Chapter 15: A Reckless Plan  

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「I can… earn 100,000 yen at a festival? But what about the material cost and equipment rental fees…」

「You can net a profit of 100,000. But we don’t have enough information at this stage. Go make some snacks for me while I do some research.」

Mizuhara starts up his computer and begins making a call.

He introduces himself as a member of the International Sweets Watching Committee.

Who is he calling? And what kind of committee is that?

His scrolling speed is fast.

His concentration when speed reading is also incredible.

I don’t really know what’s going on, but I make the snacks as we planned.

Mom taught me how to recover emotionally when something bad happens or when I’m feeling depressed – by enjoying the process of making snacks.

I pull myself together and begin making a fruit tart.

I mix some dough and knead it.

I spread it over a tart mold, pour some almond cream and custard cream on top of it, then bake it slowly in the oven.

I decorate it with a mixture of custard cream and whipped cream when it cools, and sprinkle some granulated sugar over it.

I arrange a heap of seasonal fruits on top, and finish it with a coat of polished nappage.

I was so engrossed in the task that by the time I realized, a few hours had passed.

「Mizuhara. I finished making the cake.」

「Ah, I’ve set up the general plan. I’ve also confirmed the details with the school festival committee.」

「Hey, I don’t know what’s going on at all. Could you explain?」

「It’s as it sounds. You’ve been rejecting the idea of borrowing or loaning money, while all the while looking like a lost elf. So I came up with a method for you to earn that 100,000. By selling snacks at the school festival.」

「……That’s insane.」

I argue against his case while cutting the tart with a cake knife.

We sold some ice cream at the karate club last year.

We netted a loss of 40,000 yen.

「It’s not the best choice to sell ice cream when it’s cooled down in October. On top of that, it was chilly during the festival because it was raining on both days.」

There was a lot of ice cream left unsold.

We had to buy a lot of dry ice to preserve it too.

The club members brought up the stupid idea because they thought that girls eating ice cream would look cute. I didn’t expect much from the beginning, but I had no idea we would go that deep in the red.

Because they thought it would be boring just to sell ice cream, we frivolously spent a lot of money on useless ideas. 「Let’s buy some ice cream toppings!」「Let’s make the spoons look cute!」「Let’s make uniforms!」

When Arioka-senpai came wearing an ice cream costume seriously thinking it looked good, I kicked him with all my might.

「What’s a snack that you can make a lot of, and is cost effective?」

「Probably cookies.」

I reply while sticking a fork into the tart.

I made it pretty well.

The texture of the dough was thin, making the tart crunchy. It also has a nice compatibility with the fruits since it has some richness to it.

「Then cookies it is. What’s the maximum you can make in a day? How much can you sell them for?」

「………I don’t know.」

Of course, I’ve never challenged myself to make as many cookies as I can in a day. I’ve never thought about selling them either, so I don’t know the unit price.

「Try it before the next time you come here. Tell me the rough cost of the ingredients, and the maximum you can make in a day. Also the type of cookies you’re making. Bring the recipe as well. And the design, too.」

「………………………」

Mizuhara moves on to the next thing and the next, while looking at the paper he’s scribbling on.

He keeps going forward, leaving me behind as I can’t keep up with his pace.

「It seems that the application process to the executive committee has already started. I’ll work on that area. All you have to do is make the cookies for the school festival as well as snacks for me.」

「So you’re telling me to just focus on making cookies.」

「The biggest problems are dealing with the health center and the Food Hygiene Laws. What to do…」

「I don’t know about sidestepping laws, but… Are we really allowed to sell premade foods such as cookies and cakes?」

「I’ll figure that out. The biggest hurdle here is the ban on homemade cooking and how to clear it.」

Even while eating the tart, Mizuhara is skillfully using his computer and his phone at the same time.

I’m impressed by how he can multitask like that without making mistakes.

Mizuhara’s plan is too reckless.

It’s a hassle to deal with issues related to food poisoning, and I don’t think they’ll allow it.

I refresh myself by making more tarts.

I leave the phantasmal cake in my dreams, and focus on making my mother happy by earning enough money for her delicious sweets in Paris.

Mizuhara makes another call, introducing himself as an officer of the Snacks for Meals Recommendation Board.

An officer? Mizuhara seems even more mysterious, but things will probably get complicated if I probe too much. I stop myself from asking.

The end of summer break is approaching. As I realize that and think to myself that I need to mentally prepare myself for school, Mizuhara sends me a message.

I read the message, wondering what snacks he wants this time.

The subject line says: We’ve been approved.