"Kotori! You were amazing!"

"Congrats on making it past the first round!"

Quite honestly, when I walked into my homeroom class Monday morning, being bombarded by the familiar faces of my classmates was not what I was expecting. Which, in turn, led me to stand stock-still for a hot minute while attempting to process Satsuki and Pia's sparkling faces.

We'd been the same class for all three years but not once had we talked. The duo constantly busied themselves in their own affairs so there was never the opportunity. But now, here they were, complimenting me on the last thing I thought they would.

Satsuki, oblivious to my stupefaction, merrily turned to Pia. "We only went to watch the Cooking Club because we were in the area. Then you walked out and totally stole the show!"

"You kept us on the edge of our seats the entire time," Pia agreed, nodding and whipping her short ginger hair back and forth. "I mean, obviously the Cooking Club was a shoo-in for victory—they destroy the competition every year. But it was much more fun cheering for you. I can't wait for the next round!"

"I bet it'll be so entertaining! We gotta buy tickets."

"Definitely!"

The two grinned at me, to which I emitted a sheepish chuckle.

"Thank you, guys."

"Don't mention it," Satsuki replied. "Truthfully, you did worry me a little. Those desserts you brought to class this past year were a bit... much. Like that one batch of brownies..." 

Pia continued, "It's because of that we were kind of afraid to approach you. But, since we have you here now, do you think I can ask you something?"

I fluttered my eyelashes. "Sure?"

Pia didn't even hesitate: "Which one is it?"

Satsuki promptly gaped at her. "Pia!"

"But I'm curious," she excused. "They're all so handsome! There has to be one she likes most."

Following their conversation left me befuddled. "Wait. What are you guys talking about?"

They exchanged hopeless smiles.

"You're so dense, Kotori," Pia sighed.

"Probably because she only has eyes for Tamura," Satsuki enthused.

"No way. Have you seen the way she coddles that underclassman of ours? The other one pouts when she doesn't give him attention either."

"So? Tamura and her are always sneaking around after school. I once overheard them mention they're soulmates."

"But can we ignore the mystery behind her and that hottie Saint? He professed his undying loyalty to her right in front of us!"

"It isn't fair!" Satsuki whined. "Give us some of that popularity, Kotori!"

Popularity?

Truthfully, Pia and Satsuki's conversation had converted into animated gibberish eons ago. Not that they seemed to notice, or stopped to address my confusion.

I shifted my gaze in the direction of the desks lining the back of the room. Miko still hadn't arrived. It was unusual considering she hadn't missed a single day of school and prided her ability to be scarily punctual no matter the time of year. Then, why?

Did something come up—something she just so happened not to tell me?

"Kya! It's Nori! Nori's here!"

The mirthful screams drifted in from the hallway. A copious amount of girls had keeled over from their various classrooms to ogle the very cause. Others giggled, their features warped in adoration.

"Nori!"

"Look over here!"

I watched, stunned, as Nori ambled along. Regardless of the bombarding crowd, his trademark smile remained glued to his face. He waved generously in return, resulting in dramatic exhales and squeals.

It should've been commonplace at this point, but Nori's popularity truly was one of a kind.

"Look who decided to show up." Satsuki's murmur snagged my attention. A hand situated on her hip, she followed the scene with her eyes. "Has it been a month this time?"

I cocked my head. "A month?"

"He's your trump card for the Sweet Treats competition and you didn't know?" Pia asked in surprise. "Nori hasn't been to school since our second year."

My mouth fell in shock. "Wha— Last year?"

Understanding my speechlessness, Satsuki explained, "Nori only makes an appearance for important examinations or other mandatory school events."

"It's mysterious, isn't it?" Pia prodded. "Why he doesn't just show up all the time. My guess is that he works as a model and has no other choice but to use his school hours to make enough money to put food on the table—"

"Or he just can't be bothered?" Satsuki said offhandedly. "The real question is what brought him here today. There should be nothing planned even for the other classes. Well, not that we can outright ask him—"

"Nori, how come you never attended school since last year?"

I jogged to meet Nori right outside my classroom. Pia and Satsuki recoiled. The girls admiring Nori from afar weren't in any better condition. They observed in astonishment as Nori arrived at a halt in front of me.

