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- "
...If you think about, as their owner and as a man, I guess I'm really lucky, huh.
" - – Kashou Minaduki, NEKOPARA Vol. 1 - Chapter 5
Overview |
Kashou Minaduki (水無月 嘉祥 Minaduki Kashou?) is the protagonist/main character of the Nekopara series and the older brother of Shigure Minaduki.
At the beginning of the series, he moves away from home in secret and opens a patisserie called La Soleil. When he first moves into the bakery, Kashou discovers that two of the family catgirls, Chocola and Vanilla, followed him to the bakery by stowing away in boxes.
His parents are seldom mentioned, though it is implied they are estranged while he maintains a nice, friendly relationship with Shigure.
Appearance
In the Visual Novels, Kashou is almost exclusively hidden from view. In his few appearances he has been shown to have brown hair with bangs on the sides of his face. He also appears to be a young adult in his late teens to early 20's.
He wears a white buttoned shirt with a neko shirt underneath and black jeans as his normal wear. When he's actively working at La Soleil, he wears a chef uniform.
Personality
Kashou has been shown to be very easy going, willing to lend an ear to any of the catgirls when they're feeling insecure or depressed and does anything he can to help (which often ends up winning their affection); this habit of his has been pointed out by Maple as "being nosy". Despite this, he's also been noted to be very dense, as he seems incapable of taking subtle hints and having to be told directly about what's on someone's mind, often leading to embarrassment for both Kashou and whoever he's speaking with.
He's also been shown to be very independent, moving out of his home of his own accord to run a bakery, buying all of the supplies he needed for it and going shopping for supplies on his days off. He takes pride in his skills as a baker, constantly looking for ideas for new cakes to bake and techniques to utilize. He explains that he took up baking to see people smile because of his creations, contrasting to his parents' wishes to carry on the family tradition.
While his technology skills are adequate for handling a phone or a computer, it's not a particular focus of his, so he leaves La Soleil's social media presence and advertising to Shigure.
History
Early Life
Hailing from a long line of traditional Japanese confectioners, Kashou's father was strict in his upbringing, and impressed on him the belief that following the family tradition of wagashi was the only path he was allowed. Kashou was made to focus exclusively on the art, to the point where he had to forgo a social life or any hobbies beyond the family business. Stifled by this, Kashou ran from home to study abroad in France.
While abroad, he visited a Western patisserie and saw how everyone who ate the store's cakes had a smile on their face, no matter who they were or what they were like before taking a bite. Seeing this, and meeting the patissier who stoked his inspiration, Kashou pleaded to apprentice under them, working at their bakery and cementing his path to making Western pastries.
Upon returning home, he tried to persuade his father about his decision, but the Minaduki patriarch refused to acknowledge it, the friction eventually leading to estrangement. Despite his father's disapproval, Kashou cultivated funds and his baking skills in secret, waiting for the chance to escape and open his own shop.
When Kashou returns from abroad six months before the start of Vol. 1 (and shown in NEKOPARA Extra), He and Shigure would find two orphaned catgirls in a box in the rain. He decided to take the two home with him, where they would be named Chocola and Vanilla. The two catgirls are reticent at first, but Kashou's steadfast care and the warmth of the Minaduki family coaxed them out of their shells. Chocola and Vanilla from that point on became wholeheartedly devoted to Kashou as their master. This is also when Kashou resolves his decision to set out on his own to become a patissier, and he later moves out without telling anyone save for Shigure, who knew of his plans but not an exact date.
Nekopara Vol. 0
Kashou has a minor role in Nekopara Vol. 0. During the morning, he left the house early for his usual rounds. He later returned home at mid-afternoon.
Nekopara Vol. 1
Kashou moves away from the Minaduki estate to start a patisserie in the city. He sets up in a small shop/apartment called La Soleil, sporting western-style flairs. While unpacking his cargo, he discovers two unfamiliar boxes covered in warning labels that he definitely does not recall taking with him on departure. After one of the boxes inexplicably sneezes, Kashou is surprised by the appearance of Chocola and Vanilla, who stowed away amongst his belongings. The next few days involve Kashou attempting to contact Shigure (and failing), accommodating for two unexpected guests' food and lodging, and attempting to convince Chocola and Vanilla to go back to the estate (and failing). The third point is of particular import to Kashou, as he doesn't believe he can handle the two's needs AND take care of himself, given the sink-or-swim approach he took to starting a patisserie.
His attempts to explain this fall on deaf ears, mostly in part to Chocola's stubbornness and Vanilla's backing. Moreover, his attempts to chase them off by being deliberately mean and disparaging only make him feel guilty about doing so. Finally, in a sunset park, Chocola's honesty and Vanilla's rational arguments persuade Kashou to let them stay.
Allowing Chocola and Vanilla to remain in his life, Kashou makes the two employees of La Soleil, complete with uniforms that the two are excited to show off. At this point, La Soleil is in the final phases of preparing to open, Kashou's even made business cards to spread word about his store. Vanilla requests one for reasons unknown to Kashou, though he thinks this is Vanilla simply doing whatever she wants again. The three then go to a nearby pet store so Kashou can pick up some supplies and materials for raising catgirls, and a drugstore at Vanilla's request. After some brief awkwardness involving Chocola bringing up certain topics in public, Kashou notices Vanilla has disappeared, though she's soon sniffed out by Chocola. Vanilla remains silent on what exactly she was doing, and the three return home to rest and prepare for opening the store.
The day before La Soleil's opening, Kashou is attempting to train Chocola and Vanilla in customer service, though the former seems to have some difficulties in displaying professionalism. Taking a brief break, Kashou offers a taste of the custard he's finished, and receives rave reviews from his two testers. Chocola is eager to have more, so she attempts to make custard herself, only to end up splattering herself and Vanilla with milk and cream. Kashou takes the two to the bathroom to wash off the mess. The occasion reminds Kashou of how he used to bathe with the two like this when they were younger, but stopped once they matured. He briefly thinks about how feminine the two have become since then, only to shake the thoughts from his head. By the time the bath is done and Kashou is finalizing his baking preparations, Chocola and Vanilla have fallen asleep on the couch, dreaming of a La Soleil packed with customers. Kashou carries the two into the bedroom to tuck them in, then goes back to preparing for La Soleil's debut.
Dawn shines on La Soleil's opening day, and Kashou is disappointed, if unsurprised, to see that not a single customer has come in yet. When one does come in, they're immediately accosted by Chocola and Vanilla, who fumble their lines and approach from overexuberance. Kashou moves to apologize when he notices the customer is actually a (poorly) disguised Shigure who's come to see the grand opening of La Soleil. The scene then cuts forward, showing that the other Minaduki catgirls (Azuki, Coconut, Cinnamon, and Maple) have also come to visit, making the store a bit livelier than it was before. Kashou wonders how Shigure knew his store was opening and where it was considering he didn't even get around to distributing the business cards, but it turns out Vanilla sent one to Shigure when she vanished by the drugstore. While Kashou half-listens to Azuki and Maple's ribbing from how he left without a word, he thinks about how nice it is to see his family again.
Aside from the reunion, Shigure informs Kashou that while he can use Chocola and Vanilla as free workers, legal employment requires the catgirls have an Independent Action Permit, which turns out to be the bells all the other Minaduki catgirls wear. After a brief bout of familial shenanigans, Shigure purchases every single cake Kashou has for sale, holding an all-you-can-eat cake buffet for the catgirls. Kashou remarks to himself that selling out one's entire grand debut stock 30 minutes into opening is impressive, even if it was done this way. Shigure also took the liberty of redecorating Kashou's bedrooms, and while he's slightly consternated at how his room looks like something out of a princess fantasy, he finds no real ground for complaint since the room is so comfortable to sleep in.
The next day, La Soleil is experiencing a surge in popularity, thanks to selling out and closing so early on opening day in conjunction with social media attention. Chocola and Vanilla perform admirably in providing the customers with speedy and satisfactory service, to Kashou's pleasant surprise. He offers the two a rare cheesecake and tea to snack on during their break, and encourages them to try their best to get bells.
On one of La Soleil's days off, Shigure stops by again to help Chocola and Vanilla study for the bell exam. She attempts to have Azuki and Coconut demonstrate proper catgirl behavior, but circumstances conspire to make them misbehave, so she calls for Maple and Cinnamon instead. Kashou watches on, leaving Shigure to handle most things since he's not too well-versed on catgirl upbringing.
Later that night, Chocola and Vanilla walk up to Kashou in the kitchen, proudly proclaiming they've become catgirls worthy of bells. Kashou decides to perform a few simple tests on them, and is disappointed when every test ends in failure. Kashou tucks the two into bed, then proceeds to read the cheat sheets Shigure prepared for them.
A few days later, Kashou looks on as Chocola and Vanilla return from a delivery, the jingling bells around their necks a sign of their newly-won independence. Kashou indulges in their sense of accomplishment before noticing that he's running low on supplies, and goes out on break to buy more, with the two catgirls following him.
The three finish their shopping trip by resting in the park, where Chocola reminisces on how she and Kashou are sitting on the benches exactly like the last time. Kashou wonders how things might have been different if he continued to refuse letting Chocola and Vanilla stay with him, but Chocola makes him shelve those thoughts since they're not relevant at this point. It's at this point that Kashou thinks to himself that Chocola's femininity is becoming difficult to ignore despite his initial feelings for the two catgirls as his daughters. As a brief petting of Chocola turns into a moment of slight tension, Vanilla suddenly cuts in and shenanigans ensue once more, Kashou thinking to himself that his break really didn't feel like one thanks to the catgirls accompanying him.
After returning to the bakery, Kashou continues his usual rounds. But suddenly, Chocola comes up to him from behind and buries her face in his back, sniffing at something only she can smell. Worried for her health, Kashou tries to ask if she's okay, but Chocola brushes off his concerns and dashes out. As the day goes on, Chocola seems more and more out of it, forgetting what she needs to tell Kashou and bearing a strange sensuality in her actions. Vanilla comes by and Kashou asks if she knows anything. Vanilla seems to have a brief epiphany, but doesn't really have proof of it, so she's unwilling to hypothesize at this moment. Kashou worries for Chocola's health, so he asks Vanilla to change her clothes and take her to bed to rest up while he handles the rest of the bakery's affairs.
At the end of the day, Kashou enters Chocola's room, intent on taking her to the clinic for a checkup. Chocola remains insistent on staying in her room, babbling about how she's a mature bell-holder who can control her instincts, much to Kashou's confusion until Vanilla comes by and sniffs Chocola, revealing that the latter has apparently climaxed from Kashou's proximity. Turns out Chocola has gone into heat, and Kashou unfortunately skimmed over those parts of his material since he thought it was too early for either of the two. Chocola is in tears and a bit of pain, since she's aware Kashou didn't mean to cause this when praising and petting Chocola in the park, but she couldn't help the way he makes her feel. Vanilla tells Kashou that it could negatively affect Chocola's health if her heat and emotional state aren't handled properly, and echoes to him the words she told him previously, about how catgirls aren't troubled by human complexities and simply love who they love, even if it's troublesome. As Vanilla sees herself out of the room, Chocola and Kashou profess their love for each other, kiss, and make love.
Later that night, Kashou looks at Chocola and Vanilla's sleeping faces, the former's heat having been settled without issue. He thinks about how the two have grown so much, as well as his new relationship with Chocola. With one last caress, Kashou quietly leaves the catgirls' bedroom.
The next day, Kashou is looking over a list of deliveries Chocola is going to handle. When the list looks to be in order, he pets Chocola and wishes her well on the way out. Chocola departs, but not before leaving him with a quick kiss. Kashou flusters and locks up, especially as two customers nearby become interested in his new relationship with Chocola. Meanwhile, Vanilla simply looks on as she carries out her work.
Once things have settled down some, Vanilla meets with Kashou in the kitchen, ribbing him a little about how he handled the female customers and Chocola. Kashou soon intuits that Vanilla is becoming jealous since he and Chocola are paying more attention to each other rather than Vanilla. He asks Vanilla if she's in heat, but she quickly denies any claims by repeatedly calling him a pervert and a "horny pastry puffer".
Later, Kashou leaves Chocola to handle the store while he takes Vanilla to the kitchen. He's intending to teach her how to make the store's cakes, a task which the impulsive live-in-the-moment Chocola would be...unreliable for. Vanilla sees this as a promotion of sorts, and quickly learns all the tools of the kitchen and various methods for baking. While this is happening, Kashou expresses his desire to know more about Vanilla and get along with her better, causing the catgirl to become lightly flustered. As Kashou continues to express his sentiments to Vanilla, the catgirl suddenly goes silent, sniffing at something sweet only she can smell. Tracking the scent to Kashou, she buries her face in his chest and begins sniffing. Snapping out her trance, Vanilla dashes out of the kitchen, to Kashou's confusion.
After the store closes, Vanilla continues to watch on as Kashou and Chocola become flirty around each other. Then, as Kashou counts the day's sales, Vanilla pushes against his back and begins sniffing. Sensing a pattern, Kashou begins to wonder if Vanilla has also entered her heat. He's not overly surprised by the idea, given that Chocola and Vanilla are twins, so something like similar heat periods seems plausible. While Vanilla seems normal as the day winds down, it all comes to a head when Vanilla shoves her face into Kashou's chest and sniffs like mad. Vanilla tries to make excuses for herself and denies she's in heat, but Kashou doesn't really understand why Vanilla is so reticent on the matter. Then Chocola enters the kitchen and begins to, for lack of a better term, molest Vanilla by the nape and ears. She tells Vanilla that she may be able to fool a human, but a catgirl's nose isn't so easily tricked, leading Vanilla to admit she's in heat once Kashou asks again. He considers handling her desires like he did Chocola's, but then backpedals, citing to himself his existing relationship with Chocola. After some more prodding from Chocola, Vanilla professes that she went into heat soon after Kashou told her he wanted them to be closer. As Chocola tells the two she's fine with loving both of them, they then make love.
That night Kashou lies in bed, his catpanions already asleep at his sides. Listening to the two's sleep-talk, Kashou remarks to himself that he can't even imagine a moment without Chocola and Vanilla, and drifts off to sleep.
The next morning, Kashou is talking with Shigure, who tells him she's never heard of catgirls becoming ill from their heat, though she does have the girls back home go through a series of exercises to burn off the stress and energy. Kashou asks Vanilla about this, and it turns out Shigure actually told Chocola and Vanilla to frame their heats as a potential health risk so Kashou would be more willing to lay with them. Kashou is miffed at being fooled like this, but isn't very angry with Shigure or the catgirls overall. He then ponders how Shigure is somehow both a conniving schemer and a lovingly supportive (if slightly goofy) little sister.
Later, Kashou takes Chocola and Vanilla on a date to the amusement park Hyakkeijima Sea Paradise. While the two catgirls love high-speed high-tension rides like the rollercoaster or the Blue Falling, Kashou is not so enthused, though he's only mildly exasperated when they hop onto the carousel, and has to bail the two out when the haunted house overwhelms them. Kashou stops to take a brief break, then joins a mother and her children in taking photos with the two catgirls. He briefly stops to think about how this looks to anyone from the outside, and then admits that this is undoubtedly a date. The three then go to the aquarium, where Kashou gets them aquatic plushies and they're dazzled by the variety of marine life on display, before Chocola and Vanilla begin to drool over a group of tuna in the exhibit. The catgirls then make a dash for the restroom, leaving Kashou to sit with their plushies. A member of the park's staff comes by and strikes a conversation with Kashou, where he bashfully admits that he has catpanions. The staff member admits she thought to talk with him because she has a catgirl who doesn't listen, and encourages Kashou to be more upfront about the bond he shares with his. Given some balloons as the staff member departs, Kashou thinks that he probably should be more confident that Chocola and Vanilla are his catpanions, before he notices the two of them sulking, thinking Kashou was flirting with the female staff member while they were away. Exasperated, he prepares to settle the misunderstanding.
Later that night, Kashou comes out of the bath and finds the two catgirls asleep on the couch, exhausted from playing all day. They wake up, and then share another moment of intimacy with Kashou, simply basking in the warmth that comes from being near a loved one. Chocola then proposes that she and Vanilla cook dinner for Kashou, as a way to end their day on a catpanion-esque note. They initially consider doing something like sushi, but Kashou manages to talk them down to doing a simple omurice, which the two then alternate feeding him.
