Vol. 1 Chapter 1: Farewell, my idol. I’m a new man.

Translated and Edited by: ynlucca.

Common Honorifics:
-san: A polite suffix, but not excessively formal.
-kun: A common suffix among friends and younger people.
-chan: A common suffix among people you’re close with, mostly used for feminine nicknames and girls, since it’s cutesy and childlike.
-senpai: A common suffix and noun used to address or refer to one’s older or more senior colleagues in a school, workplace, dojo, or sports club.

TL Note: I’m translating names as if they were western, meaning the first one you’ll see is the first name, and the other one is the last. I’m doing that for intuitive reading, but forgive me for any mistakes. I’m just another humble MTL translator.

Enjoy~!

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“Ahaha! You’re just like a slave, aren’t you Yuta? You’re not fun to talk to at all!”

I saw her cramped smile, the kind you do when making fun of someone. Now, the question is, where the hell am I and who’s insulting me?

Thinking time, start… Guessed it yet?

The correct answer was, “being abused by an idol called Yui-chan at a maid café.” Did you get it right? Well, even if you did, there is no prize. In the first place, why do people pay to have a maid come up and insult them to oblivion?

A person with a perverted mind would do so in a heartbeat, but right now, all I could think about was the word she used against me.

“You’re just like a slave!”

Those words slipped into my mind like a ghost haunting a child. I felt its eerie fingers creep up on me from head to toe, and they consumed me from the inside out.

How am I seen by others? In hindsight, I was always looked down upon and mistreated by people around me. It’s always been the case in the past, it’s happening in the present, and it’d surely happen in the future.

The first girlfriend I’ve ever had cheated on me a year ago, leading to our breakup. I’m also the constant laughingstock of my junior. And as you can probably see by the ongoing scene, I’m being abused on a daily basis.

The world is colorful! — Some idiots out there say. To my eyes, the world is just a grey mess. I’m just a heap of burnable garbage, unloved and unneeded by anyone. Coincidentally, that garbage pile has a name, Yuta Miyamoto. A name given to me by my late parents, wishing I’d grow up to become a gentle child.

They, unfortunately, passed away in an accident, but I engraved their wish deep into the crevices of my heart. That’s why I always remembered to smile, never denied others, and tried to please any and everyone that walked into my life.

…I thought that was kindness, but I’m just tired of it.

How long do I have to be “kind”? Is it really necessary to affirm someone who disrespects me to the point it feels like I’m being stabbed? Yui, the idol maid, was right when she said I was “like a slave.” I’ve always accepted what others did to me, never getting angry or fighting back.

Now, however, I realize I’m a freak. I don’t want to be like this anymore.

From now on, I’ll only value people who value me. I’ll wear my heart on my sleeve. Even if this decision causes me pain, it’s miles better than just suffering in silence and putting up with anything.

“Hey, are you listening? You deaf or something?”

“Stop being loud, a*shole.”

“…Huh?”

As soon as I made up my mind, words I’ve only drowned before left my mouth almost effortlessly. I could see Yui, the maid of honor, widen her eyes in surprise at my words.

Her long, azure hair shook and her droopy eyes stared back at me. Her thin lips quivered, perhaps due to the shock of being shot back by a pushover, and her perfect face was now contorted.

Yui is a popular cast member here.
She wore a white and pink maid uniform as naturally as can be, and her smile was as bright as the high-noon sun. Many of the customers here were attracted by her. I was one of them.

…But that blinded fan was now dead.

She was kind when I first started to frequent this maid cafe, but sometime later she started verbally abusing me. I didn’t mind the harshness at first since I was just blindly worshiping an idol, but now I felt myself boiling with anger.

“I’m not fun to talk to? That’s because you don’t try to make the conversation interesting! I’m pretty sure you’re around my age, and I’m guessing your IQ is around room temperature. Actually, if you’re that bored talking to me, don’t worry. I won’t be coming back here. Thanks for everything, bye-bye.”

“Huh? Wait, I don’t get it, why are you so angry? You were all smiles before!”

“Keyword ‘were’… You’re right, I was just a slave, but not anymore. From now on, I’ll be free to live as I wish.”

I plopped the money on the table, packed my bags, and got into the elevator. That idiot just sat there speechless, with no idea of what was going on. Normally, I’d call one of the cast members, the maids, to settle the bill, but I left so much at the table I’m probably forgiven. I’ll just call it a tip and go on with my day.

“Hey, wait! Tell me what bothered you so much! I’ll apologize! Hey!”

I could hear her say something, but not clearly since the elevator walls blocked the sound. Most likely, she was cursing me for leaving so rudely. In hindsight, she always got grumpy when I tried to leave. She probably hated to lose one of her sources of money, and I wonder how much she actually got from me.

However, those barren days are over. From now on, I’ll spend money on myself. I’ll buy new clothes, get a cut, and start anew. Stepping out of the building, I see the twilight coating the city, announcing the approaching night. The sky had no clouds, and the setting sun was almost like my past self—dying.

What a wonderful view! It was always up in the sky, but I never noticed how beautiful it was since I always looked down. Taking a deep breath, I fill my lungs with fresh air. Every cell in my body was energized and full of vitality.

“I’m free.” When I mutter those two words, an inexpressible sense of liberty washed over me, and joy welled up from deep within my chest.

Tomorrow was the summer vacation of my sophomore year in high school. I couldn’t afford to waste a month of precious time. There are so many things I want to do! Why did I never think of them before?

For the first time, I noticed my world gradually gaining color. From this day forth, my life would only become more vivid. My steps were light, and I headed home feeling the happiest I’ve ever felt.

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