I Became a Spirit in Date A Live and Refused to Date

"Oh! You think so too, Master? Our manager, Zhongsheng, designed them!"

Rokuyo lightly patted the table, her eyes shining with delight.

"So your manager designed them? He must have excellent taste."

Surprise crossed Lingmeng's face. Honestly, the maid uniforms here were exactly her style.

"Right? Manager Zhongsheng has taste, he's handsome, smart, and kind. He'd make a wonderful husband!"

Qianzui spoke with a smile. Beside her, Bai Wuling, Liuxing, Su Ming... (a thousand words omitted) all nodded in agreement.

"From the way you talk about him, this Zhongsheng sounds like a great guy."

Lingmeng leaned back in her chair, then suddenly gave them a teasing look.

"Hey, if you were looking for a boyfriend, would you pick Zhongsheng?"

"No!" ×N

The maids rejected the idea without hesitation, their answers so perfectly in sync they might have been soldiers.

Lingmeng was stunned by their unanimous response.

"Huh? Why? Didn't you just say he was a great guy?"

(Zhongsheng, baffled: "Yeah! Why?")

Rokuyo put a finger to her lips as she thought, then answered.

"Well, Manager Zhongsheng is great and all, but he's not my type."

"Exactly. A big part of why I like him is that he pays me."

"If we're talking boyfriends, I prefer gentle boys. Manager Zhongsheng is more of a go-getter."

"Mm-hmm. He should know how to cook and do chores, manage a household, and be considerate."

"I think the coolest kind of person is someone who reaches out to anyone in trouble, no matter who they are."

"I agree!"

"Me too!"

Bai Wuling, Qianzui, Liuxing, Qianxin... (a thousand words omitted) all shared their thoughts.

"Haha, that sounds nice, but what idiot would sacrifice everything for someone else in real life?"

Lingmeng waved a hand and chuckled. But the next second, she remembered someone who actually met every one of those requirements.

Wait, seriously? People actually like guys like Shido? And not just one person—a whole crowd of them?!

Lingmeng glanced at Shiori behind her with a pained expression. The world felt as though it were about to end.

After all, the odds of a whole group of beautiful girls falling for a guy like Shido had to be lower than every Spirit appearing in the same place at once!

"Huh? Lingmeng, why do you keep looking at me? Is there something on my face?"

Shiori had no idea he was apparently the maids' ideal man. Under Lingmeng's resentful gaze, he scratched his head awkwardly.

"It's nothing. I'm just a little jealous of someone's luck with women."

"Huh?"

Shiori didn't understand what Lingmeng meant.

Why is Shido's personality so popular here? No way. I've got to mess with him!

Having made up her mind, Lingmeng looked up and asked,

"Hey, do you have a spare maid outfit?"

"A maid outfit? We do, but why do you ask, Master?"

Rokuyo looked at Lingmeng in surprise.

"Oh, no reason. Could you bring it out and lend it to me for a bit?"

"All right. Just this once."

Rokuyo agreed to Lingmeng's request, then turned and left.

"Lingmeng, what do you want a maid outfit for?"

Shiori looked baffled by Lingmeng's behavior. But he soon realized how serious the situation was.

His eyes widened, and he hurriedly turned to Lingmeng.

"Wait, Lingmeng! You didn't ask Rokuyo to bring out a maid outfit because you want to..."

"Yep. Exactly what you're thinking."

Lingmeng narrowed her eyes and smiled like a little devil.

"No! I absolutely refuse to wear a maid outfit!"

Rokuyo had returned with the outfit and handed it to Lingmeng.

At the sight of it in Lingmeng's hands, Shiori slammed the table and spoke with absolute conviction.

"Oh, don't turn it down so quickly."

Lingmeng had regretted not getting Shiori into a maid outfit at the clothing store earlier.

Now she had the perfect chance to tease him and feast her eyes. She wasn't about to let it go.

"Easy for you to say. You're not the one wearing it."

"That doesn't mean you can't wear it, Shiori. You're so cute, you'd look great in it."

"Would I really...?" Shiori asked doubtfully.

"Of course!" As she spoke, Lingmeng shot a look at the people behind her.

Rokuyo and the others immediately caught on and chimed in.

"That's right! You're so cute, Master. It would definitely suit you!"

"Mm-hmm! Put it on and let us see!"