Some time later, Kashou is bedridden from chronic fatigue, as explained by Shigure who came to visit. While Chocola and Vanilla wonder if this came from one too many lovemaking sessions, Shigure explains that it's simply insufficient rest while running the bakery. Kashou protests Shigure's decision to close the store so he can go to a clinic or hospital, citing the growth of his customer base, but Shigure shuts down his arguments by telling him he could actually die from overworking himself.
Chocola and Vanilla are shocked and horrified at this prospect, and their pleas for him to not die along with Shigure's overt anger convince Kashou to stay in bed and rest, allowing Chocola and Vanilla to take care of him. Shigure sends the two to close up shop, then proceeds to have a chat with Kashou before being interrupted by her phone ringing. While frustrated, Shigure has no choice but to return to the Minaduki home, leaving Kashou's care to the catgirls. Kashou finally drops the front he was giving Shigure, but reassures his catpanions he'll be fine after a bit of rest.
Later that night, Kashou is wracked by a fever that's only getting worse. During one of his brief moments of conscioness, he notices Chocoa and Vanilla are gone. Filled with worry, he forces himself out of bed and steps out, his worries only intensifying as he notices the girls' bells are laying around without their owners. Stumbling along, Kashou finds Chocola and Vanilla, desperately trying to explain to a police officer that they're not strays when he calls out to them. The two are shocked to see him awake and outside like this, but he simply tells them that he became worried when he woke up to see they weren't in the house. They apologize for worrying him even when trying to help, tears in their eyes as he reassures them. The officer walks away, having seen the girls' bells and owner, and the three make their way back home.
Roll credits
Cut to a little after Kashou has recovered, and he steps into the store to see Shigure and the other Minaduki catgirls in uniforms like Chocola and Vanilla. In an effort to ease Kashou's workload, Shigure and the others have taken to working at La Soleil. Kashou is initially uncertain of this plan, but the girls shoot down all his protests and he rolls along with it, thinking about how La Soleil has become a lot livelier now
Nekopara Vol. 2
Not too long after Vol. 1, La Soleil became known as a "Cat's Paradise", making it a popular store in the area. While Kashou worried a while about the extra business he wasn't prepared for, Shigure has done an admirable job managing the store's marketing while the catgirls handle the sales floor. For the most part, since Azuki and Coconut can't seem to stop butting heads.
Kashou notices Coconut in the living room while he's on break. It seems her recent tiff with Azuki was the cherry on top of a series of inadequacies in her eyes. Kashou thinks to himself that she's not as useless as she thinks she is, but as it stands, anything he says is unlikely to get through to her. So instead he invites her to accompany Chocola, Vanilla, and himself as they handle a delivery.
Out on delivery, Chocola and Vanilla are as lively as ever, but Kashou notices that any talk with Coconut keeps looping back to self-derision in some fashion. The four go to a park and notice the takoyaki stall is back, along with the catgirl advertising it who remembers when Kashou visited with Chocola and Vanilla. The stall's catgirl then introduces herself as Milk to Coconut. Coconut is unsure how to handle the conversation at first, but soon perks up after the conversation steers to her other sisters. Kashou then notices that Milk's owner isn't around, to which she answers that her master is out buying ingredients for a new takoyaki that Milk herself came up with. At Chocola and Vanilla's insistence, Kashou promises to buy them some takoyaki, and invites Coconut to have some as well, to which she seems reluctant before eventually giving in. Milk hears her master's footsteps from far away and runs off to meet her, but in her eagerness, runs into the street when the crosswalk's light is red, putting her in the path of a car. Just as it seems Milk is about to get run over, Coconut swoops in and rescues her. As Milk and her master tearfully embrace each other, Kashou both scolds Coconut for her recklessness and praises her for what she did. The food stand owner offers to make some takoyaki as thanks, and everyone takes a moment to wind down with food.
When the four return to La Soleil, Shigure scolds them for being back late. The catgirls try to make excuses, but Azuki notices the seaweed around their mouths from the takoyaki they ate. She tells them to brush their teeth, and they rush off to the bathroom. Shigure scolds Kashou a little and demands a kiss from him as an apology. Kashou thinks to himself that her brother complex is getting worse, but decides to oblige her with a kiss on the cheek. Shigure's face turns bright red, and with a sound like a boiling kettle, she keels over sporting a raging nosebleed. While the girls have their own reactions, Kashou is inured to this spectacle since apparently Shigure has nosebleeds 2-3 times a year, though he admits to himself it's uncommon for her to spew a veritable ocean. Since the bakery can't really run with over half the staff preoccupied one way or another, Cinnamon closes the store while Kashou moves to mop up the blood.
After tending to Shigure's mess, Kashou goes into the kitchen and sees Azuki there. When she thanks him seemingly out of the blue, she clarifies that she worried about how her earlier argument with Coconut seemed to cut particularly deep, and she's grateful to him for bringing Coconut outside to lift her spirits. This causes Kashou to think back to Shigure's words about how Azuki's used to keeping an eye on all the girls, and thinking to himself that for all her blunt crassness, she really does care for the family. As they finish up their conversation, Maple walks in requesting Kashou take Shigure to the hospital. He looks outside to see Cinnamon holding Shigure, the latter still in the throes of a nosebleed. The resulting shenanigans force La Soleil to close for the rest of the day, though Shigure recovered pretty quickly afterwards.
Later that night, Chocola approaches Kashou. After he takes a moment to tease her alongside Vanilla, Chocola explains that she and Vanilla have come to voice their complaints regarding him spending more time with the other girls in the family. They're fine with him getting along with the family, as Chocola wants everyone to be happy together, but she and Vanilla feel just a little neglected. Kashou decides to indulge them a little, inviting them to sit on his lap and get their ears cleaned. The resulting pleasure and comfort from such causes the two to fall asleep, and Kashou lets them rest while he goes to take a bath.
Kashou sits in the bath, pondering on the day's events as he relaxes. Then he hears Chocola and Vanilla outside the bathroom, who proceed to barge in and wash his back. After a brief conversation and some intimacy, the three go to bed, content to sleep in each other's embrace.
The next day, Shigure comes in to inform Kashou that Chocola and Vanilla need to take a review exam to have their bells renewed, much to Chocola's surprise and mild despair as he remembers how Chocola barely scraped by the certification exam. Shigure mentions that given the distance to the venue, she'll accompany the two instead, though considering Chocola's...study ability...it may take a while to come back, and it might be without a bell. As Chocola attempts to get Kashou to keep her here, his denial and her subsequent response rile up Shigure('s brother complex), and she drags Chocola out of La Soleil with Vanilla in tow.
Later that day, Kashou checks in with the other catgirls to see if they'll be alright with three staff members unavailable. Their responses make him think they'll be fine until Shigure returns, and leaves Azuki to man the front. Later, as Azuki starts sending people on breaks, she talks with Kashou about her worries regarding Coconut. While it's nice that Coconut's morale is back up, it's led to her being a little too gung-ho about trying to do anything and everything. Meanwhile, Coconut is looking into the kitchen, becoming grouchy about Azuki's comments.
Night falls. With everyone gone, Kashou performs a shop inventory to plan for the coming tasks. Coconut makes a surprise entrance before asking Kashou for some special training in order to become a better waitress of La Soleil. Having nothing else to do at the moment, he decides to give Coconut some waitstaff training. 30 minutes later, and Coconut is a downcast sobbing wreck from messing up all her training. Once her monologue starts going to some darker places, Kashou frantically invites her to take a break upstairs with an extra-large omurice, leading her to see-saw between joy from delicious food and negativity from her failures.
Kashou treats Coconut to a sumptuous meal, and while the catgirl is still downcast, she at least has enough energy to stuff her face in between monologues. He then notices her change in mannerisms and he decides to call it out. Coconut responds that since she has two younger sisters, passed her bell exam with full marks and is the tallest catgirl thanks to her growth spurt, she feels as though she can no longer afford to be a little girl and changed her speech as part of her attempts to grow up. While Kashou thinks back to Shigure's words about how both humans and catgirls have their own growing problems, he decides he can't leave Coconut be as a member of his precious family. He outright tells Coconut her way of speech is weird and that it's obvious she's trying to be someone she's not. This brings her mood down as she admits it, but can't help feeling useless when her other sisters seem capable of doing so much more than she can. Kashou clasps her hands and tells her that it's just like her to want to grow up, but at the same time tells her it's fine to talk to him like before and confide her worries. Coconut, with tears in her eyes, apologizes and thanks Kashou for worrying about her, and the two go back downstairs to train.
Back to training, Coconut is able to make progress much to her delight. She almost calls Kashou "big brother" before aborting her sentence and apologizing. Kashou simply tells her it's okay if she wants to call him "big brother", which she joyfully accepts alongside an invitation to stay the night in his home.
Later that night, Kashou gets a call from Shigure with a progress report on Chocola and Vanilla's bell exams. They won't be returning tomorrow but will keep him posted, hanging up on Chocola's pleas for Kashou to save her. Kashou later gets a call from Azuki, asking about how Coconut is doing. He replies that she's doing fine and Azuki responds positively. Coconut comes out of the shower once the call is done, and Kashou takes a moment to dry her hair and groom her. Coconut hugs him in thanks for everything, and they each go to bed.
The following morning, Kashou oversees Coconut's progress after her nightly training. As expected, she makes outstanding progress, impressing Cinnamon and Maple, but Azuki's reception is cooler by comparison, and she still butts heads with Coconut on occasion. Later, as Azuki goes on break, she talks to Kashou about Coconut, and while he's concerned that perhaps Azuki's delivery of advice is the reason none of hers gets through to Coconut, he remains silent as he listens to her before deciding to pet her in praise of her work. Azuki protests, but can't help purring in his hands. Then Coconut walks in, having heard Azuki's purrs and begins poking her buttons again. Kashou watches on as he quietly brings out some apple pies to mollify the two.
After another day at the bakery, Kashou leaves the after hours to the girls while he asks Azuki to accompany him, to her combined sarcasm and obedience. As night falls on the shopping district, Azuki jokingly asks if he's taking her out on a date. Then he takes her to a dress shop and she becomes flustered at the piece that she's been made to wear. When asked why the dress was chosen, Kashou explains that the destination of their trip has a strict dress code, which is why he's wearing an uncomfortable suit (only mentioned, never shown on-screen). The two then take a taxi to Yokohama's tallest skyscraper for a dinner for two. As the two enjoy their meal and champagne, Kashou notes that the dress alongside Azuki's mannerisms make her seem even more mature. He then confides in her that as she holds worries as an older sister, he also had worries as an older brother, and still does now for family members like Shigure. The two refill their champagne and clink their glasses together as they feast and chat the night away.
Their evening rendezvous over, Azuki and Kashou return to La Soleil, and their conversation begins to focus on Coconut and her behavior. Unfortunately, Coconut only overhears the last part of their conversation, and without context, misconstrues their talk as belittling her behind her back. Kashou and Azuki's attempts to talk her down are futile as Coconut becomes increasingly irrational, accusing the two of lying to her about her being part of their family due to their lack of blood relation. Azuki loses it and slaps Coconut, shouting at her that this kind of behavior only reinforces the idea that she's still immature. Coconut runs from the store in tears as Kashou admonishes Azuki for her actions, then empathizes with her troubles before suggesting they look for Coconut to patch things up. Azuki is slightly exasperated by how Kashou can say "cool things" at a time like this, but agrees and follows him as they search for their little sister.
In the dead of night, Kashou finds Coconut staring out to ocean. Noticing his presence, the catgirl briefly calls out to him before breaking into more sobs. The two look into the distance as Coconut airs out her sorrows, how she knows she can't do anything compared to her older sisters, but wants to try anyway for Shigure and her big brother. Kashou pulls Coconut into a hug, and tells her about some of the other girls and their flaws, asking if she hates any of them for it. She denies it, and he responds that that applies for everyone in the family, including Coconut. For all the problems they bring, Kashou can't bring himself to hate his sister nor his catgirls. Coconut tearfully apologizes to Kashou, who instantly forgives her before Azuki is shown to be right behind them. Coconut embraces Azuki and the two apologize to each other with tears in their eyes. The three return home to La Soleil, Coconut all but clinging to Azuki along the way
The next day, Kashou welcomes home Chocola, Vanilla, and Shigure, who have completed the catgirls' bell renewals. Upon Chocola wondering where Azuki and Coconut are, Cinnamon points to the kitchen where the two are...roughhousing again. Kashou watches with a smile on his face while the others look on in bemusement, with Cinnamon noting Coconut has begun calling Azuki "onee-chan" again. As Coconut suddenly hugs Azuki and starts petting her, it looks like another day of work and shenanigans awaits La Soleil.
A few days after the exam group returns, Kashou brings Azuki into the kitchen to teach her how to bake. Azuki is reluctant at first, but caves from Kashou's earnest requests. Coconut then enters the kitchen, having overheard the conversation and wanting to join in on baking. After an off-screen training montage, Coconut is once again a downcast mess at the cream-covered blob of a cake she's made. Kashou asks Azuki to fix it, and she does so with great aplomb. Coconut then breaks out of her funk to hug Azuki and twirl her around, offering nothing but praise for her older sister. Kashou decides to snap a photo of Azuki's cake while letting the two work off their energy.
Later, Kashou instructs them on how to make a sponge cake, or rather instructs Azuki, since Coconut seems content to watch and marvel at his work. After demonstrating the initial steps, he invites Azuki to try before stepping behind her to help with cracking the egg. While Azuki insists Kashou need not praise her over something so basic, he can easily tell that it makes her happy. Coconut teases Azuki over this, flustering her. Then Chocola and Vanilla peer into the kitchen, remarking on Azuki's affection for Kashou, which she vehemently denies and redirects the focus on Coconut, who's significantly less reluctant to express her sentiments. Chocola proposes her idea that her older sisters would be happy as Kashou's catpanions, flustering Azuki and Coconut until Kashou averts the argument by petting Chocola and Vanilla. Kashou tries to get the older catgirls to talk to their younger sisters about this topic, but neither is really willing to broach the idea of a relationship with Kashou, especially when Chocola's words fluster them again. As business begins to pick up again, Kashou resigns himself to yet more family shenanigans.
That night, Kashou invites Chocola and Vanilla to buy anything they'd like online as a reward for passing their bell renewals. When the two notice a whole tuna on sale, they go into a tizzy, though Kashou tries to curtail their food fixation before they break his wallet. Shigure is also in the room, exasperated at how they're celebrating even though they barely passed the exams. Kashou fills Shigure in on what's happened since they were gone, and she remarks on his affinity with the catgirls of the Minaduki family. While he's slightly uncertain of the idea of getting romantically involved with more of his family's catgirls, Kashou has learned by this point that it's better to go with the flow. The two exchange farewells before Shigure takes a taxi home.
The next day, Kashou works with Coconut in the kitchen. Petting her in praise of a good job, Kashou can't help but notice Coconut's mature figure in tandem with her behavior towards him is quite attractive, before he shakes such thoughts from his head and blaming Shigure's attempts to steer him in that direction. Then Coconut starts snuggling up to Kashou, chipping away at his reason. Not helping matters is Chocola, who notices the cuddles and joins in herself. Then she remarks that Kashou was getting just a little bit turned on by the intimacy, flustering both him and Coconut. The two of them briefly dance around the topic of their feelings before Chocola tries to talk again, only to get muffled by Kashou. As Coconut dashes out to handle some more work, Kashou is left with Chocola, who faints as he accidentally blocked her nose when he was covering her mouth.
After closing, Vanilla enters the kitchen, asking Kashou if anything happened with Coconut, as she seemed flustered and repeatedly made mistakes that day. Kashou feels distinctly uncomfortable talking about this, and redirects Vanilla's attention to a package that came in, presumably her and Chocola's online order. As Vanilla leaves, Kashou becomes unable to suppress the thoughts he has about Coconut's body, which isn't being helped by how Shigure and his catpanions are egging him on. Then Chocola comes in asking if he's finished with preparations for tomorrow, to which he responds he hasn't. As Chocola waits, it becomes increasingly clear that she's felt neglected since she came home from the bell renewal, and wishes to have some intimacy with Kashou. The two begin to make out in the kitchen, getting in the mood until Coconut walks in on them.
