Thirty-Six Stratagems
Cast:
Cure Bloom / Cure Bright, Hyuuga Saki - age 18
Mishou Kazuya, age 21
June, 2010
Saki has been interested in Mai's older brother since the first time she met him. However, she has always found reasons to avoid confessing her feelings to him. Reasons having to do with her school, or his school, or anything else she can think of to avoid the truth: She fears his answer.
To an extent, she always expected that he would go away for college and that would be the end of it. However, while he is now at college, he did not go away, instead having chosen a nearby university with a short commute from the family home.
Saki is still interested, but she adopts indirect methods. She participates in the Cooking Club at school. She bakes at school, and she takes the results with her when she departs. Instead of going home, she boards a train for a short commute. Arriving at Kazuya's school in the evening, still wearing her school uniform, she finds him in the observatory. Not for the first time, she shares her baking with him.
"So today's club activity was cinnamon rolls? These are really good!"
"Thanks. I'm glad you like them."
"You should make sure to not let my colleagues corner you. I've told them that you and Mai are practically sisters, but they're convince that you're trying to win my heart with your cooking."
"Is it working?"
Kazuya fumbles his cinnamon roll, but saves it before it touches the ground.
"That wasn't an answer," Saki says. "And now you've got frosting all over your hand."
Kazuya licks the frosting off of his hand, then pops what remains of the roll into his mouth.
"You're not trying to stall on me, are you? After I finally confessed?"
He finishes chewing and swallows. "Not really trying to stall, but I figured you'd be angry if I let it go to waste."
"That's... actually I would. I made those specially for you."
"Right? I do understand you at least a little. I have to admit, I've been thinking of you as another little sister all this time, but I could give dating a try. Would you like to have dinner with me sometime? Perhaps Saturday?"