The Classmate Who Is Adored by Everyone Smiles Teasingly Only at Me-Chapter 1Volume 2 .4 - Hospitality Comes with a Soufflé

Hospitality Comes with a Soufflé 4

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“What are you doing, Saito?”

While sandwiched between Chika and the wall, he gazed blankly at Miki.

“Can’t you tell? Instead of screaming or writhing around, which would be undignified, I’m scratching the wall. It’s what you’d call a compensatory behavior in psychology.”

“That’s just as undignified. Besides, I doubt that’s something as grand as what psychology has to say about it.”

Being considered an honor student, this girl asserts that Sōma and Chika are overly lovey-dovey with each other.

‘From any perspective, it looks like I’m just being bullied!’

Despite his repeated protests, she refuses to overturn her own assertion. Despite being smart, he can’t help but wonder whether she’s looking at them properly.

“Well whatever, help me out. Don’t you think my situation with Chika is more undignified than screaming or writhing?”

“I know I should help. However—! I’ve realized there’s a nutrient available at this moment that I can’t get any other time, so I can’t move!”

“Saito, I don’t know what you’re talking about anymore.”

‘She’s called a top student, but could this girl possibly be an idiot?’

He finds himself thinking that half-seriously.

Fortunately or unfortunately, talking with Miki calms his feelings down.

“Chika, it’s about time you backed off.”

He flicks her on the forehead.

“Ouch! I’ve been assaulted!”

“Shut up. It’s obviously your fault.”

Gaining some distance from Chika and finally able to breathe, Sōma says——

“Ah, lunch break is almost over.”

Checking the time on his smartphone, he realizes there’s not much of lunch break left.

He wants to grab a drink to quench his thirst and hurries towards the cafeteria.

But then, remembering something, he stops in his tracks again.

“Ah, that’s right. Hey, Chika.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“How about coming over to my place this Sunday?”

At that moment, time stood still.

Chika and Miki froze as if they had been cast under a spell.

‘…Huh? What’s going on?’

He looks around to see if a scary discipline teacher has appeared, but there’s no one else there.

‘Did I do something weird?’

“I-I-Ichinoseeeeeee!”

As he wondered why the mood had suddenly shifted, Miki, who had forcefully broken through the spell, grabbed him by the collar.

“You, how dare you even think about bringing Chika into your house right in front of me! Even I can’t overlook that!?”

“Huh? Why are you getting mad?”

“Isn’t it obvious! What do you plan to do at your own house!? Don’t tell me you’re planning to do something like what’s depicted in those thin books Onii-chan hides in the closet!? Especially the one camouflaged with old textbooks on top!!”

“What…!?”

He’s speechless. And then, he realizes that this classmate was imagining something incredibly lewd.

“You think I’m calling Chika over to my house to do something lewd!? No way in hell! I just want her to taste the sweets I’ve made! And stop rummaging through your Aniki’s closet without permission! That’s just too pitiful for him!”

He shakes off her grip and yells at her with all his might.

Sōma is also a male high school student in the midst of puberty.

Of course, he’s very curious about such matters, and he does find Chika attractive.

It’s natural. It would be strange not to think so.

But that doesn’t mean he has ever thought of doing anything bad to her.

Because she is an important taste tester, he doesn’t want to betray her trust, nor does he want to lose his one and only taste tester to a momentary desire.

Still, Miki doesn’t believe a word he says, looking at him as if he’s something filthy.

“Tasting sweets? That sounds plausible, but there’s no need to invite someone over to your house for that. You could just bring them to school.”

“That won’t work. The thing I’m planning to make next is a soufflé.”

“Soufflé…?”

“If you don’t know, then look it up.”

A soufflé is a type of Western confection made by mixing meringue and bechamel sauce and baking it until it’s fluffy.

It’s also one of Sōma’s personal favorite Western sweets.

However, this Western confection has one major flaw.

It must be eaten immediately after baking.

The fluffiness of a soufflé comes from the egg whites that have been firmly whipped, or more precisely, from the bubbles contained within the egg whites that expand due to heat.

Therefore, the air that expands with heat deflates as time passes, and the soufflé collapses.

He had always wanted his classmates to try it, but it had not been possible due to the short life of a soufflé.

However, he thought that Chika, who was in charge of tasting, might come to his house for the sake of trying a soufflé. So, he invited her over.

“Ah, I see, so this is the kind of sweet it is.”

Miki, who had searched for soufflés on her smartphone, seemed to be convinced for the time being.

“You see? The only way to have Chika try the soufflé is to have her come over.”

“Why don’t you go to Chika’s house and make it there? You’ve already had a face-to-face meeting with her parents.”

“Don’t call it a ‘face-to-face meeting with her parents’ like that. It doesn’t mean the same thing. Besides, each oven has its own quirks. I’ve never used Chika’s oven before, so I don’t know what it’s like. I might fail because I can’t figure out the right baking time.”

“Always an excuse…!”

Miki looked bitterly frustrated but didn’t say anything more.

Ignoring the silenced Miki, he turned to face Chika.

“So, Chika, how about you come over this Sunday? It’s okay if it’s too much trouble or if you don’t want to.”

Sōma has no intention whatsoever of doing something as delusional as Miki might imagine, but it was reasonable for a girl to hesitate to visit a boy’s house. If Chika is against it, Sōma decides to drop the matter.

However, with her cheeks faintly blushing, Chika gave a shy smile and nodded her head.

“Umm, yes, if I’m not a bother, then I’d be happy to visit.”

Scratch- scratch- scratch- scratch-

Once again, Miki began scratching the wall like a cat.