Chapter Text
Today was the day.
Amai looked at her stack of flyers, smiling as she picked them up and slid them carefully into her bag. It took several hours of meticulous glitter sprinkling and a lot of printer ink, but at long last, her recruitment flyers were complete and ready to be hung around school grounds. The Cooking Club at Akademi High seemed to be fairly popular in previous years, but Amai had a larger goal in mind. The club attracted the same crowd every year: a group of girls who all seemed to already know each other in some way, boys who joined in hopes of flirting with said girls, the rare boy who held an actual interest in cooking, and a few club hoppers who would conveniently show up once the food was prepared.
Amai was grateful for these members, but she couldn't help but feel as if her club was becoming a bit stale. She wanted to transform it, revolutionize it, even. As club president, it was her job to make the cooking club something exciting for everyone. It was no easy task, but Amai Odayaka was anything but a quitter. She woke up early that morning and bolted towards the kitchen, baking as many cupcakes as she could bring along with her. The smell of vanilla wafted through the Odayaka household as she worked fervently. Soon, she had a fresh batch of thirty-six cupcakes ready to be frosted and decorated.
Her goal for the year: recruit some fresh new members for her club. If she had to stoop to bribing her classmates to get ahead, then so be it. The Akademi Club Fair would prove to be a difficult challenge, but she had the power of free snacks at her side.
She hummed as she moved over to her kitchen counter, carefully picking up the lid to her cupcake carrier and checking to see if her cupcakes were still light and fluffy. The peaks of seafoam green frosting were still standing tall, and there wasn't a single sprinkle out of place. A grin spread across her face as she placed the lid back on and secured it. Amai picked up her carrier with one hand and slung her bag over her shoulder with the other. Taking a breath, she made her way out of the kitchen and towards her front door.
Today had to be the day.
The lunch bell chimed throughout Akademi High, releasing the students from their classrooms. Chatter quickly filled the halls as the students clustered, falling back into their usual circles and heading to their usual hangout spots. Without wasting a moment, Amai grabbed her bag and rushed out of her class, down to her club room. The room had already been decorated, courtesy of Saki and Shoku. Pink and white balloons were tied to the chairs, and a proud "Welcome!" banner hung above the dining area.
Amai threw open the refrigerator and let out a sigh of relief upon seeing her cupcakes still safe and sound. She gingerly lifted the carrier out of the refrigerator and kicked the door closed with her heel. Time was of the essence. She could hear the halls growing louder. She grabbed a plate from the cabinet and began arranging cupcakes in a circle.
The doors slid open, and Ajia and Saki slipped inside, carrying boxes of their own homemade treats.
"Are we late?" Saki nearly threw her box down onto the table. She went straight towards the kitchen and began grabbing plates. "I'm SO sorry! I was trying to find Seiyo and Ajia and I found Ajia but we couldn't find Shoku and--"
"Relax! It hasn't started yet." Ajia rolled her eyes, taking the plates from Saki. "Seiyo and Shoku are getting ready to hand out flyers.
"And Kenko?" Amai opened Saki's box. Inside were sugar cookies in an array of shapes from circles, to hearts, to flowers. Ajia scooped a handful of cookies onto the plate and slid it next to the plate of cupcakes.
"Haven't see him all day." Ajia began transferring her own box of taiyaki onto a plate.
Amai frowned. "Looks like I'm on flyer duty then. Think you two can handle things here?"
"Leave it to me!" Saki gave her a cheery salute. "We'll get our signup filled in no time!"
"You two are the best!" Amai beamed.
The intercom chimed.
"Good afternoon, Akademi students!" A cheery voice spoke up. "During lunch today, the Akademi High Club Fair will be taking place! Get out there and make some friends! Try something new! But most importantly, stay safe, alright? No running in the halls!"
Amai took a breath. The time had come. She glanced back at Saki and Ajia, both of them responding with a nod.
"Wish me luck!" Amai returned her bag full of flyers to her back and took the rest of the cupcakes in the carrier with her. She took her place against the wall by the door leading to the courtyard, gently setting her carrier down on the ground and removing a few flyers from her bag. Amai cleared her throat, and began waving her flyers around to capture people's attention, calling out, "Join the cooking club! Take a free cupcake!" every so often. A few students would come up to her, taking a flyer and half heartedly listening with their eyes locked on her cupcakes as Amai began her spiel on the benefits of joining the club. She saw a few familiar faces take a flyer and a free cupcake. So far so good. But if she was going to achieve her goal, she had to step into some people's comfort zones.
Placing the lid back over her cupcakes, Amai made her way out of the hall and outside of the building. Her next target: the few students who meandered outside during lunchtime. They were a difficult target-- many of them were shy and a tad standoffish, but Amai had no doubts in her own abilities. Amai began her patrol around the building, keeping a sharp eye out for potential new recruits. In the corner of her eye, she spotted a group of boys huddled around the back of the building.
Perfect.
She eagerly began to run towards them. "Excuse me!"
