46 It's Just A Cafe

After a few hours, Mei and I found ourselves standing outside the designated café. The bustling atmosphere and the number of patrons inside made it seem like an ordinary, popular spot.

"It's too innocent to be suspicious."

"Yeah... Perhaps it's just a regular café," Mei agreed, her brow furrowing in confusion.

I sighed, scratching my head. "What is Principal Theresa thinking, sending us here of all places?"

"Anyway, how about we check it out?" I suggested.

"I agree," Mei replied.

We joined the line and patiently waited our turn. After a few minutes, we were finally seated at a table.

While perusing the menu, I observed that the café appeared quite normal in terms of its interior and food options.

"It's very ordinary," I remarked.

Mei seemed lost in thought, her attention momentarily drifting away. "Mei-senpai?" I called out, bringing her back to the present.

"Huh?! Y-Yes?" She snapped back, slightly flustered.

"Are you okay, Mei-senpai?"

"Ah, sorry about that. I'm fine."

"Pfft~ I bet you got distracted by the menu, didn't you? Would you like to order something?" 

"Eh? Really?" Her eyes lit up.

"Yeah, My treat."

"Then, I'll take that offer, if you don't mind..."

And so I raised my hand, "Waitress~"

"Coming~"

A waitress dressed in a maid outfit emerged from behind the counter, holding a notepad and pencil. She smiled warmly as she approached our table.

"What would you like to order, ma'am? sir?" she asked politely.

"We'll have two slices of cheesecake and..." I glanced at Mei-senpai, silently asking for her input.

"And... two cups of black coffee, please," Mei finished my order with a smile.

The waitress seemed surprised. "Eh? That's it?" she questioned. "Uhm, Ma'am? Sir? Aren't you a couple? How about I recommend two of our specialty desserts for couples? We have our signature heart-shaped chocolate cake with two spoons, perfect for sharing."

Mei and I exchanged a glance before chuckling softly. "That sounds lovely, actually. Let's go with that," Mei suggested with a nod.

"Eh?! Mei-senpai!?"

"Heehee~ Coming right up~" Haahhh... Go kill yourselves and explode normies. The waitress jotted down our order and hurried back to the counter.

HEY! I HEARD THAT!

As Mei and I waited for our order, I found myself pondering about the specialty dessert the waitress had recommended.

The café exuded a cozy ambiance, filled with the delightful aroma of freshly brewed coffee.

"It must be something special if she suggested it for couples," Mei remarked, echoing my thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm curious to see what it looks like..."

...

"But Mei-senpai, why did you agree to the specialty dessert instead of declining it?"

"Eh? I-I mean... It's not a bad idea, right? Plus, it's your treat!"

"...Mei-senpai, your face is red, you know?"

"Eh?" Mei's face flushed as she immediately covered it with her hands, looking down. "D-Don't look at me."

"Hahaha! That's the first time I've seen Mei-senpai so flustered! I always thought you were the type who's cool and collected!"

She glanced up at me with a pout. "Oh? So you don't see me as a girl?"

"That's not what I said, Mei-senpai."

"I mean... I didn't expect to see you blush like that, Mei-senpai. It's kind of cute."

Mei's cheeks flushed even more, and she averted her gaze. "I-I see... Well, let's just wait for our dessert, shall we?"

"Of course."

As the waitress approached our table with a tray of desserts, Mei and I exchanged curious glances, wondering what the specialty dessert for couples would look like.

Our surprise only grew as the waitress set down two heart-shaped chocolate cakes, each adorned with a single spoon.

"Here you go, our specialty dessert for couples!" she chirped, her smile infectious.

Mei and I couldn't help but chuckle at the adorable presentation. "It's... unexpectedly charming," Mei remarked, her earlier embarrassment replaced with amusement.

"Yeah, it's quite cute."

Before leaving, the waitress added a glass of choco-vanilla milkshake to our table. "Don't forget this~ A choco-vanilla milkshake for couples~" she said cheerfully.

