---

Modern Literature class was in full swing. I admit, during these classes, I had to help Shintaro out when he was called upon, and would often use my Shintaro impression (which is improving, I promise) to read out passages from novels, while he stands there and flaps his lips in the vague shape of the words I'm reading. It has earned some disturbing glances from the teacher a few times, but nothing that will keep anyone up at night.

For this plan, it seemed, Yuuna was taking advantage of the seating layout.

"Your and Shintaro's desks are behind and to the left of mine and Tsugumi's," mentioned Yuuna to Shigenori before class. "Here's the deal..."

Partway through their scene analysis essay writing session, Tsugumi subtly shuffled her sleeve toward the precipice of the desk. It shoved up against her pencil, which teetered off the edge and landed on the floor with a hollow clink. Tsugumi had done her best to maximise the noise potential, and throughout the entire operation, her eyes swivelled toward Shintaro, selecting a suitable time to drop so that it would catch his attention.

"Augh, oh no..." she sighed in exaggeration. "My pencil..."

Shigenori, realising his cue, placed his pencil down and stopped writing. He drew his fist to his mouth and cleared his throat.

"Truly, this is unfortunate. I cannot reach Otonashi-san's pencil from here. Ahem... Sh-Shintaro, dear boy, perhaps you could reach it from here?"

"Hm? Wh-"

Oh no.

(Tsugumi. Otonashi-san is Tsugumi. It's her surname.)

("Oh, I see.")

"Can she not reach it herself?" he asked Shigenori.

"That would disturb the class, surely..."

"Then would it not also disturb class for me to get it as well?" Shintaro pressed, but in a way that resembled a child innocently requesting answers.

"That... be that as it may, it is my belief that you should help out Otonashi-san in this situation." 

"I see... and that is something Shintaro would do?"

Don't say it like that to him...

"...Well, I personally would say so, yes. It is a Shintaro-like act, in keeping with your nature."

"Then I shall."

But before Shintaro could reach down, the pencil had already been lifted from the floor.

"Did you drop this?" the offending pencil-holder asked.

It was the person who sat directly to Tsugumi's left. A truly ordinary boy. It was... Bonta Tsumanaigawa.

Damn it, Bonta...

"Th-Thank you, Tsumanaigawa-kun..." responded Tsugumi, a flat expression painted over her face. She drooped the pencil back onto the page and returned to writing. Yuuna spotted Tsugumi going to attempt the trick again, checking around her, but reached over the desk and grabbed her arm, shaking her head.

"I have another idea after this, don't worry," she whispered. "Best not try that one again, unless you want Tsumanaigawa getting any ideas."

---

The next class of the day was Home Ec, and we all relocated into the slightly better-equipped classroom opposite. A cheery teacher with her soft blonde hair woven into buns clapped her mitten-laden hands together when we were all standing at the desks.

"Good day, class. I'm going to put you into pairs so you can all have a go at baking cookies. Food preparation is a vital skill in the future, but remember, baking is an art as much as it is a science, so try to enjoy yourselves too. Failing is all part of the process."

All of the kids lingered there waiting for the speech to end, except Shintaro, who was oddly intent on taking notes. We were set into casual pairs, which everyone picked amongst themselves. As to be expected, Yuuna's machinations meant that she and Tsugumi were together again, and Shintaro was dragged along into a duo with Shigenori.

"This idea is the best one yet, I promise ya," assured Yuuna, fastening her apron.

"That remains to be seen," replied Tsugumi, tying up her hair in the fabric headcloth.

"Come on, even someone as serious and cold as you can admit that the quickest way to anyone's heart is food. Cookies and chocolate being the best options, of course."

"Sounds like personal experience talking, to me."

"And am I wrong?"

"...No, I suppose not. I do like baking, too," Tsugumi conceded. "So, you're suggesting I just bake him a cookie and give it to him? You must be insane if you think I have even remotely the requisite amount of courage to manage that."

"No courage required, here. All I'll need is a finishing touch. But, if you wanna make an impression, I'll leave the flavour and fillings to you."

"It's just a cookie..."

"Oh? Is it now?~" teased Yuuna. "Huh? Huh?" She prodded an increasingly reddening Tsugumi.

"Leave me to it..." she pouted.

"Alright, but tell me when you're done. I'll get the surprise ready." Yuuna strolled away.

"W-Wait, you're supposed to help me with the dough."

"Sorry, can't. Too busy working on the surprise."

"You did this just to get out of home ec, didn't you."

"Too busy. Can't hear you."

Tsugumi grumbled and began preparing the ingredients. After much egg cracking, measuring, whisking, and sneezing brought on by billowing clouds of errant flour, the dough was ready for the oven.

