Extra chapter for reaching 450 Power Stones.
...
Haruya pulled a large mixing bowl from the cabinet and placed it on the stainless steel counter.
The kitchen, usually a place of quiet, focused work for him, felt different with someone else there.
It was a new kind of energy, a lighter, more curious one. Hayasaka stood beside him, her eyes wide as she took in the space and waited for his instructions.
"First, let's get the choux pastry started," Haruya said, his voice taking on the calm, instructional tone his mom usually used on him when helping her bake. "It's the most important part. We'll need flour, butter, water, and salt. Then, of course, the eggs."
Hayasaka nodded, her attention fully on him. Haruya felt a small sense of pride as she listened so intently.
He began to measure out the ingredients, explaining each step as he went. Hayasaka watched, then took the measuring cups herself, her movements a little tentative at first.
"Like this?" she asked, holding a cup of flour.
"Perfect," he replied, and she carefully poured it into the bowl.
They started to get into a rhythm. Haruya would grab an ingredient, explaining its purpose, and Hayasaka would measure it out.
Her initial hesitation faded, replaced by a focused determination. She was clearly a quick learner.
As they worked, the comfortable silence was broken by the quiet sound of a wooden spoon scraping against a bowl.
"So, you've never baked before?" Haruya asked, stirring the dough on the stove.
Hayasaka shook her head. "Not really. I've helped out in the kitchen before, but it's usually just… a lot of professional chefs. It's not really a hands-on kind of thing. And besides, I'm always so busy with school and tutoring. I never have the time."
Haruya nodded in understanding. He thought about how his own days lately were filled with school and the bakery, but the bakery was a place of joy for him. He couldn't imagine baking being a chore. "Well, you're doing great so far," he said. "You're a natural. It's all about getting a feel for the dough."
Hayasaka's face brightened at the compliment.
For the first time with someone unfamiliar, she smiled a true, unguarded smile. Haruya felt a little warmth spread through his chest.
They moved on to mixing the batter for the matcha cream. He showed her how to use the whisk, her arm moving in a circular motion. A small splash of cream flew out of the bowl and landed on the boy's face. Hayasaka gasped, her eyes going wide.
"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" she said, her face flushing with rare embarrassment.
Haruya just laughed. He reached up and wiped the cream off with his finger, then, without thinking, he put his finger in his mouth.
"It's fine," he said, licking the sweet cream off his finger. "See? Delicious. It's all part of the fun."
Hayasaka stared at him for a moment, her own cheeks a little red.
She hadn't expected him to be so… easygoing. In her world, a mess was a failure, a stain was a problem.
Here, it was just part of the experience. A genuine, unadulterated laugh escaped her lips, a sound she rarely let out. She put down the whisk and reached out to wipe a spot of cream from his cheek, her touch soft and careful.
"You're really different," she said, her voice a little quieter. "Most people… they don't get it."
Haruya looked at her, confused. "Don't get what?"
"Just… this," she said, gesturing vaguely around the room. "This feeling. It's so… free. In the Shinomiya household, everything is so precise and scheduled. A mess is a sign of a lack of control."
Haruya's brow furrowed. "The Shinomiya household? I think I've heard that name before."
Hayasaka's expression shifted slightly, her cheerful mask beginning to fall back into place.
Her blue eyes became a little more distant, and her voice lost some of its easy warmth. "It's a family that my own family works for. We've served them for generations. It's a very prestigious and powerful family. I'm sure you can imagine."
Haruya nodded slowly.
The name Shinomiya finally clicked into place.
He remembered his grandpa's scowl when the name was mentioned at his birthday party, a look of pure disdain. He had also overheard his father talking about it in the past, how the family was a powerful economic force in Japan.
Although he didn't know why his grandpa disliked them, the memory was strong.
The knowledge made him look at Ai Hayasaka a little differently. He understood, at least a little bit, why she had that strange "unmasking" feeling when they met.
'If the Hayasaka family worked for the Shinomiyas, then how come Hana Hayasaka-san works for us?' he thought as he suddenly remembered their own Hayasaka in the family.
He decided not to pry further for now, sensing that things might not be as simple as they seem.
