Maybe it’s just my imagination, but since the end of October, I feel like something is different about Momo-chan.
She seems depressed or something…
Yeah, I know why she’s feeling down. It’s because she placed lower in the pastry competition than she did last year. She came in sixth place this time. When she placed fourth last year, we all believed that she would win next time.
This year, the competition was scheduled more than a month earlier than last year, and the venue was different, and the results came out just before Hazuki-chan’s competition in Paris. Of course, the deadline for the first screening was also earlier. However, she passed the first screening without any difficulties.
I know I’ve said this many times before, but Momo-chan has been incredibly busy since April. The competition was an important part of her future, and of course we wanted to help her, but I was in study mode as an exam student because of my poor mock exam results.
Hazuki-chan has been preparing for the famous overseas violin competition, so her lessons have increased in both quality and quantity.
Hana-chan has started the cheerleading society, so she has been participating in practice all the time while maintaining top grades in her studies. Onpu-chan was cast in a period drama for next year’s Taiga drama, so she started going to a horseback riding club that is popular with actors who appear in period dramas…
In this way, just like last year, we couldn’t support Momo-chan again. If Momo-chan was worried about us and didn’t talk about the competition much, I’m really sorry. But I know that saying sorry isn’t enough. We were filled with remorse, but…
“Oh, there’s no need to apologize so much. I haven’t done anything to help you all either. As for the results of the competition, I had a conversation with Ikoma-san from ‘Eugene’ and it made sense to me. Ran-kun also said he would support me even after I graduated. These famous patissiers recognized me for what I did. That’s more reassuring than winning the competition.”
Momo-chan replied with a smile in the face of our apologetic expressions. I thought there was no reason to worry about her as she spoke rapidly.
With her positive words and dazzling smile, I felt that Momo-chan’s dream of becoming a patissiere had become a clear path, just like Hazuki-chan’s. We all felt the same way and it brought a sense of relief.
“I realized that I’ve been truly blessed because of what Ikoma-san and the others said. So, I forgot that things have been going too smoothly for me until now. I’ll keep working hard until graduation. After graduating from high school, I’ll immerse myself in intensive training.”
Momo-chan gave a confident wink and raised her right hand.
“I’m aiming to become the best patissiere in the world!”
Wow, Momo-chan, you’re so reliable. We couldn’t help but clap our hands along with her smile.
Momo-chan didn’t tell us in detail what Ikoma-san and the others said. When she reported the competition results to Ikoma-san, she didn’t come back for a while, which made us worry, but when she returned to MAHO-do, her face had returned to the usual Momo-chan, as if she had let go of something.
Momo-chan seemed satisfied and content with the outcome, but she still sighed occasionally. I noticed that her mood sometimes fluctuated. What was happening? I was curious about it. So, I decided to ask Ikoma-san directly.
We wanted to go together, but we couldn’t all go at once, and it would be too noticeable, so I went as a representative. I was curious about how Momo-chan had changed her mindset after the competition results.
Especially Hana-chan seemed visibly disappointed that Momo-chan couldn’t win. When she said she wanted to start the cheerleading society, Momo-chan agreed, and Hana-chan thought that things would go smoothly.
But when nobody signed up for the society, Hana-chan realized that her expectations were too high. In the end, with the help of Seki-sensei, Tamaki Reika, Ai-chan, Kudo Mutsumi-chan, and Onpu-chan, the society finally gathered enough members.
Momo-chan seemed to have regained her composure and was moving towards new goals, but Hana-chan was not satisfied with that alone. Last year, Hana-chan was the one who supported Momo-chan in the competition. She thinks it was her fault that the roll cake Momo-chan submitted didn’t turn out the way she had envisioned.
Hana-chan thinks that Momo-chan is behaving as usual because she is worried about herself, who is feeling responsible and down.
To help Hana-chan, who is struggling alone, I went to ask Ikoma-san what he said to Momo-chan.
On the regular day-off evening of “Eugene”, I tried to ring the doorbell at the back entrance of Ikoma-san’s house, but I heard voices from the terrace, so I headed there.
There was a stylish terrace like a sunroom facing the courtyard, and Ikoma-san, who was sitting on a garden set, spotted me and said,
“Ohhh, it’s Doremi-chan. What’s up?”
His wife Ruri-san also waved her hand and invited me in.
“Umm, because Momo-chan couldn’t win the competition…”
I sat down on the chair as she urged me and spoke softly, and Ruri-san handed me herbal tea and said,
“It was a shame. But I thought it would be impossible to balance it with cheerleading activities. I was also supporting her to prioritize cheerleading this year… Are you feeling down?”
“Actually, she’s surprisingly energetic, and we were surprised too…”
I was so nervous because she asked me in a gentle, caring voice.
Momo-chan had also received advice from Ikoma-san and others at “Eugene” when she joined the cheerleading society. Everyone was in favor of it. When I heard that story from Momo-chan, I was simply happy, but now I feel a little complicated.
“When I heard that Momoko-chan was going to join cheerleading, I thought it was good to have various experiences, and we were also supporting her. After all, you can only do club activities when you’re a student. Even though Momoko-chan is still in high school, she’s entrusted with running the store, and all she does is make sweets every day. That would narrow her perspective. If she wants to become a professional patissiere, she needs to build up her physical strength, and it’s better to have fun while doing it.”
Ikoma-san understood my feelings and said in a comforting tone.
Then, Ruri-san smiled and looked at Ikoma-san and said,
“You know, what Doremi-chan wants to ask is not about that, but why Momoko-chan didn’t win the competition, right?”
Ruri-san was right. I waited for Ikoma-san’s next words.
“…I see. Certainly, when you’re involved in club activities, the time you can use for making sweets will inevitably be shorter.”
“So, is that the cause?”
I asked, and Ikoma-san immediately denied it.
“I don’t think that’s the case. When I heard that the theme for the pastry competition was roll cakes, I thought it would be difficult to win regardless of when it was held.”
