As I mentioned before, I became the manager of the soccer team with my junior, Kashiwagi Chinami-chan. It’s been about three weeks, but I feel like I’m getting used to it. The soccer team tournament has also started, and we won our first game in the preliminary round. It’s a relief. Although Misora High School has a seed right, there are still many games to play before the prefectural representative.
Onpu-chan called it the “synergy effect”, I think. I believe we will make a good team, though it’s not for us to say ourselves.
Chinami-chan is serious about her work, but as always, she talks passionately about her favorite players, regardless of whether they play for another school, a youth team, or a professional team. From my perspective, there are some players who make me go “hmm”. Chinami-chan’s “cool” is different from mine. I like players with good moves. So far, Kotake is the best among our club members, but it’s complicated. I feel like Chinami-chan and Kotake might have more in common to talk about than me. Chinami-chan knows that Kotake and I are more than friends but not quite lovers. Although she is more proactive, we both think that the soccer team is the most important thing right now.
The soccer team usually has games on weekends, including official matches and practice, and we only have meetings on Mondays. That’s why I always come to work part-time at MAHO-do. Ai-chan’s club activities have a similar schedule, and it seems like Hazuki-chan and Onpu-chan are also accommodating it.
Momo-chan goes straight to work at MAHO-do after school. Hana-chan is supporting her, just like us last year. Dodo, Rere and Mimi are the same. Dodo and the others have grown a lot, although they are overshadowed by Hana-chan’s dramatic growth and increased magical power. So, I guess I’m also growing. Compared to my best friends, I still feel like I have a long way to go, but I think I’m pretty normal. After all, everyone is different.
By the way, I’ve talked many times about a new sweets store being built right next to MAHO-do. Tamaki Reika was the first to tell me about it, and she has been quick to keep us updated ever since.
The owner of the new store is a famous patissier who already has a store in a prime location in Tokyo’s commercial facility. Tamaki Reika seems to have actually met him. I’ll ask her for more details later. The main store will continue to operate, so this will be a branch.
“Wow, it’s already this finished.”
When the scaffolding and covering sheet were removed, the store turned out to be a bigger building than expected. There was a parking lot in the spacious garden. Perhaps due to the lack of large buildings around, it had a noticeable presence.
“Yup. It looks like the interior is finished as well. Various kitchen utensils were brought in yesterday.”
Momo-chan knows a lot about this place since she sees it every day. Although she seems interested, I don’t think she has any special sense of rivalry even after finding out that it’s a sweets store. I don’t really know for sure, but I remember her saying that if she thinks negatively, the taste will also become bad.
According to her, she’d actually eaten the sweets from the main store several times and they were delicious. She even gave me a taste. Although the number of people helping out has increased, we don’t compromise on the quality of our sweets and don’t make a lot of different types just to compete. We also don’t feel the need to change Momo-chan’s style.
“What’s that? A Ferrari?”
Ai-chan expressed her disdain for the newly installed object at the rival store. We were also curious and lined up at the window.
“I remember seeing an Italian car with an emblem shaped like that.”
“That’s because the owner is Ikoma Arihito-san. There is also a small horse-shaped object in the main store.”
There was something like a gatepost at the entrance of the store. I thought it was a bit awkward to have one of those. It wasn’t a gatepost, but a pedestal. On top of it was a flat object that looked like a side view of a horse running. It was a cool-looking object, shining brightly in a deep blue color. Hmmm, it’s cool.
Ai-chan, Hazuki-chan, and Onpu-chan knew about it, right? I didn’t know anything about cars. But, I could see how a horse could be associated with a car. However,
“Horses and sweets are totally different, right?”
“Is it because it’s Ikoma, which sounds like ‘uma’ (horse)? What’s that all about?”
Momo-chan said the incantation-like words, tilted her head and looked at the object.
“You know, Hana likes cuter horses!”
Well, it’s definitely not cute.
Oh yeah, she had been calling herself “Hana-chan”. That was because we called her “Hana-chan”. It’s a little weird for her to add “chan” to her name as she enters high school in the human world.