Coconut is flustered to walk in on them like this and tries to leave, only for Kashou to grab her. The two spend an awkward silence before Coconut admits most of her shock came from the normally cute and peppy Chocola acting the way she did, combined with Coconut's own inexperience regarding romance and intimacy. Flushing from her bashfulness and arousal, Coconut confesses her love to Kashou, asking to become his catpanion. He accepts, and the two share a kiss and consummate their love. Afterwards, Chocola is gleeful to have another catpanion, and Kashou invites the two and Vanilla to have a small celebration with cake. After the feast, Kashou and Coconut go to sleep in his room, taking comfort in each others' warmth.
The following morning, Kashou enters the living room and discovers Shigure delighted over Coconut becoming Kashou's catpanion, much to the catgirl's embarrassment. The three catgirls not romantically involved with Kashou can easily connect the dots, though Azuki seems out of it for some reason.
Starting a new day at the bakery, Kashou, Vanilla, and Azuki are working together in the kitchen. Vanilla is ribbing Kashou over leaving her out of Coconut's...induction...as Kashou's catpanion. Azuki, while putting a lot of effort into her work, seems out of sorts and stutters often. Vanilla checks over Azuki and it seems her tail is all puffed-up and straight, flustering the latter as the former makes a speedy exit. Exasperated, Azuki moves to start working on the cream puffs as Kashou becomes confused.
By sunset, Azuki has finished the custard. Searching for the plastic wrap so she can put it in the fridge, she accidentally knocks the custard bowl. Kashou narrowly catches the bowl before it hits the floor, but the custard has already splattered Azuki's face and his own hands. While Azuki is dejected about her mistake costing the custard, Kashou is more concerned with her safety. Not seeing any real issue, Kashou licks some of the custard on his hand and finds it delicious. He compliments Azuki for her work, and she quiets down with a blush on her face. Kashou holds his hand out, offering some of the custard to taste. He attempts to get a spoon, but Azuki suddenly grabs his hand and begins to lick the custard off his finger. Kashou can't help but get turned on by this development, and Azuki isn't helping matters as she's fallen into a sort of trance lapping up his hand as much as the custard. Kashou's moan of pleasure snaps Azuki out of it, and she suddenly backs off in a fluster. Kashou then explains he was going to offer her a spoon, causing the catgirl to break down in mortification from just how badly she misunderstood things. Seeing Azuki's tension continue to ramp up, Kashou invites her to take a breater upstairs
Later that night, Azuki wakes up in Kashou's bed. Since the Munchkin seemed so exhausted, Kashou let her rest for the remainder of the day after having Vanilla change her out of the store uniform. Sensing something is still up, Kashou asks Azuki what's wrong, to which she responds that she actually saw what Kashou was up to with Chocola and Coconut the night the latter became one of his catpanions. She was originally going back to the store because she worried about Coconut, but then she saw Kashou acting manly and couldn't help how that changed her perception of him. The two share an awkward silence only broken by fragments of conversation. Azuki tries to leave after Vanilla shows up, but the white-haired catgirl intercepts her with a devious look on her face. Kashou looks on as Vanilla teases Azuki and leaves the Munchkin a panting mess.
After some prodding by Vanilla and Kashou, Azuki hesitantly confesses that she loves him, and is jealous of the relationship Chocola, Vanilla, and Coconut have with him. In face of her feelings, Kasho answers them head-on with an embrace and a kiss, followed by a celebratory meal and a night of passion.
Kashou and Azuki decide to sleep together in his room. Azuki's more or less gone back to her old self, still unable to really be honest with her feelings. Though it seems Kashou's teasing has a way of getting her to open up, no matter how small it is. The two snuggle up under the covers as they fall asleep.
The following morning, Shigure immediately discovers that Azuki has also joined Kashou's catpanions, her subsequent exuberance being a source of embarrassment for Azuki and exasperation for Kashou. The other catgirls look at this spectacle with varying reactions before Kashou eggs them all to prepare for the day's work
As Kashou looks on at the shenanigans his family have already started, a new day dawn on La Soleil, the "Neko Paradise"...
Nekopara Vol.3
La Solei is as busy as ever, and the catgirls (plus Shigure) are all hard at work keeping things flowing even amidst the bustle. Social dynamics are re-established as Chocola lives by the moment, Vanilla snarks, Azuki nonchalantly brushes off praise, and Coconut flusters Azuki into being more honest.
On the sales floor, Maple is exasperated at how many customers flirt with her while she's working. Cinnamon, meanwhile, is...still construing any and all dialogue into a sexual subtext again. Kashou is mildly resigned to it, but feels assured Azuki will keep her in check as he focuses on the kitchen. Shigure walks in with a complaint on her lips about Cinnamon's nigh-constant arousal and Maple's moods, then invites Kashou to make the two his catpanions, given the pattern where Minaduki catgirls seem to mature and develop in his company before becoming his catpanions. Kashou brushes this off as coincidence, but Shigure goes off on a tangent about having six catgirls around Kashou, feeding her reports about his affections. Kashou briefly thinks to himself his only recourse is to try and keep all these (cat)girls in line, no matter how doomed an endeavor it is.
The store's bell rings again, and a rambunctious little girl charges in. The child is excited to see all the catgirls of La Soleil in person, and even asks Cinnamon to do her drooling thing, though the suddenness of the request means Cinnamon isn't quite ready to do so. This conversation causes Kashou to look at Shigure with eyes of accusation, since Cinnamon's episodes are not really safe for children to be looking at or listening to, particularly since it's on the internet. Then her mother walks in, apologizing for her daughter's exuberance. It turns out they've traveled from Osaka to visit La Soleil since her daughter has been a fan of the videos and pictures on the patisserie's blog. Kashou then greets the pair and shows them to their seats.
Later in the kitchen, Chocola tells Kashou the mother-daughter pair have asked for his personal recommendation on cakes to try. Kashou makes his selection, and asks Maple to find the teas that would complement them. He then asks Shigure to make something about this occasion on La Soleil's blog, as a bit of a special gift to the mother and daughter for traveling all the way here. After the order has been served, the mother and daughter promise to stop by again some time as they leave. Kashou praises Shigure for making and maintaining the blog as a way of marketing, to which she responds bashfully. She explains that she worried whether she was really contributing anything to La Soleil, but seeing the smiles on both Kashou's face and their customers makes her feel it was all worthwhile. As Shigure pulls Chocola and Vanilla to do...something to promote La Soleil, Kashou looks on with a smile at the memories being made today.
Later, Kashou is finishing a delivery order with Cinnamon and Maple in tow. The two catgirls have an interesting dynamic regarding their chatter, as Cinnamon eggs Maple on about what her type of man might be. Maple gets hung up when Cinnamon mentions the charm of a man "who chases his dreams", but brushes off Kashou when he appears concerned, citing their need to hurry back before Azuki readies to give them a tongue-lashing. Kashou proposes they bring her a gift to placate her, and the two jump on the opportunity to get Kashou to make crepes for everyone. Resigned to indulging the family's sweet tooth, Kashou buys ice cream on the way home so Cinnamon and Maple can enjoy crepes with any toppings they desire on break.
Later that night after closing, Chocola shoves the calendar in Kashou's face, excited for their long-awaited vacation. Vanilla snarks about how much Kashou drives them to work without much reward, then makes an implication regarding spending just a bit more money on Amuzoon orders, though Kashou believes they're just ordering the same silly things like animal DVDs and candy. Kashou acknowledges that perhaps he's been neglecting his first catpanions. The two then take his hands and drag him to the couch, where he clips their nails. After their grooming, Chocola and Vanilla express their excitement for their date tomorrow, but not before "subtly" implying to Kashou that their vacation means plenty of time to do lewd things, culminating in a threesome before they have dinner. Kashou asks the two if they have any real plans or aspirations, but they're fairly unambitious beyond some expensive meat and Kashou's company. Kashou thinks to himself on how people say catgirls are closer to cats than humans, meaning their wants and dreams tend to be of a simpler fare. As his first catpanions curl around him to spend time, the night wears on.
The next day, Kashou has returned to the amusement park for an outing with Chocola and Vanilla. Kashou enjoys the quieter atmosphere of a theme park on a weekday, as there's less crowds to navigate and watch out for. Checking his phone, Kashou proposes they stay in the main part of the park, since that's the part that's more fun with more people. Chocola and Vanilla are confused until the other catgirls show up with Shigure in tow, excited to be at the amusement park. After a brief bout of the usual family dynamics and subsequent shenanigans, what follows is a montage of the Minaduki catgirls in various degrees of enjoyment in the park's attractions, with Shigure recording for the blog and Kashou looking on feeling more like a parent chaperoning children rather than a man on a date.
Later, Maple finally recovers from the "intensity" of the haunted house and Cinnamon's jokes, accepting an orange juice from Kashou. He remarks that for all she looks fed-up, Maple is probably the one who looks out for Cinnamon the most, particularly when he mentions the two catgirls have probably spent most of their lifetimes with each other. Maple sighs, hoping none of her reactions were added to Shigure's blog, then teasingly asks Kashou if he's trying to make her a catpanion when he responds. Kashou is then surprised to hear that Shigure's blog is not only a source of revenue for her, but is only a fragment of an entire company that Shigure owns. Kashou thinks about how he doesn't really know that much about Shigure, much to Maple and Cinnamon's exasperation. Kashou then hands the two some money to buy refreshments before he looks up Shigure's blog, finding it chock-full of entries related to the family catgirls. He then notices an old video from when Maple and Cinnamon were children, as they wear magical girl outfits and sing, ending with Maple dreaming about becoming a singer. Maple and Cinnamon return to find Kashou watching the video, much to their nostalgia and embarrassment. Maple suddenly gets in a mood again at the mention of the video, but before Kashou can ask anything, a cheer rises up as a special children show featuring Neko*Witches begins. Cinnamon explains that it's a popular children's show, one that even Maple and Cinnamon loved as kittens, with a theme song so iconic, it's apparently unchanged from the time that kittenhood video was shot. Cinnamon is filled with anticipation and wants to go see the show, but Maple is reluctant to move, only caving when Cinnamon's begging starts to get lewd again. Kashou watches on as Cinnamon gets "captured" as a "hostage" for the show, the other Minaduki catgirls joining to watch, before the show culminates with Maple singing the show's theme to a rapturous ovation from audience, staff, and family alike. Kashou joins in on congratulating Maple for a splendid performance, noticing she seems oddly sedate before she gets surrounded by children who've put all their focus on her. After Maple has finished dealing with the children, Kashou hears from Shigure that her reluctance to sing is apparently simply a part of Maple's growth cycle, whatever it may be. On those words, the Minadukis continue their vacation.
After the vacation, Kashou notices Maple fixing up her nails on break. Maple seems intent on keeping her responses cool and distant, and he wonders what's been wrong with her since they came back from the amusement park. As he moves to prepare some tea, Maple suddenly asks why Kashou chose to start a bakery, when he could've just followed the traditions and rules his family's confectioner roots set. Kashou doesn't really give an answer, but Maple simply continues, asking if he likes catgirls before clarifying if he's attracted to catgirls only. Kashou replies that he wasn't expecting to get a catpanion to begin with, so he can't really compare his own to each other. This answer causes Maple to smile as she stands up and returns to the bakery, leaving Kashou with questions. Then Cinnamon walks in, enjoying some tea with Kashou before sighing. He asks her if there's anything wrong, and refuses to heed her denials. Then Cinnamon asks to use Kashou's computer and brings up a video of Maple's singing from their amusement park trip. She asks him to look at the comments, and they're all some variation of referring to her as a "catgirl". Cinnamon elaborates that Maple's pride can't really handle her being seen by others as "just a catgirl", reminding Kashou of his recent conversation with the American Curl. Cinnamon worries if her egging Maple to sing only hurt her, and wonders if she's being a bad sister. Kashou reassures her that they're more like best friends than sisters, since the two's dynamic is on more of an equal ground than, say, Azuki and Coconut's relationship. The two commiserate their concerns for Maple, but Cinnamon's libido kicks in as she asks to use Kashou's computer for "private research", completely erasing the solemn mood of before as he thinks the amusement park announcer was right when she described Cinnamon as "slightly bothered-looking".
Later, Kashou and Maple are walking home, having left closing the store to the others as they visit a tea shop. On the street, Kashou stops Maple and asks her about something from the kitten video, about how she wanted to be a singer. Maple insists she tossed that dream, but Kashou insists that she's still hung up about it, given how she couldn't have been as good as she was at the stage show if she wasn't secretly practicing. Maple tells him a catgirl having dreams seems foolish before going silent. In response, Kashou pats her head and answers her question from their previous talk, going on about how he thought he was only allowed to make Japanese confections before finding his passion in making people smile with baking. He tells her that he found a dream and chose to follow it, for his own sake and not anyone else's, no matter what disparaging he received for it. Maple smiles, and whispers, more to herself than to Kashou, that she's going to follow her dream for her sake and no one else's, thanking both Kashou and Cinnamon, the latter of whom was hiding around a corner. Cinnamon worried about Maple, but was scared she might be resented for what she did previously, so she nudged Kashou to talk about it instead. Maple assures Cinnamon that she doesn't hate her, causing the Scottish Fold to burst into tears and dribble. As the three return home, Maple tells Shigure of her plans to commit towards becoming a singer, much to the latter's elation, and asks if she can buy a musical instrument to complement her singing. Kashou asks why Shigure left that old video up given Maple's problem, and she responds that rather than an owner, she's more like a mother for all the Minaduki catgirls, so if she feels something can be an opportunity for them to grow, she'll take it.
The next day off, Kashou accompanies Shigure, Cinnamon, and Maple as they go to buy an instrument. The four settle into comfortable banter, particularly between Maple and Kashou. Arriving at the music store, Maple tries to keep a cool prideful front as she requests a guitar, but it breaks down in the face of guitars that are priced anywhere from 200 to 300-thousand yen (approximately 1,800-2,700 USD by exchange rates, rounded down). As she verges on tears from the price tags, nearly promising Kashou sleazy tasks in exhange for advance pay, he asks to see the acoustic guitars recommended for beginners, which are less expensive and come with some introductory books. With her ego cut down, Maple asks for a beginner's acoustic guitar set as Cinnamon and Shigure watch with bittersweet smiles.
Exiting the music store, Maple seems sheepish about Kashou paying for her set, but Kashou tells her to pay no mind to it, since he set her on this path and wants to support her as her family. Maple blushes, and promises to do her best with practice to repay Kashou's "spoiling", extending her hand to make a pinky promise. Behind them, Shigure and Cinnamon whisper about "youth" and "natural impulses", unnerving the other two.
Back at La Soleil, Maple has her guitar set up and is going through the motions trying to play the notes according to her books. Kashou, Cinnamon, and Shigure watch, becoming excited when Maple plays her first note. Maple tells them that this is nothing praiseworthy, but can't keep a smile off her face as she gets lost in her own world, practicing the guitar. Cinnamon thanks Kashou for supporting Maple, though he insists he didn't do much other than talk to her after Cinnamon brought the issue up, causing the Scottish Fold to swoon a little. After a brief chat, Shigure and Cinnamon return home, planning to bring Chocola and Vanilla back home as they pick up Maple.
Later that night, Maple has finally finished practicing, her fingers sore from the exertion. Looking around, Kashou tells her Cinnamon and Shigure already went home, to her slight surprise at the lateness of the hour. She then asks to borrow a nail clipper and file, working on getting rid of her nails. When asked why, she responds that they're getting in the way while playing guitar, impressing Kashou with how far she's willing to take this, considering how focused she always was on her nails. As Maple starts up her practice, Kashou starts to make dinner, muttering to himself if Maple is dedicated or just stubborn, then teasing her as she asks what he said.