The group turned their heads at her in unison. They all scowled at her.
Amai came to a stop. To make the proper pitch, she had to be presentable. She straightened her posture, dusted off her clothes and cleared her throat. First impressions were everything. "Hello! I don't believe I've seen you all before. I'm Amai Odayaka, and I--"
"The fuck do you want?" One of the boys spoke up, malice dripping from his voice.
Amai blinked, taken aback. "I'm..." She cleared her throat. She had to put herself back on track. She put on her signature smile and continued. "I'm here to recruit new members for the cooking club! Would you be interested in joining?"
The mood suddenly grew tense. The boys began to snicker and whisper among themselves.
"Listen, girly," Another boy, one with a small scar running across his cheek, sneered. "Why don'tcha run along back to where you came from?"
"It'd be a shame if your pretty little posters ended up in the incinerator." The boy with the deep cut across the bridge of his nose looked up at Amai, eyes nearly cutting right through her.
Amai frowned. Clearly, this wasn't going well.
"Oh!" She lifted up her cupcake carrier. Of course! Her saving grace, the ace up her sleeve-- no one could resist a treat from Odayaka Bakery. "Please, have a cupcake! Perhaps it'll change your mind!"
"Can I help you?" A deep voice startled Amai, nearly causing her to drop her cupcakes. Her blood suddenly ran cold as she felt a looming presence over her shoulder.
"Boss! Thank god! This dumbass over here keeps botherin' us about some club."
"You." The voice spoke up again. Amai turned around, her facial expression was calm yet her nerves were running wild. She backed up immediately once she came face to face with a pair of piercing brown eyes. The girl before her appeared to be twice her own size and could quite frankly, crush her like a grape with only a finger.
"What, you scared?" The girl smirked. She bent down and leaned in closer, just inches away from Amai's face. "Talk. Now."
Amai shook her head, hoping to shake the incoming negative thoughts out of her mind. "I'm Amai Odayaka. And you are?" She offered her hand and her best smile. The girl in front of her frowned. An excruciating silence followed. Amai could feel herself started to break out into a cold sweat. She slowly drew her hand back and returned it to her side.
"I didn't mean to offend. I just..."
"Shidesu." The tall girl stood up straight.
"Beg pardon?"
"Shidesu. Osoro Shidesu. Forget it, and see what happens. I dare you."
Amai pouted a bit. How could a group of people be so cruel? All she wanted to do is share her baked goods and cooking talents with her fellow students. Despite her setbacks and the overwhelming urge to run for safety, she was still determined.
"Fine, Ms. Shidesu. I was wondering if you were interested in joining the cooking club!" Amai offered a flyer adorned in pale green glitter. Osoro looked down at it in disgust, snatching it out of Amai's hand.
"We meet on Mondays if you're interested!"
Osoro stared directly into her eyes, crumpling the flyer up and tossing it over her shoulder.
This was quickly going horribly wrong.
"At the very least, please consider it. We'd love to have you! Everyone's welcome!" Amai held up her cupcake carrier. "Please, take a cupcake!"
"I don't take handouts." Osoro growled.
"I insist. One taste might change your mind!"
"Huh? You deaf? I said I don't take handouts."
"I see." Amai sighed, upset that even her best attempts weren't enough. "Thank you for hearing my pitch then." Despite her disappointment, she couldn't let one small failure get in the way of the bigger picture. There were other students to see, and more flyers to pass out. The faster she left, the sooner she could return to the safety of the school hallways. As she turned to leave the area, she felt an immense wave of relief washed over her. She was still alive! That was enough of a victory. She took a few steps forwards.
"Yo! Wait." The boy with the scar on his lip barked. "Leave them."
Amai blinked in surprise, glancing over her shoulder. "I'm sorry?"
"Did I fuckin' stutter? Leave them."
Confused, Amai slowly set down her cupcake carrier on the ground.
"Now--"
"Beat it!" Osoro shouted. Amai didn't waste a single second. She scrambled away from the group, back towards the familiar comfort of the school walls. Once she was out of sight, the delinquents focused their attention back on the bounty of fresh cupcakes that sat before them.
"Hell yeah, free food!" One of the boys walked over to the carrier, picking it up.
"Umeji. Crack it open." Osoro ordered.
"Don't gotta ask me twice." The delinquents crowded around him as he opened the carrier, the sweet smell of vanilla frosting wafting through the air almost immediately. Before anyone could stick their hands in it, Osoro grabbed a cupcake, inspecting it for a moment then biting into it. Her expression softened once she began chewing. The cake was soft and light, and the frosting, while extremely sweet, was not overbearing. The two worked in near perfect harmony.
"So? How are they? They taste shitty or what?"
Osoro took her time eating, then finally swallowed. She looked at the remnants of her cupcake and raised an eyebrow.
"Go ahead. Eat 'em." Without another word, the delinquents ravaged the rest of Amai's cupcakes.
Osoro had to admit, they tasted pretty good. Perhaps that girl would be useful after all.