ALL NOVEL chapter 93
93. Hungry Nishikawa
The cooking practice room was filled with a fragrant and sweet aroma wafting gently.
Taking out a square waffle freshly baked from the waffle maker, Mashiro stared at it with sparkling eyes.
The aroma from the freshly baked batter promised a crispy, savory surface and a chewy texture, making the waffle look irresistible.
The sweet scent of the freshly made waffle seemed more than enough to make Mashiro’s heart flutter.
“Wow… it looks so delicious. Hey Ryusuke, can I try this?”
“Yeah. Be careful, it’s hot so you don’t burn yourself.”
“Okay! Then, here I go!”
Mashiro blew on it softly with her small mouth before taking a big bite of the freshly made waffle.
I heard a crunch as Mashiro’s adorable cheeks moved as she chewed. Then, her expression melted into a blissful smile, looking completely happy.
It was a smile full of joy, like a squirrel stuffing acorns into its cheeks.
“How is it? Freshly made really is exceptional, right?”
“It’s super delicious, Ryusuke! The outside is crunchy, and the inside is fluffy! Plus, the sweet and savory aroma spreads throughout my mouth… wow… this is just too blissful!”
“If you’re praising it that much, the cultural festival will go perfectly. Now we just need to cut it into small pieces for tasting—”
Just as I reached out to eat a freshly made waffle, I heard loud voices coming from the hallway, causing me to look up. The voices sounded familiar and were getting closer.
Then the door to the cooking practice room burst open with force.
“Whoa! It smells amazing in here! Ryusuke, is that you?!”
“Whoa…!? Nishi-kawa. G-Good morning?”
“Hey. Good morning, Ryusuke!”
The one who burst into the cooking classroom was my friend, Kyo-ya Nishikawa.
At this time, he should be in morning practice for the basketball club, so why was Nishikawa here?
With his chestnut brown hair damp with sweat and dressed in his gym uniform, Nishikawa wore a bright smile.
“Well, the bathroom in the gym is broken and can’t be used. I thought I’d borrow one from the school building, but I got drawn in by this amazing smell!”
“Is that okay? Aren’t you in morning practice? If you don’t hurry back, Reo will get mad at you.”
“Don’t worry. It’s just break time. I heard from Reo that you were doing something this morning, but I never expected you were making something this delicious.”
Nishikawa looked around the cooking classroom and then spotted the freshly baked waffles, causing his stomach to growl loudly.
Hearing that big sound, Maki approached Nishikawa with a chuckle.
“Good morning, Nishikawa-kun. You’re full of energy today too, huh?”
“M-M-Maki-chan…! H-H-Hello…!!”
“Haha. Nishikawa-kun is still as amusing as ever.”
“I-I’m honored to hear that!!”
Nishikawa’s face turned bright red, and he froze with his back straight as if standing at attention.
He still got so nervous in front of Maki that he froze up, and just hearing her voice made his mind go blank.
Maki was used to Nishikawa’s reactions by now, and while giggling, she picked up a freshly baked waffle and offered it to him.
“Hey, are you hungry, Nishikawa-kun? This waffle is really delicious, so try it! It might help you do well in morning practice!”
“A-Ah…! M-Maki-chan’s… blessing…?!”
Nishikawa’s mouth moved up and down as he stared back and forth between Maki and the waffle. However, no matter how nervous he was, his body seemed honest.
With Maki and me watching, Nishikawa took the freshly baked waffle and put it in his mouth. As he slowly chewed, he exaggeratedly reacted, his eyes sparkling.
“U… It’s so good! W-What is this!? It’s crispy and fragrant, fluffy yet chewy, and super delicious!?”
“Haha! Nishikawa-kun has joined the ranks of those captured by Ryusuke’s cooking!”
“If I know about something like this, I can’t resist it anymore…”
With that, he devoured the waffle in big bites, letting out a blissful sigh.
I wasn’t sure what it meant to join the ranks of those captured, but it was clear that the waffle had indeed captured Nishikawa’s heart.