Despite all their compliments, Shiori showed no sign of giving in. Being told that he, a man, would look good in a maid outfit was just too embarrassing.

Wow. Not even a reaction?

Seeing that, Lingmeng decided to use her tried-and-true method. That was—

"Shiori, if you look adorable in it, my affection for you will definitely shoot up."

"!!!"

Shiori's eyes widened at her words. The trick had worked on him every time, and he was already wavering.

"O-okay... I'll wear it. Happy?"

After a long internal struggle, Shiori decided to cast his dignity aside for the sake of his mission.

"Give it here." He took the maid outfit from Lingmeng and asked, "Where's the changing room?"

"...Oh, it's over there."

Rokuyo froze for a moment, then pointed behind her.

"Thanks..."

After thanking her, Shiori headed toward the changing room.

He knew that if he put it on, he would only go further down the path of dressing as a girl.

But this was all for the sake of winning Lingmeng over. No matter how reluctant he felt, he had to do it.

And so, with a click of the door, Shiori stepped into the changing room...

She'll Never Be Able to Get Married Now ### After several minutes of waiting, the changing-room door finally opened again.

"Um... I'm coming out..."

Shiori poked his head out, his face flushed with embarrassment.

He took a deep breath and slowly stepped out of the changing room.

He wore a black-and-white maid outfit with a red bow at the collar and a white apron tied around his waist. White stockings covered his long, slender legs.

The look gave Shiori a charm all his own and instantly caught Lingmeng's interest.

Wow, he's too cute! You're a boy, so why does it suit you better than it does some girls?!

Lingmeng stared at Shiori's outfit, momentarily stunned, while screaming inwardly.

"Why aren't you saying anything? I knew I looked weird in this..."

Shiori clutched his skirt uneasily, his expression falling.

He was a man, after all. Surely anyone who saw him in a maid outfit would think something was off.

Even Shiori himself had felt uncomfortable when he saw his reflection in the changing-room mirror.

"No, no, no! You don't look weird at all! You're incredibly cute!"

Lingmeng strode up to Shiori and put her hands on his shoulders, her face alight with excitement.

"Huh?" Shiori cried out in surprise.

Honestly, he had been sure Lingmeng wouldn't like how he looked. He had never expected the exact opposite. It had worked brilliantly.

"Wow, you're so pretty, Master. If we were boys, we'd definitely fall in love with you."

Rokuyo's mouth fell open in admiration. The other maids praised him too, leaving Shiori overwhelmed.

"Oh! Since you're already wearing a maid outfit, Shiori, could you call me Master?"

Lingmeng looked at Shiori eagerly. She was every bit as excited as she had been when Tohka called her "big brother" a few days ago.

"Um..." Shiori hesitated. Calling someone Master so affectionately in front of other people was mortifying.

But he had to win Lingmeng over, no matter how difficult it was! Shiori closed his eyes and spoke softly, squirming with embarrassment.

"M-Master..."

As soon as he said it, Shiori felt his dignity crack with an audible snap.

Click!

At the sudden sound, Shiori opened his eyes and saw what was happening.

At some point, Lingmeng had taken out her phone. She was photographing him with the dedication of a professional photographer.

"What a great expression. Come on, Shiori, give me a smile! (≧?≦*)"

Kneeling on one knee right in front of Shiori, Lingmeng had an angle that let her photograph beneath his skirt.

Though he was wearing safety shorts underneath.

"Lingmeng, what are you doing?!"

Shiori hurriedly covered his skirt and gave Lingmeng the same look he usually gave Origami when she acted like a creep toward him. What Lingmeng had just done felt far too familiar.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm taking photos to remember this!"

Lingmeng scrolled through the pictures she had just taken and answered without a hint of guilt. Shiori had looked too cute not to photograph.

"No! Lingmeng, delete them!"

Shiori shouted, his face burning. If Lingmeng posted photos of him dressed as a girl online, or if Kotori got hold of them, he would be finished.

If Lingmeng posted them online, there was a good chance someone Shido knew would see him dressed as a girl and get the wrong idea.

If Kotori got them, she would almost certainly use them as embarrassing leverage and release them as punishment whenever he failed his training.

Either way, Shido could end up socially ruined, branded a "cross-dressing obsessive" or a "cross-dressing pervert." He had to stop Lingmeng now.