Pathetic Scone 3
“…”
Chika watched Sōma like this for a while, but eventually, she turned to her father with a determined look on her face.
“Dad-Dad!”
“What is it, Chika? I won’t accept any complaints. I’ve said it before. I won’t take responsibility if his spirit breaks. If his spirit was going to break over something like this, it would have broken sooner or later anyway. It’s kindness to break it now.”
Her father spoke coldly, but his daughter smiled back at him brightly.
“Just watch.”
With that, she turned her whole body towards Sōma and poked him in the arm.
“Hey-hey Sōma-san, why are you so down?”
Honestly, even replying felt like a chore for him right now. But she seemed like she would keep poking him forever if he didn’t, so he reluctantly opened his mouth.
” ‘Why’ you ask…? I was just torn apart by a professional. He said my sweets are like something a child would make, I haven’t thought at all, and you’ll only become a ‘pathetic patissier.’ It would be strange not to be down about it.”
“They did say something terrible. But I don’t think you need to worry about it. After all, it’s coming from Dad who just popped up.”
“P-popped up…!?” (ポッと出)
Chika’s father was taken aback by the sudden insult, but Chika continued without concern.
“I think your sweets are very delicious, Sōma-san. It’s ridiculous to call them childish sweets. They’re filled with passion and motivation to improve.”
She encouraged me with a bright smile.
He appreciated her feelings, but he didn’t have the energy to return a smile. He spoke weakly while looking down.
“But a professional said that…”
“Oh? Do you trust Dad’s words more than mine? You said there was no one better than me, that you felt destiny in our meeting.”
“That’s…”
As he faltered, Chika turned to ask her parents.
“Don’t you think so too, Mom and Dad? That my sense of taste is better than you two?”
“That might be true. But―”
“Yes, you’ve inherited my sharp senses, and you’ve grown up in an environment where you can always eat delicious sweets. We’ve been careful with meals. Your taste is certainly far better than ours.”
“S-saying ‘far better’ is a bit too much, isn’t it…”
While her father looked sad from being spoken ill of by his daughter, Chika puffed out her chest proudly and said, ‘See?’
“I’ll declare it. Sōma-san’s sweets are very delicious. Of course they’re not perfect. They’re still a work in progress, but I’m sure you’ll be able to make even more delicious sweets in the future. And you’ll become a patissier who is not ‘pathetic’!”
“…Really?”
He asked in a gloomy voice.
Sōma had long been aware that he was struggling to improve. That’s why he had done something as absurd as asking a female classmate to become his dedicated taste tester.
Ever since Chika started tasting his desserts, he believed his understanding and skills in making Western sweets had improved. However, his confidence was shattered when the confections he was confident in were harshly criticized.
He had never really reflected on his abilities before, and now he was uncertain whether he could improve them in the future.
Seeing Sōma’s dejected expression, Chika smiled with an inexplicable joy.
“Do you remember when I told you I couldn’t find a goal for my future?”
“…well, of course.”
It was just a few weeks ago. He clearly remembered.
“At that time, you promised to watch over me until I found my goal. That made me really happy. It made me feel at ease to think that everything would be okay as long as Sōma-san was with me. But at the same time, I felt frustrated.”
“Frustrated?”
“Because it became two against one.”
Chika raised two fingers on her right hand and one on her left.
“We’re supposed to be equals, helping each other towards our own goals. But you have two things to do if you add the task of watching over me until I find my goal. That’s not equal.”
She clenched her fingers tightly and picked up a yogurt mousse.
“Here, say ‘ahh’.”
He took a bite without thinking. The refreshing and smooth sweetness gently soothed his heavy heart.
“I want to be equal with you, Sōma-san.”
After finishing, she handed him the spoon and the cup of mousse.
This time, Sōma fed Chika.
“Mmm, it’s delicious.”
Chika smiled happily.
“I want to be fed by Sōma-san, and I want to feed you too. That’s why, I’ll be by your side until you find the kind of pâtissier you want to be.”
She raised two fingers on both her right and left hands.
“What if I never find it?”
Sōma, who had no confidence in finding his path, asked, and Chika laughed as if it’s funny.
“I said the same thing before. And Sōma-san, you told me you’d stick with me until I found it. I’m sure you’ll find your own way as a pâtissier.”
“On what basis?”
He thought it was a rather mean question.
But Chika playfully winked.
“Because you have the strongest taste tester by your side. There’s no better guide than that. It’s inevitable you’ll find it!”
With those strong words, she clenched both hands tightly. A gentle warmth spread through him.
It’s strange. Sōma thought so as he looks straight into Chika’s eyes, .
Chika’s father was a professional, and Chika was an amateur. If one were to talk about credibility, it would undoubtedly be her father’s. But the words that carried more weight to him were Chika’s.
He might just be choosing what was convenient for him. Yet, it felt like more than that.
Chika’s words had the power and passion of a bright light that could easily dispel his darkness and point the way to his future.
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“…I understand.”
Sōma gripped Chika’s hand tightly in return.
“Let’s add one more item to our cooperation. ‘Chika will also help me search for what kind of pâtissier I want to become’. Alright?”
“Yes, of course!”
Chika nodded vigorously with a smile.
“Let’s both do our best. Though, I have a feeling I might find it first.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. At least I have a solid dream of becoming a patissier, so I’m more likely to find it. It’s obvious, but I’ll be the one to find it first.”
“Is that so? Somehow, it seems like you were all tangled up in your own thoughts, so it’s hard for you to find it. After all, you looked like that just now.”
He was irked by her triumphant expression.
“If you’re going to say that, then let’s make it a competition. Let’s see who can find their goal first.”
“Sure. Then, the loser has to obey one command from the winner.”
“A command?”
“I’m looking forward to it. Maybe I should pre-order a cage for Sōma-san.”
“Please, no commands that ignore human rights.”
“Don’t say that. I’m just kidding.”
“Chika, It doesn’t sound like a joke when you’re the one who says it.”
While Sōma and Chika were exchanging these frivolous words, Chika’s father, who had switched back from being a patissier to a concerned parent, twisted his neck as if something was not quite right.
“I thought I was just giving some stern encouragement to a promising young man, but what on earth am I being made to watch?”