"Hayate...!"

I threw my arms around that cinnamon roll underclassman of mine the moment I rejoined him in the waiting area.

His reaction was adorable, to say the least. The darkest blush I'd ever witnessed seeped to all areas of exposed skin. Unable to handle the bashfulness that came with it, he shut his eyes tight. "K-Kotorin...!"

"Only for a little bit," I mumbled into his shoulder. "I need your cuteness to recharge."

"But... but..." His mouth flapped wordlessly, but his blush never vanished. "Y-you're... close!"

Possibly because Hayate's adorable reaction melted my heart, or because my earlier mistakes flashed through my mind, but tears pricked the corners of my eyes. "S-sorry."

Hayate's trembling seized. I retreated and forced a laugh.

"I... cost us the segment. And here I acted so high-and-mighty. But—but I'm sure we'll be all right. I have you guys with me to cover for my mistakes, after all."

Part of me was scared to see their reactions. However, it was to the least of my expectations to have the top of my head caressed.

My eyelids ascended a fraction. Nevertheless, Chiaki's fingers continued to weave through my hair, his voice a lulling timbre. "You did your best, Teru."

Like always, the action was incredibly comforting. I bit my bottom lip to keep it from quivering. "But..."

"No buts," he insisted. "You were amazing. If you didn't get distracted, Shi and the others would've had trouble for sure."

Hayate vehemently nodded.

Koyuki, who was watching this all unfold nearby, veered elsewhere as if Chiaki had said it all.

"Trouble? You're idiots, aren't you?"

The declaration sucked all nonchalance from the air. Kohmi sauntered in our direction, her trademark sunglasses shielding her eyes alongside a nasty frown.

"You're no different from every no-name here," she continued haughtily. "Some petty optimism isn't going accomplish anything. Not when all you'll ever make is garbage."

"At this rate, let alone us, you'll lose to every other team here." Shiori took the spot adjacent to Kohmi, her chin jutted in disgust. "Wench," she called me out, "you must be feeling so much regret right now. But this is the world you so desperately want to enter—one where only the skilled will triumph while untalented scum like you can spend the rest of your life chasing our afterimages and still make nothing but dirt. I feel bad for these boys you're stringing along. If you, the leader, are already so pathetic, you should forfeit now and save yourself the heartbreak."

My mouth moved wordlessly. Before I could voice a proper response, Chiaki possessively tugged me into his chest. His cheek brushed my temple, hands situated on both my hair and shoulder.

"Shi, stop being jealous of Teru."

My heart jumped in my chest. Shiori's reaction was equally as exaggerated.

"J-jealous—" she sputtered, bug-eyed.

"You can insult us all you want, but Teru's a different story." Chiaki's poise didn't falter. In fact, his eyebrows dipped. "You have no right to decide what she can or can't do or label her pathetic when you don't know her at all."

"Oh," Kohmi deadpanned. "If you were jealous, you should've said so, Shiori."

"I—I was not!" Snarling like a wild animal, she extended her index finger. "I-I gave you a warning, all right? Don't come crying to us after you lose!"

She stomped forward, plodding away with her shoulders dramatically elevated. Kohmi, as if accustomed to her behaviour, sighed before following suit.

Animated chatter from various groups returned to my ears. Not a single person turned in our direction considering each of them were too occupied with their own conversations.

But that realization didn't relent the hammering of my heart against my ribcage. In fact, it only worsened when Chiaki's hold around me tightened, and his forehead touched my temple.

Heat enveloped every inch of my face.

"Ch-Chiaki...! They're gone."

"I know."

"Th-then wh-why're you still hugging me?"

"Because I want to." I had a feeling he was pouting. "I... can't?"

My heart felt ready to explode. "W-well, that's not— I mean—"

"Haya had you in his arms, right? So it's fine for me too, right?"

"Th-tha— you could, but—"

Koyuki's hit to the back of Chiaki's head was almost rehearsed. "Let go of her, moron! She's uncomfortable!"

Chiaki released me instantaneously, thinning his eyelids. "I-I've been abused."

