I do not own Yumeiro Patissiere
The Mille Crêpe of Bonds
It was getting near to the fourth and final rounds of the cake grand prix for the middle school section. There were four teams left and the two teams who would win this round would enter the finals with the high school section of St Marie Academy. The chairman explained that the theme this time would be kizuna, which meant bonds. He also explained that the teams could choose any sweet that they wanted as long as they showed bonds.
Ichigo kept on wondering about that through lesson time. "What's wrong Ichigo?" whispered Vanilla "you look confused". "Well I know that the word kizuna means bonds," whispered Ichigo "but I'm wondering what we should do fir it in the competition". Ichigo wasn't the only one thing about it; the sweets princes were thinking about it too. But while they were thinking about the round, they ended up not paying attention to their lesson right now. Ameya-sensei noticed this and of course she was not happy that they were not concentrating in class. So she asked group A to see her after the school day was over.
When the school lessons were over, group A apologized to Ameya-sensei and explained that they were thinking about the next cake grand prix round. "I understand that you are worried about the cake grand prix," said Ameya-sensei "but right now you need to be concentrating with your school lessons. And with the way you are now, I very much doubt that you will win the next round. So group A I want you to stop thinking about the cake grand prix for now".
Group A was not happy with what Ameya-sensei told them to do. "You know Ameya-sensei does have a point," said Ichigo "I mean I know we need to come up with something for our next round, but it doesn't mean we should forget about our school studies and anything else around us". "I think you're right Amano-san," said Sennosuke "besides our school studies are important". "Yes especially for Kashino-kun," said Satsuki "especially since his parents will bring him straight home if his grades go down". "Shut up Hanabusa," said Makato, who didn't want to be told of that, "but alright we won't think about the cake grand prix now".
That night, before going to bed, Ichigo and Vanilla were discussing about bonds. "Maybe we can do a sweets based on the bonds between you and the sweet princes" said Vanilla. "That is a good idea, but then again our opponent may do the same thing" said Ichigo. "Yeah you're right," said Vanilla "oh wait what about you and your bond with your sister Natsume". "Family bond is good," said Ichigo "but don't forget Kashino doesn't really have a bond with his own family, especially with his parents". "Right again, so what should we do?" said Vanilla. "We'll figure it tomorrow," said Ichigo "right now we should get some sleep. Tomorrow the boys and I need to catch up with lessons". Ichigo and Vanilla fell asleep.
The next day group A was concentrating on the lessons again. But instead of learning something new, they were doing lessons on things they already knew like making mille crepe, making fresh cream, writing with chocolate pens and making figures out of marzipan. The boys were not happy with relearning the basics; it was like being back in kindergarten again for them. "You know there might be a reason for that," said Ichigo "I mean Ameya-sensei wouldn't make us go over the basics again for no reason". "Yeah but I didn't really see the reason" said Sennosuke. "This is why, we ignore sensei's advice and think about our cake grand prix round tonight" said Makato. "But Kashino we agreed to not think about the grand prix and Ameya-sensei will be very cross with us if we disobey her command" said Ichigo. "We have only one more night to think about this," said Makato "and we still haven't thought of anything for it. Come on we have to work on it tonight". So group A headed back towards the kitchen to get started.
At that time the sweets spirits were worried about their partners. "They don't understand what their sensei was trying to tell them" said Caramel. "Even though their sensei spent the whole day of making them trying to remember of what they went through in the past here" said Café. "Come on everyone," said Chocolat "it's up to us to make them remember".
