In Academy City, the Paradise Project begins.

Page 56

Higashino Yuu let out a long sigh, watching Kihara Awaki angrily disappear around the street corner. He took out his phone, his finger swiping through the contacts, finally stopping at the name "Kofumi Miwei".

"Hey, Meiwei? Is now a good time to talk about the giant spider?" Higashino Yu asked directly after the call connected.

Revenge should not be delayed overnight. Now that the work has been completed, Higashino plans to resolve the issue today.

The cautious voice of Kofumi Miwa came from the other end of the phone: "It's not convenient right now... I'm doing a part-time job..."

Higashino raised an eyebrow: "A part-time job? Do you have to work so hard? You've finished your job as a maid and you're still taking on a part-time job?"

Isn't that a bit too much? Are all the students in Academy City that hard-working?

"Um...it's just...a regular part-time job..." Kofumi's voice was clearly flustered, "How about we do it another day..."

Suddenly, a sweet voice came from the other end of the phone, "Welcome, Master~", followed by a flurry of static.

Higashino Yu's lips twitched. What kind of place would you hear that kind of sound at a part-time job? It seemed like only there: "Meiwei, you wouldn't be... "

Maid cafes? Who knew our charming maid had this kind of hobby?

Hmm, why not hire her as a personal maid at my house? After all, working at a coffee shop and working at my own house are pretty much the same – both are ways to make money.

Thinking about how the usually serious-looking Kofumi would shyly call him "master," Higashino felt a little tempted.

"No, it's not what you think!" Kofumi Miwa interrupted him hastily. "This is a legitimate investigation!"

"Oh?" Higashino Yu deliberately dragged out his words, "Then may I ask, Miss Investigator, which store are you 'investigating' at right now?"

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone before a voice barely audible came through: "...Secret Maid...Maid Cafe..."

You're so obedient; your efforts this morning weren't wasted.

Higashino Yu almost burst out laughing: "Send me the address, I'm coming over now."

"Wait! You can't..."

Before Kofumi could finish speaking, Higashino Yu hung up the phone. Less than three seconds later, his phone vibrated, and a location message arrived. He chuckled softly and headed towards his destination.

"jingle--"

The crisp sound of wind chimes rang out at the entrance of the maid café. Higashino Yu pushed open the door, and a chorus of cute girls called out, "Welcome back, Master~".

He stood at the door for three seconds, stunned. This was quite a novel experience. Although he had seen maid cafes while studying in Japan, he had never been too embarrassed to go alone.

After scanning the area, Higashino's gaze settled on a familiar figure in the corner.

Kofumi was dressed in a black and white maid outfit, with cat ears on her head and a tray in her hand. Most strikingly, the name tag on her chest clearly read "Milk".

Higashino walked over and looked her over carefully. He had to admit that she really suited the maid outfit, and the outfit accentuated her curves.

"M-Master..." Miwei, who was being watched by Higashino, was bursting with shame. It was so embarrassing to be seen in a maid outfit by someone she knew.

But when asked for her address, she inexplicably sent it. Now that she thinks about it, she really wants to go back in time and slap her past self.

"Hmm, the sound is too soft to hear."

"Owner!!"

Kofumi's voice suddenly rose eight octaves, and she nearly dropped the tray in her hands. Her face flushed red at a visible speed, even the tips of her ears turned crimson.

The maids nearby covered their mouths and chuckled. They realized the two probably knew each other, and might even be a couple. So they moved a little further away, giving them some space.

Higashino Yu suppressed a laugh and gave a serious snort: "Meiwei, is this what you call a 'part-time job'?"

Kofumi's lips trembled a few times, unsure of how to explain.

She suddenly turned and tried to run towards the staff break room. Higashino Yu quickly grabbed her wrist: "Let's go over there and have a proper talk."

"Not now!" Kofumi lowered her voice, her eyes darting around nervously. "I'm working!"

Just then, the store manager walked over, smiling, and said, "Milk Sauce, is this your friend?"

"Yes, yes, I specifically requested the 'milk' service today."

The shop did not have a specific option for maid service, but the shop manager did not object. Instead, he looked at Kofumi with a maternal smile.

She took a deep breath and turned around with a professional smile: "Master, please follow me~"

"Hmm, this time the shouting didn't feel as good; it was a bit formulaic. Looks like she's adjusted her mindset." Higashino, following behind Kofune Miki, silently commented.

She led Higashino Yu to a window seat and handed him the menu with practiced ease.

"What would you like to order, Master?" Gu Famei's voice was calm, but her eyes were somewhat unfocused.