I didn't waste a second to duck behind Hayate, concealing my embarrassment the best I could. Chiaki was typically so childish I kept forgetting how much bigger his body was compared to mine. It was almost as if I'd been wrapped in a toasty warm blanket.

"Kotorin..." Hayate murmured, fiddling his fingers. "A-are you... okay?"

Then there was this bowl of sunshine I wanted to constantly wrap in a toasty warm blanket...

"Thanks for waiting!" Mr. Oto's cheer transferred everyone from their reveries. "The second segment of this competition will begin shortly! Participants, please direct your attention to the screen. The names of those participating shall be randomly selected."

All nerves in my body stiffened. Mainly because realization hit me like a pan to the face.

Our fifth member.

One we desperately needed in order to participate; one who needed to appear in time for their turn in the competition.

I'd completely forgot!

Judging by the way Chiaki, Koyuki, and Hayate's complexions blanched, the same must've been for them.

We huddled.

"What do we do?" Koyuki hissed. "Sakurauchi isn't back yet."

"Miko said to leave it to her, though," I responded. "So we'll leave it to her."

"This isn't time for your blind trust in others. How about if—"

"—they choose Haya and Saint for this segment."

Koyuki nodded vigorously to Chiaki's interjection. "'Saint' aside, Hayate is a ticking bomb on the verge of self-destruction. An uncontrollable ball of anxiety unless one of us—people he knows—are there beside him. We agreed even before we came here that if push came to shove and Hayate had to bake, we'd be there for him. So if by chance this 'Saint' person did exist—which they don't—that particular combination would be a recipe for disaster."

Hayate puffed his cheeks, hanging his head in apology. Gasping, I shielded his ears and sent Koyuki a glare.

"How can you say that right to his face? Do you not have a heart in there, demon?"

"Oi. Didn't I tell you not to call me a demon?"

But I wasn't listening. Up on my tippy-toes, I wiped Hayate's forming tears with the pad of my finger. "There, there. Ignore what that monster said. I know you'll do your best no matter who you're paired with."

"Monster? She called me a..." Koyuki swallowed his hurt the best he could and swiftly waved the notion aside. "Listen. I said all that, but truthfully, we have nothing to worry about. There's a one and five chance this 'Saint' will be chosen—and an even smaller chance for them to be paired with Hayate. We'll be fine."

"Except Haya really is paired with Saint," Chiaki said.

Koyuki rolled his eyes, straightening his posture. "Like I said, that's impossible. It's never gonna..."

Once he saw the screen, his jaw plunged. An exaggerated gasp ensued.

"H-ha—happen—"

His stutter distracted me from comforting Hayate. I reluctantly faced the monitor as well only to have my eyes bulge from their sockets.

It was there. In big, bolded letters.

Hayate Inoue and Saint.

Koyuki jostled Chiaki's shoulders. "If you knew it was there, why didn't you tell us?!"

Chiaki's head bobbed back and forth like a bobblehead. "I... did!"

I was even shaking in my shoes. "What do we do? What should we—"

Hayate appeared ready to pass out from the shock, too.

"Excuse me!" Mr. Oto's cry boomed from the speakers. "Team Baking Society, please take your places."

All stations with the exception of ours were filled. And they were goggling us—crowd included.

I knew what was coming.

"Is there an issue?" Mr. Oto called again, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "Has... your fifth member possibly not arrived?"

My lungs caved. "Th-that..."

"I'm afraid if it's their turn in this segment, and they're not here, you'll be disqualified."

This was what that lady at the front desk was trying to warn me of earlier. But, like an idiot, I took it with a grain of salt. Sure I wanted to put my faith in Miko to find me a 'Saint' but it wasn't like I could text her to ask where she was, or who she was bringing. Cellphones weren't permitted for the participants. Plus, there wasn't the time.

And now...

"That—" I gnawed on my bottom lip, grappling for an excuse.

Koyuki burst forward, sweating all the same. "The thing is—"

"Now, now. No need to be so hostile. You're speaking to a frail lady, are you not?"

The smooth as silk voice sliced the air itself.

My breath hitched in my throat. I swivelled on the balls of my feet.

