CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT – BAKE IT HAPPEN (NatSuke)

As she watched the cupcakes bake in the oven heat, Natsuki wondered what exactly she was getting herself into.

The idea had come to her gradually for the past week or so, starting out small and then slowly growing until it began to nudge at her whenever she was not distracted by other things. Daisuke had planted the thought in her head, but given that he had never brought it up again—out of respect for her, she knew—Natsuki felt that she was the one who chose to keep giving life to the thought. It had been a long time since she last baked for a festival at school, and she had done so anonymously with a teacher's help then. This time, things felt different, as if she was sure that she would be figured out as a baker for the whole world to see at last.

Though she had already voiced her decision not to do anything for the festival, let alone attend it, Natsuki felt that she would be letting Daisuke down if she chose to go down that road. She knew that Daisuke merely wanted her to enjoy herself, a welcome change from the ominous environment she had at home and her most recent mishap at her father's hands, and she saw nothing wrong with that. She had wanted to tell him about it when he called to inform her of how successful his father's last visit had been, but Natsuki felt that she would fare better with the personal approach she had chosen to take. However, the things that she had told Daisuke echoed in her mind throughout the entire baking process—the thought of being ridiculed for her efforts and cupcakes, the risk of being laughed at for the next few years or so, even the mere idea of being called "cute" simply because she knew how to bake and design colorful pastries.

Moreover, should she choose to do the unthinkable and actually bake for the festival, how on earth was she going to deal with her father now that he was on a higher alert for anything she might do? Buying the ingredients wouldn't be a problem once Daisuke managed to obtain their classmates' help, but her father would likely ignore the fact that everything had been paid for and simply assume that she had pocketed money in secret. As for where to bake, Natsuki knew that she could always go to her Aunt Shoko's place for that, but it might be too much to ask for now that her aunt and uncle were starting to feel some strain from helping their household while her father remained jobless. No matter where she looked, Natsuki saw only obstacles that threatened to make her change her mind.

A ringing sound startled her for a moment; the oven had finished its work. Natsuki quickly put on her pink oven mitts and took them out. She was grateful that her father was out at the moment—meeting another woman at the bars downtown for a future encounter, no doubt. At any rate, his absence had given her time to bake three simple chocolate cupcakes, the ingredients funded by some extra money her Aunt Shoko had kindly given her. It was risky, but then again three cupcakes were easier to make and hide compared to dozens of them, and doing things quickly was something of a necessary lesson that one needed to learn when living in the dreary Fujisawa household.

Three, Natsuki thought as she stared at the cupcakes on the table where she had placed their tray. She had baked one for herself to taste for the reassurance that her handiwork wasn't as bad as she was expecting it to be. Daisuke, who would be giving her his full support, would get the second cupcake; while his opinion was definitely valued, Natsuki could not help but expect him to be slightly biased in her favor regardless of whether the cupcake was good or not. That was where the third cupcake came in, for a third person who would offer their own impartial judgment and help her decide once and for all if she would indeed bake for the school festival.

Though she could still change her opinion, Natsuki knew that Yuri was the second-best choice after Daisuke. She had gotten to know her a bit better than her other schoolmates, but not to the point where her opinion would be swayed by their acquaintanceship. Monika and Sayori were viable options as well, but Natsuki felt rather intimidated by the high standards that a beautiful and smart girl like Monika would undoubtedly have, while Sayori was a lesser-known acquaintance compared to Yuri. And Daisuke's friends, while all cordial and open, made her feel more embarrassed rather than encouraged. At least with Yuri, whom she had been talking to a few times before, whom she had bonded with on a surprisingly profound scale, Natsuki felt that she was making a safe and decent choice.

In the next ten minutes, Natsuki managed to decorate the cupcakes with some simple vanilla icing topped with chocolate chips, the quickest and simplest type of confectionary design that she could make given the limited amount of time she had. She had wanted to make some colored, flavored icing to make the cupcakes even more scrumptious, but the lack of time and the risk of being discovered by her father had made her settle for simplicity. Once she was done, the cupcakes would go into a spare Tupperware container that she would hide in the darkest corner of her closet, to be smuggled into school the next day.

Natsuki sighed to herself as she sprinkled chocolate chips onto the last cupcake. The verdict that awaited her tomorrow was indeed important, but she couldn't help feeling that by doing a test bake she had already made up her mind in a way.

