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Chapter 46 - Ai Hayasaka

Extra chapter for reaching 400 Power Stones.

...

25th of June.

The weekend came, and Haruya decided to just stay at home.

It was a rare, peaceful Saturday when he had no plans with his friends.

He was sitting on the big sofa in the living room, scrolling mindlessly on his phone, when he heard footsteps pounding on the stairs.

Akari came down in a rush, a handbag slung over her shoulder and a determined look on her face.

"Mom? What's going on?" he asked, looking up from his phone. "You look like you're running late for something."

She didn't even slow down, just gave him a quick, flustered look. "I am, dear! I'm late for a meeting! I completely forgot about the time."

Just as she reached the bottom of the stairs, her phone started to ring. She fumbled with it for a second, then answered with a sigh. "Leonora, I am so sorry I'm late!" she said, as her voice immediately switched to a crisp, professional-sounding English that Haruya wasn't used to hearing her use. "Please tell Soe and Senzaemon that I'll be there as soon as possible. And tell little Alice that I'll make it up to her with her favorite cake."

She paused, listening intently, then spoke again. "Yes, yes, I know. It won't happen again. Tell them I'll be there in twenty minutes. Thank you so much, Leonora." She hung up, a small frown on her face. "Ugh, I really messed up. I hate being late."

Akari turned to him and gave him a quick, loving wave. "I'm heading out now, dear! I'll be back as soon as I can!" She started to walk away, but then stopped in her tracks, a look of sudden realization on her face. She snapped her fingers.

"Oh! I almost forgot something very important." She hurried back to him, her voice dropping to a slightly more serious, but still cheerful, tone.

"Hana-chan's niece, Ai-chan, will be coming over to visit this morning. Hana-chan is currently out running an errand for us and won't be back for a couple of hours, so you'll have to accompany her for now."

Their family maid, Hana Hayasaka, better known as just Hayasaka by Haruya. 

Haruya just blinked at her. "Ai-chan? As in, Hayasaka-san's niece? I didn't know she was coming today."

Akari gave him an amused, knowing look. "Well, you did tell Hana-chan that her niece could come over anytime, remember? You said you'd make some pastries for her since she liked the ones Hana-chan brought her before."

Ahh... That reminds me.

Now he does remember.

He had said it so casually, not expecting it to actually happen. Haruya just sighed, a smile playing on his lips. "I did, didn't I?"

"Well, there's your chance, sweetie. Take good care of her while Hana-chan isn't here, alright? I'll tell Hana-chan to make sure she gets home earlier today."

His mother leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I have to go now. Be good!" And with that, she was gone, leaving him alone in the quiet house.

Haruya shook his head, a small smile on his face.

He'd made a promise, and now he had to keep it.

Although he didn't really mind, though. He was happy to bake for someone.

It had been a while since he'd had a real audience for his work. He walked to the window and looked out at the front gate, wondering how long it would be until she arrived.

Not long at all, apparently.

Just a few moments later, he heard a gentle knock on the door. He walked over and opened it, revealing a girl who looked to be around his age.

She had beautiful, blonde hair tied up in a half-ponytail with a delicate, blue hair tie.

Her eyes were a vibrant shade of blue, and she wore a simple, but elegant, white dress. She held a small, neatly wrapped box in her hands.

Haruya immediately recognized her. She looked a lot like her aunt, Hana, with the same warm eyes and kind expression.

He already knew who it was.

Ai Hayasaka.

Ai Hayasaka's face lit up with a cheerful smile. She gave a small bow, her voice light and bubbly. "Hello there. I'm Ai Hayasaka. Is my Aunt Hana here?" She spoke with a politeness that gave him a strange feeling.

A tiny part of Haruya felt that something was a little bit off, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Haruya smiled back. "Yeah, she is, but she's not here at the moment. She's out on an errand and won't be back for a few hours. My mom just left, too, so I've been tasked with keeping you company while we wait."

Ai Hayasaka blinked in surprise. "Oh, really? I didn't know. I can just come back later, then. I don't want to be a bother to you. I'm so sorry." She bowed a little deeper, her face looking apologetic.

