Ayoshi was walking down the hall when he saw two girls talking.
"Aww, you didn't have to give me this."
"Of course I did! If you hadn't tutored me, I would have failed that test."
"You don't have to give me anything. I'm happy to help you."
"You won't take payment! So please take this gift as a thank you."
She sighed and smiled, "Hehe, ok."
'So you give gifts to others who are kind to you? Mm, it is decided I will give him a gift,' Ayoshi thought.
***
Ayoshi, at home in the kitchen, watched his mother as she cooked dinner. "Mother, what would be a good gift?"
Ryoba quickly turned away from what she was doing to face her son. "Have you found your senpai?" She asked with excitement.
"No, but I noticed that normal people give gifts to say thank you. So I decided to give someone a gift."
"Why?"
"He has been very kind to me and you give gifts to those who have been kind to you."
"Well, you can make him a bento. You're an amazing cook."
"Really?"
"Why else would I make you cook dinner twice a week? And who wouldn't love food?"
"Ok, thank you, mother."
"Sure thing. Now go do your homework."
***
Ayoshi knew he didn't just want to give a bento. So he spent a little while thinking of what should go with a bento. Then he realized since he liked sweets so much, he would surely like them as well, but he didn't know how to bake or what to make. So he was going to ask Amao if he could help.
It's currently lunch and he's at the fountain waiting for Taro and Osano. "Ayoshi-kun!" He heard Taro say as he and Osano walked towards him.
When they finally reached him, Osano said, "Since you guys are always hanging out without me, I decided to join you."
"I am sorry I can not join you," Ayoshi said.
"What?! I finally joined you guys but you won't even be here," Osano lightly yelled.
"I am sorry, but it is important."
"It isn't fair! You guys never told me that you were hanging out and now I don't even get to spend time with you," Osano said with a pout.
"It will only be for today. I will return tomorrow."
Osano just looked away with his arms crossed.
"Come on Osano, Ayoshi said it was important."
"Hmph, fine, but you better be here tomorrow!"
"Mmm." Ayoshi nodded.
"Where do you even have to be, Ayoshi-kun?" Taro asked.
"I wish to learn how to bake from Odayaka-kun."
"What? That… that brown-haired guy that I saw you within the Cooking Club," Taro stammered out as he felt his heart race with worry.
"Yes, now I have to go," Ayoshi said as he walked away.
Taro just watched as Ayoshi left with a saddened face and bitter feeling.
Osano just looked at Taro confused. 'Who is this Odayaka? Why is he making Taro all worried?'
Ayoshi walked towards the Cooking Club, and when he arrived, he saw people, but not Amao. He asked someone in the clubroom and they said he is in the garden where the Gardening Club did their activities. When he arrived at the garden, he saw Amao picking vegetables and putting them into different bags. He walked up to him, "Excuse me, Odayaka-kun?"
Amao turned his head to face Ayoshi and gently smiled, "Hello Aishi-kun. Is there anything I can help you with?"
Ayoshi asked him, "I was wondering if you were willing to teach me how to bake?"
Amao stood up and smiled brightly, "I would love to! When would you like to start?"
"Now."
"Oh, so soon. Well, ok just let me finish picking these vegetables and we can go."
Ayoshi decided to help so he could start learning faster. He knelt down and started putting the vegetables in the bags.
"You don't have to do that!!"
"Yes, I do."
"Well ok, but I'm taking one of these bags home so different stuff goes into this green bag," Amao said, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Why are you taking some home?"
"Um, well… my parents work a lot but earn very little. So it's difficult to pay bills and buy basic necessities. So we had very little food. In desperate need, I asked the school if I could take vegetables from the garden to relieve some pressure off my parents. The school was very understanding and said yes. The Gardening Club members were very kind about my situation and even planted different types of vegetables for my family and me. I'm very thankful, but even though we had enough food, it still pained me to watch my parents come home exhausted and still have to cook dinner. I love my parents so much for everything they do for me and wanted to show my gratitude by taking away some of their workload. I learned how to cook so they came home to a warm, delicious meal where they could just relax and enjoy themselves," Amao said with a loving expression.
"That is very kind of you."
"No, my parents deserve it. Also, by learning how to cook, I can repay the Gardening Club members with delicious food. Oh, I'm sorry, Aishi-kun. I've been talking so much!"
"It is ok, all your talking made the time go by faster."
"Oh, you're right! We're all done, let's go teach you how to bake," Amao said with excitement. When they made it back to the Cooking Club, all the others had already left. "Ok, if I may ask, why do you want to learn how to bake?"
"Well, there is this guy. He has been very kind to me and helped me so much without asking for anything in return. I wish to give him a gift. I want to give him a bento and sweets, but I do not know how to bake, so I came to you."
Amao's face flushed red. 'Is he talking about me? He wants to give me a gift,' he thought as he swooned. "That's so kind of you, but what do you want to bake?"
"I do not know, but it definitely has to be sweet."
"Well, you can make him chocolate truffles."
"Will he like them?"
"Of course he will!"
***
Ayoshi is a fast learner, but it still took a little while to learn how to make the truffles. When they had finished, the bell was about to ring.
"All done. They look great, Aishi-kun. You did a great job!"
"Thank you."
Amao grabbed one of the truffles and held it up to Ayoshi's mouth, "Say ahh, Aishi-kun," he said with a doting smile.
"Aww." Ayoshi took a bite from the truffle. "Mmm, he will definitely like the truffles."
'Of course he will. They're my favorite. Why wouldn't I like them?' Amao thought with a giddy laugh.
Ayoshi soon started to eat the rest.
"Are you not going to save them for him?" Amao asked.
"I want to bake them the day I give him the gift so they are as fresh as possible."
"Oh, makes sense," Amao said as he started to pick things up to put away. His hands were full, so he couldn't get any of the truffles to try.
Ayoshi noticed and decided to give him one before he ate them all. He picked one up and walked over to Amao, "Ahh."
Amao turned his head to face Ayoshi, holding up his hand up to his mouth, trying to offer him a truffle. He gently smiled, "Ahhh." He felt butterflies in his stomach as he took a bite from the truffle. He always felt so happy when Ayoshi fed him or when he fed Ayoshi. 'It's something special we only have with each other,' he thought. "It's delicious, Aishi-kun. Thank you!"
"Mm, I must go now. Thank you for your help."
"Oh, ok but can I ask you something before you go?" Amao asked nervously.
"Yes?"
"May… may I call you by your first name? It's ok if you don't want to though!"
"It is fine."
Amao's face lit up. "Thank you! You can call me by my first name too!"
"Mm."
"Have a good day, Ayoshi-kun. Bye-bye." Ayoshi simply nodded and left. When Ayoshi left, he started thinking about what happened with Ayoshi. He started gently laughing, "Oh Ayoshi, you're so silly. Asking the person who you want to give a gift to, to help you with it."