"Rumi~" Chisa appeared from out of thin air and grabbed her arm. "Wanna hang with us? Kanon and I were gonna check out this trending new bakery." 

Just then another friend of Rumi's caught up. She was a pretty thing with hair like starlight that came down past her shoulders, capped by a cream-colored bucket hat. Around one of those silvery locks was a blue ribbon that matched her kind, limpid eyes. 

"My sister said it's full of delicious things." Kanon tempted gently, appealing to Rumi's sweet tooth. 

A bakery, huh...

Well, it's been a while since the three of them hung out since Kanon was always doing extracurriculars. A very smart and sensible girl, she'd become the vice president of the student council and had been quite busy ever since the start of the school year. 

Her special ability was capable of granting consciousness into inanimate objects. Specifically, her own. Not a very battle-oriented skill, but since she excelled at academics she fit the role of vice president perfectly. She was given all the paperwork as a consequence. Since the range of her ability wasn't very long, it meant she always had to stay close for it to work. 

There must finally no longer be any backed-up paperwork to do.

It can't be the same one I'm thinking of, though, right? Ah, whatever.

"Alright, sure!" Rumi agreed enthusiastically. Yuuji had limited her supply of confections anway. He said she was going to start putting on pounds at the rate she was going.

That cursed fatty! How dare he take away Rumi's cookies?! What gave him the right?! 

Even though she was the one who was concerned about her weight to begin with...now that they were gone, she was suffering from withdrawal. 

It had only been two days and her skin already felt clammy and itchy. 

She'd begged him for a crumb this morning and he had the audacity to call her an addict. Like, what? She wasn't an addict, she could stop anytime she wanted to! She simply didn't want to.

Anyway, she got mad and called him an alcoholic, then threw her lunchbox at him in a fury and ran away. He was left with a face full of rice. But it was his fault for holding out on her.

"Great!" Chisa grinned wildly and grabbed Kanon with her other arm. Linked together, she dragged them forward. "Sweets party, let's go!"

***

Sometime later, a blank Bentley pulled up to a rather nondescript bakery. It had a nice, modern feel to it but was not like those super-popular and trendy bakeries they'd gone to before in terms of pure appearance. 

Despite this, Rumi's mouth salivated as soon as she saw it. 

It was this place after all!

The girl swallowed back her saliva and licked her lips. Yuuji's bakery. Ah, it was beautiful. Such a divine smell. She wanted to drown in it!

"Thanks, James. You can take a break if you'd like." Kanon told the suited driver as he helped her out of the vehicle. 

"Understood, miss." The serious-faced driver nodded and took a cigarette from a small metal box in his breast pocket. Despite his solemn appearance, he really took her up on the offer, huh. 

Kanon came from a very wealthy family so she always had competent bodyguards. There was only one in sight, James, who acted as her driver too. But he may not be the only one in the actual vicinity. 

Nevermind that. Rumi was too busy trying to contain her urge to run inside. 

"Wow, this place smells great," Chisa commented as they walked inside. "There's hardly any room, either. It's good that we reserved some seats ahead of time." 

Rumi didn't even know they had to reserve seats now. Since when had that become a thing? 

"Hey, Rumi..." Kanon tugged at her sleeve. "Isn't that your mom?" The girl pointed to a waitress currently taking an order to a table not far away. 

...Yuuji had somehow coerced Rumi's mother into helping out. Not only was she a waitress, she was also a mascot. There were all kinds of posters with her "risque" figure all over them. She and the owner of the bakery, Angela, had been roped into the boy's Avante-Garde marketing plan. 

Rumi's pretty sure he wanted to rope her into it, too. Actually, hadn't he cut off her cookie supply for that exact reason? She couldn't confirm this theory, but that had to be the case! The very thought made her boil inside. 

"What?" Rumi looked. "Of course not, they just have similar figures. Why would my mom be working in a place like this, anyway? And in such an embarrassing get-up." 

The woman currently wore a very seductive maid outfit that barely covered her rear and exposed the top of her voluminous breasts. Honestly, Rumi had no idea how Yuuji made her agree to wear that thing.

That damn son-con would do anything for him, apparently.

 No, no, that's not right. Son-con? As if they're really mother and son...I don't acknowledge it!

Rumi rejected the idea even more harshly than she had before. In fact, she absolutely hated it. They may have a close relationship, but it must be due to something else she didn't know about. He couldn't actually be her mother's son. 

