Hunger
Chapter 6
"...safe upon the shore line
afraid to risk the river's flow
I'm only left to wonder
just where the river goes."
With one final deep breath Naota set down the poem he had been working on for the past two weeks. His face slightly flushed as his fellow club members gave him a small round of applause. Despite practicing his poem for the room for the last few meetings public speaking still shook him a bit and he eagerly sat back down as the clapping stopped. Monika quickly took his place at the head of the room.
"Alright everyone great job on your poems, and everyone's public speaking has gotten better too. I think we're as prepared as we can be for the festival Monday." Monika praised and smiled as the room quietly celebrated their accomplishments. "This weekend I trust you all will be working on your assigned tasks."
"Only if you come through with that budget money today." Natsuki pointed out.
"Of course, Sayori and I have already used our share so hopefully whats left will be enough for you two and Yuri. Sadly, with us being such a small club we get a little less allowance then the other clubs." Monika explained as she handed out money to Natsuki and Yuri.
Natsuki quickly counted through the bills. "I won't be able to make too many cupcakes with just this so we might have to go with something a little cheaper..."
"Is that going to be a problem?" Monika asked.
"Nah, we're still gonna make something to knock everyone's socks off." Natsuki's lips curled into a confident grin. Seeing her smile caused both Naota and Monika to follow suit.
"What about you Yuri? Will that be enough?"
"I'll be bring a few things from my room to help with the ambiance so I believe this should cover the supplies for the rest." Yuri confirmed as she tucked the funds safely away.
"Good. Finally I want to quickly go over how we're going to operate throughout the festival. Most important is that we will be giving readings at 5 and 6 so I would like it if you all would report back here 10 minutes before hand." Monika paused briefly for anyone to object, which no one did. "This means you can't go crazy and you have to stay presentable in the meantime. And I mean it, no getting messy and no stuffing yourself with candy until you barf Sayori." Monika folded her arms in a stern pose as she remember her vice president's actions last festival.
"Ehehe I promise to be on my best behavior." Sayori promised, giving a small, sheepish salute.
"Alright then, secondly we will be split into two shifts. That way one shift can watch the room and tend to guests and the other can check out the festival. The two will then switch roles after the 5 o' clock reading. After our final reading we'll do a quick clean up and then we're free to enjoy the rest of the festival."
"Oh oh! I call Naota's shift." Sayori said waving her hand in the air.
"I've already decided Naota and I will see the festival first and you three will take the first hosting duty." Monika declared.
"Aww..." Sayori groaned, deflating from her excitement.
"Well then, any other questions?" When no one spoke up Monika continued. "Well the rest of the hour is yours then."
The group set off to do their usual activities. Natsuki scurried off to her manga closet and Naota waited for her underneath one of the windows like he had for their last few meetings. The two had just gotten to Volume 4 of Parfait Girls and Naota maybe just as eager as Natsuki to continue the story. Natsuki soon came back with the book, she took her usual seat aside Naota with a loud thud.
"Real lady like there Natsuki." Naota cackled.
"Lay off me I'm exhausted today." Natsuki defended, her growling stomach punctuated her point. "Anyway before I forget I need your number and address so we can get the baking done this weekend."
"Sure give me your phone and I'll enter it." Naota held his hand out.
"No can do, I don't have a cell phone."
"What? Really?" Come to think of it Naota never saw Natsuki wasting time on her phone.
"Nope, can't afford one. I got to use the house phone." Natsuki explained, a defiant look in her eye dared the smart ass in front of her to say something. "Plus if you called and my dad answered he would flip."
"So what, your just gonna call me?" Naota asked.
"I'll call you when I'm leaving, we're going to have to meet at a grocery store to pick up supplies then it's off to your place." Natsuki explained her plan, a light blush dusting her cheeks as she was reminded that she was going over to a boy's house.
"Wow, you've been putting some thought into this huh?" Naota asked, impressed by her planning ability.