So, now she says “I (Atashi)” or “Hana” depending on the person she’s talking to. It’s still difficult for her to use different forms depending on the listener. She may look like a high school student on the outside, but on the inside, she’s still an elementary school student and has grown up in a different world, so it can’t be helped.
“Hana-chan, that’s not how you normally address yourself. Hmm, there was an orange sticker with a horse design on the cake box too. But why was that? Onpu-chan?” Momo-chan asked.
Hazuki-chan and Onpu-chan seemed to recognize it right away,
“The owner’s name is Ikoma-san, right? The word ‘Ikoma’ (駒 in 生駒) means ‘horse’.”
“Oh, I see. You two really know your stuff. I thought maybe he was an Italian car enthusiast or a horse racing fan,” Ai-chan added.
“I’ve actually had sweets from Ikoma-san’s store before. Even the ribbon had a silhouette of a horse on it. He must really like horses, I guess.”
“When one of my co-stars brought snacks to the dressing room, I asked the manager about it. So, that’s how I knew.”
Hazuki-chan and Onpu-chan seemed to have eaten them many times. The design and price were luxurious, and I had never even seen them until Momo-chan brought them for me to try.
“The horse in front of the building is kind of flashy, don’t you think? Maybe Hana should change it to a cow.”
“What are you talking about? MAHO-do is already flashy enough.”
Ai-chan was right. We have been dealing with MAHO-do for a long time, so we don’t think it’s strange at all, but if you look closely, you can see that MAHO-do has a lot of decoration.
Of course, if a competing store opens, MAHO-do’s sales will naturally decline, but Momo-chan seems to think that it will give her more opportunities to observe the design and taste.
“By the way, didn’t they come to say hi or something?” Ai-chan asked.
We are neighbors and also in the same business. I wondered too.
“The construction workers came a long time ago. I’m sure they’ll be here before the opening,” Momo-chan said.
“Rather, it might be Ikoma-san’s side that is feeling the pressure. Fufufu.”
Onpu-chan casually said something amazing.
Speaking of the rival store, we’ve been talking about it for a while, but I wonder what the name of the store is. The main store is called “Eugene”. It’s fashionable like the sweets. Of course, it is named after Ikoma Arihito-san. I wonder if he is the kind of person who loves himself.
Hazuki-chan came rushing to MAHO-do again after finishing her lesson today. Wasn’t the competition early next month?
“I’m fine. I’ve prepared as best I can. Coming to MAHO-do is like a reward for working hard at my lessons.”
Wow, Hazuki-chan is amazing. I’m sure she’s studying hard too. I understand why Mom likes her.
“Tamaki-san said perhaps he built this place for his wife.”
Once again, it was information from Tamaki-san. I wondered if she was also concerned about us.
“What’s wrong? Instead of going through Hazuki-chan, she could just come here directly… Oh, is she busy on a date with her boyfriend?” Ai-chan asked.
“I’m pretty sure Tamaki-san’s boyfriend just started university, right? He moved to a new place and just started a new life, so she probably won’t see him that much.”
Onpu-chan gently denied it. That’s true. Tamaki Reika’s boyfriend, Tachibana Kyouhei-san, is a freshman at university. Although Tamaki was actively pursuing him, since Tachibana-senpai had decided to become a veterinarian, there seemed to be no opportunities for them to see each other. I wonder if they’re really still boyfriend and girlfriend. Maybe she’s just insisting on saying it.
“Karen Girls’ Academy also seems to be very busy, with a lot of tests even for the regular courses. Oh, but maybe because Tachibana-san is a university student now, Tamaki-san seems to have become more mature recently. And she’s become prettier.”
Hazuki-chan, seriously? Is it that thing where you become beautiful when you’re in love? Kukuu.
“Eh, then Tamaki Reika will become invincible!”
“Hana is also invincible!”
I just realized something recently. Don’t Momo-chan and Hana-chan look so different from each other? But they both have a naive side to them, to the extent that you could put “super” in front of it.
