The Classmate Who Is Adored by Everyone Smiles Teasingly Only at Me-Chapter 5Volume 2 .11 - Happy Halloween!
Happy Halloween! 11
“Now then, I’ll start cutting the cake, so everyone, please line up with your plates. Sōma-san, please help me out.”
“Leave it to me.”
“But it’s a shame to destroy such a beautiful tower.”
“This is just for show, so it’s fine to take it apart.”
The perfect Halloween sweets without any complaints.
Suppose he could make that. How wonderful it would be.
But was that the most important thing?
Perhaps not. At least, not for ‘Patissier Ichinose Sōma’.
Recently, he realized—or rather, remembered—when he heard the word ‘smile’ that Chika mentioned while she was working hard on the preparations.
(TN: I think the ‘smile’ he’s talking about here and before is referencing the previous flashback scene. (V1 Chapter 4.3))
“Alright, everyone, do you all have your cake and juice?”
As each plate was neatly served with the five types of cakes, magical girl Chika looked around at the faces of the children.
Little witches and vampires gripping their forks responded cheerfully with a “Yes!”
“Then let’s eat. Itadakimasu!”
At Chika’s command, the cake feast began.
“The cheesecake is delicious!”
“This chocolate cake is amazing! It also has chocolate sauce inside!”
While exchanging such comments, the children ate their cakes with smiles on their faces.
…Yes, it’s definitely about the smile.
Seeing the children like that, he felt even more certain.
He was becoming a patissier to see the smiles of those who ate his creations.
Taste? Appearance? Halloween spirit? All of it is important.
But none more so than a smile. He wouldn’t mind discarding the rest for the sake of seeing the smiles of those who eat his treats.
That’s why he gave up on the Halloween-themed pumpkin sweets he had been so insistent about.
The kids were already tired of seeing cookies shaped like bats. That’s why he had given up on making them look Halloween-like.
It doesn’t matter if they’re not Halloween-like at all. What’s important is to make sweets that bring smiles to the children’s faces.
That’s what Sōma thought when he arrived at the idea of a five-tiered cake.
It was simple, but he was sure the children would be absolutely happy about it.
“…it feels like I’m starting to see it a little.”
He muttered in a soft voice.
Although the specific path wasn’t clear yet, he felt like he was beginning to understand the direction.
He would become a patissier in the direction he was now facing. That was the patissier he had aspired to be since he was a child.
“Sōma-san, don’t space out on us.”
Chika prodded him in the side as he watched the children happily enjoying their cake and forgot to eat his own slice of cake.
“It’s a party, so it’s meaningless if we don’t eat the cake together. I’ll play a trick on you if you don’t eat your treat, okay?”
“What’s with the trick-or-treat? Besides, you’re always up to some mischievous trick anyway.”
“Stop with the excuses and just eat. Come on, say ‘ahh.'”
He was fed a piece of strawberry shortcake.
The richness of the whipped cream and the sweet and sour taste of the strawberries mixed in his mouth, creating a perfect balance.
“I guess it’s not bad.”
“Not bad? It’s not just ‘not bad,’ it’s really delicious! Sōma-san, you did a great job!”
“Thanks, I guess.”
He was patted on the head as if he were a good child.
“Now, it’s my turn to feed you.”
“What would you like to eat?”
“I want cheesecake!”
He took the fork from Chika and fed her the requested cheesecake.
“The subtle tanginess and richness of the cheese are really nice. It’s moist and very delicious.”
He gazed intently at Chika’s smile which was filled with happiness.
“Chika, you always eat with such a happy look.”
“Because it’s delicious.”
“…I see.”
Her straightforward response brought a smile to his face as well.
He wanted to see more of smiles like this.
That’s what he genuinely thought.
“What would you like to eat next?”
This content is taken from fгeewebnovёl.com.
“I’d like some chocolate cake!”
“Hey, stop kicking your feet. You’ll mess up my hand.”
He fed her the requested cake, but because Chika was more excited than the elementary schoolers, the chocolate sauce from the cake dripped down the fork onto his finger.
She stared intently at that finger.
“Sōma-san’s finger with chocolate sauce on it looks delicious.”
“Don’t say something so creepy so casually.”
“Can I eat—I mean, can I lick it?”
“Did you say ‘eat’ just now!?”
“It’s just your imagination. Come on, I’ll clean it up for you, so please give me your finger.”
“Anyone else normally gives out a handkerchief or a tissue, right!? Not stick out their tongue!”
They bickered back and forth while feeding each other.
The sight of the older boy and girl doing this was so unusual that the little children forgot about eating their own cake and watched them with curiosity.
“My mom and dad get along really well, but I’ve never seen them do that kind of thing outside.”
“Normally, you’d be too embarrassed to do that, right?”
“My family might be a little similar. My mom is always so cool and a bit scary, but she gets all sweet like a kitten in front of my dad. It’s so obvious she loves him.”
They talked about such things, but their words didn’t reach Sōma and the others, who were engrossed in their silly fight.
“Shall we have a shortcake next? The whipped cream was really delicious.”
“You’re not planning to put cream on my finger and eat it, are you?”
“How rude! Of course not, I would never do that on purpose.”
“Then stop staring at my finger like that.”
They took turns feeding each other cake.
Chika was smiling the whole time.
***
After the party ended and Sōma changed from his mummy costume wrapped in bandages back into his usual school uniform, he stretched his stiff shoulders and sighed deeply.
“I’m tired.”
He hadn’t realized it, but he had been tense, unsure if the cake tower would be well-received.
Not just his shoulders but all his muscles were stiff, and he felt a heavy sense of fatigue clinging to him.
But the effort had been worth it.