Directly in the centre of the room, adjacent to Mr. Oto, he stood as poised as I remembered, red bangs beneath his chef toque a vibrant, blazing fire.

Mr. Oto blinked consecutively. His glasses glared off the lights. "And you are...?"

As if accustomed to the attention bombarding him from every corner of the room, he positioned his palm over his chest. Then, like an entertainer addressing their audience after an extravagant entrance, performed a mannerly bow.

"Norihise Yamashiro," he said, a twinkle in his awe-inspiring golden irises. "But you may call me 'Saint'—the fifth member of the Baking Society."

I wasn't the only one caught off guard. Following his declaration, all eyes had flown to him. Koyuki, Chiaki and Hayate had even been reduced to gawking like idiots.

But, oblivious to that, the smile playing on Nori's lips expanded into a heart-stopping grin. He rose from his bow, his dazzling eyes shifting to me.

What was going on? Why was Nori here?

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted flailing arms. Miko's. Right by the entrance. Her short hair was mussy, bag hanging sloppily on her shoulder. She heaved as if she'd finished a marathon. Clasping her hands, she pleadingly bobbed her head as if to notify me that she'd explain everything as soon as this was over.

Nevertheless, I could only gape as Nori ambled from across the hall and eventually came to a halt right in front of me.

A strikingly handsome face, well-defined cheekbones and jawline, mesmerizingly bright eyes. Bangs neatly swept to the left side of his face, long, fair hair taut in a ponytail resting on his shoulder.

He was exactly as I'd remembered. But it was surreal. I couldn't believe he was here, in front of me.

"We meet again, Angel."

His soft, sonorous voice sent chills up my spine.

I'd never been good with guys like Nori. Bold, flirty, incredibly attractive. Topped with my confusion, I unappealing gawked at him for a good period of time—a fiery blush claiming my cheeks—until finally stammering out a: "What're— Doing—"

Least to my expectations, my indecipherable speech didn't faze him. He scooped my hand into his, then graced me with a gorgeous grin. I barely registered him gently stroking the backside of my hand with his thumb.

"I haven't stopped thinking about you since we met," he told me. "I couldn't. Not after you valiantly protected me—a stranger—during my time of need. You were truly my guardian angel, and I wanted no more than to thank you. But now that I'm staring into your beautiful eyes I'm starting to reconsider if giving my thanks was all that made me want to see you again..."

His hold on my hand tightened. Goosebumps bristled my arms. An irregular pulse started up in my ears, especially so when the proximity between our faces lessened.

"N-Nori," I sputtered.

What... was he doing? Why was he getting so close?

The moment our lips brushed, everything fell into place. I froze over.

But the impact never came. Right before it could, Nori was yanked by the collar.

"Hold on a minute!"

"Teru, who is this guy?"

"K-Kotorin...!"

In just an instant, Koyuki and Chiaki were in front of me, Hayate right behind. They all were frowning—well, Koyuki and Chiaki wore more menacing looks—and kept Nori a safe distance away.

Nori rubbed at his neck, ensuring the tug of his shirt hadn't burned his throat. His amusement hadn't fallen. "What cute bodyguards," he chuckled. "But I'm afraid you've misunderstood."

"Misunderstood what?" Koyuki demanded. "You were trying to kiss her!"

Chiaki petulantly puffed his cheeks. "And here I've only gotten to hug Teru..."

"Not the time, Chiaki!"

Nori emitted another airy laugh, humoured by their interaction. The bizarre looks and whispers that started up in the room were the least of his concern.

"As I said, you all have the wrong idea." He set his index finger to his lips. "Kisses are nothing but a greeting for me. I give one to every cutie I meet. Of course, the same can apply to you adorable bodyguards. I'm not picky when it comes to gender."

Koyuki shuddered in the most dramatic manner possible. Chiaki sweatdropped. I even heard Hayate gulp.

But despite doing my all to quiet my erratic heartbeat, hearing his words worked wonders. My shoulders slumped and I slammed my fist onto my open palm. "Oh! It was just a greeting!"

"Teruhashi," Koyuki hissed, appalled by my submission. "Don't believe this lunatic!"

