Chapter 258: Simply Put, Lazy
The cake batter for both the top and bottom layers was successfully baked, even Aisaka Taiga's side had no issues.
Kaede and Kitamura Yusaku each carried a cake batter, with Utaha following behind, and the three returned to Aisaka Taiga's apartment.
The cream and accompanying fruits for all three groups were already prepared. Takasu Ryuji's group even had chocolate added to their cream, preparing to make a chocolate cream cake instead of plain cream.
Upon entering, they happened to see Aisaka Taiga protesting.
"How could you suddenly use chocolate? That's not fair! We're all just making regular cream cakes!"
Takasu Ryuji responded nonchalantly, "Hehe, you never said we couldn't use it, so I naturally assumed there were no rules. Besides, wouldn't it be too boring if all three groups were the same?"
After setting down the cake batter in his hands, Kaede also said, "That's right, we're not actually competing. Making different kinds makes it more interesting for everyone to eat. Taiga, stop arguing and quickly finish your own."
"Hmph, I don't need you to tell me!"
Sticking out her tongue at Kaede, Aisaka Taiga quickly returned to her table, carefully layering the cake batter.
The subsequent steps were very simple: after layering, spread the prepared cream and fruit pieces, then evenly coat the outside with cream, and the three distinct cakes were complete.
Although Eriri and Aisaka Taiga's cakes both used regular cream, the fruits inside were different, so the taste would vary when finally sampled.
After completion, the three cakes were placed together. Takasu Ryuji rubbed his chin, glanced at Aisaka Taiga's cake, and said with a smile, "Tsk tsk tsk, your exterior isn't smooth at all; you still need to practice!"
"..."
Aisaka Taiga was speechless; her cake was indeed unevenly frosted, with visible marks. In contrast, both Takasu Ryuji's and Eriri's cakes had very smooth exteriors.
"Hmph, appearance is only one aspect; taste is the most important!"
The final step, of course, was the tasting. Before tasting, Aisaka Taiga even brought out and brewed her own tea.
It truly was an afternoon tea.
Since everyone's cakes were quite large, and there were three of them, a small slice of each was enough to eat. The rest could be divided among everyone, or even taken home.
After dividing the cakes, Aisaka Taiga eagerly cut a piece of her own and put it into her mouth.
However, her expression wasn't very pleasant. She pursed her lips and said, "Hmm... the cake isn't soft enough, and I put too little sugar. Luckily, there's sweetness from the fruit, otherwise it would have been a failure."
She had tasted a bit of the cream when it was made and thought it was acceptable, but now it seemed it was still lacking.
The other two cakes didn't have these problems. After all, they were made by experienced hands, so the basic taste was completely guaranteed.
While eating the cake, Aisaka Taiga declared confidently, "Hmph, this time there was a small mistake, I admit it, but next time I will definitely succeed and make a cake that will impress you all!"
Kaede heard this, exchanged glances with Eriri, and shared a knowing smile.
To be honest, Aisaka Taiga's performance today had exceeded everyone's expectations. After all, Takasu Ryuji had revealed earlier that Aisaka Taiga couldn't even take care of herself, and hardly ever tidied her home. Yet, she could now make a decent-tasting cake, her progress was incredibly fast.
With such a good start, it wouldn't take long for her pastry-making skills to continue improving.
After finishing afternoon tea, today's activities came to an end.
After helping with the cleaning, everyone said their goodbyes and left.
Kaede and Eriri returned home, put the cake in the refrigerator, and then sat on the sofa.
"Ah~~~ I'm so full from the cake!"
Leaning into Kaede's embrace, Eriri rubbed her small belly, her face full of satisfaction.
Eriri had eaten quite a bit of the three cakes Kaede made earlier. Girls have little resistance to sweets.
Rubbing Eriri's golden hair, Kaede said with a smile, "It's three o'clock now. Let's rest for a bit, then it's time to work!"
"Ugh... I know! Kaede-kun just doesn't know when to speak. At times like this, he should be more decisive and just take the day off from work!"
As she spoke, Eriri nudged Kaede's chin with her head, her expression one of dissatisfaction.
"To put it simply, you're just lazy."
Kaede reached out and put his arm around Eriri, pinching her small belly with one hand, and said with a smile, "You've eaten so much already. If you don't want to work, that's fine, but whether you run or do yoga later, you have to exercise for half an hour. Otherwise, even if it's hard for you to gain weight, you'll definitely put on some pounds if this continues."
"Don't pinch!"
Swatting Kaede's hand away, Eriri pouted gloomily, "Can't I just exercise? You just have to bring up gaining weight."
Although she skipped her morning run, after eating so many sweets in the afternoon, it was clearly impossible to get out of it again.
After resting for a while, Eriri laid out her yoga mat and started exercising, while Kaede stretched and began cleaning with the vacuum cleaner.
After getting a Cat, the frequency of cleaning the house increased significantly. There was no helping it, Cat hair could fall anywhere at any time, and if it wasn't cleaned for a while, the change in cleanliness would be obvious.
"Hmm, fortunately, I bought a portable vacuum cleaner that can be used directly after charging, otherwise, connecting a power cord would be too much trouble."
Hearing Kaede's complaint, Eriri, who was stretching, agreed, "Exactly, exactly. I also bought such a vacuum cleaner at home. It's really inconvenient to use a power cord with an outlet; the plug falls out if you accidentally go too far. But this thing isn't cheap though; it's much more expensive than the old vacuum cleaner."
"This money is worth spending, as long as it's easy to use."
As he spoke, Kaede walked over to the Cat climbing frame, and after getting Camilla down, he began cleaning around the Cat climbing frame.
Now the two kittens were also getting rowdy, starting to practice climbing up the Cat climbing frame from below, and sharpening their claws. This area had the most dust and Cat hair.
After carefully cleaning the living room and other places where the Cats would go, such as the study and bathroom, Kaede breathed a sigh of relief, finally able to rest.
Brew a cup of black tea, and after drinking it, go grocery shopping.