/
“Heyy, Kanta-kun. What if I put yoghurt on mochi?”
“Give it up. Here. Some coe-roe-and-cheese mochi for you, Cornet.”
“Thank you! Wahh, so good! Hey, Kanta-kun? What if I put jam on the mochi?”
“Sounds disgusting. Here, mochi pizza.”
“Waah, this is my first time having a pizza mochi! It was so good!”
Kanta-kun had turned down all of my ideas. But all of the things that Kanta-kun made for me were delicious, so I guess it was fine?
Still, it was actually pretty hard trying to match sweet things with the mochi.
If it was shiratama dango instead would it be easier?
Hmmm

“Hey Cornet, do you ever eat them normally?”
“I do eat them normally. But I just wonder about more unique ways to do them sometimes
”
“Yeah, but why. Like, could you honestly say that you’d enjoy eating jam or yoghurt on mochi?”
“Uu
”
“Food isn’t your toy.”
“Guh
”
There was nothing I could say to that.
“To begin with, why do you always try and put weird spins on these? It was the same with that cake as well.”
Uu, that was because

“..out
 working
”
“What?”
“
Nothing.”

I daydreamed that if I came up with my own original recipe, I could get rich without working.
Then my daydream got even bigger.
I would be this amateur chef who posted her original recipes on the internet.
Then people started talking about me, which would be when I published my own cooking book.
The media all started featuring about me and I’d suddenly find myself a celebrity.
That was when a hot young actor with an interest in cooking would sudden invite me to have a chat!
The two of us would hit it off.
Eventually it turned into love.
But the love between the popular young actor, and Japan’s foremost young lady was not to be.
The people around us tried to tear us apart.
While I was locked at home and I spent every day crying, one day I overheard my family talking about a political marriage!
I wanted to see him.
But I couldn’t.
Eventually I made up my mind.
I would abandon my family!
It wasn’t only me risking her future though.
I slipped out at night to meet with him.
While throwing off my pursuers I ran onto a road where I was hit by a truck!
Nobody could find a blood donor for me, but just when it was about to be too late, shockingly that young actor had the same blood-type as me!
For the girl he loved, he let them take almost all the blood he could spare.
In tears, my family thanked him.
“No,” he said, “As long as it’s for her, I don’t care how many times I risk my life!”
I was safe from death now.
In my deluxe suite, I watched him on t.v. holding an emergency press conference.
“I have somebody I love. Before I’m an actor, I’m a man in love!”
I couldn’t see him properly through my tears!
Since he had saved my life, my family finally approved of him.
As for his agency, they allowed it as well after seeing his resolve.
All of Japan blessed our pure love, and as we had our wedding in an old European fortress, a double rainbow spanned the sky as exchanged our vows.
What a touching finale!
──And that was how my grandiose delusions went.
“What happened, Cornet? You’re all smirking now. It’s creepy.”
“Eh?”
Kanta-kun looked at me in suspicion.
Apparently I had been smirking while I thought back to my delusions.
I decided to be more careful while daydreaming in public

But man, did I used to love that rare blood-type cliche.
AB Negative and that.
Was it because it was nice being special?
Incidentally my actual blood type was the second most common in Japan.
“Anyway, just follow the recipe for all cooking!”
“Okay
”
He was being pretty bossy for a 1st year middle-schooler but since he helped his parents and sister with the shop he could cook even as a child.
I respect you, Kanta-kun.
The isobeyaki you made for me was exquisite was well!
*
*
After eating the delicious mochi, I began learning how to make the chocolat au fondant with Wakaba-sensei.
Today not only was Kanta-kun joining us, but the twins were watching as well.
It made me a little more nervous than usual.
I get it, okay?
I’ll follow the recipe already.
Kanta-kun’s looking pretty strict, after all.
“First we sieve the flour, okay?” said Wakaba-chan.
“Yes,” I replied.
“Cornet, you better do this right,” warned Kanta-kun.
“Yes
” I replied.
“Do you best, Cornet!” said the twins.
“Next we’ll melt the chocolate and batter in the warm water.”
“Yes.”
Warming it up with water, huh.
“You know,” I began, “In the past I failed to understand the importance of warming it with water like this. Since I figured it was just melting and casting it, I put it in a pot and just heated it directly.”
“Eh!?”
“What the hell were you doing!?”
The Takamichi siblings looked like they had discovered some kind of impossible creature.
“What happened then
?” Wakaba-chan asked.
“It burnt in the saucepan and the resulting chocolate was gritty and terrible. Heating it up with water is a very important step,” I lectured.
“We already know that
” they replied.
I had planned to break the ice with the story but Kanta-kun’s gaze just got stricter.
Maybe I shouldn’t have said that