She appeared calm on the surface, but inside she was panicking. She was really worried that Higashino would say something strange or make some kind of request again.

Higashino pretended to be browsing the menu attentively, but was actually secretly observing her outfit. The maid outfit's skirt was much shorter than her usual school uniform skirt, revealing her fair and toned thighs. Most striking were the fluffy cat ears on her head, which would twitch involuntarily as she spoke.

"I'll have a cappuccino, please." Higashino Yu closed the menu; he had just eaten a meal not long ago and wasn't hungry yet.

Kofumi nodded and quickly left as if fleeing.

Five minutes later, she returned with a tray and stiffly placed the food on the table one by one.

"Please enjoy your meal, Master~" she said, then turned to leave.

"Wait a minute." Higashino Yu called out to her, holding up the glass of milk. "Can you tell me what you're investigating? Maybe I can help."

Kofumi's shoulders slumped. She glanced around to make sure no one was watching before lowering her voice and saying, "I'm investigating. This store is suspected of selling illegal drugs to minors."

Higashino Yu raised an eyebrow: "So you... dressed up as a maid?"

"This is the most effective way to infiltrate!" Gu Fameiwei argued excitedly, her cat ears twitching. "And I've already obtained crucial evidence!"

As she spoke, she took out a cell phone from her apron pocket. After unlocking it, a photo appeared on the screen showing several girls in school uniforms receiving a small paper bag from a shop assistant.

"Impressive," Higashino Yu exclaimed sincerely, "but..."

His gaze fell on her chest.

Kofumi followed his gaze, her face flushing again: "This...this is for work!"

"Really? This code name 'milk' is surprisingly fitting."

Kofumi clenched her fists, and Higashino Yu could even hear her grinding her teeth.

"Oh, right," Higashino Yu suddenly remembered something, and pulled a small bottle from his pocket, "I just passed by a convenience store and saw the new limited edition Musashino milk, so..."

Kofumi's eyes lit up instantly, but she quickly regained her composure: "I... I'm working right now!"

"Alright." Higashino Yu pretended to put the bottle away. "Then I'll drink it myself..."

"Wait!" Gu Famei snatched the bottle and quickly stuffed it into her apron pocket. "Thanks, but I won't be polite!"

Higashino Yu finally couldn't help but laugh out loud. Just then, a commotion came from the back door of the coffee shop. Several men walked in, the one in the lead being the same clerk in the photo who had handed over the paper package.

"That's them!" Gu Famei's expression instantly turned serious. "They're here to pick up the goods today!"

She ripped off her cat-ear headband and pulled out a pair of handcuffs from under her skirt—yes, Higashino Yu was sure she wasn't mistaken.

Is the bottom of the skirt of the girls in Academy City some kind of four-dimensional pocket? If I remember correctly, Frenda often pulls out tools and bombs from under her skirt, right?

"Disciplinary Committee members, Kofumi Kotobuki! You're under arrest!"

What followed was completely unnecessary for Higashino. Wearing a maid outfit, Miki Kofune subdued the three burly men with astonishing skill, her movements clean and efficient.

Some customers in the store even applauded, showing no sign of the tension that would normally accompany the arrest of a criminal.

That makes sense, though. The beautiful girl dealt with the three burly men so easily and decisively that they didn't feel any sense of crisis.

By the time the security guards arrived, Miyuki Kofune had already completed all the arrest procedures. She walked back to Yuu Higashino, panting, her hair slightly disheveled, but her eyes were strikingly bright.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting." She straightened her skirt, a little embarrassed.

Higashino Yu shook his head and handed her a tissue: "No, it's rare to see you look so cute, Meiwei, and you were really cool subduing the criminal just now. I really hit the jackpot."

Kofumi was stunned: "Eh, ah... um, thank you."

She felt that her hard-won peace of mind had been disrupted again, and she regretted once more revealing her address.

"Now that the work is finished," Higashino Yu looked directly into her eyes, "I have something I'd like to discuss with you about the giant spider."

Kofumi's expression became complicated. She was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Okay, wait until I've changed my clothes."

Higashino Yu laughed: "I don't think you need to change. You look quite cute in this outfit. Kuroko and Uiharu would be very surprised if they saw you."

"Absolutely not!" Kofumi's face flushed crimson, her cat ears standing on end. "If you dare tell anyone, I'll... I'll..."

"How about what?" Higashino grinned mischievously, leaning closer. "Like a cat, bite me or scratch me with your paws?"

