Chapter 1290. Crushing Negatives / Bread Carnage
「 I don’t get it 」
Grace Marinka who had been watching all our actions silently until now has spoken.
「 What’s the point in doing this? Do you think that these girls can change? 」
She says while looking at the drill spear sisters.
What we did…
We made them drink cream soda (Melon Float)
Made them eat pop candies.
Showed them how Ai and I make the pastry.
Made them eat freshly baked bread.
「 Yes, that’s why we’re doing it 」
Edie replied.
「 You’re just like them, Jun. Maybe you don’t understand, since you lived your life thinking of only getting stronger and fighting 」
「 Grace-san, what did you feel after eating Yo-chan’s freshly baked pastry? What did you feel? 」
Nei asks.
「 I-I don’t mind eating anything. Well, I actually want to eat things that will turn to muscle and energy as soon as possible 」
Grace-san replies with a serious look.
「 I had to give up eating good food cravings to become even stronger than I am 」
「 No, that’s totally flunked. Jun, you’ll never get stronger with that way of thinking. Impossible 」
Edie insisted.
「 Those who can’t enjoy their meals never get strong 」
「 Right, Kyouko-sama says the same. If you don’t care about food, then you’re dead 」
Anya said.
「 Right, Kyouko-san’s quite the gourmet after all 」
Nei added.
「 But, I’m not Kyouko Messer, and suppressing my desires means that I can focus all my pent up energy on getting stronger 」
Grace-san said adamantly.
「 That way of thinking was wrong from the start 」
「 I think so too 」
Edie and Anya opposed right away.
「 People don’t get stronger just from suppressing their desire to eat something delicious 」
「 Yes, they actually get weaker. If you want to get strong, then unleash all your desires. Be greedy! 」
「 Hmm. I think that Grace-san’s ideology is j.a.panese stoicism, but it doesn’t translate well to foreigners like Edie and Anya. Kyouko-san’s of j.a.panese descent but she grew up in Brazil, so her senses are on that place 」
Nei explained.
「 But, I think that most of the world is just like Edie and the girls, greedy. I don’t mean to deny Grace-san’s ideology, but if you want to fight against people from all over the world, then your j.a.panese stoicism will soon become a limitation 」
「 The energy you acc.u.mulate from suppressing your desire isn’t a lot. Desires have no end after all. The more desire you release, the stronger energy you’ll get 」
「 Right, “I want to eat better food,” or “I want to live a better life” boils down to the thought of “I want to be happier” 」
「 For us Americans, the pursuit of happiness is a right of human that n.o.body can take away 」
Nei, Edie, and Anya, then it goes back to Edie.
「 Don’t narrow down your pursuit of happiness to just wanting to be stronger. You should have bigger desires! If you don’t, you’ll never accomplish it! You’ll never be strong enough 」
Anya’s translating the conversation with Grace-san.
Dolly and Anna look puzzled but they listen to Anya’s words anyway.
「 Our Darling is showing the strength that Jun doesn’t know. The real strength gushes out from real big desires 」
No, Edie, even if you say that…
Ai and I were just preparing our usual noon pastry.
「 Ai, let’s start. We’re already three minutes late from the usual
I looked at the clock and said.
We need to take back that three minutes.
「 Yes, Yoshida-kun 」
Ai and I started working.
◇ ◇ ◇
「 I’ll put in the first batch in the oven 」
「 OK 」
Ai is slow, she takes her time to think about what to do and how to do it compared to others.
So, when it comes to daily baking, where she has a clear idea of what to do next, then she can do it quickly without needing to think.
It’s precise, has no mistakes, and is executed well.
I think our cla.s.smates would be surprised to see Ai working in the bakery like this.
Anya, the drill sisters, and Grace-san are enjoying the coffee and pastry we made together with Nei and Edie as they watch Ai and I do our work.
Then.
「 Sorry, I’m late 」
Katsuko-nee enters from the cafeteria-side door.
Mitama, Tsukiko, and Yukino is with her.
「 Huh, what about the other girls? 」
I asked.
Where are the prost.i.tute cadets?
