"I've been waiting for you, Owner. Or perhaps, you are here as a customer now? In that case, I shall call you 'Young Lady'."
As I sat down in the seat I was guided to, a voice with a high-pitched tone, yet soft, reached my ears.
Looking up, a slender, handsome man was walking towards me.
I couldn't help but stare.
Sharp eyes, well-defined features.
A dark blue, short haircut, and tall stature.
He radiated a dazzling aura.
And his attire was a perfect male outfit: a white shirt, black vest, and slacks.
He was so handsome, he could easily pass for a prince.
In other words, he was incredibly cool.
"Oh, then I guess I'll let you call me Young Lady~"
"Fufu, certainly. Welcome back, Young Lady Mika."
Even with the usual lines, when delivered by such a handsome man with a gentle smile, they carry a different impact.
He looked so natural.
Speaking of which, Mom is the owner of this place.
Isn't it 90% her hobby?
But...
"Actually, one of the shops Mom is involved with is holding an event to celebrate its 5th anniversary. I'm planning to help out from the afternoon part..."
Mom had said that.
Men's cosplay cafes must have quite a demand from women.
While maid cafes are the standard in light novels and eroge, these men's cosplay cafes are also nice!
Casually glancing at the name tag on the handsome man's uniform, I saw the character '星' (Hoshi).
So, his name is Hoshi-san?
Even his name is cool.
"And... are those three over there the helpers for the afternoon?"
Saying that, Hoshi-san looked at us intently.
If it were Naoko-chan or Kyoko-san, I wouldn't mind being looked at closely... but looking at me wouldn't be interesting.
Especially since I'm in the villain role.
There's a possibility of being picked on...
And then... Hoshi-san's eyes met mine.
Eh, is he going to say something right away?
"Fufu, you're already dressed in male attire, aren't you? I'm glad you're putting in the effort. Let's work hard together."
"Eh...?"
Hoshi-san smiled, but I froze.
It's not really cross-dressing; I'm a guy to begin with, so this is just how I dress...
Ah, I see.
Hoshi-san has misunderstood.
He completely thinks I'm a girl cross-dressing.
Of course, a real guy wouldn't want to work part-time at a men's cosplay cafe.
Should I reveal that I'm a guy here?
Or should I continue to make sure I'm not found out as a guy, even by Hoshi-san and the other staff... I was contemplating this when...
"Also... I never thought you'd be an acquaintance of the owner. I've wanted to talk to you for a while. Our university's Madonna."
Saying that, Hoshi-san's gaze shifted next to... Kyoko-san.
Then, Mom spoke.
"Oh, are you two acquainted?"
"Yes. We're from the same university. Ah, but... any more than this would be private information. Excuse me, Young Lady."
Hoshi-san placed his hand near his chest and bowed slightly.
Meanwhile, Kyoko-san's expression remained cool.
Oh, so Kyoko-san and Hoshi-san are from the same university.
They must both be the center of attention at university.
They probably have fan clubs.
Hoshi-san's last glance was at Naoko-chan...
"You... are very cute. Please, let me call you Princess."
"Eh, ah... Yes, please do."
Naoko-chan's cheeks blushed faintly as Hoshi-san smiled at her.
Hmm, he's handsome.
He looks good doing anything.
Still, what made Mom say I could be the poster boy?
It's impossible for me to stand out more than this perfect handsome guy.
"Fufu, as expected, Hoshi-kun. You're good with the ladies~"
"That's what's expected of us, isn't it?"
Hoshi-san replied smoothly.
No matter what he says, he's cool.
"Well then, let me properly introduce everyone~ This is Hoshi-kun. Ah, Hoshi-kun isn't his real name, you know? All the children who work at this shop have nicknames. I'll have the three of you think of one later too~"
Mom explained with a bright smile.
Oh, so this shop has a nickname system.
Well, using real names would involve privacy issues.
If Hoshi-san is this handsome, he'd probably attract passionate fans, and it wouldn't be good if he were identified.
After that, we received service as customers at the men's cosplay cafe.
First to arrive was the shop's recommended, melt-in-your-mouth omurice.
"Here you are, Young Ladies. This is our love-filled omurice. The secret ingredient, of course, is my love."
Just being served the dish by the handsome Hoshi-san with a wink would likely win over the female customers.
By the way, the omurice tasted incredibly delicious.
Then, casually looking at the back of the menu, I saw an options list...
"Ahn," head pats, "magic words to make it tastier," photo sessions, princess carries... various things were written.
Yeah, this is definitely something you'd spend money on, and I can see why it's popular with women.
And so, the experience ended in a flash.
◆◆
"Well then, we're going on break. I'll be counting on you three this afternoon."
Hoshi-san and the other staff members went on a slightly longer lunch break.
The afternoon service starts at 2 PM.
In the meantime, we have to memorize the manual Hoshi-san gave us, and think of nicknames...
"I'll give you your costumes~ You can change now if you like."
Mom handed us the costumes.
They weren't cosplay outfits, but simple waiter uniforms.
The same ones Hoshi-san and the others were wearing.
However, there's a demand for cute girls and beautiful women to wear these.
On the other hand, for guys... hmm, will I be okay?
There were two changing rooms, so I separated from the Nijou sisters.
"Mom, you stay with the two of them."
"Nooo~ Mom is Hare-kun's mom after all~~"
Mom, who somehow had a camera out, was sent to their room, of course.
And so... I was alone in the changing room.
"Still, since it's a men's cosplay cafe, all the staff have incredibly high facial aesthetics..."
I greeted the staff members, but everywhere I looked, there were handsome, beautiful people.
Since it's a men's cosplay cafe, it's natural to have such people, but the level is high.
And in this world, women tend to be cute or beautiful.
Is the base really an eroge?
Naoko-chan and Kyoko-san wouldn't have any problems fitting in with such a group of handsome male cosplayers.
In fact, they would stand out.
But I'm different.
I'm not handsome, I'm actually a guy, and most importantly, I'm in the villain role.
I don't know what might trigger a ruinous route...
Of course, I'll interact with customers sincerely, without any arrogant behavior, and the same goes for Hoshi-san and the other staff...
"Alright, let's do this..."
I took out the wax I brought.
Even if I'm not handsome, by grooming myself, I can at least achieve a clean appearance.
Applying the wax... I styled my hair slightly into a swept-back look.
And then, putting on the uniform... the reflection in the mirror showed a slightly more refreshing impression.
"Well, there's no way I'll stand out... but since it's a part-time job, I'll give it my all!"