Chapter 107
First Club Activities in a While
“Then, after pouring the yolks into the bowl you’re holding, mix it well . ”
Sana, Kanata, and I, the three of us were doing exactly as Hiiragi-chan said as we mixed the contents of the bowl with a whisk . It seems that this would become cookie dough . Since it was after we had put in vanilla extract, there was a slightly sweet smell .
Normally we would gather in the home economics room to play games, eat, do homework, or even eat the sweets that Hiiragi-chan had made as our club activities . However, today, we were doing legitimate club activities for the first time in a while . Right now, we were making cookies under Hiiragi-chan’s instruction .
Why me as well…?
“This is pretty hard…”
While frowning, Sana moved the whisk around and around . Her long hair was currently tied behind her .
Yesterday, after eating the cookies that Hiiragi-chan had baked, Sana started out by speaking .
“Are cookies easy to make, Sensei?”
“Ah, Sanchan, are you interested?”
“I-I can’t say I don’t… As long as it’s easy to make, and tastes good . ”
“I’ll teach you!”
And well, through this exchange that took place between Hiiragi-chan and Sana, despite Kanata and I not having much interest, we were dragged into making them together . Hiiragi-chan originally wanted to get along with Sana so she probably thought of this as a good chance .
“Thinking about the person that you’re baking for while mixing it will make it more and more enjoyable, you know?”
The person I’m baking this for, is it…? As I took a glance at her, our eyes met and Hiiragi-chan broke into a smile .
“The person I’m baking this for… Wait, Nii-san, why are you looking this way!?”
“I’m not looking at you . ”
“Even if you look like you want it so much, I won’t give it to you, okay? But if you say that you really must have it… it might be okay for me to give you some . ”
“Don’t continue the conversation as if I said something . ”
I wonder who the always mysterious Kanata is thinking of giving it to .
“…Seiji-kun, do you want it?”
“No, it’s just, I was wondering who you were giving it to . ”
“…I’ll give it to Shrimp . ”
“Shrimp…? You mean shrimp…?”
“… The pet we have at home . A dog . ”
“The dog’s name is, Shrimp…!?”
“…Shrimp, the golden retriever . ”
Her naming sense was so weird I didn’t get it at all .
Sana continuously took glances at me . …This person, she doesn’t think that I’m making this for myself, right?
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“S-Sana… sweet things are good, but be moderate on the sweetness . ”
“Ah, is that so . ”
Sana furrowed her eyebrows .
“…”
This is why Nii-san is dense—
That’s probably what she’s thinking .
With Hiiragi-chan’s instruction and while she continued to watch over our progress, we progressed with our work .
“So—this is the complete cookie dough . ”
Dodon, Hiiragi-chan set the cookie dough that she made in advance on the table .
“Sensei also made some?”
“Just in case, a sample . ”
“I-I won’t lose…!”
Sana’s eyes were burning .
“Once they’re done why don’t we eat them together and compare?”
Hiiragi-chan who doesn’t really think much of Sana as an opponent, casually dodged Sana’s hostile intent . Even during the sports festival, Sana had a burning competitiveness, but Hiiragi-chan may just be insensitive to the hostility and malice of others .
Once the dough was finished, we wrapped it up and let it rest in the refrigerator for an hour .
“The school festival is coming up . Are you guys thinking of doing anything with the home economics club? What do you guys want to do?”
Hiiragi-chan asked while making coffee .
That’s right, it’s that time of year .
“Kanata, did you do something last year?”
“…Last year, I made curry for 300 yen . ”
“Curry!? Sana really likes curry!”
“Well, you do have a child’s taste buds . ”
“B-be quiet . Even Nii-san likes it, right!?”
“I do like it, but not to the point where I would get excited just by hearing it mentioned . ”
“… However, rice was sold separately . 100 yen . ”
“What’s with that billing method?”
Hiiragi-chan began to write something on the blackboard .
“For something sold at 200 yen, the production cost… I see…”
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She continued to jot things down .
“If it’s anything Sana wishes for, hamburger curry would be great . ”
“Stop wishing for that . You really are such a brat . ”
“It should be fine, it doesn’t matter . ”
Sana sulked .
“I will calculate the ingredient costs, okay? I think we have the club funds . Is it alright with being a store?”
“… I’m fine with anything . ”
Kanata spoke quietly .
“Sana, might want to do that . ”
For me, if I had to choose, then I would say that I don’t want to . I wouldn’t be able to be open about it and walk around the school festival with Hiiragi-chan, but the time I can secretly enjoy with her will end up decreasing .
“Yeah . Then, let’s do it!”
With a single line from Hiiragi-chan, the decision was made . Since the classes haven’t even decided on what they were doing, timewise, there was still quite a bit of leeway . The amount is quite large, but since the work needed will probably only be the day before, it wouldn’t be that bad .
Around when the conversation on the school festival was finished, it was about an hour and so we resumed our cookie making . The rested dough was stretched and cut into bite sized pieces .