Even if she did accept him as a brother, which obviously she never would, she'd reject the idea of him being her mother's biological son even more.

Their matching hair colors didn't mean anything.

Kanon considered Rumi's words for a moment, then nodded. "You're right. It's too ridiculous. " She laughed lightly, like tinkling bells.

They were led to their table by a boy maybe a few years older than them, then her mother walked over. 

Rumi had a cold sweat running down her back. She took Kanon's hat and placed it atop her own head, then slouched down in her seat. The attempt to avoid identification failed miserably. Her mother was too keen.

"Rumi, what are you doing? Yuuji said you can't eat here anymore." 

The words shocked her to her core. "Wait, what? Mother, that's so unfair! Why?!"

Chisa and Kanon were in perfect sync.""Mother?"" 

The woman smiled at the two. "Hello, girls," She greeted before turning back to her daughter. "The last time you were here you almost ate yourself into a coma. Did you think you would be welcomed back?"

Rumi stiffened. "That was one time."

"Once was enough. I'm sorry, but we can't serve you."

Her bottom lip trembled. "But piggy cut off my cookie supply! I'm a paying customer, why can't I eat here? This is discrimination!" 

"...Rumi." Her mother looked at her with a touch of loathing. "Do you want people to start calling you piggy?"

She wanted to cry. "N-No...." Her bottom lip trembled.

"Good. Then I'll be taking your friends' orders. Girls, please don't feed her anything. Starting from now, she's on a diet." 

A diet! 

"Ah....yeah. Okay?" Chisa smiled awkwardly. After her mother gave them the menu and took their orders, she rounded on Rumi. "Your mother's really working here?!"

"I thought that was her," Kanon looked at the woman's retreating back with concern. "Are you two doing okay?"

"We're okay!" Rumi assured. "She's just under the spell of a piggy prince, that's all," She grumbled, her stomach growling. 

Hush, little one....you have to endure.

"You mean your brother?" Chisa asked.

The question raised Rumi's hackles instantly. "Not my brother!"

"Right, right," Chisa waved her reply off. " Anyway it's because of him, right?"

"Oh, shut up. Don't remind me about piggy anymore." Her mouth was dry. She hungered, but she couldn't eat. "Just enjoy your damn pastries and leave me to wallow." She saw her mother bring over their orders. "But don't eat the cookies."

"Why?" Kanon asked.

"Once you eat them, there's no going back."

"Uh. Sure. Okay." The girl nodded, seemingly confused. 

"Speaking of your brother, since your mother's here and you said he's the one who brought her in...does that mean he's here, too?" Chisa's eyes glittered. "I wanna meet him!" 

"Meet who?" Her mother sauntered over. 

"Yuuji." 

The woman's smile turned strained. "Whyever so?"

"Well, he seems interesting. Rumi's been complaining about him since forever now."

"Ah, is that the case?" Her mother sighed, her overprotective nature abating somewhat. "I'll see if he has time to talk." And she walked off once again. 

Rumi panicked. No, no, no, why did Chisa want to meet him? This was weird, Chisa was usually never interested in people like this. 

"She seemed a bit defensive, don't you think?" Chisa turned to her silver-haired friend. 

"I think she thought you liked him, maybe?" 

"Really? I never even met him before, why would she think that?"

"I'm not sure. Paranoia? You know how mothers get with their kids sometimes."

"Right," They laughed. "Well, Rumi just talks about him so much I got curious. She makes him sound like a tyrant sometimes."

Rumi tsked. "He is. There's nothing good about him except his food," She muttered. Maybe he was a little nice too, sometimes. Like how he would always make sure she had breakfast and lunch. Or how he'd remember to record her favorite shows when she was going to be running late from school. There were also the times when he'd carry her to her bed when she fell asleep on the couch watching said shows.

And perhaps he was just the tiniest bit cool when he rearranged the face of that pervert from the gym for her sake that day. 

But other than those kinds of things? A dictator! And he still talked meanly to her, too! Usually it was only when she talked badly about him, first, but that's beside the point! He didn't have to say such bad things about her, okay? She's a girl, after all. No one else had dared talk back to her when she said something to them before, what made him think he could? 

The nerve! What's more, her cookies! And now she was apparently banned from eating here? She hated him. 

"I think I also have a rather charming personality and winning smile, but I'll take being a good cook." 

The teasing, playful voice was instantly familiar. Rumi sat bolt upright. "You!" Her eyes narrowed as a tall, stocky youth walked towards their table in a dirty white apron.

