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Kirumi Tojo could be many things. Though her title was that of the Ultimate Maid, she had been a cook, a tutor, a babysitter, an advisor, a performer, a politician, a socialite and anything else that her various masters had asked of her. She was a quick and diligent learner, a respectful and obedient servant, and skillful practitioner of each and every talent she cultivated. The one thing that Kirumi Tojo almost never was, was truly appreciated for her abilities.
“Kirumi, you don’t have to do that,” Akamatsu said, placing a hand on her shoulder and putting a halt to Kirumi sweeping the classroom. Kirumi had made a habit of cleaning the classroom, saving her classmates from having to go through the trouble, and Kaede Akamatsu had made a habit of trying to stop her.
“And I have said many times before that I do not mind performing such duties,” Kirumi told her. The amount of times that Kirumi had been made to repeat herself, repeat this sentiment in particular, was truly tiresome.
“At least let us help you,” Akamatsu said.
“There is no need.”
Kirumi was not often overly fond of her classmates, but neither was she overly annoyed by them either. There were those that she appreciated or enjoyed, those that she did not, and those that balanced irritatingly on the line. Akamatsu was of the latter category. While she was not an inherently bothersome presence, her insistence on doubting Kirumi’s skills and abilities could not be overlooked.
Her classmates didn’t understand that Kirumi took pride in her work. Cleaning, multitasking, these were the ways that she practiced her skill and she didn’t appreciate that they seemed so determined to place themselves as roadblocks on her path. Well, there were a few that did not attempt to stand in her way, fewer still that actually made use of her skills.
It was therefore a surprise when, not one of her classmates, but a guest attendee decided to come to her defense.
“Stop bothering her already.” Kimochi Ouma, apparent twin to Kokichi Ouma and frequent enough visitor to their classroom, spoke up on her behalf. He was sitting on his brother’s desk, watching them with the blank expression Kokichi sometimes wore. Kimochi seemed to wear it much more often, as it was either that or a too bright smile that seemed to be his standing expression. “She’s a maid, right? Let her be a maid.”
Akamatsu disliked this suggestion rather strongly, as she turned a heated look to their visitor. “This doesn’t concern you! This is a matter between classmates.”
Akamatsu was a class rep, as such she seemed to poke her head into other’s business often, but it seemed she didn’t like the same being done to her. It was interesting as Kirumi didn’t suspect any animosity between the two. Kimochi had made it rather obvious whom in the class he disliked or favored, after all.
Kimochi tilted his head, eyeing Akamatsu for a moment before speaking again. “If you’re trying to make her like you, you’re taking the wrong approach.”
“What?” A blush took over Akamatsu’s face. Kirumi wasn’t certain if it was because of the implication or because there was some truth to it. Not that it concerned her much. The fact was that Kimochi had completely taken Akamatsu’s attention and that allowed her to return to her cleaning. Kirumi did so without delay.
“You heard me,” Kimochi went on. “You think you’re being helpful but you’re really just being annoying. Her talent is being a maid, her doing this is the same as you playing piano.” Kirumi was surprised that he was so astute, though she supposed she shouldn’t be. As obnoxious as Kokichi Ouma always was, he was alarmingly intelligent and was one of the few that occasionally made use of her talents. It was not so surprising for that to be a shared trait between them.
“I… you don’t know that!” Akamatsu responded.
“I do,” Kimochi said confidently. “And you would too if you paid attention.”
Akamatsu made a frustrated sound as Kirumi moved further from her side to continue sweeping. “If we rely on Kirumi to do everything for us, we’ll just be using her!”
“So instead you won’t let her do anything, even what she chooses to do for herself?” Kimochi questioned. “Wow, what a good friend. Next time I try to impress my crush, I’ll be sure to ignore her free will and choices just like you!” The inflection was so much like Kokichi that she almost thought he had joined the conversation until she turned her head to see that the Supreme Leader was only watching his brother with a curious expression.
The rest of the class seemed to be watching similarly, which meant it would only be a few moments until they decided to involve themselves.
