In This World That Favors Men, I... ~Starting a Sweet School Life in a World With a 1:8 Gender Ratio~ - 35

Chapter 35: Soft and Fluffy

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The busy second semester had ended, and winter break had begun. Even Mom, who was usually swamped with work, had taken a long vacation for the New Year’s holiday and would be staying home.

“For the New Year’s holiday, I won’t hold back on ingredients cost. Let’s eat lots of delicious food!”

She declared this with an unusual level of enthusiasm. Maybe she wanted to refresh herself with good food after being so busy with work.

I’m looking forward to it.

True to her words, crab, ikura, uni, and a full fugu sashimi and hot pot set had already been ordered online. A box of oranges was also set to arrive. For the ingredients for sukiyaki, shabu-shabu, and roast beef, we planned to go shopping at the department store before the end of the year. I was thinking of tagging along as the bag carrier.

Before the New Year’s preparations, there was also a class gathering organized by my classmates from Class A. Apparently, Nabeshima-san’s mother was a cookbook author and a renowned culinary researcher. Their kitchen was incredibly spacious, and they even had a party room. It seemed the girls in our class would be showing off their cooking skills and preparing a variety of dishes there.

And now, as for where I was at the moment… I was out shopping with Yui at the mall. We had come to buy a gift for the Christmas party gift exchange, as well as a present for Mom, who worked so hard every day.

What should I get?

Even if I thought about it, I wasn’t great at figuring out what women wanted. That was why I decided to rely on Yui’s opinion. The budget for the Christmas party gift was 1,500 yen. For Mom’s gift, Yui and I planned to split the cost and look for something around 10,000 yen.

“Onii-chan, how about this?”

Yui had found a section of stylishly designed planners. Since it was the season for them, a special display had been set up, with a wide variety to choose from.

“A planner, huh? That could be nice. There are a lot of options, but what kind of design would be good?”

“Since she’s a high schooler, she could still go for character-themed ones, but something more mature might be better since it’s less specific to personal taste. First, try picking a few that match her sense of style.”

Taking her advice, I decided to walk around the planner section once.

A mature design? Does that mean something simple? But a full-on systemic planner wouldn’t be right either… Hmm, this is harder than I expected…

For now, I picked out three that seemed like good options. The first one had a chocolate-colored base with pink and white striped ribbon patterns crossing in an X shape. It had a chic, chocolate cake-like aesthetic. The second had a pastel green background with an illustration of colorful little birds pecking at red berries. It had a pop-art feel, kind of like mint ice cream. The last one had a light blue background with finely embossed silver stars. This one… Well, it didn’t remind me of food, at least.

“Yui, I picked a few. Can you take a look?”

I called out to Yui, who had also been browsing and had just returned.

“Onii-chan, you’re quick. I’m still having a hard time deciding.”

Even as she said that, she took a look at the planners I had chosen.

“They all look good. In the end, just go with whatever color or design you like best.”

A color I like, huh? The chocolate-colored one looked tasty, but that wasn’t really the point here. Hmm… After debating for a while, I decided to go with the star-patterned planner since it matched my name.

“The planner is 1,200 yen, so we’re a little short on the budget. What should we do?”

“The budget was 1,500 yen, right? That means there’s a 300 yen difference. A pen might be out of the question, so I think adding some stickers would be a good idea. The sticker section is right over there.”

At the nearby sticker section, I bought some glittery star-patterned stickers and had them wrapped together with the planner as a gift.

“Onii-chan, thanks for waiting. Now, next is Mom’s present. I have an idea, so follow me.”

Apparently, Yui had already done some research on this too. Having such a dependable little sister was a real help. She led me to a jewelry shop with glass display cases lined up in neat rows.

“How about this?”

She pointed to a wreath-shaped brooch adorned with cut crystal. The stones were clear, and the base was silver-gold. It had a refined yet practical design that seemed like it would suit Mom well.

“I think it’s great. It’s really pretty, and I can see Mom actually using it.”

“Really? There’s a similar one over there with a slightly different design. Let me know which one you think is better.”

I went to check out the other option. That one had a gold base, with slightly larger and more eye-catching stones.

“This one is nice too, but since Mom wears suits often, I think the first one would match her outfits better.”

“Actually, I thought so too. So, should we go with that one?”

The price was just within our budget, so we had it wrapped in Christmas-themed packaging.

“Thanks to you, we decided on everything really quickly. Thanks, Yui.”

“Ehehe~ You’re welcome.”

“There’s still some time left. Want to stop by anywhere before we head home?”

“Yeah, actually, there’s a place I want to go.”

“What kind of place?”

“It’s a secret until we get there. But I’ll tell you this—it’s a food place.”

A food place?

I wasn’t sure what she was planning, but I was starting to feel a little hungry, so grabbing a bite to eat sounded good. Following Yui through the mall, we eventually arrived at…

“A brûléed pudding crepe!?”

“Yep. Onii-chan, you like pudding, right? I’ve been meaning to bring you here.”

What an amazing little sister I had. Brûléed pudding crepe… I had no idea such a divine creation even existed. A rich custard pudding, generously infused with specks of black vanilla beans, was wrapped together with thick, chewy crepe batter and luscious custard cream. The exposed pudding surface was dusted with sugar and caramelized with a torch. The sugar melted under the flame, turning into a golden-brown caramel shell that coated the pudding.

Now, for the first bite… A crisp crunch, followed by a soft, jiggly bounce, then a chewy mochi-like texture.

What? You don’t understand what I’m talking about?

Basically, it was amazing. It tasted absolutely divine. What the hell, was this dessert made just for me? Double custard with caramelized sugar on top?

“Onii-chan, looks like you really like it. You’re making such a happy face.”

“Hafu… This is seriously delicious. Thanks, Yui.”

As I munched away in the dining space outside the shop, I noticed more and more people gathering around. Almost enough to call it a small crowd.

“Look, that good-looking guy is eating a crepe.”

“And he looks like he’s in pure bliss.”

“I wanna melt like that too.”

“I didn’t know guys liked crepes.”

“It must be really good. Now I want one too.”

Hey, guys like sweets too! At least, I do. And so do Uesugi and Hōjō… Those two would definitely love this. I’ll have to tell them about it later.

Looking at the large, photo-covered menu board in front of the shop, I saw all sorts of other delicious-looking options, like a rolled strawberry-and-cream crepe and a chocolate mousse crepe topped with whipped cream.

Yeah, I’m definitely coming back. I want to try every single one!

Ahh, that was amazing. By the time we were ready to leave, a long line had formed in front of the shop. Understandable. If I weren’t having dinner soon, I’d get another one myself.

“Onii-chan, should we head home?”

“There’s still time. Are you sure?”

“Yeah. We got the presents and ate crepes, so I’m satisfied.”

“Got it. Mom said she’d be home earlier than usual today, so let’s get back before it gets dark.”

The Christmas presents we picked out together… I wondered if Mom would like it? The Christmas party with my classmates was on the 23rd. Our family Christmas was on the 25th. At home, a small Christmas tree decorated with ornaments sat on the windowsill.

I loved this kind of thing. Feeling a warm, fuzzy sensation in my chest, I walked home with a cheerful Yui.

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