To Natsuki's sudden dread, Yuri wasn't alone the next day.

Waiting for Daisuke at the rooftop, she had discovered that Naoki was sitting with Yuri as she ate from a small lunchbox, talking to her in a low voice. Even from a distance, Natsuki could see how serious Naoki looked, but that was nothing compared to how Yuri was; her face was pale and clammy, as if she would pass out or vomit at any moment. Initially, Natsuki had guessed that starvation was the culprit for Yuri's recent state, familiar as she was with the onset of hunger and its toll on the body. She had voiced such concerns to Daisuke before; though Yuri was a relatively casual acquaintance compared to him, Natsuki did not want her or anyone else going through the same pangs that she was enduring almost every day. Still, Yuri was actually eating, and Natsuki couldn't help but guess that there was something else bothering her.

She looked down at the Tupperware box she was carrying, wondering if she should get on with her plan. Naoki would obviously be left out, and there was also the more obvious problem of letting him find out about her baking. Naturally, there was no way for Natsuki to demand him to leave so that Daisuke and Yuri can taste-test the cupcakes, but it seemed equally rude to leave him without one. In the end, Natsuki knew that she would have to give up her cupcake in order to come to a satisfactory compromise.

Breathing deeply behind her face mask to calm her nerves, she stepped out from behind the wall she had been hiding behind and made her way towards the silent couple. Naoki and Yuri looked up when she was just a few feet away from them.

"Oh, hello there, Natsuki!" said Naoki in greeting, his seriousness punctuated momentarily by a warm smile.

"H-Hey," Natsuki greeted back with a nod. "I hope I didn't . . . y'know, interrupt you two or anything."

"Oh no, it's f-fine," Yuri stammered, putting down her lunch box and sitting up straighter. Her own smile didn't reach her eyes, as if she was too tired to even grin properly. "D-Do you want to sit with us, or . . . ?"

"Is that okay with you two?" asked Natsuki.

"Of course!" said Naoki, who quickly made room where they sat. "Is Daisuke gonna be arriving as well?"

"Yeah, we were gonna talk about . . . about something, and I'm just waiting for him," Natsuki replied. She eyed the two of them, imagining that they were actually hoping that she would leave so that they could continue talking. "Maybe I should just find another place to sit. I don't wanna interrupt you two."

"No, it's f-fine, Natsuki," said Yuri. "We appreciate the company, but w-we also don't want you to feel left out, though. I mean . . ."

Natsuki understood. "You two just carry on talking, alright? I'll just wait for Daisuke right here."

With that, she sat down some distance away from Naoki, who glanced at Yuri for a moment. Natsuki did not mind them as she set down the Tupperware box to her right, directing her own gaze pointedly away from the two of them so that they could continue their conversation. True enough, after a few more moments of silence, Yuri and Naoki continued talking in low voices. Natsuki fiddled with her hands, trying not to eavesdrop and wishing that she had brought along a copy of her manga to keep her occupied in the meantime.

Daisuke arrived around five minutes later, carrying two cans of orange soda with him. Natsuki raised her hand and waved at him until she caught his eye, and he jogged towards them.

"Hello there, folks!" he said genially as he approached. "Looks like we've got quite a nice little setup here."

"Quite," said Naoki, grinning as the two of them bumped fists. Daisuke grinned at Natsuki for a moment, but he paused when he glanced at Yuri, evidently surprised by the bushed look on her face.

"Everything alright, Yuri?" he asked.

"I'm fine, t-thank you for asking," said Yuri with the same feeble smile she had given Natsuki.

"That's good to hear," said Daisuke, sitting down with them. Natsuki quickly hid the Tupperware box behind her, feeling her heartbeat rise as the situation started to reveal itself to her. Though her plan was simple in essence, her own resolve had begun to waver now that Daisuke was present, and Naoki's presence was also taking its toll. This was a bad idea. Maybe I shouldn't have baked. Maybe I should've done this some other time. And yet Natsuki knew that in spite of her current thoughts, she had assured Daisuke that she would be telling him of her plans today. While she hadn't made it a solemn promise in any way, it still bothered her to go back on her personal word.

"So, Natsuki," said Daisuke, holding out a can of orange soda at her, "what is it that you wanted to tell me?"