The next day, Maple is back to her usual self as she confidently handles affairs in La Soleil. Kashou and Cinnamon remark on how cheerful Maple looks now, leading the latter to thank Kashou again, though from his thoughts, this seems to be a cycle where Cinnamon thanks Kashou for helping Maple and him brushing it off as not doing anything special. All the while, Cinnamon occasionally lets out a pained yelp, causing Kashou to worry for her. When asked, Cinnamon tries to deflect before bashfully admitting that her bra is too tight. Kashou briefly digests that statement before suddenly feeling worn out, having worried Cinnamon clutching her chest was something worse than pinched mammaries. Cinnamon insists on enduring, since while Shigure buys her bras, she doesn't want to trouble her master with how often her size changes. This comment causes Kashou to briefly focus on Cinnamon's chest before he snaps himself out of it. After Cinnamon goes into a tangent about needing a bra that will accentuate her bust and isn't too cheap, Kashou offers her money to buy a new one. Cinnamon attempts to decline, but he tells her he can't ignore the pain of a family member. Then Cinnamo's libido kicks in again and the moment is ruined as she contemplates the masochism of being squeezed by a tight bra before Kashou puts the brakes on that line of conversation. He attempts to decline Cinnamon's invitation to go bra shopping on their next day off, but she cites a rule about how even bell-holding catgirls can't enter certain areas or facilities without an owner. Unwilling to try and broach this particular subject with Shigure, Kashou acquiesces to shop for a bra with Cinnamon.
The next day off, Cinnamon is excited to go shopping like with Kashou, especially since they didn't tell anyone they were going out for this. Kashou meanwhile just feels awkward being in the store full of nothing but women and underwear. When asked, Kashou mentions he told Chocola and Vanilla he was heading out for work-related things, causing Cinnamon to tease him for "[sounding like] someone having an affair." The two banter for a while longer before they head to another store that's supposedly Cinnamon's favorite.
At the store, Cinnamon is trying to choose a bra. She tries to have Kashou make a decision regarding two pairs, but his awkward situation combined with his lack of knowledge on the matter means he can't really respond. So she rephrases the question to ask which one arouses him more, causing him to clam up before she giggles at her tease. Then a clerk walks over, asking if Kashou is Cinnamon's boyfriend. She bashfully clarifies that he's Shigure's brother, and her "other master" in a sense. The clerk remarks that Kashou must be a man who understands women and catgirls very well, given how few men actually know about and/or shop for underwear for women. Kasho tries to respond, but clams up bashfully as Cinnamon describes him as a wonderful, understanding master to the clerk. After a few more moments of banter, Cinnamon asks Kashou to choose a bra for her.
On their way home, Cinnamon is slightly concerned that the bra they bought was pretty expensive, but Kashou tells her it's fine to be spoiled every now and then, and that as her other master, it's fine if there's anything she wants to confide with him that she can't tell Shigure. Cinnamon tells him she wants to keep being Maple's best friend and supporting her however she can, then commenting on how cool he seems at that moment, nearly breaking into another drooling episode before he stops her, much to her halfhearted whines.
A few days pass, and it's once again closing time for La Soleil. Azuki allocates everyone tasks, but when Maple moves to check the register, Cinnamon butts in saying she'll do it alongside her own work, and Maple can go home early. Cinnamon ignores her protesting, even going to Kashou for approval to take over so Maple can leave early, which he agrees to. Maple acquiesces and leaves with a slightly troubled expression.
By the time Kashou finishes the prep work for tomorrow, it's already 10 PM. He leaves the kitchen and spies Cinnamon still at work sorting the receipts. He remarks that Maple's help could've gotten it done sooner, but Cinnamon insists on doing it herself so Maple can go home early for guitar practice. Kashou remembers Cinnamon's wish from their previous conversation. Kashou offers to take over the last of the work so she can go home early. Cinnamon accepts, offering to be his catpanion as repayment for his kindness, then immediately retracts the offer as a (half) joke. As Cinnamon leaves to change out of uniform, Kashou can't help but worry that perhaps the Scottish Fold is going too far in trying to help her best friend by any means possible.
A few days later, as Kashou is working the kitchen, Azuki remarks to him that Cinnamon's been acting weird, and not her usual brand of weird. Normally, Cinnamon would be constantly talking with Maple and getting all touchy-feely, but now it feels as though there's a disconnect between the two. Coconut joins in by saying that it's not the kind of enmity that would stem from a disagreement; Cinnamon and Maple still talk with each other during work or mealtimes. There's just a sort of gap, like Cinnamon is choosing to distance herself from Maple. Kashou has a flashback to the talk he had with Cinnamon a while ago, and now his vague worries have solidified. Azuki snorts in disbelief at the second-oldest catgirls of the family acting this stubborn. Kashou agrees as he remembers Cinnamon's innocent smile while shopping for undergarments, in stark contrast to the manufactured one she walks around with now. Maple's pursuit of her dreams, and Cinnamon wishing to support her best friend, even if it's self-detrimental. Coconut loses track of the conversation, and Azuki's attempts to explain it don't really help. Kashou gazes out into the store and sees Cinnamon and Maple talking. On the surface everything looks fine, but it's clear to him that Cinnamon has made a discomforting separation with Maple, frustrating him to no end.
Later that night, Kashou intercepts Cinnamon while she's working late again. He asks her if she's truly okay with pushing away Maple like this, if this is really how she wants to help her best friend. She replies by asking if he remembers her first days as a catgirl of the Minadukis before going into a flashback.
Back then, despite being treated kindly by Kashou, Shigure, and Azuki, Cinnamon was afraid. Fearful of doing anything to make them hate her, but unknowing of what words and expressions would make them like her, she spent her days curled up in the corner, watching. That's when a young Maple bluntly asked her if hiding and just watching was something fun to do. When Cinnamon confessed it wasn't, Maple held out a hand asked her to take her first steps in a new life as part of the Minaduki family. At that moment, Cinnamon made a promise. To be by Maple's side, and support her whenever she needed help.
While she undoubtedly feels lonely keeping away from Maple like this, Cinnamon feels that right now, it's the best way to repay that kindness. Kashou retorts that such one-sided sacrifice doesn't sound like how best friends work. It's nice that Cinnamon wishes to help Maple however she can, remembering that kindness from kittenhood, but has she even asked how Maple feels about it, let alone asking if Maple wants this? The question renders Cinnamon speechless, allowing Kashou to say that she can't just decide how this problem is resolved without Maple's input. As if on cue, Maple walks into the room as Kashou takes a step back. The American Curl takes a step forward, reiterating her old words from kittenhood, declaring that Cinnamon is just using Maple as an excuse to not make a choice on how she lives her life. Cinnamon's panic prevents her from making a coherent comeback. Maple uses this opportunity to step close enough that she can take hold of Cinnamon's cheek.
She affirms that both herself and Cinnamon are their own people, with their own lives to lead. She reaffirms the promise they made as kittens; To be by each other's side always, to help each other when they're in need, and to never let go of the other's hand, even as they take different paths in life. Tears fall from Cinnamon's eyes, a genuine smile on her face as she asks to share Maple's dream and be by her side. Maple's acceptance prompts further tears as Cinnamon dives into her arms. In the silence of La Soleil's after hours, two best friends finally reconnect.
As Kashou walks the two catgirls back to the station, Cinnamon can't hold in her joy at reconnecting with Maple, much to the American Curl's exasperation. Kashou believes that at this point, they can consider the matter settled, though Maple takes a moment to needle the man over his meddling tendencies. Kashou replies that these issues need to be mutually discussed and handled by both parties, to which Maple calls him a softie. Cinnamon agrees, but contextualizes that quality as the reason everyone loves Kashou. Kashou asks Cinnamon what she plans to do next, to which she bashfully responds that she'll follow Maple in becoming a musician. Kashou and Maple accept, prompting the Scottish Fold to tackle the American Curl out of joy. Kashou marvels at how two friends grown distant are now walking a new journey together.
Later, Kashou is walking with Azuki and Coconut as they're finishing some deliveries. Azuki is exasperated, as apparently Maple and Cinnamon went around explaining and apologizing to the rest of the family. Coconut is just glad that everything's back to normal, briefly swooning over how Kashou handled the matter. Azuki refers to it as Kashou being his usual nosy self, but Coconut says that what the Munchkin loves about him, flustering her to deny everything. As the three walk home, Coconut remembers Kashou considering getting a car to make deliveries. While it sounds convenient, both she and Kashou prefer the walks, as they're a chance to chat and bond with everyone else. Besides, the store isn't too busy, so they can spare the time. Azuki makes her agreement known until Coconut notices an ice cream shop. Sharing a knowing glance with Azuki, Kashou proposes they take a short break and get some ice cream. The Maine Coon immediately zooms to the shop, with Azuki and Kashou agreeing that somehow, Coconut acts more and more like Chocola by the day.
At a nearby park, the three of them take a moment to enjoy their ice cream. Kashou wipes their cheeks as they get messy from the catgirls sharing each other's cones. When Kashou adds his own cone to the sharing session, Azuki soon reciprocates with hers. Kasho takes a moment to enjoy, but Coconut, in her enthusiam, pushes Azuki, leading to both their cones squishing into Kashou's face. Panicked, the two catgirls look for something to wipe his face, but find none to spare. Desparate, Coconut suddenly jumps on Kashou and licks the cream off his face, much to his and Azuki's shock and embarrassment. Azuki's in particular only gets worse when Coconut tells her to help. Coconut holds down Kashou with her strength, licking him until all the cream is gone as Azuki watches helplessly.
Later in front of La Soleil, Coconut apologizes to Kashou for losing herself in the heat of the moment. He accepts, given he washed his face in the park afterward. Coconut remarks on how much she kissed Kashou during the licking, causing Azuki to tell her to stop messing around before stepping into the bakery. Coconut remarks that her older sister still can't be honest with herself. The Maine Coon then whispers in Kashou's ear, telling him that Azuki's holding back to preserve her dignity as the eldest catgirl of the family, but still wants Kashou's attention. Thanking him for the ice cream, Coconut kisses him on the cheek before entering the bakery herself. Kashou follows behind, the sensation of her lips still vivid in his mind.
Night falls as Kashou washes the dishes when Chocola and Vanilla barge in, declaring Shigure is going to treat them for a bit. When questioned, they declare they're going to get new soap and shampoo, since the stuff Kashou has in stock apparently doesn't quite feel right to them. Shigure soon walks in and apologizes. She was just going to buy the two a present, but somehow it escalated to this. Kashou is confused, given Chocola and Vanilla themselves chose the products he has now, but acknowledges his inexperience in the art of feminine hygiene and care products. Shigure also explains that she wants to spend some time with just Chocola and Vanilla, as she doesn't see them nearly as often as the other Minaduki cats. She also sees it as a prime opportunity to pick their brains for...information, though she laughs off Kashou's queries most boisterously. As the three girls leave for their outing, Kashou finishes his cleanup amidst an impending sense of doom.
After cleaning the bakery, Kashou finds Azuki in uniform sprawled on the sofa. For whatever reason, she felt like lazing about here instead of going home with the others. She accepts Kashou's offer of tea, then asks for some sweets as well. Kashou brings out some red bean jelly, but has Azuki get up and move to the table to eat, since it'd be bad manners for her to eat while lying on the sofa. While Azuki coolly tries to play off her continued presence as one of her whims, Kashou realizes she was waiting to be alone with him, and asks to pamper her for a bit. Azuki refuses at first, saying she's not a kitten like the others, but she still desires attention and affection as one of Kashou's catpanions. Even as she tries to pass herself as the most mature of the bunch, she can't help snuggling into Kashou's arms and petting.
Desiring more, Azuki tries to ask for permission before deciding to go thorough anyway, kissing Kashou on the spot. Her legs fail her as the kisses intensify, and she admits that she got jealous when Coconut was all over Kashou, figuratively and literally. The two stay embraced for a moment until Coconut's voice rings out, breaking their reverie. The Maine Coon explains she was too tired to go home, and took a nap in Chocola and Vanilla's room. By the time she woke up, she found Kashou and Azuki having their little moment. The two catgirls admit to being slightly jealous of each other, and seeing that Chocola and Vanilla have stepped out, see their opportunity to..spend some time with Kashou, in more ways than one. Calling out to Kashou, the three of them engage in lewd activities
A while later, the three lie in Kashou's bed, tired but satisfied. Azuki is mortified about how Coconut saw her act during their intercourse, but Coconut is just content that she did lewd things with her beloved master and sister. Then Kashou gets a message from Shigure. Turns out the shopping trip she took Chocola and Vanilla on was part of a little plot to give Azuki and Coconut their chance to spend some time as Kashou's catpanions in every way possible. With it being so late, Kashou invites the two to stay the night, which they eagerly accept, both for his cooking and the opportunity for even more lewd things.
Some time later, Kashou, Shigure, and Maple are back at the music store where Maple got her guitar. This time, they're buying a keyboard for Cinnamon so she can practice music with Maple. Cinnamon offers her breasts to Kashou as repayment for his generosity, even offering Maple's opinion as a review of the quality of her mammaries. Needless to say, both are incredibly unsettled by Cinnamon saying these things in public, so they quickly settle the bill and get out.
On the way home, Cinnamon keeps a tight grip on the keyboard, having already deemed it a personal treasure. She bought primarily thinking it would be a good instrument to complement Maple's guitar and voice, much to the American Curl's subtle joy and exasperation. Kashou and Shigure watch on with smiles, though the former is unsettled when the latter compares this reaction to when Cinnamon received foreign import undergarments. Shigure herself is uncertain if Kashou should be footing the bill again, but he waves it off, saying he was the one to set her on this path in a fashion, so he should at least do this. Shigure remarks that Kashou's a softie when it comes to his family, and it sets off her little sister instincts fiercely. Kashou is confused as usual, but the two watch their catgirl charges happily, as Cinnamon's clinging and teasing leads Maple to a tsundere self-destruct once again.
Later, as Cinnamon has everyone sing to her keyboard as a new daily ritual, Maple suddenly shouts at Kashou from the kitchen. After Shigure calms her down, Kashou explains that he might have a gig of sorts lined up for her and Cinnamon; one of his friends from college finished a big project for her company, so she's bringing her team to Japan for a party, and asked if Kashou could provide dessert catering while Maple sang for the event. After some mulling, Maple seems reluctant, almost apprehensive to perform. She explains that this early into her training, she's aware that her inexperience will shine through. Kashou apologizes for seemingly piling this onto Maple so early in the day, but the American Curl simply declares it's almost opening time and leaves the kitchen. Kashou and Shigure commiserate for a moment, thinking it might've been too soon to spring this on Maple. Out in the shop, the other catgirls listen in on the conversation, remarking on Maple's behavior during the talk. They quickly disperse to open the store, save Cinnamon who lingers for a moment in thought.
Later in the day, Azuki speaks with Kashou. Turns out for some reason Maple is taking a long time to finish her delivery run, and while Maple does have a bell, she can't help but worry anyways. Giving his assurances, Kashou tells the others he's heading out shopping, with Vanilla helping to keep Chocola from following him.
Walking around for a bit, Kashou finds Maple sitting in a park. The American Curl is shocked to see him, but soon turtles up again, calling him a worrywart that needed to search for her. Kashou simply tells her he coincidentally saw her while out shopping for some things, and sits beside her on the bench.
Gazing at the sunset sea, Kashou asks if Maple enjoys playing the guitar. She affirms it, then after a moment, admits to him that despite everything going her way, from practice to family support, she can't believe she can cut it right now as a professional musician. Kasho tells her she needs to be a little bit foolish to chase her dreams. He reiterates what he learned from his mentor, that constantly hiding your work until you finally "make something you'll be proud of" is just making excuses for your ego. Whether it's baking, music, or anything else, being afraid of your work garnering criticism and humiliation isn't fruitful. Only fools do not fear being shamed for what they've poured their very soul into.
Kashou teaches her each of the lessons imparted by his mentor, then mentions that day when Maple sang at the amusement park. The excitement of the crowd that made her forget the trauma of her doubt. Between that and the support of her family members, it seems as though Maple herself is the only one lacking faith in her success. Maple looks downcast, barely able to reply when Cinnamon's voice cuts through the air.
Cinnamon wordlessly steps closer to Maple, and before anyone can get a word in, calls Maple lame. The American Curl is flabbergasted at the sudden insult, allowing Cinnamon to continue her telling off. She calls Maple's dream small, that the excuses make her seem nothing like the cool Maple she knows. Maple can't even meet Cinnamon's gaz, let alone reply. Then Cinnamon steps closer, and takes Maple's hands in hers.
