Chapter 39: Yuigahama Looks Straight at Yukinoshita!
Luke made up his mind.
"Don't worry, the ingredients she used are all edible. There shouldn't be a problem... mm," Yukinoshita Yukino said beside him.
Luke glanced at her.
Your tone doesn't sound very confident.
Yukinoshita Yukino mustered her courage and whispered beside his ear, "Don't worry, I'll eat it too."
Luke sighed.
He really didn't want to eat cookies, let alone this failed attempt by a beginner.
But having accepted her request, his sense of responsibility and curiosity drove him to pick up the plate of black objects, turning it in his hand to examine the cookies.
He gently picked one up.
It was a bit hard, but still within the edible range.
Luke popped it into his mouth, chewing slowly...
Yukinoshita Yukino did the same.
Mm, just as expected.
Eating this cookie wouldn't kill him, but it was truly awful.
Luke instantly stopped chewing, quickly chugged some Coke, and swallowed the crumbled cookie in his mouth in one go.
Then he regretted it...
Shouldn't have drunk the Coke.
It couldn't suppress the bitterness at all.
The taste buds, having sensed sweetness, became even more sensitive to the bitterness.
The crust was already dry and bitter, and the inside was sweet to the point of bitterness.
A cookie with absolutely no redeeming qualities.
Luke and Yukinoshita Yukino looked at each other.
He saw that Yukinoshita Yukino's eyes were actually a bit moist.
For a moment, he felt happy and thought the cookie wasn't bitter...
Okay, mental deception couldn't change physical sensation.
So bitter!
Luke fell silent, overwhelmed by the taste of the cookie.
Yuigahama Yui, seeing the two standing silently beside the equipment, asked with a final shred of hope:
"How does it taste?"
Luke paused for a moment, looked seriously at Yuigahama Yui, "I saw the enemies I defeated in the past baring their fangs at me."
Yukinoshita Yukino walked off to the side.
"What kind of metaphor is that! I-is it that terrifying—!" Yuigahama Yui, startled, quickly picked up a cookie herself.
"I advise you not to," Luke suggested sincerely.
"Because that is truly hell. If I were being tortured, eating this cookie might make me reflect on every single wrong thing I've done since childhood."
In a word: Ahead lies hell, Yuigahama.
But as the creator, Yuigahama Yui persisted and put it in her mouth, taking a small bite.
Then her face, just as Luke expected, instantly turned deathly pale.
And so, Yuigahama Yui began to cry while nibbling on the cookie with her front teeth, bit by tiny bit:
"Wuwuwu~ Why is it so bad~ So bitter. Wu~ It really is hell."
"Don't let the cookie touch your tongue. The taste buds on the tongue are too sensitive. Eating it is like taking strong medicine," Yukinoshita Yukino picked up the freshly boiled kettle, poured the scalding water over the black tea, making tea for them.
"It's best not to chew it. Just swallow it whole with the black tea."
Adhering to the principle of not wasting food, the three reluctantly divided the damned cookies evenly and finished them all.
Luke gently sipped Yukinoshita Yukino's black tea.
Never before today had he felt black tea could be so sweet and refreshing.
Silence fell among the three.
Yukinoshita Yukino had to speak up, "Let's continue thinking of ways to solve this problem. How to enable Yuigahama to make delicious cookies."
Luke remained silent.
To improve cooking skills to the level of making delicious cookies probably required some time.
Cooking skills tested talent and effort.
Yuigahama Yui, inherently clumsy, could only reach a normal level through accumulated experience over time.
And he really didn't want to eat those cookies again.
Seeing the air grow silent again, Yuigahama Yui's shoulders slumped in discouragement.
She sighed softly, "Sigh, maybe I'm really not suited for cooking. I really don't have the talent."
"Then there's only one path left," Yukinoshita Yukino sighed along.
For this kind of request, she didn't have a better solution either.
"What path?"
"Effort," Yukinoshita Yukino said.
No one was omnipotent.
Talents were accumulated bit by bit through effort.
For Yuigahama Yui, effort was already a very good solution.
But, for the Service Club, 'effort' was indeed the most helpless measure, because it only meant they were out of ideas, facing the problem with no other possibilities, only able to rely on the accumulation of time.
Honestly, rather than this, giving up seemed easier.
Expressing feelings with handmade cookies like these will fail... Hmm?
Luke felt something was wrong with that thought.
Over there, Yukinoshita Yukino continued, "Yuigahama-san, you just said you don't have talent in cooking, right?"
"Hmm? Oh, yes, yes."
Yukinoshita Yukino cautioned Yuigahama Yui, her tone as firm as ever, "Please discard that shameful thought. Success is not achieved overnight; effort is the most basic condition. Success is built up bit by bit. Failures give up when they encounter setbacks because they don't understand the principle of effort, which is why they cannot succeed."
But Yuigahama Yui still forced a smile.
"R-really? But nobody uses this method anymore... Besides, cooking really doesn't suit me."
Luke watched her attempt to choose avoidance.
They couldn't make decisions for others, but escaping, while shameful... was indeed useful.
But Yukinoshita Yukino didn't think so.
The cup in her hand hit the table with a crisp sound.
A chilling temperature emanated from her.
"Can you stop spouting foolish arguments just to conform to others' views? Such behavior is awful! It irritates me just looking at it. The root of stupidity and failure clearly lies within oneself, yet you still seek answers from others' mouths. By adopting the image others project onto you, can the covered, unsightly truth just disappear?"
Her wording was severe.
Yuigahama Yui immediately started whimpering, inevitably lowering her head, hands gripping the corners of her clothes again.
The adult-like Yukinoshita's words are still too harsh.
But the two really have opposite attributes.
Yuigahama has probably been in Miura Yumiko's clique for too long, lacking the determination to break the relationship and attack, just like Hayama who 'does nothing'.
Luke considered whether he should mediate.
"Yukinoshita is so cool..." Unexpectedly, Yuigahama Yui muttered softly instead.
"Huh?" Luke, who was about to speak, was instantly taken aback.
Yukinoshita Yukino, not having heard clearly, frowned and asked:
"What?"
"She said you're very cool!" Luke blurted out.
Yukinoshita Yukino turned back to look at Yuigahama Yui disbelievingly.
"Yes, I think Yukinoshita's straightforward style, saying whatever is on her mind, is very cool..."
Yuigahama Yui lifted her head, her gaze sincere and fervent.
Even Yukinoshita Yukino, under such a gaze and words, couldn't help but stiffen and take two steps back, forced back by the fervent attitude.
"Wh-what are you talking about... I was criticizing you just now? Harshly, impolitely."
Yukinoshita Yukino looked suspiciously at Luke, for the first time feeling her memory might be scrambled.
Luke nodded at her.
Your criticism just now was indeed very harsh.
"It's not like that. What you said was indeed harsh, and I was scared too, but honestly..."
Yuigahama Yui hesitated, then spoke, "I always live my life watching the atmosphere around others, but Yukinoshita, even when criticizing, speaks to me in a tone of discussion. I..."
Yukinoshita Yukino felt awkward.
Girl, something's not right with you.
Luke looked at Yuigahama Yui, also feeling somewhat awkward.
But Yuigahama Yui continued to look straight at Yukinoshita Yukino.
...
---
Read More With Pictures (30+ Chapters In Advance):
p@treon.com/U22
Replace '@' with 'a' on your web browser.
(NOTE: Apple charges 30% more if you buy a Patreon membership through the iOS app. So, I suggest using a web browser to buy the membership from Patreon. You can then use the app to read chapters. Of course, if you don't want to save money, then ignore my suggestion.)