🏛️ Chapter 30: Spend the remaining time.

Chapter 30: Spend the remaining time.

Whether it was melting butter or mixing sugar.
Or kneading the dough, those usual steps when making cookies.
As I learned them from the teacher and followed along one by one.

Before I knew it, we finally reached the stage before baking the cookies.
That is, the shaping step, which could be called almost the final process in this baking.

Molding, molding.

‘Hmm….’

What is this….
Why isn’t it turning out the way I thought it would…?

However, shaping, which I thought wouldn’t be very difficult, was a surprisingly challenging step, contrary to my expectations.
Moreover, since I wasn’t even using molds, I ended up struggling immensely.

‘Huh…? The teacher did it so easily, though…?’

Because of that, as I tilted my head for a long time, diligently attaching eyes, nose, and mouth….

“Wow, Maknae’s is really ugly!”
“…….”

The Japanese Angel, who had been staring intently at mine from beside me, mercilessly blurted out to my face.
Of course, it was a pure remark, simply her honest impression, with no malice mixed in at all.

‘…You’re too much.’

But that didn’t mean the person hearing it wasn’t hurt, of course.

I, I was really trying my best….
Even though it was annoying, I endured it and tried hard because you wanted to do it….

Somehow, I felt a strong sense of injustice.
Because of that, as I dejectedly squished the dough, the Japanese Angel didn’t stop and even spoke to the teacher.

“Look at this! It’s really ugly! Right!?”

This time, it was almost an exclamation….
Her tone was as if she had discovered something incredibly amazing and was showing it off.

Is, is mine… that terrible…?
To the point of being so surprised she’d spread rumors throughout the neighborhood…?

Of course, I knew very well that I had no knack for crafting things myself.
But after being confirmed dead several times like this, my mood gradually started to shift from feeling unjustly treated to feeling depressed.

So, as I continued to make the dough with pouted lips.

“…Uh, yes? Oh, no… Uh… that’s uniqueness…. Wouldn’t you say it has uniqueness…?”

Her intonation and tone were as if someone was forcing her to speak.
With that feeling, the teacher gave me comfort that wasn’t quite comfort.

……It’s not helpful at all….
Please, just tell me it’s ugly instead….

It was so obvious that she was someone who couldn’t lie.
That comfort made me feel even more vividly how badly I had made it.

That pure goodwill gave me a greater psychological shock than the Japanese Angel’s words.
Then, this time, voices were heard from Lee Hyejin’s broadcast.

[– What you see isn’t everything. Isn’t the process what’s important anyway?]

……That, in the end, means it’s ugly, doesn’t it….
You don’t have to tell me anymore; I already know….

[– That’s right. What does the shape matter? The Angel’s effort, and love, and touch…. Her touch is mixed in.]

…Why did you say ‘touch’ twice…?
And stop talking about the shape now… I’m sad….

[– Ah, I really want that cookie…. I’d definitely keep it as a family heirloom for generations….]

…What are you? A cookie as a family heirloom…?
Are you planning to cultivate some kind of mold for generations in your family….

Also not very helpful.
It was a feast of strange words that sometimes made it impossible to understand what they were thinking.

Anyway, we finally baked the finished dough.
Then, we finished decorating it all with what is called icing.

In other words, the cookies were completely finished.

“…….”

My cookie, honestly, was so ugly that it made even me feel depressed just by looking at it.
I had boldly tried to make the Japanese Angel, but it seemed the difficulty was too high for a beginner.

So, feeling somehow unnecessarily embarrassed and awkward, I hugged the bag containing the cookie tightly to my chest, as if hiding it.

“Here!”

Out of nowhere, the Japanese Angel handed over the cookie she had made, bag and all.

…Huh?
Why is she… giving this to me…?

Thanks to that, I inadvertently took the cookie, and tilting my head in confusion, I asked.

“Aren’t you eating the cookie?”
“No! I made it to give to Maknae!?”
“…Huh? Why?”
“A reconciliation gift!”

I was slightly surprised by the completely unexpected answer.

“Reconciliation…?”

Huh? What is this…?
You knew about that too?

A human side of the Japanese Angel that I felt I was seeing for the first time.
At that positive appearance, I also hesitated for a moment before handing her the cookie I had made myself.
Rustle.

“Here.”
“Is it for me?”
“Yes, mine’s a reconciliation gift too. Ah… for your reference, the shape is a bit strange, though….”
“Wow, it’s ugly!”

The Japanese Angel immediately pulled the cookie out of the bag and threw a direct comment at me.
I had intended to add a brief explanation beforehand, knowing this might happen, but she didn’t seem to have any intention of listening at all.

“…….”