"Eh? Is this part of the couple bundle?"

"Of course~" The waitress beamed.

I exchanged a glance with Mei, both of us slightly perplexed by the setup. "Uhm... Do you have an extra spoon?" I asked, gesturing to the lone utensil.

"What are you talking about, sir? This is part of the couple bundle, you know?" the waitress replied, sounding genuinely puzzled.

"I-I see..."

"Oh well~ Enjoy your meal~"

...I see now... The fact that you set aside our previous order and tempted Mei to order the couple bundle set... Waitress, I should be giving you a tip! Oh, wait! Don't misunderstand me, I'm not one of those dense type MCs who don't realize the situation they're in... Because right now... I'm gonna have an indirect kiss... WITH MEI-SENPAI!! 

But just imagining it makes my heartbeat go fast!

What the hell!? I haven't even experienced this with Bronya yet when we went on a date!

Plus... Mei-senpai is my girlfriend1 right now. As a man, I have to take the lead! 

"Shin," Mei said with a playful grin, holding a spoonful of cake toward me. "Say Ahh~"

"Mei-senpai..." I started, feeling a bit embarrassed by her playful gesture. "I can feed myself, you know?"

"Oh? That's a shame," Mei teased, her eyes sparkling mischievously.

Despite my initial hesitation, I relented and accepted the spoonful of cake, taking a bite before quickly averting my gaze, feeling a slight blush creeping onto my cheeks.

"It's good..." I murmured, trying to play it cool.

To my surprise, Mei burst into laughter. "Are you a tsundere or something?" she teased.

"I'm not!" I retorted though the warmth in my cheeks betrayed me.

As we sipped on the choco-vanilla milkshake through the heart-shaped straw, there was a moment of comfortable silence between us

"It's really refreshing," Mei remarked, breaking the silence with a contented smile.

"Yeah, it's a nice touch."

...

THAT WAS SO AWKWARD AND EMBARRASSING!

"By the way... It seems there's nothing particularly suspicious around here," I murmured, ensuring my voice remained low to avoid drawing attention.

Mei nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it does seem that way," she replied, her tone matching my caution. "But we should still stay vigilant. Suspicious activities can often be subtle or concealed."

Despite our doubts, we finished our meal and proceeded to the cashier to settle the bill. As promised, I covered the cost, upholding my end of the bargain.

Once outside the café, we made our way to a nearby park and settled on a bench.

"Mei-senpai, could you contact Principal Theresa?"

"Of course, just give me a moment," Mei said, taking out her phone to make a call.

"Right." I leaned back on the bench as I stretched my limbs.

...What kind of mission is this anyway? The mission briefing was confusing enough to give me headac-

"Shin," Mei called out, her voice soft yet urgent.

"Yes, Mei-senpai?" I responded turning to face her.

Before I could react, she wrapped her arms around me in a tight embrace.

"Mei-senpai... What's going on?"

"Shin..." Her voice was barely a whisper as she buried her face against my chest, her breath warm against my skin.

Feeling flustered and unsure how to respond, I could only sit there, frozen in shock.

"Shin... I love you."

"Eh...?!"

"I love you, Shin," Mei repeated, her voice filled with sincerity and emotion.

"M-Mei-senpai... I..." I stammered, taken aback by her confession.

She gazed at me with affectionate eyes, her cheeks flushed with a deep blush.

It was then that I noticed something peculiar—the pupils of her eyes were a soft shade of pink, resembling hearts.

"Shin~" she whispered her voice filled with longing.

At that moment, everything became clear to me.

"Ahh... I understand now."

That cafe... is definitely suspicious...! 

Switching POV Somewhere... in the cafe

"The deed is done," the waitress reported.

"Excellent... now they should be experiencing it as we speak... After all, love conquers all, doesn't it?" the mysterious figure replied with a sinister chuckle.

"Yes, Mistress, love truly is... everything."