Great hustle, everybody! The practice regimen from Kanan was tough to say the least, so do some stretching when you get home too, okay?

I'm so done. Getting changed sapped the last of my energy. I won't make it home…

Come over to my place then! You're more than welcome!

Maybe I will…

Don't go causing trouble for others now, Kasumi.

Huuuh?! But you heard her, she said I'm welcome!

Are you all right, Mia?

I'm okay.

You don't sound okay! Hang in there!

I have some treats I baked practicing for the pâtissier contest. Want some? Sweet things perk you up, you know.

Better gobble something up before you bite the crust. Geddit?

Bahaha! Nice, Ai! That was a good one! Hahaha!

It's wild how that level of pun got that kind of laugh out of you.

She laughs at anything, like a baby. It's one of the cute things about her.

That's crazy.

I've got éclairs, lemon galette… Oh, and I have some orangette I made as a decoration left over. Take what you like!

These look amazing! Don't mind if I do!

Buono! This is so yummy, Kanata!

I can feel the sugar surging through my whole body. Rina-chan Board says, “Sinking in.”

…………

Kanata?

Oh, sorry. I guess I spaced out.

You seem kind of beat. Why don't you take a break from club activities until the pâtissier contest is done? It can't be easy keeping up with both.

N-No, it's fine! I'll come to the Club. Even if it's just for a bit. I love school idol stuff, after all!

Not being able to do what you love is much worse…

Not being able to do what you love…

Agh… That really is tough…

Is something the matter? You seem down, but not from being tired.

Right, it's not like you to be in such low spirits. Can you tell us what's bothering you?

Hmm… Do you remember when I said I had a friend who I wanted to take part in the pâtissier contest with me?

The girl you said just quit baking not too long ago?

That's the one. I asked her to do it with me, but she said no…

Oh, so that's what happened.

Which is fine. I can still take part in the contest by myself.

But when I asked her why, she got really down about it…

You mean she really can't do it anymore, just like you said before?

She said she's afraid to bake.

It really looked like she was in pain when she told me…

But I just don't know how to approach her about it…

The treats she baked really were something special. She had to have the people she was baking for in mind to have them turn out so well.

[Fade in/out.]

Argh, my sugar sculpting just won't come out right.

If you sculpt it with your supporting hand at the same time, it'll work. Here, like this…

Ah, I did it! Yaaay! You're good with your hands, Tsumugi!

Haha, I messed up plenty of times too, you know.

Oh yeah, you stay behind to practice every single day, don't you? That's incredible.

There's nothing incredible about it. There's a lot of stuff that doesn't turn out the way I wanted, so I have to practice more, that's all.

The only way to get better at things like that is to keep doing them, after all.

[Fade in/out.]

She already had a whole suite of cooking skills, but she kept refining them until they met her standards. And she really put her heart and soul into baking sweets.

I couldn't tell you how many macarons she used to make. I got to taste one once, and my taste buds couldn't believe it.

I didn't understand how a girl in the same year as me could make something that tasted so good.

You can't practice baking the same things day in and day out until you're satisfied if you don't love doing it.

And now, despite all of that…

It must feel terrible not to be able to do what you love anymore. Like some part of you is missing…

You can't just go and do something else either, that's the whole point of having something you love.

Why can't she do it anymore?

She must have a reason, but I couldn't ask her.

*Sigh* I wonder if there's anything I can do for her.