Mandarin Orange, Kotatsu, And A Found Cat

The second half of baking with Mashiro.
The ingredients for the dough and flavors were already prepared, so all that was left was to take the molds and bake them in the oven.
The fact that we were able to get to this stage without spending too much time was a testament to Mashiro’s cooking skills.

“Well, when it comes to cookies, it seems that the best part is making the molds…what shape do you want?”
“That was abrupt…”

Mashiro asked me, looking a little more excited.
I thought we were going to make the usual round or square shapes, but it looks like we’re going to be taking on something quite difficult right from the start.

“I’m going to be blunt, but it’s going to taste the same regardless of the shape.”
“You don’t understand, do you, Satou-san? This is the most important part of the cookie-making process.”
“It’s also Mashiro’s first time too.”

In terms of cooking experience, there was an overwhelming difference between me and Mashiro, but if we limit ourselves to the field of cookie making, we are both at the same level.
I’m the type of person who starts out with the rudiments of cooking, and then arranges things as I get used to them.
However, Mashiro seemed to be the challenger type, and she had already prepared the aluminum foil and stencils that she would use to make the mold.

“Anyway, do you have anything? What’s your favorite shape?”
“It’s not every day I come up with a shape I like…”

Sometimes I’m asked what my favorite color or number is, but to be honest, it’s not something I can answer right away.
No, it might be strange for me to try to answer seriously, but I always get in trouble because my personality doesn’t like to say random things.

Favorite shape…when I started to think, the first shape that came to mind was a right-angled isosceles triangle, I stopped thinking about it.
No matter how you look at it, that’s not what she’s asking. I racked my brain for a fancier answer and managed to find a compromise.

“Well, maybe a silhouette of an animal?”
“I see. Then, may I ask what kind of animal you like, Satou-san?”
“Hmmm…I guess. Well, for the time being, it would have to be cats.”
“That’s kinda simple.”
“Sorry.”

I’ve been spending a lot of time with cats, so it’s only natural that they’re the first thing that comes to mind.
And if you ask me what my favorite animal was, I would probably say cats.

“Have you always liked cats, Satou-san?”
“I don’t know. There were times when I saw them in pictures and thought they were cute, but I guess I didn’t particularly like them.”

Even when I lived at home, I didn’t have any pets.
It wasn’t that anyone in the family was allergic to them, it was simply that no one was interested in them.
Even among the few close friends who visited my house, there were few with pets, so I had relatively little contact with animals.
Perhaps because of this, I was never interested in animals on my own, and I lived my whole life without being involved with them.

“But since I met Mashiro, I’ve become a cat lover.”
“It’s my fault?”
“Well, yeah.”

If I hadn’t met Mashiro, I would have lived my life without any particular interest in animals.
On the contrary, the fact that I hadn’t been exposed to them at all until I picked up Mashiro, the repercussions have been tremendous.
Like the cat books I just bought the other day, things around me have been getting replaced by cat goods lately.

“But…then that’s how it was. I just…”
“Just…”
“No, it’s nothing. Do you have any other animals you like?”
“You’re still going the animal route…”

Well, it might be easier for me to have such constraints, as I can’t help but come up with mathematical figures when I’m not around animals.
My favorite animal, my favorite animal…

“My other favorite animals are…rabbits and hedgehogs.”
“You like small animals, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I guess it doesn’t fit.”
“No, not at all. I just think they’re cute.”
“Stop it, it’s embarrassing.”

I foolishly listed the animals that had come to my mind, and sure enough, there were all small animals.
I hadn’t thought about it before, so I felt kind of embarrassed when I heard that again.

I can’t say this directly to her, but I can’t deny that I treat Mashiro as if I were taking care of a small animal.
There was something about her that aroused my desire to protect her.
As I spent time with Mashiro, I may have somehow fallen in love with the small animal type.

“In the meantime, why don’t you make one from a ready-made mold of one of the things I bought? I’m sure there are cats and rabbits.”
“Of course I’ll make those too, but I want something original.

After all this time, I was a little relieved to know that not everything had to be made with handmade molds.
Even though they were bought at a 100-yen store, they were all things that could be used in a normal way. There was no way to avoid using them.
However, only the ones that don’t fit into those molds need to be made by us…

“So, what we’re going to make now is…”
“The hedgehog. It’s going to be worth making, so let’s go for it.”
“I shouldn’t have said it…”

While Mashiro’s arms were wide open and her eyes were twinkling, I was lost in thought over my mistake.