Saturday arrived.
Today I was supposed to meet Noel’s maid.
”Hmm… here?”
The meeting place was specified by Noel. Originally, she’d suggested my apartment, but Noel asked to change the location. So I followed the map she sent me and ended up here…
”Hmm… this is definitely a love hotel…”
Yeah. As I got closer to the meeting point, I entered the entertainment district-I thought it was weird. But the location she gave me was unmistakably a love hotel. Just then, two figures ran toward me from the surrounding area.
”Master~♥” Noel chirped.
”Noel… this is…”
”Hehehe~♥♥ Oh, right, we have things to discuss. Let’s go inside~” she said, tugging at my sleeve.
”Huh? Hey!”
Noel dragged me into the love hotel. The other person-probably the maid?-followed us in. She wore an oversized hoodie, the hood pulled down low over her eyes so I couldn’t see her face.
”Whoa… So this is what a love hotel looks like~♥” Noel breathed, glancing around with wide eyes.
”Sigh… Explain what’s going on, for real.”
”Of course, Master.”
Today was supposed to be a meet-and-greet to discuss the maid moving into my apartment. So why were we at a love hotel?
”Alright, first let me introduce her,” Noel said.
”Hm?”
The person who seemed to be the maid was smaller than Noel. When she pulled back her hood, I was shocked by her face.
”Wait… Takanashi Mimi?!”
”Yes~ that’s me~” she replied with a shy smile.
Takanashi Mimi-one of the goddesses counted among Tenou Academy’s elite. She didn’t stand out as much as Noel and the other top three, who were known for their enormous busts, but even so, Mimi herself was well over 100 centimeters in that department. People said her cooking was practically professional-level; I’d heard that guys would crowd the cooking practice room just to get a taste of her dishes.
”Um… Noel? This is… wait, she’s younger than me?”
”Ahaha… sorry, Master,” Noel said, rubbing the back of her neck.
We sat down in the love hotel to talk. Why were we having a conversation in a love hotel, anyway? After Noel formally introduced her again, there was no doubt-she was definitely Takanashi Mimi, working part-time as a live-in helper.
”From what you said last time, I thought she’d be an adult since she had another job or something…” I said, frowning.
”I apologize~ I asked the young lady to keep my identity vague~” Mimi said, bowing her head.
”Yes… I asked her not to reveal who I really was,” Noel added.
”I… see.”
I wanted to ask why, but I figured she had her reasons. Better to move the conversation along first. But something else was bothering me…
(Target: Takanashi Mimi is in a state of extreme tension… Analysis: Target is experiencing extreme anxiety, fear, and strong aversion.)
[Appraisal] helpfully told me again. Fear and aversion, huh… I looked at her more closely. She was a beautiful girl with long, bright cherry-blossom hair tied in low twin tails-a slightly different shade from Sakuraba Haruhi-hime’s from the other day-and emerald eyes looking back at me. I couldn’t detect fear or disgust in her face at all. She just seemed to be smiling normally.
Now then. I’d been thinking about something lately. Specifically, what to do with [True Eye]. Having it and not using it honestly felt like a waste. But it was also a huge invasion of privacy-I’d been hesitant to use it for that reason. So I set two personal rules for myself.
First: only for people who become deeply involved with me. I’d been betrayed by women in my previous life, and even in this world, my childhood friend ex-girlfriend had betrayed me. So the idea of betrayal triggered a strong rejection response in me. I decided to use it to check if those close to me might ever betray me.
Second: for bad people-enemies I recognized as hostile. Privacy didn’t matter for them. I’d use it on those types without hesitation. That sounds contradictory, but whatever. With that in mind, [Appraisal]:
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Takanashi Mimi | Age 16 | Birthday: 2/5 | Height: 155cm | B: 103cm (J-cup) | W: 57cm | H: 90cm | Weight: 58kg | Tenou Academy | Class 2-C
Club: Cooking Club | Hobbies: Cooking, Baking | Preference: Masochist | Preferred Activities: None
Likes: Housework in general, Taking care of Noel
Dislikes: Men, People who can’t reason, Dirt
Partners: 0
She’s a member of the Cooking Club and counted among Tenou Academy’s goddesses. She’s been cooking since childhood, and her skills are considerable; her dishes are very popular within the club.
Her father was an abusive man who frequently assaulted her frail mother, so she developed a strong fear of men. This was compounded by harassment from boys and lecherous stares, leading to full-blown androphobia.
In fourth grade, with the Hinomiya family’s help, her mother successfully divorced her father, and they began living together as a two-person household. Her mother started working, and Mimi studied housework to help her however she could. By the time she entered middle school, her bust had grown significantly, and she’d developed a lactation condition-producing breast milk-which made her even more sensitive to men’s stares.
At the end of middle school, her mother collapsed from overwork. Mimi planned to skip high school and start working, but Noel’s parents convinced her to attend school while taking over the housework at Noel’s home in place of her mother.
She’d heard about Hayato from Noel and knew about his relationship with her. At the same time, when Mimi confided her worries about her lactation, Noel suggested she be “held” by Hayato when they met. Given her androphobia, she was hesitant, but Noel insisted that if it was Hayato, he’d be able to solve it too. So she agreed to meet him. She hadn’t expected to be taken directly to a love hotel on the day itself, and was currently extremely tense.
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I see… Androphobia. That explained the fear and disgust. But more importantly-why? What kind of thought process leads someone to try and have a girl with androphobia be held by me?
Trivia:
- Hayato’s trauma from betrayal is the primary reason he established the two rules for using [True Eye], showing his deep-seated trust issues.
- Mimi’s surface smile masks extreme fear and disgust, highlighting her ability to perform normalcy despite her androphobia.
- Noel’s suggestion that Hayato “hold” Mimi to cure her androphobia reflects a common but questionable genre trope where intimacy is presented as therapeutic.
- The love hotel setting is completely unexpected for a maid introduction, emphasizing Noel’s unpredictable and somewhat manipulative nature.
- Mimi’s lactation condition is a major source of her anxiety around men, as it draws unwanted attention and objectification.
- The [Appraisal] system is invasive by nature, but Hayato rationalizes using it as a defense mechanism against potential betrayal.
- Mimi’s mother’s collapse from overwork forced Mimi to grow up quickly, taking on household responsibilities at a young age.
- The Hinomiya family’s intervention was crucial in helping Mimi’s mother escape her abusive marriage.
- Noel’s parents convinced Mimi to continue her education, showing their investment in her well-being beyond just employing her as a helper.
- Mimi’s cooking skills are so exceptional that they draw crowds of male students to the cooking practice room, compounding her discomfort around men.