Natsuki took the can from him, grateful that her face mask hid the flush on her cheeks. She swallowed anxiously. "W-Well, it's . . ."

Unable to speak straight, she glanced at Naoki and Yuri once again. After Daisuke's arrival, the two of them seemed to have forestalled their conversation, indirectly causing all eyes and ears in the group to fall upon her. Natsuki bit her lip, cursing inwardly at how fate was making fun of her at the moment.

"Yes?" said Daisuke expectantly as he opened his own can of soda and took a sip from it.

Naoki spoke up then. "Do you guys need some space?" he said concernedly. "Yuri and I can go somewhere else if that's—"

"No, no, it's fine!" said Natsuki hastily. "Just . . . J-Just give me a moment."

Knowing that there was nowhere to run or fall back to, she reached behind her and picked up the Tupperware box gingerly, the feel of the plastic beneath her fingers giving her a sense of stability. Naoki followed her movements with his steel-grey eyes, looking slightly puzzled, while Yuri kept looking at her with a mixture of curiosity and anxiety on her face. Their gazes made Natsuki feel so exposed, so vulnerable, and yet she had gone too far to turn back now. She sat up ramrod straight and laid the Tupperware box on her lap, making sure to cover the sides with her hands so as not to let its contents fall into view and give things away easily.

She closed her eyes in grim resignation, her breath hissing through her nostrils. As she opened the box, the sound of the lid being lifted echoed in her ears like the world being torn asunder. When she smelled the faint aroma of chocolate in front of her, it was the true point of no return.

Yuri's voice was the first to puncture the silence. "C-Cupcakes?" she asked timidly.

Against her will, Natsuki opened her eyes to survey the aftermath of her reveal. Both Yuri and Naoki were staring at the cupcakes with matching expressions of mild interest. She focused on them intently, not wanting to even glance at what Daisuke's reaction might be.

"Did you buy those, Natsuki?" Naoki asked. "They look like those cupcakes from that bakeshop my mother frequents downtown."

"Er, n-no," said Natsuki in reply. "They're actually . . ."

"Are they homemade?" Yuri suddenly inquired. Natsuki looked at her in a flash, startled by her question. Yuri, on the other hand, looked nervous again when she saw her eyes fixed on her.

"I apologize," she said in a timorous tone. "It's j-just a wild guess."

Natsuki sighed helplessly. "Y-Yeah, they're actually homemade." She paused for a moment, balling her hands into fists. "I . . . I made them."

In her mind's eye, as she uttered those words, she was expecting the two of them to freak out, to blurt out their surprise for the world to hear, to bombard her with questions then and there. However, the actual reactions were quite different from what her thoughts had cooked up. While the shock was there, it wasn't the same as the level Natsuki was expecting; Yuri was simply staring at her, her purple eyes widened in surprise, while Naoki shifted her gaze from her to the cupcakes, as if digesting what she had said.

But while their stares made Natsuki's anxiety rise, it was Daisuke's reaction that sent her heart into overdrive as she finally looked at him. The realization that had dawned on his face told her everything; it was only natural that Daisuke would recall the familiar sight of a Tupperware box coming from her, and she had no doubt that his intuition had picked up on things easily enough when he first saw the container. But though she had expected him to start yakking in excitement, Daisuke instead looked at her with a meaningful gleam in his amber eyes.

Naoki shifted forward. "I . . . I didn't know you baked, Natsuki."

"Yeah, well, it's not the kind of thing I share with a lot of people," Natsuki stated silently. "But this time, I figured I should do it since . . . well, I'm p-planning on . . . on baking for the f-festival."

Next to her, Daisuke sat up straighter, his soda forgotten in his hand all the while. Yuri's eyes went even wider, temporarily dispelling the tiredness on her face. "F-For the festival? You mean you're going to be s-selling cupcakes like these?" she asked.

Natsuki winced at the slight loudness of her voice, but thankfully no students looked around to stare at them talking. Not yet, at any rate. "Yeah. I mean . . . well, to be honest, Daisuke here's the one who wanted me to t-try."

"Wait, really?" Naoki asked, looking over at Daisuke. The latter grinned apologetically where he sat, casting a glance at Natsuki as if he was asking for her permission to start speaking. Natsuki glared back at him, as if wordlessly telling him, Help me with this, you big dummy.