Although it was touching they were all so overprotective for my sake, it wouldn't be wise to continue bickering. Not with all these piercing stares showering us from every angle, watching this unfold like some halftime show.

"Guys, it's fine," I said, calmly. "Nori isn't a bad person."

Koyuki stared at me in disbelief. But instead of firing all the arguments he wanted, he instead demanded, "Who is he? How do you know him?"

"He's the guy I told you all about. I met him that day the Cooking Club was trying to recruit him. That famous Japanese confectioner, Norihise Yamashiro."

A flicker of recognition flashed across their faces.

Nori nodded. "The day my angel protected me, she spoke proudly of all the members. Said you'll be able to put the Cooking Club in their place. Truthfully, I've never been much a fan of theirs. And since this situation primarily occurred because of me, I gratefully hurried to your aid after your lovely companion told me of the situation."

Miko did get him here. I still had no clue how, but there was no time for questions.

"You need to make a confection based on the theme 'Love and Sacrifice.'"

"Teru, are you serious?" Chiaki gaped.

But my focus never left Nori. "We're in a bad position right now. All because of me. I know I'm asking for a lot, but... we need you, Nori. Help us win."

My uncharacteristically sombre declaration stunned them into silence.

Nori, on the other hand, snapped out of his dazzled state rather easily.

He cupped my cheek. I jumped at the sudden contact, only to have my voice hitch upon watching his facial features soften to the point of endearment. "You really are adorable."

A shiver darted up my spine. Oh no. I let my mouth get the better of me again. "N-Nori! Um!"

"You need me, huh?" The pad of his thumb caressed my cheek. "How can I resist, then."

My eyelids darted high. "You mean..."

A mischievous glint in his eye, the corner of Nori's lips stretched into a smirk. It was to the least of my expectations when he scooped my hand into his. Much less when he got down on one knee, craning his neck to look at me.

"I'm never going to leave your side," he vowed. "Not now; not after this competition. Allow me to create sweets with you forever, my beloved angel."

My jaw moved wordlessly. Blood rushed to my fingertips and face, giving me the notice that I had flushed madly.

"Th-that was quite the show!" Mr. Oto's exclaim zapped me to my senses. "A love declaration? A platonic promise? I'm not too sure what happened here folks—in part because I could barely hear their conversation—but I do know we've wasted enough time. Please send your participants to your station immediately, Baking Society! Or you'll be disqualified!"

As Nori rose to his feet, Koyuki folded his arms across his chest.

"I don't approve of this," he grumbled. "Not one bit."

"Haya, if he tries anything with you, call me over, okay?" Chiaki bent over to meet Hayate's eyes, scolding him like a parent to a child. "The competition's important, but not as important as your safety."

Hayate, eyes wide, vigorously nodded.

Nori laughed. "You're all amusing. It's like you see me as a villain instead of your saving grace."

"We do," Chiaki and Koyuki snapped.

But, without the slightest care for that, Nori extended his arm. "Let's get going, my dear. You have nothing to worry about."

Hayate shifted his weight from foot to foot then cocked his head. "De...ar?"

Instead of responding, Nori escorted him to the station. Hayate tiptoed a safe distance behind, occasionally whipping his head around to ascertain the boring stares of the others. Fortunately for him, all eyes were pinned to Nori—mirth dancing across their features due to what had happened and also his godly looks.

"Don't tell me he thinks Hayate is a girl?" Koyuki deadpanned.

"Did you hear that "dear"?" Chiaki retorted. "He does."

Mr. Oto proceeded to explain the rules of the segment but it'd become background noise in my ears.

I couldn't stop staring at him.

"Teru, are you okay?"

Chiaki's concern flew over my head. Clutching the fabric above my chest, I expelled a dreamy sigh. "Nori's... super handsome, huh?"

"What?" Koyuki cried.

They both gaped at me but I couldn't stop my rain of giggles.

Koyuki shook my shoulders. "Teruhashi, come to your senses! He's a creep! A weirdo!"

But I was grinning. "He's joining our club, right? He's never leaving my side, right?"

Chiaki was appalled. "She's gone. We lost her."

