You're Like Me (2)

Chapter 13: Episode 6 - You're Like Me (2)

Fraise's gaze was distant when she looked at me but I couldn't help but want to question her.

"You've been watching over me for that long? Did you know my mother?" I asked sternly but she shook her head.

"No… I didn't know your mother but I knew the sweets spirit that followed her."

I stopped eating, thinking back to the sweets spirit in that picture.

"That's the one with the long blonde hair that almost resembles my mother," I perceived and Fraise nodded her head.

"That's right. That sweets spirit's name is Sucre and she was deeply fond of your mother. They had a strong bond and they worked together to achieve their dreams. Sucre worked hard to become a royal patissiere in the Sweets Kingdom and your mother worked hard to become an esteemed patissiere. Both worked alongside each other to accomplish their dreams," Fraise told me and I attentively listened.

"Well, where's my mother's sweet spirit?" I asked curiously.

"... Something happened... When sweets spirits work with their human partners and fulfill their dreams, they have to go back to Sweets world and—" Fraise faltered to continue and I could only sense something was wrong.

"What happened?" I questioned and her blue eyes looked distant...

Fraise sat down next to the plate of beignets, her gaze was filled with loneliness.

"Though Sucre accomplished her dream of becoming a royal patissiere in the kingdom, she decided to stay by your mother's side, claiming that her new dream was to be next to your mother. She was supposed to come back to the Sweets World right after she bid your mother farewell, but she stayed behind."

"What else happened?"

"Sucre was the favorite subject of the Queen of the Sweets Spirits so she'd told her that she wanted to stay in the human world with your mother. The Queen accepted this because she was her favorite subject. Sucre could go between the Sweets kingdom and the human world whenever she liked but… " Fraise gazed down at the table, a sad smile on her face. "The day your mother passed away—Sucre disappeared as well. We still don't know where Sucre is and we presume that she's still alive, but even now, she's missing." Fraise looked away at the far distance.

"Who was Sucre to you?"

"Sucre was my mentor who taught me all sorts of techniques and recipes. Only she and your mother knew that I stuck around you when you were younger," Fraise admitted and my eyes widened in surprise.

"I thought you said that you didn't know my mother?"

"I had only spoken to her once and that was the day she showed you that picture book. Most humans can't see us sweets spirits unless they have a sweets spirit by their side. The only reason you saw Sucre in that photo that your mom showed you was because I was following you from afar. On that day, your mother presumed that a sweets spirit was interested in you while Sucre knew that I was the one beside you."

I was still confused because I hadn't met Fraise even in the past.

"But how come I didn't meet you when I was younger?" I furrowed my eyebrow dubiously.

"Once she noticed that you could see Sucre in the picture, she already sensed that a sweets spirit was beside you. It hadn't been too long since I spotted you when you were 6. Sucre called out to me once you left the room and I talked with them. Your mother said that I shouldn't show myself to you just yet."

I gave a bewildered look to her claim.

"What? Why would my mother say that to you?"

"Your mother… she told me that children's dreams can change easily," Fraise stated and I looked at her in surprise. Fraise's demeanor was more serious than before.

'Could my mom have doubted my dream to become a patissiere like her? Is that why she said that? Because she knew that children could give up on their dreams?'

The words didn't sit well in my mind, so I began questioning Fraise.

"Why would Mom say such a thing?" I asked in uncertainty. It took a moment for Fraise to respond.

"She... said that I should watch you from afar at first to see if you still continued to go through with your dream. I don't think your mother doubted your ability to achieve the dream of becoming a patissiere like her, but I think she said this to me because she wasn't sure if you wanted to change your mind to something else."

Somehow, my mind felt at ease. When my mother was still around, she supported the dream I had but she never forced it upon me to be like her. She always claimed that she would support my dreams, no matter if they changed or not. For some reason, now that I look back on it, it seemed almost as if she felt guilty whenever I said I wanted to be like her.

From a mother's perspective, it must've looked like she was forcing her child to be just like her.

"Hahaha…" I gave a dry chuckle at this thought.

'She must've felt guilty that I wanted to be like her. Regardless, my dream still remains the same whether she felt this way or not.'

Fraise looked at me cautiously, trying to read the expression on my face.

"It doesn't matter what my mom thought. My dream remains the same back then when she was alive, and even now. I will become a world-renown patissiere!" I exclaimed confidently and Fraise shot me a bright smile.

"Now then... since I'm sure that you have the drive to accomplish your dream, will you partner up with me, Keiko?" Fraise asked shyly, her cheeks flushing red. "We can help each other accomplish our dreams."

I gave her a small smile back and patted her small head of soft, pink hair.

"Of course."

'Thankfully, I accomplished my first goal of making my first friend on the first day of school.'

I smiled approvingly at my progress as I gazed at Fraise who happily ate the beignets with me.

We finished the beignets although we didn't make much in the first place. We cleaned up our station and left the kitchen as if no one was there, turning in for the night.