Preparation

"Alright everybody! Let's give this culture festival our best!" Mina raised thought out the classroom

"Yes Mam!" The crowd applauded before getting to work, Houjou and Hamaguichi got out paint buckets as people started to paint, Kimura and Takao with a few others started to research a menu

Nishikita as manager/producer of the whole operation was swarmed by people trying to be his second

"Can I be your second in command?" Sanea teased, grabbing his shoulder

"What? Who said there was going to be a second in command? Who said I was in command!?" Nishikita stuttered

"Well since you suggested the whole idea, doesn't that make you the MIP?" Sanea continued

"No thats...not how that works" Nishikita blushed in uncomfortableness, he quickly dismissed the eager blonde girl before another person touched his shoulder

"So what's next....Producer~?" Takagi teased, with a devious look on her face

"(p-Producer!? That h-has a n-nice ring to it)" Nishikita blushed in thought

"Why are you red Nishikita? First Sanea-san and then me? Are you hiding something?" Takagi continued to tease

"No of course not! Let m-me get the calendar!" Nishikita panicked before running off

Takagi giggled to herself before watching the black haired boy return with a fresh calendar

"So look, here's the schedule that I planned. The culture festival is in a week and a half away so I plan on finishing decorating the cafe today and tomorow, that leaves 8 days but with the weekend we have really 6 days, We then finish the menu and start filling up the cafe with things such as chairs and tables. Then the last 5 days would be dedicated to giving roles to who cooks and to make sure everything else runs smoothly" Nishikita ended, looking quite proud of himself

"Wow Nishikita, I am impressed, did you really plan all of that?" Takagi questioned

Nishikita put his hand on his shoulder, "Takao helped", He mumbled. Shooting a look at Takao and Kimura fighting over what would go on the menu

"No I am telling you! Having a more formal menu would be better! Italian food is would be the better choice!" Takao argued

"Nobody here knows how to cook Italian! What we need is good and simple food! Japanese street food. Chicken Karage! Takoyaki! Japanese fries! That is what we need to make a good cafe! The essences of simple food will enlightenment the crowds!" Kimura answered back

Then let's have the class decide what kind of food we are cooking!" Takao answered loudly

"Ok fine! Hey everybody! Help us pick what kind of style of food we are doing!" Kimura yelled

The class soon assembled around the two boys, deciding and picking a side between the two fractions

"Join my side, and I'll give a promo code!" Takao encouraged, winning the votes of a few students

Houjou and Hamaguichi agreed to go with Takao's idea but as soon as Houjou joined Takao's side, Hamaguichi switched right away to Kimura's side

"Hamaguichi! What are you doing!? I though we were picking Takao's idea?" Houjou panicked

"Sorry but... I gotta help a homie!" Hamaguichi answered before siding with Kimura, the class counted how many people were on each side

15 on Takao's side and 15 on Kimura's side? "We are deadlocked! Nishikita and Takagi! Help us and pick something!" The students yelled to the pair

"What!? Don't drag us into this!" Nishikita shouted back before Takagi intervened

"Cmon, let's make a choice!" Takagi exclaimed before grabbing Nishikita arm and pointing at Takao

"How about we go with Takao's choice? It sounds so romantic~" Takagi teased at the dense boy

"What!? What are you saying Takagi-san!? Why would you need that!?" Nishikita backed away in disbelief and earned a laugh from Takagi

"Cmon love birds! Pick one already!" Kimura yelled to the couple

"Shut up Kimura!" Nishikita yelled back in defiance

Nishikita's POV

In the end, we picked Takao's choice because I like european food and something about Kimura's idea seemed off...So me and Takagi picked Italian food, next we needed some chefs and staff for the cafe. We decided that we were going to have 4 total chefs, one head chef, one sous-chef. The other 2 would be helpers. We also should get two back ups chefs so the chefs could substitute. That way, the chefs could go on break and enjoy the festival

I looked across the room, scanning the room for people wanting to be chefs. Takagi-san had the bright idea of setting up a makeshift recruitment office for people who want to be chefs. Houjou-san would then train and test the new recruits. Houjou-san offered to be a chef and though Hamaguichi told me that she burns valentine chocolates. I trust her to be a capable chef

The makeshift recruitment office was in our storage room. It had a desk and a small sheet for those who want to sign up. She made me be the receptionist for some reason. My job was to ask and quiz all of the recruits to make sure that they had the basic knowledge needed to be a cook. I wonder, what it's like to cook and be in a full on kitchen? Probably extremely hectic I could imagine!