Guys like Nori weren't my type. They were flirty, bold, and gave away compliments like nobody's business. But "guys like Nori" weren't Nori. It was impossible for somebody to be as suave or good-looking. Plus, he promised to join my club. And he called me his 'angel.'

"Wow!" a nearby shout obstructed my thoughts. "Eru can't believe Yama picked Tori."

The Cooking Club.

"Ryoma tried so hard to get him to join. He definitely isn't letting this go," Shiori replied, standing beneath the bleachers with her arms crossed. She cast a side-eye. "Neither is this idiot."

"Nyahaha! Gou is furious! It's okay. We don't need Yama."

"Like that's the reason he's so furious..."

I snapped out of my dazzled at once. I almost forgot! I didn't have time to gush over Nori right now. Whether we'd be the Cooking Club's slaves or not depended on this round!

Nudging Koyuki's hands off me, I stepped forward, scanning the hall.

The segment had commenced.

Hayate was crouching a safe distance from Nori. They were sharing a conversation, but so far Hayate didn't appear wary like before. As bold as Nori was, he was gentle and accommodating—and that was exactly the attitude he needed when interacting with Hayate.

Kohmi was baking once again, Ryoma beside her. Together, the two were exceptionally intimidating—more so due to Nori's betrayal.

The other teams were talented as well. They worked like well-oiled machines and were forces to be reckoned with. Possibly due to being in the station last time, I wasn't able to fully consider them. But I wouldn't be surprised if they also got full scores this segment.

"Everybody was still adjusting in the first segment," Koyuki said, catching my gaze. "Now, in the second, they've surely gotten a better grasp. The judges won't be so generous either."

"So if we don't at least get a minimum of... a lot of points, getting a full forty in the third segment will do us nothing."

"Twenty," he replied. "It's a minimum of twenty points."

"Are you sure we can trust that guy, Teru?" Chiaki spoke up. "Wasn't he highly sought after by the Cooking Club? How about if he sabotages us?"

"He won't."

"But..."

"I... want to put my faith in Nori," I continued. "We have no choice but to at this point. Besides, Hayate's with him. The two of them can do it."

Albeit dubious, he didn't respond. Neither did Koyuki. I guessed it was because they agreed with my sentiment. Either way, we watched what unfolded before us in both silence and anticipation.

While the others had already begun whisking away at bowls or fetching ingredients, Nori and Hayate didn't move. Hayate remained a jittery mess, ducked beneath the counters. Nori stood nearby, unbelievably calm. The pressure of this foreign competition nor the ticking clock fazed him. His pursuit to collect the ingredients was peaceful as well.

Koyuki audibly groaned. "See, I knew trusting that creep was out of the question. He's not taking his seriously at all!"

I rocked on the balls of my feet, my heartbeat deafening in my ears.

The clock hit one hour and twelve minutes.

What happened next was honestly a blur. One second Nori returned to the station, carefully lowering each and every ingredient on the counters before him. And the next, he was in full bloom.

His movements were swift, yet exceptionally gentle. Rinsing and soaking the rice and leaves, making and rolling red bean paste. It seized the attention of the entire hall—participants included.

Nori's actions were so incredibly graceful even I was shocked still. He was like a breath of fresh air, like cherry blossoms gliding through a soft, spring breeze.

'Professional' didn't begin to describe his skill.

"Kya!" a girl squealed from the bleachers. "Who is that boy?"

"He's gorgeous and he can bake?"

"Saint! He's a saint!"

It wasn't an exaggeration to say the entire girl population in the room were heart-eyed. Let alone the girls, most boys—and even the judges—were gushing as well.

Sensing watchful eyes, Nori peered up. Then, with a breathtaking grin, blew a kiss into the crowd.

The screams that followed were ear-splitting.

"This... can't be real," Koyuki sputtered.

"He has the entire hall mesmerized!" I exclaimed, clasping my hands together. "Nori's incredible!"

Chiaki exhaled, "The confection looks delicious, too."

We could do this! At this rate, we might really have a shot!

"Who's that loser beside him, though?"

My blood ran cold.

"He's done nothing but shake like a leaf," another from the crowd tittered. "Why's he even there?"

