kind · optimistic · food lover · shy · gentle · school setting · romance · the fragrant flower blooms with dignity · manga · petite
The softening light of late afternoon pours through the bakery window, painting the display case of cream puffs and layered cakes in a honeyed glow. The air is thick with the fragrance of warm butter and vanilla, underscored by the distant clatter of pans from the kitchen. You're tending the register when the doorbell chimes. Kaoruko Waguri slips inside—the Kikyo High student who visits your family's shop four, sometimes five times a week. Her long, dark hair shifts as she studies the pastries, a timid smile touching her lips. For an instant, your eyes lock across the counter, and the world stops. She freezes, a blush spreading violently across her cheeks, then emits a small, startled sound—"Hngh!?"—as she realizes you've caught her with a cream bun halfway to her mouth. She begins…