Even though he was in front of Maki, he was so engrossed in the waffle that all his previous nervousness had vanished.
“If Nishikawa is this happy about it, then it seems like the others in our class will be satisfied too. I’m glad.”
“This is seriously at a level that could be served at a restaurant. Not only are you good at studying and sports, but you’re also amazing at making sweets, Ryusuke. You’re truly a perfect superhuman!”
“No, it’s not like that. I just have a lot of confidence in making sweets.”
Nishikawa said it was at a level that could be served in a shop, but this waffle is something I used to serve at the café where I worked part-time in my previous life.
The manager there had an extraordinary obsession with sweets, and I merely recreated what I had been taught by that manager.
Even though it’s just a waffle, there were differences that required extra effort. Due to slight variations in ingredients and cooking tools, I can’t achieve a perfect reproduction, but I believe it’s more than sufficient for the cultural festival.
“Man, I didn’t eat breakfast, so this waffle really hits the spot. Are you making anything else?”
“Yeah. I’ve prepared a few other dishes for taste testing to select the menu for the cultural festival. We’ll narrow it down to one or two from there.”
“That’s impressive. Holding a tasting session just for the cultural festival. Ryusuke, you’re really working hard for the class.”
“Yeah. Since I’ve been entrusted with this, I plan to give it my all. I want to enjoy the cultural festival with everyone in class, smiling together.”
“Wow. You’ve really changed, Ryusuke. Back when you were a delinquent, you used to skip school events. Now you’re thinking about the class and working hard for everyone.”
“I don’t want to regret anything anymore. Even if I fail, I believe that putting in my best effort will surely lead to good memories.”
I never want to repeat the regrets I had in my previous life.
Being in the same classroom and just going through the motions without any will of my own. The cultural festival in my previous life was merely a time spent waiting, swept along by those around me.
Maybe that’s why.
The memories of the cultural festival from my past were enjoyable, but at the same time, they felt empty, and I would watch my classmates laughing together at the center of the class, feeling lonely because I wasn’t part of it.
That’s the same for me, Shindo Ryusuke, who has walked this life as a villain.
Because I was a delinquent, I couldn’t fit in with those around me, and to fill that loneliness, I ended up hanging out with bad friends who understood me. I kept running away from the stage of youth that is school, and every day became hollow and faded.
It was Mashiro who vividly colored my everyday life and continued to support me by my side.
And I vowed to enjoy youth with my beloved Mashiro. I strongly wished to have a youthful experience even as a villain.
To fulfill that wish, I am now giving my all to what I can do.
In order to create irreplaceable memories with Mashiro, I’m cooperating with everyone in the class, and if we can all laugh together as a result…
That would be the very youth I had longed for, and to seize such a bright future, I will work hard seriously.
Perhaps my feelings reached Nishikawa as well.
Nishikawa broke into a wide grin and then laughed happily.
“I’m cheering you on! Do everything you want to do, Ryusuke!”
“Yeah. Thanks, Nishikawa. I’ll do my best so we can all enjoy the cultural festival with smiles.”
“I’ll help with anything I can. For example, let’s see… I could taste test the other sweets too!”
Seeing Nishikawa give a thumbs up and flash a bright smile, Mashiro laughed mischievously and took a step closer to Nishikawa.
“Ahaha. Nishikawa-kun, you really can’t wait to eat more of the sweets Ryusuke made, can you?”
“Gah!?”
“I can tell. You said earlier that you hadn’t eaten breakfast and were hungry.”
“Ugh! W-Wait, Mashiro-chan, actually… yes…”
“Hahaha. Nishikawa-kun, your reactions are really funny!”
「Hieee…! Don’t look at me with that super cute smile…!!」
Nishikawa turned bright red just from being called by Mashiro, and he was flustered by every little move she made.
Seeing Nishikawa like that, Mashiro laughed cheerfully, and watching the two of them filled me with a warm feeling.
And as I joined in their conversation, I took a bite of the waffle I had made.
Yeah, it’s delicious.