Finally, the long-awaited day of the contest had arrived.
Outside the shop, about twenty people lined up along the street, forming a queue right in front of Strawberry Dream.
Inside, our protagonists watched the scene with extreme astonishment from the window.
— Wow! I didn't expect this many people to show up, —said Kairus, his face pressed against the glass.
— Yeah... definitely more than I imagined, —added Hikari, scratching her chin with a thoughtful aura.
— Sixteen... seventeen... eighteen... nineteen... —Jake counted, moving his fingers to help himself— But there are only twenty people! —he exclaimed, obviously disappointed.
Meanwhile, Hikari and Kairus were hopping with joy as if they had won the lottery.
— It exceeded all my expectations! —said Hikari, smiling from ear to ear— If more than five people came, I was already throwing a party.
— We're definitely the kings of what this world calls "marketing," —added Kairus, puffing his chest proudly.
— Yay, we're geniuses! —both shouted in unison, high-fiving with extreme enthusiasm.
Jake, the dark lord, watched them with resignation, surprised by such a level of complacency.
— Wow... you guys had really low expectations... —he murmured, a drop of sweat rolling down his forehead.
— That's the trick, my dear Jake! —exclaimed Hikari, pointing at him— We had no expectations at all!
— You're supposed to have them! —retorted Jake. Then, he frowned as he observed the line more closely.
— Hey... why are most of them girls?
— Ah, about that... —said Kairus, pulling a promotional flyer from his pocket— Take a look at this beauty.
Jake took it and began reading the judges' descriptions, which said:
Kairus:I love cinnamon rolls!! °^°)/
Hikari:I'm here to become disgustingly ric— ahem, I mean, a person who can appreciate the different kinds of world cuisine.
Jake:I'm an excellent cook, over 6 feet tall, I can clean, I don't talk much, I can help you with your homework, and I DON'T SNORE WHEN I SLEEP.
Jake crumpled the flyer with all the fury he had held back while reading.
— I didn't write this, you idiots!
Then, he turned to the window, pressed his ear to the glass, and listened to the murmurs of the crowd.
— Ooh, he can clean...
— He helps with homework...
— He doesn't snore!
— Damn, what a deal! —they all chanted.
Hikari approached Jake, who looked extremely uncomfortable, and patted him on the back.
— You can clean? —she asked seriously.
— No...
— Well, you'd better start learning, my friend, —said the knight, appearing from Jake's left side.
— Why do I feel like I'm just another product in this bakery?!
— Nah, we'd never do that! —responded Kairus indignantly, as an atmosphere worthy of a white-rose telenovela filled the air.
Jake looked back at the flyer and noticed a tiny phrase under the prize announcement:
"First place will receive any favor they wish from Judge Jake."
— YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME...! —he shouted, fire blazing in his eyes.
— Stop whining and focus, we're about to start, —interrupted Hikari.
Then she grabbed the megaphone resting on the table and raised it with overflowing energy.
— Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the first district pastry contest, right here at Strawberry Dream!
She paused dramatically.
— The rules are simple: contestants will come up one by one with their homemade dessert recipes. They'll be evaluated by us, the judges. There will be prizes for the top three: a family discount on future visits, their recipes added to the new menu... and, of course, the special prize for first place, which I'm sure you've already read about!
She winked at the audience.
— That said... let the contest begin!
°°°
The contest began a few minutes later. The first contestant appeared: a young woman with a piercing gaze, a patch over her left eye, a black dress, and messy hair that made her look like she had stepped out of an urban legend. With an aura of mystery, she placed her plate before the judges. Unlike the cook, the cinnamon rolls were shiny and perfect.
— This... is my special recipe, made just for you, —she said softly, shyly.
Hikari raised an eyebrow and looked at one.
— Hmm… they look like ordinary cinnamon rolls.
The girl giggled, turned her head, and looked at Kairus.
— I made them thinking of you, Sir Kairus.
— Eh? Me? —he asked, intrigued.
— Yes. Please, try them.
Kairus took a roll and bit into it. At first, he enjoyed the spongy texture that blended perfectly with the sweet aroma... until a chill ran down his spine.
