The kitchen was warmer than the rest of the house.
Not just because of the stove, but because all four of them were there at once—something that didn't happen often without turning chaotic.
Mizuki stood near the counter, arms crossed, eyes focused. Ayane leaned against the fridge, Miyu sat on one of the stools with her legs lightly swinging, and Hina hovered near the sink, curious but silent.
Mizuki cleared her throat.
"Okay," she said, calm but firm. "I've decided something."
That alone made everyone look at her.
"For the school festival," Mizuki continued, "we're not going to overcomplicate things. We'll split it into three parts as planned."
"Food, drinks," Mizuki said, counting on her fingers, "and something sweet at the end."
"Something simple, but good enough that people would actually want to buy it. Not just eat it because they're bored."
Hina's eyes lit up a little. "That actually sounds… doable."
Mizuki walked over to the counter and picked up a notebook she had already prepared. That alone made it clear—this wasn't a sudden thought.
"For food," she said, flipping a page, "we'll make items that are easy to prepare in batches. No mess, no waiting forever."
Miyu smiled softly. "And drinks?"
"Nothing complicated," Mizuki replied. "Something refreshing. Something people can grab and keep walking."
Hina nodded slowly. "And the sweet thing?"
Mizuki paused for half a second—just enough to show she cared about that part the most.
"That's what'll make people remember our stall," she said. "If the last taste is good, they'll come back."
For a moment, the kitchen went quiet.
Then Miyu spoke up, her voice confident. "I'm in."
Hina straightened. "Yeah. If we're doing it, we do it properly."
Ayane smiled, a little shy but sincere. "I'll help with whatever I can."
Mizuki looked at all three of them, then let out a small breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
"Good," she said. "Then it's decided."
The plan wasn't perfect yet.The details still needed work.
But for the first time, it felt like something solid had begun—not just a festival idea,but a shared effort.
Mizuki tapped the notebook once, pulling everyone's attention back.
"So," she said, "this is what I've decided we'll make, if you have something better just tell."
"For food," Mizuki began, turning the notebook so they could see, "sandwiches. Grilled ones. Easy to prepare, easy to eat, and we can make different fillings without much extra effort."
Miyu leaned forward slightly. "That's smart. People can eat them while walking."
"And they won't get cold too fast," Mizuki added. "We'll keep it simple—cheese, chicken, maybe one vegetarian option."
Hina nodded. "That won't take too long to make either."
Mizuki flipped the page.
"For drinks," she continued, "we'll do homemade lemonade and iced tea. Cheap to prepare, refreshing, and perfect if it's crowded or hot."
Then she paused.
This time, she didn't flip the page immediately.
"And for the sweet," Mizuki said, her tone softening just a little, "cupcakes."
Miyu's eyes widened. "Cupcakes?"
"Small ones," Mizuki clarified. "Easy to decorate, easy to display. We can change the toppings—chocolate, vanilla, maybe one with fruit."
Hina clasped her hands together. "That sounds cute… people will definitely buy those."
Mizuki closed the notebook. "Food that fills you, drinks that refresh you, and a sweet thing that makes you smile at the end."
The kitchen fell silent again.
Not because anyone disagreed—but because everyone could already imagine it.
Miyu broke into a warm smile. "I like it. It feels… balanced."
Hina nodded eagerly. "Yeah. It really does."
Ayane shrugged, but there was approval in her eyes. "Alright. I'm convinced."
Mizuki looked at them, expression steady but satisfied.
"Then this is what we'll sell at the festival," she said. "No changing it halfway."
This time, no one argued.
Because for once,the plan felt complete.
The moment Mizuki closed the notebook, the calm atmosphere shattered.
"Okay then," Ayane said, rolling up her sleeves. "Who's doing what?"
"I can help with the cupcakes," Miyu said immediately, standing up. "I've baked before."
Hina raised her hand half-way. "I-I can cut vegetables… I think."
Mizuki nodded. "Good. Ayane, you handle the drinks with me."
Everything sounded organized.
That illusion lasted exactly five seconds.
The moment Ayane opened the fridge, a bottle slipped out and nearly crashed to the floor.
