Ayuzawa Misaki—Seika High's fearsome "Demon President"—has a secret no one can ever know: she works part-time at a maid café to support her family. But when she stumbles upon a first-year student practicing hypnosis in the student council room, her carefully guarded double life begins to unravel.
Rumors of photos showing the president in a maid uniform spread through the school like wildfire. As Misaki scrambles to contain the damage, she discovers the hypnosis was no mere "practice"—and the on
Maid-Sama! If: The Hypnosis of an Unrequited Love - Pretending to be under the spell versus true weakness—the counterattack comes on Thursday after school.
Thursday morning.
The sky was still a heavy gray, as if dragging yesterday's rain along with it.
Ayuzawa Misaki left home thirty minutes earlier than usual. Last night, with that blank resignation letter in front of her, she hadn't slept a wink. The corners of her eyes were a little red. But her back was straight.
(Today, I settle this.)
She passed through the school gate.
Instantly, a muggy humidity and lukewarm wind clung to her skin.
(What is this atmosphere...)
Misaki stopped in her tracks.
From every window of the school building, giggles and whispers leaked out. Laughter. Murmurs. Sweet, dreamy sighs.
It was the same as yesterday.
No—deeper than yesterday, wider than yesterday. *It* had seeped into every corner of the school.
"Master... good morning. Please take care of me again today."
At the end of the hallway, a girl held an invisible tray at chest height, smiling dreamily.
"I'm the President's maid starting today. So I'm going to serve her lots and lots."
Another girl was practicing bows over and over, facing the wall.
Misaki bit her lip.
(Kanou's spell is still...)
The girls in the school were being consumed by Kanou Soutarou's hypnosis.
And their numbers had clearly grown since yesterday.
"Whoa, they seriously all turned into maids! This is the best!"
"We can take all the photos we want! I'll upload today's batch too!"
Boys were aiming their smartphones, photographing the girls.
"Hey, stop it! I said no photos!"
Misaki barked.
But the boys, amused, showed no sign of lowering their phones.
"Huh~? Isn't that the President? This is all your fault, right? So the rumor about you spreading the photos was true after all."
"Good job, President! Thanks to you, school's actually fun now!"
(No. It wasn't me.)
She screamed it in her mind.
But it wouldn't become words.
Yesterday and the day before, she'd swallowed these words again and again.
Misaki glared sharply at the boys.
"...This isn't the time for that. You need to come back to your senses too."
That was all she said before walking on.
The boys' jeers stabbed into her back.
(Damn...)
Her legs felt heavy on the way to the classroom.
With every step she planted, something deep in her chest creaked and groaned.
(If I lose my nerve, it's over.)
(But...)
(I can't do this alone anymore...)
That was when it happened.
"President."
A soft voice came from behind her.
Misaki turned around.
There stood Yukimura Shouichirou.
A white headband. A frilled apron dress. A large ribbon.
He was in a perfect maid outfit.
"Yukimura... you're still wearing that getup..."
Misaki was at a loss for words.
Yukimura swayed his soft chestnut hair and smiled quietly.
"President. I have something to talk to you about. Just for a little while—is that okay?"
Misaki quickly checked their surroundings.
It was early morning, and no one was in the hallway.
"...Yeah. That's fine."
Misaki led Yukimura to the back of the gymnasium, out of sight.
It was cool behind the gym.
Perhaps a remnant of yesterday's rain, the ground was slightly damp, and there was a smell of earth.
"So, what did you want to talk about?"
When Misaki asked, Yukimura took one deep breath.
Then he looked straight into Misaki's eyes.
"President. I've been pretending to be under the spell."
"...What?"
Misaki's eyes went wide.
For a moment, the meaning of his words didn't register.
"To be precise, at first I really was affected. But partway through, I kept wearing this outfit by my own will."
"W-why...? You hated it so much. You were running around crying."
Misaki was confused.
She knew better than anyone how much Yukimura hated dressing as a girl.
