My Plain-looking Fiance is Secretly Sweet with Me

“…Welcome back.”
After that unfriendly greeting, the maid slammed the menu down on the table.
The ponytail tied behind her black hair swayed slightly.
And while adjusting her soft glasses.
The maid in a long black dress, wearing a white apron in classic style—Watanae Yuuka looked down at the customer with her upturned eyes.
“…What would you like to order?”
“Ah, u-um… I’d like some coffee please.”
“Hot, right?”
“Ah, yes…”
After receiving the request, Yuuka awkwardly made her way to the makeshift kitchen.
“Coffee. Hot.”
After relaying the order in a cold tone, she quickly moved on to the next customer.
Seeing Yuuka like that… even I, who was assigned to the kitchen area, felt uneasy.
No, because? Let’s look at the other classmates.
Nihara-san’s gyaru friend was wearing a cheerleader outfit, waving pom-poms while chatting leisurely with customers.
The girl from the volleyball club whose name I couldn’t even remember was wearing a short skirt in a typical Halloween witch costume, attracting many customers.
As for Nihara-san—she was wearing a monster costume outside the classroom and drawing attention, but this was a special case.
In short… everyone was making the most of their cosplay outfits to cheerfully serve customers.
Yet, when it came to Yuuka, who was wearing a maid outfit.
“Ah, excuse me. Maid-san over there.”
“…What is it?”
She responded to the customer’s call without a shred of goodwill.
“The combination of glasses and a maid outfit… This is truly a traditional maid! It suits you so well!!”
“Not really.”
She gave a perfunctory reply to the customer’s enthusiastic words.
…This must be because of that.
Yuuka’s cold reactions at school—had been activated to the maximum level.
“Uuuuuuu… I definitely can’t do this… Yuu-kunnnnn…”
During a time slot when neither Yuuka nor I had a shift.
After pulling me to the back of the building where no one was around, Yuuka began to show clear signs of dejection.
Well, if I had to comment… the atmosphere then was truly terrible. When serving customers.
“Hah… what should I do? I said too much to Isami…”
“The Watanabe Yuuka from middle school is gone now—right?”
“Gyaaaaaaaa!? Why are you bringing that up!! Yuu-kun, you idiot!”
Feeling both dejected and irritated, it must be tough.
Having to serve customers like that, if only she could vent all these emotions on the customers… being introverted myself, I understand how she feels. At least I’ve become aware of that.
As we were talking—my phone in my pocket suddenly rang.
When I looked, the phone screen showed an incoming LINE call from Nayu.
“Hello, Nayu?”
『If I call, you should answer right away. What the hell were you thinking? …Hah.』
“I should be the one asking that… We’re at the cultural festival, so it’s not always possible to answer immediately.”
『Huh? Making excuses? If you were a politician, you should resign right now, you know?』
“That’s too harsh!? You don’t need to go that far!”
I’ve already been stabbed by Nayu just from opening the phone.
It’s always like this, I don’t know what to do with this girl.
“So, have you arrived at school yet? What about Isami?”
『We’re all here. Here, Isami. Hurry up and say something.』
『Ah… um. Ahaha…』
I could hear that forced laugh next to Nayu.
If it were like usual, Isami would spout some princely lines to charm the female students manning the stalls… but because she’s worried about Yuuka, she doesn’t have the mind to do that, huh.
『Well, Isami’s ended up like this. So? Nii-san and Yuuka-chan, when’s your shift?』
“Hm? Let’s see… We have a shift at 12 o’clock, so Yuuka and I plan to serve customers then.”
『12 o’clock, huh, that’s coming up soon. Come on, Isami, let’s go—hey, don’t run away!』
『Eek!? Na…Nayu-chan, my neck! You’ll… strangle me!!』
『Were you planning to sneak away because you’re scared? Listen here, Yuuka-chan said she’d do her best, right? Even if you’re her sister, you can’t just come watch and run away, are you stupid?』
“…Uu.”
Yuuka suddenly leaned against my stomach and began to whimper inaudibly towards the phone.
Nayu… it’s because of your words that Yuuka is feeling so much pressure, you know?
『Yuunii-san… Is Yuuka really okay?』
Isami’s voice coming through the phone was a bit shrill, quite different from usual.
『I know… Yuuka is being more serious than ever right now. But once she gets into it, she might break down from hating herself… I’m worried it will turn out like that.』
Mm, spot on. Knowing her big sister’s characteristics so well, she is her blood sister.
Yuuka standing next to me hearing those pinpoint accurate words is getting even more dejected, you know?
『You’re being too much of a siscon. It’s ridiculous. Yuuka isn’t your possession.』
Nayu ruthlessly threw out those words mocking Isami.
『Stop whining and open your eyes to see for yourself. I’m sure they’ll do fine. If not… Nii-san will face the death penalty.』
“Why me!?”
『Shut up. Anyway, Nii-san, you better do your best to help Yuuka-chan. I believe you can do at least that much… Seriously.』
With just those words—then “beep”.
Nayu hung up.
Really, this girl just says whatever she wants… my little sister is still as selfish as ever.