I let my guard down because I was too relaxed here.
Maybe because it reminded me of my old life somehow.
“Done!”
The outside was crumbly while the inside was gooey.
It hadn’t taken all that long to make, but the chocolat au fondant was sooo good!
Wakaba-chan had an amazing recipe!
“And the powdered sugar looks like snow, so it is good on the eyes too,” I noted in admiration.
The chocolate cheesecake we made last time was great too, but today’s creation was leagues ahead!
This was definitely going to be this year’s Valentine’s chocolate!
I decided to teach Sakura-chan and Aoi-chan the recipe too.
“See!” Kanta-kun boasted. “Look at how delicious it is when you don’t add weird shit!”
“Kanta!” his sister scolded him.
I had learnt an important lesson

*
*
It was night-time when it was time to leave.
Looking up at the night sky, I realised that it had suddenly started snowing.
“Are you going to be okay? Want an umbrella?”
“No, thank you. When I reach my station I shall call for a car.”
Since I was keeping these visits a secret I couldn’t get picked up from here.
But just a bit of snow was fine.
“Thank you for putting up with me today. I must have caused you a lot of trouble.”
“Not at all! I still haven’t paid you back at all, Kisshouin-san!”
“You mean the uniform and the shoes? It was really nothing much, so please forget it.”
“I can’t do that. They were so expensive. I still wonder if I shouldn’t try and pay some of it back.”
“Ehh!?”
I had no idea she was trying to do that!
I mean, they were all bird-pooped and all.
“They were only about a hundred thousand Yen though
”
“Eh? It’s more than that, Kisshouin-san. You don’t know the cost of the uniforms you’re using? And besides, even if it was a hundred thousand that’s a lot to me.”
I suppose so.
A hundred thousand was a lot to me too, though.
Wakaba-chan’s expression turned serious.
“Ummm, you know, it’s a bit hypocritical of me to say this, but I’ve been thinking that maybe you should cherish the things your parents give you a bit more.”
“Eh
?”
“The uniform you gave me was something bought with money that your dad worked hard for. I’d feel a bit bad for him if you didn’t treasure it a bit more
”
“
”
“Sorry, that was rude of me. But I know how hard my mum and dad work, so the things they buy to me are precious to me. I mean, it’s hard making a hundred thousand, you know?”
“Yes
”
In my past life I would never have forgotten how lucky I was to have that money.
When had I become numb to it?
Unlike Wakaba-chan’s dad, I never saw Otousama working of course, so maybe that factored into it.
I never even bothered to find out how much the uniform they bought me cost.
I just accepted it without a thought, because it was natural.
Even though Otousama had worked for that money.
What on earth was I doing.
This wasn’t being humble or reliable at all.
“Are you okay, Kisshouin-san?” she asked me worriedly.
I had fallen silent for a while.
“Oh yes. I am.”
“Sorry for saying something weird. I just
”
“No. I was in the wrong. Thank you. I have realised it now. But please forget about the uniform. I have many spares, after all.”
I kept thinking about her words on the train ride home.
*
*
When I got home, Otousama was relaxing on the sofa.
“Otousama!”
“Oh, welcome home, Reika.”
“I am back.”
I walked over and sat down right next to him.
“Oh? What’s wrong? Somebody’s clingy today.”
“
Thank you for everything, Otousama.”
“What’s the matter, Reika?”
Otousama seemed confused.
“I realised again that it is only because you work hard every day that I live as luxuriously as I do. My school fees and everything I wear was bought with money you earned through work. Thank you. And sorry that I always spend so much without realising how much you labour for that money
”
“Reika
 You’re such a good girl! Just buy anything you want, Reika! I’ll pay for anything you want! Let’s go on a shopping spree tomorrow!”
Eh? That wasn’t what I was trying to say at all

But the Tanuki was so ecstatic that he wasn’t going to listen anymore.
Are you trying to earn more points with your daughter by showering her with gifts, Tanuki?
Ah, no, no, I was being grateful to Otousama.
Right, right.
“Otousama, today I was learning to bake a cake for Valentine’s day. I will try my best to make something delicious for you on the day, so please look forward to it!”
To date, all of the things I gave Otousama was just made on the side while I baked for Oniisama.
But this year I would make sure to put my heart into it!
“Ah, you know, this year your Otousama is stuck going to that compulsory Human Dry Dock medical examination
”
“My! That sounds so rough! Then from today onwards I will make healthy meals for you!”
I could get Akimi-san to teach me how to make healthy food.
I wonder what kind of dishes there were.
Stuff like tofu steaks or something?
It sounded tough, but I’d do my best.
It was for Otousama, after all!
“My Reika, just your feelings are enough, so
”
“Worry not, Otousama. From today onwards I will show my gratitude by making sure you are as fit as a fiddle! Leave it to me!”
Oh geez, Otousama.
He seemed so moved by his daughter that he was in tears.
Oh, I know.
Maybe I could become a nutritionist in the future.
Then I come up with a revolutionary nutritional plan.
Renowned across the country, Kisshouin Reika, the beautiful nutritionist.
Suddenly, an offer by a superstar athlete to work as his dieticians.
Under my meticulous plan, his results begin to skyrocket.
Before he knew it, his gratitude had turned to love

To be continued