𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒; 𝐈𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐢 𝐘𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐢

05. PUMPKIN

THE BAKING SESSION

Isagi watched as you first tightly tied your apron around your waist, wrapping the tassels into a neat bow behind your back. He did the same with an apron of his own, only creating a less artistic and more messy knot.

You giggled, walking up behind Isagi and placing your hands on his back. "Here, let me help."

He flinched as he felt your hands wrap around his waist, but relaxed as he realized it was to grasp the ropes of the apron. You used one hand to press into the small of his back, using the other to tighten the straps. Once tight, you used your first hand with your second to tie the knot, then make two loops and knot it again.

Even doing as something as mundane as baking cake, Isagi was always on edge around you. Ever since that day on the beach, he's been so hyper aware of your touch that even the slightest graze on his arm from you, he'd flinch.

"You're so jumpy today, Yoichi." You cooed, rounding him to face his front and clapping your hands. "I'm all finished."

He let out a sigh with a short smile. "Sorry. Just nervous in general, I guess. Let's get started, what's the first step?"

You both glanced over to the vast array of raw ingredients on your kitchen counter. There were multiple bowls of perfectly pre-portioned amounts of the necessary ingredients, including bowls of sugars, starches, eggs, and even heavy cream.

"I told you this was my great grandma's pumpkin cake-cheesecake recipe, right?" You asked, glancing over to the boy.

He shook his head. "No, really? Your great grandma is the one that opened your family bakery, right?"

"Mhm! She left behind a ton of family secrets in this big old book we have in the attic." You explained, "I have it all memorized by now. First, we have to blot the pumpkin."

"Blot..?" Isagi questioned.

You laughed, "Yes, blot! Grab that glass bowl and put a paper towel down inside it.

Isagi did as he was told, and then stepped back to watch you pick out a can of pre-harvested pumpkin that you allegedly prepared this morning. You measured out a good amount, placing it into the towel. He watched you use your (clean!) hands to press the pumpkin lightly into the towel using another two towels.

"We blot the pumpkin because when adding it into the batter, it can be very heavy with all the moisture it holds." You explained, catching a glimpse of Isagi gazing at you instead of the pumpkin. You chuckled. "Isagi, you can make the cheesecake while i'm doing this. Take the cream cheese, vanilla extract, and granulated sugar portions and beat them together."

He nodded, glancing from bowl to bowl to selected the correct ingredients. You knew he was helpless when it came to baking, so you made sure to label everything clearly. Isagi really appreciated it when you did that.

He used one of the whisks by his side to mix the ingredients together, adding in whatever you told him to along the way.

"We'll have to keep this on the down low from the others." You remarked. "I know for a fact that Bachira will demolish this cake if he knew its existence."

"For sure. Plus, once Barou or Kunigami finds out about our baking sessions, they'll want to join..." Isagi chuckled. "You'd think they're girls by the way they act sometimes."

"Honestly! Like, why is Barou so obsessed with skincare and style and cleanliness?" You laughed, "It's like he's a maid... don't tell him I said that!"

"I won't, I won't." He assured, sending you a giddy smile.

"Ah, Yoichi! Don't stop mixing."

"Sorry!"

"Pfft— you better be." There was a small patch of silence.

"Y/n... this is one of the secret recipes your family has, right?" Isagi asked, slowing his mixing as he watched you place the pumpkin aside and roll up your sleeves. "And so were those brownies last week, and the apple cider pound cake the week before that."

You nodded, grabbing another big bowl to begin mixing the pumpkin cake batter. "Yeah, why?" You took two brown eggs, cracking them each methodically into the bowl.

"I've been wondering. Why are you sharing them with me?" He asked. "If they're so secret?"

You reached for the brown sugar. "Because, you're closer than family to me."

He stopped. You glanced to analyze his expression and saw his signature pink hue on his cheeks.

"Jeez, Yoichi, don't act surprised! You're making be feel embarrassed!" You exclaim, whipping your forehead with your arm. "We talk to each other more than I think either of my parents talk to me. Not to say they're absent or anything! It's just crazy how much we interact every day."

You took hold of the flour and poured the portion into the large bowl, followed up with the spice mixture and the baking soda. "I think... family is greater than who you're related to. It's whoever you love enough to open up to and be vulnerable with."

"..." Isagi couldn't think of what to respond with. He couldn't respond. Anything he was thinking of saying would basically be telling you he's had a crush on you for the past few years.

And the painful thing was, you said this kind of thing all the time. It was so mixed with insincerity and innocence over the years, that he couldn't detect where this was coming from, or what message you wanted to convey to him. It could very well be platonic or romantic.

"Ugh, sorry, was that too deep for 11:45 AM on a Saturday?" You laughed. "Sorry, never mind... ah, my hair. Dammit."

You were trying to use your shoulder to get a few loose strands of hair out of your face, as both your hands were covered in mushy batter. Isagi walked over and took your arms, placing them down back in the bowl. He sighed and grabbed the hair tie he kept around his wrist— the one that he began to wear in an emergency if you needed one.

He softly grabbed each section of your hair, bringing them back to a center point on your head where he carefully wrapped the band around. "No, we're beyond set times where we can be deep. That was fine, it just... caught me off guard."

Isagi smoothed out any small bumps in your hair, giving a final push on the hair tie to set it in place. "I feel the same."

And just like that, your conversation picked up right where it was left off. That was the beauty of your boldness; you could move on in the blink of an eye.

Eventually, the baking had been complete. The cheesecake and the whipped cream part of the cake was done by Isagi, who struggled to keep up with you, who wonderfully crafted the rest of the cake.

During the baking period, you and Isagi crashed on your couch and watched one of your favorite shows. You found a comfortable position leaning on his shoulder, arms wrapped around his arm, as one of your legs overlapped with his. It was nice.

After two hours of scrapping the dessert together, it was complete. You and Isagi sat at your kitchen table, sharing a fork while taking turns devouring your piece of art.