Ikoma-san said unexpectedly, making me look surprised.
“Huh? What do you mean? I thought Momo-chan’s roll cakes were quite delicious.”
“Oh, I’ve tried it too, and I think it’s just as good as the roll cakes we make at our store.”
“That’s right! We even included it in our monthly lineup of new sweets last year, and we had it tasted several times before the competition. It was delicious, and I thought it would definitely win.”
“If the competition were held at MAHO-do.”
I didn’t immediately understand what Ikoma-san meant.
Then Ruri-san quickly explained.
“Among the sweets at MAHO-do, our people appreciate baked goods the most. They say it’s because of the exquisite baking done by the classic oven used at MAHO-do and the butter used in the ingredients.”
“Oh!”
I exclaimed at Ruri-san’s explanation.
“Was not being able to use the MAHO-do cooking stove and butter the reason she lost?”
I asked, and Ikoma-san nodded vigorously.
“I thought about telling Momoko-chan she couldn’t use the MAHO-do cooking stove at the judging venue before, but I decided not to because I didn’t think it would be beneficial for her.”
“You knew that and still decided not to say anything?”
“She’s still in high school, and she has plenty of chances in the future. I thought that failing here would be a valuable lesson for her future.”
Following Ikoma-san, Ruri-san said,
“It’s my husband’s favorite saying, ‘Even professionals fail once, but the second failure can be fatal.’”
Saying that, Ruri-san winked at Ikoma-san.
It was profound… too profound. I couldn’t put it into words, but it felt like I had just heard the essence of being a patissier. Probably…
“I think Momoko-chan has learned the importance of the oven, and from now on, she’ll be more careful about how she bakes her sponge cakes.”
Ikoma-san’s expression softened even more as he continued.
“I think it was also painful not being able to use the butter she always uses.”
Come to think of it, there was a rule in the competition to use the same ingredients, and Momo-chan said that she couldn’t use the butter she had bought from Dela. I don’t really understand, but it seems that MAHO-do’s butter is such a good butter.
Ikoma-san smiled mischievously and spoke to me,
“MAHO-do’s butter uses high-quality ingredients that are comparable to French luxury butter. The fruit is also fresh and delicious… but the unit price of each cake is cheap. I’ve always been wondering if you have a contract with a farm or ranch somewhere. Oh, it’s a trade secret, right? You don’t have to talk about it. Hmm, the owner seems to have a wide network, so she probably has some connections somewhere. I’ve always been envious of that.”
As expected of a professional. He could see through all of that…
Since I obviously couldn’t reveal that we source ingredients from the witch world, I had no choice but to just nod along.
“But I envy Momoko-chan.”
Ruri-san said, looking at me.
“Huh?”
I looked at her, not knowing what she meant.
“Momoko-chan has friends like you who come here to worry about her.”
I felt a bit embarrassed,
“Well~, we’ve been best friends since elementary school~.”
And I scratched my head.
“I think it’s because I was an idol, but my younger brother Ran was often alone. He liked making sweets and cooking, and he was obsessed with it in middle and high school. As you know, he’s not very talkative. He’s never really talked about his friends, and I was worried.”
Ruri-san looked at me with a slightly lonely smile. She had debuted as an idol while still in middle school.
I’ll talk about Ran-san again. Ruri-san and he are siblings five years apart. When he was in high school, he won a competition that Momo-chan challenged, and he went abroad to study at a confectionery school in Paris, became a patissier, and later went on to train as a chocolatier in Belgium. He now works as a patissier at “Eugene”, and he was someone that Momo-chan once had a crush on. Unfortunately, Momo-chan’s innocent first love didn’t come to fruition, and now he has a girlfriend named Celeste-san from France.
When Ruri-san’s debut was decided, she and her mother went to Tokyo together, while her father and Ran-san lived in their hometown until Ran-san graduated from middle school, so the family was separated. Ruri-san was so busy that she didn’t have time to go to school, and even after they started living together again as a family, their home was just a place to sleep.
“Thanks to Ran’s hard work in making sweets even in high school, he was able to become a patissier as he wished, but maybe because of his personality or my existence, he had few friends. Fortunately, thanks to my husband, Celeste-san, and the other cheerful and proactive people like Momo-chan who have become close to him since we opened the store here, he’s started to talk more recently.”
I haven’t talked to him much, but Momo-chan has been proactive in approaching Ran-san from the beginning. It’s not a bad thing to have a craftsman-like attitude, but…
“Now he’s actively teaching the apprentice staff, and he’s started going out to various places with Celeste-san as a break from work.”
“Yeah, Celeste is a really nice girl. She’s just curious and wants to try everything. Ran and she are like oil and water, but I think they’re a good couple.”
Ikoma-san added with a reminiscent smile. It seems that Ran-san is getting caught up in Celeste-san’s pace, and he finds it amusing.
“Ran and I have a bit of an age gap, and since he’s a boy, we weren’t very close. But watching you and your friends, I felt envious. You’re all friends who can talk about anything and help each other, and you seem to be enjoying high school life.”
“That’s so true. You guys have different interests and career paths, but you’re still good friends. I remember you guys met in elementary school. It’s so happy to have friends who can inspire each other in various ways since elementary school.”
Ikoma-san said with a smile. I see, maybe Ikoma-san and Ruri-san took that into consideration when they recommended cheerleading to Momo-chan.
After talking with the two of them for a while, when I returned to MAHO-do, Momo-chan looked at me and said,
“Doremi-chan, you went to see Ikoma-san, didn’t you? You worry too much, seriously.”
She suddenly rambled on.
“Sorry, sorry. Hana-chan was really worried. We also started thinking that maybe you were worrying about us…”
When I tried to justify myself by using Hana-chan as an excuse, Momo-chan looked a bit embarrassed and said,
“That’s not true at all. I’ve come to terms with it too… But more importantly… I heard a lot from Ikoma-san. What do you think about it?”
