Chapter 33 – The Rising Aura of Friendship!
A loud thud echoed through the room.
The bowl filled with sifted flour was slammed onto the table with a jarring impact, drawing startled gasps from everyone around.
The entire home economics classroom fell into an awkward silence.
Yuigahama Yui instinctively lowered her head, looking embarrassed and slightly flustered.
She had always been the type who went along with others, often relying on the flow of the group rather than asserting herself.
"Yuigahama-san," Yukinoshita Yukino said, her voice cold but clear. "Could you try… changing that part of yourself just a little?"
"Stop blaming others for your own clumsiness, ignorance, or lack of effort. Don't you feel ashamed?"
As those words rang out, the air in the room turned tense and heavy.
Even Yukino herself realized immediately—she had gone too far.
After all, Yui was the first person in years who had voluntarily approached her, hoping to form a genuine friendship.
But habits forged over the years weren't easy to break. In a moment of frustration, her tongue had slipped before her mind could stop it.
And now all that remained… was regret.
She assumed Yui would react like everyone else had—step away, avoid eye contact, and eventually disappear like another forgettable stranger.
Though they called her the Ice Queen, Yukino still had a heart. One that longed for connection, no matter how well she hid it.
Only one person in the room wasn't surprised.
Yukinoshita Akira sat in the back, lips curled into a faint, knowing smile. He could feel it—a subtle shift in the atmosphere. The birth of something new… something warm.
A bond was forming.
"I'll do it!"
Yui suddenly lifted her face, eyes glittering like a sky full of tiny stars. Her smile was radiant, brimming with admiration.
"Eh…?"
Yukino blinked, startled. She had been about to apologize—but Yui's response caught her completely off guard.
"Ahahaha~"
Akira couldn't help but laugh quietly. Watching a friendship blossom before your eyes—it hit differently than seeing it happen in an anime.
"Yukinon, you're really cool, you know?" Yui said cheerfully. "You don't sugarcoat things, and you say what you mean. I think that's amazing!"
"…Did you even hear what I said? Wasn't I too harsh?"
"It was harsh, yeah… but it felt honest. And you're right—I do try too hard to please everyone. I'm sorry. From now on, I'll try to be better."
Yukino's expression softened, a trace of surprise flickering in her eyes. For someone to take her words seriously, without flinching or lashing out…
It touched something deep inside her.
Yuigahama Yui—despite being scolded so bluntly—had not walked away. She stayed. And she smiled, just like always.
"Congratulations, Lady Yukino."
"Hmm? What do you mean by that?"
Yukino glanced at Akira in confusion.
"Congratulations," he said softly, "on finally meeting… a true friend."
For a moment, Yukino said nothing.
"Hey, Akki-kun! You're my friend too, you know! Just like Yukinon!"
Yui jumped in quickly, clearly worried he might feel left out. She hadn't meant to exclude him at all.
"If you stop calling me Akki-kun, then I might actually believe that."
"Ehh~? But 'Akki-kun' sounds so cute! Why not?"
"Calling a guy 'cute' like that… in most cases, it's closer to an insult."
"Hmph! You're such a conservative guy, Akki-kun! I'm not talking to you anymore!"
She stuck out her tongue, huffed, then grabbed Yukino's hand and returned to the baking station with exaggerated determination.
Akira didn't respond. In truth, he was a bit old-fashioned when it came to certain things.
"Yuigahama-san," Yukino said, now looking more composed, "if you truly want to learn how to bake cookies… may I give you a suggestion?"
"Sure! What is it?"
"Don't tweak the recipe too much. The measurements, the temperature, the baking time—just follow them exactly. If I say twenty minutes, then twenty minutes is enough."
"Eh? But I thought if I added a little more sugar, it would taste better. And twenty minutes feels too short."
"Remember, you're still a beginner. Your instincts aren't reliable yet. Once you become a culinary master, then you can follow your gut all you want."
"But—"
"It's just a suggestion. Whether you take it or not is up to you. You're the one giving this cookie, not me."
"…Fiiine~"
Yui puffed out her cheeks slightly, pouting like a child.
Meanwhile, Yukino glanced at Akira, a trace of curiosity in her gaze.
She had explained everything to Yui earlier—ingredients, timing, mixing—but she hadn't been watching her that closely.
This time, she decided to observe the entire process seriously.
And so, Yui began her third attempt at baking cookies.
A few times, she tried to "experiment," but each time, Yukino stepped in and stopped her. Even the baking time was kept strictly to twenty minutes.
"Ding—"
The oven chimed. Yui rushed over and carefully removed the tray.
Compared to her first two attempts, this batch looked significantly better.
At least it wasn't black and burnt anymore. Though still a bit darker than ideal, the improvement was undeniable.
Crunch—
Yukino took a bite. Yui watched her, filled with anticipation.
"…It's still not tasty, but at least this time, it's edible."
She gave her verdict plainly.
Akira also picked up a piece. It wasn't good… but it wasn't horrible anymore.
Cookies may seem simple, but they required precision—exact measurements, correct technique, and proper baking time.
For a total beginner like Yui, who had once created something akin to culinary warfare, this was a huge step forward.
"Really? I wanna try too—"
Yui popped a piece into her mouth. Her eyes twitched slightly, not from delight—but at least she had expected this.
"…Seriously, this is good enough?"
She seemed unconvinced. The taste still didn't meet her expectations.
"If you compare it to those…" Akira gestured toward the trays filled with her earlier blackened disasters, "then yes, you've passed."
Placing the burnt cookies beside the new ones made the difference painfully obvious.
"Hm… okay then. I guess this counts."
Looking at her earlier failures, Yui flushed in embarrassment.
"So… is the assignment complete?"
Yukino didn't seem fully satisfied. The cookies were still far from decent, after all. Plenty of room for improvement remained.
But seeing Yui's bright, proud smile…
She decided to say nothing.
This time, she held back.
Yukinoshita Yukino… was beginning to change.
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