— You know? Since I saw your photo, I knew you were someone strong and determined. —the girl said, covering her face shyly— That's why this recipe has a special ingredient just for you... Carolina Reaper, the hottest chili pepper in the world, hehe!
As soon as he swallowed, Kairus felt his insides being scorched alive. His eyes opened wide like temple gates, red steam poured from his mouth, and he began writhing in his seat.
— AAAAAH!!! THIS SHIT BURNS!!!
Hikari and Jake jumped from their chairs in perfect synchronization.
— A-are you okay, Kairus? —stammered Hikari, utterly alarmed.
Kairus, unable to speak, held his mouth and waved frantically for help.
— I don't get it... what's he trying to say? —murmured Hikari, leaning closer.
Jake observed him carefully, then nodded confidently after a moment of reflection.
— He says he wants "pito." —he announced gravely.
Hikari blinked.
— Wait, what did you just say?
Kairus gestured even more wildly.
— A big one! —Jake shouted confidently.
— W-water... —Kairus finally managed to say, with monumental effort, as his tongue fought not to dissolve.
Jake turned to Hikari.
— Oh. He meant water.
— You did that on purpose, didn't you?! —Hikari yelled, glaring at him.
°°°
After a short break and a glass of water that saved the knight from ending up like an overcooked potato, the contest continued. The next contestant placed his dish on the table: a seemingly normal chocolate donut. It had a little card decorated with a drawn kiss and a message in cursive handwriting: "For you, Jake, my love."
Everything seemed fine... except for the fact that the card came from an obese man wearing glasses, shorts, and a white tank top. The guy winked at the dark mage.
Jake leaned toward Kairus and whispered, uneasy:
— Is it me, or did that guy just wink at me?
— It's just you, —Kairus replied without looking.
Jake looked again. This time, the man blew him a kiss.
— Hey! He just blew me a kiss! —Jake shouted, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.
Kairus looked at the man, analyzed him from head to toe, and patted Jake on the back.
— Well, maybe you'll get lucky after all, —Kairus said, barely holding back laughter.
— What are you saying?! Not even in my days as a dark mage did I see an ogre of that magnitude!
— There's a first time for everything, my friend.
Hikari interrupted with an obviously forced cough.
— Ehem... tell us about your recipe, sir, —she said, crossing her fingers professionally.
The man adjusted his glasses proudly.
— Well, this is my beloved special donut. It's got chocolate glaze, colorful sprinkles, and... lots of love! Hehehe.
Jake's eyes widened —he loved chocolate.
— Wow! Looks delicious! —he exclaimed, grabbing the donut and biting into it.
— Though the one for Jake has a special filling inside, —added the man, with a mischievous tone.
— Huh? What is it? —asked Jake, chewing.
— Milk glaze inside.
— Condensed? —Jake froze mid-bite.
The man stared silently.
Jake swallowed hard. Literally.
— C-condensed...? —he repeated, growing increasingly agitated.
The man stayed silent, smiling like a statue on display.
— H-hey... say something!
— Try it, man! It's still fresh, —the man said, sweating even more.
Jake dropped the donut and spat out what he had bitten.
— Next! NEXT!! —he screamed, leaping up in panic as the audience burst out laughing.
An hour passed, and all kinds of recipes paraded before the judges: from cakes that looked like works of art to abominations that defied culinary logic (and digestive safety). The line shortened little by little, until finally, the last contestant arrived.
She was a girl in a white dress with golden hair, approaching shyly while hugging a bag as if it were her greatest treasure.
— U-um... hi. I came to present my recipe, —she said with a trembling voice.
Kairus, with dark circles marking his exhausted face, straightened up.
— Alright, tell us what you've brought today, fair lady.
— W-well... this is a special recipe I made myself. It has chocolate, milk...
— Condensed?! —Jake interrupted, as if reliving a trauma.
— Yes... condensed, —the girl replied, confused.
Jake froze.
— Seriously?
— I swear.
— Then no problem. Go ahead, show us your creation, —said Jake, regaining his composure.
The girl gently placed a plastic container on the table.
