“YOU were only gone yesterday because Mr. Akashi summoned you?” a surprised Azusa asked after hearing his explanation. Kouya, on the other hand, stared down at her as if there could be no other reason for his absence.
“Yeah. I told Ichi as much too.”
“You did? She didn’t say anything yesterday…” Azusa recalled her conversation with Ichi the prior day.
“Good morning, Azusa. I will be your bodyguard today!”
“I did accept to do you a favor, but shouldn’t you be the one to give it to him yourself tomorrow?”
It’s true she probably would have emphasized being my main bodyguard from now on if they had switched. And I doubt she would have so carelessly told me to hand it to him tomorrow if he was avoiding me. But it’s asking too much to expect me to come to any other conclusion with just those two hints. I mean, Kouya’s the one who just told me he was going to have Ichi return to being my primary guard the day before. It’s not my fault for misunderstanding. Azusa quietly blamed Ichi. But contrary to her bitter feelings, a natural smile lit her face.
“…Something up?” Kouya asked, peering at her face, curious why she was smiling like an idiot.
“I-It’s nothing!” Azusa spluttered. She couldn’t bring herself to honestly tell him she was happy he was going to continue being her bodyguard. She cleared her throat. “So? What’s with the bag?”
She changed the topic and stole a peek inside the bag. It was filled with strawberries, canned white peaches, oranges, apples, and several other fruits.
“Oh, this is the stuff I didn’t buy the other day.”
“Yeah. I bought it yesterday at another grocery store. Toss it if you don’t want it.”
“Toss it? I could never do such a wasteful thing! Why did you go out of your way to get it?”
Kouya’s face instantly clouded into an expression that conveyed his turmoil over how to answer her.
“You couldn’t buy it the other day because of me, right? Sorry for the inconvenience.”
“Whaat?! That was not your fault, Kouya! I merely chose not to buy it! How much did this cost you? I will pay you back!”
“No need.”
“No! There is a need! You need to take money and debts seriously!” Azusa huffed and pressed him for an answer.
Azusa strictly adhered to the opinion you must always be stern with yourself and others when it comes to matters concerning money. Doing so would keep pointless arguments from arising down the line. Money is scary. Arguments concerning money are even scarier.
“…Then take it as thanks for the sweets you gave me yesterday,” Kouya mumbled.
“I will not! I gave you that as an apology! Let me pay you for the fruit I tried to buy the other day at the very least!”
“……”
“…..”
He had no intention of accepting her money. They glared at each other for a good minute. Azusa lost the staring contest first.
“I know how we can make it even.”
“Hm?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“HERE you go. Enjoy,” Azusa said placing the fruit tart she made, with the abundant fruit Kouya brought her, in front of him.
Baking him a fruit tart was her way of repaying him. She paid him for all the ingredients other than the fruit, but the fruit was clearly the most expensive ingredient. But she wrote off the extra cost with the price of the time and effort it took her to bake the tarts.
“I created two whole tarts, so there is plenty for you to have seconds.”
“Okay.” Kouya was displeased to have what he meant as a gift pushed back on him this way, but Azusa was on cloud nine after she finished baking.
“Come on! Dig in!”
Kouya stabbed the tart with his fork and brought it to his mouth. Azusa cut a piece for herself and took a bite. The fresh, sweet fruit juices spread across her tongue. The crumbly, baked cookie crust melted inside her mouth. The strawberry jam sauce topping tied the whole dish together.
“Does it taste good?” Azusa asked, full of confidence. Kouya looked astonished by how good it turned out.
“…You’re a good cook. The cake and cookies you made yesterday were delicious too,” Kouya awkwardly complimented her, which was enough to convey he truly meant it.
Azusa smiled bashfully. “I’m glad you liked it. You love sweets, don’t you?”
“…Not really. I just don’t hate them.”
“Oh come on, enough with the cool guy act! I know you love them.”
“……”
“Okay, I’m sorry.”
Kouya’s ferocious glare let her know teasing him was something best avoided.
“…I think you would make a great patisserie chef if you worked at Takeru’s place.”
Azusa remembered Takeru was the blonde girly-guy who served them at Sumida Coffee House.
“Takeru’s place had parfaits, right?”
“That’s all they have,” Kouya grumbled, displeased.
“Shall I make sweets for you from now on then?”
“Huh?”
“Actually, I pretty much make them every day, so let’s have tea together! Have tea with us!”
Azusa always drank tea with Ichi or alone when Ichi had other business to attend to. Her father, Shinji, lived at the mansion after his acquittal, but he had all sorts of other matters to deal with that they barely ever saw each other now. He seemed in good health though, and would try to say hi once a day when he had time. But that almost never overlapped with her teatime, so she would always make his portion and set it aside to give him later.
Hence, her teatime was always taken alone or with one other person. Azusa constantly thought it would be nice if Kouya, who was always with her anyways, would join her for tea—even if just for appearances.
“I won’t be so lonely and you get to eat sweets—isn’t that two birds with one stone? A splendid plan if I do say so myself! I have to up my baking game tomorrow!”
“Hey, don’t decide on your own.”
“Oh? You don’t want to?”
“I didn’t say that…”
“It’s decided then! I will let Ichi know too!”
“……”
Ichi’s look of absolute disgust after hearing the news is a story for another day.