Kofumi glared at him angrily, then suddenly pulled the bottle of Musashino milk from her apron pocket and defiantly downed it in one gulp: "At least I'm not giving this bottle back to you!"

Higashino Yu couldn't help but laugh at her childish behavior.

Haru and Kuroko would never have guessed that this usually cool and collected maid would have such a cute side.

Let's take a group photo to commemorate this!

Higashino felt it would be a real shame not to record such a rare opportunity; he didn't know when he would see Kofunomi in a maid outfit again.

"Ah, wait a minute..."

Before he could finish speaking, Higashino had already wrapped his arms around her waist, his arm encircling her body, which was dressed in a maid outfit, and the sensation was exceptionally clear.

The milk bottle in his hand fell to the ground.

With a "click," the phone's front-facing camera faithfully captured Gu Fameiwei's wide-eyed surprise, her cheeks instantly flushed red, and her whole body stiffened, like a startled cat with its fur standing on end.

"Higashino Yuu—!"

Realizing what had happened, Kofumi Miwa burst out with a shout filled with shame and indignation, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

She abruptly lowered her head, freeing herself from the hand around her waist. Her hands clenched into fists, she glared angrily at Higashino: "Delete it now! Right now! This...this is no way a sandwiched maid should project this image!"

As she spoke, she reached out to grab the phone that Higashino was holding up, almost lunging at him. She was determined to take the phone and delete all the content that shouldn't be there.

But Higashino was prepared. He nimbly dodged to the side, quickly manipulated his fingers a few times, and wore a smug and mischievous smile.

It's already uploaded to the cloud, so deleting it from your phone won't change anything.

"No, no, this is a precious, exclusive limited-edition video of the 'Milk' maid. I have to treasure it." He shook his phone, the screen briefly lighting up to reveal a blurry but recognizable photo. "Consider it... a special reward for what I'm about to do? Or perhaps, a token of my admiration for the brave 'Sandwich Maid'?"

"You, you!" Gu Fameiwei stamped her feet in frustration. But she was helpless against him; she couldn't really beat him up, and besides, she might not even be able to win.

Seeing Higashino's obvious enjoyment of her embarrassment, she felt a surge of anger, anxiety, and helplessness, a rush of heat to her head. She stomped her foot, biting her lower lip to force out a few words: "...Shut up! You idiot Higashino!"

Seeing Kofumi's flushed face, both angry and ashamed, yet helpless against him, Higashino finally couldn't help but burst into laughter.

I'm such a wicked guy, teasing pretty girls is so much fun! What if I showed the photos to some of her acquaintances? Would that get me even more interesting CGs?

He could easily imagine that if Shirai Kuroko and Uiharu Kazari saw this scene, their jaws would probably drop to the ground.

And the socially awkward Miwa will probably fall into an Emo phase after losing all her dignity in front of the female students.

This unexpected bonus, which belonged only to him, made him feel that his trip to the maid café today was not only worth the price of admission, but also extremely worthwhile!

"Don't worry, this is just a private collection; I won't let Hatsuharu and the others see it."

Higashino put his phone away, satisfied.

"You'd better keep your word!" Gu Famei said through gritted teeth. "You go outside and wait for me. I'm going to change my clothes!" Then she turned and walked towards the changing room.

Watching her departing figure, Dongye shook his head with some regret, got up from his seat, and went to the front desk to pay the bill.

Wow, it's so much easier to write about flirting with pretty girls than fighting! But I really want to write something even more outrageous.

For example, what if later when he's with Junko Hokaze, he says, "Junko, you don't want your queen to do this or that, do you?" How about that kind of plot?

Chapter 72 The Motorbike Girl's Past

After paying the bill, Higashino Yu stood by the roadside outside the maid café waiting. However, half an hour passed.

"Do girls always take that long to change clothes?"

Could it be that they're deliberately stalling for time to retaliate against me for taking photos earlier?

Suddenly, the roar of an engine in the distance interrupted Higashino's thoughts, and a bright red heavy motorcycle came to a steady stop in front of him.

"boarding."

Kofumi Miwa had changed into a red leather jacket, and her slim-fit jeans accentuated her perfect leg lines. Her cool image was a stark contrast to her shy maid persona in the coffee shop. If it weren't for her glasses and familiar bra, Higashino would have suspected she'd just switched to a twin.

Higashino raised an eyebrow: "Actually, I think wearing a maid outfit is fine enough, there's no need to change clothes specifically, right? And..."

Of course, this outfit is also quite good. Compared to the delicate maid outfit, this one gives a more conquering feeling when you're 'riding' around. Each has its own advantages.