"And then it says here to mix until it turns white…" Unconsciously Tsugumi's gaze darted from the mixing bowl to the grim scowl on Sayo's forehead, and then back again before she could notice. Hina's older sister. A surprise visitor to her mother's cooking class. Tsugumi's student for the next hour. With that simple designation Tsugumi had leaped wholeheartedly into the task, and agreed to her student's — Tsugumi's student! — request without questioning too much. So they were making pound cake instead of cookies like the rest of the class.

Standing next to her, Tsugumi fervently hoped her voice and her hands didn't quaver too much. It was only that she hadn't made pound cakes by herself! — or baked by herself too much in general. It wasn't because —

"And what does that mean exactly? Isn't this white enough?"

Tsugumi surpressed her wince. Hina's older sister, whom she sometimes spoke of with stars in her eyes. A taciturn, seemingly aloof girl who didn't mince her words. The description also fit Ran, whose kindness was obscured by her shyness. So she didn't take Sayo's terse… everything… to heart. Really, she didn't.

Tsugumi peered at the cream-colored mixture, which looked white from another angle. Maybe that was white enough. She met the scowl with a smile and started instructing Sayo — like a real teacher! — how to work the oven. And while waiting Tsugumi got her to talk a little about herself. Slowly reeled her motivation for taking the class, and why pound cake instead of cookies. It was absence, Sayo said without meeting Tsugumi's eye, that had made her realize the value of a bandmate. The little things she brought to the band that Sayo had no hope of replicating, until she saw the advertisement Tsugumi's mother had put up. Scowling and twirling hair around her long, slender finger, Sayo said that cookies were said bandmate's signature and it wouldn't be right to copy it. Therefore pound cakes.

"And in this manner it would reduce the probability of bringing the same treats at the same time, for surely mine cannot compare — oh, Hazawa-san, I think that's enough time."

Sayo dismissed her phone's silent alarm and crossed her arms. Stood rigidly behind Tsugumi as she volunteered to take the result out. She was just nervous, Tsugumi told herself, they both were, concerning the success of Sayo's first baking challenge.

It was… not quite what a pound cake often looked like. Or, as Tsugumi pinched the flaky mess and some of it melted on her fingers, not what a pound cake should taste like.

But more importantly, she needed to… not discourage Sayo. "I-It's not too bad, Sayo-san."

"It tastes bitter. Pound cakes shouldn't taste bitter. None of the ingredients taste bitter."

Tsugumi tried not to wince. She wracked her brain frantically trying to find where the bitterness had come from — and so she missed Sayo's eye — but ah, they hadn't known each other long enough that Tsugumi would've known how to interpret it, had they? Tsugumi was the teacher, it was her responsibility that Sayo had failed. She ended up saying, "I'm sorry, it's my fault, I should've been upfront that I hadn't made pound cakes very often, or baked at all, I usually just watch my mother do it."

Sayo's grimace, if possible, deepened. "There's no need to apologize. It's not your fault that I failed to follow simple instructions."

"No, no, not at all, you followed them exactly." What would Tsugumi's mother say? "It's just that baking isn't just about following instructions, and you can't get good just by watching other people do it, either."

It didn't quite sound like how Tsugumi's mother would have put it, but slowly Sayo nodded. "Of course. It only appears to be simple and straightforward, but in reality it's not mathematics. There must be other components I'm not even aware I'm missing."

"Yes, that's right. And when it comes to Lisa-senpai." At least, Tsugumi thought Lisa was the incomparable bandmate Sayo had been alluding to. "I don't think you could compare yourself with her, Sayo-san. A lot of people can't." Himari came to mind.

Sayo's head jerked in her direction so suddenly Tsugumi lost her thread. "No, I don't suppose I can, either with cookies or pound cakes or any other kinds of sweets." And then finally Sayo looked at her as though she'd finally noticed her presence. Her grimace slackened slightly. "I'm sorry, Hazawa-san, for wasting your time and causing you undue stress. Your explanations were easy to follow."

"That's not true, if so the result would've turned out well."

Sayo smiled, finally, if it could be called a smile. "Unfortunately, all the perfect instructions in the world mean nothing if the instructee is hopeless. Nevertheless, it has been a valuable experience, Hazawa-san."

Tsugumi felt hopeless. Surely there was still something she could say, an encouragement that Sayo needed, straight to the heart of her problem. "W-well, if you feel that way, Sayo-san, though I think there must've been other things…"

At that moment there was movement at the other end of the cafe. A group of middle schoolers celebrating a batch well done. Her back to them, against the orange rays of sunset, Sayo said, "I don't mind spending the time with you, for it's given me a valuable lesson. But yes, for the future, I'd better apply myself to other things."

Sayo wasn't an unkind person. She helped Tsugumi clean up, and said nothing unkind until she left. She said nothing much else to Tsugumi either. Her time with Tsugumi wasn't a bad experience either. But Tsugumi couldn't help feeling there could have been something more. Maybe if she'd stuck to cookies.