LIGHTNOVELSTORY chapter 92
92. Masahiro and Making Sweets
It was much earlier than our usual school arrival time.
Wrapped in the refreshing morning air filled with the chirping of birds, Masahiro and I visited the school’s cooking practice room.
Perhaps because it was so early, Masahiro rubbed her blue eyes, looking a bit sleepy.
Still, she seemed happy to be with me, her expression softening like a puppy or kitten.
“Wow. The school in the morning feels so fresh. It’s quiet with no one around, like we’re in a completely different place.”
“Yeah. It’s my first time coming to school at such an early hour, so it feels fresh and nice.”
“Hehe. Since becoming a high school student, I’ve had so many firsts with Ryusuke.”
“That’s right. It’s also my first time making sweets with you, Masahiro, and my first time waking up early to come to school. Thanks for indulging my selfishness today.”
“No, no. If it’s something for my first time with Ryusuke, I’m happy about it. So feel free to ask for anything!”
“Masahiro… you really are something…”
“Oh. Ryusuke, your face is grinning. You show your feelings so easily!”
“Sh-shut up. It’s your fault for being so cute, Masahiro.”
As I turned my face away while saying this, Masahiro giggled, saying, “Geez, what is that?”
Her mischievous laughter was also cute, making me want to grin even more.
However, realizing I couldn’t let it go any further, I lightly slapped my cheeks to refocus myself.
Checking the time on my smartphone, it was still before 7 AM.
The reason we were arriving at school at this hour was to prepare for the sweets café we would be running at the cultural festival.
Yorihito Fusegawa had conducted a survey for the menu options suggested in the class RINE group, but due to the votes being spread out too evenly, we ultimately couldn’t decide what to make.
It seems that the descriptions and recipes I prepared were easy to understand and well-received, but the votes were evenly distributed, gathering support for all the candidate menus, preventing us from reaching a decision.
So, I asked the cooking club’s president and advisor, who were still around after school yesterday, if I could borrow the cooking practice room to make some sweets for tasting.
I believe their willingness to help me, even though I’m the villain, is a result of how seriously I’ve been living since I was reincarnated. If I had remained the delinquent character I was when I first reincarnated, neither the president nor the advisor would have ever agreed to my request.
After that, I bought the necessary ingredients at the supermarket on my way home, which is why I’ve been preparing since this morning.
(Choosing based on which one tasted the best would surely satisfy everyone.)
We would visually present the menu options for the cultural festival and let everyone taste them, allowing them to choose the one they thought was best.
On top of that, I would clearly explain the pros and cons of each option and identify any issues we might face as we head towards the cultural festival.
I concluded that this was the most efficient and best strategy I could come up with.
If I serve freshly made sweets, my classmates will surely be happy, and it should also boost their motivation for the cultural festival.
I looked around the cooking practice room and focused on the figure of Maki in her pristine white apron.
The white fabric, adorned with a cute black cat embroidery, suited Maki very well, and I couldn’t help but be captivated by her.
(Maki looks incredibly cute in her apron…)
Perhaps motivated for making sweets, today Maki had her hair tied in a ponytail with a light blue scrunchie.
Usually, she has her long black hair down, but the occasional ponytail she shows is special and very nice.
The morning light streaming through the window illuminated her healthy, pale neck, which is usually hidden, giving it a glamorous glow.
As I read the recipe handed to me, her swaying hair in the back looked adorably like a tail, and the sweet scent wafting from Maki, along with her beautiful profile, filled the cooking practice room with happiness.
As I was lost in thought, appreciating Maki’s cuteness, she turned around in her apron and smiled at me.
“Ryusuke’s recipes are all easy to understand and look delicious. What are we making first?”
“For now, let’s rehydrate the dried tapioca. It takes about thirty minutes to boil and another thirty minutes to cook it through with preheating, so it’s going to take some time.”
“Not just for milk tea, but also for toppings on waffles and pancakes, huh?”
“Yeah. Once we rehydrate it, we can store it in the freezer, and the chewy texture of the tapioca goes well with pancakes and waffles.”
“Being able to enjoy authentic tapioca at the school’s cultural festival feels somewhat luxurious.”
“I’m glad you think so. We have to make the most of the tapioca’s popularity among women.”
The popularity of tapioca milk tea among women is strong, and using colorful tapioca as toppings will increase the visual variety.
By being conscious of how it looks, we can also expect to attract female students, and above all, the fact that it can be stored and used easily is a huge advantage.
With that, I brought water to a boil in a pot and began cooking the dried tapioca. Once I covered it and set it on medium heat, I decided to move on to another menu item for the time being.
“Alright, while the tapioca is boiling, let’s make the waffles. I’m thinking of making a simple batter for what’s known as American waffles using baking powder.”
“Ah, American… America?”
“Oh, um. There are two types of waffles. Belgian waffles are made by fermenting the batter with yeast, while American waffles are made without fermentation, similar to pancakes.”
“Wow. Since we can’t spend too much time on the cultural festival, we’re going with American waffles that we can make quickly, huh?”
“That’s right. It’s simple, so even those who aren’t used to cooking can make it easily, and it’s fun to top it with whipped cream or add fruits, just like pancakes.”
“It sounds like it’ll be fun to make it together! That’s one of the highlights of the cultural festival, right?”
“Plus, we’re planning to serve them fresh out of the waffle maker. If the delicious smell of the waffles spreads outside the classroom, it’ll help attract customers, and above all, freshly made waffles are the best.”
“Ahaha. Ryusuke looks so happy. You’re making a great face, you know?”
“Well, it’s the first time we get to make something for the cultural festival ourselves. It seems like Mashiro is also new to making sweets, so it feels like it’ll be fun.”
“Yes! I’ve always admired this kind of thing, so it’s super fun!”
With Mashiro showing a radiant smile, I happily continued making sweets.
As I put the ingredients into the bowl to make the waffle batter, Mashiro hummed a little tune while mixing it with a whisk.
Then we also progressed with the preparations for sweets using plenty of autumn flavors, like pumpkin pudding and sweet potatoes.
Throughout this time, Mashiro kept smiling happily, and as we stood side by side cooking, I felt a bit like a newlywed couple, which made my heart flutter.
This moment preparing for the cultural festival alongside Mashiro filled my heart with warmth.