After our dinner at the old man’s so-called “bar,” it was already 9:10 PM. I glanced at the time on my phone and scratched the back of my head.

I still had no idea where we should go next, and with work waiting for us early tomorrow, I figured maybe it was better to just call it a night.

“It's getting pretty late already,” I said, glancing over at Keiko as we walked side by side down the street. “Should we just head home?”

Keiko shrugged nonchalantly, stuffing her hands into her jacket pockets. “We haven’t really celebrated your birthday yet.”

I blinked. “I thought… wasn’t that ramen our celebration?” I laughed awkwardly.

She shook her head. “Nope. That was dinner. Celebration’s different.”

“Weren’t you tired?” I asked.

“Nope, I'm fine,” she replied, her voice light. Then she suddenly stopped and turned to me, her brows slightly furrowed. “Oh! Wait… are you tired?”

I quickly shook my head. “No, no. I’m good. Just—” I let out a sigh and admitted, “I still don’t have a clue where we should go. And at this hour, most places are closed.”

Keiko grinned. “Good thing I still have my idea list.” Without giving me a chance to respond, she grabbed my hand and started dragging me along the street.

“W-where are we going?” I asked, feeling a weird flutter in my stomach. Something about her sudden enthusiasm made me nervous.

“I’m not telling,” she smirked.

---

As we reached Akihabara Station, I gulped. Oh no. No way. My gut told me this was either going to be hilarious or a disaster.

Keiko kept dragging me without saying a word. This kind of behavior reminded me so much of the old Keiko—the awkward, flustered, but determined girl from years ago. When she got like this, it usually meant something unpredictable was about to happen.

Finally, we stopped in front of a small building with a neon pink sign that read "Maid Lust Café & Bar" in cutesy letters. I stared, my jaw slightly open.

I glanced at the time. 9:20 PM.

We stood there for a good five minutes, neither of us moving. Then I broke the silence. “Uh… so, we’re not going in?”

Keiko looked unusually nervous. Her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her jacket. “W-well… let’s go.”

“You sure? You look nervous. If you don’t wanna—”

“I was just… curious,” she admitted quickly, not meeting my eyes. “I’ve never been to one before.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. She looked so adorably awkward. “Let’s go,” I grinned, grabbing her hand and gently pulling her through the entrance.

Now, for those who don’t know—a maid bar is basically like a maid café’s older, naughtier cousin. The maids wear sexier outfits, serve drinks, and flirt with customers in a playful, sometimes borderline suggestive way. It’s all still within the limits of decency, but there’s a definite cheeky edge to it. And I realized quickly this wasn’t your run-of-the-mill Akiba café.

The moment we stepped inside, a pair of gorgeous maids with short skirts, stockings, and cat ears bounced over to greet us.

“Welcome home, mistresses!” one chirped.

Keiko stiffened while I gulped hard. Crap.

One of them winked at me. “My, what a cute best friend you have. Are you two on a girl’s night out?”

“U-uhh…” I laughed awkwardly, but before I could explain, one of the maids took my arm and guided me to a seat.

As I was dragged away, I glanced over and saw Keiko quietly talking to another maid at the entrance, whispering something with a slightly flustered look on her face. Huh… weird.

“Come on, darling, let’s make your night unforgettable!”

As we sat down at our table, the maids hovered close, leaning in with playful smiles. One teasingly brushed her fingers against my shoulder, making me tense up. “Such pretty eyes you have, darling,” she whispered, winking.

Then finally, Keiko joined us at the table, and honestly — I felt a wave of relief wash over me. Being left alone in this den of flirty, hyper maid bar girls was more nerve-wracking than I'd ever admit.

The moment Keiko sat down, one of the maids leaned in with a playful grin, teasing, “You two make the cutest pair. Best friends? Or maybe more?”

Her words hung in the air, playful and coy, making me stiffen a little while Keiko just smirked, glancing at me sideways. “I’ll let you guess,” she replied smoothly, her voice calm but her eyes shining with that teasing glint that made my stomach flip. The maids squealed in delight.