“I’ve been thinking about this for a while now, but why is Nii-san’s black?”
“That’ll be saved for when you eat it . ”
“Is it because you died the dough with your terrible personality?”
“Haah, I’ll hit you, you know?”
Even while listening to our exchange, Kanata continued her work quietly while Hiiragi-chan chuckled .
Once that was done, the dough was baked in the oven for 20 minutes .
“It’s done ♪”
With oven mitts, Hiiragi-chan brought out the cookies that were inside . Seeing that, Sana’s eyes were shining .
“Sana’s is this one!”
Since she strongly appealed, I took one that seemed to be butter cookie and ate it .
“Ah, yeah, it’s good . ”
As expected, she definitely followed Hiiragi-chan step by step .
“Right?”
Sana making a smug face is a little irritating, but let’s not say anything .
“…Seiji-kun, this is mine . ”
I tried eating the one that Kanata pointed out .
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“There’s no taste?”
“Try it with the jam . Marmalade or strawberry . ”
“Say that first!”
Still, as expected of Kanata… She doesn’t just listen to instructions, but also adds her own twist . Moreover, the options to choose your own flavor… It’s strong . I tried eating it with the marmalade jam that Hiiragi-chan brought out .
“… Try eating it like you were Shrimp . ”
“Which one? Like shrimp? Or, the dog?”
“… Like shrimp . ”
“Shrimps can’t eat cookies, right!?”
Kanata’s was also delicious . The fact that you can change the flavor to your liking adds to the enjoyment .
“Sanadkun, this one is mine . ”
No matter how you look at it, Hiiragi-chan’s… has chocolate chips in it, right…? She taught everyone else normally, but while hiding the fact that she was making her own arrangement .
Hiiragi-chan as well, was making an expression as if to say that it was obvious that she would win .
“Ah, yeah . It’s good . ”
“Sensei, why does yours have chocolate chips…? If that’s the case, Sana would’ve wanted to be taught that as well . ”
“You see, Sanchan . The ability to make arrangements is all about imagination . It’s the flash of inspiration . ”
“Meaning, without any inspiration, following the instructions faithfully, all of that is Sana’s loss…!?”
Sana received some shock . For Sana, there would probably be a higher success rate without inspiration, so it’s probably fine .
“And so, Nii-san’s is this one?”
“…”
Hiiragi-chan was watching, so she probably knows .
“If you try it, you’ll get it . ”
All four of us ate my cookies .
“It’s not sweet… well, just a little . ”
“…Seiji-kun, this, it’s coffee?”
“That’s what it is . ”
A coffee cookie with moderate amounts of sweetness .
“… Seiji-kun, you made it moderately sweet for Sachan…?”
“That’s not it . It’s just a coincidence . ”
As we were eating our cookies with tea and talking about the school festival, an elementary schooler was standing outside the window . She was peeking in with the expression of a frozen dog . Rather, that’s Rei-chan .
“What are you doing?”
“Senpai isn’t coming out, so I came looking for you . And then, I smelled something nice . ”
It seems she followed the scent and arrived here .
“Ah, the child that came yesterday . ”
If Sana were to explain it, it would probably become annoying, so I ended up explaining it to the other two people .
“… Then, the assumption of Seiji-kun getting along with girls younger than ten…”
“Hey, Kanata, stop saying that in a way that invites misunderstandings . ”
“Sanadkun, she’s become quite attached to you . ”
Hiiragi-chan smiled and waved Rei-chan in and we all ate cookies together .
“The cookies, they’re good…”
Rei-chan was eating Kanata’s cookies in between Hiiragi-chan and I . She’s eating cutely like a squirrel .
“The chocolate chips are king and there’s nothing to say about it . The coffee cookies have moderate sweetness which makes them easy to eat . The flavorless cookies are also good if I do say so myself! All these sweets… pure bliss…”
I know that the inside is a 20-year-old girl, so it’s fine . However, for the other three, she probably just looks like a precocious child .
“H-hey? Rei-chan . What about, this one…?”
Sana quietly recommended her own cookies .
“This is good, but it’s a cookie that lacks personality . I wouldn’t really eat them if I had the other three types . ”
“Ugugugu…”
Rei-chan was merciless .
“S-simple is best, but I guess for a child, that’s too hard for her?”
“… Sachan’s is plain, but good, but plain . ”
“Uuuu… Kanchan, thank you… how many times did you say plain?”
After sampling was done to some extent, Hiiragi-chan asked which one was best .
“Which one tastes the best?”
“The coffee cookies . The moderate sweetness is a nice consideration for girls . ”
It seems that for Rei-chan’s mature sense of taste, my cookies were on point . Like this, from Rei-chan’s judging, my cookies ended up winning .
Sana and I ended up sending Rei-chan home .
“Why does she call you Senpai?”
“Who knows? I wonder . ”
I dodged the question that was asked once more .