Yumeiro Patissiere

Chapter 8: The Genius, arch-rival and the natural?

One evening, Ichigo was saying goodbye to Rumi at the bus stop. Rumi was going home for a day to see her family. "You take-care Ichigo, bye," said Rumi. Then Rumi got onto the bus and left. Ichigo was just about to head back to the dorms when suddenly a smart black limousine past by her on the way to the dorms. "Wow what a car," said Ichigo "I wonder who was in that?"

As she walked back to the dorms, Makato saw her from the library window. "What are you doing?" he asked. "I was saying goodbye to Rumi, who just went home," said Ichigo. Makato realized that Ichigo would be alone, and then he jokingly told her about ghosts appearing at night in the dorms. "I do not believe in that childish nonsense!" Ichigo huffed, and she went back to the girls' dorms.

After a good night's sleep, Ichigo was standing on the balcony and was thinking about what to do today. It was the weekend so there were no classes today. "What are we going to do Ichigo?" asked Vanilla. "Well we could go to the shops in town," said Ichigo "I heard there are some shops that have some marvelous sweets". "Then we should go there," said Vanilla. But then someone from below called out to Ichigo. It was the girls from group B. "We are going to pick some walnuts, want to come to Amano?" said Ikue. Ichigo frowned and did not trust their invite. "No I don't thank you, because I already have plans," she said, "and the walnut season is over". She quickly went back into her room. As the walnut season was over, Ichigo could tell that group B was trying to pick on her again. "Those girls are still being mean to you Ichigo," said Vanilla. "You're right," said Ichigo "and to be honest with you Vanilla, I have a feeling that they are going to try and do more nasty things to me in the future. So we better watch them". "You leave that to me Ichigo because those girls cannot see me as they have no sweet spirits," said Vanilla. "If they did have sweet spirits, I reckon they would be mean like them," said Ichigo. Vanilla agreed.

Outside group B were cross that their plan had not worked. "That girl is smart," said Rie "and I think she knows what we are trying to do to her". "This just means we will need to think of something else" replied Ikue. Ikue was more eager than the others to pick on Ichigo. But before they could try to think of something else, a girl with blond hair came up to them. "What are you doing?" she asked. The girls gasped at the sight of the girl; the girl was Mari Tennouji and she was the top student of St Marie Academy. Mari was famous throughout the school because of her beauty, her grades, and her genius skills of making sweets. "Eh, nothing Tennouji sempai" stuttered Ikue. "We were just asking Amano if she wanted to come walnut picking with us," said Chinatsu. "Even though the walnut season is over?" asked Mari. Group B started to leave.

Ichigo and Vanilla were getting ready to go to town, but then there was a knock at the door. "It better not be group B again," said Ichigo. When she opened the door, she saw that it wasn't group B but Mari Tennouji. Ichigo had heard about Mari and her excellent skills, but she had never met her before. "What can I do for you Tennouji sempai?" asked Ichigo. "I would like you to come to the high school dormitories with me," said Mari. Ichigo was surprised that Mari was inviting her to the high school dormitories, but she accepted the invitation.

Mari led Ichigo all the way to high school dormitories and also brought her to her room. It was a big room and there was a kitchen added to it. "Oh wow!" gasped Ichigo "I'd love to have a room like this, especially with a kitchen added to it. I could make sweets anytime I want without heading over to the school kitchens. So why have you invited me here Tennouji sempai?" Mari explained that she knew about Ichigo and the fact that Henri-sensei scouted her to St Marie Academy. "I'm happy that I met Henri-sensei," said Ichigo "because if I didn't, I would never have thought about being a student here at St Marie Academy. So I'm grateful to him". "I see" replied Mari.