Cherreads

Chapter 11 - Flour, Fire, and Feelings

"Hello my little Mumpkins. Did you missed me? Well I would be quite delighted, if you did.

Where was I you ask? I was too busy with life, and taking insight in some heavy family lore, but that is for later-"

Camera pans to Sumi in soft pink oven mitts, holding a whisk like it's her VT7, and

Grams with apron tied like a battlefield uniform.

"-Because today, we're baking with people I care about. And if it gets emotional, good. That means we're human"

We were baking matcha shortbread cookies and chocolate mochi cake.

Sumi was tasked with handling the flour, which she messes up on the ratio, and end up hitting my face full of flour.

"Flour Attack? I trusted you traitor"

"Shinobi style. Level 1 Smoke Bomb, flour style"

Grandma seeing this decides to making the batter for cookies on her own hands, while I make the batter for the Mochi cake, and Sumi makes the chocolate melt, which we're going to add onto the batter.

Which is totally not enough, because someone secretly ate too much of choclates...

"Just to let all you guys know. I'm not pointing any fingers, but we all know who did this, you were the imposter Sumi"

Sumi frantically denies, forgetting that she has chocolate on her face.

Stupid. Cute yes, but Stupid too.

Grams after putting the cookies in oven for baking turns and says, "We're not baking cookies. We're forging memories. And possibly diabetes. Good that your father ain't here."

"Yeah you're not getting much either grams. Don't make me pull out those medical reports"

"As if a little sugar would put me down. If I handled your father, and his sister-in law, then even satan isn't even enough to threaten my COC account"

We're going at this, while Sumi is eating some more chocolate, and chat is getting wild. Too entrapped with our banter.

#"Show her the YOUTH LOVE GURU"

#"Take better care of yourself Grandma Nagomi"

#(Dad)"You better bring the cookies home too. Or I'm blocking your WiFi"

#"Damn, I need her username"

#"Show the ungrateful brat the power of a veteran Nagomi" 

...That was one of her hospital buddies.

#"This is serotonin in video form."

#"Grandma calling emotional growth a recipe is peak chef energy."

#"Stop eating chocolate Sumi. It's too much sugar"

#"Don't tell her. Sumi Best Girl"

#"Protect Sumi forever."

After this fiasco

While we were waiting for the dishes to bake, I decided to start a heart to heart talk.

"I used to feel like I had to impress everyone. Now I just want to be honest. Even if it's quiet. Even if it's not perfect."

Sumi says softly to me, "You helped me feel less afraid of being soft."

Grandma replied to her, "You're allowed to be soft. You're not bread dough — you won't collapse if someone touches you."

"...That was weirdly comforting for some reason" I reply to her, a bit off put.

Now as we remove the trays from the Oven, Grandma starts.

"You two want to know something weird?"

We nod.

"I was afraid I'd never see Kazuya happy again.Not after how desperate he used to be.But now? I see him leading, not chasing."

Then she looks at Sumi and says, "And you. You remind me of the girl I was before Kazuya's grandfather's death, quiet, but made of steel."

Sumi looks at Grandma, with wet eyes not quite tears, then bows down and replies, "Thank you for placing your trust in me"

The mood was getting a bit too melodramatic and serious so I decided to pull the cookies and cake from oven.

The mood was instantly revitalized, as we first tasted the cookies.

"These are stupid good."

Granms looks at me with a grin and says, "You're looking at my greatest creation ever."

Sumi replies, "It's not nice to say bad about your Son Grandma-san"

"...I've decided. She can only marry someone whose deserving of her energy.

And that man needs to survive me first"

"What if its a woman?" I ask while Sumi's a blushing mess.

"Same for her as well"

The End of The Video

"Sometimes the best healing doesn't look like therapy.It looks like cookies and company."

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