After his declaration, his mother, Akari, suddenly appeared, coming out of the kitchen.
She raised her eyes and looked at her son's strange actions, but decisively ignored it, choosing to voice out more important matters.
"Haruya, do you want to come with me to one of our shops today? At least that way, you won't just be rotting at home doing nothing during your remaining vacation."
Haruya raised his eyebrows in confusion. "Don't we have enough staff in our shops? Why do we still have to go there?" He added.
Putting her hand on top of her son's head, Akari softly brushed his hair and explained patiently. "Just because a business is running successfully, doesn't mean you don't have to attend to it anymore. The key to being a good businesswoman is to always pay attention to the market. Observe and interact with the customers."
Hearing her careful explanation, Haruya soon understood what she meant.
Seeing that her son listened carefully, Akari cheerfully gleamed, "Besides, how else would I maintain my skills besides making pastry and teaching our employees? That's why sometimes, I would often run one of our smaller-scale bakeries in Tokyo," she explained.
That's right. Not only was Akari Sumeragi a world-renowned pastry chef, but she was also a very successful businesswoman, building one of the biggest bakery chains in the world, partnering with big brands such as Starbucks and Nestle.
Haruya thought about it for a while and decided to go with her.
'Anyways, there's nothing else to do here at home.'
"That's great! Go get ready, and I'll have the car ready."
Haruya ran upstairs to change.
Meanwhile, Akari suddenly clapped her hands, as if remembering something. "Hayasaka-san! Do you want to come along with us?"
The maid, Hayasaka, came out of the kitchen and asked in a respectful manner, "Where are we going, Akari-san?"
"You said your niece likes to eat pastry, right? How about you come with us to one of our bakeries in Shinagawa, and since you'll be visiting your relatives for a couple of days either way, why not bring some treats for her?" Akari offered.
Hayasaka thought about it for a moment and accepted.
Soon afterwards, Haruya reemerged from upstairs, racing down to his mother, and then noticed Hayasaka beside them.
"She'll be coming with us too," Akari explained, to which Haruya only gave a small nod.
The trio soon left the manor and drove off towards Shinagawa, soon arriving at a humble-looking cafe bakery with a sign that read "Sumeragi Bakery" on it.
Haruya was a little surprised, but soon realized that his mother had her own reasons.
As a popular pastry chef around the world, staying at a bigger branch of theirs meant a bigger chance of being recognized, especially by social elites or hardcore pastry lovers.
One or two of them might be nothing, but when a handful of them appear, it does become quite a bother. Therefore, choosing a smaller-scale branch of theirs was a better choice for her.
Entering the bakery, it offered more scenery inside than the outside did.
The moment they stepped inside, Haruya was greeted by a wave of comforting warmth, both from the ovens at the back and the atmosphere itself.
The bakery's interior had none of the polished, sterile feeling of a big-city chain café.
Instead, it radiated the warmth of a lived-in home. Wooden beams stretched across the ceiling, faintly polished but still showing their natural grain, while soft pendant lights hung low, casting a golden glow over the room.
The air carried a blend of scents, freshly baked bread, butter, cinnamon, and a faint hint of roasted coffee beans thatcreating the kind of aroma that made people want to stay a little longer than they intended.
Round wooden tables dotted the floor, each paired with handmade chairs, some painted in pastel hues that had faded just enough to feel rustic to Haruya rather than old.
Along the windowsill sat small flowerpots of lavender, daisies, and even a few succulents. Adding pops of color against the soft cream-colored curtains tied neatly with ribbons.
A chalkboard menu hung behind the counter, hand-written in looping script that gave it a personal touch. Seasonal pastries and daily specials were written in colorful chalk, some doodled with little stars or hearts.
Behind the counter, glass display cases were filled with neat rows of pastries: golden croissants, fruit tarts topped with glossy berries, chocolate éclairs, and fluffy cream puffs dusted with powdered sugar. A few cakes sat proudly on stands, each decorated simply but elegantly.
Near the corner, a bookshelf stocked with old magazines, children's picture books, and even a few novels encouraged customers to linger.
The overall feeling was that of stepping into a cabin in the woods during winter rather than a business. Somewhere familiar, where strangers quickly became regulars.
It felt like home.
Seeing Haruya's dazed look, Akari smiled proudly. "I designed this place myself, not bad, huh?"
Haruya nodded. "Uh-huh. Is it okay if I come here every now and then?"
"Go ahead, after all, you are the owner's son. Just don't make a mess out of your mom's secret spot, okay?" She teased.
After a few moments, a female employee at the shop came up to them and greeted Akari.
"Akari-san! Welcome back. How was your trip to Chichibu?"
Akari, who seemed to be familiar with the employee, replied gleefully, "It was nice to visit the countryside every once in a while. It's really different from the heavy atmosphere in the city." She then turned around and grabbed Haruya by the hand.
"This boy is my son, Haruya. I took him here to show my usual spot. He'll be coming here quite often in the future. Please take care of him for me."
