When Will I See You Again?

Chapter 151: S2 - When Will I See You Again?

'6 years and I haven't seen you, Fraise… Just where did you go?' 

It was a male sweet spirit with deep blue eyes and black hair to ear length. He wore a dignified, cream-colored tuxedo that could leave a lasting impression on someone. Almond was his name.

He reminisced about the sweet memories he had shared with a fairy girl he had deeply cared about. She was always bright, energetic, and happy whenever they were together. Her smile would light up his world whenever she looked at him, but she was exceptionally talented at baking despite being a year younger than him. Ever since she passed the exam that allowed her to go into the human world at an early age, she has been the youngest ever sweet spirit to have done so. But when she went, that meant she'd be leaving him behind.

Eight years ago, she ventured into the human world to look for a capable human partner. She would occasionally come back to the Sweets Kingdom but would never talk about her progress with finding a human partner. But there was one day that she never came back—Almond never saw Fraise again. Her presence disappeared, and none of the sweet spirits knew where she was or where her master was, the Queen's sister Sucre.

A few years later, in the Sweets Spirits Kingdom, Almond and his three close friends—Honey, Sugar, and Cinnamon—passed the exam that allowed them to venture into the human world to find capable partners.

The four of them traveled to St. Marie Academy's Japan Branch to look for eye-catching kids to help them attain their dream of becoming royal patissiers in the Sweets Kingdom. Luckily for them, the four sweets spirits found highly talented middle schoolers in their first year of middle school at the academy.

Honey partnered up with Tennouji Mari, Sugar partnered with Saeki Ryou, Cinnamon with Takigawa Reiji, and Almond with Kaidou Rui.

The four of them and their talented human partners would soon become the best students at the prestigious academy. That was—until they encountered some competition.

When they reached their 3rd year in high school, a group of 2nd-year middle schoolers was quickly becoming the talk of the school, and their names weren't unheard of in the middle and high school divisions.

Everybody has heard of the aloof but cool Kashino Makoto, the heir to the Kashino Family Hospital, who has been achieving 1st rank in exams since his first year. Hanabusa Satsuki was well-known for his mannerisms and flamboyant personality, which made many girls like him. Lastly, Andou Sennosuke was known for being polite, calm, and handsome and for his family's wagashi shop, Yumezuki's.

These three were called the "Sweets Princes," a title they had had since their first year of middle school. It was said that they were the best three students in the middle school division, but whenever the top four students in the high school division heard of them, they couldn't help but look down on the young ones.

There was no way that these three middle school children could ever compete with the most talented students in the academy, even if they practiced hard enough. That was until someone else came.

Out of the blue, a new transfer student arrived one day and blew up a storm in the middle school division.

"I heard she was judged by Henri Lucas in her entrance exam and gained his approval," Saeki Ryou said to his friends who sat in the high school's student council room.

The four humans and their sweet spirits sat around a table as they professed the recent news they'd been hearing.

"Seriously? Even Henri Lucas went to judge her entrance exam? Could she be that special?" Takigawa Reiji chimed in with attentive ears. He was stunned at the news, seeing how his lax attitude had become stiffer.

"Hm… Not only that, but I heard that on her first day here, she immediately joined Group A," Saeki Ryou said with piqued interest. He was usually quiet and aloof, but it was obvious that even he found this interesting.

There was no way the high schoolers could brush off that kind of news; after all, being in Group A means you are one of the best in your grade. For one thing, the high schoolers could relate because when they were in middle school, they were in Group A, even now as high schoolers.

Not only that but being in Group A is a special position primarily because there is only one Group A out of each middle school grade. 

How good was it for her to get Henri Lucas's approval and be directly admitted into Group A on her first day?

"Well, I'd say that it's still too early to see if she's good. I'll admit that that's not bad, but I don't think those middle schoolers could ever reach our level," Takigawa Reiji brushed off as if he didn't care anymore.

"We don't know about that," Kaidou Rui said as he considered the achievements the new transfer student made. Even if it was her first day, that still was a lot of accomplishments someone could make, especially in a prestigious school where accomplishments are rare.

"Why do you say that? We're older than them, so we have a lot more experience," Takigawa Reiji spouted, a bit on edge.

"Just because we're older than them and have more experience, doesn't mean that they can't get better," Kaidou Rui stated boldly in deep thought.

That's right. Just because they are the best in the entire school doesn't mean that the four middle schoolers can't get any better.

"He's right. They can still get better, but it will take some time," the silent girl at the head of the table finally said—Tennouji Mari. She appeared intimidating at first, but she was just the kind of girl who takes everything seriously.

"Huh, I thought you'd be a bit more riled up since your "unrequited love" scouted a new girl," Takigawa Reiji said with no filter as he sneered at Tennouji Mari. Waiting to see the kind of face she'd make, she was expressionless as usual.