"He's totally going to jinx Saint at this rate. Hey, loser! Get out of there already! You're dead weight!"

Despite the jeers being few, they were loud enough. Hayate further cowered under the scrutinizing calls, knees tucked to his chest, trembling uncontrollably.

My heart sunk to my gut.

Nori attracted attention like nobody's business—the polar opposite of the antisocial Hayate. His anxiety could barely handle interacting with one or two strangers, let alone hundreds. But with the oh-so-popular Nori at his side, he had no way to escape the judgement.

It was a match made for disaster.

"Hayate!" I called desperately, above the cheers for Nori. "You can do it!"

I knew better than anyone how it felt to be compared to wonderful people I could never become. But Hayate had the talent. He had the skill. He could blow everyone away. He just needed a less pressuring environment.

"Nori!" I yelled, waving vigorously for his attention.

Nori caught my action out of the corner of his eye. He twisted and blew me consecutive kisses.

I sweatdropped. He couldn't hear me...

The buzz in the room was exceptional. Koyuki, Chiaki and I continued to call out to them encouragingly and Mr. Oto tried his hardest to return the room to its original quiet only to be met with more piercing screams.

This progressed for the remainder of this segment.

Nori was deaf to our voices but he did eventually acknowledge Hayate's discomfort and kindly beckoned him to complete the dessert's design. Hayate was clumsy. Tripped over his feet; fingers shook immensely. Nori assisted the best he could but ultimately—sensing his presence wasn't positively affecting Hayate—left to deal with other aspects of the dessert.

The segment concluded before long.

One by one, all groups presented their finished desserts to the judges. Most got less forgiving scores than the first segment. When Kohmi and Ryoma presented their strawberry daifuku, however, they instantaneously got a full thirty. It shouldn't have surprised me at this point, but everything from its wafting scent to its presentation was tantalizing. The design stood out the most—it was inconceivably beautiful. The judges confirmed (quite exaggeratedly) that the flavour was outstanding as well.

Nori and Hayate presented theirs last. A sakura mochi, based on the symbolic flower of the spring; representing a time of renewal, and the fleeting nature of life. The confection gave off the impression of love and sacrifice perfectly. However...

"The taste is exquisite," the final judge said. "Your baking techniques and skill are flawless as well. Saint, was it? You have the poise of a true professional."

Nori bobbed his head in response.

"That's why I'm sad to say if the design was given more careful consideration—if it was done with as gentle a touch as the cherry blossoms themselves—it would've been perfect."

We ended with twenty points.

Presentation: 2
Consistency: 5
Flavour: 5
Creativity: 3
Decorations: 0
Relativity to Theme: 5

"Angel, did you see me?" Nori giddily asked when he'd returned beneath the bleachers.

"Yes." I grinned. "You were amazing, Nori!"

Koyuki spat, "He was all right."

I rounded on the heel of my foot, hands raised for a high-five. "Great job too, Hayate!"

Hayate flinched. He avoided my eyes.

"Great?" Ryoma's scoff startled me.

I immediately glowered. But Ryoma merely walked past us to regroup with Kohmi and the other Cooking Club members.

"You have someone so amazing making your confections and you can't even bring it to a proper finish? You call that great? Pathetic."

"I really want to slug him," Chiaki said once he disappeared.

"That makes both of us," I huffed.

"Ignore him, my dear." Nori rested his arm on Hayate's shoulder, who was currently moping, bangs shielding his eyes. "That man has an unhealthy obsession with me."

"And that person you're calling 'dear' is a guy," Koyuki scoffed.

Nori's eyes bulged. He slowly looked between them, gears in his mind churning to make sense of his words.

He lowered his hand.

"...A what?"

***

Hopefully this chapter wasn't too long? I'd normally split a chapter this big in two but I felt like it worked better this way so I kept it together.

But tell me your opinions about Nori's grand entrance! Or opinions about your impressions about his character so far. I'm so excited to have him back in the narrative. It's been a long time coming but we're officially here.

(And please excuse my writing I know it isn't my best so I'll come back to edit later, lol)

Vote & Comment! <3