「 Ai’s amazing 」
「 Yeah. Usually, she’s so slow on things, but… 」
「 She’s fast in here, and precise too 」
Usually, it’s just us in the bakery, but today.
Today, we’ve got some high school girls raring to go.
「 Uhm, I got used to it. Once I got used to it…I got faster 」
Ai says while rolling out more doughs to form a shape and arranging it on the pads.
「 In the tennis club, I never knew that Ai is this capable. 」
「 It’s got to be Katsuko-san. Her guidance is great! 」
Today’s the first day of the school festival.
Our bakery is joining up with the tennis club and opening a cafe.
It’s an open cafe with plastic chairs and tables behind the student cafeteria where Katsuko-nee’s van is usually parked.
In case the weather is bad, we plan on borrowing the corner of the school cafeteria, but we have good weather today.
Outside are the members of the tennis club wearing their uniform, doing waitress work.
Inside the bakery, we’re selling the pastries Ai made, and the pastries the tennis club girls made, so I’m just watching. Not touching anything.
「 Look, Ai and Baker-kun is learning how to make good pastry so quickly 」
One of the girls said.
Baker-kun, they’re talking about me.
「 Seriously, some horrible people say that Katsuko-san does it all 」
「 But, seeing Ai bake pastry right in front of us 」
「 No, I always tell them that it’s Ai who does it 」
The tennis club also trained how to make pastries a bit just for this school festival.
It helps that people speak of Ai’s skill.
「 Okay, that’s enough chit-chat! The third batch is ready, I’ll put it out there so be ready to take it to the store 」
Katsuko-nee takes baked pastries out of the oven.
This is fun.
Yeah.
When Katsuko-nee was in her first year in high school. Shirasaka Sousuke kidnapped her.
This is my first time participating in a high school festival.
However, Katsuko-nee’s the teacher of the pastry-making course, not a student.
She can’t go out and be a regular customer outside.
In the end, she’s just here to manage the bakery.
「 Okay, Katsuko-san 」
「 Wow, it’s freshly baked, still hot 」
「 This and this should be placed next to each other since they cost the same. Make it easy so the other shop girls don’t get confused
Katsuko-nee gives instructions.
「 Do you need help? 」
Megu comes in, opening the door from the school cafeteria side.
The locks are released for today.
「 Not really, here, Megumi-chan. Take him with you 」
Katsuko-nee looked at me and smiled.
「 Oh, right. You two are a couple, why don’t you two go hold hands and run around the festival?! 」
One of the tennis club girls said.
「 No, but, I feel sorry to leave Katsuko-nee and Ai to do everything 」
I said.
「 It’s still the first day of the school festival so we can alternate when taking breaks. Either way, your job for the next two days is to support the tennis club girls, so you can take it easy 」
Between Ai’s pastry, and the Tennis club pastry, mine won’t sell.
「 Just go…Ai…has the tennis club 」
Ai told me.
Right, Ai was a former tennis club member.
「 I’ll do my best with everyone 」
Right…
It’s good to know that the people who she wasn’t close with back when she was a tennis club member, is getting to know her better.
「 That’s right, if Baker-kun is here, we can’t have girls talk 」
「 Wifey, take baker-kun with you 」
The tennis club girls told Megu.
「 You can stay away for at least an hour 」
Katsuko-nee looked at the clock and said.
「 Okay, then we’ll be leaving for now. Megu, let’s go 」
「 Eeh, Yoshi-kun? 」
We’re leaving, and then…
「 Oh, wait, since we have the opportunity, bring the freshly baked ones to the front 」
Katsuko-nee said in a hurry.
「 Oh, okay. It’s this, right? 」
「 I’ll take this 」
With that said, Megu and I brought a pad each and went through the back entrance.
「 Wow, this is amazing 」
Megu’s surprise is natural. The tennis-wear cafe has no vacancy.
It’s just the first day of the school festival, and yet…
Even the parents of the students in our school are here.
「 Ah, Nobu. Bring the new ones here! 」
Kana-senpai, who’s managing the open-air cafe called us right away.
We borrowed a large tent from the school to use for our store.
Though we call it a cafe, the only drinks available are iced tea and coffee, which were boiled in the bakery and chilled at the drink server.
If it’s hot, then it’s troublesome to handle, so this is the only way.
If they want hot drinks, then there’s a vending machine in the cafeteria.
「 Okay, new pastries have arrived 」
Kana-senpai who wears her white tennis fair and white sun visor told the customers and the other club members who are shop assistants.
「 The sales are doing well it seems 」
I whispered to Kana-senpai.
「 It’s a huge success. There are other coffee shops but ours seem to be the most popular. As expected, the idea of freshly baked pastry and beautiful girls in tennis clothes is a great idea 」
Kana-senpai speaks excitedly.
