And so, with Yumi's permission, Tohka began working part-ti at the bakery in town.
At first, things went fairly smoothly. Thanks to her serious attitude toward work, her diligence, her pretty looks, and her cheerful personality, Tohka quickly beca the face of the shop and was well liked by the manager.
However, after she was finally allowed to enter the kitchen and study for a while, the manager spoke to her in a very gentle and roundabout tone.
"Tohka-chan... everyone has things they're good at and things they're not good at. I can feel your passion for making bread, but personally, I suggest you don't put too much energy into this. You could try looking into other things too."
"Yes... thank you very much."
Even Tohka understood.
She had been gently pushed away.
"Hah... Why am I not improving at all? Do I really have no talent for cooking?"
After finishing work, Tohka walked ho and let out a lifeless sigh.
"I'm ho."
"Yo, you have returned! My kin!"
"Greeting. Welco ho, Tohka."
After opening the front door, Tohka saw Yuzuru and Kaguya passing through the entrance.
"Concern. What is wrong, Tohka? You look down."
"Mm... now that you ntion it, indeed. Your expression lacks your usual fearless aura. Did sothing happen?"
Seeing the concern in their eyes, Tohka hesitated for a mont, but still shook her head and answered with a forced energetic smile.
"Nothing happened! Umu! I'm the sa as always!"
Hearing that, the Yamai sisters did not doubt her.
"Is that so... Well, as long as nothing happened. You received offerings from the wheat alchemist again today, yes? Perfect as side dish before dinner. I shall accept it without holding back."
"Snack. Yuzuru will also take one of the manager's breads."
Seeing Kaguya and Yuzuru mistake the bread she had made for bread from the shop and take it from the bag, Tohka froze for a mont, then said in a slight panic.
"Eh? Um——"
"Uwah! Cough, cough, pfttt, pfttt——what with this kinako bread? Has so curse been placed upon it?"
"Subtle. Is this one of the manager's failed works?"
"Uu..."
Although she knew Yuzuru and Kaguya ant no harm, seeing their reaction still made Tohka feel so frustrated that she almost cried.
...
"What happened?"
Looking at Tohka, who was crouched in the corner of the balcony in deep depression, and the Yamai sisters, who were fidgeting beside her, Tobiichi Origami quietly asked.
"Clarification. Kaguya spoke without thinking."
"I-it was not on purpose! I did not know that was Tohka's work! Besides, Yuzuru, you are no better than ."
"..."
Hearing the two expose each other, then glancing at the bag of bread tossed aside, Origami seed to understand what had happened.
She picked up a piece of kinako bread, walked onto the balcony, tore off a small piece, and chewed it.
"...Bad."
After finishing the whole piece, Origami gave her evaluation without changing expression.
"The heat was uneven. The texture has no chewiness. The balance between the kinako, butter, and other seasonings is completely wrong. Rather than sweetness, it has more of a sour taste like expired food. Although it is much better than the charcoal and mysterious objects you made at first, if you sold this as a product, the shop would probably close within a week."
"What are you here for, Tobiichi Origami?"
Tohka hugged her knees and spoke coldly.
"I'm in a bad mood right now. If you only ca to laugh at , could you please leave?"
"What happened to your usual excessive energy?"
"None of your business."
Origami sighed and spoke with a serious tone.
"I told you before. You do not have talent for cooking. If it is only a hobby, that is fine, but it is impossible to make a living with it. You will soon be in your third year of high school. You do not have much ti left to waste."
Hearing Origami's words, Tohka gritted her teeth unhappily.
"You don't need to tell . I already know that..."
"If you know, then hurry up and give up on that idea. Reconsider your career choice——"
"Don't say it like it's that easy!"
Seemingly provoked by Origami's casual tone, Tohka lost control and snapped back.
"I'm not as smart as you, Origami! I don't have good grades like you, and I can't learn everything right away like you! Don't act like everyone has as many choices as you do!"
Hearing Tohka's words, Origami frowned slightly. Just as she was about to speak, soone gently patted her shoulder.
"That is not good... Origami. I know you ant no harm... but... you still need to be careful with how you say things."
"Yumi Obaa-chan..."
"Don't worry. Leave it to ."
Seeing Yumi's kind and gentle smile, Origami remained silent for a mont, then quietly nodded.
"I'm sorry... If I upset you, I apologize."
After softly apologizing, Origami quietly left.
"What's wrong, Tohka... You'll catch a cold if you sit here in the wind... Dinner is ready. Co eat."
Tsukino Yumi slowly ca to Tohka's side and spoke in a calm and gentle voice.
"...I'm not hungry. I want to be alone for a bit. Obaa-chan, you can eat first."
Tohka shook her head.
"Today's dishes... are all things Tohka likes..."
"Gulp——N-no! I said I don't have an appetite——"
Growl——!
However, as if exposing Tohka's lie, her stomach made a hungry growl on its own.
Tohka's cheeks imdiately flushed bright red with embarrassnt.
"Tohka is a very honest child. Obaa-chan is happy about that..."
With a comforted smile, Yumi spoke gently.
She did not force Tohka to go to the living room to eat. Instead, she got up, went to the kitchen, prepared a portion of food, and brought it to Tohka.
At first, Tohka still wanted to act tough, but soon, she could not resist the sll of the food or her body's hunger. She picked up the bowl and began eating ravenously.
"Phew——"
"Do you feel a little better now...?"
Seeing Tohka let out a satisfied breath, Yumi asked with a smile.
"Mm... Sorry, Obaa-chan. I made you worry."
After calming down a little, Tohka finally opened up and told Yumi what had happened at work.
"I see... So that happened."
"I know Kaguya and Yuzuru didn't an anything bad, and Origami was also kindly worrying about . I was just frustrated... and I couldn't help taking it out on Origami."