“Hey now!” Chabashira yelled. “A degenerate male like you has no right to speak to her that way.”
“A degenerate female like you doesn’t need to butt into my conversation,” he responded.
“Alright,” Kokichi said, jumping to his feet and clapping his hands together. “That’s enough of that.”
Kimochi shrugged, letting his eyes fall back to the book in his lap. “Whatever you say, Chichi.”
“What? Just like that?” Chabashira and Akamatsu both said in surprise.
“Of course,” Kokichi said. “My brother always listens to me. I’m his leader after all.”
Kirumi wasn’t sure if that was true, but the interference had allowed her to continue cleaning. As irritating as she sometimes found the Supreme Leader’s antics and lies, he was one of the few classmates that actually seemed to respect and request her skills, a sentiment that his brother shared with a lot less of his more bothersome tendencies.
It was for this reason that, when Kimochi requested tea and cake for the lunch hour, she had no problem agreeing. She left the classroom before the lunch hour to bake the requested treat, and returned to the classroom slightly after the lunch bell to insure that she would not have to deal with the rush of her classmates.
It was only Amami and Kimochi left in the room when she returned. Amami’s desk was crowded with nail polish and various tools for nail art, so she began placing the cakes and tea settings on the desk beside them. While she was still setting up, there was a knock on the door.
“Are you in here Kimochi?” Another Ouma sibling stuck his head through the doorway. Koharu Ouma, of the reserve course, was not someone that Kirumi had made the acquaintance of yet but she had been recruited to make lunch or sweets for him as well as their other brother.
“I’m here!” Kimochi called, smiling at him. “Ranran is doing my nails! Come see.”
Koharu had a rather indulgent look on his face as he entered, which turned into genuine interest as he observed Amami’s work.
“I’ll take my leave then,” Kirumi said once she’d finished pouring tea. She curtsied, intending to depart promptly, but was stopped by Kimochi’s quick plea.
“No, you should stay! You and Ruru would get along.”
The brother’s attention turned to her quickly, a calculating look on his face as he observed her. “Would we now?”
Kimochi nodded, oddly enthusiastic for how still he was keeping his hands. He seemed to have remarkable control over his own body. “She’s the Ultimate Maid, she can do anything!”
“An exaggeration,” she said immediately. “Though a mild one, I’ll admit.”
“She made our tea,” Kimochi said. “And helped bankrupt a company once.”
Koharu raised his eyebrow. “Those are vastly different skill sets,” he said.
Kirumi bowed her head humbly. “I pride myself on completing any task that is asked of me.”
Amami laughed. “She makes it sound easy, but I’ve seen her learn entirely new skills in a matter of days just to help our classmates with their requests.”
“It wouldn’t do to leave a request half done,” she said. “And such small things, however strange, still help me improve my skills.”
“Ah, it’s nice to see someone taking their talents more seriously,” Koharu said, helping himself to a cup of tea. “I’ve seen far too many at this school willing to simply coast on previous success rather than further hone any skill."
"I can assure you that such is not the case with me," she told him.
Koharu took a seat, eyes appraising her more thoroughly. "Though if you put so much effort into your talent, should I assume that also covers academics? While it's good to develop your talent, one must not forget the basic fundamentals after all."
“Of course,” Kirumi agreed. “I would be a very poor maid if my education was also lacking.”
Koharu took his cup of tea and sipped it, taking a moment to savor the flavor before giving a small satisfactory nod. "Well, your tea skills certainly speak well of your abilities and patience. Would you mind if I asked a few questions? I've never had a chance to speak with a maid before, especially one as well educated and connected as you. You must have quite some interesting things to tell."
“I don’t mind,” she told him. She took a seat across from him, finally deciding to help herself to the tea that she had served. Kimochi flashed her a smile and she wondered if this had been his plan all along, to force her to take a break, but in a much sneakier manner than Akamatsu had. She couldn’t be too upset when he had both utilized her skills and introduced her to an interested party, even if it was rather devious of him. “I have no problem speaking on my past deeds or qualifications, to some extent. I would have a difficult time advertising myself to potential employers if I could not do that much.”
