Chapter 15 - If a Tree is in the Wrong Place it Can't Grow
"Wait a minute, Yukinoshita, don't you think that was a bit too harsh? 'To take his cow just because he took a shortcut—isn't that too much?'" Dan Shiji couldn't help but try to talk her down.
[Note: This quote is from "Records of the Grand Historian: The House of Chen and Qi." During the Spring and Autumn Period, a nobleman from the State of Chen named Xia Zhengshu shot and killed his king, Chen Ling Gong. The King of Chu, Zhuang Wang, used this as an excuse to invade Chen. After executing Xia, Zhuang Wang intended to annex the state. But an envoy named Shen Shushi, returning from the State of Qi, criticized this, saying it was like stealing a cow just because someone trespassed across your field. King Zhuang saw reason and instead installed the prince Gui Wu as the new ruler—Chen Cheng Gong. This is also recorded in the "Annals of Chu."]
"..." Yukinoshita seemed to realize her words were too sharp and fell silent.
Across from her, Yuigahama had been stunned by Yukinoshita's aura and was frozen. She clutched her skirt tightly, eyes welling with tears. "I…"
Her shoulders trembled slightly, and her voice grew weaker. "I think… Yukinoshita, you're really cool…"
"Huh?" All three people spoke at the same time, staring at each other in confusion.
"You never say nice things just for show… how should I say this? I think that's really cool…" Yuigahama stared at Yukinoshita with admiration.
Yukinoshita's expression froze, and she took two steps back. "W-what are you saying…? Did you even listen to me? I was being really rude just now."
"No way! Not at all! I mean, yeah, you were kind of harsh… and I did get a little scared, but…"
"It was all true. When you talk to the gloomy guy, you're both attacking each other, but at least you're communicating. I've spent my whole life trying to read other people's faces… this is the first time something like this has happened to me."
Yuigahama didn't run away. "I'm sorry. I'll try harder next time."
After apologizing, she looked Yukinoshita straight in the eye.
Yukinoshita, caught off guard by that honest gaze, didn't know how to respond: "..."
Maybe for Yukinoshita, this was also a first.
No—really, for anyone, it would be a first.
Hardly anyone apologizes sincerely after being scolded. Most people just get angry and red in the face. Even if they don't show it, they hold a grudge deep down.
Yukinoshita looked away, playing with her hair, as if searching for words in her mind. Judging by her face, she couldn't come up with anything.
"In that case, I'll leave the proper technique to Yukinoshita," Dan Shiji quickly stepped in to ease the tension.
Yukinoshita let out a small sigh and nodded. "I'll demonstrate once. Please try to follow."
She stood up and quickly got to work. She rolled up her sleeves, beat the eggs, measured the flour precisely, and stirred until everything was fully dissolved without lumps. Then she added sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and other ingredients.
Her movements were practiced and smooth—completely different from Yuigahama's earlier attempt.
Dan Shiji sat back down, his eyes drifting, thoughts swirling.
Actually, regarding what Yuigahama had said earlier about talent—Dan Shiji somewhat agreed.
There will always be people who say that research shows everyone's intelligence is about the same. But in reality, people are simply good at different things—some do better in language, others in math. It's a fact. "If not the right place, a tree cannot grow; if not the right mind, teaching cannot succeed."
[Note: From "Records of the Grand Historian: The Fortune Tellers' Biographies." "Fortune tellers" were people who read omens and made predictions.]
However, Dan Shiji never treated talent as absolute. In his heart, interest was also a kind of talent—and even more important than anything else.
As the saying goes, "One with ambition will surely achieve it." If your heart is in it, nothing is impossible—not even going to heaven or diving into the sea.
[Note: From "Records of the Three Kingdoms: Wei Book: Two Lis, Zang, Wen, Lu, Xu, Dian, Two Pangs, Yan." Quoted from "Biography of Lu Qian," a general under Cao Cao.]
So for him, it was never about talent. He recognized its value, but didn't believe it was everything.
Similarly, he didn't agree with Yukinoshita's idea that effort is greater than everything. Just like she said, "Failures don't understand that success comes from countless small efforts," success itself also never understands how much effort failure may have cost.
That's why Dan Shiji respected the idea of "not judging a hero by success or failure."
And on a bigger scale, people lacking talent often have deeper reasons behind it. The "Wolf Girl of India" was the best proof of that. Are you going to say that girl didn't try?
[Note: In 1920, a missionary named Singh found two girls in the northeast hills of Calcutta who had been raised by wolves. The older one, about 8, was named Kamala. The younger, about 2, was Amala. They had been living with wolves since infancy. When found, they couldn't speak or walk upright—only moved on all fours, howled like wolves, avoided sunlight, and preferred the night. Their senses were sharper than normal humans, and they liked raw meat. Amala died within a year. Kamala, after 7 years of care, could only say about 45 words. Her thinking stayed at the level of a 3- to 5-year-old. Many similar "feral children" cases have been reported worldwide.]
So unless you've been through something, you won't understand how hard it is. Only by truly stepping into someone else's shoes can you fairly judge them.
Back at the table, Yukinoshita quickly finished kneading the dough. She used cookie cutters to make heart, star, and circle shapes.
The tray went into the preheated oven, and before long, a sweet and rich smell filled the air.
That smell pulled Dan Shiji's thoughts back to the present. He looked over at the cookies fresh out of the oven.
They were golden brown and looked just as fancy as the ones sold in dessert shops—definitely worthy of being called real cookies.
After letting them cool a bit, Yukinoshita placed them on a plate and handed them out.
Hikigaya gratefully picked up a cookie right away.
Dan Shiji usually wasn't that into baked sweets, but the smell and look of the cookies were tempting.
He reached out and picked one up too—but the moment his fingers touched it, he felt the heat. The surface still held warmth and it burned his fingers a little.
Oof—hot… he muttered in his head and pulled his hand back awkwardly.
On the other side, Hikigaya had already taken a bite, and his face melted with delight.
"So good! What kind of magical baker are you?" he said, grabbing another piece without hesitation.
"Seriously, it's amazing… Yukinoshita-san, you're incredible!" Yuigahama also couldn't stop praising her.
"Thank you." Yukinoshita smiled, a genuine smile without any hint of sarcasm.
Dan Shiji looked longingly at the plate of cookies he couldn't eat—he really wanted one, but was too afraid of the heat.
Yukinoshita noticed he hadn't taken one yet and asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
"I-It's a little hot…" Dan Shiji looked away, clearly embarrassed.
"Eh? Dan-kun, are you afraid of heat?" Yuigahama looked over.
That made Dan Shiji even more embarrassed. I mean, even the girls weren't complaining…
"Uh… not really…" he muttered.
"Hm?" Hikigaya glanced at Dan Shiji's hands, raising an eyebrow—he was starting to get an idea.
"Haa~ seriously…" Yukinoshita sighed. She turned to the cabinet, took out a pair of chopsticks, and handed them over. "Here. This should solve the problem, right?"
"Ah, oh, yeah. That works." Dan Shiji paused a moment before quickly taking them.
"Why don't we just give these out as-is?" Hikigaya tried to change the subject to help him out.
"That would defeat the purpose…" Yukinoshita sighed and gave him a side-eye.
"Do you really think I can make cookies this good, like you?" Yuigahama asked timidly.
"Of course. As long as you follow the recipe, there's no way to fail," Yukinoshita reassured her gently.
Dan Shiji used the chopsticks to pick up a cookie, lowered his mask, and took a bite.