Rie’s Mounting Annoyance

“So… hello, Kazama Nanami-san, I’m Igarashi Rie from Class 2-A.”

Though numerous questions buzzed in her mind, Rie managed to suppress them for the time being, choosing to initiate with a polite greeting.

“Hello, Igarashi-senpai! I’m Kazama Nanami from Class 1-C, please take care of me!”

Ever so boisterous, Nanami immediately extended her hand towards Rie, gesturing for a handshake.

In truth, Rie wasn’t particularly fond of physical contact, especially with someone wearing nail polish; Shion was the sole exception.

Nevertheless, Rie reluctantly shook her hand.

Sun-kissed skin, a firm grip—she appeared to have grown up by the sea.

Such was Rie’s immediate assessment.

Despite Shion’s apparent popularity, Rie knew from their usual evening chats that Shion wasn’t someone with a vast circle of friends; her personality wasn’t particularly outgoing, nor was she the type to actively seek out new acquaintances.

Therefore, anyone who managed to become close with Shion likely shared a rather intimate bond.

Rie’s mind raced, connecting the dots.

“Are you and Hoshimori-san very close, Kazama-san?”

Rie cut straight to the chase.

She watched Nanami, still clutching her phone, snapping pictures of Shion at another table as Shion performed her ‘love magic’ on the coffee.

For some inexplicable reason, a flicker of annoyance stirred within Rie.

‘Correction: intensely annoyed.’

“Oh, yes, we’ve gone out to sea together, raced cars, and I even taught her how to make coffee.”

Nanami puffed out her chest, speaking with an air of distinct pride.

Had Shion overheard, she would undoubtedly have begun stomping her little leather shoes and, pointing at Nanami, unleashed a torrent of ‘colorful language’ (TL Note: A humorous euphemism for cursing or scolding).

Gone out to sea? Yes, they had, only to capsize and nearly run into evil spirits, almost resulting in a game over.

Raced cars? Yes, they had, racing until Shion was dizzy with nausea.

“Isn’t their coffee instant coffee?”

Rie asked, picking up her own cup with a puzzled expression and taking a sip.

“It’s just a matter of adding more sugar and milk, after all.”

“Haha, yeah, I only found that out after teaching her.”

Nanami replied somewhat distractedly, having supposedly put her phone down.

Yet, she promptly pulled a camera directly from her backpack, its lens once again aiming at Shion.

The annoyance festering within Rie grew increasingly pronounced.

While it was quite normal for friends to capture a few embarrassing moments (TL Note: ‘Black history’ refers to embarrassing or awkward past events), Nanami’s actions… always made Rie feel…

It was a bit much.

It felt like something that transcended mere friendship.

“What the—! Kazama-san, what are you doing?!”

Shion, having just noticed the situation, quickly pounced forward, reaching out to snatch the camera.

Alas, Nanami, accustomed to years of fishing by the sea, was remarkably agile, leaving Shion no chance whatsoever.

Shion could only glare at Nanami with a resentful expression.

“If you dare post that, I’m unfriending you.”

Nanami made an OK gesture.

“For personal appreciation only, no other use.”

Shion shot Nanami another glare, then turned around to attend to other customer requests.

Rie felt her face twitching.

She gently massaged it, trying to prevent her expression from betraying her thoughts.

‘Hoshimori-san is really too kind to Kazama-san,’ Rie thought, a surge of displeasure running through her.

Rie rose to her feet.

Though the coffee in her hand remained unfinished, she strode purposefully to the front counter.

From her wallet, she casually pulled out a ten-thousand-yen bill.

“I’d like to designate Maid Chief Hoshimori.”

Rie’s tone was remarkably resolute.

“Igarashi-senpai? Didn’t you just designate her…?”

The girl at the counter stammered, flustered.

“Designate her again.”

Rie’s smile remained unchanged, yet for some reason, an undeniable, chilling authority emanated from her.

“Y-yes, of course.”

The girl at the counter quickly wrote out another order for Rie, handing it over with both hands.

Rie accepted it politely, though the girl at the counter couldn’t shake the feeling that her hand was strangely cold.

Shion, already overwhelmed with tasks, saw the order for Rie and Nanami’s table.

Then, seeing Nanami waving at her with a camera and Rie, who sat elegantly but exuded a peculiar chill, Shion couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

Shion shot a meaningful glance at Shigure, who was also carrying coffee nearby.

Her eyes pleaded, ‘Please, save me.’

Shigure understood immediately, glancing at the order in Shion’s hand.

She then swiftly collected coffee from the serving hatch and approached Rie and Nanami’s table.

“Igarashi-senpai, here is your milk coffee. Please enjoy~”

Shigure’s voice and tone were soft and gentle as she carefully placed Rie’s coffee before her.

Rie, seeing Shigure, raised an eyebrow.

“I specifically designated Hoshimori-san for service, you know? Iori-san’s presence doesn’t quite meet the request.”

‘It seems another meddler has appeared,’ Rie mused.

Shigure subtly covered her mouth with the plate, as if trying to conceal her expression.

“Shion-san is a little busy right now, but she’ll be over in a moment. To keep you from waiting too long, Senpai, I brought the coffee first.”

“By the way, who might this be?”

Shigure’s gaze shifted to Nanami.

Nanami temporarily set down her camera and smiled at Shigure.

“Hello! I’m Kazama Nanami from Class C!”

Shigure nodded gently, a slight stutter instinctively emerging when addressing a stranger.

“H-hello, I’m Iori Shigure, and I’m the Assistant Maid Chief today.”

Nanami nodded as if a sudden realization had dawned on her.

“Oh, oh, then you must be able to do that too, right?”

Shigure naturally understood what Nanami was referring to: Maid Chief Shion’s exclusive magic that made food delicious.

Covering her shy expression with the plate, she wanted to nod, but ultimately shook her head instead.

“I did learn from Shion-san, but Shion-san said I don’t need to do that; she can handle it herself.”

“Oh? She really takes care of you, doesn’t she?”

For some reason, Rie felt a hint of gritted teeth in her own voice as she spoke.

As if recalling a cherished memory, Shigure offered a faint smile and nodded.

“Shion-san is a girl who is exceptionally good at taking care of others, and she’s very gentle too.”

Hearing this assessment, Nanami couldn’t help but clap her hands.

“Right? I think so too. Hoshimori-san is indeed very caring, and incredibly thoughtful.”

“Huh?”

Rie stared at the two underclassmen, who had seemingly reached an agreement without her notice, her face clearly asking, ‘Are you two completely oblivious?’

She chewed on Shigure’s and Nanami’s recent words.

Shion was indeed very caring, but since when did ordinary classmates need her care? Didn’t she have a younger sister who was practically clamoring for attention?

At this thought, Rie shook the order slip in her hand.

She subtly added a touch of impatience to her expression, though for her in that moment, it was hardly an act.

“Call your Maid Chief over here!”