Koharu flashed her a smile, to one less observant it would seem innocent to sweet. However, Kirumi had known many masters and could easily recognize the sharpness in the expression with something not quite kind, but not quite cruel in his eyes. "Why come to Hope's Peak? If you are already such a good maid with many connections I do struggle a bit to see what Hope's Peak could even supply you with at this point, especially as it takes you away from your actual clients."
“I will admit, I did struggle a bit with the decision to come here, but in the end my reason was simple.” Kirumi paused to take a sip of tea before continuing on. “The reputation of Hope’s Peak implies a certain amount of prestige among its attendees. It had been my hope that I would be able to meet like minded peers, rather needing any additional aid in my abilities. Though, of course, I do not believe myself above being able to benefit from any tutelage provided here.”
Koharu's smile grew at the answer, "It is true, the prestige of the title of being a Hope's Peak Alumni, let alone graduate, is incredibly high. Though personally I've found myself a bit disappointed that many of the other students lack that same prestigious flair I had expected. Though admittedly, it's not too often I get to enter into the Main Course building, so I can only speak for my experiences in the reserve course."
Rantaro laughed and Kirumi looked over to see that he had finished Kimochi’s nail and was watching their conversation rather avidly. “You never cease to amaze me, Kirumi. You’ve always got everything so planned out.”
“I suppose it is a consequence of my profession. One cannot spend so much time and effort keeping others in line without having to organize yourself.”
Kimochi surprised her by nodding. “That’s true. Even if it’s only in organizing the parts of yourself that fit around yourself or your duties, you can’t handle someone perfectly without placing yourself perfectly too.”
Kirumi stared at him a moment before remembering herself. “I must say, I never expected such a sentiment from you.”
Kimochi grinned, sharp and wide, saying nothing more. Instead, he reached over to grab a cup of tea for himself and Rantaro, careful of his nails as he did so.
“I will say, I do find myself surprised at the rather lax nature of certain other ultimates, but that only makes it all the more notable when I find those who take their talents or studies more seriously,” she said.
Koharu nods, "Really, I cannot understand how anyone could end up in the most prestigious and elite academy in the country if not the world, and simply just not care to use all it can offer them. Really, it's a bit disgraceful, but I suppose it is their right. How do you find the school as compared to your usual clients? The messes here must be quite unusual to deal with even for someone of your experience."
Kimochi passed her a plate and fork. She frowned at him, only to see him doing the same to his brother. He looked at her when he noticed her staring. “You can’t say that you worked so hard on this and you won’t even have any. That would ruin my tea party.”
“I’m starting to think this is what you planned all along, Kimochi,” Rantaro said.
“Is that what you’re starting to think of me, Ranran? What am I, some kind of kin to a Supreme Leader?”
Kirumi couldn’t help but chuckle slightly. She supposed it couldn’t hurt to indulge, as long as she was already taking a break. “More than the mess that they cause,” Kirumi began slowly, “I find myself rather bothered by their lack of willingness to allow me to deal with them. There is always someone that wishes to take tasks from me, or hinder my work, and it gets frustrating rather quickly.”
Koharu shakes his head a bit with a small tut "That sounds incredibly frustrating, I am quite glad my own classmates leave me to my own work most of the time. Why people insist on feeding their own desire to do a good deed over actually efficiently tackling a task I will never understand. Besides, I'm certain your classmates would likely do a lesser job then someone actually trained despite their efforts, which means you'd have to still do it anyways to get all they missed. Why take longer to do a task worse? Nonsensical is what it is."
“It’s because Kaede has a crush on her,” Kimochi said.
Rantaro laughed. “You don’t know that that’s true.
“I know,” Kimochi insisted.
Koharu sips his tea, "A crush doomed to failure it seems, born less of genuine interest and more just general attraction. Not too uncommon I suppose."
“I hesitate to agree with such a hasty assertion of Akamatsu’s attraction, but I suppose it cannot be helped that I would catch the attention of my peers on occasion,” Kirumi sighed.