"Y-Yeah, I gave her the idea," Daisuke stammered, drawing back slightly against her stare. "I mean, if you've tasted those cupcakes, you'd know why. It's just that . . . er, I don't think I'm the one who should be saying all this," he admitted nervously.

Natsuki sighed. "My baking is not something everyone knows about," she finished for him, "and it's not s-something I do all the time. You know how it can be when people get wind of something you can do and they just bug you over and over about it."

"Ah, I suppose you're right about that. . ." said Yuri.

"But I've been giving it some thought a-and . . . well, it's worth a shot," Natsuki continued. "I don't have anything else to do for the festival, and I think it won't be that bad considering I've already baked for a previous festival. B-But before I decide for good, there's one thing I need to do."

She looked down at the cupcakes for a moment. No turning back now. With a sigh, she took out two of them and handed it over to Naoki and Yuri, who both looked astonished all over again.

"I need you to . . . t-to taste these for me," she muttered.

Naoki and Yuri glanced at each other as they took the cupcakes from her. Naoki peered curiously at his, as if he was examining a curious new object that he was seeing for the first time. Yuri, on the other hand, dipped a finger in the vanilla icing and licked at it. Her eyes lit up excitedly.

"That's rather delectable," she said.

"W-Well, don't just settle for the icing," said Natsuki, her anxiety starting to mount. "Taste them."

As Naoki and Yuri both took small bites from their cupcakes, Natsuki took out the last cupcake and handed it over to Daisuke. "F-For you," she said.

"Wait, do I really get one?" Daisuke asked, nonplussed.

"You'll get it all over your face if you don't take it right now," Natsuki hissed.

"Okay, okay," said Daisuke hastily, laughing. As he took the cupcake from her, he asked, "How about you?"

"As you can see, I made only three," Natsuki stated bluntly. "It's fine, anyway. I've tasted my own work before."

"Oh." Daisuke looked at his cupcake for a moment. Without waiting for her to say anything else, he broke it in half and handed a piece to Natsuki, who drew back in shock.

"W-Why the heck did you do that?!" she cried.

"It's only fair that you get to eat along with us," said Daisuke with a smile. "I mean, you're the one who made these, after all."

As heat rushed to her cheeks, Natsuki hesitated for a moment, painfully aware that Yuri and Naoki were listening to such tenderness as they ate their own cupcakes. With a sigh, she snatched the cupcake piece from Daisuke, turned around, and nibbled on it discreetly, careful not to let anyone spot the healing bruises beneath her face mask.

When they were done eating, Naoki was the first to speak up. "Yuri's right. The cupcakes are delicious, Natsuki. They may be homemade, but the quality's so spot-on that it'd be hard to guess that they were homemade in the first place."

Natsuki nodded, feeling both embarrassed and honored at the same time; with Naoki's articulate air, it felt like she was being praised by a professor about a certain school project. "T-Thanks, I guess. . ." she muttered.

"Told you," said Daisuke next to her. "And you ain't seen anything yet, believe me. With the right ingredients, there'll be cupcakes with other flavors and colors too. The decorations are really nice—lots of color, design variations, stuff like that. It'll definitely catch the eyes of visitors at the booths, don't you think?"

"Agreed. The others will love these," Naoki added. "Kenta scarfs down desserts like it's nobody's business."

"Hey, don't tell anyone else just yet, alright?" said Natsuki, feeling overwhelmed by their praise. "They'll find out soon enough at the festival. I just d-don't want a lot of questions being thrown my way, it might throw me off m-my game or something."

"'My game,' huh?" said Daisuke with a grin. "Sounds like you're really gonna get into this, Natsuki."

"I would get behind such a notion," Yuri joined in unexpectedly with a timid but hopeful tone. "Your cupcake was delectable. I mean, the icing was not too decadent, and the cake itself had both a fluffy and rich texture. R-Really, everything overall was not overdone like in some cafés I've visited before."

Natsuki stared for a moment, dumbfounded. She had not counted on a short but detailed response from Yuri, imagining that perhaps she had been inspired by the circulation of the conversation to start offering her own opinion. Still, like with Naoki, Yuri's praise made her feel mortified and pleased at the same time.

"A-Are you sure you liked it?" she asked her, as if her mind was trying to do a double-take to confirm.