"Yeah, me. Stay still." Yuuji took out a lunchbox. Her's. Rumi's mood brightened. Cookies? "Open up." The boy smiled. 

Rumi obeyed on instinct alone. A moment later, she gagged. "Wh-What is this? Disgusting!" She coughed, only to find grains of rice fall onto the table. Chisa and Kanon moved their plates away as they munched happily on some crepes.

"It's the rice you threw in my face this morning. How does the floor taste? I made sure to stomp on them a few times before scooping them up."

"Why would you do this?" Rumi cried, rubbing her tongue with napkins. "You're horrible!"

"I'm petty and vindictive, yes. I try to keep you from becoming a whale, and I get rice in the face." He shook his head. Then raised a brow to her friends. "Who're these fine ladies then?" 

"No one! Go away! Lecher! Bastard!" 

He ignored her. Chisa grinned. "I'm Chisaki, a friend of Rumi's. That's Kanon."

"Yuuji," He greeted. "A pleasure."

"We know. You don't look as fat as Rumi made you out to be." Chisa looked him up and down. "More burly, if anything."

"I've been trying to lose weight, " He explained shortly. "You guys enjoying the food?"

They nodded enthusiastically. "It's great!" Chisa exclaimed.

"Glad to hear it. Know what? It's on me today. Order whatever else you'd like. Go wild." 

"Really?" Kanon gently wiped herself before asking. "Money is no object, there's no need for such a thing."

"Don't worry about it. You're friends with my house's Rumi and this is our first meeting."

"No, we couldn't--" Kanon insisted before being cut off by Chisa.

"Kanon!" The girl hissed. "Accept his kindness!" The girl's nostrils flared before munching down on a cupcake. 

The girl was distraught. "But still...this isn't right. The shop would be losing out."

"If that's what bothers you," Yuuji began, "How about coming over for dinner today instead? I'll be happy to make you guys some treats back home. That way you won't feel bad, right?"

The compromise calmed the girl. "At Rumi's? Okay, that sounds nice. Thank you. I'll gladly accept." She bowed.

"Good. It's settled, then." 

"What's settled?!" Rumi slammed a fist on the table. "Don't make plans on your own! What's your game here, piggy? I know you only have vile intentions, I see it in your eyes!"

The boy placed a hand to his chin. "How astute." He marveled. "You're right. Actually, I planned to seduce your friends and turn them against you."

"I knew it!" Rumi stood up. "You were going to...wait, what?" She slumped back in her seat, dumbfounded.

Chisa nearly choked on her cupcake. "Are you serious?" She croaked once she saved herself from death's door.

Yuuji flatly denied it. "Of course not. You guys are far too young for my tastes." 

Chisa narrowed her eyes. "Say what now? Hey, I kinda take offense at that. I'm attractive to all ages."

"Kid, do you even have hair down there yet?"

The girl's cheeks turned red. "Why're you asking something so disgusting?!"

"A no, then. See? Still just a child."

Chisa looked at Rumi. "You're right, he's insufferable.

"I'm sure your mother would consider me quite the opposite. How about you introduce me?" 

Her friend was shocked. "You...! What kind of person asks that?!" She shook her head in wonder. 

'The unscrupulous kind." He countered. 

She was at a loss. "Well....that is probably true. But it doesn't matter," She folded her arms. "She's happily married!"

"Even better. Wives are my specialty." 

Chisa stared at him blankly. Rumi was grinning from ear to ear. You see, she thought gleefully. You see now? This is what I have to deal with every day! Now suffer with me!

"That's," The girl started, "...kinda hot." 

Everyone raised a brow at her. "Not the reply I was expecting." Yuuji frowned. 

"Not many people know it, but I'm actually pretty kinky." The girl laughed heartily. "My parents run an adult video store, so..."

Ah, that's right....Chisa's a pervert, too. 

Rumi had forgotten. The girl is rotten. 

***

Later, in the car.

"You know, I like him. He's cute and easy to talk to." Was Chisa's assessment after nearly half an hour of conversation with the guy. "Does he have a girlfriend, you think?"

"Don't know, don't care," Rumi replied sourly. "If you want him, you can have him." She told the girl 

"Nice. Hey, if I start dating him do you think he'll make me treats every day?"

So she's after my cookies!

"Let's not be friends anymore."

Sorry, Chisa. But there's only so much batter to go around.