I sighed in boredness, it's been like a hour, we would be leaving soon! It would not be good if we didn't get anyone to sign up today. Plus I was freezing! But suddently the door opened, it was Takagi-san! What is she doing here? I thought she said she needed to decorate the East wing of the Cafe? There is no way she is done with it right?

"Hey, what are you doing here Takagi-san?" I asked the c-cute girl...I guess...

"Oh I am here to sign up! Can I Nishikita?" Takagi answered, walking up to me and grabbed my sign-up sheet

"You want to cook? I didn't expect that Takagi-san" I wondered out loud to her, she only smiled back and soon asked

"So are you going to quiz me?"

I jump back from the sudden statement before I answered "Sure"

I look back at her but was interrupted from her asking

"Are you cold?"

I blinked before quickly defend myself "No no I am not why would I be?"

"Well I think you are lying, I bet you are freezing aren't you?" Takagi swung back

I lowered my head in defeat, and mumbled "Yeah I am" to her

"Well let me find a way to warm you up!" She excitedly said, I panicked, WHAT? What does she mean "warm you up!?" Like holding my hands? Is Takagi-san going to hold my hand? Right now!? I were panicking before Takagi placed something in front of me

"A box?" I questioned to the young girl

"Yup! You could just sit in it and it would keep you warm!" Takagi explained, I nodded before stepping inside the box. It's really warm... and nice! But the longer I sat in the box, the more this feeling crept on me

"How is it?" Takagi asked me

"This is kinda warm but I gotta say... The way it looks.... It's kinda like I'am a abandoned dog left in the streets" I pointed out to her

She only looked at me before looking away

"Maybe, maybe not" She finally replied

"You just hesitated there! So you do think I look like a abandoned dog!" I yelled out to Takagi, I knew she was teasing me!

"Would you like some bread?" She revealed a piece of white bread packaged in plastic

"Stop treating me like that!" I told the sly girl! Man Takagi always teases me like that! I never win

"No I didn't say anything~" She looked away shyly, I glared at her before getting out of the box

"This is too embarrassing, I am getting out" I growled before I felt Takagi's soft hands on my shoulder

"Here you go" She whispered as she laid a cushion on my back, I sighed in relief from the warmness of the cushion but then I got worried about Takagi's well being. What if she's really cold and decided to use her only cushion on me?

"Wait how will you keep warm?" I asked her, she looked at me before hopping inside the box

"Like this" She told me as she curled up inside the box. She looks....Adorable! I glance away before grabbing another piece of bread

"Do you want some bread?" I teased back, How about that Takagi-san! I bet you didn't expect me using your own trick against you!

"Sure I want it!" Takagi exclaimed, opening her mouth wide... Does she expect me to f-feed her?

"Actually on second thought...Nevermind that" I backed away, there is no way I am hand feeding her!

"Cmon, I am a hungry abandoned cat! I am soooo hungry" She looked at me with cute puppy eyes, begging me feed her my bread

"I am not feeding you Takagi..." I mumbled in mild agony, I mean anybody would want to feed her! She looks so adorable!

"Well are you going to quiz me now finally?" She pointed out

"Oh yeah I forgot!" I exclaimed before getting out the test sheet, I looked at Takagi, only for me redirect my gaze, she looks so cute when she's in the box! Wait I cannot admit something like that! Cmon Nishikita! Pay attention! I read the first question

"What is cross-contamination?" I questioned

"It is when say cutting chicken on one cutting board and I clean it up with a towel and then I start cutting vegetables and clean it up with the same towel that I used to clean up the chicken, now I have meaty bacteria on veggies!" Takagi answered back. I nodded in agreement

"How does Cholera mainly spread?"

"Mainly water and infected flies"

"Should you use food that you are unsure if it's spoiled or not?"

"No!"

"Seems like you passed, way to go Takagi-san" I complimented her

"Wow are you praising me?" Takagi teased, I looked away in embarrassment

"Never mind what I said!" I was blushing hard, Ah Takagi always makes me blush! I really need a way to counter that...But I would't want it any other way

"Well I am going to go talk with Houjou now, see you Nishikita" Takagi got up and excited the door

I sighed in defeat, when will I ever beat Takagi-san? Plus I should probably tell her about what's going to happen to me soon... Truth be told, I am a little afraid, yet hopeful for the future

The tea cup swirls! Both Nishikita and Takagi have secrets that are both hidden from each other, who will discover the others first? And what would be the consequences?