French Cup: A Neighborhood Story

Chapter 64: -Kazuya- Madeleine and Navette Fleur d'Oranger

It had been lightly drizzling like trillions of suspended winter's tears, more of a curtain of the smallest beads of ice in the air. I'd visited Yuko and offered to sell half of her daifuku at French Cup today. As usual, she was severely under pricing them. I'd sell them for two hundred yen each. She thought I was crazy again, but they would sell. There was no doubt in my mind. On top of it, I'd bought six of each kind for myself. There was a type with only red bean paste in the middle, and then one with a sliced strawberry, then the lovely chestnut one that I'd secretly wanted the most. Hearing her describe how she'd make it yesterday... I knew these would be made with the most love, causing it to be extra delicious. I knew, because that's how it was with my own creations.

I'd eaten three of the chestnut ones by the time I'd gotten to French Cup. I snacked on the rest as I made financiers and madeleines. Dipping some of the madeleines into chocolate reminded me of Gyeong-Wan, and I found myself daydreaming. Him at the bain-marie, concentrating. The aroma of freshly melted chocolate drifting in, waking up my senses. He hadn't come by this morning. It only made me hope that his coming by hadn't been temporary. 

By the time Nikki came in, I was in full daydream mode. Yesterday, Gyeong-Wan and I had worked together. He knew how to command a cash register, beyond a small hiccup with Yuko. We'd been so close when I'd helped him. He was nervous and shy, it was all over his face. The small looks at me, his lips in his mouth. Peeking at me. No one had ever looked at me like that before. 

The kitchen door burst open and my head rocketed up from my glazing of the almond croissants. Gyeong-Wan...? But, no. Nikki was holding a coffee and sipping loudly. He had on fashionable glasses and a rainbow patched leather jacket with studs on it with a tiger's face on the back. It was a jacket I was used to seeing, but nowhere near warm enough for this weather. He immediately went to the daifuku, picking one up curiously. I'd already put them on trays for display. All I needed to do was slip them into place. Their little cards and stands were all set, too. All the care in the world paid to them, because that's what they deserved.

"What's this, Yuko's?" Nikki asked, turning it over in his hand. It was a chestnut one.

Still coming out of my thoughts, I just nodded. I pointed at it. "You should eat it. It's chestnut flavored. I already had way too many."

"You'll get fat." He put it in his mouth, chewing and the closing his eyes. "Mmm, I'll get fat."

"Well, if it's with chestnut daifuku, then I'm okay with it." I continued on glazing, suddenly aware of the time since Nikki was now here. I still had to bake these one more time. 

"Mm, me too. Hey, are those almond croissants?" His hand went for one, but I smacked it away.

"They're not done yet. I have to finish them."

"Tastes the same." He went for one again, and I let him this time.

"No, it doesn't. It's a completely different taste when finish baked."

He bit into it, his face telling me that it was a gorgeous taste anyway. "Mm. Yes, it does." He swayed his hips, loving his favorite pastry. "It's very wet."

"It's the glaze. You're used to it being baked into it."

"Ah, yes. It's squishy. Anyway, there's already customers here. You're pretty behind, aren't you? Want some help?" He already was sliding a tray of the daifuku off my work table, not waiting for an answer. 

"Wait, what? What time is it?" Had I been that caught in my daydream that I'd let time get away from me? But, it didn't make any sense since I always time managed my bakes, leading up to opening time.