— I kept it here so it wouldn't spoil. It took me quite some time to make...
— Umm... it smells amazing! —Hikari exclaimed, drooling at the intoxicating aroma of chocolate— It's making my mouth water.
— Thank you, hehe, —said the girl, blushing.
— Alright, time to reveal the mystery, —said Hikari, her tone full of excitement.
The girl lifted the container. Inside were perfectly baked chocolate cookies, radiating an aroma that screamed "made with love and extreme dedication."
The knight took one and immediately bit into it.
— De-li-cious! —exclaimed Kairus, chewing with delight.
Then Hikari tasted one.
— It's incredible! Crunchy, balanced, and the chocolate... it's simply divine!
Finally, the cookies reached Jake. At first, he looked excited —but his expression changed once he noticed something... peculiar.
— Wait a second... —he murmured, bringing the cookie closer to his eyes.
They were little cross-shaped cookies. In chocolate. With exquisitely detailed edges and a faint heavenly aura.
— No way in hell! I refuse to eat this! —Jake shouted, backing away as if he'd seen an apparition.
The blonde girl froze, devastated by Jake's obvious disgust toward her cookies. Her face crumpled into a mix of sadness and tears that streamed like waterfalls.
— Sniff... Y-you didn't like them? It's my fault... I did something awful... I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry...
— Hey, don't be such a brute! That's not how you treat a lady! —exclaimed Kairus, outraged.
— B-but...
— No buts! —interrupted Hikari, glaring daggers at him.
Jake, crushed by social pressure and guilt, slumped his shoulders and sighed.
— You're right... maybe I overreacted.
The girl smiled again, her eyes sparkling like stars, radiating light through the room.
— A-alright... here I go, —said Jake, taking the cookie with a hand shaking more than an epileptic at a rave.
He bit into it. And then... it happened.
An explosion of flavor overwhelmed his senses. It was as if heaven itself had decided to pour all its sweetness into a single chocolate cookie.
Jake froze, overwhelmed by the divine taste.
— Wow! It's simply exquisite! —he exclaimed, turning to Hikari with a blissful smile.
But Hikari wasn't smiling. She watched in horror as blood began to gush from Jake's eyes and ears.
— Hey... are you okay? —she asked, alarmed.
— What do you mean?cough cough —Jake replied, spitting blood with a deranged grin— It's... so... good...
Then he fell backward, peaceful, foaming at the mouth —as if all the evil he'd ever done had been purged.
— Hey! What's wrong with you?! —Kairus shouted, seeing the dark lord collapse to the floor.
Hikari watched Jake writhing on the ground, raised her arms, waved them wildly, and looked to the sky.
— He's being exorcised! —she cried, seeing Jake's soul lift from his body.
The blonde girl looked utterly panicked and worried for the dark lord's health.
— Is this my fault? Should I call an ambulance? What do I do?! —she babbled in distress.
— Don't worry, everything's under control, —said Kairus, kneeling beside Jake and feeding him more cookies.
— Are you sure he'll be okay? —asked the blonde, covering her mouth.
— The worst that could happen is he dies, so don't worry, —said Kairus calmly.
— How is that NOT the worst thing?! —the girl shouted, completely exasperated.
°°°
After a few minutes of fresh air, Jake managed to recover just in time —the contest results were about to be revealed.
— Alright, we have our verdict! —Hikari announced, raising the megaphone— Third place goes to the girl with the strawberry roll! Second place, to the color-changing macarons! And first place goes to...
She paused for as long as a certain novelist who didn't post a chapter last week.
— The girl with the chocolate cookies! —she finally shouted, pointing enthusiastically.
— Eh? I... won? —the girl stammered, a mix of surprise and joy on her face.
— That's right. And as you know, one of the prizes is that you can ask our judge Jake for anything you want.
Jake, still sweating slightly, raised an eyebrow.
— As long as it's not money, we're good, —he said, half-joking, half-serious.
The girl stepped closer, nervous but determined.
— Don't worry, what I wanted to ask was...
— Yes...? —Jake tilted his head, curious.
— Would you like to go on a date with me?
--- To be continued in Chapter 10 ---