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86.38% Life As Hikigaya Hachiman / Chapter 512: [512] The Return of the Black Lace

Capítulo 512: [512] The Return of the Black Lace

Chapter 512: The Return of the Black Lace

As Isshiki Iroha, the student council president, spoke up, everyone started to take action.

Yukino began giving instructions, standing beside Yumiko, guiding her through the process.

"First, chop the chocolate, then melt it using a double boiler. After it cools slightly, pour it into molds to set."

Hearing these simple steps, Yumiko, who was cutting the chocolate, looked a bit puzzled.

"That's it?"

"Well, basically, yes," Yukino nodded.

Yumiko blinked in surprise. "Wow, sounds pretty easy."

Easy, my foot.

Listening to their conversation, Hachiman couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth.

That's supposed to be chocolate-making?

So basically, you melt someone else's already-made chocolate, pour it into molds, and call it your own?

Pastry chefs would cry if they heard this.

Glancing at Yui, who was wildly gesturing about something, Hachiman shook his head.

Forget it, let me show you what real handmade chocolate is all about.

With that thought, Hachiman moved to an empty kitchen counter.

Just as he pulled out some cocoa powder, he noticed Iroha at the counter next to him, stirring something.

He looked over and saw that the bowl in front of her already had a nearly mixed chocolate batter.

Seeing the clearly handmade chocolate Iroha was mixing, Hachiman nodded in approval.

Yes, this was the proper way to make chocolate. It seemed that the little devil hadn't lied about being good at making desserts.

Noticing Hachiman staring at her, Iroha, still stirring the chocolate, looked over curiously.

"What's the matter, Hachiman-senpai? Did I mess something up?"

"No, not really. I'm just surprised that you weren't kidding when you said you were good at making desserts," Hachiman replied, shaking his head.

Hearing this, Iroha pouted, a little annoyed.

"What's that supposed to mean? Senpai, you're being too mean, doubting me like that."

"Haha, sorry, sorry," Hachiman chuckled, not sounding apologetic at all.

"Now's my chance. Here, say ahh~"

Just as Hachiman laughed, Iroha seized the moment and shoved a spoonful of chocolate into his mouth.

After feeding him, the little devil grinned playfully, still holding the spoon. "So, Senpai, how do you like the sweetness?"

Tasting the chocolate in his mouth, Hachiman nodded thoughtfully.

"Hmm, I think the sweetness is just right."

Hearing this, Iroha smiled happily and nodded.

"If Senpai likes this sweetness, then I'll keep it this way."

"I'll be looking forward to it, then."

Shrugging, Hachiman began working on his own chocolate.

But unlike Iroha's ingredients, his counter had not only the usual ones like cocoa powder, butter, milk, and sugar but also some unconventional ones like low-gluten flour and eggs.

Seeing this, Iroha was a bit puzzled.

"Senpai, do you really need flour and eggs to make chocolate?"

She stared at the extra ingredients, her head full of questions. While she wasn't a professional pastry chef, she'd never heard of using flour and eggs to make chocolate. Could this be some new method she wasn't aware of?

Iroha instinctively guessed this might be the case, since Hachiman's cooking skills were far superior to hers.

Hachiman shrugged. "That's because I'm not making pure chocolate; I'm making chocolate cookies."

"You should've said that earlier! So, it's chocolate cookies," Iroha pouted in mild frustration. Then, almost without thinking, she asked the question that had been on her mind the whole time.

"So, Senpai, who are you planning to give these chocolate cookies to?"

As soon as she asked, the other girls paused, all turning their gazes toward him.

After all, they were also curious about the answer to that question.

Feeling the attention from every direction, Hachiman twitched the corners of his mouth.

"Actually, I'm just making these chocolate cookies as a return gift."

"A return gift?!"

"Yep, anyone who gives me chocolate will get some homemade chocolate cookies in return. Fair, right?" Hachiman smiled, spreading his hands.

Fair, my foot.

Hearing his seemingly sincere answer, the girls all twitched their lips.

Was fairness what they wanted? Not at all, you idiot!

What they wanted was for Hachiman to give his cookies to just one special person—each of them, preferably.

Unfortunately, that was never going to happen. With Hachiman, there was no special treatment, only equal treatment for all.

Well, with all the attention he gets, fairness really is the best solution.

However, seeing Hachiman's confident expression, some of the other boys were feeling annoyed.

Damn, this is what it means to be popular.

While they were worrying about whether anyone would give them chocolate at all, Hachiman was already confidently preparing return gifts.

Why is there such a huge gap between people?

Some of the boys couldn't help but mutter sourly, "Hmph, bet he won't even be able to give any away and will have to eat them all himself."