“I remember Tamaki’s boyfriend’s mother is a famous esthetician in the industry,” Ai-chan said.
“Tamaki-san said she’s now in charge of a salon in a prime location within the prefecture. They moved to a place close to the salon and the university Tachibana-san attends, so she probably goes there occasionally,” Hazuki-chan said.
“Putting Tamaki-san aside, I heard Ikoma-san opened a shop for his wife. I think his wife is Shimizu Ruri-san, a former idol.”
When we start talking, girl talk tends to digress quickly, but that’s the fun of it. However, Onpu-chan gently brought the conversation back to the main topic.
Yeah, it was a hot topic a few years ago.
“I wonder if Shimizu Ruri’s marriage partner was Ikoma Arihito. I don’t really remember,” Ai-chan said.
Onpu-chan and she were in the same industry, but Shimizu Ruri-san was more than 10 years older than her, so they didn’t have much contact with each other. She was a singer, but she also appeared frequently in variety shows.
“She had been active for about 10 years, since she was in middle school. It’s been more than five years since she retired,” Onpu-chan said.
We don’t know much since our generations are different, but she was popular, young and retired from the entertainment industry after getting married to someone more than 10 years older than her, and Ikoma-san was unknown in Japan at the time despite having trained in France for a long time. Two years ago, he came back to Japan and immediately opened a sweets store in a prime building in Tokyo.
“Oh, and before opening a store in Japan, he was a patissier at a very famous store in Paris,” Momo-chan said.
“Ruri-san was probably living in France with him too,” Hazuki-chan said.
Until just a little while ago, it was just a “rival store in the neighborhood”, but when I got the information, it was as if it suddenly changed from black and white to color. People have history, or rather, they have drama. I was suddenly interested in the rival store.
It’s almost the end of April, and I think Momo-chan’s already finished next month’s sweets in her head. We were late in preparing the cakes for April, but we should be able to put out the cakes for May on time. I’m also waiting for a tasting invitation soon.
On a day approaching Golden Week, a customer came to MAHO-do.
“Hello. Sorry for the late greeting…”
Wow. It was the real Ikoma-san and former idol Shimizu Ruri-san. But it was Momo-chan, Hana-chan, Majorika and Lala who met them in person. Dodo and the others seemed to be secretly watching from behind.
As soon as Ikoma-san and the others left, Momo-chan sent a text message to everyone. Ai-chan and I went after our club activities. Hazuki-chan came after her lesson, and Onpu-chan rushed over after her supplementary class. Everyone worked together quickly and efficiently to tidy up and prepare. What a great teamwork.
“How was it? The owner and the former idol.”
Ai-chan couldn’t hide her curiosity. But we all felt the same.
“Well, she was a pretty good-looking middle-aged woman.”
Well, anyone in their twenties might seem like a middle-aged woman to Hana-chan. But let’s stop talking about it, because Lala was looking at us with strange eyes.
“Ikoma-san is, um, Italian? And Ruri-san, um, gives off a petite, traditional Japanese older sister vibe?”
That’s right. I think they both have great instincts, but their explanations go over our heads. Not that I can talk when it comes to describing people, though. I can’t really criticize others for not being clear.
“It’s nothing but rival store information. We should share it with everyone.”
Lala came to the rescue, and Majorika reluctantly agreed.
“Maybe it’s faster to show it than to explain it.”
When Majorika urged Hana-chan,
“Yes! Hana will do it!”
Hana-chan snapped her fingers and an image appeared in the air. It began to play like a movie, showing the scene of Ikoma-san and the others arriving in the evening.
“Wow──.”
It really looked like a screen right before our eyes. And I realized it was moving based on Hana-chan’s point of view observing them.
They greeted us normally, saying that the opening was delayed from the schedule and would be in the middle of May. Then they walked around the store and bought madeleines and orange cake. It took about 10 minutes in total. But I somehow got the vibe from Ikoma-san and Ruri-san.
“I could understand why Momo-chan said Ikoma-san was Italian. He seems like a bright person.”