Cinnamon knows that Maple is better than that, especially since she's always been there, watching Maple. She affirms that it doesn't matter if Maple is a catgirl or a person, even if Maple herself doesn't believe. She always will, since Cinnamon believes in Maple more than anyone else could. She also recites the promise they made, to always be by each other's side, and offer a hand when trouble arises. Touched, Maple says she still lacks the confidence, but if Cinnamon believes in her and is willing to help, she should at least try. Kashou watches on as the two's bond grows even stronger.
Spirits lifted, Maple thanks Kashou and Cinnamon for cheering her up. Both deflect in their own ways, leading to Maple calling them modest. Kashou cheers the two on as they promise to return home and up their practice. Maple asks if Kashou really was out shopping, but he brushes it off saying the fridge still has stock in it. Maple leaves it at that, calling Kashou "[her] nosy Master". Cinnamon is shocked, as Maple doesn't even call Shigure "master", and takes it as a sign of Maple going sweet on Kashou. Maple brushes it off as Kashou being much like a parent for once as they walk home. Kashou goes over Cinnamon's words in his head, and marvels to himself at how all the catgirls have grown up.
As night falls on La Soleil, Kashou watches as the catgirls encourage Maple and Cinnamon to perform, or in Azuki's case, good-naturedly egging the former about her fear. The two budding musicians feed off each other's enthusiasm to practice and put on an amazing show for the party, to which Kashou remarks to himself that La Soleil is energetic as usual today.
Some time later, Maple and Cinnamon are being fitted for dresses to rent for the party. Maple picks a red dress with a few accessories for emphasis, to Shigure and Kashou's approval. Cinnamon marvels at Maple's dress, but continues to hide behind the curtain, unwilling to reveal herself. Maple doesn't quite understand Cinnamon's sudden shyness, pulling back the curtain to reveal that Cinnamon's figure is...spilling out...of the dress. Maple and Shigure think the Scottish Fold is up to her usual perverted shenanigans, but it turns out the dress really is just too small around the chest area. Kashou breaks up the impending argument between Cinnamon and Maple, but then the former becomes even more flustered at the idea of Kashou staring at her, leading to a bout of protectiveness from the latter. As the conversation further derails into Cinnamon's usual perversion and Maple's repulsed response, Shigure and Kashou wisely decide to wait outside the store, beyond the piercing gazes of everyone else.
On the way home, Cinnamon and Maple thank Shigure for taking them out for dresses, to which the girl responds that her big brother has been "hogging all the good bits", as it were. Kashou's response is that he wants to dote on the two catgirls he sees as little sisters, much to Shigure's admiration (and brother complex). Maple and Cinnamon are off in their own world imagining the party until Kashou asks them what song they'll perform for the party. Shigure then reminds the two that the party will be a formal setting, so they can't perform any anime songs. Briefly silent, the two (unconvincingly) try to act confident. Kashou and Shigure worry just a little bit, but Kashou himself is confident the two catgirls will be able to figure something out. Eventually.
Later, Kashou, Shigure, Chocola, and Vanilla watch as Maple and Cinnamon spend time after work brainstorming a song to perform for the party, from looking up typical dinner party songs to considering an original composition. Two hours later, they've basically self-destructed, with Maple throwing a minor tantrum and Cinnamon overheating from thinking a lot. At this moment, Kashou and Shigure finally decide it's time to give them a hand. Kashou offers them tea while suggesting they try changing perspectives, first establishing a concept of what they really want out of this performance. Unfortunately, the two don't quite get it and ask him for examples. The girls watching can't help but comment how spoiled Maple and Cinnamon are. Accepting that fact, the two tell Kashou they're going to use his room to practice and keep their grasp on the basics. Kashou and Shigure worry over how stuck the two are, but feel assured that they've grown ever since the amusement park. Since Kashou has tomorrow off, he offers to keep an eye on the two catgirls, to Shigure's appreciation
Night falls, and Shigure is about to take a taxi home. Before she does, she remarks that Kashou has become a kinder person who thinks of more than just himself, probably thanks to Chocola. With a hug and goodbye, Kashou thinks on Shigure's words as he steps back inside.
In the kitchen, Kashou is sketching ideas for a cake to bring to the party. Maple and Cinnamon walk in and marvel at his work before telling him they got Shigure's message that he'll let them stay the night. Cinnamon offers to wash his back as thanks, but he politely declines. After a moment of spacing out, Maple asks to look at Kashou's sketches, which he agrees to. After flipping through a few ideas, the American Curl asks Kashou what he thinks about when designing a cake, a flipping of the question he asked her earlier. He explains that while some details vary from cake to cake, the core idea he keeps as a point of pride is that his cakes should bring happiness to the people that eat it. Cinnamon ask if that means Kashou himself needs to be satisfied with the product, to which he responds with some of the lessons his mentor left him. Once more, he asks the two catgirls what they want to do with their music, for their audience and clients. After a moment's thought, the two decide they want their audience to enjoy themselves with their music. Kashou tells them to think about what they want to do to achieve that goal, leading the two to tease him for acting cool before thanking him for the advice. While they depart to discuss ideas for their performance, Kashou picks up his pen again to sketch more designs.
By the time Kashou finishes drafting designs, it's nearly 1 AM. Kashou no longer hears the sounds of guitar and keyboard, so Maple and Cinnamon must also be done with their work. Kashou heads to the bathroom for a potty break before taking a bath, only to find Maple has left the bathroom door open. While sitting on the toilet. With her panties down. The awkward silence drones for a few seconds before Maple erupts, asking who the heck just walks in on people using the toilet. Kashou tells her she should've at least closed, if not locked the door, but she responds that she didn't think anyone else would be staying up to 1 in the morning. She tries to shoo Kashou away, but devolves into groaning about how she can't hold it in any longer. Kashou is confused until he hears a very distinct trickling sound originating from the toilet. There are no words either party can say in response to this development. Maple spends a brief moment dying internally from mortification before shouting at Kashou, asking why he would watch her pee. Kashou tries to defend himself, saying the noises she made concerned him that something was wrong, but there's really no good way to construe this as Maple verbally chases him out of the bathroom.
Later, Kashou has made Maple a cup of tea as an apology, putting his forehead to the table in a sign of sincerity. Maple is still embarrassed, and just wants them both to forget this ever happened. As Maple downs her tribute of tea, Kashou remembers that Maple never liked the dark, and even as a kitten, she'd turn on every hallway light as she went to the bathroom at night. Turns out those habits have also developed into her leaving the door open while using the toilet. The situation reminds Kashou that his home isn't nearly as dark at night as the Minaduki estate, only for Maple to reply that at this point, it's a force of habit. She declares the conversation over and demands another cup of tea. Maple remarks on how Kashou is still working on cake design this late, and how it's a lot more blue-collar-grindstone than her mental image of a patissier. Kashou responds that being a patissier is more than just the cake's taste, though that is an important factor. There's also presentation, the creation process, and even considering whether it'll sell well. However Kashou appreciates the joy that people have from eating his cakes, so he's come to accept the work as simply part and parcel to the job. Maple remarks that he's got a smile on his face while monologuing, wondering if the life he's led is what made him this way. Kashou's response is that perhaps she'll become a little more like him after spending some time together, to which Maple responds that she's not one to talk about dreams while burning with passion. The two finish their tea, after which Maple heads off to bed, but backtracks so she can give her sincere thanks to Kashou. Kashou thinks to himself about how much everyone's grown up before laying on the sofa to sleep.
The next day, Kashou is watching as Cinnamon and Maple suddenly high-five each other while he cleans Chocola and Vanilla's faces from their breakfast. He asks if the two musicians have chosen a song, which they have thanks to Kashou's previous advice. Maple herself decided on the song, but they did take time considering if the audience would enjoy it. Chocola and Vanilla are eager to know what song it is, but Maple teases them, saying they have to go to the party to find out. Kashou gives a reminder that the party organizers will need the setlist of songs, promising not to peek at it when it gets sent. Maple and Cinnamon are eager to go home and practice, but Kashou, Chocola, and Vanilla persuade them to at least stay and have breakfast. Another dawn greets La Soliel, mixed with Chocola's call for seconds.
On the day of the party, Kashou accompanies Maple and Cinnamon to meet with the client. The nerves are starting to get to the catgirls, with Maple going to the bathroom every five minutes, and Cinnamon insisting that Kashou grope her breasts to distract her from stomach pains. Trying his best to calm them down, Kashou can't help but worry a little.
Taking a taxi to the venue, Maple and Cinnamon's nervousness only worsens as they see the ship the party, and their performance, will take place on. Kashou tries to calm them down again until he hears a familiar voice. It's none other than Satoko Tachibana, one of his old friends from college and the host of this party. Kashou takes a moment to introduce his friend to Maple and Cinnamon. The two are still nervous, but manage to get through their self-introductions. After some more talking, Satoko brings the three onboard the ship.
Inside the ship, Maple and Cinnamon marvel at the size and design of the party hall. Kashou comments about how hard Satoko must have worked to be able to host a party like this, to which she responds that Kashou's also worked hard, considering his choice to become a patissier seemed spontaneous back in college. The two humans engage in reminiscent conversation as Maple and Cinnamon gaze around the hall, their hesitation disappearing with every glance. Satoko remarks that Kashou raised them well, to which he responds with a subtle pride at the girls' growth. She then tells them a guest room has been re-purposed as a green room for the catgirls to prepare, and plans for a sound check and rehearsal. Meanwhile, she also asks Kashou to visit the galley to confirm that the ingredients they have are the right kind and in sufficient quantities for tonight's catering. With a word of encouragement and a fist bump, everyone splits to go their tasks.
After checking over the inventory, Kashou heads to the catgirls' green room. Inside, Maple and Cinnamon are already in their dresses, the energy yet to fade from their forms. The two haven't a trace of nervousness anymore, and he pats their heads. Satoko then calls for Kashou, saying Shigure and the others have arrived and have been seated. The three leave to see their family once more before the event begins.
Out in the party hall, the girls all marvel at each other's dresses and styles. Azuki and Coconut trail behind, the latter feeling unsuited for her dress. At Azuki's egging, Kashou compliments Coconut on her attire. Azuki sighs in exasperation at the Maine Coon's behavior until Kashou reminds her that she had this exact same awkwardness on a previous occasion. Chocola and Vanilla's teasing cause Azuki to start shouting until Shigure and Coconut calm her down.
That's when some other guests pass by, one rudely remarking about how he doesn't like catgirls cavorting and caterwauling everywhere. Kashou and Shigure apologize, when the guest recognizes Kashou as the owner of La Soleil. He "compliments" Kashou, saying he's very shrewd to make catgirl waitresses a "gimmick" of his bakery. Chocola and Vanilla move to his defense but are stopped by Azuki. Kashou continues to ford the current with a smile, unwilling to ruin this occasion for Satoko. The guest clicks his tongue for not getting a rise, mocking Kashou as being prideless. Maple interjects, calling out the guest for picking fights in the VIP section before Kashou holds her back. The guest declares that the catgirls should've just stayed home and be obedient pets before walking past them, shoving Maple as he goes.
Maple's pained yelp causes Kashou to snap, and he nearly grabs the man before Cinnamon stops him. With a smile from her and a reassurance from Maple, Kashou calms down. He apologizes for nearly ruining the night, but the two catgirls compliment him for only getting openly mad when the guest took direct shots at the girls. Shigure assures him that the Minadukis are above such pettiness as Satoko comes around asking if anything happened. Kashou downplays the incident before Satoko notices it's almost time for the party to begin. Kashou, Maple, and Cinnamon all split up for final preparations before the party, their family cheering them on.
A little before it's time for the performance, Kashou makes one last visit to Maple and Cinnamon's room. The two assure him that they've made their preparations, leading Kashou to think he has little to worry about now. Soon Sataoko arrives to bring Maple and Cinnamon for the show. Kashou gives them one last encouragement before they go, then moves to sit with Shigure and the others.
In the party hall, Shigure asks Kashou how Maple and Cinnamon are doing, to which he responds that they'll be alright. Satoko announces Maple and Cinnamon's presence as performers for the night, and they go up on stage. Their introduction has none of the nervousness from the day's beginning, and with a brief pause, their performance begins. Though Maple's English is a little rough, the performance captivates all of the audience. Kashou watches on, remarking to himself how hard the two worked for this. The song comes to a close, and the two are met with a full appplause. As the Minadukis talks about the performance of their second and third-eldest sisters, Kashou moves to prepare the catering, though he believes it won't beat out Maple and Cinnamon's reception.
Later, Kashou finds Maple and Cinnamon standing out on deck. He invites them back inside, but now that the performance is over, all the nerves and the will to overcome them have left the two drained of all strength. They hear footsteps behind them, and turn to see the rude guest from earlier. Kashou moves to defend the two catgirls, but the guest stops and says he's not here to start anything. The man bows his head, and apologizes for his remarks. Kashou is surprised until the man raises his head, acknowledging Maple and Cinnamon's efforts and apologizing to them personally. He gives his contact details, asking them to call him when they next put on a show so he can get front row seats. Kashou tentatively takes it and agrees. The man thanks him and walks back, shouting that Kashou's cake was good and he'll make a personal order sometime. Maple and Cinnamon remark on how the guy was as smug as Kashou, though Kashou was much cooler. Kashou holds the man's contacts and remarks that it seems like this is Fan #1 for the two. Maple retorts that Kashou is their first fan as Cinnamon comments that Shigure and the rest of the family are included too. Kashou can only agree, his cheeks heating up. Seeing the two full of innocent joy, Kashou repeats some of his earlier words to them. While he knows little about music, and may be biased towards his family, Maple and Cinnamon have undoubtedly worked hard to get this far, and pats them on the head.
As if a dam has burst, Maple and Cinnamon begin to cry. The two try to explain themselves, but the tears just won't stop. Kashou quietly holds them in his arms, even as they complain that his kindness makes the crying even worse. Eventually, their tears slow to a stop, and smiles alight on their faces. Kashou tells them everyone is waiting back at the hall, and the two agree to follow.
After the party, Kashou brings Maple and Cinnamon to their room, the two catgirls having gotten wasted from the complimentary atmosphere of the party and the endless bottles of champagne. Their inebriation is to the point where they couldn't really accompany Shigure and the others home, so Kashou volunteered to stay with the two. They tease him as he puts them to bed, wondering what he's going to do. Exasperated at their intoxicated shenanigans, Kashou tells them Satoko left them the room to use until tomorrow, and leaves some water for them to drink. He tries to exit the room when Maple grabs the sleeve of his shirt.
With a tinge of desperation, she asks what he thought of her singing. Kashou tries to tell her he thought it was good, but she goes silent and looks down. Cinnamon calls to him, telling him he's missing the point. She looks teasingly at Kashou before telling him that Maple was singing out to one person in particular. Maple fails to put together a defense before calming herself. She admits that while she sang out to the audience, it was Kashou specifically who was her reason to sing. After further egging from Cinnamon, Maple admits she wanted to be acknowledged and complimented by him, professing her love on the spot. Cinnamon remarks that with how much he supported them, feelings of attraction were only natural, admitting even she's fallen for him herself. Kashou is briefly confused before Cinnamon spells it out. They love him as a woman does a man. Maple decides to be straightforward, and asks to become Kashou's catpanion, with Cinnamon following right after. Kashou tries to brush it off as drunken behavior, but Maple isn't having any of it, going right up to Kashou and kissing him. Cinnamon follows up, saying if Kashou's going to keep trying to deny it, then there's little other choice. Cinnamon does something that leads to a threesome with Kashou and Maple.
Later, the three of them lay in bed, tired but satisfied. Kashou admits that by the third time now, he really can't run away from the fact that he has catpanions. Maple and Cinnamon profess their love again, and this time Kashou reciprocates. Sharing one last kiss, the three go to sleep, snuggling together.
Morning comes, and Shigure compliments Maple and Cinnamon for yesterday's performance, and thanks Kashou for keeping them company overnight. The other Minaduki catgirls talk about last night's performance, and everyone's reactions to it. Shigure once again congratulates Maple and Cinnamon, before muttering "Perfect."
