"Yo! Isn't this Ayaka? What's the rush?" Shu Daisuke seemed to recognize the girl, greeting her with concern.
"Nothing… Brother Shu," the girl replied, blushing as she shook her head quietly. Tetsuya couldn't help but look at her a bit longer; he was indeed surprised to see someone like her here.
Shu Daisuke intentionally glanced back at Kazuya and Hitoshi, and Tetsuya followed his gaze, noticing that both of them were also staring at the girl in a daze.
After saying goodbye to Ayaka, the group continued on their way. They encountered several more beautiful princesses in the corridor, each one exquisitely made up, dressed simply, and possessing alluring figures, yet each exuded a different charm. Without exception, upon seeing the four of them, the women stopped at a distance in the corridor, smiling and expressing their respect and submission.
Tetsuya noticed that the venue was quite large, but the number of rooms seemed limited. After turning a corner and walking a bit further, a door suddenly swung open not far ahead, and a tall, burly man stepped out, his cropped hair complementing his all-black outfit, giving off an air of competence.
Tetsuya felt the hand Shu Daisuke had around his shoulder tremble slightly, and the grip tightened a bit.
"Whoa? Mr. Shu?" The man turned his head and saw Shu Daisuke, and his expression shifted rapidly from surprise to a broad smile.
"…Haha… Mr. Kota… what a coincidence!... Good to see you!" Shu Daisuke replied, also sporting a big smile as he released Tetsuya and enthusiastically reached out to shake hands with the man. Tetsuya turned to look at the man; he seemed to be about the same age as Shu Daisuke but was noticeably taller and more muscular.
"Haha… likewise. Are you here to have some fun?" Mr. Kota glanced at the others and asked with a grin.
If it weren't for the alcohol lingering on their faces, Tetsuya and his companions indeed looked like they were here to work.
"Yeah, just finished eating downstairs and came up to relax… What about you? Have you eaten?"
"Yeah, I was with a few friends and came early. Who are these people?" he asked, looking at Tetsuya and the others.
"Oh, they're all from our company, the tech department; you probably haven't met them," Shu Daisuke replied, then turned to his companions and continued, "Guys, this is Mr. Kota from Cloudlight Technology…"
"Oh… Mr. Kota… hello," Tetsuya said. Although he had never met this Mr. Kota before, he was quite familiar with Cloudlight Technology. After all, they were currently the biggest competitor of their own company, both focusing on internet cloud computing services and having very similar product lines.
"The tech department? …So… this young man…" Kota's eyes were constantly evaluating Tetsuya. "Could it be the so-called 'Child Emperor' Tetsuya?" Kota's gaze remained fixed on Tetsuya.
"You flatter me; that's just something people call me… I'm Tetsuya," Tetsuya replied, somewhat surprised and awkwardly deflecting. At the company, he was always just called "Tetsuya," so he was taken aback to hear it transform into "Child Emperor" in Kota's speech.
"Oh! It's truly better to see the person than to hear about them; Mr. Tetsuya really does have the bearing of a Child Emperor! No wonder your skills are impressive, almost as if assisted by the gods, hahaha…" Kota shook Tetsuya's hand vigorously.
"…" Tetsuya could only respond with a silly smile, feeling quite embarrassed.
"Which private room did Mr. Shu book? I have something to attend to; when I return, I must join you all for a drink!"
"Oh… we're right up ahead, Room Seven…" Shu Daisuke replied.
"Great! Got it, see you later." Kota waved goodbye to the four and walked away in the direction they had come.
After parting ways with Kota, the four were led to Room Seven. Just as Tetsuya suspected, the room was indeed quite large.
Under the dreamlike, shimmering lights, the walls were decorated with a starry array of colorful stained glass; a long corner sofa could comfortably seat over a dozen people, with several large glass coffee tables arranged on the carpet in front, neatly laid out with drinks and an enormous fruit platter. Near the door, there was a hexagonal area featuring a towering steel pole standing in the center.
However, what left Tetsuya most stunned upon entering this venue for the first time was a young girl kneeling in the center of the room. She wore a black and white maid outfit, a collar of white lace around her neck, and a white rounded maid headpiece on her head; two long pigtails hung over her shoulders. Under her straight bangs, a pair of large, starry eyes sparkled as she smiled invitingly at the four, presenting a quintessential loli maid appearance.
"Welcome, big brothers! I am your maid for tonight—Mami. I hope you all… have a great time…" she said in a sweet, youthful voice, and then performed a kneeling bow toward the four.
Kazuya pushed past the others, rushing forward to help the girl to her feet, then turned to the still-stunned Tetsuya and the others with a grin, "What are you waiting for? Come take a seat, big brothers…"
Tetsuya stifled a laugh, thinking that even with a stick, he couldn't drive Kazuya away now.