Momo-chan looked at me shyly with her eyes glancing upward. Her uncharacteristically ambiguous manner caught the attention of Ai-chan and Hana-chan, who had been preparing for the store. I understood the implication behind what Momo-chan was asking, and I replied,
“You mean that Ikoma-san is very perceptive, right? He totally startled me.”
As I said that, Ai-chan and Hana-chan, who had been eavesdropping, approached us.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Yeah… well…”
As I was about to explain, I received a notification sound from my mobile phone, which I had in my pocket. I quickly opened it and saw that it was a message from Onpu-chan.
“Onpu-chan said she could come today.”
I said as I closed my phone,
“Really? She said she might not be able to come on Monday because she’s been busy lately.”
Hana-chan said and looked puzzled. Ai-chan immediately said,
“It’s settled then. Onpu-chan must have been anxious to see us too.”
“Especially since Hazuki’s competition is just around the corner,” Hana-chan added.
I thought so too. I had told Onpu-chan that I was going to see Ikoma-san. The information I heard from Ikoma-san and Ruri-san was quite important, so I planned to tell Onpu-chan about it in a text message later tonight.
“It’s better when everyone is together. Right, Momo-chan?” I said.
Momo-chan nodded, so I decided to accompany Ai-chan to work in the lobby. Hazuki-chan would come after her lesson, so today would be the first time in two weeks that everyone would be together.
That day, customers kept coming into the store at a steady pace, and by the time we had taken turns greeting them and serving them, it was completely dark outside. With only a few sweets left, we started preparing to close the store.
Ai-chan’s speed was impressive, as expected of a track and field athlete. We quickly finished cleaning up and both of us joined in preparing for tomorrow.
“Now then, Doremi-chan, Momo-chan. Please tell me more about what you were talking about earlier. Hazuki-chan won’t be able to calm down without knowing, right?”
Suddenly asked by Ai-chan, Hazuki-chan, who hadn’t heard the beginning of our conversation, didn’t understand what she was talking about.
“Well, I couldn’t quite follow the conversation, but since the competition is coming up soon, I think it would be best for me to clear my head too.”
She answered nervously. Onpu-chan had just arrived, so she was even more confused than Hazuki-chan.
Everyone was silently preparing for tomorrow at the work table. Majorika and Lala tilted their heads, wondering what was going on, so I told everyone what I had heard from Ikoma-san.
I explained to them that the reason Momo-chan failed the competition was not because of the cheerleading society, but rather the major factors of not being able to use the usual cooking stove and butter from the witch world.
“Wow, that’s amazing! As expected from a professional!”
Onpu-chan said with a surprised expression. Majorika also seemed to be sweating nervously.
“Right, right, I was also surprised,” Momo-chan said.
Geez, with his cheerful and friendly old man face, I completely let my guard down. The ingredients for MAHO-do’s supplies come from witch Dela, but I never really paid attention to the origin of the ingredients. And except for Momo-chan, none of us knew that they were such high-quality ingredients or the exact cost.
“You can tell just by tasting his sweets. He’s a scary old man despite his appearance.”
Ai-chan seemed to be getting nervous too. Yeah, it’s a shocker.
“So, it would be difficult to win if she used her usual cooking technique. I kind of understand. I can perform well on my own familiar violin, but pianists are not so good on other pianos.”
Hazuki-chan said with a satisfied expression.
“That’s right. The judging venue was a different confectionery school from last year. Their oven is the latest computer-controlled model, and while I quickly figured out how to use it, it was completely different from MAHO-do. I couldn’t make the sponge the way I wanted, and the roll cake I envisioned didn’t turn out.”
The success of a roll cake depends on the sponge, which needs to be perfectly moist and baked just right, and it’s important for it to pair well with the fruits and cream. In addition, it also has to be rolled up perfectly. So the roll cake that we tasted at MAHO-do was delicious, but the one she made at the judging venue was different in small ways.
“Hana had no idea how important it was…”
Hana-chan was there again this year to help with the competition.
“I realized it after it finished baking, so I changed the amount of fruit and other things. I managed to finish it somehow, but I was barely on time and wasn’t satisfied with the appearance.”
Momo-chan knew it herself. So it wasn’t so much that she was surprised that Ikoma-san had already figured it out, but more that she realized how amazing the professionals are.
“Also, they pointed out that I hadn’t gone around and done enough research this year.”
I hadn’t heard that story.
According to Momo-chan, she was told that this year’s monthly new sweets were relatively simple and lacked variety.
It can't be helped because you've been busy, but there are many things you can study, like eating sweets from various places, changing the source of the ingredients, and going to agricultural product exhibitions, and so on.
That’s definitely true.
“It’s difficult to do all of that while attending high school.”
Hazuki-chan said, and I nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, they said it would be better to do some food exploration within my reach and conduct research.”
That couldn’t be done this year either, Momo-chan. We didn’t support her as much this year, and we had to give up on making elaborate sweets.
I felt like Ikoma-san, Ruri-san, and Ran-san also recognized Momo-chan’s talent and effort in making sweets. But they also expressed the opinion that it’s not necessary to spend her enjoyable high school years just going back and forth between MAHO-do and school.
“What helped improve my skills were high-quality ingredients and this cooking stove.”
Momo-chan tapped the cooking stove behind her and shrugged her shoulders.
“That’s not true. The prototype sweets you made at home tasted just as good as the ones sold in the store.”
“Yeah. But being a professional means being able to make the same quality products every day. I was told that my sweets, except for baked goods, lacked consistency.”
As Hazuki-chan said, I really think Momo-chan’s sweets are top-notch. But we, like Dodo and the others and me, who are helping, don’t have specialized skills. It may look the same to my eyes, but there are differences. Ikoma-san’s opinion felt truly professional, and I understood and agreed with it.