「 Ojou-sama’s watching them. They can’t make contact with the ordinary students after all
Katsuko-nee says with a straight face.
「 Those girls are attending school only to vent out. It’s bad for their mental health if they’re confined in that place. But, if they were suddenly put together with the ordinary students, they’ll compare themselves with the students around them and feel down. That’s why they’re isolated from the ordinary students for a while even if they’re in the same school 」
I see.
They became prost.i.tutes because their parent’s business failed, and yet…
If they interact with students enjoying their high school life without any problems. I guess that makes them feel down.
「 That’s why the Nadeshiko department will be having their lunch separate from the ordinary students. Ordinary students will eat in their fifth period. Currently, the girls are doing academic tests in all subjects 」
「 But we already took our test the other day 」
Mitama looked at Tsukiko and said.
Oh yeah, Mitama and Tsukiko finished their tests on the mansion the other day.
「 That’s why I brought them here, well, you don’t have to worry about the Nadeshiko department girls. Tsukiko-chan’s checking on their mental state so it should be okay. What’s left is for you to match with them 」
Katsuko-nee said and then she puts on her work ap.r.o.n.
「 Oh, the first set is ready! Well, we have good weather today so let’s get this and this out first. Then, this and this will be next 」
Katsuko-nee gives instructions to Ai and me.
「 Okay 」
Katsuko-nee’s the only one who can make such decisions.
「 The humidity is lower so let’s adjust the oven temperature 」
Katsuko-nee goes to the oven.
It gets easier as there are three of us working now.
Still, we combined our efforts to bake bread for the lunch break.
「 ……! 」
「 ……! 」
Dolly and Anna watch us work with serious eyes.
Grace Marinka-san watched us work too, just like the sisters.
「 Mitama’s going to be working with me to monitor the students who come to buy bread on lunch 」
Edie said.
「 The mess from the third-year students earlier this morning still lingers. Mitama’s going to stand in the storefront to gather customers to blow them away 」
「 Roger 」
Mitama also knows that she gets a lot of attention for being on TV.
「 Anjou Mitama will become the crowd puller for my Milord and his family 」
「 Then, I’ll come to the front too 」
Anya laughed.
「 I helped out last time I was here and it was fun 」
Anya looked at her phone.
「 I’m seeing more posts that say “I saw Kyouko Messer in Ginza, Tokyo” 」
Kyouko-san appears as Rei-chan’s villain on the TV special multiple times so her face is well known.
The police would start rushing to Ginza now.
Even if Anya appears in our school, they won’t have enough people.
「 I won’t do anything! I only came here to drink coffee!! 」
Yukino. Yeah, just don’t do anything.
You’re pregnant. Just sit down on a chair.
「 Kou-sama, what should I do? 」
Tsukiko.
「 No, just stay in the bakery Tsukiko 」
I’m already getting criticism from the boys saying that why are there so many beautiful women in the bakery.
Megu, Ai, Nei, Katsuko-nee, Kana-senpai and Edie are all here.
Furthermore, Mitama and Anya will also partic.i.p.ate today.
If Tsukiko also shows up on the storefront, I don’t know what they’d say.
「 Besides, I want Tsukiko to keep a check on those girls 」
I look at Dolly and Anna.
If Edie and Anya are on the storefront, there won’t be anyone to physically hold back the drill spear sisters.
If that’s the case, we have to rely on Tsukiko’s Miko power.
「 Certainly 」
Tsukiko read my thoughts and replied.
「 Yoshida-kun, time 」
Oh right, noon is approaching.
I focused on my work.
◇ ◇ ◇
「 My, everyone’s here! 」
As usual, Megu arrived from the cla.s.sroom ten minutes before lunch.
「 Okay, Megu-chan, we’re opening! 」
Nei and Katsuko-nee bring the baked bread from the cafeteria door and to the storefront.
「 Yes! 」
Megu also followed Nei.
There are several salesgirls at the front so they have to prepare change and paper bags on each.
「 I think we should go out now 」
Edie called Mitama and Anya.
I put up the monitor for the feed at the storefront.
I work on the second batch while watching outside.