"Alright Yuuna, what's your surprise?"

Yuuna stepped away and revealed what was hiding behind her back.

"Ta-da!"

It was a note, a small piece of paper with a message scrawled on it.

"It took you half an hour to do that?"

"No. About five minutes. For the other twenty-five, I was taste testing over at Shintaro's desk," she admitted.

"Shintaro's desk? Uh... how are they getting on?"

"Let's just say the kitchen's not the right place for either of them..."

Hey, he's trying his best. And I'll have you know, I'm giving him tips.

"Still," she continued. "Not half bad. After their first four tries, at least."

"That explains why the bin at that side of the room is so full..." She eyed the bin for a suspiciously long time, as if a part of her wanted to pinch one from there just to get a taste of Shintaro's baking without having to ask him face to face.

"W-Wait. You wrote a note, which is going in a cookie intended for Shintaro, on behalf of me... on his desk?"

"Nah, I made sure I covered it with my hand while I was writing."

"That doesn't relax me that much..."

"Chill out, he won't notice a thing until we need him to. So, let's slip this note on in."

"...Right now?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"Yuuna. These are going in the oven."

"Mmh, exactly."

"..."

"Oh. Oh yeah. Crap."

"Put it in afterwards."

"Got it."

After a stint in the oven, the cookies were removed with a gentle lowering of the door, a veil of steam lifting out from inside and imbibing the room with the sweet scent of sugar.

"God I'd kill for one of those right now."

"You'd die first, they're freshly baked. Unless you really have forgotten what happens inside an oven."

"Leave off, I was in a hurry, okay? Besides..."

She reached to the baking tray and snatched a cookie, popping it between her teeth before an anxious Tsugumi could stop her.

"Like that'd stop me anyway."

"Fair point..." surrendered Tsugumi.

While the cookies were still warm, Tsugumi broke one of them open and scooped out a slot inside for the note with a knife. Folding it neatly, she slid it inside and pushed the halves back together, smoothing over the cracks with some of the leftover melted chocolate.

"Pretty good, pretty good," spluttered Yuuna, swallowing the remnants of her pilfered cookie. "All we need to do now is leave it on his desk before the start of next period and let the note do its magic."

"That reminds me... what did you write on the note? I hope you didn't actually say it was from me..."

"Nope, I said... from a secret admirer," emphasised Yuuna, wiggling her fingers.

"You really do pick this up from romance novels."

"Sure do. Oh, and I said that if he's interested he should buy a sandwich for me from the convenience store near the entrance."

"That's basically giving away the fact that it's me," lamented Tsugumi.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I just asked him to go there after school. Then, if we run into him, we can make it look like a coincidence. Besides, you might as well make the move if this works out, since it'd mean he's down to meet whoever sent the note."

"But what if it's not me he wants..."

"So what? It's you he'll be getting if he's there. Let's just wait and see what happens."

By the end of the class, Tsugumi had snuck out early, feigning a toilet break. She slipped the cookie onto Shintaro's desk and returned unnoticed.

"Success?" asked Yuuna.

"It's on his desk, at least."

"Great. Now we just sit back and watch."

"You do. I still have a part to play in this."

"Sure, sure."

The chime sounded and everyone packed up their materials, with cleaning continuing a short while afterwards. Tsugumi elected to be one of the students to stay behind. I, meanwhile, accompanied Shintaro back to the previous classroom. The cookie was there, waiting for him. He inspected it between his fingers and gave it a sniff.

("What is this suspicious thing? Is it food? Poison?")

(It's a cookie, just like the ones you were making a moment ago. Although, that first batch you made could easily have been mistaken for poison...)

("Why has it been left here, in my personal territory... is it a trap? A threat on my life?")

(I think someone just made a cookie and wanted you to have it. I can even try a bite if you don't believe me.)

("Good idea.")

He handed me the cookie and I nibbled off a corner, not wanting to reveal the note. Chewing it, the flavour was silky and subtle. Tsugumi was actually a pretty good baker...

(You're safe, nothing in there that could kill you.) I passed it back to him.

("Really? Phew... I have been hungry as well. Human sustenance is still a challenge. This small, conveniently-shaped food will help.")

He then thrust the cookie into his mouth, whole. As he chewed, my expression sank. I don't even think he realised he was eating paper.

("Mm... delicious.")

(I'm sure it is...)

No matter what they attempted, I knew that for as long as they had no idea about Shintaro's identity, they wouldn't stand a chance. As risky as I realised it might be, I had no other choice: I had to take matters into my own hands.