58. Making A Cake

Izumi stopped by Kyouko's house because he had promised to come. Moreover, this morning Izumi skipped school so Kyouko asked how Izumi was doing via message.

Arriving at Kyouko's house, Izumi was greeted by Kyouko herself. Kyoko let him in.

"Yuki seems to know we're acquainted. So I told her we'd meet at your shop." Kyouko said while lowering her head.

"Eh, isn't that good that you're promoting my shop? Moreover, what's wrong if everyone knows we're acquainted? Or do you not want others to know that we know each other?"

"It's…it's not like that!" Kyouko was flustered. Izumi just looked at her with a chuckle. After a moment, she continued.

"You once said you purposely avoided other people because of what happened to you in middle school. So I thought you didn't want anyone to know where you lived."

Izumi approached Kyouko with a smirk on his face which made Kyouko take a step back on reflex.

"If I didn't want others to know, why did I tell you then?"

"Because you like me? How can I say something like that?" Kyouko said inwardly.

"Anyway, what business made you skip school?" Kyouko changed the subject because she wanted to avoid Izumi's question earlier.

"I got a call from the publishing company. They said my novel would be published soon."

"A novel? Are you a novelist?" Kyouko was surprised. She knew that Izumi was smart after showing her the drone he had made himself. She never thought that Izumi was also a novelist. Moreover, his novel will be published soon.

"Yes, that is so."

"How can you do anything? You're good at academics, sadly you never show it. You're also good at technology. You're great at sports. And now you're telling me that you're also a novelist." Kyouko was both envious and amazed. It was the first time she had seen a man who could almost do anything as if he had no flaws.

"There's still a lot I can't do, you know." Izumi shook his head. After hearing that, Kyouko put her chin on her palm.

"Heee, for example?" She asked.

Izumi just raised his index finger while replying.

"Conquer this world."

"Pffttt. That's out of the question." Kyouko chuckled. Of course, Kyouko felt that what Izumi said was clearly absurd. But Izumi didn't think so. When he used his power, he could easily rule the world. That being said, there was no oddity in his world like someone stronger than him from another world living on earth.

"Oh, right. Let's make a cake!" Izumi suggested.

"I don't know how to make a cake, do you want to teach me how to make it?"

"Yup. You want it, don't you?"

"Of course!" How could Kyouko refuse? Moreover, the person who taught her was experienced because his mother had a cake shop at his house.

"What kind of cake do you want to teach me?"

"A Red Velvet Cake." Izumi replied.

"What kind of cake is that?" Kyouko was curious because she didn't know much about cakes.

"Well, you'll see! Here's a note on the ingredients. You can read it first if you want. And I'll teach you how to make the cake step by step." Izumi handed a piece of paper to Kyouko. And Izumi himself took the ingredients in his bag.

Red Velvet Cake is essentially a chocolate cake made with little cocoa powder. The cocoa reacts with the acidic vinegar and buttermilk, and in turn keeps the cake moist, light, and fluffy.

Izumi taught Kyouko to make Cream Cheese Frosting first. After that, they began to make the cake. Izumi was behind Kyouko to instruct her. She could feel his breath when he instructed her which made her blush and her heart beat faster every time he spoke.

Kyouko suddenly turned around, and it was at the same time that Izumi also looked at her. For a moment, time seemed to stop. They looked at each other, and slowly, their faces were getting closer which was accompanied by the rhythmic beat of their hearts.

"Big sis. I'm hungry!!!" The loud voice of a boy came from a certain room and there was the sound of footsteps heading toward them afterward.

Izumi and Kyouko immediately kept their distance by stepping back. They both looked away in embarrassment. They didn't expect that for a moment, they moved unconsciously.

"Damn it, what the heck is this cliché Romcom template?" Izumi could only scold in his heart.

Meanwhile,

"What the hell did he want to do? My heart feels like it's going to stop beating." Kyouko's face was red as a tomato. She couldn't stop imagining what had happened earlier.

She tried to calm herself while looking at Souta who was walking while rubbing his eyes after waking up from his sleep.

"Wait a moment, Souta!" After asking Souta to wait, Kyouko turned to Izumi and said.

"Miyamura, can you finish this by yourself? I'll make a drink first. Would you like tea or coffee?"

"Why not? Also, I want a cup of coffee."

After that, Izumi turned away from Kyouko to avoid eye contact. He felt a little embarrassed over what had happened earlier. He didn't seem to realize what he was doing either.

Kyouko silently looked at Izumi because of what happened earlier. She wanted to ask but it was embarrassing. So she threw the thought away.

"Smells good. What are you making, Brother?" Souta was starting to get cut off from his sleepiness when he smelled the sweet fragrance.

"Something delicious. You should obediently wait, okay!" Izumi replied with a smile. Then, Souta nodded.

— — — —

Approximately 15 minutes later.

When the cake baked in the oven was done, Izumi opened the oven and a fragrant aroma enveloped the kitchen.

The cake was not served immediately. But Izumi decorated it first by giving cream and toppings. When he was done, he cut the cake into one-eighth size to share with Souta and Kyouko.

"Looks yummy." Souta commented. He reached for the piece of cake that was already on the plate.

"It's so soft and fluffy." Kyoko said. Kyouko, who was cutting the cake using a fork, felt the softness of the cake Izumi made.

Once they both ate a bite. They seemed to imagine their bodies falling into condensed clouds and they could feel the softness of the clouds that made them not want to leave there.

Izumi just smiled seeing the two of them enjoying the cake that made their imaginations go to another world.

"Eh, have I eaten everything?"

"Uh, my cake's gone too."

Without realizing it, they had finished a piece of cake even though they felt like they had just eaten a bite.

Izumi chuckled. Then he said, "The cake is still there. Cut it by yourself!"

"Big bro, how can you make it that yummy?"

"Yeah. It's so moist, light, and fluffy at the same time. I felt like I was transported to a world of clouds." Kyouko was surprised by the taste of the cake. It had a fairly mild, yet delicately rich flavor.

"All of that because the reaction of the ingredients is so perfect. And the most important thing is the way of processing, the heat of the oven, and so on. In essence, everything is connected, resulting in a delicious cake." If all the cake-making processes were left to him, the results of the cake would be much tastier because he is more experienced in making cakes.

"Seriously. Can you not be able to do something?" Kyouko said in annoyance.

Izumi grinned. Then replied.

"Is that a compliment?"

"Yes and no. It's really annoying to see someone who can do anything."

"Hehehe. It just so happened that you saw something I could do."

Souta and Kyouko finished all the cake and Izumi was only given a piece. But he didn't care since he could make a cake like that at any time.

Souta returned to his room leaving Izumi and Kyouko alone. The atmosphere became a little awkward because of what happened earlier. Izumi himself didn't know what he was supposed to say.

Kyouko braced herself to ask.

"Hey, Miyamura."

"Yes?"

"What did you want to do at that time?" What Kyouko meant was when Izumi almost kissed her. Her cheek was slightly reddened when she asked.

Izumi found himself in a dilemma. He didn't have the confidence to say it yet. But, when she saw Kyouko's blushing face. He prepared to confess since he saw an opportunity.

However, his face twitched.

"I'm home!" A lady's voice was heard from the door. It was Kyouko's mother, Yuriko.