"Whoa—!" Ayane caught it at the last second. "Okay, fridge is already trying to kill us."
Miyu laughed as she placed a bowl on the counter. "Careful, Ayane."
"I am being careful," Ayane replied, immediately knocking over a measuring cup.
Water spilled everywhere.
Mizuki stared at the growing puddle. "…We just started."
Hina rushed to grab a cloth but tripped slightly, bumping into Miyu, who accidentally tipped a bag of flour.
A white cloud exploded into the air.
For a second, no one spoke.
Then Ayane burst out laughing. "Why does it look like we summoned something?"
Miyu coughed, her face dusted white. "I think the kitchen hates us."
Mizuki pinched the bridge of her nose. "Everyone—slow down."
She turned just in time to see Ayane squeezing lemons far too aggressively.
Juice sprayed straight across the counter.
"…Ayane."
"What?" Ayane said innocently. "You said homemade."
"That doesn't mean violent."
Meanwhile, Hina carefully tried to flip a grilled sandwich—
—and sent it flying.
It landed perfectly on the counter.
Upside down.
Hina froze. "I'm so sorry!"
Miyu tried to comfort her. "It's okay! We can still eat it—"
She stepped back, slipped on a bit of flour, and nearly fell.
Ayane caught her just in time. "Careful there, hero."
Miyu's face turned red instantly. "Th-thank you…"
Mizuki watched all of this in silence.
Then she sighed.
"…At this rate," she said, "we'll sell chaos instead of food."
Ayane grinned. "Hey, chaos sells."
Despite herself, Mizuki let out a small laugh.
It wasn't perfect.The kitchen was a mess.Someone had flour on their hair, lemon juice on their sleeve, and a sandwich that looked more like a crime scene than food.
But they were laughing.
Together.
And somehow, between the noise, the mess, and the ridiculous mistakes—
they were actually making progress.
Mizuki glanced around the kitchen, at the chaos she had started.
"…This," she thought, "might actually work."
When everything was finally done, the kitchen looked like a battlefield.
But on the tray in their hands—sandwiches neatly stacked, cups of lemonade lined up, and cupcakes placed proudly—it looked like a victory.
Mizuki lifted the tray slightly. "Alright," she said. "Let's go."
They walked together into the living room like a presentation team.
Takumi, Satoru, and Arashi were sitting casually—until the girls stopped right in front of them.
Ayane placed the tray down with pride.Miyu smiled brightly.Hina looked nervous but hopeful.
"Here," Mizuki said. "Try this."
Takumi blinked. Once. Twice.
Then his eyes lit up.
"Oh—WOW," he said instantly, grabbing his hands together. "Free food?!"
His whole face sparkled like he had just won something.
Mizuki crossed her arms. "Eat," she said. "And tell us how it is. We haven't tasted it yet."
Satoru raised an eyebrow. "You didn't taste it?"
Arashi shrugged. "Confidence, huh."
All three of them reached out at the same time—
—and picked up sandwiches.
They took one bite.
Then—
CHAOS.
All three suddenly froze.
Their eyes widened.
They started forcefully inhaling, hands flying up to cover their mouths.
Takumi's shoulders stiffened as if his soul had just been attacked.
Satoru bent forward slightly, coughing into his hand.
Arashi's face turned ten shades darker.
The girls immediately understood.
"…It's bad," Ayane said flatly.
Takumi was the first to break.
"WATER—!" he shouted. "WATER! PLEASE—!"
He grabbed the nearest glass and drank like his life depended on it.
Satoru and Arashi followed instantly.
Satoru wiped his mouth and spoke with full seriousness."With a sandwich like this," he said, coughing, "our class is definitely getting first place at the festival."
"First place in what?" Ayane asked.
"Survival."
Arashi said. "The chicken is RAW," he said dramatically. "There's no taste—just CHILI. My mouth is burning. I'm dying. This is how I go."
Miyu waved her hands. "Don't be so dramatic! Drink the lemonade—you'll be fine!"
The three of them picked up the lemonade cups.
One sip.
Instant regret.
All three sprayed it back into the sink at the same time.
