One of them, a man wearing sunglasses, stepped forward: "One cocktail, and a medium portion of your sweet smile."
The other, a blond man hooking his arm around the sunglasses guy's, smirked slightly in an American style and gave a thumbs-up: "Same for me, but I want a large portion of that smile."
"Got it, please wait a moment."
Kita Ikuyo poured two cocktails, flashed a bright smile, and handed them over ꉂ(ˊᗜˋ*)
"Here's your cocktail, and your medium smile."
The sunglasses guy took the cocktail and sighed: "Ah～ my heart is completely full."
(So gross ꒰꒪꒫꒪⌯꒱)
Blond guy: "So embarrassing. Can you not be so lame?"
Kita Ikuyo handed the other cocktail over with another bright smile (＾ワ＾): "Here's your cocktail, and your large smile, hey!"
The blond guy took it, took a calm sip, then: "Ah～ ah, my soul is so full it's… it's overflowing."
(You don't get to call him out on that.)
Ijichi Seika turned her head: "See? Did you learn?"
(I can't learn that!)
[It's not exactly like that. The main thing is the smile… it would…]
Ijichi Nijika: "Kusuo-kun, don't do that dead-fish-eye thing like Ryo sometimes does. Sometimes being expressionless is pretty scary and might frighten customers."
[I look perfectly approachable, okay?]
Ijichi Seika: "You sure you're not just face-paralyzed?"
[I'm not.]
Kita Ikuyo pinched her own cheeks: "Saiki-kun, look at me like this, like this."
[You don't have to demonstrate it right in my face. I'm not a kid.]
"It's okay, Saiki, just relax. Like this is fine."
Gotoh Hitori showed a forced squinty-eyed smile.
(/ "≡ _ ≡)=
[I least want comfort from you, Hitori.]
"Oh, a butler!"
"A cute guy came to work as a butler server?"
Saiki turned around. Two voices came from the drink counter as two gyaru walked up and looked at him.
The blond gyaru joked: "Since you're a butler, can you call me 'ojou-sama' when you hand me the drink? Doesn't that feel amazing?"
Ijichi Seika smiled at Saiki: "Of course you can."
(Deciding things again without asking.)
"So what would you like?"
The black-haired gyaru looked at the menu: "How about two brandies?"
"Sure thing. So, handsome little butler, two brandies please. And remember to add 'ojou-sama'!"
[Got it… please wait a moment.]
Saiki turned around and prepared two brandies.
Ijichi Nijika: "Kusuo-kun, remember to add a smile. Don't overdo it, but no dead-fish eyes. And 'ojou-sama'."
(I can hear you.)
Kita Ikuyo (σ≧︎▽︎≦︎)σ.: "Saiki-kun, like this, like this."
(This smile is way too sunny. Hard to copy.)
Gotoh Hitori (灬⁺д⁺灬): "Saiki, like this… like this."
(Stop showing me, I'm about to laugh…)
"Eh!"
(Yare yare daze. 'Ojou-sama,' huh? Fine, as long as it's not 'master,' I can accept it. A smile, right? A sincere one? Got it.)
Saiki shifted his gaze away from Gotoh Hitori, rubbed his stiff cheeks, and composed himself.
He handed the two brandies to the customers, casually adjusted his tie, and his eyes gradually shifted from dead-fish to carrying a gentle, melancholic emotion. The corners of his mouth curved into a faint smile.
[Ojou-sama, your brandies. Please enjoy slowly.]
(A gentle spring breeze.)
Superpower: Gentle Spring Breeze — One of Saiki's abilities. Mainly through the energy emitted from his gaze and smile, it makes him appear instantly approachable and full of affinity. Even enemies would feel good will at first sight. For people who don't already dislike or hate him, favorability shoots up to 70+ instantly, and perceived attractiveness doubles.
(Yare yare daze. This ability I developed from all those fake smiles I had to pull at tea parties and banquets with Grandpa is suddenly coming in handy here… hm… why is no one saying anything?)
"So handsome!"
"Especially his eyes. So gentle, with this mysterious, melancholic vibe."
[Um, ojou-sama, your brandies.]
Seeing the two frozen, Saiki picked up the brandies and waved them in front of the two young gyaru.
They subconsciously took them.
Everyone else was still immersed in Saiki's smile, unable to snap out of it.
Gotoh Hitori: "Is this Saiki?"
Kita Ikuyo: "Saiki-kun…"
Ijichi Nijika: "Kusuo-kun's smile is so captivating…"
"Oh! Click."
Yamada Ryo took out her phone and snapped a photo.
Ijichi Nijika: "You can't just take pictures of people like that!"
Yamada Ryo: "I'm setting it as my wallpaper."
Ijichi Nijika: "…Send it to me later."
"Okay."
"Me too."
...
Seeing everyone else flushed and staring at him, Saiki realized he couldn't keep this up. He retracted the smile and returned to normal.
Ahem, ahem.
Saiki coughed twice to bring everyone back.
"Handsome, can I add your contact info?"
The blond gyaru held out her phone to Saiki.
The black-haired gyaru beside her: "Ah, Xiao Qing, how can you do that? Weren't we supposed to stay single together?"
"I don't want to either, but he called me ojou-sama!"
The black-haired gyaru heard that and immediately pulled out her phone too: "He called me ojou-sama too, so I want it!"
"No way, I was first."
Suddenly a crowd of female customers appeared in front of the counter.
(This effect is way too much!)
"Handsome, add big sister's contact first, okay? Big sister's loaded."
"Little brother, you must like younger girls, right?"
"Handsome, can you smile again? Just one more time."
"You're so good-looking when you smile. Hmph, I've decided—I like you. Come home with me. 1000 yen a day, but you only smile for me."
"1000 yen to brush off beggars? I'll do 1050!"
"Handsome guy, you're really hot. Smile for me one more time, please?"
"Wait, you're a guy!"
"Hmph, so what if he's a guy? Love goes both ways. As long as there's love, nothing's a problem."
(That's a huge problem.)
From a distance, the sunglasses guy watched and couldn't help sighing: "Sigh, this kid… that smile is seriously heart-fluttering. Even at my peak I'd have to step aside."
Blond guy: "I'm kind of falling for him."
"Me too…"
Gotoh Hitori [Saiki's smile is terrifying. Even guys are falling for him. What if in the future…]
In Gotoh Hitori's mind appeared a scene:
Several handsome guys looking tenderly at Saiki: "If it's Saiki, then we could…"
(Could your ass!)
Saiki tore apart the scene in Gotoh Hitori's mind and chopped her on the head with a hand strike.
...
Ijichi Seika finally snapped out of it, pushed Saiki toward the kitchen, and turned back: "Sorry, this one's heading to the back to make desserts now. Kita and Bocchi-chan, you two handle the drink counter!"
Back in the familiar kitchen, Saiki opened the fridge and had just taken out the coffee jelly.
Ijichi Seika: "Nice try, kid. I told you to greet customers properly, not to seduce them. You're banned from the drink counter now."