Ojamajo Doremi 16 - Volume 3 - Chapter 7.4

Chapter 7.4

CHAPTER 7 – CHASING THE MOON

PART 04

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After Kogure-senpai’s graduation from high school, it was finally my turn to shoulder all responsibilities of managing the the soccer team, so it was a busy spring break for me . On such a day, while on my way to the MAHO-do—

“Huh? Didn’t this place use to be an empty plot? I wonder what they’re building now . ”

Construction had begun on an empty plot along a small road, just a short distance away from the MAHO-do . Though I traveled along this path everyday, it had been a long while since I’d had the time to stop and take in my surroundings . Hazuki-chan and Ai-chan would be coming to the MAHO-do later in the day, after their morning lessons and trainings .

“It’s quite a large building, so maybe it’s a store? But it looks so luxurious . ”

So Momo-chan had noticed it on her way here too . We had a busy day ahead of us, preparing desserts for the coming spring, so I quickly changed into my patissiere’s uniform .

Hazuki-chan hurried in just as we opened the store for business .

“I’m sorry . I tried my best to come in as early as I can . ”

“It’s alright, Hazuki . No worries,” Lala assured her .

However, there was a reason why Hazuki-chan had rushed all the way here .

“Just before I left home, I received a call from Tamaki-san . Did everyone notice the construction site just a short distance down the road? Tamaki-san told me that it’s going to be a new bakery . What’s more, it’s opened by the famous patissier Ikoma Arihito!” Please read this at the original site: lightnovelswithmisachan . wordpress . com

After finishing her rant, Hazuki-chan downed the tea Lala had poured for her in a single gulp . Wow, Tamaki seemed even better than Shimakura Kaori-chan at gathering the latest news .

“Whaaat, really!? But why didn’t Tamaki just come here to tell us face-to-face?”

I nodded in agreement to Momo-chan’s question .

“Well, Tamaki-san’s boyfriend recently passed his college entrance exams, so he has been really busy recently looking for a new apartment with his mother . She’s busy helping him now . ”

So Tamaki was busy with her boyfriend’s family . I’d seen him, Tachibana Kyouhei-san, at our school’s graduation ceremony, and I thought he looked less intimidating than I remembered . Not that I dared to go talk to him .

“His mother is a skilled beautician, so apparently she’s being scouted by the branch manager of a beauty salon chain in the city . Once Tachibana-senpai decides which university he’d like to attend, they would aim to find an apartment that’s convenient for the both of them,” Hazuki-chan continued .  Please read this at the original site: lightnovelswithmisachan . wordpress . com

Lala’s eyes lit up at the mention of ‘beautician’ . She probably really loves hot springs and spa sessions . I made a mental note to ask Tamaki more about that next time I saw her .

In an instant, Hazuki-chan had transformed into her patissiere’s uniform . Just then, we heard running footsteps, and Ai-chan burst through the door .

“I’ve got big news . On my way here-”

“We’ve already heard it all from Hazuki-chan . A famous bakery is opening nearby, right?”

It seemed that Ai-chan had also caught wind of the news about the new building .  Please read this at the original site: lightnovelswithmisachan . wordpress . com

“That’s right! Dad remembered ferrying a passenger from the train station to this site just last week . He was really shocked when he saw the same man featured as a patissier on TV last night . ”

“So he came to inspect the grounds,” Hazuki-chan murmured, a worried look on her face . With so much new concrete information, even I was starting to feel nervous . It was horrible, a bakery opening just a stone’s throw away from the MAHO-do .

“That’s strange . It’s not that far a walk from the station to here . It’s such a waste to take a taxi for such a short distance . ”

Everyone stared at Momo-chan . She was usually the airhead, so nobody had expected her to come up with such a retort .

“That’s not the point, Momo-chan . We’re gonna have a rival . Will we be alright?” I asked .

“Yeah, and this Ikoma Arihito person is a really famous patissier who’s even been on TV,” Ai-chan added .  Please read this at the original site: lightnovelswithmisachan . wordpress . com

“And just when Momo-chan’s desserts are getting popular . Even Tamaki-san was shocked that another bakery would choose to set up shop near here,” Hazuki-chan sighed .

That’s right . Why didn’t they choose to open their new bakery near the train station? It was evident from everyone’s faces that we all felt confused and frustrated .

“By the way, we’ve had lots of new customers lately . Maybe they were spies sent to check us out?”

“That’s right . I remember seeing a man who looked like he came from a faraway city . ”

Even Majorika and Lala were concerned now .

“But that may be because Yamaki-sensei’s wife, Mrs . Tachibana, and GB-san’s wife have been spreading word about us . ”

Usually, Onpu-chan would be the one to make such a logical observation, but since she was absent, Hazuki-chan took over her role instead .

