I'm very surprised myself.
I had no idea that I liked maids so much.
"...Whenever he was with me, he wouldn't make eye contact with me, he seemed awkward, and he was always nervous, so I thought he didn't like me."
That's absolutely not the case.
In fact, it was the opposite. I liked him so much that I couldn't even look him in the eye, it was awkward, and I was nervous.
It seems that both Mei and I had mistakenly thought that the other "hated" us.
That's probably why it was so awkward for both of them.
"You like maid outfits..."
Saying this, Mei lightly picked up the hem of my skirt and spun me around.
Is she showing me the whole maid outfit?
The hem of her skirt fluttered out due to centrifugal force, but since it was usually long, reaching down to just below the knees, her delicate parts were hidden from view.
Some people may find it a little lacking in terms of exposure.
However, I really like maids with a calm atmosphere like this.
"Isn't it wonderful?"
"Yes. Classic maid uniforms are really nice. They're calming."
"--Exactly."
Mei nodded vigorously at my words.
His expression seemed somehow brighter than before. How should I put it... he seemed to be in a good mood.
"I don't mean to criticize the French-style maid uniforms that are sold as cosplay costumes, but... I think the good old classic maid is the best. A maid who doesn't assert herself, stays in the shadows, and serves her master wouldn't expose herself."
...I see. That's what it means.
Seeing Mei suddenly become very talkative, I immediately realized what was going on.
This person also likes maids just like me.
"You like maid uniforms, that's quite good taste."
"Ah, no... it's not just the clothes, but I also simply like it as a profession. They may not stand out, but they are the unsung heroes, and they are an indispensable presence. I think that's really wonderful."
I think I'm also projecting myself into it because I'm not the flashy type myself.
I really sympathize with and feel a sense of affinity with people who are helping out behind the scenes.
That's why I think he finds maids so attractive.
It's true that I like maid uniforms, but if that's all I said it would simply seem like a sexual fetish, so I didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea, so I corrected it and said, "I like maids in general."
In response to that, Mei-san said――
"S-Stop it? Maybe you're trying to flirt with me... I'm in trouble when you make such affectionate remarks."
--I was embarrassed.
No, of course I wasn't trying to flirt with her, but she seemed happy so I didn't deny it and just kept quiet.
Mei-san is an adult woman, so I'm sure she was only joking. I feel a bit hesitant to point this out, as it would seem to spoil her joy.
"I'm ten years older than you, so don't tease me."
"Ten years old?!"
But I'm sorry.
I couldn't help but react to the question about his age.
"So that means...Mei-san is 27 years old?!"
"Really? I'm turning 28 this year. I'm a lot older than you, so don't tease me."
"I-I'm not trying to tease you...!"
As I've said many times before, Mei-san only looks like she's in the upper grades of elementary school. At the very most, she's in the first year of junior high school. Even though she's an adult, I thought she was in her early twenties... Of course, 28 isn't a bad thing, but she was a lot older than I expected, so I was surprised.
That's amazing. She's 28 this year, so that means she's not even 10 years older than me... To be precise, she's 11 years older than me.