Before anyone can react, Shigure suddenly shouts to the horizon, claiming it's her perfect victory. Kashou is confused until she elaborates. Shigure somehow knows that Maple and Cinnamon did the deed with Kashou and became his catpanions, and is now ranting about her "nii-sama paradise" made by catgirls. Kashou tries to calm Shigure down as the Minaduki catgirls awkwardly discuss the situation, now that they're all part of Kashou's harem. As Shigure's very loud and very public shouting becomes nigh-cringeworthy, Kashou panickily tries to change the topic, offering to get everyone food at the nearby Chinatown.
Another day at La Soleil goes on, as Kashou once again has to stop Azuki and Coconut from feuding. When the two do stop, he pets them as a reward for getting along. Maple stares at the scene while Cinnamon watches. Later, as Kashou works the kitchen, Chocola comes in wailing about a button coming off her uniform. Kashou is quick to assure her, and also gives Vanilla some pampering as a catpanion. Maple stares with growing grumbles as Cinnamon finds the American Curl's jealousy adorable.
Later that afternoon, Maple walks into the kitchen, telling Kashou she's taking her break. Kashou agrees, but Maple lingers around a moment, almost wanting something before she leaves anyway. Kashou himself is confused.
Kashou goes into the residence area hearing Maple shouting, only to find the American Curl explaining she was doing vocal practices, though she's also bickering with Cinnamon. Kashou remarks about how the two get along so well as he brings out cake and tea. The two catgirls don't recognize the cake until he explains that it's the same cake he made for the party, which neither of them got to try there. Offering it as thanks for their performance, Maple and Cinnamon have a moment before the former erupts in tsundere self-destruction and the latter in perpetually-aroused self-destruction. Kashou wisely decides to hightail it back to the kitchen.
A few days later, Maple calls for Kashou, offering him a cup of tea to taste-test. It's an Earl Grey, but there's a sweetness in the fragrance and flavor that befuddle him. Maple explains that she added maple syrup, which adds a novelty to the blend. Kashou marvels at the idea of La Soleil having its own blend of tea, given the sheer selection they have. Maple tells Kashou that she thought of doing this after trying his cake earlier and perceiving all the work he put in it, researching tea blends and doing some trial-and-error. She brushes off his thanks, downplaying as just being his employee and repaying all his earlier support. She bashfully accepts his gratitude anyways, particularly when Kashou starts petting her. The American Curl becomes awkward, desperately trying to hold in her joy. She tries to ask Kashou something before she cuts herself off, leading to Cinnamon walking in commenting on her awkwardness. Cinnamon reveals that they want Kashou to accompany them to the music store for some supplies on their next day off. Kashou checks his calendar, sees nothing he can't put off later, and agrees. Maple is slightly guilty, but he assures her that spending time with his catpanions is important too. With Maple and Cinnamon's happiness infecting him too, he marks the date on his calendar.
On the promised day, Kashou accompanies Maple and Cinnamon to the music store. Maple explains she needs new strings for her guitar. Despite her attempts to declare she'll pay for it herself, Kashou insists on treating her, and she acquiesces. Cinnamon remarks that such readiness to spoil is what led to her and Maple falling for him. As they go to the store, they pass by an arcade and spot a couple holding a set of photo stickers. Seeing Maple gaze at them thoughtfully, Kashou grabs Maple before she can head to the store and invites her and Cinnamon for a brief detour to take some photos. The two gleefully accept.
Later, the machine prompts them to smile for the cameras, a shutter click marking their photo being taken. Maple chides Kashou for looking so stiff when he smiles, despite his best efforts to handle it. Cinnamon coos over Kashou's awkwardness for these sorts of things, his inexperience with tech meaning he can't even operate the machine. Just as the machine prompts them for a second shot, Kashou's phone goes off, scaring the two cats stiff as the shutter clicks again. Maple berates Kashou for scaring them like that, then becomes panicked as the machine continue to take photos. Maple starts berating the machine for taking photos of them like this, to which Cinnamon responds that it can't really hear her.
Following the photo op, Maple laments how not a single one of the photos looks like a good "first date commemoration" photo. Cinnamon remarks that these photos are a great reflection of how they normally are, between Kashou's awkward expression, Maple's grumpiness, and Cinnamon's slightly-bothered smile. Kashou offers to get them new photos, but Maple waves it off, admitting that these photos are nice as well. Promising to share the photos when they get home, the three go to the music store for their supplies. Kashou finds that he still has some time before his next appointment, and invites the girls to get lunch. Cinnamon immediately accepts, but Maple is a bit more ambivalent about her answer. After some egging from Cinnamon, Maple blows a gasket before she grabs Kashou's arm, inviting him to go somewhere with her. He accepts, and she drags him along.
The three now find themselves in a room at a love hotel, the girls looking around at the erotically-charged setting. Kashou is bewildered at first before the two admit their desires. There's no predicting what would happen if they had sex at home where Chocola and Vanilla could hear them, but they still desire skinship as his catpanions. They take Kashou by the arms, and...
After the session, the girls shower and change clothes before laying on the bed. In their pillow talk, the girls reaffirm their love for Kashou, and his for them. They rest for a while before leaving, heading home to finish their date.
Later, Shigure is preparing a group shot of the Minaduki family in front of La Soleil, telling everyone to get close to Kashou, even if they have to squish their bodies against him. Kashou wonders if it's ok to do this 5 minutes before the store opens, but is quickly shot down by Shigure's doggedness and his catpanions' knowing of it. The pictures are taken, and everyone marvels at how all the girls fell for the same person. Surrounded by his loving catpanions and sister, Kashou can help but feel both thankful and regretful, gazing upon La Soleil as another day begins.
Nekopara Vol. 4
Another day proceeds at La Soleil, the catgirl paradise patisserie. Kashou is busy handling orders as delivered to him by Vanilla. Chocola also comes in with a birthday cake order, but she quickly dashes back after realizing she forgot to get details from the customer. Kashou is concerned that everyone's new winter clothes are stifling while indoors, but Vanilla and Chocola assure him they work just fine.
Kashou enters the kitchen, where Azuki chides him for being slow when La Soleil has gotten so much busier these days. He gets to work in the kitchen as Azuki beats some whipped cream and Cinnamon polishes strawberries. Azuki wonders how Kashou doesn't get tired himself from stirring the spatula to make whipped cream. He explains that he does, but his mentor taught him how to make it by hand, so it's the method he's most used to. The three talk about Kashou's mentorship abroad and how little they actually know of it beyond what Shigure told them. Finishing the Mont Blancs he was working on, Kashou leaves the kitchen.
Outside, Kashou meets Coconut and Maple. The former has recently returned from a delivery, while the latter was waiting for his Mont Blancs to stock the showcase. Coconut is just fine thanks to her winter clothes, though Maple doesn't miss a chance to jab at Coconut's...meatiness. Maple stocks the showcases, then comments on how this season is one where chestnut and pumpkin cakes are especially popular, leading Kashou to comment that the signature gourd of Halloween has found its place in Japan, too. He then tries a tea that Maple offers to complement the pumpkin cake, and finds it agreeable. As the work continues, Maple remarks on how much more patronage La Soleil is getting, making Kashou's decision to try and run it all by himself so long ago seem even more foolish. Kashou finds that he can't really make a comeback for that, considering what happened when he overworked himself. Maple asks him to give some rewards for their service, which Kashou agrees to, seeing as simple "thanks" don't feel like enough for his precious family and catpanions. The other catgirls show up and swarm Kashou, each with a task that needs to be done ASAP. With a small encouragement from Maple and Coconut, Kashou braces for another busy day.
Later, the door rings open for another customer. The girls welcome the customer before realizing it's Shigure. Kashou wonders why she's here when she's not slated for a shift, but Shigure tells him she needs her daily dose of big brother or else go into withdrawal. Although she's also there as a customer with a request. Asking Kashou to keep it secret, she tells him the nature of her request...
It turns out Shigure is requesting La Soleil make a birthday cake for none other than the Minaduki matriarch a.k.a. Kashou and Shigure's mother. The bombshell flabbergasts everyone, though Coconut fails to see what the issue is. That's when Maple explains that if Kashou were to present a cake to his mother, "that person" would also see it. By "that person", they're referring to Kashou's father. Coconut and Chocola still don't understand what the issue is, leading to a discussion about how it's not about him disapproving of Kashou's choices, or any enmity against Western baking. The crux of the matter is that as the son of a long line of Japanese confectioners, Kashou's father raised him to be a successor to the family business. And it's not just some recent thing. The Minaduki family has always been renowned for their high quality wagashi for 30 generations now, including Kashou's father. While understanding of the patriarch's wishes, all the girls support Kashou in his decision to forge his own path with Western cakes. That's when Cinnamon asks Kashou exactly how he became impassioned about Western cakes, especially when his specialty was originally Japanese sweets. Chocola and Vanilla are surprised that their master had a story they didn't know about, and ask him to clarify. Kashou himself wasn't trying to hide, but supposes there's no time like now since the customer flow has slowed down.
Long ago, Kashou's father taught him everything he knew about making sweets and general culinary arts. While Kashou appreciated learning those skills, he chafed at the idea that becoming the 31st head of the Minaduki confectioners was the only thing he was allowed to do. Needing some space away from the family, he took a trip to France and studied the art of Western baking. Shigure dramatizes it as him leaving without a word, but Kashou wonders if she was simply too young to really get it at the time. She also immediately ruins the mood by declaring that moment cemented her condition of constantly needing to see and be with her brother. Kashou asks if he can finish his story, and she sheepishly allows him.
While studying in France, Kashou visited a patisserie run by a baker who made every customer smile with their cakes. Seeing this, Kashou developed a wish to make people smile with Western cakes of his own. When he returned, he tried persuading his father, but he refused to approve. So Kashou cultivated skills and funds in secret, and when the time came, left on his own to start La Soleil.
While the girls are quick to chide Kashou for running off as he did, they also admire the passion that went into making La Soleil, which turns out to also be the name of his mentor's patisserie (he got permission to use the name from his mentor). Coconut and Cinnamon can only imagine what the cakes of someone who cemented Kashou's passion for baking taste like, drooling as they do so. Kashou thinks to himself that even though his mentor said they taught him all they know, his cakes don't even hold a candle to theirs. Shigure insists that Kashou's cake will be of suitable quality for their mother's birthday, but he remains uncertain, since he does not wish to butt heads with his father on their mother's special day. Shigure has planned for this too, as their father is going to be out for a community meeting between the various residents and business owners, leaving their mother at home on her birthday. Hearing this, Kashou agrees to close the store early on that day and deliver the cake to their mother. Shigure is elated at this, while the catgirls all express their anticipation for the birthday celebration.
The day of Mrs. Minaduki's birthday arrives, and Kashou finds himself standing still in front of the family estate. The catgirls are worried he's getting cold feet, but he assures them that their plans are still in effect. Kashou wonders to himself about how this is no longer his home; it's a battlefield.
Entering the house, Kashou is greeted by Shigure, who's been waiting for him for some time now. Chocola and Vanilla comment on how nostalgic the estate feels, while Cinnamon remarks that she didn't expect the next time everyone was here that all the catgirls would be Kashou's catpanions. Shigure reminds everyone that their mother is waiting in her room right now. Kashou wastes no time in setting everyone to their tasks. As they all finish setting the table and food, Shigure go to fetch their mother.
A short time later, everyone is congratulating Mrs. Awayuki Minaduki on her birthday. Awayuki is moved to the brink of tears, happy that her son Kashou has come home, where they can be one happy family again. Kashou politely declines, citing his ownership of La Soleil, but Awayuki tells him he can always come back and live with them anyway. With the table set, Awayuki marvels at how all of her favorite foods are present, from cabbage rolls to nikujaga croquettes and roast beef. Maple comments on how all the dishes have meat in them, to which the catgirls agree that they all love meat as well. Kashou tells his mother that of course he'd remember her favorite dishes, moving the matriarch to tears at how much he's grown. Awayuki's conversation flips back and forth from comments on the food Kashou's made to embarrassing (and possibly untrue) snippets of Kashou's youth, like promising to marry mother when he grows up. Kashou himself thinks that this unpredictable chatter is not too dissimilar to what Shigure gets up to.
As the family digs into the birthday feast, they also bring out presents for Awayuki. Kashou is mildly horrified because between cooking the feast and baking the birthday cake, he completely forgot to get his mother a present. Awayuki laughs it off, as that sort of tunnel-visioning is just like Kashou, and decides that the cake he made for her qualifies as his present. Said cake is soon brought out, and everyone marvels at its quality. Kashou is particularly embarrassed yet gladdened to have his mother compliment the cake. Maple quickly slices the cake, but before they can dig in, the foyer door opens with a distinct sound. Awayuki realizes her husband has come home early, shocking Kashou since this is supposed to be when his father is out all night with the neighbors and merchants. The tension in the room ratchets up as Kashou and Shigure's father, Suhama Minaduki, enters the room.
The atmosphere in the room is thick enough to cut with a knife. The girls worry about what the Minaduki patriarch's presence could do to the situation. Suhama breaks the silence by calling Kashou a moron for being so cowardly as to sneak home while his father is away. Awayuki is unfazed by the atmosphere, and invites Suhama to sit and enjoy Kashou's cake. Shigure and the girls agree, insisting that this will convince him to accept his son's decision to bake Western cakes, save Azuki who is apprehensive. Suhama flatly refuses, declaring that even without tasting the cake, he can tell Kashou is still immature. He says Kashou is just hiding behind pretty words like "bringing smiles to everyone's faces" to hide the fact that there's no "core" to his cooking, be it Japanese or Western sweets. Even after college and studying abroad in France, he hasn't grown one iota in Suhama's eyes. Neither Kashou nor the girls can understand what the patriarch means by "core", so with a sigh, Suhama asks them to wait before stepping out.
Shigure apologizes to her mother for ruining her birthday, but Awayuki doesn't mind, seeing it as a callback to when Kashou still lived in the estate. The catgirls notice Suhama has gone to the kitchen based on the smell, and seems to be making...whipped cream?
When Suhama returns, he's carrying a bowl. Setting it on the table, the bowl turns out to be full of whipped cream. Kashou is confused, but tries it at the behest of his father. He's shocked to find the quality of this whipped cream is a near-replica to the taste of his mentor's product. Suhama remains silent, even as Kashou declares he's leaving and almost runs from the Minaduki estate.
By the time Kashou's head clears, he's in the middle of a park without his bag, and thus is bereft of his keys, wallet, and everything else. Hearing Chocola call for him, he looks around to see Chocola and Vanilla followed him out, the latter even bringing his bag to him. Kashou remembers that without his keys, these two would also be locked out of the house, and apologizes for running off as he did. Vanilla asks for a reward in the form of buying some drinks from a vending machine to stave off the cold. Kashou accepts, thinking to himself that Vanilla's "reward" is to help him as well, now noticing the chill in the air.
Sitting on a bench, Vanilla passes Kashou and Chocola cans of hot coffee. Snuggling up with the two, Kashou thinks to himself that he's never really done this with the two before. At least, not without some lewd prelude or connotations. Kashou takes a moment to talk, admitting that's he's held this conceit that even if his dad was superior in Japanese confections, he'd never so much as touch the world of Western sweets. He always thought if it came to cakes and pastries, that at least would be something he'd trump his father in, only for it to not be the case. Chocola and Vanilla assure him that he can make it as a patissier, but Kashou concedes this round to his father, admitting that even after studying abroad, learning from his mentor, and taking to the field of running his own bakery, he's still leagues behind what his father can do.
He apologizes to Chocola and Vanilla for not being good enough, but the two quickly rebut his words. Chocola still loves him as her master, and the cakes he makes. Vanilla takes a more logical approach, reminding him that even the two of them started off lacking in skill and experience as patisserie workers. They remind him of his teachings before, that even if they didn't believe they could cut it, they still had to try their best. Kashou remembers all the effort Chocola and Vanilla put into getting their bells, even as they struggled with learning to work as waitresses for La Soleil.
Kashou wonders if simply doing his best will be enough to change anything. Chocola admits she has no idea, but tells him to try his best anyway. Kashou responds that that really is the only way, and to thinks to himself that as long as he hasn't given up this path, his best is really all he can do. With promises of support from his first catpanions, Kashou resolves to improve his cooking, and one day get his father to admit his cakes are delicious. Downing the last of his coffee, Kashou gets up with a spring in his step, and dashes off, shouting at Chocola and Vanilla that he'll race them home.