"Y-Yes, of course," said Yuri, who looked slightly anxious all of a sudden. "I mean, it might sound like I'm p-patronizing you, but I don't think I can deny what I said. I'm not exactly an aficionado when it comes to pastries and such, but I wouldn't m-mind eating another of those at the festival."

Daisuke laughed. "See, Natsuki? You've already got two other people giving you the thumbs-up. Still think it's a bad idea?"

Natsuki sighed. Try as she might to look for anything negative about the feedback she had gotten, she was turning up nothing. She had imagined initially that Naoki and Yuri were simply saying what she wants to hear, but given that they obviously knew what they were saying and meant it, she felt that doubting their word was pointless. Unused to such praise and encouragement, she had never felt so validated, self-conscious and determined all at the same time.

"Alright, f-fine," she muttered. "Thanks for your opinions, you two. I really appreciate it. To be honest, I didn't expect it to go this way, but after hearing your takes on it all, I think it's safe to say that I've f-finally made up my mind." She paused for a moment, sighing. "I'm gonna bake."

"There we go!" Daisuke cried out happily.

"Glad to hear that," said Naoki, smiling. "We'll look forward to your cupcakes, then."

"Agreed," Yuri added. "I hope things w-will go well for you, Natsuki."

Natsuki nodded. "Thanks. I appreciate that. But there's one more thing," she went on, causing everyone to fall silent. She turned to look towards Daisuke, who looked puzzled for a moment. Naoki and Yuri sat up straight, anticipating whatever it was that she was about to say. Natsuki let the silence stretch for a moment, staring deeply into Daisuke's eyes.

"You're gonna be helping me," she told him.

As she watched the slow but steady flush setting in Daisuke's handsome face at her words, Natsuki wondered whose embarrassment was deeper between the two of them.

Staring outside the windows of their classroom idly, Daisuke mused on things in silence, not even listening much to their professor's discussion for the day. Against his initial expectations, he had managed to convince Natsuki to bake for the festival. This not only meant letting Natsuki have some fun and productivity for the festival instead of having her sit things out, but it also gave her a nice way to showcase once again her obvious talent for baking. Daisuke had not wanted to keep bugging her about it, wary as he was of Natsuki's tendency to lash out if annoyed, so it truly came as a surprise that she had partly made her decision on her own and baked some cupcakes to test the waters before her final say. He also knew that Natsuki's intention was to surprise him in a way, given by how she virtually let no clue slip as to why she had wanted to talk to him at lunchtime.

But amid his enthusiasm and delight, Daisuke also felt a bit of curiosity and even nervousness within him. He kept wondering if Natsuki was truly serious about what she had mentioned earlier, or if she merely wanted to catch him off guard in front of Naoki and Yuri as some sort of lighthearted payback for the way he kept indirectly making her feel discomfited. Then again, Natsuki was one of the bluntest people he knew, and if she said something, it didn't take much to feel if she really meant it. Daisuke glanced around at her, watching her listen to the class discussion. Privately, he wondered if the serious gleam in her eyes had anything to do with her harnessing what focus she needed for the coming days—and if she was expecting the same from him.

When class ended two hours later, Daisuke hung back as he packed away his things. Most of his other classmates and friends passed him by, ready to begin the evening's post-school leisure activities downtown. Natsuki, meanwhile, looked ready to go home until Daisuke walked up to her and laid a hand on her shoulder.

Natsuki turned around quickly, raising her eyebrows when she saw that it was him. "What?" she said.

"Can we talk outside for a bit?" he asked.

"A-About what?"

"You know what I'm talking about, Natsuki."

Natsuki let out a sigh. "Okay, come on."

Together, they left the classroom and joined the throng of other students who were exiting the school, walking down the corridor until they had found a side spot that was clear of any passing students that might overhear them. Only then did Daisuke speak up.

"So . . . about your plan," Daisuke began.

"Surprised?" asked Natsuki.

"You have no idea," said Daisuke with a chuckle. "But I think you know which part of your surprise got me the most."

Natsuki shifted her feet where she stood. "Yeah, I think I know."

Daisuke nodded. "So when do we start?"

Natsuki looked up at him, evidently surprised. "Wait, you're not . . . backing out or anything?"

"Well, I did say that I was gonna do it on my own if you didn't want to get on with it," Daisuke admitted, "but now that you've changed your mind, I'm determined to lend you my helping hand. It's just that . . ."

"J-Just what?"