「 Yoshida-kun, Ai is going too 」
Ai also stands in front of the store to check the sales.
I mean, some customers come here for Ai, who’s said to be the most beautiful among the first-years, so she has to be at the storefront.
There’s also “Ai-chan’s corner” which displays the pastries she made.
「 Okay, two minutes before lunch break! 」
Nei begins her countdown.
When in the lunch break, it’s going to be crowded in front of the bakery for about 25 minutes.
Katsuko-nee, Megu, Nei, and Ai. The four have been set up as the sales girls.
Kana-senpai should be able to come in to help later.
Kana-senpai is an ordinary student so she can’t leave the cla.s.sroom until lunch break.
「 Okay, 30 seconds. Everyone, ready! 」
The girls wait for their customers.
But I continue to prepare the second batch of pastry for the second half of the lunch break in the bakery.
「 Ten seconds! 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. They’re coming! 」
Kinkon! Kinkon!!
The lunch bell rings.
A huge wave of students rushes in less than 20 seconds!!
◇ ◇ ◇
「 This, this, this, and this please! 」
「 I want this! 」
「 This one and chocolate bread please! 」
Hungry schoolboys rushed in first.
「 Wow, it’s really Anjou Mitama! 」
「 She’s much more beautiful than on TV 」
「 Uhm, is it okay to take a selfie with you? 」
「 I want a selfie too!! 」
People gather around Mitama and the girls.
It’s an equal split between boys and girls.
Mitama sure has a charm for everyone, be it her dignified male clothing or that glamorous body of hers.
「 I don’t mind, but go buy some pastry! I guarantee you the taste! 」
「 Yes, I just had one earlier. It’s great 」
Anya told everyone.
「 Wow, it’s Nikita Gorbachev! 」
「 You’ve come again, Nikita-san 」
This is Anya’s second time visiting school so the students welcomed her immediately.
「 Yes, how have you been? Buy some pastry okay? 」
Anya’s also doing her advertising well.
「 Okay, don’t cut in line! Stay where you are! 」
Edie fixes the lines.
「 Edie-san, congratulations on your championship 」
「 I saw the news! 」
「 Can I take photos? 」
Oh, the fact that Edie won in the martial arts tournament of her cla.s.s is spreading.
「 Yes, but it’s a little troublesome if you’re being an obstacle to the shop 」
「 Oh, I’ll be mindful when I take photos 」
「 Buy some bread after taking photos! It’s delicious! It gives you strength 」
Mitama, Anya, and Edie began their photo session.
「 It’s become amazing now 」
Kana-senpai comes over.
「 I think there are more customers than usual? 」
Kana-senpai goes to the storefront.
Katsuko-nee goes back inside the bakery.
「 We need to bring out the second batch sooner! If they’re baked already then take it out! We’ll be sold out if this goes on 」
「 Roger that! 」
I sped up my work.
I thought that the case of Masakari Kusao would hurt the sales but my fears were unfounded.
Rather, Mitama, Anya, and Edie are so popular that the students continue to gather in our bakery.
As a result, even the students who usually don’t buy our products had Mitama and the girls encourage them to buy it today.
「 How is it Yo-chan? 」
Nei goes back to the bakery.
「 the first oven is baking already so I’ll bring them out as soon as it’s done 」
「 Okay! Megu-chan, do we still have more s.p.a.ce for another pad? 」
「 Yes, I can manage 」
The storefront and the bakery are in the carnage.
The drill sisters, Dolly and Anna, and also Grace Marinka-san are watching us work and sweat with a surprised look.
「 Okay, that’s the second batch! Bring one of the pads! 」
I took out the freshly baked pastries from the oven and laid them on the pad.
「 n.o.bu! I’ll take these! 」
Kana-senpai took the pad from me and brought it to the front.
On the other hand.
「 Yo-chan, one pad is empty! 」
Nei brings in an empty pad.
「 Wait! The second oven isn’t finished yet! 」
「 Okay! 」
The carnage continues.
Then.
「 I’m Sorry We’re already sold out today! 」
Katsuko-nee shouted.
Our pastry was sold out forty minutes after the start of lunch break, which was earlier than usual.