"Well duh, one of us had to take charge of this project." Natsuki pointed out.
"Well you're the head baker." Naota countered. "I'll make sure to jot all my info down before we leave today. Can we start reading now? That last cliffhanger has been bugging me for days now." Naota opened up the volume in his hands to it's first page.
Natsuki nodded, satisfied with his answer. A small grin formed on her lips as she leaned closer to the man aside her. Seeing him so excited to read caused a warm little feeling to blossom deep inside her chest, not that she would ever admit it.
-Later that Sunday-
Part of Naota felt silly as he checked himself over for the fourth time in the mirror. It was just Natsuki! She'd wouldn't really care how he looked as long as he was clean right? Nah, this was Natsuki, if he showed up looking too sloppy he'd never hear the end of it. After playing with his hair a bit he decided to make one trip around the house, making sure everything was clean and in it's place.
The house was quiet. Naota had lucked out and his parents were going to be out running errands for a majority for the day. He had cleared the baking plans with them already and they were fine with it as long as they cleaned up after themselves and didn't burn the house down. They didn't even make a big deal about having a girl over although his father did remind him to "be a gentleman."
They had nothing to worry about of course. Sure he had noticed how his heart rate picked up when she was around but that didn't mean anything. It was just because she was the first person aside Sayori and Megumi to get this close to him. He was in control and he wasn't falling for anyone anytime soon.
As he passed a hallway mirror he stopped to look again. He was straightening out his long sleeve back tee when he felt a rumble in his pocket. He nearly dropped his phone as he quickly retrieved it. He took a deep breath to calm his nervousness and cleared his throat before answering.
"Hello?" Naota did his best to sound causal despite his drumming heart.
"Hey dummy you awake over there?" The commanding voice of Natsuki came from the other line.
"No, just sleep talking on my phone like I always do." Naota chuckled. "Are you heading out now?"
"Yeah I'll be waiting out front of the grocery store for you. I think you have a little bit longer to walk then I do so you better hustle!"
Naota had already retrieved his hoodie from the hall closet and was making his way to the front door. "I bet I get there first and I end up waiting." He challenged.
"Yeah right! We'll see." Natsuki replied before the line went dead.
Naota grinned at his friends challenge. He eagerly stepped out his front door before realizing he had left his keys and wallet inside.
"Shit..." He muttered to himself as his ran back in the house. Some race this was going to be.
From his house to the grocery store was only a fifteen minute walk. Sure enough waiting outside was a short girl, dressed in a pink skirt and a white hoodie with cat's ears sewn to the hood. Naota quickend his pace to a light jog as he approached. Natsuki pulled her hood off when she recognized him, revealing her bright pink hair and a fangy grin.
"There you are! Told ya I'd get here before you." Natsuki taunted as she readjusted the book bag slung across her shoulder.
"Yeah well you did have a shorter way to walk then I did." Naota shyly admitted his defeat as he caught his breath. Straightening himself out again he couldn't help but to look over his club mate. He definitely wasn't prepared for Natsuki to look so cute in her causal clothes.
"What? Did my hoodie get stained or something? Natsuki checked herself over when she noticed Naota staring.
"No! No, you look great! I'm just not use to seeing you in normal clothes." Naota quickly explained, finally breaking his gaze.
"Well don't get weird on me now!" Natsuki commanded, her face reddening as she picked up on the compliment she just received. "Let's get going, we're burning daylight!"
Before he knew it Naota was being lead around the store, a basket hanging around his arm while Natsuki grabbed ingredients and checked things off a list.
"So what are we making again?" Naota asked, only knowing that cupcakes were off the list.
"I figured cookies would be more economical with our budget and time." Natsuki explained as she continued to grab things from the baking aisle. "So I found a family recipe for white chocolate cranberry cookies. That should be easy enough for a first timer like you."
Naota only nodded along as the basket on his arm got heavier and heavier. He followed Natsuki without protest as she led him throughout the store.
