Watching Ren Katsuragi swallow, Hachiman Hikigaya was struck speechless—and Yukino Yukinoshita wasn't much better.
Precisely because they had tasted Yui Yuigahama's cookies themselves, they knew the kind of courage it took to actually eat one.
"Ren-chan, is it good?"
Seeing Ren take a bite, Yui leaned in close, eyes bright, waiting for him to give her cookies at least a passable review.
Bonk.
If it makes a sound, it's a solid hit.
As Yui crouched on the floor covering her head, Ren delivered his evaluation. "Charcoal."
Calling them "charcoal" wasn't exaggeration. Ren had actually eaten charcoal before.
Both were burnt. The difference was that Yui had charred cookie dough, while Ren had once charred a kuzu root he'd dug up himself.
Back then, in a survival trial, having no food meant elimination. To live, Ren forced himself to eat that piece of "charcoal."
Ever since, Ren had learned to value every bite.
"Eh? But Ren-chan, you clearly ate it!"
Yui puffed out her cheeks, like a little pufferfish.
"Food shouldn't be wasted."
Ren took a long sip from his drink, trying to wash the scorched bitterness out of his mouth.
"Is that so…"
"It really looks like I don't have the talent for making cookies."
Feeling attacked from all directions, Yui stared at the cookie in her hand and slumped, her mood sinking fast.
She had worked so hard on them.
"The only solution is hard work."
"Yuigahama-san, you just said you have no talent, right? Please stop thinking like that."
Yukino tidied the messy counter, reorganized the baking tools, and started another round of kneading dough.
"People who won't even try don't get to envy talent. Those who fail do so because they can't imagine the effort successful people put in."
Yukino slid the egg carton and an empty bowl toward Yui, telling her to start again, while continuing to knead the dough herself.
"Ha… Nothing in the world is difficult, as long as you're willing to give up. Yui, if you don't want to do it, then don't."
Ren yawned, once again colliding head-on with Yukino's philosophy.
"Katsuragi-kun, do you hear yourself?"
Yukino stopped kneading and glared at Ren, indignation plain in her eyes.
She was teaching Yui, pushing her to face difficulties head-on and overcome them. And what was Ren doing? Undermining her with nonsense.
As the tension between Ren and Yukino sharpened, Hachiman quietly took two steps back to avoid getting caught in the blast radius.
Seeing Yui still standing there blankly, Hachiman tugged her over to his side, signaling her to stay out of it.
"Is there a problem with what I said, Yukinoshita?"
"Some things can't be achieved through hard work alone. Hard work matters, but talent matters too."
"They say success is 1% talent and 99% hard work, but why does everyone cling to the 99%? Because they don't have that 1%, so they comfort themselves with it."
"Yukinoshita, you're talented, so this feels easy to you. But people are different. Without that talent, there's no need to keep ramming your head into a wall."
As he spoke, Ren picked up two more pitch-black cookies from the table, tossed them into his mouth, and chewed.
They tasted awful. It was like Yui had mixed up salt and sugar. And even though the oven settings were the same, each batch somehow came out looking completely different.
"Yukinoshita, you can't deny people have weak spots. Maybe Yui's weak spot is baking."
"Ramming a wall won't produce results. It'll just waste her time."
"Katsuragi-kun, if you don't let Yuigahama-san keep trying, how can you decide it's her weak spot?"
Ren was twisting the argument. Yukino heard it and counterattacked immediately.
"I can't decide it. But you two have got the priorities backwards." Ren looked at Yui. "Yui, what exactly is your request?"
"Ah… making handmade cookies to thank someone."
Not expecting Ren to call on her so suddenly, Yui startled, then answered honestly.
"So the point of making handmade cookies is to thank the other person, right?"
"Right."
With Yui's confirmation, Ren turned back to Yukino. "Then the real request is expressing thanks. It's not 'handmade cookies or nothing.'"
"So cool…"
Ren and Yukino were still staring each other down. Watching them, Yui couldn't help muttering under her breath.