Even in his uniform, he was drop-dead handsome. "How come?" he echoed in a low tone. A playful glint appeared in his eye once my question settled in. "Obviously... because I never had a reason."

Frankly, it shouldn't have startled me when he bent forward, lifting a strand of my hair.

"Then," he whispered, golden irises glistening beautifully in the sunlight, "I met you."

Vexed gasps erupted all around us alongside hisses about what was transpiring. Personally, I blinked until it finally clicked.

"Oh, is it because I called a meeting?"

Nori's lips flatlined. "I— You didn't hear—"

"Did you think I meant morning? We agreed for lunch, remember?" I grinned broadly. "Even if it was in the morning, don't you think you arrived a little late? Class is starting any minute now."

A painstaking pause.

Then, Nori's surprise faded, and he expunged a hearty chuckle. Despite his flirty nature, it was surprisingly genuine.

"My apologies, Angel. I am late, aren't I?" Releasing my strand, he straightened his posture and smiled. "My morning shower must've taken longer than expected."

"That's fine," I said. "From now on you should learn to take better care of not missing school and keeping track of time—"

"What my shower routine looks like, you ask?"

My voice caught in my throat. I craned my neck, wordless for a fair amount of time. "I-I didn't really..."

"Well, since it seems we're back on the same page," he continued regardless, "the first thing I do is—"

"Stop right there!"

In just an instant, Koyuki emerged through the horde of girls, backpack fluttering from his speed. He sprinted toward us, shoved Nori aside and protectively blocked him from my sight—all within a matter of seconds.

His black look was dark as night. "What do you think you're doing to her?"

Nori smirked, evidently amused by his entrance. "Nothing, really. I was merely informing my angel of my shower routine."

"Sho—shower—"

Oh no, my conscience fired.

This wasn't good.

"Koyuki," I interjected before he could overreact. "It's nothing serious. I mean, if it's about shower routines, the first place I wash when taking one is my—"

Koyuki slapped his hand over my mouth, a mad blush enveloping every inch of his complexion. "A-are you crazy? Don't tell me!"

He swivelled Nori's way.

"And you stop clicking your tongue as if you're disappointed not to find out!"

"As newfound companions, I believe there's nothing wrong with getting to each other intimately," Nori excused. "If you'd like to hear my shower routine as well, I'd gladly tell you the first place I wash when taking a shower is my—"

Koyuki shielded my ears as the words left his mouth.

"Did you catch all that, Angel?"

"Why would I let that happen?" Koyuki shouted after releasing me. "You have no shame whatsoever! Pervert!"

"Don't compliment me so openly, Koyuki. I'll get the wrong idea."

While onlookers gaped in mortification to whatever words Nori had uttered, I scratched my cheek as the two relentlessly argued above my head.

"I was only going to say hair..."

"So, why did you call us here, Teru?"

Within our familiar cooking lab, the group I'd gathered occupied all seats surrounding the main table, with the exception of Nori who leaned against the nearby wall. I stood at the forefront of the room before the whiteboard, beaming giddily.

"First and foremost," I said, throwing my arms left, "we have a very important announcement from the one and only, Mr. Hanamura."

"There's no need for a grand introduction," Mr. Hanamura said as he strolled inside the room. "Truthfully, when Teruhashi approached me, begging me to be the supervisor of her club, I didn't have high hopes. But then you presented me a delightful cake and through immense hard work and perseverance, what once began as a small goal transformed into a reality I initially deemed impossible. Nothing can express how proud I am of all of you. And I can't wait to see how far you'll continue to go in the months to come."

I proudly nodded along. Eventually, Mr. Hanamura chortled.

"Which is why it's my honour to finally fulfill my end of the deal. As of this moment, the Baking Society is an official club of Soetsu High School."

Whooping, I exploded into vigorous applause.

It didn't take long before I realized I was the only one.

"Guys! Show some excitement."

"I mean," Koyuki mumbled, resting his chin on his palm, "we already coordinate ourselves like a club. This isn't anything crazy."

"I had no doubts you could do it, Teru," Chiaki added.

Hayate vehemently bobbed his head. "Kotorin can do anything."

"Hold on," Nori interrupted, arms folded across his chest. "I assumed the Baking Society was already a club. It wasn't?"

"Nope." I pursed my mouth. "So accomplishing the goal we set out from the beginning would typically boost morale. Now I just feel bad for Mr. Hanamura."

