A/N Here's the second chapter! It's a little late, but I find Fanfiction quite hard to work with, but I think I understand how everything works by now.
Again, I don't own Yumeiro Patissiere! nor any of the characters in this story. Enjoy reading!
"The truth is... You are very important to me, Ichigo-chan." Satsuki sighed, relieved he had said what wanted to say for a very long time.
"You are very important to me too, Hanabusa-kun..." Kashino had heard enough and as silent and quick as he could, he walked back to the dorm.
Ichigo smiled.
"...and so are Andoh-kun and Kashino. Everyone is a very precious friend to me!"
Satsuki smiled. This was so like Ichigo, he loved her denseness. He loved everything about her.
"You know, I meant it differently. I love you, Ichigo-chan."
Silence.
I love you, Ichigo-chan. I love you. Love you. Love.
Ichigo felt her face slowly heat up, until a temperature of which she thought that it was impossible on planet Earth.
"I don't need an immediate answer, okay, Ichigo-chan?"
"Well, I.. I already thought about it.. a little, I guess." Ichigo was too embarrassed to look at Satsuki, so she turned her head away.
"About what?" Satsuki was confused, did she mean she already thought of him as more than just a friend? He couldn't help but feel very happy.
"About... love." Ichigo's face turned a shade of red Vanilla hadn't seen before. The Sweets Spirit started to worry her partner's face would burn down.
"You know, I've only recently realized that somebody is more than just a friend to me. That I am in love with somebody." She felt the impossible happen, her cheeks heated up even more. Vanilla started to look for something she could use to cool down Ichigo's face.
Inside Satsuki's head, a war was going on. Half of him said that it was definitely him she was talking about. How could it be possibly somebody else? She must have felt his love and, unknowingly, started to feel the same way towards him. That's the way it always goes. That's the way he wanted it to go.
The other half, the part which was still able to think, made a list of possible names. Maybe it was him, but maybe it was Andou or even Kashino she loved.
"I really like you, Hanabusa-kun. But.. as a friend. I'm truly sorry." She turned around and ran away, not knowing what else to say.
He knew it couldn't have been him.
~YP~
He kept cursing himself, silently. Why did he have to be so stubborn? Why didn't he just admit he loved Ichigo and confessed to her?
"Kashino! You're walking too fast! Where are you going?" Chocolat had a hard time keeping up with her partner's pace.
"Ouch!" She hadn't noticed the branch and as Kashino released it, it hit her.
"Kashino! Wait for me, please!" Kashino was nowhere to be seen.
Idiot! Because of your stupid pride, you ruined it! Everything! Kashino sat down. He noticed he was breathing heavily and only then realized he had run. His heart felt like it would explode because of the feelings he had locked up. He had never been good with his feelings and emotions and he only showed half of them. The other half he safely kept secret to everyone around him.
He sighed.
"Chocolat, let's go."
...
"Chocolat?"
...
After looking around, he let out an angry sigh. Where could she be? He decided not to look for her, but instead lay down on the grass.
"K.. Ka.. shi.. Kashino! You.. run.. too... fast!" Kashino jumped up when he saw the Sweets Spirit.
"Good, you're finally here! Let's go." He grabbed his partner and stuffed her in his pocket.
"Hey! Be careful with me! I'm your partner!" Chocolat winced when Kashino touched her small body.
"Let's go practice tempering."
~YP~
"Kashino?"
No reaction. Chocolat flew around her partner's head. Only then she noticed the bruises and scratches on his cheeks. He too must've been hit by the branches while running.
"Um, Kashino?"
Again, he ignored her. Chocolat sighed, Kashino never listened to her when he was practicing. She went to the other side of the classroom and looked through the window. She noticed Ichigo and Vanilla, they were talking to each other. Vanilla said something which made Ichigo laugh and together they walked to the dorms.
Chocolat sighed again. She wished Kashino could treat her as his friend. Even though she told Vanilla, Caramel and Cafe she and Kashino were like a husband and his wife, deep in her heart it hurt when Kashino ignored her.
"Hey, Chocolat."
She jumped up in surprise when hearing his voice.
"Y.. yes?"
"Here," Kashino said. He held out a Sweets Sprit-sized plate with a small piece of the chocolate cake he made.
"Thank you," Chocolat answered softly as she took the plate. A fork appeared besides her and she grabbed it.
"Magical Macaroon, Sweets Romance Card, come on out!" Both of them watched the Queen of the Sweets Spirits accept the card and then Kashino looked at Chocolat.
"What did you want to tell me?"
"Actually.. You know... Well, I've been your partner for quite a while now, and I know you better than you think I do."
Kashino only looked at her, but she saw that as a sign that she could go on.
"I know you're in love with Amano Ichigo."
No answer. Chocolat noticed her partner was suddenly very interested in a cookery book somebody had left in the classroom. It encouraged her to finish her story.
"And.. I think you should tell her. How you feel." Chocolat knew she was lying to herself. She didn't want Kashino to love Ichigo. She wanted him to forget about her. But she also knew that wasn't possible. Ichigo was in the same group after all. They were teammates. For Kashino, it would be the best to stop locking his feelings up. She wanted him to do what's best for him, even though that wasn't what she liked. That's what partners are for.
"You heard her. She likes him. Hanabusa." Kashino turned around. He was angry at Chocolat because she brought this subject up.
"What she said was that Hanabusa is very important to her. She's dense. Maybe she meant to say he's important to her as a friend."
Kashino looked up. He hadn't thought about that yet. She was extremely dense indeed. Could it be.. he misunderstood?
But then, what if he didn't? What if Ichigo did like Hanabusa? And more importantly, what if she didn't? Who says there isn't anybody else she likes? Why in the world would she like him, the person who always yells at her and is mean to her?
"There's no way she could like me." He started to clean up the utensils.
"You're... giving up?" Chocolat was shocked. It wasn't like Kashino to give up.
"It's none of your business, is it?" His sudden loud voice surprised the Sweets Spirit.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
After a few moments, she realized she was still holding the plate with the cake Kashino had made.
"Then, let's eat!" she said, trying to cheer Kashino up.
He looked up at the cake and Chocolat could have sworn she saw something shiny in the corner of his eye.
"Oh, you're right. We haven't tasted it yet." Kashino cut of a piece for him as well.
"Let's eat."
Both of them took a bite.
For a few moments, nobody said a word. You could hear some of the girls laugh in the dorm nearby.
Then Chocolat opened her mouth.
"This is... most certainly..."
Kashino looked at his cake.
"...unbelievable."
A/N I hope you liked it! It's a little shorter than the first chapter, but I might edit it later if I find any parts I don't like. I did the same with the first chapter. Thanks for reading anyways!