Th-that’s right, it’s probably not with bad intentions….
It’s a little sad, but… yeah….

A corner of my heart was instantly filled with bitterness.
But surprisingly, the Japanese Angel’s expression while looking at the cookie was so bright that the bitterness quickly melted away like snow.

“Thank you!”

As she then smiled brightly and offered sincere thanks.
For the first time since my body changed, I felt genuine pride and somehow started to feel shy.

It felt as if I had patiently endured the annoyance.
And received a reward for my hard work.

“Mm-hmm….”

So, with my face slightly flushed, I smiled faintly and gave a small nod.

“Gasp….”

Suddenly, a gasping sound, as if in surprise, came from beside me.
It was such an incredibly unexpected timing that my head naturally turned.

‘……?’

There, Lee Hyejin was seen with wide eyes, covering her mouth as if greatly shocked.
Now that I looked, the baking teacher was also smiling contentedly for some unknown reason.

‘…What is this?’

I questioned the very puzzling appearance and atmosphere of the two.
Just then, voices were heard from the broadcast again.

[– I am a Japanese person residing in Korea, but I feel that the Angel would be happier staying in Korea. I support you.]

‘……?’

…What? Why?
Are there no baking experience places in Japan, by any chance?

Well, it wasn’t really something I could properly understand.

Even after making cookies, it was still broad daylight.
We spent the remaining time wandering around various places in Seoul.

The Japanese Angel was much calmer than before, surprisingly….
Anyway, she didn’t cause any minor incidents or accidents.

Furthermore, because the quality of the cookie the Japanese Angel made was amazing.
It instantly became a huge sensation, and a lot of praise and attention started pouring in that direction.

So, receiving all that attention, finally, as the sun began to set.
In the car on the way back to the lab, I subtly asked the Japanese Angel.

“That’s good. How about doing cooking broadcasts in the future?”
“Broadcast? Hmm, why?”
“If you do that, you’ll be incredibly popular, you know?”
“Hmm….”

I thought it would surely be the words the Japanese Angel wanted to hear most right now, but for some reason, her reaction was surprisingly lukewarm.
Because of that, feeling puzzled, I asked.

“Why? Don’t you like it?”
“Hmm, I like being popular!”
“…Huh? Then, are you going to broadcast?”
“Yes! But I want to do it with Maknae!”

A slightly bewildering answer followed.

‘…What? Why me, of all people…?’

For me, it was naturally annoying.
And the attention from people was rather burdensome, so it was a very unappealing idea.

“…Wouldn’t you get more popular doing it alone than with me?”
“It’s fine!”
“Uh… hmm….”

So I immediately tried to persuade her, but for some reason, it didn’t work even a little.

‘Wh-why is she suddenly like this…?’

I couldn’t understand her suddenly changed attitude.
This time, I subtly looked at Lee Hyejin to ask for help.

But for some reason, she was still covering her mouth.
And looking at me with very sad eyes.

‘…No, what’s wrong with you again…?’

Suddenly, I missed Park Kyutae terribly.
It was a strange situation that made me sigh deeply on its own.

‘Why are there only strange people around me….’

Because of that, I was too bothered to try and understand the situation anymore.
I was about to close my eyes, thinking I might as well just sleep.

‘That… surely she’s not just going to throw it away without eating it, right…?’

Suddenly, the cookie I had made, which was nestled preciously in the Japanese Angel’s arms, caught my eye.
Of course, I was very grateful that she cherished it.

‘…She wouldn’t, would she…?’

Honestly, even objectively, it looked so unappetizing that my lack of confidence kept making these doubts creep in.
So, in the end, I cautiously asked.

“But… that cookie… you’ll eat it, right…?”

Then the Japanese Angel answered very firmly.

“No!”

Thump.
At the girl’s answer, I felt my heart sink for a moment.

……? Oh, she’s not eating it…?
Huh…? Oh… huh? Why…?

‘No… honestly, it’s not a visual that I’d particularly want to eat either….’

B-but still… I wish she’d eat it….
I worked hard to make it, you know…?

At least I didn’t put poison in it….
Then, isn’t that good enough, at least…?

I felt my head go numb with immense betrayal and shock.
Because of that, half-dazed, I kept muttering various thoughts to myself internally.

“I won’t eat this; I’ll keep it!”

The Japanese Angel smiled brightly and continued to speak again.

“……?”

……Ah.
Oh, oh, what… so that’s what it was…?

A reply that instantly brought my mood back to peace.
Feeling such immense emotional swings that I wondered if there was something wrong with me.

After letting out a deep sigh of relief, I replied.

“Just eat it…. It’ll grow mold….”|
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