“Yuu-kun.”
After putting the phone back in my pocket and looking up.
Yuuka at school, with her ponytail and glasses… was staring intently at me.
At school her eyes turn upward when she wears glasses, while at home they droop when she takes them off… but right now it’s not like that.
Instead, those eyes were like—a blazing fire.
Hidden behind Yuuka’s gaze was determination.
“The cultural festival isn’t over yet… This is no time for complaints. The Watanae Yuuka from middle school is gone now—I have to prove that to Isami, right!”
“…Yeah, that’s right. Let’s do our best until the very end, Yuuka.”
Just like when she chose to become a voice actress.
Just like when she chose to become my fiancée and live with me, not counting the matchmaking part.
Yuuka had shed her past… and chosen to move forward at school.
To show Isami that she had changed—that was Yuuka’s wish.
So I too must use all my strength to help her.
To prevent Yuuka’s heart from breaking, I will become a solid support and prove it to Isami.
Otherwise… I wouldn’t be worthy of being called a “husband”.
“Oh! Not bad, Sakata. It really suits you!!”
Nihara-san was grinning at my appearance after I finished changing in the backstage area.
You must be teasing me, Nihara-san.
The outfit I’m wearing—is called a tuxedo. And it’s all white, no less.
My hair slicked back with gel… I wish I could just crawl into a hole somewhere.
Honestly, it doesn’t suit me at all.
“Over here, over here, Watanae-san. Look this way!!”
“…What is it?”
Yuuka stepped into the backstage area when Nihara-san called her.
Yuuka was still wearing the classic maid outfit from earlier.
With its long skirt and long-sleeved design, revealing each part—but when worn by Yuuka at school with her ponytail and glasses, it gave off a real maid-like feeling, looking very suitable for her.
“Hey, Watanae-san. Doesn’t Sakata’s costume look good?”
“…Not really.”
“Yuuka-chan, look carefully. Right now, backstage… there’s no one else here but us, you know? Hehe. Be honest, Sakata’s outfit… looks really good, doesn’t it?”
“…It’s so lovely! Kyaa, it’s super cool, I’m going blind!! Kyaakyaa!!”

With a “swoosh,” the curtain suddenly opened and Masa stepped into the backstage area.
“What’s that!? Wasn’t there just a really weird sound, Yuuichi!?”
“Isn’t the weird one here Kurai-kun?”
Yuuka responded smoothly, though her words were a bit cruel.
But just now, could she switch to her school mode so easily?
“Ahaha! Kurai, what’s with that outfit. It looks so funny!!”
“Are you planning to do a one-man haunted house?”
Masa’s costume—was Dracula.
A bright red shirt fluttering beneath a high-collared black cape.
In his mouth were carefully attached fake fangs.
“Heh… You understand, don’t you? Nihara-san and Watanae-san too.”
For some reason, Masa in his Dracula getup was showing a smug face.
“Ranmu-sama, the love of my life. In her live performance, they had to use scary designs like crosses and bats to match that cool beauty. So I became Dracula! This feeling of unity is truly wonderful… This burning sense of unity inside me right now, there’s nothing better…!!”
As expected of Masa, I have to admire you as a fellow otaku.
“Well then, I’ll also… try something besides a character costume to stand out!”
While saying this, Nihara-san seemed to be in high spirits.
Then, she suddenly started to take off… the uniform she was wearing.
“Wha… Nihara-san!?”
Though I said that, my eyes still darted towards Nihara-san’s chest at the speed of light.
Hidden under the shirt Nihara-san was wearing—was a pink leotard.
A leotard design that covered both arms tightly.
The skirt part around the thighs had been replaced with fluttering fabric… and that rubber material made her heavy chest stand out more than ever.
“Whoa…,” both Masa and I let out a strange sound.
“How is it? Does it look cool?”
“Cool…? Well, um, I guess so. Right, Masa?”
“Ah, yeah. It looks very se… I mean, it looks great! I think it looks great!!”
Perhaps Nihara-san truly thought this outfit was cool, like the battle armor in sentai shows. What a tokusatsu fanatic.
But, great? In Nihara-san’s case, it’s great in a different sense.
“…How long are you going to keep fooling around? Don’t mess with me, you boys.”
Yuuka spoke threateningly and slightly opened the curtain of the backstage area.
Terrified by Yuuka’s action, Masa hurriedly ran through the curtain and straight outside.
Nihara-san in her tight-fitting leotard followed suit.
Then—when only I was left, Yuuka turned to face me.
“…Idiot. Yuu-kun, you pervert.”
“I’m sorry.”
“…After we get home, you should prepare yourself, okay? I’ll attack and make your heart race… with s-sexy clothes.”
I couldn’t tell if she was angry or explaining a reward.
Anyway, Yuuka and I—stepped out of the backstage area together.
It was just as the clock struck 12. Nayu and Isami will surely be coming to our booth.
—I hope Yuuka can show Isami her efforts.
That was my heartfelt wish…
Though I’m not sure if this is a premonition or not—my chest is pounding uncontrollably.