“After graduating from high school, Ikoma-san invited me to train at ‘Eugene’. He said he would teach me French so that I could enter a confectionery school in Paris in October next year.”
“Oh, isn’t that great?”
“You know, everyone at Ikoma-san’s place can speak French. Celeste-san is French, so it’s a good thing for Momo-chan.”
Ai-chan and Hazuki-chan agreed.
“Working in a place with excellent patissiers like Ikoma-san and Ran-san would be more meaningful than going to confectionery school.”
I also agreed with Onpu-chan’s opinion. Wait, there’s something bothering me. I wonder what it is.
“Also, Ikoma-san said he would help me find an apartment in Paris. I asked him why he was so kind, and he replied sincerely, ‘I faced many obstacles when I went to France alone, and I was helped by many people.’ He said, ‘Now it’s my turn to help young people.’ I felt so happy. I’m starting to like Ikoma-san a lot.”
Momo-chan said with a bright smile. I see. It’s similar to my aspiration to become an elementary school teacher. Of course, I’m still a child compared to Ikoma-san.
“Doremi-chan also received advice from teachers when she was in elementary school and was influenced. So now she wants to become a teacher who can do the same.”
Hazuki-chan said, hitting the nail on the head with my feelings. Everyone nodded, including me.
Because Momo-chan accepted Ikoma-san’s advice, her career path has changed a bit. If she were to attend school abroad, she would have to consult with her father and mother.
Her father is still posted abroad alone for work, and her mother is likely busy as a photographer, but they would surely make time to discuss the important career path of their only daughter.
Everyone seemed relieved, and we quickly dismissed that day. Hana-chan, who had been blaming herself for Momo-chan’s failure, seemed to be the most relieved. As I was leaving, she came out to the entrance and saw me off with a big smile on her face and her right hand waving in the air.
As I was heading home after saying goodbye to everyone, something that had bothered me earlier suddenly came to mind, and I stopped walking.
──What will happen to MAHO-do if Momo-chan trains at Ikoma-san’s store and goes to France!?
I hurried back to MAHO-do, and Majorika and Lala were having tea in the kitchen.
“What’s wrong, Doremi? Did you forget something?” Majorika asked.
“No, that’s not it! What will happen to this store if Momo-chan goes to France?”
“Fufu, that’s so like you, Doremi. That’s why you came back worried about it.”
Lala said with a smile.
“Don’t worry. We’ll close the sweets store, but MAHO-do will continue.”
“Majorika…”
“Well, we still have to earn a living until Hana becomes a full-fledged doctor, so I’m thinking of reopening the magic goods store like when I first met you.”
“I see… But is that really okay with you, Majorika?”
“Whether it’s okay or not, I still think of you all as my daughters. A parent would not interfere when her daughters are pursuing their dreams.”
“Majorika!”
I jumped into Majorika’s arms. Tears overflowed from my eyes at her kindness.
Majorika stroked my head and said,
“Besides, we can’t let the worst daughter have no place to come back to.”
She teased me playfully.
“Just when I was in a good mood~. Majorika, you’re such a meanie, pu-pu-pu!”
I made a face, and Majorika and Lala burst out laughing.
I laughed with a strange expression, tears still in my eyes.
From here on, it’s about what happened after Hazuki-chan returned home as the winner of the competition, but it’s actually more of a problem over here. Oh, the problem is not Hazuki-chan, it’s Momo-chan.
I thought Momo-chan had gotten over her feelings, but she’s still not her usual cheerful self.
Maybe her parents opposed her going to school in France.
I was going to ask her when we were alone, but I didn’t have the chance.
At that time, Hazuki-chan returned to Japan.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t have much time to buy souvenirs.”
As soon as she showed up at MAHO-do after a long time, Hazuki-chan bowed her head. She was supposed to return to Japan the day after the competition ended, but there were interviews and procedures to be done because she had won, and she didn’t have time to walk around the streets of Paris. We were all waiting for the day when we could celebrate together at MAHO-do. Of course, Onpu-chan also rushed over, and we were all together.
In front of a violin-shaped cake made specifically by Momo-chan, Hazuki-chan kept bowing her head in embarrassment.
“Don’t worry about that, we’re all happy too.”
Momo-chan waved her hand in a panic.
“Right, winning is the best souvenir. It was a really good performance.”
Ai-chan said, and we all stood up and applauded, so Hazuki-chan blushed and shyly offered everyone the sweets and tea she had bought at the airport.
Momo-chan cut the cake, Lala quickly brewed tea, and everyone opened Hazuki-chan’s souvenirs. We were all together for the first time in a long time, and we talked about many things and had a good time.
In the midst of it, Momo-chan took out a package the size of a magazine from her bag and placed it in front of Hazuki-chan.
“This is a souvenir from Papa. It was originally meant for Mama, but she said to give it to a friend… and I thought of using it as a celebration for Hazuki-chan. If you like, you can have it.”
Unlike before, Momo-chan’s voice sounded calm, and we looked at her with puzzled expressions. I think Hazuki-chan was even more curious.
“It’s meant as a gift for your mother, so I can’t accept it.”
“Mama said she doesn’t need it, so you don’t have to worry.”
“But…”
Momo-chan kept on giving the gift to a hesitant Hazuki-chan, urging her to accept it.
“I’m sorry too. I mean, I don’t know if it suits your taste, Hazuki-chan…”
“Don’t say that. Just go ahead and open it, Hazuki-chan. There’s no harm in accepting a souvenir.”
Encouraged by Ai-chan, Hazuki-chan opened the wrapping. And then…
“Wow, it’s a beautiful stole, Hazuki!”
“Yeah, it looks kind of handmade.”
Before Hazuki-chan could react, Hana-chan took one edge and spread it in front of her face, making her face vaguely visible to me as well. I touched the other edge. When I spread it out, it turned out to be surprisingly large. The fabric was as soft and sheer as silk, and there was delicate embroidery all around the edges. It seemed very tasteful and looked like a high-quality, one-of-a-kind item.