"Frustrated? Why?"
Yumi asked.
In response, Tohka shrank slightly and whispered in a tiny voice.
"I'm an idiot. I always have to retake exams, and I don't know how to study properly. I'm not like Origami, who is so smart that she can learn anything imdiately. When I was asked what I wanted to do in the future at school, I was completely lost too. That's why I said I wanted to do sothing I liked. But..."
"If you cannot even do well at sothing you like, then what can you do? How can you know what suits you? So you don't have the confidence to take that step... Is that what Tohka is thinking?"
Looking at Tohka, who was unable to continue, Yumi asked slowly.
"...Mm."
Tohka nodded and spoke with confusion.
"Obaa-chan, am I... running away? Like Origami said, because I don't want to think about difficult things, I just casually said I wanted to open a bakery."
"Mm... I don't really know either... After all, so people fail when they turn their hobbies into work, but so people succeed..."
Yumi stroked Tohka's head and said gently,
"But... Obaa-chan can say this for certain. Tohka is not an idiot... In my eyes, none of you are better or worse than the others. You each just have different strengths. Tohka works so hard, is so cheerful, cares so much about others, and is so cute. So... you should have more confidence in yourself."
"...I-is that so?"
"It is still too early to give up now. Maybe... when you beco a third-year, it will make you feel pressed for ti, but in truth, you still have a long road ahead. You do not need to compare yourself to others. You are you. Without rushing, without panicking... move forward at your own pace."
"...Mm. Thank you, Obaa-chan."
Under Yumi's comfort, Tohka comfortably closed her eyes, and her heart gradually relaxed.
"Hey, Obaa-chan. How can I make bread taste good? Do you have any tricks?"
Tohka asked curiously.
"Mm... I don't really know. If we are talking about tricks for making bread, the bakery manager should know much more..."
After thinking for a mont, Yumi looked at Tohka's face and softly asked,
"Tohka... When you want to make kinako bread... is it for soone?"
"For... soone?"
"Mm. If you make this bread well, if you complete it, who do you want to give it to?"
Yumi smiled faintly and looked into the distance.
"Every ti I cook... I think of all of you... I think of you eating hot als and showing happy smiles... When I see you happy, I beco happy too. Then I naturally beco more motivated to cook."
Hearing Yumi's words, Tohka fell into thought.
If all she wanted was to taste the flavor of "happiness", Tohka did not need to learn how to make bread at all. She could simply buy it.
She wanted to open a bakery because she wanted to share that "happiness" with soone.
But if asked who exactly that "soone" was, Tohka could not give a clear answer at all.
"I see... What I was missing... was this?"
After murmuring that to herself, Tohka took a deep breath and filled herself with determination.
"All right, Obaa-chan! I've decided! I really don't want to give up! I'm going to make the most delicious kinako bread, so Obaa-chan and everyone can smile happily. And I'll make Origami see differently!"
"Mm... Do your best. I am looking forward to it..."
————————
After that, after going through countless efforts and difficulties, hard work finally paid off.
Tohka finally achieved her goal and opened a bakery of her own.
——Ring.
"Welco... Oh, it's you, Tobiichi Origami."
Seeing that the person who ca in was none other than Tobiichi Origami, whom she had just parted with earlier, Tohka let out a disappointed sigh.
"That attitude toward a custor is far too casual, Yatogami Tohka."
"Who was it who treated like a suspicious person trying to abduct minor just now?"
Tohka said irritably.
"I only stated the facts. Give one kinako bread, one curry bread, one lon bread, and two bottles of coffee milk."
"Didn't you eat Yoshino's breakfast before going out?"
"One portion is for a coworker. The rest is to replenish calories. Here, money."
"No need. If you want them, I'll treat you. After all, I owe you quite a lot from when I opened the shop."
"I only gave a few suggestions. There is nothing to thank for."
Origami pressed down the brim of her police cap and answered coolly.
"Or are you simply trying to avoid calculating the change? If you cannot even keep accounts, the shop will close within days."
"Could you stop treating like an idiot? I can at least do sothing like keeping accounts."
"Then honestly give my change. Otherwise, I will consider this an attempt to bribe a police officer."
"Fine, fine..."
With a helpless sigh, Tohka packed the bread and handed it to Origami along with the change.
"Here. Your change is 95 yen. Please confirm it."
"Mm. Correct."
Origami nodded lightly, took out the kinako bread, and began eating it with relish.
"Average."
"Eh... I was actually pretty confident in it."
Hearing Origami's evaluation, Tohka puffed out her cheeks unhappily.
"But it is indeed much better than before... Thank you for the al. Then, excuse ."
"Doesn't this count as neglecting your duty...?"
Watching Origami leave, Tohka muttered speechlessly.
Ti flowed by second by second without anyone noticing. Since there was still so ti before students went to school and office workers went to work, Tohka had nothing to do but stand in the shop and space out.
(That girl... her na was Kurumi, right? I wonder if she will co.)
Tohka thought casually.
Honestly, when she first saw that girl nad Tokisaki Kurumi, Tohka had sohow felt concerned about her.
Snow white skin, black hair, and beauty like a carefully cherished doll. Tohka had thought she was the young lady of so wealthy family.
But after actually talking to her, Tohka felt that her words and actions had a kind of unsteady, lifeless feeling. Like a lost child, wandering and helpless.
Looking at her, Tohka sohow rembered herself when she had lost her mories in the hospital.
(If she cos, I'll treat her to a kinako bread. I hope she can cheer up.)
——Ring.
Just as Tohka was lost in thought, the bell on the shop door gave a clear sound.
"It slls so good."
"Yeah. Let's have bread this morning."
Seeing the custors who ca in, Tohka showed a bright smile.
"Welco to Tohka Bakery!"
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