Haruya shook his head, a gentle smile on his face.

"You're not a bother at all. Don't worry about it. I was just about to find something to do, so you showed up at the perfect time. Besides," he said as a thoughtful look appeared on his face, "I promised your aunt that you could come visit anytime you wanted to try my pastries again. I wasn't busy today, so I was looking forward to it."

This time, Hayasaka's eyes widened, and a genuine, impressed look crossed her face.

The "seemingly fake" cheerfulness she had put on before seemed to melt away, and her eyes genuinely shone. "Wait… you're the one who made those?!" she asked, a gasp in her voice.

"My aunt brought me some of your pastries last time, and they were the most delicious things I have ever tasted! She said her employers made them, but I didn't know it was you!"

Haruya felt a laugh bubble up from his chest. "Not just me," he said, a little embarrassed. "My mom helped me out, too. She's the real expert. But I'm not so bad myself, I guess. Since you're here, while we wait for your aunt, do you want to come with me to the kitchen and make some? I could use a little help."

Hayasaka's face lit up. "Really?! I'd love to!" she said, her voice full of genuine excitement. "I've tried baking before, but I've never made anything that good. This is perfect!"

Compared to earlier, when she had just arrived, she now gave him a different feeling.

It somewhat felt like an unboxing. 

Or an unmasking, to be more specific.

Haruya's smile widened, and he gestured for her to follow him.

He led her through the house, past the living room and down a short hallway, to the massive kitchen that was the heart of their home.

As they walked, Hayasaka took in the surroundings, her trained eye noting the elegant, yet lived-in feel of the manor.

It lacked the cold, imposing grandeur of the Shinomiya household she was used to.

Instead, the air was warm with the scent of baked goods, and every corner seemed to radiate a genuine sense of family and comfort that was a stark contrast to her own life.

She felt a genuine sense of curiosity at it all.

They entered the kitchen, the sunlight streaming in through the large windows, illuminating the stainless steel counters and the rows of professional baking equipment.

The air was filled with the faint, comforting scent of pastry.

Haruya went to the pantry and opened the door, a proud smile on his face. "Alright, let's see… what should we make today?" he said.

Hayasaka walked in and stood beside him, her eyes wide as she looked at all the ingredients.

The pantry was immense, a baker's dream filled with every kind of flour, sugar, spice, and everything nice that she could imagine.

There were shelves dedicated to different kinds of chocolate, jars of various nuts and dried fruits, and a whole section of molds and specialty pans.

"Wow," she breathed, genuinely impressed this time by the sheer variety and quality. "Not even the kitchen at home has this much," she muttered.

Haruya just shrugged, a small smile on his face. "My mom likes to have everything on hand. She says you never know when inspiration will strike." He gestured to a large walk-in refrigerator on the far wall. "The fresh stuff is in there. Butter, eggs, cream, fruit."

He thought for a moment, then turned to her. "So, what are you in the mood for? Something light? Or something a little more decadent? I've been thinking about trying a new recipe for a matcha cream puff."

The girl's eyes lit up at the suggestion. "Oh! I love matcha! That sounds amazing! But… is that too complicated? I'm not really a good baker."

Haruya laughed, a light, easy sound. "Don't worry about it. My mom always says you can't learn without making a mess first. Besides, I'm the expert. I'll guide you." He pulled out a large mixing bowl and a set of measuring cups. "Let's start with the basics. We'll need flour, sugar, and a pinch of salt."

Somehow, right after introducing themselves only a dozen minutes ago, the two had already decided on what to do and immediately hit it off.

...

A/N: At first, I was thinking if I should just directly go with Hayasaka's cold persona, but then I thought that compared to her in high school, she should still be quite green, and that she could just use her more cheerful, doe Haysaca-chan version. This is the beauty of writing starting from childhood. Easy to shape the characters' personalities. Also I dropped some hints for some potential... stuff. I'll be so disappointed if no one notices considering how blatant it was.

...

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