The man himself was sulking. "My speech was completely useless..."

I sighed, gesturing to him for emphasis. "Shame on you guys. Now you're definitely not getting celebratory hugs."

A pause.

Then, claps, cheers—even standing ovations—were given, filling the room with an unprecedented amount of enthusiasm. I rolled my eyes, lips quirking upwards as I faced the board.

"Ha ha," I monotoned. "Too late now. The offer's already left the station."

"Tch." Chiaki clicked his tongue. "It's because of what Ko said."

"Me?" he cried exasperatedly. "For someone who had no doubts she could do it, you sure were quick to summon half-assed excitement out of nowhere."

"At least I made it clear I was happy for her."

"How?"

Hayate sweatdropped. "No... fighting..."

"Hayate's right," Nori reprimanded. "If it's hugs you all desire, my body will gladly accommodate in my angel's stead."

He spread his arms for emphasis.

"One at a time—all at once—it's up to how you like to be embraced. Don't be shy to tell me about your preferences."

All of them stiffened. Aversion crossed their faces.

Koyuki demanded, "Do you even process what you say?"

Nori cocked his head. "Is there a reason I should?"

"I can't believe it..." Mr. Hanamura was hunched over while Koyuki fought a groan, fisting the collar of his shirt. "My speech was secondary to mere hugs... Hugs..."

The corners of my mouth twitched. "I appreciated your speech, Mr. Hanamura! It lifted my spirits for sure!"

He perked instantaneously. "R-really?"

"Of course!" I fastened both hands onto my sides. "I wouldn't have wanted to hear it from anybody else. Trust me. You got me all excited like no other man could."

"Ko," Chiaki deadpanned as an uncanny quiet flooded the lab, "there's another person who also doesn't process what they say."

"Pretend you didn't hear it, Chiaki. It makes it easier to see her positives."

"Friends... again?" Hayate deduced, following them back and forth.

I fluttered my eyelashes, twisting to address them. Shifting my gaze to the board, I scooped up the red marker. "Anyway, guys, let's get down to business! Mr. Hanamura, thanks for coming."

"I'll be in the staffroom if you need me," he responded, plodding forward. "Contemplating the purpose of my existence..."

We watched, mutely, as he dragged his feet out of the room.

"He'll be all right," I surmised.

They bobbed their heads accordingly.

"So, what's the big deal?" Koyuki changed the subject.

I cracked a hopeless smile. "When I think about the competition, it still feels like a dream. Because of all of you, we were able to qualify for the second round. I'm so, so thankful for that."

"You helped make that a reality, too," Chiaki chimed in.

My heart sank in my chest. They must've noticed my dip in mood, but I beat them to the punch before they could say anything. "I screwed up. I got insecure and forgot where I was. I convinced myself that I could stand on my own two feet but was sorely mistaken. I barely stood a chance."

"Kotorin..."

"But it's because of that, I realized." I expelled a breath, releasing my pent up dejection, and beamed. "I have a lot more to study. I have so much more to practice. That's the reason I made this club. That's why I befriended all of you. To become the best pastry chef I can. And to do that, I can't be scared to face my flaws."

I twisted around and drew a chart onto the board. All our names. Then, I scribbled bullet points under mine.

"So I came up with this idea," I declared. "I'm sure not only me, but all of you have regrets about the first round too. So let's all write them down and conquer them one at a time. With them staring us right in the face, there's no way we'll repeat them. And by the time the second round comes, we'll blow everyone out of the park."

Nori's chuckle rang out first. "You sure are one of a kind, Angel."

"It's a good idea, isn't it?"

"Good, but definitely not unique," Koyuki responded. "I'm surprised you didn't already make mental notes like that in your head."

I flinched. "You... did?"

"As soon as the round was over. Waiting to process your flaws makes it harder to tackle them."

"I agree," Nori said. "The thoughts should come instantaneously. If not, they lose meaning."

I inched back. These two already had this kind of mindset? No wonder they were leaps and bounds ahead of me in skill. They truly were forces to be reckoned with.

"W-well, we're still doing it!" I proclaimed, childishly. "There's no harm revisiting those regrets. And we can get each other's opinions about how we can improve too. A double whammy—how's that for productivity?"

