I had one goal: lay low.
No more missions. No more nonsense. Just one peaceful day.
Naturally, the system had other plans.
[Host! Emergency mission generated due to prolonged inactivity! System requires dramatic engagement for balance!]
"I just want to eat ramen in peace!" I shouted at my phone.
[Mission: Work One Shift at the Neko Neko Maid Café!] Reward: +3 Charisma, Accessory Voucher, Limited-Time Gacha Pull x1 Penalty: Random teleportation to 'Worst Location']
I blinked. "Wait, the punishment is teleportation?!"
[Clarification: Teleportation to a random embarrassing location in the world, fully live-streamed.]
My stomach dropped. "Fiiine, I'll do it."
That's how I ended up at the campus's most infamous cosplay café.
"Nyaa~! Welcome home, Master Ethan~!"
I nearly passed out on the spot. Five girls in frilly cat-themed maid outfits greeted me with synchronized bows. Each of them looked like they'd stepped straight out of a fantasy anime.
One of them—tiny, red-haired, and way too energetic—shoved a pair of cat ears onto my head.
"You're on duty now, nya! Put on your uniform!"
I opened the staff locker and my soul screamed.
A black frilly maid outfit. With thigh-high stockings. And a collar.
[Bonus Mission: Wear it proudly and purr at a customer.]
"Kill me."
I walked into the café with the grace of a dying ostrich. Every table stared. Phones went up.
"OH MY GOD IT'S ETHAN!" someone shouted. "Is he cosplaying for a bet?!"
I forced a smile, cheeks on fire. "W-welcome, Master…"
The room erupted into cheers.
My first table was none other than Luna.
"You?" she said, lifting an eyebrow. "This day just keeps giving."
"Would you like a special maid dance, Master?" I deadpanned.
"Yes," she said immediately, phone ready.
I gave her the saddest twirl in existence. She filmed every second.
[Mission Progress: 65%]
Then came disaster.
"Ethan?!" a cold voice rang out.
I turned slowly. There stood Isabella, arms crossed, looking like she was about to unalive me with her glare.
"You work here? In that outfit?"
"It's not what it looks like!"
She pulled out her phone. "It looks like blackmail material."
Just when I thought things couldn't get worse, the manager called out, "We need a special performance for our VIP table! Ethan, you're up!"
Before I could protest, the other maids shoved me into the center stage, tied a pink ribbon around my waist, and handed me a microphone.
"Nyaa~ sing, sing!" they cheered.
I sang.
I danced.
I meowed.
[Mission Complete!]
[+3 Charisma Acquired! Accessory Voucher Unlocked! Gacha Pull x1 Added! Bonus: Fan Club Formed]
The worst part?
I saw myself trending online.
#MaidEthan was the number one tag.
Later that night, I curled up in my bed with my dignity shattered into sparkly pink pieces.
Luna texted me a picture of me in cat ears with the caption: "New profile pic."
I buried my face in my pillow and screamed.
The system chimed one last time before I passed out:
[Good job, Host! You are now 15% closer to unlocking your Harem Route! Sleep tight! ❤️]
I hated everything.