“Besides, we’ve never really tried to conceal the fact that Momo-chan is in-charge of creating the desserts here . Maybe they came here to check her out?” Ai-chan mused .  Please read this at the original site: lightnovelswithmisachan . wordpress . com

It would be amazing if Momo-chan’s desserts were so delicious that it caught the attention of a famous patissier, but the location of the new bakery was still too suspicious .

“What should we do, Momo-chan? Shall we create some new desserts in protest? I’ve gotten better at baking, so I’m sure I can help out a little,” I offered .

Momo-chan placed a madeleine cake mould into the oven, adjusted the timer, and turned to face us .

“I really love Mr . Ikoma Arihito’s desserts . Since he’s opening a bakery nearby, I’ll be able to buy his new creations whenever they debut . How lucky!”

We were all so gloomy, so Momo-chan’s excitement stood out even more starkly .

“Momo-chan’s not worried at all,” Hazuki-chan commented .

“Yeah, maybe with two bakeries around, there will be friendly competition and the MAHO-do will get even better,” Ai-chan suggested .

I see . That’s right . It was just like Hazuki-chan, Riko-chan, and all the violinists in their school . Like all the athletes trying to break Ai-chan’s record . Maybe having a worthy rival who is striving towards the same goal was a good thing . Furthermore, we had a professional as a rival . It might not be coincidence that he had opened up a store so close to ours, but it didn’t mean Momo-chan’s desserts would get worse .  Please read this at the original site: lightnovelswithmisachan . wordpress . com

“Let’s continue to make delicious, cute sweets like we’ve always done . Lots of sweets that would make everyone happy . Right, Momo-chan?”

Momo-chan grinned as she flashed us a peace sign . It was still to early to prepare for battle, but it wouldn’t do any harm to gather more information from Tamaki in the meantime .

Soon, all the desserts were completed, and we opened the store . We hurried to keep the display cases loaded with goods .

~~~~~~

The London shows for Onpu-chan’s musical concluded with much fanfare . I really regretted not being able to attend even a single performance, but I hoped the shows in Paris would be a success too .

[I’ve grown close to the cast and staff members, and the host family treats me just like their daughter, rather than as a celebrity . That’s why it feels a little sad now that I have to pack up and leave . ]

That was the e-mail I’d received from Onpu-chan . Since there would be less shows in Paris, the troupe would be staying at the hotel instead . Since it was a tiny place, they managed to book enough rooms to take up an entire floor . It sounded really fun .

It was already the end of March . I was ready to start the new semester at school, and studying really hard to take up my role as the soccer team manager . Today, we would gather at the MAHO-do to prepare for the release of our new cake creations tomorrow . It had been almost a year since we started working again . Ever since Momo-chan’s arrival and our switch to a desserts house, things had gotten really busy . Since I worked nearly every day, I now had quite a bit of savings . It was fun thinking of how I would spend all this money .  Please read this at the original site: lightnovelswithmisachan . wordpress . com

The cherry blossoms had started blooming too, and it was gradually getting warmer . While it was hard getting out of bed in the cold winter, it was no different now . Just as I was rolling around in bed, my phone rang with an incoming call . It was Onpu-chan .

What’s wrong, Onpu-chan? Wasn’t it midnight now where you are?

It was rare that she called, since we always kept in touch via messaging . I mean, she should be resting in preparation of her journey to Paris tomorrow .

“Hello . I’ve sent everyone in MAHO-do an e-mail, so please check it . ”

“What? What is this about?”

Onpu-chan’s voice sounded relatively calm over the phone, and I was relieved that she wasn’t calling because of any trouble or homesickness . However, it was still totally unlike Onpu-chan .

“There’s a video that’s been going viral in London recently, and it’s caught my interest . I think everyone, including Majorika and Lala, should see it too . ” Please read this at the original site: lightnovelswithmisachan . wordpress . com

What a vague request . I couldn’t tell what she was getting at, but maybe it was because she didn’t totally understand the situation herself either .

“Ok, I get it, Onpu-chan . I’ll be heading to the MAHO-do soon, and I’ll let everyone know what you said . ”

We continued to chat for a while . She would be traveling to Paris in the morning, and there would be a meeting before the first performance on the following day . I wondered if they would be alright putting up a show without any prior rehearsals .

“We rehearsed for the Paris shows on our days off in London, so there’s no problem,” Onpu-chan assured me .

She promised to keep us updated via e-mail due to the time difference, and the fact that she would be spending most of the time with her manager . After ending the call, I quickly got ready to leave the house . I fired off messages to Hazuki-chan and Ai-chan to tell them to gather quickly at the MAHO-do . Momo-chan was most probably already on her way, so I left her out .