When I handed it to Ai-chan, she handled it as if it were fragile and gently returned it to Hazuki-chan.
“What is it? It looks like a really good thing. I’m scared I’ll accidentally dirty it… Hazuki-chan, what’s wrong?”
Hazuki-chan stared at the stole before showing it to Onpu-chan. Onpu-chan immediately said,
“I think it’s Mo Li-san’s embroidery.”
“That’s right. I had the same impression. It looks like the embroidery on my dress for the performance. But, why…?”
Hazuki-chan asked Momo-chan while holding the stole, and Momo-chan looked surprised.
“Is Mo Li-san… referring to Onpu-chan’s Chinese friend Mo Li-san?”
Onpu-chan nodded to Momo-chan.
“Whaaaat! Reeeeally?”
Momo-chan shouted loudly and scratched her head. We were all stunned, and Hazuki-chan looked like she didn’t know what to do while holding the stole.
As I mentioned before, the dress that Hazuki-chan received as a gift from Onpu-chan had been embellished with embroidery by Mo Li-san, a Chinese friend she has been exchanging emails with. It underwent a transformation and became a sophisticated, adult-like dress.
Onpu-chan mentioned that Mo Li-san was currently working in Paris. That’s why she asked her to modify Hazuki-chan’s dress, but Onpu-chan intended it as a surprise, and the dress wasn’t shown up close, so we couldn’t see the details of the embroidery, or whether it was embroidered or printed.
“That dress had a very good reputation, and I also liked it. I’m thinking of ordering her dress for my professional use next time. I’ll do my best to promote Mo Li-san’s talent.”
“Wow, is the dress that amazing? Hazuki, you should try wearing it next time. Hana wants to see it too! And also to hear your live performance!”
Hana-chan leaned forward, and the conversation somehow shifted to the topic of the dress.
“Momo-chan, you mentioned it was a gift from your father to your mother. Did something happen?”
Onpu-chan corrected the course of the conversation. Momo-chan wore an unusually serious expression.
“Well, it’s not directly because of this stole, but…”
Momo-chan hesitated, and we looked at her, urging her to continue the story.
Momo-chan began to speak bit by bit while spinning the handle of her lukewarm tea cup.
“Um, well, Papa and Mama… haven’t been getting along well lately…”
I see now…
I had noticed Momo-chan sighing occasionally recently. Maybe her parents were against her going to France. At that time, I decided to ask her in front of everyone, even though it’s a sensitive topic.
Thinking that, before I could ask, Hazuki-chan spoke up.
“Isn’t your father still posted abroad alone?”
Momo-chan nodded. Ai-chan and Onpu-chan confirmed.
“If I remember correctly, your mother is a photographer, and she’s quite busy.”
“But when your father was posted to Shanghai alone, she used to visit him occasionally.”
“But I heard that he’ll be in Singapore instead of Shanghai starting this year, right?”
When I asked, Momo-chan nodded again and continued,
“After Papa was posted abroad alone, Mama couldn’t go on long shoots very often. Papa said he was worried about leaving me alone, so…”
Momo-chan’s mother is a freelancer like my Dad. Even Dad, who often goes to places with poor transportation in Japan, sometimes has to leave home for two or three days for work.
“But, you know, Momoko stays at Hana’s place when her house is empty.”
I knew about that too. It’s convenient for her preparations at MAHO-do, and she gets along well with Hana-chan. In fact, Momo-chan stays at MAHO-do once or twice a month.
“I’m fine on my own for a day or so, and I have Hana-chan’s place too… I don’t want Mama to sacrifice her desired work for me, but what’s worse is that it causes Mama and Papa to fight…”
I had forgotten about Mo Li-san from China, but now I realized that Momo-chan’s father and mother had never come up in conversation since the spring.
Of course, family topics come up in casual conversation at MAHO-do. However, usually it’s about my family, Ai-chan’s family, and Hazuki-chan’s family, and Onpu-chan and Momo-chan rarely talk about their families. We never asked them about it either.
“How did their relationship deteriorate? Does it have anything to do with this stole?”
Hazuki-chan asked Momo-chan while refolding the stole.
“That was a souvenir from when Papa went on a business trip to Paris last month. He bought this stole for Mama and a fashionable makeup set for me and mailed them home. Then Mama started getting angry… She said it was weird for him to buy such fashionable souvenirs on his own and mail them home… She thought he had a woman pick them out for him…”
Momo-chan brought her bag and took out a makeup palette from inside that was about the size of her palm. The package was very fashionable, sparkly, and seemed to have good taste. When she opened it, there were eyeshadows, blushes, and brushes inside.
“This is a popular brand for young women. It might be a Paris-exclusive product not sold in Japan.”
Onpu-chan seemed to know just by looking at the outside.
“Is that so? But it’s cute. Mama was angry because it looks too mature, though.”
Momo-chan said with a dissatisfied voice, and Hazuki-chan received it from Onpu-chan and said,
“In the makeup tools that Niwa-san used to do my makeup, there were items similar to these. I don’t know the brand, but they were all fashionable and cute, and there were many types. It’s not something to be taken for granted, but it’s not uncommon for people of our generation to have makeup items.”
Hazuki-chan also learned from Niwa-san and seems to do light makeup for concerts and such. I only carry sunscreen and lip balm for makeup. After Ai-chan had a good look, she handed it back to Momo-chan and said,
“My Dad also buys souvenirs sometimes, but he has no sense of taste. I wouldn’t be surprised if Momo-chan’s father picked something tasteless either.”
We talked about that before. My Dad is like that too.
“The cosmetics section at the airport duty-free shop is large. If he speaks English, a saleswoman might pick them out for him. If he tells her Momo-chan’s age, it’s normal for a saleswoman in Paris to recommend this palette, but…”
When Onpu-chan said that,
“It’s a brand they don’t have at the duty-free shops in Paris. Moreover, Papa didn’t know much about the contents of the souvenirs… That’s why Mama got even angrier.”