"Well, I wouldn't wanna disappoint you, nor would I want to be a burden. Obviously, you know a whole lot more about baking than any person I know right now, so you're gonna be doing fine. As for me, on the other hand . . ."

"Oh, is Parfait Girls not giving you enough tips, or were you really just looking more at the girls instead of the baking?" Natsuki joked bluntly.

"Hey, you know it ain't like that," said Daisuke in a sheepish tone, "and it's not like I can learn the secrets of baking overnight even with a long series like Parfait Girls. All I'm saying is, if I'm really gonna be helping you out, I might need some pointers from you along the way."

Natsuki stared at him for a moment; Daisuke could tell that she wanted to keep ribbing him as he caught the makings of a smirk crinkling the corners of her eyes. "I guess you're right," she admitted. "The main reason I wanted you to help me was because the extra help will be really useful if I'm gonna be meeting a quota. Speaking of which, how many cupcakes do you think we'll need?"

"Well, how many did you bake in that one festival before?"

"I think that was . . . around sixty, if I remember correctly. It was just for our class and some visitors, so it wasn't really a whole lot."

"Wait, you baked sixty cupcakes on your own? That's really impressive, Natsuki."

"I had a lot of t-time to prepare for that, okay?" said Natsuki, embarrassed. "Anyway, I was thinking that if I baked up to sixty before, maybe a hundred would be enough this time. I think that'll be good for only a day at most, though. It might not be a good idea to leave them exposed any longer than that," she added. "They won't spoil or anything, but they might start drying out, or the icing might have its consistency affected. Maybe if we can, like, place them in some larger containers and store them somewhere cool, they'll last for a bit longer. . ."

Daisuke chuckled, prompting her to look again at him. "W-What are you laughing at?! Are you laughing at m-me?!" she snapped.

"No, it's not like that!" said Daisuke quickly, inching away in case Natsuki reached out to punch his arm. "I just thought it was nice to see how serious you are about this. This is what I meant when I said that you'd surely give everything your two-hundred percent if you try this out. Those cupcakes are gonna rock, I can already tell."

"Don't get too excited, this is gonna take a long while," Natsuki stated, her stance mellowing after her initial outburst. "We don't even have a place for the baking yet. I think it's obvious to say my house is the last place in the world where we can bake all those cupcakes. I think I can just ask for permission from my aunt to do the work at her place again, like I did before."

At that moment, a lightbulb clicked in Daisuke's head. "Or . . . we can go to my place instead."

Natsuki looked at him. "Your p-place?" she asked, aghast.

"Yep! We can totally use the oven in our diner for the baking, plus you'll be able to store the cupcakes in our pantry or fridge afterwards. On the day of the festival, you can just drop by there and help me take them to school. Plus, we can even ask Mom for help!"

Natsuki drew back as if horrified. "N-No! That'd be too much! I mean, I don't wanna bother your mom for help, and we might take up too much space if we—"

"No, no, it's fine," Daisuke reassured her. "The diner closes early during weekends, so we can start baking after closing time so that the kitchen's free for us to use. Two days ought to be enough to make all of those cupcakes, right?"

"W-Well, yeah, b-but . . ."

"Natsuki, it's fine," Daisuke repeated. "If we go to your aunt's place, you're gonna have to do a bit of explaining about who I am and why I'm with you. At our place, though, you're already a welcome visitor. Mom will be more than happy to let us work there, and I'm sure she'd wanna see you bake as well. Maybe Hiroko can also lend us a hand."

Natsuki said nothing. It was then that Daisuke realized how overwhelming this must all be for her, and how he might be scaring her off rather than encouraging her to get on with her plan. When Natsuki still kept silent, he decided to change tack slightly. "I'm sorry," he said, bowing his head. "That might've been too straightforward of me. I just—"

"No, it w-wasn't," said Natsuki all of a sudden. "I think it's a g-good idea."

Daisuke looked up at her. "Wait, it is?" he asked.

"Yeah," replied Natsuki. "I was just unsure about it because I didn't want to b-bother any more people than I needed to about this. I'm already asking for a lot when I told you that you were gonna be helping me, and I don't want to drag your mom and sister into it as well. And b-besides, I've baked alone all the time, so I'm used to having little to no help. N-Not that I don't want you to help me, of course! I just . . . I don't like asking for help because it makes me feel even weaker than I already feel, being alone at home and . . . y-you know."

