Megumi Kato looked at Yui Yuigahama.
Everyone had worries.
Even a pretty girl like her.
Yukino Yukinoshita continued preparing the ingredients as she coldly remarked,
"Yuigahama-san, people who can't even put in the bare minimum effort have no right to envy those with talent. Behind every success is hard work."
Yui hesitated for a moment before replying,
"But everyone is like that!"
Yukino didn't hold back.
"Can you stop trying so hard to please everyone around you? It's extremely irritating."
Struggling to fit in, losing individuality, all to avoid loneliness—
Even if others noticed, they wouldn't say it out loud.
Because that was just how society worked.
It was called social norms.
But Yukino had no problem saying it directly.
Because that was just the kind of person she was.
Hearing her blunt words, Yui couldn't help but think—
She's so cool!
Unlike herself, who always went with the flow and lacked her own opinions.
Meanwhile, Megumi Kato began making cookies.
"Yuigahama-san, let me teach you a simple way to bake cookies."
Yui turned to look at her.
Megumi gave a soft smile.
She was quite familiar with cooking, as she often made meals at home.
Cookies were no exception.
Before long, a perfect batch of cookies was ready.
Golden and crispy.
Just from appearance alone, they looked delicious.
Yui couldn't help but gasp.
"Amazing…"
Megumi smiled.
"Try making some yourself."
It seemed Megumi had fully immersed herself in the club activities.
The baking continued…
One tray of blackened cookies.
One tray of golden cookies.
Looking at the dark cookies she had made, Yui sighed in defeat.
"They're completely different…"
Ren Asakura picked one up and took a bite.
Edible. But barely.
"Dango-chan, these cookies already carry your feelings."
He tossed the rest into his mouth.
Then, he reached for another cookie—
From Megumi's much better batch.
Yui didn't quite understand.
Ren grinned.
"For friends, gifts aren't about how expensive they are, but the thought behind them."
"For example, if a friend gave me homemade cookies, even if they didn't taste great, I'd still be happy—because I'd know they put their heart into it."
"And if a beautiful girl like you made them for me, I'd be over the moon!"
Ren Asakura stuffed one of Megumi Kato's cookies into his mouth and gave a thumbs-up.
"Kato, your baking skills are really something!"
Megumi smiled softly.
"As long as you like it."
Turning to Yui Yuigahama, Ren continued,
"That's the gist of it. Got it? If not, I can give you an example—by exposing one of Hachiman's embarrassing past moments."
"So, I have this friend…"
Ren was about to blow up Sensei's dark history.
Hachiman Hikigaya panicked and tried to shut him up.
Seeing this, Yui couldn't help but laugh.
"Hikki, Ren, you two have such a great friendship!"
It was then that Hachiman realized—somehow, his bond with Ren had deepened to the point where they could joke around like this.
Ren, of course, had no hesitation in confirming it.
"Of course! We're friends!"
Hachiman muttered under his breath.
"Friends, huh…"
---
Time always seemed to fly by.
A week passed just like that.
Ren didn't skip class for an entire week.
Shizuka Hiratsuka felt that dumping her problem students onto someone else had been a brilliant decision.
After a week of practice and effort, Yui finally managed to make homemade cookies that… weren't completely black.
Back at the Service Club—
Yui's request was officially complete.
"Is it really okay for Yui Yuigahama's request to end just like that?"
Yukino Yukinoshita asked, clearly unsatisfied.
Megumi Kato sat in an inconspicuous spot, activating her stealth mode once again.
Hachiman looked indifferent.
"Isn't this fine?"
Yukino voiced her thoughts.
"I believe that in order to improve, one must push themselves to the limit. Only by achieving perfection can something truly be considered 'the best.'"
Hachiman put down his book and prepared to unleash his usual philosophical nonsense.
Ren tilted his head slightly and whispered to Megumi.
"Here he goes again."
Megumi nodded seriously.
Not like it was the first time.
Hachiman began his speech:
"Effort doesn't betray you. But it does betray your dreams. Even if you try your hardest, there's no guarantee your dreams will come true. In fact, failure despite effort is the realistic outcome. But because you tried, at least when you fail, you have an excuse—'I did my best.'"
Yukino's response was flat and merciless.
"That's just self-satisfaction. Disgusting."
Hachiman: "...!"
Megumi Kato watched quietly.
Like a bystander observing the protagonist's story unfold.
Maybe being a bystander in youth wasn't so bad either.
In Megumi's eyes, Ren Asakura was the protagonist, while she was just one of the many unremarkable friends around him.
Even so, she still received a fair amount of attention.
The door to the clubroom was knocked on.
"Yo, hello!"
Yui Yuigahama opened the door and walked in.
"Do you need something?"
As usual, Yukino Yukinoshita's tone was cold.
Yui froze for a moment.
"Wait… do you dislike me?"
Yukino thought for a second.
"Not quite. I just don't like you."
Yui: "Eh?! Isn't that the same thing?!"
Ignoring Yui's reaction, Yukino continued inquiring.
"So, what do you want?"
With a bright smile, Yui pulled something from her bag—handmade cookies, neatly packaged.
"This is a thank-you gift for the other day! I worked hard on them."
She handed a pack to Yukino, then took out more.
All four club members received one.
Megumi looked at the beautifully wrapped cookies in her hands.
"A thank-you gift? But no one asked for anything in return."
Yui grinned.
"I just felt really happy after working hard on them. Maybe next time, I'll try making something else!"
For Yukino, this was the first time she had received a gift from a peer. She looked a little flustered.
But Yui was relentless in her energy.
"Yukino, let's eat lunch together in the clubroom! Oh, and after school, I have plenty of free time, so I'll come help out here! Don't think too much about it—it's just my way of saying thanks."
Yukino shifted slightly in her seat.
Yui pressed on.
"Yukino… Yukino… Yukino…"
Ren glanced at Hachiman Hikigaya.
Hachiman himself hadn't expected to receive a gift.
Understanding the situation, Ren simply chose to say nothing.
°°°
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