"Hopefully it will fade in time, personally I prefer to just ignore my suitors unless they specifically bring it up to me. Then I politely turn them down saying I have no time for dating with all my studies." Koharu advised, taking a bite of cake.
Kirumi sighed. “I did have one employer that wished for me to engage in a romantic entanglement with them, but it was for a limited amount of time and for the purpose of helping them secure their inheritance, so I was willing enough to go along with it. I could not indulge anyone that wasn’t willing to let me stand on my own, however.”
Koharu nods, "Completely reasonable. I cannot stand those who simply let others carry them through life. Though I think we've gone quite off topic. How did you even become a maid? I doubt it's a job one just stumbles into casually."
Kirumi waved the question away. “That’s not such an interesting tale. My family needed the money and I took a housekeeping position with my mother. What served to distinguish me was when the person we were working for had a rather nasty accident and I was able to give them care before paramedics arrived. After that, they wanted to have me by their side as often as possible. I became the head maid, doing more and more odd jobs and tasks for them, until I became known for such things. Eventually, one of my coworkers offered me a rather large sum of money to work for another family instead, as they wanted to get closer to the head of the house. I accepted the money and moved on, and similar patterns continued until I was being personally sought after,”
Koharu nods, "Most impressive, I can see how you were scouted. Goes to show just how much the right person at the right time can do. Though I do wish my own part time jobs had such bountiful results."
“There’s something to be said for luck and timing, I agree, but I never would have gotten where I was now if not for all the work I put into learning new skills to please a wide range of Masters. If you are similarly skilled, it should only be a matter of time until you find yourself in a position to display such.” She leaned forward, eyeing him more closely as she continued. “I hope you do not mind if I ask after your own ambitions?”
Koharu grins sharper, the faux sweetness starting to fall away. "Indeed, it is one thing to have an opportunity, and another to actually be able to capitalize on it. Something I like to think I've become quite skilled at. I find my ambitions personally to have been solidified around politics.."
Kimochi seemed to murmur world domination, resulting in laughter from Rantaro, but Kirumi ignored them both.
“I’ve had quite a few positions in regards to politics. You would find yourself quite surprised at some of the things I have been asked to do, though I try not to divulge the private information of my clientele.”
"Oh of course, that is very sensitive information. I am certain you have been forced to sign quite a few documents forbidding you to speak of those unusual tasks."
“You are quite right,” Kirumi agreed. “I must say, it’s rather refreshing to find someone that takes their ambitions seriously while having a… milder temperament, I should say.”
Koharu nods, "Agreed, I have worked quite hard to get to where I am, and I have no intents to squander it. It is exhausting how many people do not put in any work beyond the smallest bit Hope's Peak requires. Why even go here at that point?"
“The school’s reputation can carry you far. That’s all some people need,” Rantaro said. “I’ve spoken to some people that, once they get in here, don’t even want to have anything to do with their talent anymore.”
Koharu wrinkles his nose, "An utter disgrace, they're in for a rude awakening, Hope's Peak can only take someone so far, and only if they're willing to grasp it."
“I have to say, it’s very interesting to see that you have such strong opinions,” Rantaro said. “Kokichi always acts like he’s just playing around, but with both you and Kimochi seeming to have such level heads, I find it hard to think that he’s as carefree as he seems.”
With a sudden serious look Koharu says "It is important to hold convictions, if you hold nothing to strive for what do you have to even live for? Some may be willing to coast, but I say if you find something you can do effortlessly, then put effort into it anyways. That is how change is made and progress is found."
That statement seemed to mark the end of the conversation, as it was right afterwards that the bell rang signally the end of lunch. “My, I believe this is the most time I’ve spent leisurely since enrolling.”
“That’s no good,” Kimochi said. “Even you should rest sometimes.”
“Perhaps.”
By the time Kirumi had finished cleaning up their tea party, Koharu had thoroughly questioned her on her skills and history and she felt as if there was one more person that might be able to appreciate her talent.