“The slightly wild-looking beard really suits him well. If I had to choose, I’d say he’s a musician.”
Even Hazuki-chan and Ai-chan nodded in agreement with the naive duo’s impressions.
By the way, there was a man in the back who looked younger than the two of them.
“Who’s that?”
It wasn’t just me, but everyone seemed to be curious. He stayed behind the two of them and didn’t say much until he left, except for the initial greeting.
“Don’t tell me he’s a ghost or something. Hana-chan, can you record something like that?”
“Stop it~~, Ai-chan.”
Hazuki-chan clung to Momo-chan.
“Both of you are so rude. That man is Ruri-san’s younger brother and he’s a patissier at Misora’s store,” Momo-chan said.
“That’s right, he introduced himself properly at the beginning,” Hana-chan said.
Did he? He was so plain that anyone could have easily overlooked him. We were relieved and interested in the new person at the same time.
“Ikoma-san’s sweets are very precise and artistic. Also, Ruri-san is very different from her idol days, and has a retro feel to her now. Oh, and I thought Ikoma-san’s nephew was the patissier, but it turns out to be Ruri-san’s younger brother.”
Onpu-chan summarized everything calmly, as expected.
“They were supposed to open after Golden Week, but it seems like they’re a little behind schedule,” Lala pointed out.
She brought everyone tea and “Eugene” sweets.
“It seems they are not only building a store but also a residence,” Majorika added.
Oh, I see. No wonder it’s so big. The site is also large, and on the ground floor there is not only the store and parking lot, but also a garden. There’s also a courtyard, and the second floor is quite spacious as well.
When I first decided to open a store here, I didn't feel like it was going to be a sweet store. Hahaha. Although we became competitors, let's liven up this neighborhood together! Ikoma-san said with a carefree smile.
Come to think of it, we were wary of them as a rival store, but it might be the opposite from their perspective. Ikoma-san doesn’t seem to care much, and I feel like I’ve lost some of my tension.
We spread out the sweets Ikoma-san had brought as a gift. It was an assortment of chocolates and macaroons. The packaging was so stylish that it seemed like a waste to open it. MAHO-do should consider changing its design soon.
“Our stores are close too, so we’re really neighbors now. I’m looking forward to seeing his new sweets popping up!” Momo-chan said.
The branch will be mainly run by Ruri-san’s younger brother, but for a while, Ikoma-san will be commuting between the main store and the branch to make sweets.
“I wonder what Ruri-san’s younger brother’s sweets are like,” Hazuki-chan said.
Tamaki seemed to have no information about that. Ruri-san’s younger brother was a dark horse. Maybe he used to work at the main store.
“Hmmm, maybe it’s this chocolat? It tastes different from the main store.”
Momo-chan, who had finished eating her chocolate, said with a slight twist of her head. I ate it too, but I couldn’t tell the difference at all. Besides, it had been quite a while since I’d eaten it, Momo-chan.
“I think Ikoma-san and Ruri-san will live here eventually.”
Onpu-chan said, and we all had a rough idea of what it would be like.
“I guess they’re planning to move here together when they have a baby,” Ai-chan said.
We speculated endlessly. Or rather, that was all we could do at this point.
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of gathering information since everyone will be busy soon!”
“Hana will help too! It’s spying time!”
What a worrying duo. All of us looked at Lala and Majorika together. Our thoughts were the same. We’re relying on you two to keep them under control. After all, we couldn’t miss the fact that even Dodo and the others, who had been listening to the conversation in silence, were smirking.
Realizing that they are just like our past selves, we know that Dodo and the others might try similar mischief now, since they were acting sneaky. Looking back now, we were really reckless. Recalling those days makes me break out in a cold sweat.
Not just Hana-chan, but with Dodo and the others added in too, I think Lala and Majorika will have to worry nonstop for quite some time.
By the way, the actual patissier of the rival store is Shimizu Ruri-san’s younger brother.
“You two, since her brother is a real rival in the patisser world, don’t you have more information?” I asked.