For some reason, that only caused them all to smile. Nevertheless, one by one, we all stepped up to the board to write down our most prominent mistakes of the round. Then, as a group, we kindly pointed out each other's noticeable flaws.

Koyuki's lack of focus. Chiaki's inability to work with warm desserts. Hayate's timidness to stand out. Nori's easily distracted nature when girls were involved.

They came after me the most. Which, decidedly, was expected considering my novice skill. I was volatile and lacked basic skill. My memory of recipes and kitchen utensils was amateur as well. Basically, I had a lot to work on. But by the time we finished our discussion, the sunset dousing our surroundings in a gorgeous orange, I was glad we decided to do this after all. It really made me feel like I wasn't alone. That all of us, together, were one moving train heading to the same destination, each with our own problems and bumps along the way.

"Koyuki."

The sudden call of his name stilled all conversation in the room. He faced me, arching a quizzical brow.

"I aspire to be like you every day."

As if I had dropped a bomb, he jumped. He blushed, it soaking every inch of visible skin. "Wha— huh—"

"You're dependable and extremely knowledgeable. You put your all into everything you do, no matter how frustrating or impossible it is. Plus, you can whip up a pretty mean batch of waffles that I'd have no problem eating for the rest of my life."

I'd successfully flustered him. But the same could be said about Chiaki who burst forward. "Teru, what's—"

"Chiaki, you saved more times than I can count." His voice lodged in his throat, and I continued, "At first, I did think you were lazy and a bit out of it, but you have a heart big enough to see the good in everyone—stranger or not. You notice things others will easily overlook, and look out from them even at your own expense.

"Hayate, you're shy, yes, but unbelievably kind. You're like a marshmallow I want to pamper and keep out of harm's way. But your tendency to stay in your mind leads to such beautiful ideas and creative endeavours—and I realize that instead of protecting you, all I want is to support you no matter what.

"And Nori, we haven't known each other long, but you're more than just a handsome face. You've been unbelievably nice since we met and even came to my rescue without my asking. And don't even get me started on how out of this world your dessert-making is."

As I went around, pinning compliments, I'd successfully left them speechless.

I used the back of my hand to stifle a titter. "We had enough negativity for today so I thought we should leave things on a positive note. It's easy to get lost in our flaws, but we can't forget the qualities about ourselves that are precious. Plus, as your president, I have the right to compliment you guys whenever I want so I was just exercising my right. Nobody's allowed to tell me otherwise."

"You're hopelessly optimistic."

My heart leaped in my chest.

"Never really know when to be quiet, or understand the meaning of personal space," Koyuki went on. Still red, he bashfully crossed his arms. "But that's exactly what makes you hard to abandon."

Chiaki nodded. "Teru's personality makes others want to take care of her—be by her side."

"Kotorin... is irreplaceable," Hayate agreed, softly.

Indescribable warmth flooded through me. Open-mouthed, I could only gape, doing my all to process the unexpected praise.

"There's never a dull moment with you, indeed." Nori winked. "Just as you see our charm points, yours are clear to us as well. For as flawed as you are, you are one thousand times more admirable than you will ever know, Angel."

My bottom lip quivered. I really didn't deserve them. Any of them.

Miko flashed through my mind. My shoulders squared.

She didn't come today, after all. She hadn't responded to my influx of texts either.

"I couldn't even join your club. But they did. They're there for you now. So, you don't have to hold me on such a high pedestal anymore."

They were here for me, yes. And I couldn't be more grateful because of that. But, Miko was... From the beginning, always...

After school that day, Nori was waiting for me by the front gates. At first, I assumed I was mistaken—that he was beckoning one of his fangirls toward him—but that notion was quickly defenestrated the moment I approached and he tugged me inside the extremely fancy car he was currently lounging in.

"N—Nori?" I half-shouted. "Wh-what's—"

He silenced me by placing his pointer finger over my mouth. His sly grin was countless times more striking up-close.

"Come with me for a while, Angel. I have a request I'd like you to fulfill."

***

Here I am writing this chapter at the last possible minute (as always) ((why do I never learn)). Hopefully it still was an okay read and not as crummy as I think it is?

Drop a comment to help motivate me to start working on the next chapter and ensure I get it done in time for next week xD

Per usual, thank you so much for reading! See ya in the next chapter.

(PS: Wattpad dark mode is awesome and I'm obsessed).