It All Comes Down To This

Chapter 129: S2 Episode 28 - It All Comes Down To This

All of a sudden, she buried her face into his chest, shielding her obvious embarrassment. Shocked by her sudden actions, even he didn't know what to do in that situation.

"I will definitely win. I will win and go to Paris because I want to be by your side. I came this far, after all," she murmured into his chest.

Finally, gently embracing the girl in his arms, he spoke in a soft, calm voice.

"Mari… You are my number one pupil. There are many things I still want to teach you, so… we will see who comes out on the top in this final round," Henri Lucas declared, patting the back of her head gently.

It wasn't a declaration that claimed any favoritism. It was a declaration that gave an equal possibility for both teams to compete and become the winner. Despite the 4 year age gap, both teams were similar in skill level and acclaim. It was hard for him to compare the two, even now.

…

…

…

The onlookers watching the show from behind the statue had no idea how to react in this situation. Fraise was obviously dazed, and Keiko was obviously… revolted.

'Ugh, now I regret having gone out to see this romance drama,' Keiko thought to herself with a scowl on her face.

To be completely honest, she didn't really like public displays of affection because it made her uncomfortable, and between an 18-year-old girl and a 28-year-old man… Ew.

At a glance, she could already tell that Tennouji Mari liked Henri Lucas because of her constant glances during the Christmas Party. She'd be dumb not to notice that much.

Keiko never said anything about it though and just kept to herself.

After witnessing and hearing their conversation, Keiko felt even more determined to push herself. She and Mari were friends, but it didn't change the fact that this was still a rivalry. Both teams would do their very best to win this competition at whatever cost.

No matter what, Keiko didn't want the time and effort her team put into this to go to waste. No matter what, they had to win!

* * *

It was now 7:00 in the morning and the rest of Team Michiko got up. The start of the final round would begin at 8:30 and would take place in the St. Marie Academy's large auditorium that could hold more than 3,000 people. Not only that, but the whole nation would be watching this final round on live television. The pressure was surely on now.

Team Michiko got ready their chef's uniforms and whatever sanity they had left after all of the continuous practice of making their cake. It had gotten to the point where it felt like they could practically make their cake with their eyes closed after religiously training and improving upon it. Compared to their first one, their latest one was miles beyond it and they managed to speed up each and every time.

At 7:30, Team Michiko met up in the cooking lab to discuss a few things with each other.

"You guys ready?" Andou asked his teammates, trying to pump them up.

"Sure," Hanabusa replied, combing back his green hair under his tall toque.

"As ready as I'll ever be, I guess," Kashino responded nonchalantly, crossing his arms.

On the surface, the boys and their spirits seemed calm because of how much they practiced, but this didn't distract them from the fact that the nation would be watching them bake.

All of the cameras would be on them, and every single action they made would be caught on film for others to watch. It was truly nerve-wracking.

Despite Andou's efforts to energize his team, Michiko Keiko remained deep in thought, lost in a dark abyss.

'We have to win. We have to win. We have to win… I have to win.'

Caught up in a trance, it was as if she was beginning to lose her sanity. Just what was her dream again? What did she want to accomplish through this competition?

"Keiko! Are you all right?!" Fraise asked by her side, immediately snapping her out of her trance.

She looked at Fraise to see the bright pink fairy look at her with concern.

This was the first time she'd spoken to her since that day.

'Don't worry, Fraise. When this is all over, I'll make sure to help you find Sucre!' Keiko thought as she looked at her sweets partner.

"I'm fine. Let's just focus on the competition and make sure we win this thing. We don't want all of our time and effort of countless hours of practicing to go to waste," Keiko spoke up to her team, a determined look in her dull blue eyes. The team nodded their heads in agreement, thinking back to all the times they burned, cut, or injured themselves in the process for the sake of perfecting this cake. Even though their opponents were 4 years older than them, this didn't discourage them in the least, instead, it only motivated them to work even harder!

They would make sure that this was the most beautiful and perfect cake for the people watching to enjoy seeing!

Regardless of the amount of stress Michiko Keiko was putting on her body, she would make an effort to do her best until the bitter end. All just to win.

"Are you guys ready?" Keiko asked them, looking each of her teammates and sweets spirits in the eyes.

"Yes!" They cheered out.

"Then, let's go."

She led her team out of the cooking lab and made their way to the Auditorium where 3,000 people would be watching them in-person, and millions would be watching them live on TV.

It all came down to this.

The final round of the Cake Grand Prix.

Who will win, and who will lose?