"Why are we in this aisle?" Naota asked when they found themselves in front of shelves of instant noodles.
"We need to pick out a quick lunch and believe me after working with all this sugar you'll be craving some salt." Natsuki quickly picked out a seafood flavored one for herself and placed it in the basket. "What kind do you want?"
"Curry flavored has always been my favorite."
Natsuki nodded and quickly grabbed a curry cup for Naota. "One last thing..." she mumbled as she led the way to the snack aisle. "There we go!" She declared as she added a sharing sized bag of corn chips to their grocery fare.
"Are corn chips really included in the budget?" Naota asked aloud.
"After all we're doing the least the club could do is cover our lunch. Plus these chips are so salty and crunchy!" Natsuki's mouth was practically watering at this point.
Soon the food was payed for and Naota, besieged with the heaviest of their load, was leading the way back home. "Why did I get all the heavy stuff?" He complained.
"C'mon Hercules, I know you can do it. I see you moving those desks every meeting." Natsuki joked. "Anyway here's my thoughts on magical girl's transformation sequences..."
-Back at Naota's house-
"... And that's why you should never skip a transformation sequence in Parfait Girls." Natsuki had been ranting and explaining the entire way home.
"I never would of guessed they would sneak so many details into something like a transformation." Naota replied as he unlocked his front door and held it open for his guest. The two were in the process of taking off their shoes when Naota noticed something on Natsuki's calf, just barely hidden by her long socks.
"What happened there?" Naota nodded towards her leg, now seeing the discolored blotch of a bruise.
"YOU happened dummy! That's from when we fell in the closet!"
"Still?" Naota asked a bit confused. "That was almost three weeks ago."
"Well excuse me for not being a fast healer. Now quit checking out my legs and let's get to work!" Natsuki chided as she invited herself into the kitchen.
Soon the ingredients were all splayed out on the kitchen counter and Naota zipped around the kitchen as Natsuki checked things off her list.
"Do we have a few mixing bowls and a whisk?" Natsuki barked, eyes glued to her list.
"Chef, yes chef!" Naota quickly grabbed the requested tools.
Natsuki giggled at Naota's "junior chef" act. "And you have a set of measuring cups correct?"
"Of course!"
"Alright set the oven to 350 and get some baking parchment on those cookie sheets while I get started over here."
By the time Naota was done with his tasks and reported back to his "senior chef" she had already had a dough started.
"Here!" She handed the mixing bowl and whisk to her assistant. "Work those arms a bit and mix this."
"But I carried all the heavy stuff!" Naota pointed out.
"Hey no complaining in my kitchen!" Natsuki stepped behind Naota as she said this. Soon he felt the sharp digits of her small hands poking his sides. "Mix! Mix! Mix!" She commanded as she poked him.
Naota desperately squirmed in place to try and avoid her onslaught as he began to mix. "Alright! I got it! I'm mixing!"
Despite all the joking and random conversation the dough was eventually mixed. Natsuki showed her apprentice how much of it to scoop into balls onto the cookie sheets and eventually the two first batches were in the oven. The pair had a moment of silence to bask in the pride of what they accomplished so far. The silence didn't last long as the beast known as Natsuki's stomach loudly growled and broke the atmosphere.
"Heh, feeling up for lunch?" Natsuki asked as a light blush dusted her face.
Naota couldn't bring himself to answer verbally, his mind and tongue paralyzed by the adorable sight of the embarrassed woman in front of him. He mindlessly nodded before he made things too awkward.
With just ten minutes and the help of water and a microwave the smell of freeze dried seafood and cheap curry filled the kitchen. The pair of bakers sat side by side at the kitchen island as they happily slurped up their lunches.
"So..." Naota began in between bites, "How long have you been baking?"
"Wha? Why would you care?" Natsuki asked, bewildered by the question.
"Cause your good at it, REALLY good at it. You must of put some time and work into it."
