Chapter 32: The Purpose of Black Charcoal Is to Burn, Not to Eat

“Just as they were about to leave after school, Aoba Toshie hurriedly led Komuro Ayumi back to the Student Council Room.”

“Oh my, what’s wrong, Rishi?” Aoba Tomoyo had just finished packing up and planned to head to Asahi Bakery with Hiiragi Shuichi.

“I give up on this task…”

“Forgive me for saying this, but this person’s clumsiness has reached an outrageous level.”

“She is an unteachable material who cannot be taught no matter what, and I refuse to continue providing teaching assistance for her.”

Aoba Toshie said somewhat irritably, as if she had been tormented by Komuro Ayumi during the teaching process.

Hiiragi Shuichi glanced at Komuro Ayumi beside him.

She lowered her head in embarrassment and forced a bitter smile.

It seemed the situation was indeed not optimistic.

“Isn’t there a better solution?” Hiiragi Shuichi asked.

Aoba Toshie brushed the long hair falling over her shoulder and said firmly:

“There absolutely isn’t one.”

“I suggest Komuro never enter the kitchen again…”

“It’s really too terrifying.”

As she spoke, Aoba Toshie crossed her arms and shuddered, as if the bread Komuro Ayumi had made were some terrifying product of black magic.

‘No matter what, it couldn’t be that disastrous, could it…’

Hiiragi Shuichi and Aoba Tomoyo exchanged glances for a moment, then he asked Komuro Ayumi:

“Let me confirm once more.”

“You want to learn breadmaking because you want to reconcile with the Manager, right?”

“I… that’s right…”

“Before, it was my mother’s anniversary, and a bunch of that Maritozzo was made.”

“I didn’t want to eat it or learn it, and as a result Father got really angry.”

“I threw those breads away out of spite…”

“And after arguing with Father…”

“Oh, how was I supposed to know that bread was what Mom liked…”

Aoba Tomoyo was displeased.

Komuro Ayumi was clearly preventing her from leaving school together with Hiiragi Shuichi.

Aoba Tomoyo said in a flowery tone:

“Oh, I see~”

“Then if you just apologize properly to the old man, wouldn’t that solve it?”

“Is it that hard?”

“I-I know that too, of course!”

“But… oh!”

Komuro Ayumi held her head and wailed:

“I’m already willing to learn breadmaking!”

“That matter was my fault, and locking the bedroom on my own was my fault too!”

“I just wanted to make something myself to make it up to Father.”

“Just apologizing isn’t really enough to show how I feel!”

Silence slowly settled in.

At some point, Aoba Toshie had already packed her things, and her commuter bag was hanging on her shoulder.

“If you want to help her, I suggest you go to the Home Economics Room and take a look at the waste I disposed of.”

“It’s simply unbearable to witness…”

“Prepare yourselves.”

Aoba Toshie threw the key to the Home Economics Room toward Hiiragi Shuichi.

He almost didn’t react in time, but fortunately he caught the key.

Aoba Toshie looked at Hiiragi Shuichi expressionlessly, then left the Student Council Room.

It seemed the Notebook’s effect had completely worn off.

Aoba Toshie dumped this mess on them, and Komuro Ayumi could only seek Hiiragi Shuichi’s help again.

After all, she absolutely did not dare ask Aoba Tomoyo.

“C-Can you…?”

Hiiragi Shuichi swung the key in his hand, feeling somehow uncomfortable all over.

“Your goal is to reconcile with the Manager, right?”

“W-Well, what else?” Komuro Ayumi said, confused.

“So your goal is not to make a superb loaf of bread at all.”

“Understand?”

Aoba Tomoyo immediately understood what Hiiragi Shuichi wanted to do and looked delighted.

“What a pity.”

“Little Rishi just can’t understand this reasoning…”

Even though the key was in his hand, Hiiragi Shuichi did not want to go to the Home Economics Room at all.

To Aoba Toshie, she only knew right and wrong, good and bad.

If those waste products were really still in the Home Economics Room, Hiiragi Shuichi suggesting they go now would be like reopening someone’s wounds.

No matter how you put it, it wasn’t appropriate.

He tossed the key to Komuro Ayumi.

Komuro Ayumi stumbled a few steps, failed to catch it, and had no choice but to bend down and pick it up.

“Can’t you just hand it to me properly!”

“Uh, sorry…”

“Anyway, you decide for yourself.”

“It’s almost time for my shift.”

“My hourly wage finally went up, so I might not be willing to waste time for you.”

After hearing that, Komuro Ayumi gripped the key, looking troubled.

Aoba Tomoyo never expected Hiiragi Shuichi to say that or do that.

There was indeed some deviation in her understanding.

‘How did Shu change so suddenly?’

She looked at the uneasy Komuro Ayumi, and a bit of irritation unavoidably grew in her heart.

‘Since Shu always said he was everyone’s Hiiragi Shuichi, even in front of them, then in that case…’

‘Does that mean only toward someone special would Shu show a special reaction?’

Thinking of this, Aoba Tomoyo made a prompt decision and patted Hiiragi Shuichi on the shoulder.

“Shu~ There’s actually no need to solve this today, right?”

“Maybe this matter can be postponed?”

“Right now work is more important, isn’t it?”

“President… The Vice President has already left.”

“Aren’t you leaving?”

“Oh my, didn’t the Manager tell you?”

“I’m already an employee of Asahi Bakery too?”

“Huh? When…?”

“No, why would you…”

Hiiragi Shuichi’s brain short-circuited again.

This woman always did strange things that were hard to understand right away.

“The Manager didn’t say anything…”

Hiiragi Shuichi truly didn’t know.

Last time he ran into her in the kitchen, Hiiragi Shuichi had been angry and never considered it was something like a job interview.

Much less that the Manager would actually hire her.

‘Does Xiaomu really know who she is?’

‘She is the young lady of the Aoba family, you know…’

“President, you’re not joking, are you?”

“Eh? When do I ever joke~”

“Ahaha… So you don’t joke after all…”

Aoba Tomoyo shrugged and did not deny it.

Komuro Ayumi stood beside them, watching them exchange words, and felt like an outsider.

“Komuro.”

Aoba Tomoyo suddenly turned to her.

“You go back first.”

“The Manager matter isn’t urgent, understand?”

“…What does Shu think?”

Hiiragi Shuichi could tell what the last question directed at him meant.

Aoba Tomoyo wanted to know what Hiiragi Shuichi thought, so she could make a decision.

“President… Didn’t you think work was more important?” Hiiragi Shuichi said helplessly.

“No?”

“I’m not craving that hourly wage?” Aoba Tomoyo said as a matter of course.

“So then, Shu can go to the Home Economics Room too?”

“We’ll go to the bakery afterward.”

“It’s on the way.”

“How is it on the way?”

“It’s not on the way, is it?”

“As long as the final destination is the bakery, then no matter how we go, it’s actually on the way?”

“Uh…”

Hiiragi Shuichi gave up arguing with her.

“Sigh… President, do you actually want me to go to the Home Economics Room or not?”

“Honestly…”

Hiiragi Shuichi stood up, slung on his commuter bag, and left the Student Council Room in distress, heading to the Home Economics Room.

Turning back and seeing the two hadn’t moved, he urged again:

“Are you coming or not?”

In the Home Economics Room, all three were present.

Hiiragi Shuichi looked at that lump of bread whose crust was black as charcoal, and couldn’t help falling into deep thought.