Chapter 53

Kobayashi and Maid Uniform is the fifty-third chapter of Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon.

Summary
Tohru makes a maid outfit for Kobayashi.

Plot
After Tohru folds the laundry, she notices Kobayashi looking for maid outfits online. Kobayashi says the outfits on the website are feast for the eyes but Tohru says she is a better feast for the eyes. Kobayashi starts staring at Tohru, making Tohru flustered, when Kobayashi finally sighs and points out Tohru's outfit.

She remembers buying one and showed it to her family but they said it didn't suit her. Her family hated it and so she decided to be a maid admirer instead.

Tohru gathers all her friends explaining the situation to create a maid outfit for Kobayashi. Tohru notices Elma in the crowd, knowing she didn't invite her, but Takiya did. Kobayashi apologizes for Tohru dragging them there, though they don't mind and Georgie expresses her willingness to help Kobayashi.

Tohru commences the drawing session and Elma finishes first, showing everyone her design, basing it on how Kobayashi behaves at work, a side Tohru doesn't see often. Elma says she implemented the stoicness and swiftness Kobayashi shows at work, though her outfit has daifuku everywhere because Tohru guesses Elma had it on her mind. Elma explains Kobayashi could swiftly refresh herself at work, but Tohru sends her to play with the children.

Takiya finishes his design, and Tohru is exited as he is a maid fan. Tohru likes the design but Kobayashi doesn't, saying it's too cute and wouldn't suit her, and Takiya apologizes as he didn't know she was going to wear it.

Fafnir becomes ashamed of his drawing, so Lucoa shows hers, which reveals a lot of skin, which makes Kobayashi feel naked.

Georgie is ready to show hers as Tohru gets her hopes up for a perfect maid outfit. Georgie's design is elegant but simple, which pleases Kobayashi. Georgie questions what a maid outfit is as they have evolved and changed with time and fashion but the person who wears them is always a maid, so wearing a maid outfit doesn't make you a maid, a maid wearing an outfit is what makes it a maid outfit.

Georgie explains that because she is a student, she can't always wear a maid outfit, but if she is a maid, the outfit doesn't matter, being a maid is in your heart, the spirit of service. Elma asks if Tohru hates all their designs, what she drew for Kobayashi, but the paper is blank. Tohru thought Kobayashi could wear her outfit, though she knew Kobayashi would say the outfit was too cute for her.

Kobayashi decides to wear Tohru's outfit as Tohru did bring everyone to see herself in one, though it won't fit. Tohru pulls out a scale to make Kobayashi's outfit, as hers is also made of one scale. Kobayashi notices the scale is very warm, as Tohru explains it has temperature control and Kobayashi puts on the outfit.

Everyone agrees the outfit looks good on her and take a group photo together and later everyone leaves. Kobayashi asks if the outfit really did suit her, wanting to know the truth, but Tohru doesn't have a very good sense of human fashion which is why she asked for help even though Kobayashi wore her "fake" outfit.

Kobayashi realised something that day, that someone who's not a maid can't become one even if they wear maid clothes, it will be just cosplay. Wearing Tohru's scales didn't turn her into Tohru so she realizes she always wanted to wear those kinds of clothes. She used to think cute clothes didn't suit her so she only wore tomboyish clothes. She worried about whether things suited her, but if she wanted to become a maid, she could've done so. Then she realized she wanted to cosplay, but since she never wore anything cute, she became interested in the theory behind it and turned into a maid otaku.

Since Tohru is a maid, that makes her clothes a real maid outfit and Tohru says Kobayashi is very good with her words, even though they're harsh. Kobayashi knows that as she wouldn't have talked to Tohru like that when they first met and hopes Tohru will keep working in the house, though Tohru corrects her by calling herself maid. It later shows Fafnir's drawing, which was in a magical girl style.

Characters

 * Kobayashi
 * Tohru
 * Elma
 * Kanna Kamui
 * Makoto Takiya
 * Fafnir
 * Ilulu
 * Riko Saikawa
 * Georgie Saikawa
 * Shouta Magatsuchi