A few days later, Kashou, Shigure, and the catgirls all take a trip out to a hot spring district. While the girls are all excited, Kashou is unsure if he should really be taking a mini-vacation after he steeled himself to refine his baking even further. The girls call him a workaholic, and invite him to unwind during the lull between Halloween and the Christmas season. They also remind him this trip is to reward the girls for all their hard work at La Soleil. Shigure wonders if her doing this is inconveniencing Kashou on top of what happened with Awayuki's birthday, but Kashou insists that this makes a good way to repay the girls' efforts. As catgirls, their wants are pretty simple, but simply giving cat toys, food, and care products feels like a cheap repayment to Kashou. Azuki insists that Kashou relax as well, since he's recently stayed up quite late testing new cakes and flavors. Kashou thinks to himself about how volatile the taste-testing is, since what tastes fine to him one day can feel like utter garbage the next, even if the flavor itself hasn't changed. Chocola and Coconut are excited by the idea of taste-testing Kashou's cakes, to Azuki's exasperation.
Later, the group splits up, with each of the girls going to sightsee whatever they wish. Kashou accompanies Chocola and Vanilla to the food carts, then moves to catch up with the others. The three find Cinnamon and Coconut eating something. Turns out they won a Cantabrian cheesecake from a convenience store raffle while shopping. The girls remark that even though Kashou can make a better cheesecake, this isn't too bad either. Azuki and Maple also show up, the former reminding them all that convenience store sweets can bought anytime, but tonight's their only chance to enjoy Japanese inn-style cooking. Cinnamon is struck with regret, leading Maple to help her eat out of pity. The American Curl also offers Kashou a piece to feed, which he accepts. Flavor-wise, it hits all the right notes of being a cheesecake. Shigure reminds everyone they still need to check in at the inn, so they depart.
The group find themselves in front of Aobanatei Inn, a high-class establishment with a reputable history. The girls are all anticipatory, but Kashou's concern is the expense for bringing a party this large, since catgirls count as people for charging purposes at these sorts of places. Shigure explains that it's a lot cheaper since they're reserving in the off-season. Kashou insists on footing the bill since this is supposed to be his way of thanking everyone, but Shigure insists on doing this as her way of supporting her beloved brother. While said beloved brother is unsettled by Shigure's monologuing, he takes up her offer as they check in to their rooms.
Having finsished check-in, Kashou changes into the inn's provided yukata before seeing everyone else in theirs. After talking with everyone on what they'll do before dinnertime, the group disperses. Citing personal business, Kashou steps outside to a quiet place before making a call on his phone. Turns out he's ordering some ingredients for flavor research from a supplier in France.
Business concluded, Kashou goes back in the inn. He finds Vanilla and Maple going head-to-head at one of the ping-pong tables. Though their rallying is fast-paced, they speak to Kashou with all the casual air of sitting in a chair sipping tea. As the unusual pairing reintensifies, Kashou leaves to find the others.
In the game corner, Kashou finds another unusual pairing, this time being Azuki and Cinnamon. Azuki is focused on an arcade shooter she's playing, while Cinnamon watches, fidgeting and yelping in response to the game's action. After a sudden development causes Azuki's ship to blow up, her yelp excites Cinnamon, leading to a small tiff until Kashou reminds them of the impending dinner.
Kashou can find hide no hair of Chocola and Coconut in the inn until he finds them in the concession area of the lobby, stuffing their faces with manjuu. He briefly chides them for spoiling their dinner like this, to which they repent for all of 5 seconds before they immediately stop, the warm delicious hot spring manjuu making them forget. With such positive reviews, Kashou buys one himself. He finds the experience interesting, the manjuu's piping hot-freshness a contrast to Kashou's cakes and the Minaduki's sweets, neither of which are served warm. He thinks to himself about how this is his first time trying one of these, his human family never having interest in trying local snacks even on trips like this. Promising to keep the manjuu a secret from Shigure, Kashou returns to his room.
Back in his room, Kashou finds Shigure sitting around. Turns out she also needed to make a personal business call, reminding Kashou that his little sister runs her own company without oversight from their parents, one with enough profit for six catgirls' worth of clothes, supplies, and bell exams. Hearing that the girls are enjoying themselves in their own ways, Shigure invites Kashou to the inn's karaoke room.
In the karaoke room, Shigure dedicates a song to her brother. When she finishes, Kashou gives her generous applause, her voice on the level of a professional. His praise nearly overloads Shigure's mind, and she bids him to sing before she gets a nosebleed. Kashou accepts, since not singing ina karaoke session would be odd. He searches the song listing for one popular song he remembers, but can't find it. Shigure reminds him that if it was a song from his abroad studies in France, it wouldn't be in a karaoke machine in Japan unless it was internationally acclaimed. Sheepish, Kashou instead chooses a song that was popular from his high school days. Shigure calls his voice exquisite.
Dinner time rolls around, and everyone digs in to the feast. Chocola asks Kashou about a dish's aroma, which he recognizes as matsutake mushroom chawanmushi. Maple is surprised he can tell by just smell rather than referring to the menu. Watching Coconut's prodigious appetite, Kashou considers ordering extra while telling Maple her figure is fine and she doesn't need to diet.
After the meal, everyone's in varying states of food coma. The girls all leave to take a bath while Kashou decides to lie down. His thoughts turn to earning his father's approval, even if he can't match his mentor or his father in flavors. The door slides open again, revealing Azuki. She told the others she forgot something, but secretly, she worried for Kashou as he seemd to be mulling over something. Kashou confides his thoughts to her, about the cheesecake Cinnamon and Coconut were eating earlier. A cake that's tasty, yet cheap, portable, lasting, and can be found nearly anywhere you go. With such a thing widely available, is there a point to him trying to make Western sweets? Azuki sighs, worried that his troubles were a lot greater than that, and explains that between various products and processes, there will inevitably be a difference in flavor, making comparison pointless. Kashou tries to explain his viewpoint about bringing smiles to people, but the Munchkin tells him that not all smiles are the same, and gives examples like her own feelings or a customer requesting a cake for his anniversary. In light of those, Kashou's worries seem so small now. Azuki then explains that this whole hot springs trip was actually a ploy by Shigure to lift Kashou's spirits, so him not going to the baths is concerning her. His mind cleared, Kashou decides to go take a bath, Azuki accompanying him. The idea of Azuki going in the mens' bath shocks them both until she explains that they're going to use the family bath. Gathering his things, Kashou opens the door only to find Coconut eavesdropping. She felt worried for her big brother and overheard them talking. They invite the Maine Coon to the family bath, and she gleefully accepts. Which then leads to them having sex in the bath.
After the baths, everyone is asleep in their futons, save Kashou who's still wide awake. Leaving the inn, he takes a stroll around the hot spring district, now devoid of people at night. Gazing over the bridge, he sees a light in the water that may be the moon or a streetlight. He peers deeper, only to be interrupted by Azuki shouting and nearly tackling him into the drink. Azuki yells at him, but sheepishly apologizes when she realizes he wasn't about to jump off the bridge or anything. Accepting the apology, Kashou invites her to join him on his walk.
On their stroll, Azuki explains she got woken up by Shigure's sleep-talk, only to notice Kashou was actually gone from the room. Kashou explains that he needed to clear his head. The problem isn't the convenience store sweets anymore, but he still feels lacking in some way compared to his mentor and father. Kashou explains his studies in France after he graduated college, seeking horizons beyond what his father planned for him. On a Paris street corner, he saw his mentor's patisserie and the smiles on the patrons who sat there and ate the cakes, an experience that could never be found with the Minaduki's sweets, the main store lacking seating where most products is sent to department stores. He pleaded with his mentor for an apprenticeship and learned everything about Western baking from them. By the end of his studies abroad, Kashou's mentor told him, "I've already taught you everything." They left him with the instructions to complete what he's learned on his own. He was told that his work needed a personal flair to it, or it'd be no different from the factory-standard cakes churned out en masse. Kasho moves on to explain that he asked his mentor for permission to use their shop's name for his own patisserie, to which they agreed. He also explains that it's called "La Soleil" because his mentor was female, even though in French it'd be incorrect.
Thinking about it further, Kashou held pride in striving to his mentor's example, of reaching her flavor. But when his dad, who barely ever mentioned Western sweets cobbled together a whipped cream to rival hers, Kashou began to feel like a phony trying to mimic both of them. He thinks back to his father's words, about how his cooking lacks a core. Deciding to try a little harder in seeking the meaning, he decides to head back to the inn with Azuki in tow.
A day after the hot springs trip, La Soleil is as busy as ever. Kashou spies Coconut putting up posters, and he sheepishly remembers asking the vertically-challenged Azuki to put them up earlier. Looking at the poster, Kashou sees it's for a Christmas party held by the neighborhood association. Coconut is exceited for the festivities, but Kashou tells her they probably won't make it, citing the chaos that strikes cake shops on December 24th in Japan, and La Soleil won't be safe from it. Coconut flashbacks to the Christmas party they had before, and becomes a little blue when she realizes they'll be too busy to enjoy themselves. The conversation soon turns to Christmas dinners in other countries, all the way to the girls writing letters for Santa. Kashou thinks on this as Coconut suggest holding a Christmas party for Shigure and Awayuki, but Azuki unfortunately has to rain on their parade, citing Suhama's appearance and ensuing awkwardness from last time. Kashou remembers conceding to his father's skill, but is determined to get his baking acknowledged to loosen this nagging in his heart. He decides to bring a cake to the Minaduki house after the store closes, the best one he'll ever make. Shigure pops up out of nowhere, claiming she's been waiting for him to say such words. She tells him to focus on the cake while she takes over the other details. Coconut is eager to hold a Christmas party while Azuki is slightly apprehensive.
Later, as the customer flow dwindles, Kashou holes up in the kitchen to test cakes. The one he's trying right now is perfectly fine, he'd have no issue serving it to customers. But he can't help the feeling there's something missing. His thoughts are interrupted by Maple, who's been calling him for some time now. Maple remarks that his face doesn't look like someone who's enjoying a good cake, and wipes some cream off his face to lick. Kashou comments that's an inefficient way to taste test, and offers her a piece of the cake.
Looking at the cake Kashou's made, Maple eats a piece and remarks that it's as tasty as ever. Kashou thinks it seems a bit plain to him, but she says it has a quality to it that reflects his wish to bring smiles to everyone. Kashou affirms that he still wishes for that, but is hung up on his father's words, that his wish is just an excuse and his cooking lacks a 'core'. In response, Maple suggests he make a cake without the idea of bringing smiles to everyone, since he's not going to serve the experiments to customers. Kashou realizes that he's never baked for himself, only ever for others.
Finishing another cake, Kashou calls on Maple to test again. The American Curl briefly worries about her weight before taking a bite anyways. She likes this one more than the one before, though she admits the cohesion of flavors might not be the best, especially if Suhama is going to be the one eating a piece of this. As they discuss how the idea didn't change the cake too much, Chocola suddenly dashes in, complaining that Kashou and Maple are eating tasty cakes without her. Vanilla also walks in, hearing the chance to try tasting cakes. She tells Kashou Cinnamon is watching the shop, only for the Scottish Fold to walk in as well. Since it's near break time, Kashou thinks it's alright if Azuki and Coconut hold down the fort while the others try his cakes.
Chocola, Vanilla, and Cinnamon each take a bite of the cakes, finding both of them agreeable. Kashou's complaint about the cakes being too plain seems a little invalid now. The girls hear his worries, so they each suggest a cake for him to make and the specifications.
Chocola's idea is chocolate sponge cake sandwiching a chocolate mousse, frosted with chocolate cream and decorated with more chocolate. She dubs it the "Special Chocola Morning Star". Everyone agrees that it's great as a chocolate cake, good for future reference, but maybe not the cake they're looking for.
Vanilla's suggestion is a rare-white cheesecake, scented with vanilla extract and drizzled with melted chocolate. She names it, "Chocola is Cute". It has the appearance of tofu covered in soy sauce, which is novel in presentation at least. The bitter taste contrasts heavily with Kashou's idea of "cakes that can make everyone smile", but the faint joy on the normally inexpressive Vanilla leaves an impression on him.
Maple requests for a black tea chiffon cake. Despite its plain appearance, it has a surprising black tea flavor, ironically making it a poor match for a cup of actual black tea. Maple herself is uncertain about this cake, but Kashou remarks it's a reflection of her personality.
Cinnamon's request is for an elaborate flower-shaped cake, including shaping each individual petal. Cinnamon tries to explain her cake, but goes into a heat when she gets to the stamen and pistil details. They each try a piece and find it to be of good quality. Kashou comments that the shape and detail of the cake is also a part of the experience. With each of the girls having made their requests, they disperse back to work.
Kashou looks at everyone's cakes, which have already lost their charm and personality now that their artists are gone. He still tries to look at them positively, to glean something out of this labor.
Night falls as Kashou spends his whole day in the kitchen. Frustrated, he slams the counter and nearly shouts before realizing he scared Maple and Cinnamon, whom he didn't notice entering. Calming down, he asks why they've yet to go home. Turns out there was a slight error in receipts, and Maple stayed behind to find out the cause. They also advise him to go home and take a rest, which he sort of can't do, since his home is also the bakery. He offers the cake he's made for them to taste test. The reception is...lukewarm. Kashou thinks to himself that trying to slap together all the things he did before just made it worse.
He confides his worries to the two, that the more he pursues his goal, the further he strays from it. He's even begun second-guessing himself while making the cakes he normally does. He also feels pressured by the support from the girls around him, no matter how much he appreciates it, and fears he might push they away desiring his own space.
Cinnamon breaks into tears. Kashou apologizes, thinking he's hurt her feelings, but she sympathizes with him, and his feelings of needing to keep it bottled up. Maple also tears up, frustrated at how powerless she is to help the one who's given her so much. She tells him that past the disappointment, regret, and the wish to just cry, he still has to shore up his composure and try his best. Kashou acknowledges her comments, then tells her he really can't just chin up at the drop of a hat. They go through various suggestions to get him to loosen up, each one being shot down, until Maple suggest a massage. It sounds like a good idea, right up until Cinnamon has another lewd fantasy that sends her into fits. While Kashou is exasperated, they go through with it anyway, leading to some lewd massaging.
Following Kashou's massage, he sees Maple and Cinnamon off from La Soleil, while also resolving his choice. This trial-and-error testing he's done with everyone clearly isn't going anywhere, so he's going to leave La Soleil for about 3 days, leaving its management to the girls. When asked, he reveals he's going back to France to learn under his mentor again. Despite trying everything, he's still unable to decipher his father's words, and that in itself may be what he meant by his lack of a 'core'. There's no guarantee his mentor will take him back, since he supposedly learned everything she knew before he left France. Moreover, he'll have to go alone, since the red tape involved with bring a catgirl overseas takes a week at least to process. Kashou gets his promise from the girls to watch the shop while he's gone, letting him think about what he'll do. Accounting for travel time, Kashou has less than two days to find his mentor, maybe become her apprentice again, and find what he's lacking as a baker...
Finding himself in Paris again, Kashou shakes off the jetlag and French winter chill. Earlier, Kashou called his mentor and asked for her tutelage, which she accepted, but this early in the morning, all his arrival would do is disrupt her bakery's pre-opening, leaving him with time to burn getting a crepe or croissant. He passes by a pair of girls with white and black hair. He freezes, briefly thinking Chocola and Vanilla are here in Paris, but remembers that they're still in Japan, between the red tape and needing to keep an eye on La Soleil while he's gone.
He has a flashback to when he was leaving for his flight. Chocola threw a minor tantrum demanding to go with him, but she eventually acquiesced as the others sent him off with smiles. Resolving himself to return with results, he briefly sees what looks like Shigure walking down the road. He waves it off as a homesick delusion, but quickly gives chase after realizing it's her.
Catching up, Kashou takes in the girl's attire and recognizes her. Yes, Shigure followed her brother all the way out to Paris to offer support. She's trying to blend in, but her high-class aristocrat-style French dress stands out more than anything. Kashou is exasperated, but allows Shigure to accompany him since he can't really stop her from doing whatever she wants. It' still too early for him to see his mentor, so they grab breakfast from a bakery somewhere.
