Disclaimer: I do not own Yumeiro Patisserie

Bittersweet Rivalry

Prologue

They say I was perfect.

I agree with them of course.

Besides, why wouldn't I be considered perfect? I had it all.

From brains, beauty and the ability to create sweets beyond your wildest imagination there was no other who can pull it off better than I do. Top of the class at none other than the main branch of St. Marie Academy in Paris and included in the top 100 best pâtissières in the whole world at such a young age it was already no surprise to me that everyone (especially aspiring pâtissières) look up to me whether they be young or old. I was highly recognized and respected for my great knowledge and top-notch skills in creating sweets that there was just no one in the world of sweets who existed that did not know of my name.

I was simply, on top of the world.

However, as time passed with me living in this glamorous life I began to realize that I was missing something…

The loss of thrill and excitement.

Father, being the optimistic person he is once said that maybe I should try dating much to my mother's dismay; to add more excitement in my hectic life but in my opinion, I don't really think that dating someone was what I needed. Sure, I had many suitors from all over the globe but not a single one sparked my interest and really now, love? A busy person like me just had no time for such frivolous activity.

What I really needed was a rival.

My eyes twinkled with delight.

That's right, a rival. Someone whom I can consider a worthy opponent.

Being the best there is at my age, never once did I feel the need to use my talent to the highest level. Never once did I feel nervous when I join a contest because I knew I would always win. There was no one whom I could debate about sweets with because most of them would always go with my opinion and there was no one whom I could ask advice from when my parents weren't around because they would always say I knew best and ask advice from me instead.

I was always thinking to myself that I would never find the right person who can add some spice into my bleak life.

Because I never met anyone who was better than me.

Never met anyone who was one-step ahead of me.

That such a person did not exist.

I always thought I was the very best.

That was, until I met him.

I, Kaidou Maria (Mar-ya) the only child of Kaidou Rui and Mari Tennouji always thought that I was on top of the world.

Until he came, and sent it all crashing down in a second.

"You can't stay the very best forever. In this world, there will always come a time wherein you find someone better than you."

I'll never forget those words.

It was then that I have finally found my rival.

And he just had to be the son of the one and only…

Henri Lucas.

AUTHOR'S COMMENTS:

So this story has been going in my head for quite a while ever since I watched Yumeiro Pâtissières and read its manga. I adored the Mari/Henri pairing the most because it was interesting to find out how things would go between them and their love story looked way more realistic to me with Mari having a one-sided love and Henri only seeing her as a student and nothing more. I really wanted to write a fic about them ending up with each other but that would just ruin the realistic feel they had so I'm writing about their children ending up with each other instead.

It's challenging for me since I'm creating my own characters with their own story but this fic is just something I thought of so suddenly that I'm not sure whether I should continue it or not.

What do you guys think? Should I go through with this story or not? Or should I write a fanfic about Mari and Henri instead?

And even if this story does push through I can't guarantee fast updates though since school just started here and my schedule is packed with meetings and stuff so updates would take a while.

So write me a review of what you think.

By the way, I do not own the cover picture used. I only edited it since I'm a fan of Rin/Len and they are very close to what I imagined Mari's daughter and Henri's son to look like. Just imagine Rin with long-blonde hair similar to that of Mari.

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