"Ha?"
"Yuigahama-san, what did you just say?"
The tension snapped. Ren stared at her like she'd betrayed him, while Yukino frowned, genuinely confused.
"It's just… neither of you tries to sound nice. You say exactly what you mean. That feels… cool."
Yui, who usually went along with the mood, admired that blunt, undisguised clash.
At the very least, she couldn't do that.
Bonk—
"Ren-chan…"
Yui crouched down again, clutching her head.
"If it's about thanking someone, cookies are one option—but so is a handmade plushie. Or, if you can't manage that, even handmade paper cranes."
"That's the substance of the request. Yui had the priorities backwards from the start. Yukinoshita, is your idea of 'teaching a man to fish' just blindly following whatever form the requester names?"
After dealing with Yui, Ren dragged Yukino back onto the battlefield.
"If someone comes in with a request that can't realistically be achieved, will you still insist on pushing through, Yukinoshita?"
"Then what about you, Katsuragi-kun?" Yukino's eyes narrowed. "Your request to me was to learn how to make yakisoba. Are you giving up now?"
Ren went quiet.
He genuinely hadn't expected Yukino to come back swinging like that.
"Sorry, Yukinoshita. Like I said—don't get the priorities backwards."
"My request today was basically to fill my stomach. I already ate, so the request is over."
Damn, damn, damn. This guy Ren.
He really treated the Service Club like a fat sheep to shear.
Hachiman, still watching, widened his eyes. Something had felt off the whole time.
No matter how permissive the Home Economics room was, it wouldn't thoughtfully stock yakisoba noodles and sauce for students. As it turned out, Ren had bought everything himself at the convenience store downstairs after school—noodles, sauce, and all the extras—then strolled in and ate like it was always part of the plan.
"Um… I really do want to learn how to make handmade cookies."
Sensing the atmosphere stiffening, Yui raised her hand timidly.
"Is that so? Then do your best, Yui."
Seeing Yui hand Yukino a clean way out, Ren wasn't surprised. He tossed in a couple of perfunctory encouraging words and prepared to leave.
"Hikigaya, I'm heading out. And… see you tomorrow, Yukinoshita."
Ren pulled the Home Economics room door shut from the outside.
"Yukinon, are you okay…"
Yui asked cautiously, watching Yukino's expression.
"I'm fine, Yuigahama-san. Let's continue."
Yukino lightly patted her cheeks and set Ren's words aside—for now. The priority was completing the request.
"Ren, didn't I tell you not to wait for me?"
Mahiru walked out of her club and immediately spotted Ren waiting at the gate. She stepped forward and took his hand on her own, scolding him softly.
She had messaged him that he didn't need to wait after school and that she would go home by herself.
"What are you saying? What if you get kidnapped on the way home?"
"I'd have nowhere to cry then."
Holding Mahiru's small hand, Ren slipped a cookie he'd swiped from the Home Economics room into her mouth.
"Mmph~"
"So good. Where did you get this?" After swallowing, Mahiru asked curiously.
"Didn't buy it. Took it from a friend."
"Want more?"
"Mn~"
Highly talented people often assume others are roughly as capable as they are. Yukino Yukinoshita was clearly that type.
After several failures in a row, Yukino stared at the pile of ruined batches stacked like a small mountain on the table and felt a rare kind of fatigue.
Maybe… Ren was right.
Grrr…
Having gone too long without eating, her stomach complained.
Yukino reached for the cookies she had baked—only to grab nothing. "Hikigaya?"
"Not me. I didn't eat many either."
Hachiman shook his head frantically, refusing to take the blame.
He hadn't eaten them, and Yui had been baking nonstop. That left only one culprit.
Thinking of Ren showing up under the guise of a "request," freeloading a meal, and even swiping the cookies she baked on his way out… even the usually composed Yukino couldn't help laughing in anger.
Good. Good. Eating and taking, huh?
----------------
Currently on Patreon: 400 chapters available.
https://www.patreon.com/cw/LIZBETH1242