Hachiman, however, couldn't be bothered to respond to such bitter remarks.

Not give any away? What a joke.

Just in this kitchen alone, he already had at least five or six recipients lined up. He was more worried about not making enough.

Before long, under Hachiman's skillful hands, his chocolate cookies were ready. All that remained was to pop them into the oven to bake.

With the cookies baking, and nothing else to do, Hachiman started wandering around again.

Over at the girls' stations, they were finishing up, pouring the melted chocolate into molds to set.

As for the Kawasaki sisters, they were also making chocolate cookies. From the looks of it, though, the handiwork was mostly Kawasaki Keika's. The animal-shaped cookies had clumsily drawn faces using chocolate sauce, and Keika herself was covered in chocolate, her face smeared with it.

Despite the mess, Keika was beaming with pride.

Carrying her tray of cookies, the little one toddled over to Hachiman.

"Here, Hachi-nii, try one!"

Naturally, Hachiman didn't refuse. He picked up a rabbit-shaped cookie and popped it into his mouth, smiling as he complimented her.

"Delicious! You did great, Keika."

And he wasn't just saying that—the cookies actually tasted pretty good, likely thanks to Saki's help. Keika probably just decorated them with the chocolate sauce.

"Yay! I'm so happy! I love Hachi-nii the most!"

Hearing his praise, Keika's face lit up with a radiant smile, and she tried to give him her usual hug. But before she could, her older sister Saki quickly pulled her back.

"Hold on, your face is all messy. You'll get chocolate all over Hachiman's clothes," Saki said, crouching down as she pulled out a wet wipe to clean Keika's chocolate-covered face.

Watching the heartwarming scene of the sisters, Hachiman couldn't help but think of his own sister, Komachi. A gentle smile unknowingly spread across his face.

However, he soon noticed something awkward.

As Saki crouched down, with the top two buttons of her uniform undone, his elevated position gave him a clear view of her cleavage. Upon closer inspection, he could even see the black lace of her bra.

B-black lace...

The thought flashed through Hachiman's mind involuntarily.

Girls are quick to sense things like this, and Saki, who was cleaning her sister's face, soon realized Hachiman's gaze. She glanced down at her chest, her face instantly turning red with embarrassment. She quickly averted her eyes and, in a voice as soft as a whisper, said:

"H-Hachiman... please... don't look."

Realizing what had happened, Hachiman quickly looked away.

"Sorry about that," he mumbled, "I'll just go check on the others."

Caught in the act, his face flushed as he made a hasty exit.

Saki watched him leave, stifling a laugh at his retreat.

Looking down at her chest, Saki, lost in thought, instinctively pressed her arms together, making her cleavage more pronounced. She mumbled to herself:

"Does he... like this?"

At that moment, Keika's curious voice snapped her back to reality.

"Onee-chan, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, Keika," Saki quickly replied, shaking off her thoughts as she resumed wiping her sister's face. "Next time, don't get so messy, okay?"

"Mm-hmm, I know!" Keika replied with her innocent, childish voice.

-----------

If you want to read 20 advance chapters ahead.

Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Leonzky


Capítulo 513: [513] The Chocolate War

Chapter 513: The Chocolate War

After leaving the Kawasaki sisters, Hachiman made his way over to Iroha.

Seeing him approach, the mischievous girl excitedly presented her finished chocolates, looking for praise.

"Look, senpai! My chocolates are done!"

Glancing at the petal-shaped chocolates in her hand, Hachiman nodded in approval. If judged purely by appearance, Iroha's chocolates were definitely above average. But he couldn't help but wonder how they tasted.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, Iroha spoke up, her voice full of anticipation.

"Senpai, want to give them a try?"

Seeing her hopeful expression, Hachiman couldn't refuse. He picked up a piece and popped it into his mouth.

The texture was smooth, the sweetness perfectly balanced, and the milk added a rich creaminess to the flavor.

As he savored the taste, Hachiman reached out and gently patted her head, smiling.

"Not bad," Hachiman said approvingly.

Feeling the warm hand on her head, Iroha was momentarily stunned, her face turning a faint shade of red.

"Senpai… please don't treat me like a child."

Although her tone carried a hint of reproach, Iroha couldn't help but feel a thrill of pleasure. After all, Hachiman, who had previously been indifferent to her, was now initiating contact, even if it was just a pat on the head. This was a significant breakthrough for her.

Keep going, Iroha. You can do it. Just keep trying, and you'll definitely make Senpai like you.

With this thought in mind, she maintained her cute junior persona.

"Senpai, how does my chocolate taste?"

To be honest, Iroha's chocolates were quite good, even better than the typical ones sold in stores.

Just as Iroha eagerly awaited Hachiman's response, a commanding voice interrupted.