「 Besides, they’re attracting customers too 」
Looking at where Kana-senpai’s gazing.
「 Anjou arts kenpo secret technique! Vacuum one-hand spinning top! 」
As usual, Mitama’s wearing her white cap and white school uniform for some reason.
She’s spinning the Japanese sword she pulled out of the sheathe.
「 Teiyaa! You’re always making extra moves! 」
「 Oooh!! 」
The crowd claps as they watch her spin the sword.
I’ve been thinking about this…
Why is it that Anjou arts Kenpo seems to be a street performing art?
Still, nobody thinks that it’s weird for a high-school girl to hold a Japanese sword.
Mitama in her school uniform is already absurd, so it suits her just fine.
It’s not even cosplay, her appearance in men’s clothing and holding a sword is on a DNA level already.
「 Haaa!! 」
Mitama flips the spinning tip of the sky and grabbed it mid-air.
「 Done! 」
Then, the spectators clapped their hands.
「 As expected, people who appear on TV are different 」
「 Yeah, this is definitely art 」
The parents of the students, an old man and an old lady said.
The small children are clapping their hands for Mitama.
「 What’s up, Darling? 」
Turning around, Edie’s there.
She’s been organizing and monitoring the customers all day.
「 No, I don’t have anything to do in the bakery. So, we’re going to take a look around the school for an hour 」
「 Then I’m going too! 」
I looked at Megu.
「 You mind, Megu? 」
「 Not at all. Let’s go with the three of us 」
Megu replied with a smile.
「 Mitama, I appoint you as the fire bandit reformer of this place! Watch out for bad guys and keep the peace! 」
Edie sad.
「 Leave it to me! I, Anjou Mitama have been appointed as the fire bandit reformer! I will keep the peace in this place! 」
「 Wow! 」
The students, their parents, and even children clap their hands for Mitama.
「 Mitama has that charm that can pull people around her 」
Edie’s right.
She’s a girl with star quality.
「 I’m also here so there’s no need to worry 」
Turning around, I see Tsukiko.
She’s erasing her presence using her Miko power again.
「 In case that someone problematic appears, I’ll get rid of them 」
We have a lot of enemies.
There would be police or other organizations that are trying to investigate to get in touch with us in some way.
Kouzuki SS should be checking the people coming to the campus, but still.
We’re not like Misuzu’s school where you can’t enter during the festival without an invitation.
In fact, anyone can come to our school during the festival. As long as they don’t look suspicious.
Just when I thought of that.
「 Oh, looking good! 」
Kudou-papa’s here.
He’s drinking iced coffee, gnawing on the pastry.
As usual, he’s wearing a thin black suit and a colored shirt. A thin necktie. And he’s wearing dark-colored sunglasses.
He’s suspicious when it comes to appearance.
Kudou-papa can pass through our school unchecked.
「 Shingeki no Kyojin movie is out, right? 」
Kudou-papa smiled at me.
「 It’s that thing where huge humans come out, I was surprised 」
What is he talking about?
「 Normally, when you talk about Shingeki no Kyojin, it’s about Uno Juukichi-sensei, right? 」
What?
「 Or, Shimada Shougo-sensei 」
「 Shimada Shougo’s not Shingeki, it was Shinkokugeki! 」
Edie said.
「 Darling, ignore him. Only one in a hundred people laugh at his jokes
Oh, right.
「 I have three children, but it’s my first time coming to a high school festival. Shinichi’s busy with his work, Haruka and Michi never gave me an invitation, saying that they’d rather die than invite me 」
Even before that, Michi’s school won’t even allow you to have a ticket.
「 But, why is Kudou-san in our school festival? 」
To be honest, Michi and Kudou Haruka don’t come to our school either.
He’s irrelevant.
「 Well, yeah, stuff 」
Kudou-papa looked at Edie.
「 If you’re going to walk around the school then be careful 」
「 I know 」
Kudou-san’s dispatched by Kouzuki SS.
Then that means that Kudou-san has to make moves behind the scenes.
「 Go on, you’re wasting time you know 」
Kudou-san said. I…
「 Take care of things 」
I bowed my head.
「 Yeah, I got this 」
Kudou-papa said with a smile.
◇ ◇ ◇
「 Mana and the girls will come after a while 」
I look at the mail I received and said.
Mana, Eri, Rie, Arisu, and Kinuka are attending their new school this morning, and so…
They’re going to our school’s festival in the afternoon to play.
Yukino and Mitama are here, so the twins and Stealth Kinuka coming to play over doesn’t look weird.
Arisu also did make an appearance on TV last time.
Misuzu and Ruriko, and the girls from the school for the young ladies want to come too, but…
We had to ask them to give up because the security for the daughters of Kouzuki, Kanou, and Kuromiya houses would be too much.