Again and again, Yukimura had cried out, "I'm a boy!"
"...Because Kanou-kun only smiles when he's with me."
Yukimura said it quietly.
His voice was surprisingly calm.
"Kanou-kun is afraid of women. But for some reason, he isn't afraid of me when I'm dressed like this. So when he's with me, it seems like he can relax, just a little."
Yukimura's eyes looked into the distance.
"I love that smile of his. So if Kanou-kun will smile for me, I don't really mind dressing like this."
(...Yukimura.)
Misaki felt something warm spread deep in her chest.
(This guy, he's that...)
Yukimura was timid, pure-hearted, the kind of guy who always hid behind someone else.
But the Yukimura standing before her now had the strongest eyes of anyone.
"Kanou-kun doesn't really want to hurt you, President. He's just afraid of women."
Yukimura took a step closer to Misaki.
"But you're different, President. Kanou-kun actually cares about you a lot. That's why he comes down so hard on you, and only you."
A thought crossed Misaki's mind.
(The reason Kanou's spell didn't work on me...)
(Could it be that he...)
"...Yukimura, are you serious?"
Misaki's voice trembled.
"Yes. I'm Kanou-kun's best friend, after all. I understand him better than anyone."
Yukimura said it clearly.
There was no lie in those words.
Misaki stared at Yukimura's face.
(This guy really cares about Kanou...)
(He's strong-willed.)
(Far more than I thought.)
Misaki let out a small breath.
"...I see. You're amazing, you know that?"
"Huh?"
Yukimura blinked in surprise.
"No, never mind. So is that all you wanted to tell me?"
When Misaki asked, Yukimura shook his head.
"No. There's more."
Yukimura looked into Misaki's eyes with a serious expression.
"Kanou-kun's spell breaks when the caster himself becomes emotionally shaken."
"What?"
"I heard Usui-kun said the same thing. When the caster loses emotional control, the spell can't be maintained and it breaks."
Misaki pictured Usui Takumi's face.
(He said the same thing...)
(So it really is true, then.)
"So I'm going to declare, in front of Kanou-kun, that I'm quitting the cross-dressing."
"What?"
"When I tell Kanou-kun I'm quitting, he'll definitely be shaken. In that opening, we break the spell."
"Wait a minute! Do you know what you're saying?! If you do that, Kanou will—"
"Kanou-kun will probably be angry. He might even hate me."
Yukimura said it quietly.
"But that's fine. I just can't stand watching Kanou-kun keep hurting you, President."
"Yukimura..."
Misaki's chest tightened.
(He's about to sacrifice the most precious thing he has.)
(Even if it might destroy his relationship with Kanou.)
(And still, he's trying to save me.)
"Are you really okay with this?"
Misaki asked again.
Yukimura smiled softly.
"It's something I want to do."
That smile—maybe because of the maid outfit—was genuinely cute, like a girl's.
But his eyes were stronger and more direct than anyone's.
"...Understood. I've received your resolve, loud and clear."
Misaki clapped Yukimura on the shoulder.
"But I won't let you carry this alone. We'll plan the operation together."
"Together?"
Yukimura tilted his head.
That was when it happened.
"Misaki-chaaaan!!!"
A voice like thunder rolled across the back of the gym.
Misaki and Yukimura turned toward the sound at the same time.
There was Shintani Hinata, sprinting toward them at full speed.
Sun-tanned skin. Big, round eyes. Bright brown short hair spiking up.
"Misaki-chan! Are you okay?! I've been looking for you since this morning!"
Hinata slammed on the brakes in front of Misaki.
"Hinata... what are you doing here?"
"What do you mean, to protect you! Today I'm helping too!"
Hinata clenched his fist and declared it passionately.
"I can't stand watching you fight alone anymore. I want to be your strength too, Misaki-chan."
Hinata's eyes were utterly serious.
(Hinata...)
Warmth spread gently through Misaki's chest.
