Chapter V: Black Cookies! Baking 101!
A/N: Okay, so cookies don't usually turn black (do they?). I'm not really sure myself.
During the enrollment period, Haruka (May) chose Home Economics as her extra-curricular subject. She must have chosen it for a reason…and it's definitely not this reason:
"Onee-chan, I smell something burning." Masato (Max) tugged her shirt.
"AH! The cookies…!" Haruka suddenly dashed out of the living room and into the kitchen where the burning smell inside the oven clouded the stove above it. She grabbed a pair of mittens, opened the hot handle of the oven, and took out the tray of…black cookies.
"It figures." Masato said. "Your special black cookies…"
"Oh no; I failed again, kamo." She grabbed a piece for a quick taste test. Her tongue rejected the burnt taste. "Yuck! It tastes like charcoal."
"Why? Were you expecting it to taste like chocolate or something? Knowing you, anything you make will taste like charcoal."
"Masato, you're not helping!" The big sister pulled the little brother's ear. "At least give your older sister some encouragement!"
Then, they heard the sound of their mother. For Haruka, it wasn't a good sign at all. "Haruka, that better not be burnt cookies I smell! I told you there will be no burnt food in my kitchen!"
"Ha, ha, ha, ha…busted…owowowowowow!" Masato laughed despite the pain of being pulled by the ear.
---0---0---0---0---0---
Although she knew that Home Economics was not her forte, Haruka insisted on taking up that extra-curricular course. In truth, of all the extra-curricular subjects she could choose from, none of them was her forte. She thought to herself if she even had cooking skills. There was only one kind of power that kept pushing her to the edge of the frontline: love. Sure, Home Economics isn't only about cooking and food and she could somehow excel in other things like sewing or home management. Yet she placed cooking as top priority simply because she firmly believed that cooking was the most surefire way to a man's heart.
Cooking to impress Satoshi (Ash)? It is a possibility after all. But with burnt cookies? It's like suicide.
Inside the Home Economics room, the two best friends talked about Haruka's mishap in the kitchen. Guess who laughed first.
"Black cookies, eh…? Who wouldn't laugh after that?" Kanata (Kelly) laughed; almost rolling on the floor like some Internet smiley.
"Kanata, that's not funny! Cooking really means everything to me, kamo." Haruka replied.
"Yeah, yeah, cooking is the most surefire way to a man's heart. How many times I've heard that from you?"
"I will learn to cook and make Satoshi happy. I could see it now, kamo."
---0---0---Stage Kamo! Haruka's Fantasy Theater---0---0---
"How do you like it, my dear Satoshi?" Haruka asked him; still in her pink apron of love.
"Haruka, you're the best cook a man could ever have." Satoshi answered sincerely. "Will you marry me?"
"S-Satoshi…"
"Haruka…"
"I think I feel hot. Is it just me or is it you?"
---0---0---Curtains Down ---0---0---
Not really, it's just Kanata pouring a cup of very hot water on top of Haruka's head. The bandana offered little or no protection at all.
"AAAH…! Kanata, that's hot! What are you trying to do, kill my hair?" The brunette girl yelled with her hair soaked in hot water.
"Not really, it's a wake-up call from reality." Kanata smirked. "Our teacher's here."
The students arranged themselves as their teacher entered the room…wearing something attractive and quite disturbing: cactus-themed clothing. HE had purple hair, dominantly fair complexion, and a laugh straight out of a man trying so hard to become a woman. Heck, some weren't sure about their teacher's gender at all.
"Well, well…so many faces here today. I wonder if I can remember you all." The teacher laughed gaily. "You can call me Harley-sensei by the way—and in case you haven't noticed, I'm a man with a heart of a woman."
"Did this guy whack his head at birth?" Kanata muttered softly to herself.
"YOU THERE…!" The teacher suddenly pointed at Kanata.
"Oh boy…I'll never bash a person ever again." The purple-haired girl stood up but was forced to sit down shortly because she wasn't the one being called.
"Not you! I'm calling Ms. Brunette over there!"
"EH? Me?" Haruka said; pointing herself after looking at both sides.
"Who else, my dear…?" Harley replied. "Be a good dear and introduce yourself in front of the class. You seem like a promising child."
"Oh, well…uh…I'm honored, kamo."