Momo-chan said in a soft voice.
“I see… Previously, Momo-chan’s father’s assignment was where Mo Li-san’s parents were working. So when Mo Li-san learned that your father was coming to Paris, it’s very likely that she thought of giving you a makeup tool and your mother a handmade stole as a token of her gratitude. Maybe if you explain that to your mother, she’ll understand.”
At Onpu-chan’s words, Hazuki-chan also nodded and said,
“I think Mo Li-san probably did the embroidery on this stole. It looks similar to the embroidery she did on my dress. Please explain that to your mother as well. Or we can explain it to her.”
Hazuki-chan repackaged the stole and handed it to Momo-chan.
It’s a typical story, but because Momo-chan’s father mailed such fashionable souvenirs, Momo-chan’s mother suspected that he had made a close female friend and that she had picked them out for him.
She thought if it were for personal trips or shopping in Singapore during an assignment, it would make sense, but he shouldn’t have time to buy such thoughtful souvenirs in the midst of work. So, she suspected that his business trip to Paris was actually a leisure trip with another woman.
Once she convinced herself of that, even when Momo-chan’s father talked about Mo Li-san’s family, it seemed like an excuse to Momo-chan’s mother, according to what Momo-chan said…
I think Mo Li-san is a year older than us. It’s true that her choices are mature, but it seems like Momo-chan’s mother was quite worked up.
Doing something out of the ordinary raises suspicions, right? We summed up the conversation like that.
“Maybe the souvenir thing is just a trigger and nothing more?”
In that kind of atmosphere, Ai-chan said bluntly, and Momo-chan flinched.
“If we ask someone from his company, we can easily find out whether Momo-chan’s father went to Paris for work or for a cheating trip. Besides, I haven’t heard anything about you having a summer vacation together with your family.”
Ai-chan’s parents also went through a divorce due to various issues. Ai-chan was still in elementary school, so she ended up being caught in the middle, but she said that children are surprisingly perceptive.
As Ai-chan mentioned, she couldn’t really relax during this summer vacation because of the activities of the cheerleading society. We hadn’t even considered that Momo-chan’s father was overseas.
“In case your father is unfaithful, I wonder if he would buy such suspicious souvenirs.”
I said while thinking of Dad’s disappointing souvenir.
“Yeah, yeah. If it were me, I would definitely choose the chocolates sold at the airport.”
Ai-chan declared like a detective.
“Momo-chan, like me, has her family living apart, so even small things can’t be resolved easily. I think if they had exchanged souvenirs at home, this misunderstanding wouldn’t have happened. In reality, things have been strained for a while.”
Onpu-chan was right. If Momo-chan’s father had somehow made time to bring the souvenirs home himself, the conversation would have probably been more lively, with talk about how Mo Li-san was doing her best in Paris and Hazuki-chan’s competition and dress.
“…Mama went to Singapore to see Papa during the Silver Week when I couldn’t go. But Papa got angry that Mama left me alone… When Mama came back, she said Papa’s room was too clean and seemed unnatural…”
“No, that might just be a woman’s intuition, or maybe the maid keeps it tidy, you know?”
Ai-chan still seemed to be in detective mode, but I was surprised because Momo-chan’s mother was so open to share her suspicions and experiences.
After that, Momo-chan’s father and mother got into a fight, with each other’s words causing more trouble. Afterwards, when her father came to the company in Tokyo and returned home, her mother had an overnight work commitment, so Momo-chan had to stay at the MAHO-do.
Oh, of course, Momo-chan met her father after a long time by contacting him. The three of them had a family dinner at a restaurant. The next day, Momo-chan went to school and her father went back to Singapore, so they didn’t have much time to relax.
However, even though her parents acted normal, it felt like a cold war, and Momo-chan had to be careful around them, which made her tired despite the opportunity to spend time with her family.
“Papa worries about me being alone at home because Mama isn’t a company employee and sometimes stays out late or has to stay overnight. That’s why he suggested I go to university in Singapore… Papa is also busy with work, but he always comes home every day, so it’s reassuring.”
This is the first time we’ve heard Momo-chan talk so much about her family. Maybe she’s been struggling all this time. I always thought of her as a cheerful and happy person, but that was just my own assumption. She even encouraged me when I was struggling with my future plans. I feel so bad now.
“I’m sorry, Momo-chan. I didn’t realize at all…”
I held Momo-chan’s hand. She shook her head vigorously.
The situation seems more serious than I thought. That’s probably why she finds it hard to tell her parents that she wants to go to confectionery school in Paris if she wins the competition.
“Then, do your father and mother know that you want to train at Ikoma-san’s place and then go to school in Paris in the fall?”
“Does your mother know that your father suggested you go to university in Singapore?”
After I asked, Hazuki-chan followed up, and Momo-chan looked troubled.
“When I was feeling down because I couldn’t win at the competition, Mama comforted me a lot. Maybe she thinks I’ve given up on my dream of becoming a patissiere…”
“But you did talk about Ikoma-san, right?”
Hana-chan asked, and Momo-chan nodded. Momo-chan, who had her spirits refreshed by the positive suggestions from Ikoma-san and his wife, once again talked to her mother about going to train at “Eugene” and attending a confectionery school in Paris.
“But just mentioning the school in Paris made Mama angry… She asked why I had to go to Paris when I could study in Japan.”
Ohh, that was bad timing, Momo-chan.
Ai-chan made a face like “Uh-oh” and said,
“That won’t do, Momo-chan. You need to have a proper discussion with your family. Ikoma-san has been thinking about this for you, and you’ve been getting excited about it too.”
“Momoko, it’s something important, right? Hana can use magic to take you to your father’s place, so make sure you express your wishes clearly! Momoko, Hana is partially responsible for keeping you busy. You have to discuss the matter with them.”
