The moment they stepped into the cake shop, the sweet aroma enveloped them. Morishita Ran's eyes lit up, and she headed straight for the display case with Kamuro Masumi. "I want that chocolate lava cake!" Kamuro didn't hesitate either, pointing to the matcha roll and ordering it. The two of them looked like regulars.
Yamamura Miki followed behind them, fingers clutching her schoolbag strap as she slowly made her way along the glass case. Cheese tarts, fruit mille-feuille, caramel pudding... They all looked delicious, but she felt that ordering something too expensive on her first outing with everyone would be inappropriate. On the other hand, she worried that choosing something simple might make her seem too reserved. She hesitated for a long time without making up her mind, the tips of her ears nearly turning red.
"If you're not sure what to get, Yamamura," Uesugi Hara said, coming over and pointing to the strawberry cake in the case. Three bright red strawberries sat atop the cream, making it look refreshingly light. "You could try this one. The cream isn't too rich, and the strawberries are fresh. It goes well with a hot drink."
Yamamura Miki looked up at him, then quickly lowered her head again. Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz. "Th-then I'll take your advice, Uesugi."
She turned to the cashier and took a deep breath before steadying her voice. "One strawberry cake and a hot milk, please. Thank you." Once she'd finished, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief, as if she'd just accomplished something major.
Uesugi Hara gave her a thumbs-up from beside her. She couldn't help smiling, and much of her nervousness melted away.
As soon as the cakes were served, a murmur of conversation filled the shop. But rather than four people chatting, it was more like a "battlefield" between Uesugi Hara and Kamuro Masumi. Uesugi Hara had barely said, "This matcha roll looks pretty average," when Kamuro shot back, "At least it's better than someone who only knows how to recommend strawberry cake." They traded barbs back and forth, but there was no real anger in it. They were more like a pair of friends teasing each other.
Yamamura Miki ate her strawberry cake in tiny bites, unaware that cream had smeared the corner of her mouth. She didn't say much, listening quietly instead. When something amused her, she lowered her head, shoulders shaking slightly as a shy smile peeked out from behind her hair.
Morishita Ran was the most absorbed of all. Her chocolate lava cake was already gone, and she was now tackling a second dessert, a mango mousse. Her cheeks bulged as she stuffed herself, making her look just like a little squirrel stocking up on food. Watching her eat so earnestly, Uesugi Hara couldn't resist teasing her. "At this rate, you're going to eat through all my points."
"No, I'm not!" Morishita Ran stabbed her spoon into the plate and looked up with all seriousness. "The first one was your treat for the study group, so it came out of the group budget. This one's your compensation to me, so it's a personal expense. They're completely different!" Then she bent over and dug in again, unconcerned about the bit of mango sauce at the corner of her mouth, her eyes fixed solely on the cake.
Kamuro Masumi glanced at her and pursed her lips, but quietly nudged the matcha roll she'd barely touched toward her. Yamamura Miki noticed and couldn't help smiling behind her lips.
Watching the scene before him, Uesugi Hara picked up his milk tea and took a sip. The study group's first meal together was turning out to be a lot more fun than he'd expected.
The sweet fragrance of the cakes gradually faded, leaving only a few scattered traces of cream on the plates. Uesugi Hara set down his spoon and lightly tapped his fingertips on the table. "We should talk about the study group now."
He looked first at Kamuro Masumi, his tone considerably more serious than it had been while they were teasing each other. "Kamuro, from what I've seen, you occasionally zone out in class, and your answers to questions suggest your fundamentals are a little shaky. I'll put together a list of basic concepts for you, then spend half an hour each day helping you catch up. Just ask if there's anything you don't understand."
Kamuro Masumi had been scraping matcha powder from the edge of her plate with her spoon. At his words, her hand paused. She looked at Uesugi Hara for a couple of seconds. Seeing that there wasn't even a trace of teasing in his eyes, she gave a quiet "Oh," and agreed. For once, she didn't snap back at him like she had earlier.
Uesugi Hara then turned to Morishita Ran, who was stirring the leftover milk tea with her straw. "As for you, Morishita..." He deliberately drew out the words. "If you spent less time thinking about 'how to get three apology cakes' and put a little more into your textbooks, your grades wouldn't be stuck around the middle."
"Who says that?" Morishita Ran immediately sat up straight. "I pay close attention in class!" She sounded defiant, but quietly took the straw out of her mouth.
Finally, he looked at Yamamura Miki, who had been sitting quietly the whole time. The girl didn't seem to expect to be called on and instinctively clutched the hem of her clothes. Uesugi Hara softened his tone. "Yamamura, your grades are around the middle of the class. You're not bad in any subject, but you don't have a particular strength either. We could start with Japanese, which you're relatively good at, and shore up your strong subject first, then gradually work on your weaker ones. How does that sound?"
Yamamura Miki froze for a moment, then nodded emphatically. Her voice was soft but clear. "Y-yes, that sounds good! Thank you, Uesugi." The tips of her ears reddened as she lowered her head, but she wasn't as nervous as when she'd first arrived.
Kamuro watched Uesugi Hara lay things out in such an orderly way, then nudged him with her elbow. "I didn't expect you to be such a proper leader."
Uesugi Hara raised an eyebrow. "What did you think I became leader for?"
Time passed amid their lively conversation.
The office still smelled of the black tea Hoshinomiya Chie had just brewed. She noticed that when Mashima Tomoya flipped through the class roster, his fingers moved with an unusual lightness, unlike his usual businesslike manner. Resting her chin in her hand, she leaned closer. "Tomoya, you seem to be in a good mood today. Did something nice happen?"
Mashima Tomoya's tone was calm. "It's nothing much. I just found out that the two factions in my class, who were at each other's throats yesterday, united today." He said it casually, but the slight, irrepressible lift at the corner of his mouth gave him away. Even the fine lines around his eyes seemed softer.
"Oh?" Hoshinomiya Chie drew out the word, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "You mean Kosaka Yanagi and Katsuragi's sides? Those two actually joined forces? I thought they'd keep fighting until one side came out on top."
"But our Honami is quite capable too~" Hoshinomiya Chie lightly tapped her cheek with a fingertip, her voice trailing off sweetly. "Come to think of it, she was the one who came to see me yesterday. She quietly managed to bring the class together without much trouble."
She turned to Chabashira Sae, who had just finished marking papers, and suddenly blinked. "By the way, Sae, I heard things have been a little chaotic in your Class D lately. It seems your Class Points even dropped to zero. What exactly happened?"
Chabashira Sae was putting her red pen in her pencil case when she paused at the question. She glanced at Hoshinomiya Chie, her tone plainly impatient. "There's no need for you to concern yourself with our class." The pen tapped against the desk with a soft knock. "The students can handle things themselves."
Hoshinomiya Chie didn't get annoyed. Instead, her eyes curved in an even wider smile. "Don't be so cold~ Maybe I can help. After all—"
"No need." Chabashira Sae cut her off, picked up her lesson plans, and stood. "I have things to do. I'm leaving." Then she turned and walked out of the office without sparing them another glance.
Watching her go, Hoshinomiya Chie spread her hands at Mashima Tomoya. "Oh dear, Sae is still so unfriendly."
Mashima Tomoya gave Hoshinomiya Chie a couple of dry chuckles.