Haruka stood up from her seat and walked towards the teacher's table. This wasn't the first time she was going to do an introduction. She already did one way back at the first day of school which turned out to be a blast thanks to her cutesy nature and sunny disposition. But she decided to keep a low profile just to not let pride kick in huge portions.
"Hello, my name is Kumano Haruka." She started. "I'm twelve years old and—"
"Stop…!" Teacher Harley cut her off; just like the time with her adviser. "I don't feel your cheerfulness, my dear."
"Huh?"
"Oh please, is that how last year's Ms. Kawaii should even act?"
"So…you want me to do that winning pose am I right?"
"My thoughts exactly, Haruka-chan…! Now don't be shy and show them what being cute is all about!"
"Why does everyone like my signature pose?"
"It's because that signature pose made you a winner. Now go do it for Haaaaaaarley!"
"(What did I do to deserve this, kamo?)"
Haruka could do nothing but let out a sigh and comply.
---0---0---0---0---0---
It has been already a few days past since the first day of the school year. Sadly, there has been no progress in Haruka's campaign to win Satoshi's heart since entering middle school. High school was going to be her last three chances to accomplish that goal. She firmly believed that learning to cook was necessary since an ideal girl for most boys was an excellent cook.
"But with those black cookies of yours, better kiss your Satoshi goodbye." Kanata laughed for the second time during lunch on the rooftop.
"Kanata, instead of wasting your time teasing me, why don't you help me out for a change?" Haruka replied.
"I wish I could but I'm too busy doing other things."
"You're not busy at all. You keep on asking others for answers to homework every time we have one, kamo."
"It's called 'playing safe', Haruka."
"Well I call it laziness if you ask me. Come on, at least give me a few pointers."
"Here's a tip for you: ask a chef!"
Kanata laughed louder this time compared to the previous ones. She really let herself go this time—rolling on the floor like an Internet emoticon. Wearing an exasperated face, Haruka stood up and dragged Kanata towards the edge of the rooftop where the brunette girl held her friend over the rails just like last time.
"AAAAAAHHH…! Okay Haruka, I won't piss you off again! I promise!" Kanata panicked; pleading that her youth be spared from freefall.
"Then you'll teach me how to cook." Haruka set her conditions.
"What? I told you I've got better things to do—" Kanata was cut off by a bigger and scarier threat.
"You know, that office building at the edge of the city looks taller. If I were to drop you off from the top floor—"
"Waaaaaaah…! Please Haruka, have mercy! I'll do it!"
"Good girl…" Haruka pulled Kanata out of danger and back into the safe zone. This is the second time already. "You're the best friend a girl can ever depend on, kamo."
"You're going to pay for this, Kumano Haruka…" Kanata muttered to herself.
"You said something, Kanata?" Haruka looked at her with stern eyes.
"Huh? Oh, I said nothing! Ha, ha, ha, ha…just talking to myself."
---0---0---0---0---0---
The girls couldn't possibly practice at Haruka's place. She already got in trouble with her mother once with the black cookies. As soon as their classes for Saturday were finally over, the girls went to Kanata's condo unit near the train station: unit 407 on the fourth floor facing east. Inside was a home so beautiful and clean; Haruka could hardly believe that it was her friend's. After all, she came all the way from Minamo City (Lilycove City) just to study to become a top coordinator just like the brunette girl. She wanted to live in style without totally killing her budget. The kitchen had everything: from pots and pans to the different utensils for all-around cooking. But Kanata hardly uses them for two reasons: (1) she sometimes doesn't feel like cooking; and (2) she always orders food-to-go while watching her favorite show.
"Okay, we're going to bake some chocolate chip cookies today. Do we have the ingredients?" Kanata asked; wearing her blue apron.
"Let me see…" Haruka checked the groceries inside the bag one by one. "Flour, a dozen eggs, butter, chocolate chips—"
"Haruka, those aren't chocolate chips! Those are raisins!" Kanata snapped; pointing hard at the box of "chocolate chips" that turned out to be raisins.
"EH? But the label says…raisins…" The brunette girl misread the label back at the supermarket. "I screwed up, kamo."
"Well, there's nothing wrong with that…if we were making oatmeal cookies."
"I guess we'll have to improvise then."
"Anything's better than nothing, I guess. (This is going to be a long day.)"
TO BE CONTINUED