My Childhood Friend, a Cool, Beautiful Girl With a Pure Face, Is a Monopolising Yandere
It is just before the festival.
The poster making for C group, which consists of me and Ran, seems to be finished without any problems.
But inside the classrooms, preparations are still very hectic and busy.
“We ran out of ribbons and stuff for decorations. …… Who can go?”
“I haven’t finished getting ready either.”
“I have to go to the club activities too! Sorry.”
When classmates from the decoration group approached them, they all declined.
It seems that no one is available.
I’m in the poster group, but I’m free, and I don’t have anything special to do.
It’s a bit of a hassle, but I thought I’d help out with the shopping at least once, so I raised my hand.
“Do you want me to go?
“That’s a big help. Honda, I need you to buy some decorations. I need double-sided adhesive tape, a replacement blade for the cutter, ……, and some other things I can use to decorate the classroom.”
“I understand. The 100 yen store in front of the station should have everything you need. ……”
Just as I was about to start taking notes, a cool voice interrupted me from the side.
“I’ll go with you then.”
It was Ran.
“That’s unusual. Weren’t you supposed to be working in the library later today? Maybe putting some finishing touches or something?”
“I can put it off until later. I’m not sure I want to leave it to you alone, so I’ll accompany you.”
What do you mean by “not sure”?
I’m not trustworthy, am I?
“I understand. Then, Honda and Hasegawa-san will go shopping for decorations. I’m sorry, but I’m counting on you.”
And just like that, we were about to leave,
“Oh, wait a minute! If you’re going to go shopping, I might want you to buy vanilla oil and flour!”
Another girl interrupted.
“Vanilla oil and flour…… are better to buy at a supermarket than at a 100-yen shop.”
“I think you can buy cheap at 100 yen shops! I want to buy it today, so I’ll settle! Sorry, but thank you.”
In no time at all, I had to buy the cookie ingredients as well.
Oh well. I’ll take it as a side trip.
When I left the school gate, the sky had not yet turned into a sunset.
The sky was just starting to turn a slight shade of madder red, and the sunlight was a little soft.
I guess the peak of summer has passed after all.
“Ran, how much longer until the school festival?”
“About a little over three weeks. That’s enough time to finish the posters.”
“Well, that’s why I’m able to go shopping. The others seem to be busy.”
“If we make reasonable arrangements, we can finish in time. It’s because they don’t have a plan.”
The answer is as cool as ever.
But it is rare to see Ran cooperating so much with the cultural festival without being averse to it.
It’s not just about making posters, which is my area, but I can’t believe she’s even willing to go out and buy them.
Normally, she would say that “events are inefficient,” but I wonder if I’m …… being too harsh.
I wonder when is the first time the two of us went out together after school again like this.
We went away together a few times during the summer vacation, but since the beginning of the school term, I think we’ve often completed things inside the school, such as going to the library or studying after school.
The shopping street in front of the station was quite crowded with evening shoppers and students.
An old lady pushing a bicycle passed by, and a couple who looked like they were students at another school were laughing with a frankfurter in their hands.
We passed through the hustle and bustle and headed for a prominent signboard of a 100-yen store.
“It’s here. It’s a large store, so there should be a lot of stationery and decorations.”
“Okay.”
Once inside the store, we headed first to the stationery section.
She picked up tape for pasting posters, cutters and scissors for cutting pictures, and so on.
The big scissors were being fought over in every class, so we decided to buy new ones.
We also needed colored paper and masking tape for decoration.
The decorating team seemed to be in high spirits.
I throw them into the basket at random.
I also add small stickers and gold star-shaped parts for decoration.
Next, I go to the food section to look for ingredients for cookies.
However, unlike stationery items like pens, there is not that much variety in products like powder and flour.
“I see baking powder, but I don’t see vanilla oil. ……”
“This is vanilla essence, is that okay?”
“Ummm, essence and oil ……. Well, maybe you can make substitutions? I’ll check with the class line just in case.”
