Cookie? Eh?

Shishio helped to tie Yukinoshitas apron before patting her back gently. Its done.

Thanks.

Wearing an apron, Yukinoshita tied her hair with her red bows into a lazy ponytail that she draped over her chest.

Shishio was fascinated by Yukinoshitas appearance for a moment and said, Somehow, I want to go to the ward office now.

Huh? Why should you go there? Yukinoshita asked with some confusion.

Well, maybe, I want to change your family name to Oga there.

Yukinoshita snorted with some blushes and said, Who will change my surname?! Stop saying something stupid! Are you going to help or not? She knew how amazing his cooking ability was, so she wondered whether he was also going to help.

I am going to watch you first. You can bake a simple cookie, right?

Well, thats true. Leave this to me.

..

Yui and Hikigaya, who watched their interaction, wondered whether they werent dating.

Alright, Yuigama, come here. Ill help you with the apron, Yukinoshita said as she helped Yui to wear her apron.

Th-Thanks, Yukinoshita-san. Yui smiled happily.

So you want to make cookies? Thats all? Shishio, who sat next to Hikigaya, asked naturally.

Yeah. Yukinoshita nodded as she prepared the ingredients for the cookies. She wants someone to eat her handmade cookies, apparently.

Yui looked away, feeling embarrassed.

Since she doesnt have much confidence in her skills, shed like us to give her a hand. That is her request.

Hikigiya let out a troubled sigh. Why dont you just ask your friends?

Well, thats Yui showed a troubled expression as she fidgeted her fingers. Yknow, I dont want people to find out. Sides, my friends are, like, not down with serious business.

Oh, really? Hikigaya looked at Shishio, wondering whether he wasnt going to say anything since whenever this guy opened his mouth, he must have something beautiful to say.

What? Shishio noticed Hikigayas gaze.

You wont say anything? Hikigaya asked.

Shishio looked at Yukinoshita and said, Its not my place to talk.

Hikigaya looked at Shishio for a moment, then Yukinoshita, feeling that this guy was really a casanova, which made him wonder whether he could ask him to be taught. Is that so?

Yeah. I heard back from Ms. Hiratsuka. You guys grant students wishes, right? Yui asked.

Wrong. Yukinoshita, who had been observing the ingredients for the cookie, said, The Service Club will only help. We do not bring water to the horse, but instead, the horse to water.

That sounds cool Yui was amazed, even though she didnt really understand.

Yukino-senpai, were only the tasters, right? Shishio asked.

Yeah, just wait for the cookie to be ready, and you can tell us your opinion, Yukinoshita said.

Okay. 2x

Shishio and Hikigaya didnt have any complaints since their jobs were easy enough.

By the way, Yui-senpai, can I ask something?

Yes? Yui looked at Shishio curiously.

You said you have someone that you want to give a cookie to, right? So what kind of purpose are you going to give this cookie to this person for?

Purpose? Yui was confused.

Well, the most common thing is confession. Are you going to confess to this person? Shishio asked curiously.

Yukinoshita and Hikigaya also looked at Yui at the same time.

Yui blushed and furiously shook her head. No, no, it isnt like that!

Then?

Its Its

If you dont want to talk, you dont have to force yourself.

No, no, its okay Yui kept fidgeting her fingers, and she gave a forced smile. I I just want to thank this person.

Thanks, huh? Shishio nodded and said, Then you should give this person the best cookie, so that person will understand how grateful you are.

Ye-Yes! Yui clenched her fists and raised them high to the sky. I-Ill do my best!

Yukinoshita showed a rare smile and said, Then, if youre ready, Ill guide you now.

Yes, please guide me, Yukinoshita-san! Yui nodded furiously.

Shishio looked at the two girls and whispered to Hikigaya. Watching beautiful girls, working hard toward the goal, isnt it beautiful?

Yeah. Hikigaya had to agree this time since he also thought this scene was wonderful.

However

..

Shishio, Yukinoshita, and Hikigaya were in silence, watching the aftermath of the battle. No, it should be the finished cookies.

Unlike the brown, sweet-smelling, and nice shape of cookies, Yuis cookies couldnt be called a cookie.

Instead, it would be fitting to call it coal because of how black it was.

How can you even make that many mistakes at once? Yukinoshita let out a long sigh.

Shishio took one of the cookies and knocked it on the table, creating a loud sound like a rock that was knocked against a hard object.

Is this a new type of biohazard weapon?

How cruel!!

Shishio let out a long sigh and ignored Yui, and said, I cant believe that we, as humans, have developed so much.

Yeah, its really amazing Hikigaya had to nod at his words. It might even be poisonous.

Whatre you calling poisonous!? Yui couldnt accept it and took one of the cookies to observe it. She stared at it for a moment before her confidence started to falter. Okay, you might be right.

Any chance of her dropping dead? Yukinoshita looked at Shishio helplessly.

Shishio could only rub her shoulders gently and said, Work hard. Ill support you.

Yukinoshita let out a helpless sigh. Its easy for you to say that. However, she didnt intend to give up since she would do her best to help someone as long as it was possible for her. Anyway, lets think about how we can do this better.

With Yuigahama never stepping foot in the kitchen again, Hikigaya said without hesitation.

Is that how you solve things?! Yui retorted before she let out a depressed sigh as she lowered her head. Maybe cooking just isnt me. Yknow, talent or whatever? I, like, dont get it.

The only way we can solve things is through hard work. Yuigahama. You just said you didnt have any talent, didnt you?

Huh? Yeah.

Fix that mentality of yours. Those who dont even try dont have the right to envy those with talent. Those who fail to do so because they cant imagine the kind of effort put in by those who succeed.

Bu-But you know, everybody says they dont want to cook these days. Im just not cut out for this stuff.