We’ve got a lot of strangers coming from all sides.
Agnes too, she’s got blue eyes and blonde hair so she stands out too much.
Well, the school festival there is soon.
I’m going there so forgive me.
「 Speaking of which, Megu, how’s the women’s track and field club? 」
「 Oh? I’m done with my duty already. 」 Tomorrow, I’ll be there the whole morning. Besides; 」
Megu smiled wryly.
「 Captain Takeshiba’s idea is to show the usual practice and measurements of each member’s record, but… 」
Showing off training during the school festival?
「 The concept was to let the parents see the effort and sweat, and how serious we are at the athletics, but then some weird men with cameras came over 」
Huh?
「 You know, when in tournaments on track and field, you wear light clothing when trying to set a new record, right? That’s what they want to spy on 」
Oh, even high-school girls wear those tight ones
「 That made Takeshiba-san furious, and said, “How dare you look at our sacred athletics with such lascivious eyes!” So, she put on long-sleeved training clothes and canceled the record measurement 」
「 Oh, I see 」
「 So, the vice proposed a change of plan. Instead of us club members, we decided to have parents who came to the school festival and hadn’t run on the track for a long time to run and measure their records 」
The parents get recorded instead?
「 It’s hard to do long distances so we just make them run 50 meters, or do a long jump. We decided to only accept experienced people when it comes to the high jump. We have quite a few alumni who were on the track-and-field team 」
They’ve been away from athletics since high school, so I guess they want to give it a try.
「 Mitama and I will run later 」
Edie said.
「 Takeshiba’s taking care of Megumi so I’ll return the favor at least 」
Edie’s a champion in the martial arts tournament, it was at late night, but it was on TV.
So, she’s quite famous too.
No, she’s originally an outstanding student so everyone in the school knows her.
The fact that she’s accompanied with a clear track record is big.
「 Thanks, Edie 」
Megu thanked Edie.
「 It’s nothing. So, what are we going to look at, Darling? 」
Edie asks me.
「 Hmmm, to be honest, I got nothing in particular that I want to see 」
I look at the school festival event map, but…
I’m not interested in the cultural clubs’ exhibit, or the light music club’s concert.
「 Sure, at times like that, just walk around and enjoy the atmosphere 」
Megu pulled my hand and started walking.
「 Do you want something cold? Oh, they’re selling ice cream over there Yoshi-kun! 」
Edie’s following behind me as Megu drags me.
「 Three ice cream please 」
Megu happily told the student seller.
So this is the cooking group’s place.
「 You three sure always are together 」
The senior from the culinary club, who’s in charge of making the homemade ice cream tells us while filling up the paper cup with ice cream.
「 But, what about Natou-san? Why is she not with you? 」
Nei…
「 Oh, add another one 」
I said.
「 I’ll hold one for Ya-chan 」
「 Yes, we should 」
「 I’ll deliver it to her 」
The bakery’s taken over by the women’s tennis club.
Nei’s got no place to go.
Ai and Katsuko-nee can guide them in making pastry, but Nei can’t.
The cafe in front is to have the tennis girls as the waitresses.
Besides, Nei’s too beautiful that she gathers attention if she’s a waitress.
「 Here, four ice cream 」
「 Ah, I’ll pay for it 」
I paid for the four portions.
「 Thanks, tell Natou-san my regards. I’ve been in the same class as her back at the first year 」
Nei is staying at the kendo hall that she set fire after struggling against the teacher from Shriasaka Sousuke’s faction.
「 Back then, she always makes a scary face, but recently, she’s getting brighter. Ever since she’s been with you guys 」
「 Natou-senpai’s such a beauty when she smiles 」
Other cooking club members say from the side.
「 She’s too much of a beauty that nobody talks to her, but she has a lot of fans among the girls I’m one of them. Uhm, please tell her my regards 」
「 Okay, I’ll tell her 」
Everyone knows that Megu and I are engaged, that we’re living together.
So, they don’t see my relationship with Nei as man and woman.
If you add Edie, Katsuko-nee, Ai, and Kana-senpai, they only see it as being friends in the bakery.
「 Okay then, I’m going to Nei’s place 」
I hold Nei and my share of ice cream.
Then, Megu is holding hers and Edie’s.
Edie’s empty-handed since she’s a bodyguard.
「 Yoshi-kun, Nei-oneesan’s place 」
「 Yeah, she should be there today 」
She’s usually hidden room in the basement of the principal’s office, which is now the classroom for Minaho-neesan and her prostitute cadets.
So she’s not there.
If we’re looking for Nei.
「 I think she’s going to be in the English prep room that Minaho-neesan was using before 」
She must be watching the school festival from that room, where all the school’s surveillance systems are located.
Nei can be alone there.
「 The ice cream will melt so let’s hurry! 」
I went to our objective while jogging.