"Hold on."

Looking up, Hachiman saw that Yumiko had somehow joined them.

When did this first-year girl start competing with me for Hachiman's attention?

Seeing Iroha, who was constantly clinging to Hachiman, Yumiko felt a surge of irritation. It was one thing for Yukinoshita, Kawasaki, and Yui—they were all second-years and had known Hachiman for about the same length of time. A bit of rivalry among them was expected.

But this girl who had barely known him for a short time was trying to butt in?

Move aside!

"Hmph, you there, try my chocolate," Yumiko said, holding out a piece to Hachiman.

Given the choice between Iroha and Yumiko, Hachiman's preference was clear.

He took a bite of the chocolate Yumiko offered and tasted it.

"How is it?"

Seeing Hachiman eating her chocolate, Yumiko was visibly anxious.

She wasn't particularly skilled in cooking, and this was her first attempt at making chocolate. It was natural to be nervous.

Truth be told, Yumiko's chocolate was just average. She had simply melted and re-shaped store-bought chocolate, and it lacked the depth of flavor and sweetness of Iroha's handmade version.

However, Hachiman wasn't foolish enough to be completely honest. He was well aware of Yumiko's sensitivity about her skills and always tried to preserve her pride.

If Hachiman were to criticize the taste of her chocolate in front of others, it would definitely lead to trouble.

"That's very good, Yumiko's chocolate," Hachiman said with a smile.

Although it wasn't the most impressive answer he could give, it was still quite good.

Yumiko's face lit up with a satisfied smile at the praise.

"I'm glad you like it."

With that, she shot a challenging glance at Iroha.

See that, little girl? You're still a long way from competing with me.

As if she understood Yumiko's meaning, Iroha pouted unhappily.

"Senpai, how about mine?"

"Ah, Iroha's chocolate is also very good. As expected from the Isshiki family," Hachiman nodded.

What does that even mean, "as expected from the Isshiki family"?

Iroha felt a bit annoyed at Hachiman's comment. While it was true she was part of the Isshiki family, she had put in a lot of hard work making these chocolates herself, and it had nothing to do with the Isshiki family.

"The Isshiki family?" Yumiko asked, puzzled.

"Yeah, the famous culinary family, the Isshiki family," Hachiman explained.

"Iroha here is from the Isshiki family and is also a cousin of the current member of the Totsuki Ten Masters, Isshiki Satoshi."

"Oh, that sounds impressive," Yumiko said, though her face still bore a hint of smugness.

So what if she's from the Isshiki family? In Hachiman's eyes, she's just a newcomer.

Newcomers should just stay in the background.

Think you can surpass me?

Dream on!

Seeing Yumiko's smug expression, Iroha felt even more frustrated.

Ugh… I can't stand that Miura-senpai.

Just wait, I'll show you. Hachiman-senpai will be mine!

It seemed as if the two girls could sense each other's thoughts, and they exchanged glances filled with tension.

In the next moment, sparks seemed to fly between their gazes.

....

Ignoring the subtle clash between the two girls, Hachiman left the scene of conflict and soon found himself beside Yukino and Yui.

At this point, the two had finished making their treats and were trying them out themselves.

When Yui saw Hachiman approaching, she happily lifted the tray of her creations.

"Come try some, Hikki!"

Hachiman looked at the tray and saw that, rather than chocolates, they had made chocolate-flavored cupcakes. He hesitated for a moment, remembering how Yui's cookies had turned out in the past.

However, the cupcakes looked quite appealing, and he could even smell a faint, pleasant aroma.

Maybe I should give them a try?

Hachiman thought to himself.

Sensing his hesitation, Yukino smiled and reassured him.

"Don't worry, I made these with Yui, so they should be fine."

"Oh, is that so? Then I'll give them a try," Hachiman said, relieved.

Yui's face fell at their comments.

"You two are so unfair. I've improved a lot since then, you know."

"Haha, then let me give them a try," Hachiman chuckled, picking up a cupcake and taking a bite.

As he tasted the cupcake, both girls watched him intently. After all, these cupcakes were a joint effort, and they hoped for a positive review from him.

Hachiman chewed thoughtfully. The taste wasn't bad at all; in fact, it was quite good, comparable to those from professional bakeries.

He was pleasantly surprised, especially given how much Yui had improved. Although Yukino's efforts were evident, Yui's own progress was clear. After all, Yui had once turned cookies into charcoal, and now she'd made cupcakes this good—there was definitely improvement.

"How's it, Hikki?"

Seeing Hachiman's thoughtful expression, Yui asked nervously.

Hachiman smiled and gave a thumbs up.

"It's great, Yui."