"...Thanks, Hinata."
Just as Misaki said that—
"Huh. Looks like something interesting's going on."
A familiar, carefree voice.
Misaki turned to see Usui Takumi leaning against the wall.
Light brown hair. Strange eyes tinged with gold-green.
As always, a faint smile played at the corner of his mouth.
"Usui... you too?"
"I can't just ignore the President having a secret meeting with two guys behind the gym first thing in the morning."
"S-secret meeting...?! Don't say things that sound so scandalous!"
Misaki's face went red.
"Hey! That's rude to Misaki-chan! Besides, Misaki-chan and I were having a serious talk!"
Hinata snapped at Takumi.
"A serious talk, huh. Then let me join. It's about Kanou's hypnosis, right?"
Takumi stared at Misaki's face.
"...You looked into something again, didn't you?"
When Misaki asked, Takumi shrugged.
"Maybe. There was something bugging me."
Takumi pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket.
"Take a look at this."
Misaki took the paper from Takumi.
It was a copy of a student guidance record from Hoshika High School.
"This is...?"
Misaki scanned the record.
It listed the name of a male student and the disciplinary action taken.
*"Suspended for inappropriate conduct (sexual harassment) toward a female student."*
The name was—
"The Iron Fist faction's PE committee chairman...?!"
Misaki was speechless.
"Yep. That PE chairman who's been acting so high and mighty, trying to force the President to resign. He got suspended last year for harassing a female student."
"Why do you know about this...?"
"I'm the guy who knows the President's secret, after all. When you're in a pinch, helping out is just the decent thing to do."
Takumi said it like it was nothing.
"You said you had nothing to do with this! You even sent me a cold reply!"
Misaki was remembering Takumi's words from yesterday.
*"I'm not on your side."*
That cold reply.
"That was serious, in its own way. But I was also genuinely worried."
Takumi looked straight into Misaki's eyes.
"I'm worried about you. Otherwise I wouldn't have done all this digging."
(...This guy.)
Misaki's heart skipped a beat.
(Why is he saying this now...)
She couldn't look Takumi in the face.
"W-what are you saying, acting all smooth...! You're always like this, teasing people!"
Misaki's face went bright red as she looked away from Takumi.
"I'm not teasing. I'm actually pretty serious, you know?"
Takumi laughed, looking amused.
"Hey! Don't say weird things to Misaki-chan! I'm the one who protects Misaki-chan!"
Hinata wedged himself between Takumi and Misaki.
"Oh? What exactly can you protect her from? You just transferred here, didn't you?"
"Th-that's got nothing to do with it! I'm Misaki-chan's childhood friend! I know her better than anyone!"
"Oh, childhood friend. But I think I'm the one who understands the President's current predicament best."
"W-what's with that attitude...!"
Sparks flew between the two.
"Hold on! What are you two competing over?! This isn't the time for that!"
Misaki stepped between them.
"...So, Usui. What are you going to do with that record?"
When Misaki asked, Takumi's face turned serious.
"The real reason the Iron Fist PE chairman is trying to bring down the President is this. Self-preservation of power. To hide that he was suspended for harassment, he's trying to force the President out and seize control of the student council."
"Self-preservation of... power..."
"Yeah. He panicked when the President started enforcing the school rules strictly as student council president. He was afraid his past mistakes would be exposed."
Misaki chewed on Takumi's words.
(So that's it...)
(That PE chairman was afraid of me wielding justice.)
(Of having his dirty past exposed.)
"So, are you going to make that record public?"
When Misaki asked, Takumi shook his head.
"No. This is the final trump card. Breaking Kanou's spell comes first, right?"
"...Yeah. You're right."
Misaki nodded deeply.
"So, about the plan."
Takumi looked at Misaki and Yukimura.
"Yukimura declares in front of Kanou that he's quitting the cross-dressing. While Kanou is shaken, we break the spell. I heard that much just now."
"You we
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