream, and even that "what if," were simply too soon to become reality.
Volume 1 END
(I want to translate Volume 2 of this one, but unfortunately I neither have the raw for it nor money to buy it, so it will be postponed for now.)
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