At that time group A was thinking about what they should do for bonds. Just then the spirits turned, but Caramel was dressed like Ameya-sensei and the others were dressed like students. "Please watch what we are going to show you" said Vanilla. The spirits magically set up a cooking table and then Vanilla, playing Ichigo, made a mille crepe. Caramel, playing Ameya-sensei, said it was good and asked her if she practiced making a mille crepe before. "Yes sensei, I've practiced this many times before" said Vanilla. "Oh hang on I remember this," said Ichigo "this was the day of when I first came here". Then Chocolat, playing Makato, tasted it. "I can tell from this taste that you have indeed practiced before" she said. "I remember this memory too," said Ichigo "you, Kashino, acted like a judge to see if I was worthy to become a patissiere as well as seeing if I should have come here in the first place". Makato flinched at that comment. "Then after that Ameya-sensei stepped in and told us to stop arguing" he said. Next Café, playing Satsuki, wrote 'Happy Birthday' on a chocolate plaque but in English instead of Japanese. And of course Caramel scolded Café for that. This left Satsuki embarrassed. Next Chocolat, playing Makato, finished a design but Caramel said that you couldn't make a design like that out of marzipan and that they weren't doing chocolate sculptors. Makato got shocked by that. Last of all Caramel, playing Sennosuke, wondered what would happen if she heated cream with boiling water like anko. Then Chocolat, playing Ameya-sensei, told Caramel not to do that or the cram would decompose. That made Sennosuke embarrassed. These were all memories of the times when Ichigo and the sweets princes got scolded by Ameya-sensei.
Ichigo worked on a mille crepe, Sennosuke worked on making fresh cream, Makato worked on marzipan figurines and Satsuki worked on writing with a chocolate pen. Just then Ameya-sensei turned up. Ichigo apologized to Ameya-sensei and admitted that she and the others couldn't get the cake grand prix out of their minds even for a minute. "I am happy to see that you all remember of what you were like when you all first came here" said Ameya-sensei. She told them that she entered the cake grand prix once when she was a student at the academy. Her team had made it past the semi-finals but as they were so hooked up on the grand prix they forgot about their school lessons. And when it came to the finals they had to do something that involved chocolate tempering. But as they didn't pay attention to the chocolate tempering lessons, they ended up losing in the next round. "I see, so that means you didn't want us to make the same mistake you made right?" said Ichigo. "I also wanted you to understand that winning the cake grand prix and going to Paris isn't everything," said Ameya-sensei "what's important is that you never forget on what you've learnt during your time here, especially with overcoming your weakness and improving them. That way you will be able to face anything, even in the grand prix, with a calm heart". Ichigo started to understand now and she was happy that the spirits helped them remember. Just then she had a thought. "I've got it," she said "I now know what we can make for the final round tomorrow". "What's your idea Amano?" asked Ameya-sensei. "You'll find out tomorrow sensei" smiled Ichigo.
The next day Team Ichigo was making their sweets for the match. "Just like what we planned last night right?" Sennosuke asked Ichigo. "Yes let's do it" said Ichigo. Ameya-sensei had no idea what Team Ichigo was going to do for this round and neither did the sweets spirits. Group A didn't even tell their own partners of what they were going to do. Ichigo was making some crepes, Sennosuke was making fresh cream, Satsuki was working with a chocolate pen on a chocolate plaque and Makato was working with marzipan. "It looks like they are making a mille crepe for this round" said Vanilla. "I wonder why?" said Chocolat.
Soon it was time to stop cooking. Team Ichigo's challengers Team Kobayakawa present their creation first. They made a savarin cake, which was a sponge cake with a hole in the middle, and they decorated it with macaroons, truffles and choux pastry. The team leader explained that their creation was themed on the bonds of their team. Team Ichigo presented their creation next. They had made a mille crepe, with a chocolate plaque as a decoration and they also made marzipan figurines of their sweets spirits. Both the spirits and Ameya-sensei were surprised with this. Ichigo explained that the creation was the bonds that they've made with everyone all because Ameya-sensei helped them all the way through everything that they had learnt. Ameya-sensei was touched by that. Ichigo also explained that the marzipan figurines were figures of their special friends that had helped them all the way too. The spirits were touched by that too. Vanilla made a sweets card of the marzipan figurines and sent it to the queen.
In the end Team Ichigo won the round and they were to enter the finals of the cake grand prix next.
I'm sorry that I hadn't updated this story for four months now; I've been busy with my pokemon story. I don't understand you know of why Ichigo didn't know what Kizuna meant.