"Yeah I guess, I haven't tried anything harder than cupcakes really. I think I started the last year of middle school." Natsuki tried her best to remember as she gently tapped he chin with her fork.
"Hmm, and what made you choose baking?"
This made Natsuki pause in her tracks. She contemplated if she should share something that no one else really knew about her. She took a few more seconds to breath and ready herself.
"My mom was really into baking, when she was alive."
Guilt suddenly washed over Naota, had he stepped into forbidden ground and ruined their day already? "Hey I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"
"Don't worry about it. Me and dad are fine now." Natsuki promised, keeping his gaze down to her cup of lunch.
Naota didn't like the cold silence that followed her statement and soon he was racking his brain to find something, anything to say.
"Well I'm glad we're on better terms then, I'm always around if you need somebody." The guilty young man offered.
Natsuki also secretly missed the levity they shared moments ago as well. In true Natsuki fashion she would forcibly steer the conversation back that way if needed. "Pffft who would need a goofball like you?" She nudged her friend in the side.
"It's true, I know you're strong enough not to need a guy like me around." Naota almost sounded sullen. "But wouldn't it be nicer to have someone else around?"
Something in the sincerity of his voice cause Natsuki to blush again. When she risked glancing over to him their eyes locked on to one another. This was all too much, and again she had to quickly think of something to break the seriousness of the moment.
"Hah!" Natsuki exclaimed as she stabbed her fork into Naota's cup. With the dexterity of a pro she quickly spooled up a mouth full of noodles onto her utensil and brought it back to her mouth.
"Hey! What do you think your doing?" Naota looked at his cup and back to the young woman.
"Your lunch smelled good so I helped myself to a little of it." Natsuki responded as she wore a devilish grin.
"Well you're lucky I hate instant seafood stuff..." Naota pouted as he took another bite of his remaining noodles.
"Yeah, yeah. Have some of these chips before I eat them all too." Natsuki said dismissively.
Naota found that the rest of the baking process pretty easy. It became just a rotating cycle of taking finished cookies out to cool and be stored and baking the next batch. Between the easy work and fighting the urge to dive into the finished cookies Naota was starting to get a little bored. As Natsuki prepared to get another batch from the oven an idea hatched in the young man's head.
With a few sneaky steps he was behind the busy baker without her noticing. As she turned to place the cookies to cool he stuck.
"Eeek!" Natsuki squeaked as she suddenly felt fingers poke and prod her sides. "What are you doing dummy!?" she asked between an eruption of giggles.
"Just getting a little revenge for earlier, and for my poor noodles." Naota continued his revenge all while grinning like a madman.
Somehow Natsuki managed to get her cookies to safety. She swiftly turned around to face her traitorous apprentice and attempted to catch his hands in her oven-mitted ones. The pair broke into fits of laughter as they gently rough housed in the kitchen. Natsuki finally got a hold of Naota's wrists and drove him against the wall where she now had him pinned.
The laughter was now silenced as the two breathed ragged and heavy, bodies nearly pressed together. Neither party really knew what to do as their eyes locked on to one another again and conscious thoughts became background noise. Natsuki didn't even realize she was slowly getting on her tiptoes to bring her face closer to the face of the pinned young man in her grasp.
An alarm on the oven suddenly blared out, breaking the moment the two had lost themselves in. Natsuki let her prey go as she angrily looked at the oven.
"Crap." She checked the clock on the oven to the small, pink wristwatch on her arm. "I think I gotta go now. Dads gonna be home soon." Natsuki quickly retrieved her book bag, and retreated to the door to put her shoes on. "Remember to get that last batch into storage when they cool. And don't forget to throw in a slice of bread to keep them soft! I had fun Naota, thanks for baking with me!" With just that the pinkette was out the door.
Naota stumbled from his position against the wall, confused and trying to catch his breath.
"Was she trying to...? Were we going to...?"
A/N: I don't know much about baking or flirting so I hope this chapter wasn't too bad. Thanks to everyone for reading.