"First of all, she wasn't scouted like me. And second, I'm not that interested," Tennouji Mari said cooly as she took a sip of her milk tea that was sitting right by her.

"Teh, you're no fun," Takigawa Reiji said as he rolled his eyes in disappointment.

"Don't you think that some of those middle schoolers have a sweets spirit by now?" Sugar, Saeki Ryou's sweet spirit, asked the group.

"Hmph! I highly doubt it! How could they get sweets spirits?" Cinnamon, Takigawa Reiji's sweet spirit, rejected the idea.

"I don't think it's impossible for that to happen. I'm sure that some of them have already met and partnered up with them," Honey, Tennouji Mari's sweet spirit, chimed in as well.

Truthfully, the high school division didn't necessarily affiliate themselves with the middle school division, so most of the time, they had no clue what was happening to their underclassmen.

"I bet that those Sweets Princes have a sweets spirit by now," Almond, Kaidou Rui's sweets spirit, said.

"I'm sure of that since they are the best students in the middle school division," Sugar said.

"Well then, what about the new transfer student?" Cinnamon asked.

For a moment, the group pondered for a bit. They'd never seen her skills, what she looks like, or who she is. All this news they've been gathering has been spread among the entire student body in both divisions.

If she were good, she'd have a sweet spirit, no doubt, but it would be a while if she isn't as good as her accomplishments.

"Oh! I found a picture of the new transfer!" Takigawa Reiji said as he was skimming through his phone.

He stumbled upon a middle schooler's social media page to see that they'd posted a picture of the new girl.

After hearing this, the three other humans and their sweet spirits rushed over to see what she looked like, which seemed out of character for all of them, especially Tennouji Mari. They hovered over Takigawa Reiji's shoulder as he pulled up a picture of her standing in the middle school's cooking lab.

She had long brown hair that cascaded down her back, pale porcelain skin that looked so soft and smooth, a small body frame that looked frail, and bright blue eyes that showed determination and uncertainty.

There was no doubt that all who saw her were mesmerized by her beauty. She had a refreshing face no one had ever seen before, but she had the face of a cover model or idol.

"She's… so… pretty…" Takigawa Reiji said first without blinking his eyes at the picture.

Her expression was so natural and pure that those who looked at her wanted to protect her beauty from the world.

"Are you sure she's in the right school?" Cinnamon asked out loud while he did a double-take at the picture.

"Seeing as how she's dressed up, I'd say so," Saeki Ryou said, pointing to the white chef's uniform the girl was wearing.

"There's also a video attached to it…" Takigawa Reiji said as he played the attached video for his group.

In it, they could see the girl elegantly moving around the kitchen as she prepared something. Her movements were quick, precise, and resolute, and she did the task confidently. Other students surrounded her as they watched her appealing movements.

"Wow, she's moving so lightly," Kaidou Rui said.

"What is she making?" Takigawa Reiji questioned.

"Seeing the thin batter she has, I'd say she's making mille crepes," Tennouji Mari answered, deeply observing the girl's movements.

At first, she almost couldn't believe what she was seeing because it was as if the girl was harmoniously playing music as she moved. Her facial expression read enjoyment as she closed her eyes and gave a small smile. For some reason, even Tennouji Mari's heart was moved as the video played.

"The caption of the video says: 'It's her first day here and she automatically got put into Group A… I can see why,'" Takigawa Reiji read off.

Even with just a clip of her skills, they could all see how talented she was. She might even have been better than them when they were that age. Their younger selves would cry at the thought of trying to be like her!

"Let me read the comments…" Takigawa Reiji said as he scrolled down to see over 100 comments. It hadn't been super long since the picture and video were posted, but it had over 2,000 likes.

Despite St. Marie Academy being a small, private school, it was an elite school that many in the country noticed. St. Marie Academy and its students would frequently post on their social media, and it garnered a decent following.

It's a prestigious school that many want to get into, but only a lucky few can.

[She looks so cool! I'd be scared to approach her tho T_T]

[Group A on her first day? wowow]

[She looks as if she's dancing as she bakes. she's cute]

[hard to force a smile out of, but looks like a princess. She looks like an "Ice Princess"?]

"Ice Princess?" Saeki Ryou asked out loud. "She's already gathering a fandom?"

"Seems so," said Kaidou Rui.

Takigawa Reiji kept scrolling down until he found a certain piece of information.

"Aha! Apparently, her name is Michiko Keiko!"

Michiko Keiko… a name the four of them would never be able to remove from their minds after seeing her move like that.

While Almond, Kaidou Rui's spirit, looked at the picture of Michiko Keiko, he felt a sense of familiarity with the girl. Although there were some slight differences, he was reminded of her.

Her hair was brushed in the same way as hers, and they both shared the same determined, bright blue eyes.

'Just where are you, Fraise? I want to see you again…'