Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e - Volume 18 - Chapter 5.5

5.5

The maid café was on the road to success. However, the fact that Ryūen made his movements known at an early stage may have backfired on him, and there were no other classes other than Ryūen's class that followed suit, effectively attracting customers. This in itself was a welcome development, but a problem that had not occurred during the rehearsal arose.

The problem was that there were too many customers due to the confrontational attitude that had been adopted between Class B and C.

The classroom seats were filled to the limit, and cramming in more would only make it more suffocating. The only solution was to make the visitors wait in line, but maid cafes don’t have a fast turnover to begin with.

It was essential that students dressed as maids also enjoyed conversing with the adults. Usually, in such a situation, we would consider handing out numbered tickets and asking people to come back later. However, in a cultural festival, this was not a good idea. What would a customer with 3,000 points left in his/her pocket do if he/she received a numbered ticket and was asked to come back in an hour? Some customers would do so dutifully, but most would drop their money at another place during the waiting time.

The next thing you know, you've spit out almost 3,000 points, and you have no more money to drop at the maid cafe, so you leave without stopping by. This is a development that happens in the real world. That was why we wanted customers who had lined up once to keep lining up until they entered the store and spent their money. And if possible, we even wanted to absorb the points they plan to spend elsewhere.

“That's not good. Customers are starting to leave the line.”

The prospect of taking a risk and getting a big payoff was now a warning sign.

“Ayanokōji-kun, can I get out of customer service for a while? I have an idea.”

Kushida called out to me as I was about to walk to the end of the line.

She must have been curious to see what was going on and came to check on the situation.

“What are you going to do?”

“The waiting customers are just bored, and they're showing a strong interest in the maid café. But they're probably hungry, too, and it's too much to ask them to leave.”

“I guess so.”

Since it was also right around lunchtime, it was obvious from the adults now in the classroom that many of them were there for food and drinks. Kushida picked up one of the bags filled with homemade cookies that she had been selling, prepared for souvenirs and started walking down the hallway with it.

Then, with a smile, she called out to the now bored customers.

“Sorry to keep you waiting”

She then pulled a cookie out of the bag and started handing them out to the waiting crowd. She may be aiming to fill their bellies just a little, but there was more to it than that.

Once they receive something in return, they may feel guilty about leaving the place.

If Kushida were to leave her current post, it would not be difficult for someone to run away from the line with some guilt on their back, but she stayed and continued to talk to them with a smile on her face.

After receiving the cookies, it was no longer easy to leave the line, even though they were impatient.

There were some disadvantages to Kushida leaving the hall, but the customers who had already taken their seats were certain to spend some money. For now, it was more important to bring the money-generating presence beyond that point.

She could see what was going on in the restaurant better than anyone else, and she also knew how to make the most of herself. What could she do to get as many people on her side as possible?

She knew how to get close to adults of the opposite sex, engaged them in conversation that made them feel good, and sometimes even held their hand or did other skinship with them. They showed not the slightest resistance or aversion to this behavior. The other girls had been working hard all day, but Kushida was the only one who had managed to do all of these things perfectly.

Even when she was accounting at times, she made as few mistakes as possible, even when she stumbled over a calculation. This was truly a gift, as she had never participated in any real-life practice sessions.

“Kushida-san's abilities are quite something. This is her element, I guess.” Yōsuke nodded his head in respect as he looked at her workmanship. “It seems that Kushida-san and Horikita-san, who have been facing strong headwinds, will also have some tailwinds.”

They've done such a good job, I had to admit that to some extent.

“People are creatures that resent easily, but on the other hand, they are also creatures that admit easily. Especially when you are young, evaluations are like the two sides of a coin. From the front to the back, and now back to the front again. But the more you're pushed around, the more you'll feel like a tired presence.”

“Still, I'm fine with it, as long as Kushida-san is able to fight alongside everyone in the class.”

“I'm really impressed by what I'm seeing.”

“I think it's a cumulative process. During the preparations for the festival, Kushida-san visited Horikita-san's room late at night several times. I think they were practicing.”

So, in addition to her own talent, she was practicing well behind the scenes.

If Yōsuke's reading of Kushida's life was correct, it was a reminder of Kushida's greatness. It would also confirm Horikita's confidence that Kushida was in good hands. We then went back to the waiting room and spent about 30 minutes pulling the camera around.

“Um, Ayanokōji-kun, where is Kushida-san?”

Mii-chan came out of the room, looking busy.

“Kushida?”

“There's a customer who wants to take a picture with Kushida-san, but I can't find her.”

Kushida-san, who was supposed to be organizing the line, had disappeared? Yōsuke and I immediately looked down the hallway, and sure enough, Kushida was out of sight.

“Excuse me, have you seen a girl standing in line here?” Yōsuke called out to the guests in line.

“Oh, you mean the girl who was handing out cookies? It looks like she was approached by a girl from the same school and followed her about five minutes ago.”

“What was she like?”

I asked about the person who approached her, as if interrupting a conversation.

“Um, a girl with her hair tied up in two knots.”

Yōsuke didn't seem to have a clue, but I had a strong idea.

“I'm sorry, but I need you to take care of the store for a bit and direct them to another maid the way Kushida did.”

This was the kind of trouble no one expected. That's why I knew immediately that it was a problem I had to deal with.