Wish of an 18-Year-Old

"Good night, Miss Chiori." "Good night, Riu."
Eight years have passed since Riu Kujou came to Chiori Mikami's house. On this day, after she puts Chiori Mikami to sleep like usual, she returns to her room and reveals a hidden trace of exhaustion.
"Sigh, it really is time to make a new plan. After all, if this continues..." Riu Kujou sighs and opens the desk drawer where her biggest secret is hidden: a stack of test papers marked in red with the number 60.
"If this goes on, I'll fail because my grades are too terrible. Argh! I hate twelfth grade so much!!!"
Yes, this all-around maid has encountered a problem that she has trouble overcoming—her twelfth-grade studies.
To Riu Kujou, having excellent academic performance is a compulsory quality of an outstanding maid, and it's only natural for the maid of Chiori Mikami, the greatest lady in the world, to meet this standard. Riu Kujou has always aimed to meet this benchmark, so she was admitted to St. Tina's Girls' School with outstanding grades two years ago, and her grades have always been among the best.
But everything changed after she started twelfth grade. The academic pressure rose sharply, and failing several tests in a row has made her aware that she needs to invest more time and effort in her studies than in previous years. However, Miss Chiori has just started seventh grade and is also at an important stage of her life, so Riu Kujou must do her best to help her!
To strike a balance between placing greater emphasis on her academic goals and taking care of Miss Chiori, Riu Kujou decides to secretly reduce the time she has scheduled for sleeping.
However, the consequence of this is...
"Riu, it's your turn. Wait, did you just play a Dora?"
"Riu, didn't you just water that cactus yesterday?"
"Riu, why are you sleeping on the sofa? Something smells burnt in the kitchen."
"Riu... is this your test report card?"
"Ah! Miss Chiori, I promise I won't make this fatal mistake again!"
Chiori Mikami glances at Riu Kujou, who is blushing with shame, and then glances at the test paper marked with 59 and sighs.
"Forget it. Riu, come home sooner after school tomorrow. There's something important I want to talk to you about."
"Oh, umm, okay."
Riu Kujou, who has dark circles under her eyes, watches as Chiori Mikami digs out a carton of milk from the fridge, gets some bread and snacks, and stuffs everything into her handbag before leaving home in a hurry without looking back. She wants to say something but swallows her words and lowers her head in frustration.
Including today, this is the third time that Miss Chiori has left home by herself without telling Riu Kujou where she will be going or what she will be doing, and she thinks this is because she has performed poorly recently.
"I seem to have messed things up on both sides."
"I wonder what Miss Chiori wants to talk to me about tomorrow. I hope she won't be handing me a dismissal letter... I don't want Miss Chiori to come home with another maid!"
Riu Kujou is tormented by these thoughts for the entire day. When she returns home from school the next day and sees the dark and depressing atmosphere in the house upon entering it, she is already mentally prepared to be punished... but to her surprise, she is greeted by a party.
"Happy birthday, my daughter!"
"Riu, happy birthday, nyaa!"
"Happy birthday, woof!"
The lights turn on suddenly, and a number of familiar figures enter the room laughing joyfully as some party poppers are released.
"Dad? Mom? Even Ichihime, Mr. Wanjirou, and Ms. Kitami are here. What are you..."
"I received a lot of snacks from Chiori, nyaa, so I took care of something as simple as basic birthday party decorations, nyaa!"
"Sorry, we wanted to tell you in advance, but Miss Chiori wouldn't let us."
As everyone starts explaining things to her one by one, Riu Kujou finally understands everything. When she turns around with everyone around her, she sees Chiori Mikami walking towards her carefully with a huge cake in her hands.
"Happy 18th birthday. As my maid, how can you be so busy that you can forget your own birthday? Fortunately, I have such a good memory... A-Ahh! I'm losing my grip. I-It's going to fall!"
Miss Chiori has a good memory, but she isn't very strong, so never thought that she wouldn't be able to carry the huge cake she bought all the way over. Fortunately, Riu Kujou is well aware of Miss Chiori's strength. She rushes out first, catching the cake smoothly and gracefully while everyone is shouting in shock, which makes it possible for the thoughtfully planned birthday party to proceed without any other problems.
In the end, Riu Kujou was not fired in the year she turned 18. Instead, she received a new mission from Miss Chiori: "You must prioritize your studies and rest until you're free of the hell that is twelfth grade!"
"Yes, Miss Chiori!"
Extremely moved by this, Riu Kujou agrees as she starts sobbing. When it's time to blow out the candles on the cake, she sincerely makes her first wish as an 18-year-old.
"I want to always be with Miss Chiori in the future."