The female employee bowed and greeted, "Nice to meet you, Haruya-kun. I'm Rina." She then pointed at another male employee sitting behind the counter. "That guy over there is Hiroki."
Hiroki, who was paying attention at their side, suddenly stood up and waved.
"Akari-san! Good afternoon. Nice to meet you too, Haruya-kun! I'm Hiroki." With a naive smile plastered on his face, he introduced himself.
Having finished introducing them to each other, Akina stretched and walked towards the kitchen area. "Let's get this show on the road, then. Get the others ready to bake."
She turned around and looked at Haruya and Hayasaka. "Hayasaka, you can pick a seat and order anything you like. On the house, don't be stingy with your niece. As for you, Haruya, you can come with me to the kitchen and learn a bit more."
Both Hayasaka and Haruya agreed to this arrangement and followed it. After several moments, Rina and Hiroki entered the kitchen in aprons, surprising Haruya.
"Oh, we forgot to mention, we're also kitchen staff. We assist Akari-san in making pastries." Rina explained.
"Is it usually just the two of you here?" Haruya asked curiously.
"Well, although our place is not too big, it's still pretty popular among locals around the area. Most of the time, it's no problem for one to manage the registrar and then immediately get back into the kitchen. It's not too stressful, really." Rina made a "I'm very tough" expression and raised her arm in a flexing manner.
Akari laughed. "I've offered to add more staff to help the two of them when I'm not around, but they're quite stubborn. Anyway, the situation seems to be fine with just the two of them, so instead I just increased their wages instead."
"Now," Akari patted Haruya. "Shall we start then?"
"Okay!"
...
An hour later.
The sweet aroma of butter and caramelized sugar still lingered in the air as the final tray of pastries slid out of the oven.
The golden sheen of the croissants and the glossy fruit tarts drew everyone's eyes, but what surprised Rina and Hiroki most wasn't the pastries themselves, but the boy standing beside Akari, wiping flour from his hands with a small grin on his face.
"Unbelievable…" Hiroki muttered, leaning down to inspect the even layers of puff pastry Haruya had helped fold earlier.
He looked up at Akari with suspicion. "Akari-san, are you sure this is really only his second time baking? Because I don't buy it."
Rina nodded furiously, holding up the tart Haruya had assembled. "Seriously! Look at this custard! Smooth, no lumps, perfectly set. Even I messed this up a lot when I was still a culinary student. Akari-san, you didn't secretly train him behind the scenes, did you?"
Akari, who was calmly dusting powdered sugar over a plate of cream puffs, chuckled proudly. "Nope. The first time was when I dragged him into the kitchen back in Christmas last year. Today is only his second."
Both employees turned back to Haruya, their eyes widening.
"Eeeh?!" Rina gasped, setting the tart down before she dropped it. "Then you're a total natural! I guess it really does run in the family."
Haruya rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed by the attention. "I just followed what Mom showed me. It wasn't that hard."
'More like a natural cheater. Adaptability is crazy, even at the first level.'
"Not that hard, he says…" Hiroki groaned, shaking his head dramatically. "Haruya-kun, if word gets out that a kid like you can already bake like this, half of us pastry chefs are gonna lose our jobs."
Akari smirked, clearly enjoying their reactions. "Don't worry, Hiroki. He's still got a long way to go before he can beat me."
"Of course, of course," Hiroki said quickly, though the way his eyes lingered on the tray suggested he wasn't so sure.
Rina clapped her hands together, leaning over the counter. "So, Haruya-kun, do you like it? Baking, I mean?"
Haruya thought for a moment, looking at the gleaming pastries lined up on the cooling racks. "...Yeah. I think I do. It's kind of fun, watching something come out of the oven after all the careful preparation. I get a sense of satisfaction from it."
"See?" Akari grinned at him. "That's the best part. Baking is patience and reward."
Rina chuckled. "Well, if you ever get tired of school, you've got a guaranteed job here."
"Oi," Hiroki elbowed her lightly. "Don't steal the boss's son. He's gonna end up inheriting this bakery empire one day."
That made Haruya blink. Inheriting? Him? The thought had never seriously crossed his mind before. He glanced at his mother, who only smiled knowingly before turning away to tidy up the counter.
Before he could dwell too much, Rina slid a small plate toward him. "Here, Haruya-kun, you should taste the ones you helped with. That's the true baker's test."
Haruya hesitated only a second before picking up a warm croissant. The layers flaked delicately beneath his fingers, and when he bit into it, the buttery crispness melted across his tongue.
He couldn't stop the small sound of approval that slipped out of his own mouth.
"Good?" Akari asked, watching his expression.
"...Yeah," he admitted, smiling despite himself. "Really good."
"Of course it is," Hiroki said with exasperation. "I can't believe this kid. Natural talent, no effort. It's unfair!"
Rina giggled. "Guess we'd better start working harder, Hiroki."