Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Freshly Baked Cocoa Cookies

[I’m free on Saturday afternoon, so come over at 1 PM!]

That’s what the message she sent later said.

Even though it was just text, it felt like he could hear Hiyori’s voice, and Toru couldn’t help but smile.

After school, when he went to pick up Kana and told her that he had kept his promise, she was so happy that she swung his hand back and forth while holding it.

And then, the promised weekend arrived in no time.

Just before 1 PM, Toru and Kana arrived in front of Hiyori’s apartment.

Feeling nervous about visiting Hiyori’s apartment again after a week, Toru took a deep breath and rang the intercom.

The door opened immediately after a light electronic chime.

“Welcome, both of you.”

“Hyo-chan!”

“Wow, it’s been a week, Kana-chan.”

“Yeah!”

Kana rushed to hug Hiyori, whom she had been longing to see.

Hiyori caught her effortlessly, even though Kana had jumped at her as soon as the door opened.

Today, she was dressed in a neat and elegant outfit, wearing a light pink cardigan with lace accents over a white, long, ruffled dress.

Her long black hair was tied in a half-up style, giving off an air of refinement that would make anyone who saw her for the first time wonder if she was a young lady from a wealthy family.

Especially if they knew her from school, they definitely wouldn’t think it was the same person.

‘In that sense, the feeling that only I know this side of her is a bit unfair, but not bad.’

Toru gazed at the two of them laughing together and thought to himself absentmindedly.

Hiyori turned to him and smiled.

“It’s been a while for you too, Kuwa-kun.”

“Um… I’m sorry for having you listen to my sister’s selfish request on your day off.”

“No, no. I wanted to see Kana-chan too, so don’t worry about it.”

“Hyo-chan wanted to see Kana too?”

“Yes, that’s right. We feel the same way~”

“We feel the same way!”

Kana beamed, knowing that Hiyori felt the same way.

Even so, there was no denying that she had taken time out of her day for them.

Ignoring the lingering unease in Toru’s heart, Hiyori invited the siblings into her apartment.

In the living room, the two of them sat side-by-side at the table, while Hiyori sat facing them.

Naturally, the interior hadn’t changed since their visit a week ago, and the aroma of cocoa still lingered in the air.

The only difference was the cookies on the table.

There were two types, one fox-colored and the other chocolate-colored, and next to them were glasses filled with juice.

Toru remembered that Hiyori had said she would prepare snacks for them the last time they parted ways.

Kana’s eyes sparkled at the sight of the delicious-looking cookies.

“Wow! Cookies!”

“I promised you before, didn’t I? Ah, but if you have any allergies…”

“Kana and I are fine.”

“Okay, that’s good. Feel free to eat them.”

“Itadakimasu!”

As soon as Hiyori gave her permission, Kana grabbed a cookie and took a bite.

Her round eyes widened, and after a pleasant crunching sound, she swallowed.

“Delicious! Kana loves these!”

“Fufu, I’m glad. I’m relieved you like them, since they’re homemade.”

“Eh, these are homemade?”

“It’s just a hobby, they can’t compare to ones from a store.”

Hiyori replied with a polite smile, downplaying her skills when Toru, who had assumed they were store-bought, asked in surprise.

Following Kana’s lead, he tried a fox-colored cookie. The flavor of butter and gentle sweetness spread in his mouth, and he couldn’t think of any other impression than “delicious.”

Toru was convinced that they could even pass for store-bought.

“They’re really good! I can tell they’re made with a lot of experience.”

“Ahaha, even if it’s flattery, I’m happy to hear it.”

“No, I’m serious. The cocoa before was the same, but I can’t make them, so I genuinely respect your skills.”

“Kana loves Hyo-chan’s cookies the most!”

“…If you say so, maybe I can be a bit more confident?”

Toru had learned to cook for his family, but he had no experience in baking, so he expressed his admiration for her skills.

With Kana’s praise added on top, Hiyori seemed to take it a bit more positively.

“Ah, Kana-chan, you have some cookie crumbs on your mouth.”

“Hmm!”

As if in return, Hiyori wiped Kana’s mouth with a handkerchief.

Perhaps happy to be taken care of, Kana smiled proudly for some reason.

Then, Kana suddenly stood up and sat on Hiyori’s lap.

“Hyo-chan! Pat my head~”

“Sure, okay~”

“Mmm!”

Hiyori readily agreed to Kana’s request without any hesitation.

Kana, nestled in her arms and having her head patted, looked absolutely delighted, her cheeks relaxed.

Toru was worried that Hiyori might be bothered, but he was relieved to see that it wasn’t the case.

“I’m sorry for letting her be so selfish, Tsukishiba-sensei.”

“It’s just patting her head, it’s not a bother at all. It actually reminds me of my little sister when she was younger, and it makes me smile.”

Hiyori replied to Toru’s apology in a casual manner.

Hearing her words, a question suddenly popped into his mind.

She often mentioned her sister, but he was curious about how she felt about her from an older sister’s perspective.

Driven by his curiosity, Toru asked,

“How old is your sister, sensei?”

“She’s a first-year in high school this year, so she’ll be sixteen. And… actually, she goes to the same school as us.”

“Eh?”

Toru was taken aback by the unexpected revelation.

It seemed her sister was much closer than he had imagined, but as far as he could recall, he had no memory of him talking to any particular girl.

Perhaps his stunned reaction was what she had intended, as Hiyori chuckled softly and continued.

“Maybe you’ve passed by each other a few times?”

“I have no recollection of that…”

When he heard about Hiyori’s sister, the only impression that came to mind was that of a mature person.

However, considering that she was the one who taught Hiyori fashion and makeup, he wondered if she might have a completely opposite personality to Hiyori.

“Hyo-chan, are you a big sister?”

“Yes, that’s right. Just like Kana-chan’s onii-chan.”

“Same as To-kun! We’re friends!”

“Hahaha…”

Hiyori answered Kana’s question in an easy-to-understand way.

Toru let out a dry laugh, embarrassed by his sister’s positive conclusion that they were friends just because they were both older siblings.

He was curious about what kind of person Hiyori’s sister was, but at the very least, she might have been the reason Hiyori learned how to interact with children.

He thought he might ask Hiyori about her as an older sister sometime when he had the chance.

With that thought in mind, Toru took a bite of the cocoa-flavored cookie.

———–

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