Instead, he just smiled gently and said, "Well, here, a mess is just an opportunity to try something new. My mom has probably ruined more batches of dough than she can count, but she always gets back up and tries again. You just have to have fun with it."
Ai looked at him, and for a moment, her eyes held a genuine, deep-seated joy that was almost breathtaking.
It was a fleeting moment, but it was there. It was a feeling she'd only felt a few times before, a tinge of happiness she'd get when she was with Kaguya, and she would get to see her laugh or be free for a moment.
But here, with Haruya, it felt different. It felt like she was a part of that joy, not just an observer.
He gestured to the bowl. "Ready to fill some puffs?"
Ai Hayasaka snapped out of her thoughts and nodded, her voice full of enthusiasm once more. "Ready!"
They worked on the pastries together, the rest of the afternoon filled with flour on their hands, bits of dough stuck to the counter, and the sweet, comforting scent of baking. They talked about school, about their favorite pastries, and about what it was like to grow up in their families.
Ai, still being guarded about her life, would just ask questions back at Haruya, making him do most of the talking. Haruya, understanding that she didn't want to talk much about her past, didn't try to pry into anything and was happy to oblige.
When the matcha cream puffs finally came out of the oven, they were a beautiful, golden brown, with a light dusting of powdered sugar on top. Haruya let them cool before he carefully filled each one with the light green matcha cream. He handed one to Ai, his smile wide.
"Alright, the moment of truth," he said.
Ai took a delicate bite, her eyes closing as she savored the flavor.
The cream was cool and rich, with the slightly bitter taste of matcha perfectly balanced by the sweet, fluffy pastry.
It was a perfect flavor combination, one that spoke of care and expertise. Her eyes shot open, and a gasp of pure delight escaped her lips.
"Oh my gosh!" she squealed, her voice full of honest-to-goodness joy. "This is… this is amazing! It's the best thing I've ever tasted! The matcha, the cream, everything… It's perfect!"
Haruya's chest swelled with pride. He felt a smile spread across his face, a pure, genuine smile of satisfaction.
All he was happy about was that he could add another member to his pastry fan club.
"It's also part of your hard work, I'm glad you like it," he said, taking a bite of his own.
Ai's face was glowing with happiness as she finished her cream puff. "Like it? I love it! I could eat a million of these!" she said. "I've never had anything so good."
They continued to eat what they had made, and as they did, they moved to the living room to keep talking.
Haruya learned that while she was an excellent student and it seemed like she was somewhat of a retainer for someone, but most of her life was lonely.
She was a close friends with that person, but she was always so busy that she felt like she was living a double life. Haruya found her to be a bit mysterious, but it made him a bit more interested in her.
Without anyone noticing, a couple of hours had finally passed by.
Suddenly, the front door quietly opened, and in walked Hana Hayasaka.
Haruya and Ai Hayasaka had their backs turned on her as they continued chatting, not noticing that someone had just arrived.
Hana looked exhausted, but her expression shifted to one of pure surprise when she saw her niece sitting on the couch next to Haruya, laughing and talking as if they had known each other for years.
Ai Hayasaka's bright, bubbly persona was on full display, but there was a genuine warmth in her eyes that Hana had never seen before. She was used to seeing Ai act, to play a part, but this was different. This was real.
Hana stood there for a long moment, watching them quietly. She knew that her niece lived a very different, very isolated life in the Shinomiya household, a life where joy was a rare commodity.
And yet, here she was.
In a quiet, cozy manor, with a boy who made pastries, she seemed like she was genuinely happy.
A feeling of gratitude swelled in Hana's heart.
She was happy that her niece could break out of her mask, even just for a while.
'He really is your son, Kenjiro-san, Akari-san.'
...
A/N: Sometimes I wonder if I'm making Ai Hayasaka's personality too casual, then I remember her sudden switch of personality in the end of the original, where she just straight up became someone who was so far from the usual Hayasaka we saw. Now, it just feels more real to me. Maybe except for the part where they immediately hit it off, but some people just lose their composure when they get offered something they're interested in, so I won't say it's too far off.
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POWER STONE GOAL - 1 EXTRA CHAPTER WHEN REACHED:
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500 POWER STONES (X)