The maids giggled and handed us drink menus, suggesting, “Our ‘Love Potion No. 9’ is really popular for couples, and the ‘Midnight Cat Cosmo’ is perfect for adventurous girls like you two.”

I cleared my throat awkwardly, ordering a simple beer to be safe, while Keiko grinned and chose the cat cosmo just for fun. We also ordered their special party snack platter the maids eagerly recommended, promising it would come with ‘extra magic.’

One of them leaned close and whispered, “We’ll make it extra special for you, cutie,” giving me a little wink before bouncing off to the bar. I felt my face heat up, stealing a glance at Keiko, who looked far too amused.

Keiko, of course, looked amused. She was smiling, but I could tell there was a little spark of jealousy in her eyes.

“I swear I didn’t pick this place,” I muttered.

“Mmhm,” she said with a teasing grin.

The maids, thinking we were besties, kept flirting with both of us. One of them ran her fingers along my arm. “Such soft skin… you’re adorable!”

I was dying.

Keiko leaned in and whispered, “You look like you’re about to faint. Want me to rescue you?”

“Yes, please,” I croaked.

But instead, she laughed and left for the restroom.

When she was gone, the maids turned up the teasing. One even asked if I was single. I choked on my drink.

“No, I’m taken,” I replied quickly.

“Ohhh… lucky girl,” one of them purred.

A few minutes later, the lights dimmed. The maids clapped their hands. “Special birthday surprise time!”

I was confused until I saw a familiar face walking out from the back.

Keiko.

In a maid outfit.

I nearly dropped my glass.

She was blushing so hard I thought she might pass out, carrying a small cake with a sparkler on top. The maids cheered, and some of the guests clapped.

I stared in shock. That’s why she was so nervous earlier… she planned this?

Keiko approached, her face red as a tomato. “Happy birthday… Master,” she said shyly.

I couldn’t help it. I burst out laughing—not to mock her, but because I was so ridiculously happy.

“Keiko… you idiot,” I grinned, standing up and pulling her into a tight hug.

The other maids cheered.

Then, without thinking, I leaned in and kissed her. Right there. In front of everyone.

The place erupted in whistles and applause.

When I pulled away, Keiko covered her face with her hands. “Y-you idiot…!”

I laughed. “Best birthday ever.”

After we sat back down at our table, still laughing a little from the maid’s teasing, Keiko reached into the tote bag she’d brought along and pulled out a slim, neatly wrapped box. She slid it across the table toward me, a little shy smile on her face.

“Here… happy birthday,” she murmured, her voice soft and quieter than usual.

I blinked in surprise. “Huh? You already treated me to dinner and… this whole thing,” I gestured around at the ridiculous, sparkling maid bar.

“Just open it,” she insisted, avoiding my gaze.

Curious, I unwrapped the paper carefully, and when I lifted the lid, my breath caught. Inside was a pristine set of high-grade chef knives — polished, sharp, beautifully crafted. The handles were engraved with my name in neat lettering. They gleamed under the bar lights like little treasures. I could tell right away… this wasn’t cheap. Not some novelty set. These were professional, serious knives. The kind a chef would dream of owning.

I felt my chest tighten a little. “Keiko… this is… wow,” my voice cracked as I ran my fingers over the handles. “These are incredible.”

She shrugged like it was no big deal, but I could see the flicker of emotion in her eyes. “I thought… you might need them someday.” She smiled faintly. “I just wanted you to have something that’s yours.”

I couldn’t even find words. So instead, I stood up, rounded the table, and pulled her into a tight hug right there in front of everyone. She tensed at first, then quietly let herself lean into it.

“Thank you,” I whispered into her hair. “Seriously… thank you, Keiko. For this… and for everything.”

She gave a small laugh against my chest. “I wasn’t sure if you’d like it.”

“I love it,” I told her, pulling back to look into her eyes. “But not as much as I love you.”

And yeah — I kissed her again. Right there, with the maids clapping and a couple of drunk salarymen in the corner cheering like it was the best rom-com ending they’d ever seen. But for me, it wasn’t an ending. It was the beginning of something we hadn’t figured out yet, but I could feel it coming together. Little by little.

What a birthday.