“Well, I saw him, but I don’t remember much.”
“Yes, he was very plain. His voice was quiet and his face was ordinary.”
Hana-chan and Momo-chan didn’t leave much of an impression of him either. It can’t be helped because the other pair was a former idol and a popular Latin patissier. Even we thought he was plain enough to be a ghost.
“The chocolat was so delicate and mellow. Hmm, it’s frustrating. How can they make it so delicious!”
Yeah, it was incredibly delicious. I only remember the chocolate at the main store being delicious, but Momo-chan could tell the difference.
Oh, it seems that when it’s sold in a specialty sweets store, it’s usually called “chocolat” instead of “chocolate”. A patissier who specializes in chocolate is called a “chocolatier”. Recently, the number of stores specializing in chocolates has been increasing. But the price per piece is high and I can’t afford it. I remember when Momo-chan brought back a bunch for Valentine’s Day. I could only say that they were “delicious” for each one.
As Momo-chan suspected, her younger brother is a “patissier” but also has experience as a “chocolatier”. Oh yeah, her brother’s name is Shimizu Ran (清水藍).
“I see. That’s why the horse object is blue.”
Hana-chan said proudly. However, Ruri-san’s real name is “Shimizu Ruri (清水瑠璃)”. The statue could also look like lapis lazuli. I learned that from Hazuki-chan. Both siblings have color names, and the type of deep blue. It’s a beautiful Japanese-style name.
“Ran-kun went to a famous sweets school in Paris right after graduating from high school.”
Momo-chan had been getting information from “Eugene” ever since. And she called him “Ran-kun”?
“Ehehehe. I try to visit him at least once a day.”
“It’s enemy reconnaissance, isn’t it amazing?”
Our leading duo were pretty bold too…
Momo-chan’s competitive spirit, or rather her desire to research, seems to have suddenly intensified. More so than when she heard about Ikoma-san opening his store.
“After Paris, he trained in Belgium and recently returned to Japan.”
Belgium is famous for its chocolate. I thought he might be a silent artisan, but apparently not so much. Besides, Momo-chan clashes with anyone without hesitation. They’re both patissiers, and Momo-chan once said she wanted to train in France, so he’s a valuable senior in that sense.
Kitchen tools had arrived in the store, and finally, the trial production had started. The final step was visible to customers in the store,
“But the first step that matters is a secret.”
That’s obvious, Momo-chan. Apparently, making chocolate requires a lot of delicate work. Once again, I think sweets are more like science than art. Even the slightest mistake, even a gram, can make a big difference. I think it’s impossible for me to be anything more than an assistant.
Momo-chan’s new sweets tasting day in May was right before Golden Week. Hazuki-chan, who would be competing in a national competition soon, and Ai-chan, who had been steadily improving her record with a return to form at the district tournament, and Onpu-chan, who had auditions coming up, all arrived.
“I made a chiffon cake that feels like spring. And also, berry mousse wrapped in a crepe.”
“Oh, and you know what? Hana worked really hard this time too!”
The two of them lined the table with sweets. I almost cried out “Cute!” The chiffon cake came in three flavors: strawberry, matcha, and plain. The mousse was palm-sized and wrapped in a crepe like a present. The wrapped part was designed to look like rose petals made of crepes, with small strawberries peeking out at the center.
“The chiffon cake is really fluffy. And the pink mousse has a gentle taste.”
“Both are soft and healing. The crepe really looks like rose petals.”
“The mousse is sweet and sour, refreshing too. It just melts away smoothly.”
I wondered if not only Onpu-chan, but also Hazuki-chan and Ai-chan were exhausted. May was almost here. The season of fresh greenery was nice, but people had just gotten used to their new environments. Students had midterm exams coming up, and the club activities were in full tournament mode too.
“Yeah, it’s gentle, cute, and delicious, Momo-chan.”
Momo-chan gave us a big victory sign after hearing our impressions. Everyone will surely understand your sentiment.
“You worked hard this month too, Momoko.”