Takumi gagged. "WHAT IS THIS—?! WATER! GIVE ME WATER!"
He grabbed another glass, panic in his eyes."There's SO MUCH SALT—why is there THIS MUCH SALT?! I'm actually going to die!"
Satoru stared into the cup like it had betrayed him."Was this lemonade or seawater?"
Arashi clutched his chest. "First fire, now the ocean. This festival is trying to kill us."
The girls stood frozen.
Hina's face slowly went pale. "I-I didn't add that much salt…"
Takumi finally recovered enough to laugh—still coughing a little.
But he was smiling.
Genuinely.
"That was terrible," he said honestly. "But…"
He looked at all of them—flour still on their clothes, panic on their faces, embarrassment everywhere.
"…I'm really happy."
Miyu blinked. "Huh?"
Takumi scratched his cheek, eyes bright."It feels nice," he said. "Like… we're actually doing this together."
For a moment, the room softened.
Then Satoru picked up a cupcake.
"…Should we even try this?"
Everyone shouted at once.
"NO!"
And just like that—the chaos continued.
Just as the noise finally began to settle—
Satoru, against everyone's warnings, took a bite of the cupcake.
CRACK.
The sound was loud.Unnatural.Wrong.
Satoru froze.
Slowly… very slowly… he crouched down on the floor, holding the cupcake like it had personally betrayed him.
"…I don't know," he said quietly, staring into the distance, "what kind of sin I committed in my past life… that I'm being punished like this today."
Everyone stared.
He lifted the cupcake slightly. "You were supposed to be a cupcake," he said calmly. "Cupcakes are soft."
Then his voice rose."What did you do? Why is this a STONE?"
Ayane opened her mouth. Closed it. "…It looked fine."
"There is no softness," Satoru continued. "No mercy. I could throw this and break a window."
Miyu waved her hands nervously. "It's our first time! It'll be better next time!"
Takumi frowned. "No way," he said, grabbing a cupcake. "A cupcake can't be this hard."
He tried to break it with both hands.
Nothing happened.
He tried harder.
Still nothing.
He stared at it for a moment, then sighed deeply and placed it down.
"Yeah," he said seriously. "I give up. I can't eat anything anymore. I really thought I'd get something good today… but nope."
Mizuki, who had been quiet the whole time, finally spoke.
"…Honestly," she said calmly, "I expected something like this might happen."
Everyone looked at her.
"So," she continued, turning toward the kitchen, "I prepared something in advance."
Takumi's eyes widened. "Prepared… what?"
Mizuki walked off. "Wait here."
A minute later, she returned—holding a pot.
The smell hit them instantly.
Warm.Comforting.Perfect.
"Japanese curry," Mizuki said simply. "I made it earlier."
Silence.
Then—
Takumi's eyes started shining again.
"…You're an angel."
Satoru almost cried. "I'm saved."
Arashi put his hands together like he was praying. "I knew someone in this house had common sense."
Mizuki placed the pot down. "Eat that instead."
This time—
no explosions.no coughing.no crack sounds.
Just relief.
And quiet happiness.
They all sat down together, the curry steaming gently in front of them.
For a moment, no one spoke. Nervous glances passed between everyone.
Takumi picked up his spoon first, hesitated, then took a small bite.
Then—his eyes widened.
"…Oh."
Satoru followed, Arashi, Miyu, Hina, Ayane… everyone tasted it.
A pause.
And then, smiles. Big, genuine smiles.
"It's… really good," Takumi admitted, leaning back.
Satoru nodded, almost reverently. "Better than anything we just suffered through."
Arashi laughed, shaking his head. "Finally, something edible."
Mizuki just smiled quietly, satisfied.
The group ate in a peaceful rhythm, the earlier chaos of sandwiches, lemonade, and stone-hard cupcakes forgotten.
When they finished, they all stood up and prepared to leave.
Takumi, looking at Mizuki with a playful grin, spoke up:
"Thanks for the free good food… not the bad one."
Mizuki rolled her eyes, but smiled anyway.
And with that, the kitchen fell silent.The chaos was gone, replaced by a small, warm sense of accomplishment.