Daisuke gazed upon her, not knowing what to say. Then again, there wasn't a lot that can be said, he knew. His eyes lingered upon her face mask; though the bruises behind them were certainly healing, the emotional scars they had left were a different matter. For him, it was precisely this thought that kept him going in his bid to make sure Natsuki was always fine.

"Anyway, it's not like I have an awful lot of time to make this happen, so yeah, I think w-we should go with your suggestion," Natsuki continued. "Let's just tell the officers if they can spare some money from the class funds for the ingredients, and we'll mark it down for this Saturday."

"Sure thing. I'll message them tonight, but we can ask them tomorrow as well," said Daisuke. "Also, do you think I should tell Mom in advance about our plans, just in case?"

Natsuki pondered for a moment. "Y-Yeah, I think you should. That way, she can tell us ahead of time if we'll be able to use your place."

"Don't worry about that. I'm sure she'll be fine with it," Daisuke assured her. In fact, there was a more pressing concern that they needed to address other than the venue and the ingredients, a concern that sat above the rest.

"How about . . . a-about . . . you know, your dad?" he asked. "Won't he be looking for you or s-something?"

Natsuki shook her head. "As long as he feels that I'm not spending any of his money, it's all good. Besides, he mostly goes out for the weekends to drink with his friends. As long as I show up earlier than he does, it's fine."

"Then we'd better make sure you get home early on Saturday," Daisuke mused.

"Hey, don't worry about me, okay?" Natsuki told him. "Right now, our biggest concern should be the cupcakes. And just to be clear, I'm gonna spell it out for you this early—all the actual baking and designing, that's gonna be me, alright? I'll call on your help when I need it, but I think you can just . . . I dunno, clean up and get me the stuff I need."

"Aww, does that mean I won't get to try out baking?" asked Daisuke.

"Well, like you said, you're still a beginner, and we can't risk any screw-ups," said Natsuki bluntly. "When I said you'd be helping me, I meant you'd be helping me with other stuff while I accomplish our main objective."

"But you can still teach me, right? I mean, baking looks like it's a lot of fun based on what I've seen in Parfait Girls. Tomo always enjoys baking with the girls, even if he always causes everyone to start bickering over him."

"Are you really sure you're not just getting into it for the girls?" Natsuki teased. "Maybe once you start learning some more, you're gonna be using those skills to impress the ladies out there, hmm?"

"It's not like that, alright?" Daisuke stated firmly with a sigh. "Jeez, you sound like Kenta sometimes. Besides, why would I look at other girls when I've already got you?"

That stopped Natsuki in her tracks. "You're s-saying that mushy stuff again, you big dummy!" she hissed.

"Hey, I'm not the one who started it, alright?" Daisuke shot back, laughing as he danced away from her reach before a fist can fly.

"I know, I know," Natsuki grumbled petulantly. "Anyway, we should go. They might shut us in the school if we stay here any longer."

Outside, most of the students had already exited the school, with only a few lingering around as they sat on the stone benches flanking the entrance. The rest of the city was starting to become steeped in the orange hue of autumn as the sun receded in the background, ready to usher in the early stages of the evening.

At the gates, Natsuki turned towards him. "I just realized. Who's gonna be buying the ingredients?" she inquired.

"Oh, I haven't thought about that," said Daisuke. "I think Friday's a good time to buy everything. I'll just take everything over to the diner so that you won't have to carry anything, and it'll all be safe and secure for Saturday. How's that?"

"Sounds like a plan," Natsuki mused. "I'll send you a complete list of all the ingredients tonight. Save it on your phone, alright?"

"Sure thing. If you need anything else, just tell me."

Natsuki shot him a look. "And maybe I'll . . . think about letting you help me bake," she went on lamely.

"Wait, really?" asked Daisuke, aghast.

"Did I stutter?" Natsuki hissed, her face turning pink again. "Just make sure you earn the opportunity, alright? I'm gonna risk a lot if I let you help me, so if you're gonna help me, make sure you don't muck anything up!"

Daisuke stared at her for a moment. It was often a wonder how Natsuki could bounce between saying one thing and then saying another only a short time later. Then again, that was how things had taken off between them, he knew.

He smiled. "I won't let you down," he said.

Natsuki eyed him beadily, her face still flushed. "I know y-you won't," she stammered back.