"Really? That's wonderful! Hehe~~"

Hearing his praise, Yui happily touched her head, grinning widely.

Seeing her delight, Hachiman couldn't help but smile fondly.

At that moment, Yukino's voice reached Hachiman's ears.

"Did you find Yui's improvement surprising?"

"She must have been practicing hard," Hachiman observed, his gaze growing more affectionate as he watched Yui revel in the praise.

"That's right. Yui has been practicing diligently lately," Yukino said, her face also showing affection. "She's been dragging me along to practice with her and has been working hard every night after she gets home… all to make the best chocolate for you."

"I see…"

Hachiman looked at Yui with added tenderness, feeling more sympathy for her.

"She's worked really hard."

"Indeed, she has," Yukino agreed, nodding.

Through the recent days of practice, Yukino had witnessed Yui's determination firsthand. Despite numerous failures, Yui had never once considered giving up; her sole focus was making the best chocolate for Hachiman.

At that moment, Yukino heard Hachiman's voice again.

"Not just Yui, but you've worked hard too, Yukino."

"Thank you for your efforts in making such delicious cupcakes," Hachiman said gratefully.

At that moment, Hachiman's voice was softer than ever. Seeing the two girls who had given their all for him, his eyes glistened with a captivating warmth.

"Hikki…"

"Hachiman…"

Seeing the gentle light in his eyes, both girls were mesmerized. If it weren't for the circumstances, they would have embraced him immediately.

"Why don't you both try my chocolate chip cookies?" Hachiman said softly.

"Mm!"

The cookies were now ready, having been baked to perfection in the oven. Hachiman took them out and began packaging them.

Having tasted the girls' chocolates, it was time for him to return the favor. He carefully packaged his own chocolate chip cookies for the girls and also prepared some extras on a plate to share with Zaimokuza and Saika.

Since the cookies were already made, it would be a waste not to share them.

The girls were delighted to receive Hachiman's cookies, with Iroha particularly thrilled, seeing it as a sign of Hachiman's initial approval of her efforts.

To Hachiman's surprise, besides Yukino and the others, Ebina, Saika, and even Zaimokuza had also given him chocolates or sweets they had made. Although unexpected, he gratefully accepted their offerings and reciprocated.

As everyone in the kitchen completed their chocolates, the atmosphere turned into a tasting party. The entire kitchen was filled with the tantalizing aroma of various chocolates and desserts.

However, more enticing than the aroma were the joyful smiles on the students' faces as they exchanged their treats, creating a truly festive atmosphere.

Watching this scene from outside the door, Shizuka couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.

It looked like they had organized a wonderful event.

But why did she feel this pang of sourness in her heart?

Shizuka, feeling a pang of annoyance as she watched Hachiman playfully interact with the girls, thought to herself, "It's that jerk's fault. Does he think I'm too old, just because he's busy flirting with those young girls?"

Her feelings of grievance grew as she thought about being left out and alone outside the door. However, her intense gaze must have attracted Hachiman's attention, and before she knew it, he had spotted and pulled her into the room.

"Why just stand there? Come and join us!"

"Hey, don't pull me!"

The presence of Shizuka surprised everyone momentarily, but they soon greeted her warmly.

"Hello, Hiratsuka-sensei."

"Hello, everyone!"

Caught off guard by being discovered while spying, Shizuka felt a bit embarrassed. But, as one of the most popular teachers in the school, she quickly received invitations to taste the desserts made by the students.

"Hiratsuka-sensei, would you like to try our chocolate?"

"Yes, please give it a try!"

"Since I'm not sure about the quality, it's perfect to have Hiratsuka-sensei taste it first."

Seeing their enthusiastic offers, Shizuka's face softened into a pleased smile. These kids…

Feeling touched, she jokingly said, "Hey, I heard that! Don't think you can use me as a test subject. Watch out, or I'll deduct points!"

"Don't do that!" one of the students exclaimed in mock terror.

This playful exchange lightened the mood in the kitchen immediately.

Just then, Hachiman's voice reached her ears.

"Here, this is for you."

Looking over, Shizuka saw Hachiman holding out a package of chocolate chip cookies.

Her heart lifted at the sight. "Looks like he hasn't forgotten me."

Taking the cookies from Hachiman, Shizuka felt a weight lift from her heart. She smiled broadly, her mood improved.

"Alright, kids, don't forget to clean up your stations after making your chocolates!"

"Eh, why do we have to do that?"

At Shizuka's command, the students grumbled but complied, aware of her authoritative presence.

And so, the Chocolate-Making Festival came to a close, leaving behind a sense of accomplishment and camaraderie among the participants.

--------------

If you want to read 20 advance chapters ahead.

Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Leonzky


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