"By the way, why are all your cookies heart-shaped? The molds weren't just hearts, right? Why were you all so insistent on using this specific one?"
Izuru asked with a look of genuine confusion.
To be honest, while he wasn't oblivious to the symbolism of heart-shaped treats, as a man who had failed at ninety-nine consecutive confessions—nearly achieving a perfect score in rejection—and had since become a senior cadre of the "FFF Single Battalion," he wasn't about to be foolish enough to fall for one of life's "three great illusions."
He wasn't going to delude himself into thinking that three beautiful girls, the literal dreams of the student body, harbored ambiguous feelings for him. In fact, he couldn't fathom any girl having such feelings. So, the moment the thought flickered in his mind, Izuru unceremoniously tossed it into the mental trash.
Yet, if it wasn't for that reason, his shallow imagination was at a total loss for an alternative explanation. He was forced to ask out of pure bewilderment.
At his question, Itsuki, Yukino, and even the bold Yui were struck by a wave of awkwardness. They understood the intent behind the heart shapes perfectly well, of course. But... there was no way they could actually say it out loud!
Fortunately, Yui seemed prepared. She offered a smile and explained: "President, don't you get it? Choosing heart molds for baking is a girl's secret! It's what you call a 'maiden's heart' (otome-kokoro). It's better if the President doesn't pry too much."
{Oh, I see, I get it... I get nothing! That makes zero sense. What does a heart mold have to do with a maiden's heart? Is this that 'a woman's heart is as deep as the ocean' thing? No wonder I failed ninety-nine confessions; turns out I just don't understand the female psyche?}
Unaware that his train of thought had derailed into a completely different territory, Izuru simply nodded and dropped the subject. Then, remembering something, he suddenly let out a laugh.
"It would be rude of me to just receive without giving back. Since I've eaten your cookies, you have to eat mine, too. Don't be shy—please, help yourselves!"
Instantly, Yukino, Yui, and Itsuki—who had just breathed a sigh of relief at the change of topic—turned ghost-white. Their fair complexions shifted between shades of blue and ashen. A collective sense of dread washed over them.
It was true that Izuru had sampled Yui's and Itsuki's cookies before they were even fully set, so it seemed only fair they return the favor, even if his results were likely a bit... subpar.
However, that was assuming his cookies were "only a bit subpar," and not "subpar by ten thousand miles!" It should be noted that while Yui's and Itsuki's cookies were hardly masterpieces—one had sugar and salt segregated like they were at war, and the other tasted like a meat bun...
Compared to Izuru's creation, their efforts were practically Michelin-star delicacies. Theirs were merely "culinary mistakes," whereas Izuru's cookies had undergone a complete visual and structural metamorphosis!
Upon closer inspection, the substance Izuru had produced no longer resembled a cookie at all. It looked more like "All the World's Evils" (Angra Mainyu) leaking out of a tin of rotted herring—the kind fermented for a thousand years. Not only was it emitting a visible, nauseating gas, but the mound meant to be a "cookie" had liquefied into a melting purple sludge that made anyone looking at it shudder with primal fear!
"Gulp!"
Yui swallowed hard. It wasn't an increase in appetite, but an instinctive surge of terror.
"Um... Itsuki, don't you always have a great appetite? In that case, don't let the President's kindness go to waste. Please, you should be the first to taste the President's masterpiece."
Yui wore a smile that was pushed to its absolute breaking point as she gave Itsuki a forceful shove.
"!!!"
Caught off guard, Itsuki became the victim of Yui's sudden betrayal. She stumbled forward until she was exactly one step away from "All the World's Evils." Staring at the strangely iridescent, shimmering "cookie," Itsuki the glutton felt her hunger vanish instantly. A cold sweat broke out across her entire body.
"Eh... ah! The President's cookies look... very flavorful, but my appetite is actually quite poor today. What a shame..."
Itsuki, whose brain capacity wasn't usually the largest, found her neurons firing at record speeds in the face of this mortal threat. Working at the fastest pace of her life, she calculated for a brief second and found a tactic. She blurted out:
"How about the President gives it to Yukinoshita-san instead? Since Yukinoshita-san's cooking skills are so superior, after tasting the cookie the President made with all his heart, she'll surely be able to provide a professional critique and suggestions for improvement."
At those words, Yukino's beautiful face turned frigid. Internally, she couldn't help but curse: {Nakano Itsuki, no wonder you're a loser across so many timelines. With a knack for backstabbing friends like this, you truly deserve to stay the little sister forever!}
Outwardly, however, Yukino remained poised and calm. It was as if Itsuki's betrayal hadn't rattled her at all. Her face remained a mask of unreadable coldness, her voice clear and devoid of emotion.
"While my cooking skills are indeed formidable and hard to match in this school, I believe a peer's evaluation would be biased by personal feelings. Therefore, it would be best for the cooking teacher to taste it. Let an experienced instructor provide the impressions and advice—that is the most logical choice!"
As soon as she spoke, Itsuki's eyes lit up, while Yui gritted her teeth in dissatisfaction.
{Brilliant, Yukinon. In one sentence, you deflected the responsibility, reinforced your status as the popular cooking expert, and subtly implied to everyone that you have deep personal feelings for the President. Suggesting that even a simple cookie tasting would be compromised by your 'feelings'... what a devious way to boost your subconscious favorability with him!}
Meanwhile, the cooking teacher, who had been enjoying the drama from his podium, suddenly felt a chill. His face turned a deathly pale.
{Dammit, why is the fire spreading to me?! I'm just an innocent bystander!}