Lala poured another cup of tea into Momo-chan’s cup.
“But, the profit margin is low this month, you know. A new store is opening too, so we need to increase sales more…”
Everyone stared at Majorika with a “Kii” sound.
“Majorika, isn’t the concept about seasonality and cuteness, not just about sales!”
I couldn’t help but raise my voice.
“That’s right, if you only think about sales and lose Momo-chan’s essence, it won’t be MAHO-do anymore.”
“Yeah, it’s fine if they’re cute and tasty.”
Hazuki-chan and Ai-chan followed.
“I don’t know what our rival store is going to come up with, but it doesn’t matter, the best thing is to make sweets that are true to MAHO-do. Besides, our regular customers are mostly young people and families,” Onpu-chan said.
Certainly, the chiffon cakes are not expensive. However, there are three flavors, so you can choose your favorite. It’s simple to make, so you can also enjoy it by arranging it at home. Additionally, it’s satisfying because you can eat a lot. The mousses require some effort, but they don’t use any special ingredients. And since they are small in size, the price is also reasonable.
“Thanks, everyone! I’m going to make a lot!”
“Hana will do her best to sell a lot too.”
Majorika looked oddly satisfied at our objections. Huh, could this have been calculated?
“That being said, if a rival store opens, we’ll lose customers for a while. That’s just the way it is, Momoko.”
“It’s okay, I understand. I’ll carefully calculate production.”
“Hey, it’s fine if there are leftovers. I’ll eat them.”
Now everyone was looking at me. Oops, was that a weird thing to say?
“Doremi-chan, you said as if the new sweets at MAHO-do are often left over,” Hazuki-chan said.
“That’s right. If that happens, let’s sell them at a discount to our friends,” Ai-chan joked.
“Maybe we should pay you in sweets instead of wages,” Lala quipped.
At the barrage of witty comments, even Lala burst out laughing.
Momo-chan discusses ingredients with Lala on an equal footing. She isn’t completely disregarding sales, though. She’s also in charge of procurement, but it’s not like the fridge is always empty or there are too many sweets left over.
Come to think of it, I feel like Momo-chan has been changing little by little since the emergence of the rival store.
And I think that chocolatier Ran-san’s presence has skyrocketed recently.
“From now on, Ran-kun will be in charge of the chocolates at ‘Eugene’. But the sweets at this suburban store will be more approachable than those at the main store.”
“Oh, what a kind rival.”
Ai-chan was stunned by the friendly atmosphere between the two, who seemed to have become close.
“Maybe Ran-san thinks of Momo-chan like a junior.”
“Besides, Hazuki. Ran-kun was planting flowers in the garden during his break. Hana thinks he is a good person.”
With the point of planting flowers, Hana-chan’s popularity is on the rise. When I heard Momo-chan and Hana-chan’s story, I thought I wanted to meet and talk to him too.
But while it’s good that Momo-chan is being influenced, I feel a little distant and lonely because I don’t have any specialized knowledge about sweets.
“Having a good senior nearby is a good thing. I never thought we could handle talking about the rival store like this.”
Onpu-chan must have been worried too. She said with a relieved look on her face. Then she suddenly looked at me and said,
“It’s good to have rivals and goals, Doremi-chan. Starting next month, everyone will be really busy. Let’s do our best too.”
That’s right. Ai-chan is about to participate in the track and field competition for the Olympic trials. Hazuki-chan’s goal is not just to pass the domestic competition, but to win the international competition in June. Onpu-chan didn’t say much, but she’s working harder and harder to pass the audition for a movie.
Together with Chinami-chan, I will support the soccer team so that they can participate in the inter-high school competition, and in the winter, it will be the Winter Kokuritsu.
Meanwhile, Hana-chan, Lala, and Majorika are trying to gather clues about her younger sister while traveling between the witch world and the human world.
Momo-chan and the existence of the rival store seem to have changed our mindset a bit. There are things we won’t know until they actually open the store, but from this spring to early summer, various things have become more concrete. Let’s do our best, everyone.