Yukinoshita stopped what she was doing and looked at Yui with an uncomfortable gaze. Could you please stop trying desperately to fit in? I dont like it at all. Doesnt it embarrass you to blame others for your own stupidness and clumsiness?

Hikigaya was speechless and looked at Shishio.

Shishio didnt say anything and just looked at Yui, wondering what she was going to say.

So Yui held the hem of her skirt tightly as she said, So cool.

What?

You dont sugarcoat things at all. Thats, like, so totally cool.

Yukinoshita was speechless and even backed down for a moment. Did you even listen to what I have said? I believe I was quite harsh.

You did say some pretty horrible things. It felt to me like they came from the heart. I can tell because I have always been trying to fit in with people. Yui bowed her head and apologized. Im sorry. Ill do my best this time!

Yukinoshita looked at Shishio helplessly.

Just help her for now, Shishio said.

Yukinoshita let out a sigh and said, If it isnt good, Ill ask for your help.

Okay.

Yukinoshita then looked at Yui and said, Ill show you how its done, so try following along.

Yeah! Yui nodded excitedly like a dog.

After a while, the cookie was ready, but while the result was better than before, it wasnt something that could be given to someone, considering how horrible it seemed.

Theyre totally different. Yui sighed when she compared her cookies with Yukinoshitas.

Yukinoshita only lay on the table weakly, seemingly giving up since Yuis cookies were horrible no matter what she did. I wonder what I should do to make her bake a delicious cookie.

Shishio and Hikigaya ate Yuis cookies. While it wasnt bad, it wasnt something good either.

Hey, why are you two trying to make a delicious cookie? Hikigaya suddenly asked.

What? 2x

Hikigaya smiled and said, Come back in ten minutes. Ill show you what real homemade cookies are like.

Me too? Shishio asked.

Stay here, then, Hikigaya said.

Okay.

Yuikinoshita and Yui were in doubt, but since Shishio was there, they somehow reluctantly believed Hikigaya.

While Hikigaya couldnt read their minds, he knew they were thinking something rude.

The girls waited for a while before they entered again as they tasted the cookies made by Hikigaya. They ate them reluctantly before they frowned.

Is this the real homemade cookies?

Its not that good!

Hikigaya sighed and said, I see Sorry, Ill throw them away.

Wa-Wait! Yui quickly stopped Hikigaya and said, You dont have to throw them away. She ate the rest of the cookie in her hand and said with a forceful smile. Its not that bad.

These are the cookies you baked, though.

Eh? Yui was dumbfounded.

What do you mean? Yukinoshita asked.

Hikigaya seemed to be proud and said, Its a story that comes from a friend of mine.

Senpai, do you have a friend? Shishio asked.

Shut up! Hikigaya was embarrassed, but he quickly told the story of his painful past. No, it was a story of his friends friend. He told them that there was a girl who often talked to him and he thought that this girl had fallen for him, so without hesitation, he asked whether she liked him, but

What the hell? Thats sick. Please dont ever say that again.

Yui, Shishio, and Yukinoshita.

Senpai, please dont tell us about your trauma here. Shishio let out a sigh.

Shu-Shut up! You a scumbag who is dating several girls at the same time wont understand my feelings?! Hikigaya shouted with all of his emotion. After he shouted those words, he felt relieved somehow, and he was also glad that Shishio didnt seem to show any reactions and only smiled at him, which somehow made him even more annoyed!

So, in the end, what do you want to say? Yukinoshita asked with a sigh.

Well, what I want to say is that men are simple creatures. They get all hot and bothered when all a girl does is talk to them. Just getting handmade cookies will send them flying up to cloud nine. It doesnt really matter if they taste terrible.

Terrible? Yui seemed unable to accept the cruel fact and retorted. Shut up!

Anyway, as long as they know you did your best, theyll be moved.

Yukinoshita looked at Shishio and asked, Shishio-kun, what do you think?

Well, I wont deny what Hikigaya-senpai has said since it is definitely something happy to have a clumsy girl who doesnt have an experience at baking does her best to present our cookies with all of her feelings.

Is-Is that so? Yui somehow gained some confidence in Shishios words.

However, the problem is, are you okay with that? Shishio asked.

What do you mean? Yui was confused.

While it might seem cold, we, people, often see the result instead of the process. The person you want to give cookies to might or might not understand how hard youre baking these cookies. While I wont deny, theyll be happy as long as you give them truthfully, is your feeling, gratitude, or other types of emotions are alright with this? Are you alright with these results? If youre okay with it, I wont say much. However Shishio looked at Yui and said, If you want to work a little harder, then well help you.

Hikigaya wasnt wrong since any guys would be happy as long as they received something from a pretty girl like Yui, especially when they knew how hard she had worked hard to bake cookies that she had never tried before.

However, Shishios advice was more emphasized on Yuis feelings.

Was she okay with this?

Was she feeling okay with this half-baked result when she could have made something even better?

In other words, did she want to work harder so she could convey the feelings that she had toward this person?

Or just stop since she was told so?

Hikigaya was in silence since he realized that he only emphasized the guys feelings, not toward Yuis feelings, what kind of feelings she held for the person she wanted to give her cookies for.

Hikigaya looked at Shishio, and somehow he understood why this guy could have a harem.

Yui looked at her cookies for a moment and said, I-I want to work a little harder, so please help me! Then, she bowed her head, showing how sincere she was.

Shishio looked at Yui, then looked at Yukinoshita.

Help her, Shishio-kun, Yukinoshita said without hesitation.

Okay. Shishio nodded and said, How about we make something fancy?

Something fancy? 3x

Yes. Shishio nodded and said, Lets make a tiramisu.

Somehow this had gotten so big.