I took out my phone, opened LINE, and typed, “Can I use vanilla essence?” and sent it.
A few seconds later, she replied, “Totally ok! I don’t think it will taste the same, so don’t worry!” I was glad it was so easy.
“Okay, I’ll go with vanilla essence. Then I’ll use light flour …… I don’t see it here. All I see is strong flour.”
I don’t cook, so I have no idea what kind of flour is okay.
“I can make cookies with strong flour, but it changes the texture a bit. Let’s just go with what they ordered.”
“I guess so. Let’s go to the supermarket.”
Once the decision was made, it was quick.
I finished the checkout and went out of the store. The shopping bag was heavy, but not as much as I had expected.
“The supermarket is in the basement of the station building, right?”
“It’s late in the evening, so it might be crowded. Let’s buy efficiently and go home.”
Ran was the same as ever.
I am surprised that you know the difference between flours.
I thought that any kind of flour was fine as long as it was white.
“I remember when I was a kid, Ran used to make me sweets. I miss it.”
“……, how can you remember such a long time ago?”
“How could I forget!”
I remember when I was a kindergarten student, she gave me a roll cake that she made with her mother.
The sponge is fluffy and amazing.
Ran was so cute even then.
“Why didn’t you join the cookie group? You’re such a good cookie maker.”
“Because I’m good at it. When you make cookies with a large number of people, it becomes messy. The amount of cookies and the temperature control are not consistent, and the result is uneven.”
“I can imagine how realistic …… it is. I think ran will look at it and say ‘inefficient’.”
I almost laughed, but Ran’s eyes were serious.
She even seemed to sigh slightly.
“Making sweets is like a chemistry experiment. If you do it carelessly, the taste and shape won’t be consistent. Watching that stresses me out, so I don’t get involved.”
“I see. Well, I think I understand.”
I let out a bitter laugh at her opinion, which was so typical of Ran.
If she was in the same group, she would give strict instructions to everyone. I wonder if she is aware of that.
It’s true that she wouldn’t fit in with the atmosphere of “everyone having fun and making sweets together”
“But it’s a pity. The cookies you make look absolutely delicious.”
“……Is that so? But I won’t be in the cookie group.”
“Well, you’re right.”
Ran hates compromise.
She is so strong-willed and stubborn that there is no point in me saying anything here.
When I went down to the basement of the station building, it was crowded with evening shoppers. Housewives crowded around the deli section, picking up the specials on fried foods.
Ran and I walked past them to the confectionery section, looking for flour.
As one would expect from a supermarket
The selection is larger than that of a 100 yen store, so it was easy to find it.
Ran lightly checks it and puts it in the basket.
When I reported the issue again via LINE, I received a reply with a lively character stamp along with the words, “OK, thank you! Please keep it safe.”
It seems that the class members have already started making plans for when they will use the kitchen.
Just by watching the lively exchange, you can tell they are motivated.
After paying the bill, we had quite a load to carry.
Ran was about to carry the plastic bag, so I quickly took it from the side.
“I’ll carry it. I’m empty-handed.”
“I’ll carry it. It’s not that heavy.”
Saying this, I put the bag of flour on my shoulder bag.
Since she came with me, I’ll carry this much for her.
On the way home, the shopping street is lit up with neon lights.
The sky has not yet completely darkened, but it is in the process of changing from orange to deep blue.
Many of the people passing by seem to be adults in suits on their way home from work.
Ran and I continue our casual conversation as we slip through the crowd at dusk.
“Now that I think about it, we have some quizzes and such before the school festival. The second semester at school is pretty busy with studying.”
“I don’t have a problem with that. You don’t have a problem either, do you?”
“No, I can usually get a good score, but …… I don’t want to study too much……”
“You’re good at what you do, so you’ll be fine. I’ll watch you if you skip school.”
“Watch …… a little scary.”
School was approaching.
My mission is over once I hand over my luggage to my classmates.
I wonder what it will be like on the day of the festival.