Now even Hana-chan’s voice trembled with tears.
“It’s okay, Hana-chan.”
Momo-chan lightly patted Hana-chan’s hand.
“Your father hasn’t seen your growth firsthand since he started living apart from you. Maybe he still thinks you’re a child.”
“Maybe they both want to think of you as a child? My Dad and Mom also have those kinds of feelings.”
Hazuki-chan was also a sheltered daughter, and Ai-chan had experienced a time when her family was separated, but they’re all quite close as a family now. Even though it’s not her coming-of-age ceremony yet, they prepared a furisode for New Year’s.
Majorika, who had been listening silently the whole time, cleared her throat and we all turned to her.
“Momoko, you should have a serious discussion with your family.”
“Yes, that’s right. Your parents are both working, so it might be difficult, but try to arrange a family gathering as soon as possible. This is such an important matter. Majorika will give you some time off too, right?”
Lala brewed another cup of tea, since it was already cold, and winked at Momo-chan.
Momo-chan’s face finally brightened up.
After about a week, Momo-chan’s father took time off and returned home. Hana-chan said she would take Momo-chan to Singapore with magic, but everyone stopped her because it wouldn’t work if Momo-chan’s mother couldn’t come. She was a little sulky.
“Hana-chan, it’s better for Momo-chan’s father to take time off from work and come home than to take her to Singapore.”
Hazuki-chan said that, and we all thought so too.
“Why? Why?”
But Hana-chan didn’t understand the reason and kept insisting to Hazuki-chan.
“Well, it’s better to be in their own home.”
“That’s right. They haven’t lived together for a long time, but I think it’s important to have a family discussion at home, not in a hotel or place of work.”
When Ai-chan and I said that, Hazuki-chan smiled at Hana-chan and added,
“The significance is that the three of them are together, Hana-chan.”
“I see. That’s right!”
Hana-chan’s face brightened up.
I changed into my patissiere outfit and entered the kitchen. For some reason, it felt more spacious without Momo-chan there. I always took her presence for granted.
(…Majorika said that MAHO-do will still be here next year, but it will be rare for everyone to be together as before.)
I thought vaguely about that.
MAHO-do was closed, but there was plenty to do. In the morning, Momo-chan came and made cookies and madeleines, so I was going to work with Dodo and the others to package them.
As I sat at the table and started working, Ai-chan and Hazuki-chan also arrived.
“You’re early, Doremi-chan.”
“Momo-chan said she’d come in the evening, but we were the ones who got here first.”
Hazuki-chan and Ai-chan finished changing and sat next to me.
“It feels so spacious in the kitchen without Momo-chan.”
Ai-chan nodded in agreement. Everyone was thinking the same thing.
“Oh, Momo-chan isn’t here yet? The table seems empty without her.”
Onpu-chan, who came late, said the same thing. Certainly, when Momo-chan is here, the table is filled with sweets from finished products to in-progress ones.
“Oh, everyone’s here. You’re fast.”
Hana-chan exclaimed as she came down from the second floor.
“Hana-chan, you look a little sleepy.”
Onpu-chan said with a chuckle.
“I got up early this morning to help Momoko. I stayed awake during class and just took a short nap.”
Hana-chan instantly changed into her patissiere outfit using magic. At that moment, we heard the sound of the back door opening.
“Oh, everyone’s here. Why?”
Momo-chan said something similar to Hana-chan, and we all laughed again. Today’s synchronicity rate was very high. Momo-chan looked at us curiously and when we told her the reason, she also laughed.
I had misunderstood something until now. I thought that even though Momo-chan’s father and mother were very busy with work, they were a very close family. My own parents fight a lot, but they talk things out face to face, so they always make up quickly. I’m sorry, Momo-chan, for not realizing this until now.
Momo-chan talked to her father and mother about her career path. Then the two of them went with Momo-chan to greet Ikoma-san at his place.
“Ikoma-san showed us around the kitchen and introduced us to the people working there. He also explained about the school in Paris… Both Papa and Mama were relieved to get a sense of Ikoma-san and his wife’s personalities. So we talked about many things.”
Momo-chan must have been relieved too. It’s a little sad to think that she’ll be going to Paris in about a year.
“That night, we had dinner at home and talked a lot. Papa said that if I become a patissiere, he’ll renovate our current house and turn it into a store like Ikoma-san’s. Mama said she hadn’t taken many pictures of food, so she’ll study before opening the store. They were both more eager than I was. It’s still a long way off, though.”
Momo-chan spoke in a half-amused, half-astonished tone.
“Well, well, Momo-chan is quite popular. Happy ending, isn’t it?”
“While you’re attending school in Paris, maybe your mother can live together with your father again like before and they can get along well.”
“Yeah, it’s lonely when your father is posted abroad alone.”
Ai-chan lightly patted Momo-chan’s shoulder. Hazuki-chan and even I thought it was a happy ending and said such things, but Momo-chan had a complex expression.
“But you know, I don’t think Papa and Mama can get along like they used to…”
“Why? They both love Momoko, right?”
We were all surprised, not just Hana-chan.
“In a word, both Papa and Mama love their work the most now.”
Momo-chan’s face could be seen as both a smile and a look of exasperation.
In words, is it like the saying, “It’s a pain in the neck”, or “It is what it is”?
“But they still put me first, right?”
She shrugged her shoulders with a deep sigh.
Momo-chan’s father’s company is a large architectural design firm and is currently involved in projects in developing countries. Building things like dams and hospitals is a very rewarding job, and when it comes to that topic, he seems very happy. Momo-chan is proud of it too.
Her mother had previously taken photographs for an American musician’s CD jacket, which received good reviews, and she began to receive job offers from overseas. When Momo-chan graduates from high school, she wants to accept jobs not only in Japan but also overseas. Momo-chan respects her parents for that.
