"Yuigahama-san, the eggshells! Take the eggshells out!"
"Yuigahama-san, the flour! That's too much flour!"
"Yuigahama-san, the milk! The milk is about to overflow!!!"
Yuigahama-san's cookie-making was not going smoothly.
Mori Shinra rarely used the term 'disaster movie' to describe the process of making cookies, but Yuigahama had well and truly taught him a lesson.
First was cracking the eggs. For some reason, the pink-haired girl decided to crack the shells right into the bowl along with the eggs.
Next was the flour. Shinra had always thought that 'too much flour, add water; too much water, add flour' was just an internet joke, that no one in real life would be foolish enough to repeat this process more than three times. Yuigahama did it.
After that, the butter wasn't melted, the sugar was naturally replaced with salt, the amount of artificial flavoring reached a lethal dose, and the milk overflowed.
Hee hee, I wonder who these cookies are for!
Oh, me. (No more hee hee.)
Shinra felt that Yuigahama wasn't trying to apologize to him, but rather to murder him.
Was he some kind of terrible, evil person? Why was she treating him like this?
Yukinoshita's face was pale. Clearly, the shock Yuigahama had given her was not small either. She couldn't understand how someone could fail to make something as simple as cookies.
It wasn't a difficult recipe. As long as you followed the fixed ratios, even someone who had never been in a kitchen before should be able to make them, right?
"Next..."
"Yuigahama-san, if I may ask, you haven't even finished the cookies, so why are you taking out instant coffee? If it's for a drink to go with them, you can wait until the cookies are in the oven." Yukinoshita had an ominous premonition.
"Huh? Oh no, this is for flavoring. Don't cookies come in coffee flavor?" Yuigahama replied.
As she spoke, she was already pouring the coffee into the bowl. And because she had turned her head to talk to Yukinoshita, her eyes were not on the bowl. The final result was another small black mountain in the bowl.
Yes, forming the Black and White Fiends with the artificial flavoring next to it.
"..."
Yukinoshita didn't know what to say. Looking at that small black mountain, she hesitated for a long while before speaking. "Isn't that a little too much?"
"Is it? Then I'll add a little more sugar."
"That's salt..."
Since Yuigahama's process was not hidden from view, the onlooking Mori Shinra and Hikigaya were already sweating bullets just from watching.
Especially Shinra. His legs were trembling, and he was on the verge of fleeing.
"Hikigaya, I just remembered I left something in the classroom," Shinra said, scratching his head and putting on an absent-minded expression. He then turned to leave the home economics classroom.
"Is that so? You can get it after club activities are over," Hikigaya said with a strained smile, his hand shooting out to grab Shinra.
"Bro, it's urgent," Shinra's other hand rested on Hikigaya's, his face showing an unprecedented solemnity.
Hikigaya could see it. It was the thirst for life.
But...
If you leave, my path to survival is gone!
Therefore, no matter how silver-tongued Shinra was, Hikigaya remained unmoved.
While the two boys were locked in a silent struggle, Yuigahama's cookie embryos had been sent into the oven, and the timer was set.
Shinra looked at the oven's digital display, his mind in a daze.
He was probably sick, to think that the time displayed on it was not the baking time, but the remaining time of his life.
With heavy steps, Shinra walked over to Yukinoshita's side. His whole demeanor had become filled with a sense of brokenness, his tone unprecedentedly gentle, even sounding a little submissive.
"Yukinoshita, can I trust you?"
This is the apprentice you taught. You're so excellent, so... it should be fine, right?
Yukinoshita averted her gaze and took a half-step back.
Shinra was struck as if by lightning.
♪Are you serious with that half-step back?♪
"I-I did my best," Yukinoshita said, lowering her head. The girl who had been strong-willed her whole life had to admit at this moment that some people are just born powerful.
Ding~
Shinra's whole body trembled.
He remembered some oven commercials from the last century that called the 'ding' sound when the oven was done the 'voice of God'.
Looking at it now, it wasn't false advertising.
Kobe, I miss you, man.
Hearing the oven, Yuigahama immediately put on thick oven mitts, took out the baking tray, and turned to pile the baked cookies (?) onto a plate.
The pure white porcelain plate and the pitch-black fragments formed a stark contrast, a contrast even more intense than the one between the promotional photos for last century's Snow White and this century's Snow White.
"They might not look great... but you won't know the taste until you try them!"
Yuigahama seemed to be psyching herself up, but it also sounded like the whisper of the Grim Reaper.
"That's true. And it just so happens we have someone here to help with the taste test," Shinra said, speaking first, a kind smile plastered on his face. "Hikigaya, you must be hungry after all that work, right?"
If there was an expression to describe Hikigaya right now, Shinra thought of the protagonist from a manga he recently read called "Fire Punch."
Hikigaya, please do it for my sake. You can be the first to try.
Feeling the gazes of the three people on him, Hikigaya lowered his head.
Shinra thought he had resigned himself to his fate, but he didn't expect him to suddenly look up, a smile that was hard to describe on his face.
"You're right. But I've had a cold recently, so my taste buds might be a little off. I can't give a fair evaluation. So, Shinra, you should join me."
"Hahaha, what are you talking about, Hikigaya? You don't look like you have a cold at all."
"Achoo!"
"..."
The home economics classroom fell silent.
Hikigaya picked up a black, suspicious object. As if confirming his itinerary one last time before departure, he asked Yuigahama, "It's not poisonous, is it?"
"How could it be poisonous! Poison? Hmm... is it really poisonous?" Yuigahama retorted, then started to lose confidence herself, tilting her head to ask Yukinoshita for help.
Yukinoshita once again averted her gaze.
Shinra felt that if he were to die, Yukinoshita would have to bear at least half the responsibility.
Hikigaya felt that if he were to die, Mori Shinra would have to bear all of the responsibility.
Hikigaya closed his eyes and stuffed the cookie (?) into his mouth. Not daring to savor it, he chewed twice and swallowed.
"Huh? It actually tastes okay?" Hikigaya opened his eyes, looking a little incredulous.
Shinra wasn't so easily fooled. "For real?"
Hikigaya picked up another piece, stuffed it in his mouth, and mumbled, "Yeah, it's really okay."
Shinra was getting uncertain.
Hikigaya took another piece and put it in his mouth. This time, he didn't speak.
Shinra was starting to believe him. He thought, I have to eat it eventually anyway, might as well try?
He put it in his mouth. After a long moment, Shinra opened his eyes and met Hikigaya's gaze. It was a very complex look, but it quickly became firm.
Noticing Yukinoshita was also looking at him, Shinra smiled. "It's actually pretty good. You should try some too, Yukinoshita."
"Then I'll just have a little," Yukinoshita hesitated for a moment, then also picked up a piece and put it in her mouth.
Not long after, the sounds of three people coughing filled the home economics classroom.