“They respect my career path, and even though I’m pursuing my own passion, I can’t oppose my parents’ way of life. I love seeing them vibrant and engaged in their work. Besides, I’m there to connect Papa and Mama, so there’s no problem.”
Momo-chan said with a clear expression.
“Momo-chan, you’re more mature than I thought.”
Onpu-chan widened her eyes. Momo-chan tilted her head and responded,
“Well, it’s not entirely true. It’s still shocking for me. But if we were to live together while enduring it, it feels like our relationship would truly deteriorate.”
Her mother had to move multiple times to accommodate her father’s job. Each time, it left her with unfinished work. It feels quite pitiful, too.
“Both Mama and Papa still love me, and there’s no disadvantage for me. That’s why we decided to focus on doing what each of us wants for now. Whether to get divorced or not will be decided later.”
Momo-chan said plainly.
“I mean, Momo-chan, you’re too American.”
“Yeah, you surprised me too.”
Ai-chan and I were stunned.
“What if there’s talk of your mother remarrying like Hasebe-kun’s mother?”
Upon hearing Onpu-chan’s sarcastic tone, Momo-chan seemed to be imagining it for a moment, but then she said,
“I absolutely hate that… Um… Well, I’ll think about it when the time comes.”
“Momo-chan, really…”
Looking at Momo-chan, who said it so casually, Hazuki-chan chuckled. When there was talk of Hasebe-kun’s mother remarrying, I was imagining it as my own situation and on the verge of tears, but now I feel relieved.
“Even if Momoko’s Mama is away, it’s okay because we have MAHO-do. You can even commute from here to train at ‘Eugene’. We’re neighbors after all.”
Hana-chan said as if the problem was solved, and Momo-chan was led to laugh as well.
There’s more to the story.
First, let’s talk about Mo Li-san. Momo-chan’s father met with Mo Li-san in Paris for the first time in about two years. Apparently, Mo Li-san had become very mature in appearance and way of thinking, which surprised him. So he thought if Momo-chan went to Paris, she might change like that too,
“So Papa has gotten even more overprotective.”
When we looked at the recent photos of Mo Li-san that we received from Onpu-chan, she looked incredibly mature, far beyond what you’d expect from someone under twenty.
“After seeing Mo Li-san, he must’ve felt relieved seeing Momo-chan.”
“Ai-chan, that’s a problematic statement!” Momo-chan retorted.
“Well, I think both Momo-chan and everyone else have become quite mature. Maybe it’s because we see each other so often that we don’t notice the changes.”
We agreed with Ai-chan, but I wonder if Hazuki-chan is right. Or maybe it’s more like Hazuki-chan being the one who said it.
And then Momo-chan had another big news to share.
“When Doremi-chan becomes a university student, Ikoma-san said he wants her to work part-time at ‘Eugene’. Since Ruri-san is pregnant now, Doremi-chan seems capable of being both a clerk and a babysitter.”
I had no idea.
We all looked at Momo-chan in surprise.
“Huh? You didn’t notice?”
She said it in a cool tone.
“Is it true? When is the baby due?”
Hazuki-chan asked and Momo-chan replied,
“I think they said it would be around spring. It will probably be announced soon. And from next year, Ikoma-san will be the patissier at ‘Eugene’ in Misora City, and Ran-kun will move to the city center.”
“Oh, I see… Wait, Momo-chan. Did Ruri-san tell you that? That she’s pregnant?”
When I went to Ikoma-san and Ruri-san’s place the other day, Ruri-san’s belly wasn’t showing at all, and she still looked slim.
“Doremi-chan is surprisingly insensitive. When Ruri-san offered me herbal tea, I had a ‘ping!’ moment. When we went to greet them, both Mama and Papa noticed it.”
Maybe I’m just slow on the uptake. When I glanced at Ai-chan, she didn’t seem to have noticed either and just smiled, saying,
“Now that you mention it, they both used to love coffee. When it’s officially announced, I’ll go congratulate them too.”
Hazuki-chan glanced at Hana-chan and said,
“Maybe they were really saved by Momo-chan coming to train? And Doremi-chan, you should definitely consider taking the job too. After all, you’re good at taking care of babies.”
“Hazuki, Hana is not a baby!”
It seemed like Hana-chan heard it loud and clear. I remembered Hana-chan when she was little. It was challenging, but also fun. We looked at each other’s faces, knowing that we were all thinking the same thing, and laughed together.
At night, I reported the day’s events to Onpu-chan. Since Onpu-chan rarely goes to “Eugene”, she didn’t know about Ruri-san’s pregnancy, which was understandable. When I mentioned being invited to work there, she chuckled and said over the phone,
“It reminds me of when Hana-chan was a baby.”
It’s funny how we all have similar thoughts, I told her, to which she replied that it was only natural.
“Onpu-chan, you’re also living apart from your family, right? You haven’t grown apart or anything, have you… Ah, sorry for asking that.”
After her mother fell ill, Onpu-chan disappeared from the entertainment industry for a while. Her father works as a train driver and doesn’t come home every evening like before. I wondered if they couldn’t live together like they used to.
“…Mom can’t live in Tokyo right now. That’s why I think that living alone is the best option for me…”
There was a short pause before Onpu-chan answered.
“I hope she gets better soon.”
We didn’t know that Onpu-chan’s mother had been seriously ill until we reunited. Onpu-chan continued,
“Mom always says she’s my number one fan. If I said I wanted to quit acting and live with Mom, she definitely wouldn’t believe or allow it. She knows I love this work now. Mom said watching me active on TV and stage is the most enjoyable thing for her, so I can keep at it even when we’re apart.”
She said it firmly.
“Yeah. Oyajide thought he was your number one fan, but if he heard your mother say she was number one, he couldn’t complain, could he?”
I said, and Onpu-chan laughed on the other end of the phone.
Thanks for this translation! Hope you’re doing well, you have my full support!
hana chan 🥰
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