Later, the two of them are indulging in some of the best croissants in Paris (in Kashou's opinion). As they plan to go to a crepe shop next, a store employee talks to them in French, mistaking them as a couple on a honeymoon trip. Shigure verges on a nosebleed, but what Kashou notices is that she understands French. Shigure explains she learned French to help him in Paris, and just in case he never came back from his studies abroad. When asked why he returned, Kashou explains his return to Japan was prompted by his mentor, who suggested he talk it out with his father. Also his pride wouldn't let anyone think he was going to run from his father. The two leave for crepes, with Kashou warning Shigure that Paris is a dangerous city (for her waistline).
It's almost lunchtime, as Kashou and Shigure stand in front of his mentor's La Soleil, though he notices the sandwich menu they set up at opening isn't out yet. The two talk about the time Kashou spent in Paris and meal culture in general between France and Japan. Just as they're about to enter, someone steps out of the shop.
It's a small catgirl with a broom, not his mentor. He approaches her to speak, but before he can get a word in, Shigure is all over the catgirl. She recognizes her breed as a Chinchilla Persian, and fawns over her some more. Kashou dials her enthusiasm down a bit, allowing the girl to introduce herself as Fraise. Kashou remembers his mentor having taken care of a kitten as a favor for a friend, but it looks like that foster became an adoption. Fraise almost seems to recognize Kashou before she clams up. He carries on, asking for his mentor, only for Fraise to be confused. Realzing he's only ever thought of her as "mentor", he asks for her by name, Beignet. Fraise is about to call for her when Beignet herself steps out the door. The sight of his mentor's face sends memories whirling through Kashou's mind as his eyes blur from tears. Steeling his gut, he greets Beignet in a formal manner. She's slightly exasperated at Kashou's formality, but is glad to see him again. She insists that there's nothing more she can teach him, but is willing to offer to let them stay and eat while they're here.
When Shigure introduces herself to Beignet, the elderly baker immediately hugs her, saying she's longed to meet the little sister Kashou's talked about, though he himself can't remember ever talking about Shigure. Everyone stands and chats for a moment, flitting from topic to topic. Reminded of the opening preparations, both Kashou and Shigure volunteer to help, but Beignet clarifies that he will be working under her, just like in the past.
Inside La Soleil Paris, Kashou is struck by a nostalgic feeling. Everything is exactly as he remembers when he last worked here. While working, he speaks with Beignet, mentioning his attempt to show his baking to his father. When asked, he relays the events, mentioning his father's words about a 'core'. Not even his mentor knows what Suhama means by it, but it must be something important that can't simply be put into words. Seeing his wheels spinning, Beignet suggest he go back to Japan since she has nothing to teach him. Kashou insists on staying and working, unwilling to go back until he finds something to improve his cooking. Beignet accedes, and tells him to stock the showcase. In this almost mundane work, Kashou feels at ease amidst memories of his apprenticeship.
La Soleil Paris opens for afternoon business, as Fraise greets a customer entering the store. Kashou thinks about the differences in social culture between France and Japan. He greets the customer, noticing they're a woman with a firm compact build like a dancer. Her gaze intensifies, and he follows it to where Shigure is once again in her usual kimono. Between Shigure's appearance and her dress, she's a big hit with the customers. She's even trending on social media, leading to a greater number of customers for the store. Shigure eagerly laps up the publicity, even roping Fraise and Kashou into a few shots. Beignet watches it all with a smile on her face.
Teatime has passed, and things have quieted down. Kashou thinks to himself about when he last interacted with customers at the counter, considering his own La Soleil has him cooped up in the kitchen while the catgirls handle service. Watching Fraise work, he praises her for her diligence. Fraise tries to brush it off, but Beignet remarks that she needs her to keep up with the increased flow of customers. Kashou guesses it's because Shigure's trending on social media is bringing a lot of buzz. Fraise brushes off Shigure's concern, reminding Kashou that Beignet raised her like a daughter, so some of her mannerisms might have rubbed off. The Chinchilla Persian's demeanor and charms send Shigure into a tizzy, declaring her wishes to bring her home. Beignet is almost considering the idea, given Fraise's entire world right now is this one shop and the town it occupies. She'd almost go along with it if Shigure were willing to work here while Fraise was gone, but unfortunately, the youngest daughter of the Minadukis is incurably attached to her elder brother. They table the idea for now, Kashou promising to help Fraise however he can when the day comes for her to leave the nest.
It's sunset in Paris, and the original La Soleil is already closed for the day. Kashou marvels at how his first full day in Paris is already over, and they're spending time at Beignet's manor for a meal. They luxuriate in the patissier's cooking, which was passed down from her grandmother. Shigure tries to offer repayment for this, feeling that her meager work at the bakery was insufficient, but Kashou tells her to give up. He's tried numerous times to give his mentor some offer of repayment, but she's turned them down every occassion. He's since settled for someday making her some great Western sweets to present his growth as a patissier.
As the meal progresses, Beignet presents the dessert, a cake that she's finished making. Kashou takes a bite, and while it's a new recipe he never tried before, he can definitely taste his mentor's flair to it, making it fresh yet nostalgic. Beignet asks Kashou if this has helped him calm down. He admits that at first his only thoughts were that he was wasting time he could've spent making a cake to finally get his father to acknowledge his baking. But as the day went on, his old desires from his early days as a patissier were rekindled. Kashou admits that perhaps on some level, his father was right. He was running behind his wish, thinking that as long as his cake can put smiles on people's faces, it's good enough, and that he didn't need to further refine his baking. Beignet gives him some advice about interpreting his father's words, but soon believes she's said too much. Beignet bids Kashou to take a shower and go to bed, but remembers that his old room is now the only one with a bed to spare, and asks Shigure to share with him. Shigure tries to decline, but some nudging leads her to accept it. Kashou sees Beignet's joy at interacting with Shigure, and thinks bringing her along was perhaps the right choice this time.
Kashou finds that his old room hasn't changed a bit since he left France. Shigure comments that perhaps Beignet was on some level waiting for Kashou to return to France, given how it's clearly been kept clean and tidy. The two then prepare to take a shower. Separately, of course.
As the two lie in bed, they talk about all sorts of things. About Beignet, about Fraise, and the catgirls they left at home. Talking about each of their unique attributes and desires make Kashou think back to when they all requested a specific cake from him, though remembering Cinnamon's reaction breaks his reverie. He ponders on how people can vary so much, yet Beignet's cakes can make all of them smile, leading him to wonder what if she made a cake for one person in particualr. Shigure asks him if the cake at dinner wasn't made solely for him to taste. Kashou becomes lost in thought, only breaking out of it when Shigure tries to coax him into doing various bedtime activities, which he rapidly shoots down. Thinking about how much has happened in only one day, Kashou goes to sleep, feeling as though he's moved forwards, just a little bit.
Morning comes, and Kashou finds himself the most rested he's ever been in a while. He looks to the side to find Shigure a blissed-out, sweaty mess, though thankfully she has yet to break into nosebleeds. She assures him that they did absolutely no illicit activities in the night, and stumbles off to shower.
Kashou and Shigure go to La Soleil once again, ready for the day's work. Beignet bids Shigure help her in the kitchen while Kashou helps Fraise set up for opening. Kashou is confused at this seeming reversal, but goes along with it, believing there must be a reason.
Outside La Soleil, Kashou and Fraise sweep the front and set up the sandwich board in silence, broken only by Fraise's sigh. Kahous asks if anything wrong, but she waves off his concern, turning the conversation towards her appreciation for his help. Normally, she'd be by herself doing this while Beignet is off in the kitchen, so this is a nice change of pace, though she has seen Kashou space out. The man feels guilty for being so airheaded during work, but she assures him she understands his circumstances. The two talk over their shared love of Beignet's cakes when Kashou has a flashback.
In Kashou's memory, a little kitten is crying near La Soleil. He asks her what's wrong, and she tells him she wants to help, but is too short. He guesses that as a kitten, she's too short to help out in the kitchen with her family. He offers her some cake to cheer her up, telling her that this bakery is where the world's best patissier makes the best cakes. The kitten professes her love of cake, leading Kashou to tell her that's why he's training, to become a patissier as great as the one working here. He offers her some macaron a la fraise (strawberry macaron), and she's in love at first bite. While unsure how long she'll be around, Kashou offers to give her a job helping around the bakery, bringing sweetness to countless others. She accepts, which he appreciates given he's not sticking around for much longer.
The flashback ends, and Kashou suddenly remembers. Though it was short, he actually lived with Fraise for some time before he left France, the two of them helping Beignet in La Soleil. Fraise admits she remembers as well, having recognized Kashou when they met yesterday. The two exchange greetings and get back to work, though Fraise keeps staring at Kashou for some reason...
Later in the day, the four employees of La Soleil Paris take a late lunch break, with Kashou taking over the cooking. For dessert, he's made a green tea Mont Blanc and some macaraon a la fraise. He made the latter treat out of nostalgia after his flashback, and everyone digs in. On the first bite, Fraise suddenly bursts into tears. She explains that for the longest time now, she's wanted to taste this flavor again, the taste of her big brother being around. She reminisces on how much that memory meant to her, to the point she took on the name 'Fraise' when she became old enough to pick her own name. She wanted to keep it hush since it seemed Kashou was busy and weighed down by his thoughts, but she lost all restraint after tasting the macaron of her dreams, asking him for permission to call him "big brother" again. As Kashou reconnects with the kitten from his apprentice days, the lunch break carries on a little longer than usual.
Later, as La Soleil Paris resumes business, the shop is swarmed by customers. It turns out Shigure's social media presence might have generated a little too much hype for the bakery to handle, though Fraise's own charms might have done their part too. Cutting their jabbering, Kashou tells them to buck up and prepare to handle the horde of customers.
By sunset, La Soleil has completely run out of ingredients, forcing them to close for the day. Beignet takes a break to rest and prepare dinner while the others clean up the shop.
Dinner is great as it was yesterday. Beignet comments that she doesn't know if the shop can handle a blitz like today's, but Fraise assures her tomorrow it'll just be the two of them in the shop. The remark causes Shigure and Kashou to feel wistful, since they have to leave tonight to compensate for France and Japan's timezone difference. Kashou feels better mentally, but he's still stumped by what his father meant by a "core". But at the very least, his time at the original La Soleil reminded him of how his mentor brought everyone smiles with her cakes, and his wish to do much the same. Beignet is delighted that Kashou seems more focused now, even though she doesn't feel like she helped much. Kashou realizes he never asked his mentor the reasons she became a patissier, and does so. She explains that La Soleil has been a patisserie since her grandmother's generation, and while it's not as storied as the Minaduki's, it's still a tradition to be preserved. Kashou is confused since he never told her about his family's history, when Shigure apologizes for leaking his circumstances to Beignet. Kashou is understanding, and allows Beignet to elaborate further. She explains that she makes cakes out of regret for the son she abandoned.
Long ago, Beignet fell in love with a Japanese man while she visited the country. They married, and eventually had a son. That son told her that she was just like the sun, with her cakes that brought smiles to everyone. But eventually, she was forced to leave. Her brother, the original heir to the bakery, died prematurely, leaving her to take over the home full of memories of her parents and brother. Her husband was understanding, even encouraging given the circumstances, but she never knows if her son understood, let alone accepted her reasons. Drowning in debt, Beignet sold most of the family's shops and holdings. All that remained was one singular bakery, that had even lost its name. In renaming the store, Beignet chose to translate her son's words from so long ago, and dubbed it "La Soleil".
To this day, Beignet continues to make pastries with her own signature flavor, hoping her son might one day eat them and find joy in his life. She regrets disconnecting from her son like that, but deems it too late to do anything about it now, especially after her husband passed. Kashou, Shigure, and Fraise admit that perhaps their circumstances would be far different if they never met around La Soleil, but tell her it's too early to just give up on family. Beignet thanks them for their support, then tells Kashou that he now has sometihng he didn't before. Kashou's thoughts turn to the catgirls back home, and his mentor assures him he'll be fine.
Night falls, and Beignet and Fraise see the Minadukis off in front of La Soleil, extracting promises to visit each other again, whether the Minadukis come back to France or they visit Japan. Shigure shares one last teary hug with Beignet, though Kashou can't hear everything they're saying.
Kashou and Shigure walk down the streets of Paris, talking about Fraise, how nice it would be if she visisted them in Japan, and catgirls in general. As they walk to the bus stop, Shigure remarks on how Kashou has changed so much from the olden days. Kashou thinks back on the time he's spent, both at La Soleil Paris and as the owner of La Soleil Japan. The two go back and forth, discussing his reasons for baking cakes and wanting so much for their father to approve of his baking. Kashou decides that while he does want his father to acknowledge his baking, he also carries a wish to bring people happiness with his cakes. Feeling unburdened and clear of conscious, the two take a bus followed by a plane back to Japan.
By the time the two make it back to Japan, it's already nightfall. The two stand in front of La Soleil, Kashou invitng Shigure to stay over rather than trek back to the Minaduki estate after all the walking they did in France. Shigure is excited to share Kashou's bed again, but he insists on taking the couch even though it's winter.
Entering the bakery, the two announce their return and are immediately accosted by the catgirls, Chocola and Coconut spearheading the charge to glomp Kashou. As the girls all have their own discussions about their masters' trip abroad, Maple notices Kashou's face seems lighter and (in Cinnamon's words) more handsome, leading them to believe he's found something in his travels. They talk for a while before asking if Kashou brought back souvenirs, leading all the girls to become downcast that he completely forgot to get them anything. Kashou promises to make them even better cakes as compensation, making Coconut's stomach growl. The girls completely forwent dinner waiting for the two humans to return, so they now on making dinner themselves.
A short time later, the six catgirls present a sumptuous feast to Kashou and Shigure, having thought the two would miss Japan's food even if they were only gone for a few days. Digging in and tasting the feelings the girls put in the food, Kashou discusses with them all, saying he was only chasing his mentor's flavor while justifying it as wanting to give everyone smiles. Letting everyone have a moment of suspense, Kashou apologizes for worrying everyone, and thanks them for their support. He waves off Azuki's concerns that this is a closing shop announcement, stating he just realizes how much he was supported from all the girls, thanks to both his mentor and all of them.
Chocola responds that he taught them what it means to try your best for family, remembering when he praised them and dried their tears for caring while he was sick. Coconut tells him he taught her to be honest with her feelings, thinking back to when he helped her reconcile with Azuki. Maple and Cinnamon harken back to when he taught them how wonderful it is to chase a dream to fruition. Surrounded by smiles and encouragement, Kashou is heartened and asks for their continued support going forwards.
Azuki asks Kashou how he's going to handle things from here on, to which he simply responds he'll make better cakes. As he promises to have them ready by Christmas, he thinks back to how his father managed to make a whipped cream so close to what his mentor can do without even meeting her or tasting her product, but decides to table those thoughts. What matters to him is that even his father thinks his ideal flavor is good, now he just has to overtake his father.
Days pass, and Christmas Eve arrives. The store is busier than ever, between Coconut running delivery after delivery and even the actual store being swarmed by customers. While the Minaduki Christmas party and showdown with his father is in the back of his mind, right now Kashou's main concern is weathering the storm that's come to La Soleil.
The bell rings for another customer's entry. It's a catgirl that seems vaguely familiar to Kashou, but can't quite remember until Chocola recognizes her as Milk, the kitten having hit a growth spurt and gotten a bell since anyone last saw her. Though she's taller, almost tomboyish in build, voice, and attire, she's still the same old innocent Milk that's friends with every other catgirl. She's here to pick up cakes for herself and her master, but Kashou stops her to give a little extra in the form of edible cake decorations themed for the holidays. As Milk leaves, Kashou is surprised at her growth. Azuki teases him with implications he's eyeing Milk or her master, but he simply answers that catgirl growth spurts are insane, be it Milk or Fraise. The catpanions wonder who Fraise is, leading Kashou to deflect as he flees back to the kitchen.
Night falls as La Soleil closes for the day, and Kashou is preparing to go to the Minaduki estate with the catgirls. While apprehensive, they believe that this time, Kashou's efforts will get through to his father. As Shigure pops up to accompany them, Kashou can't help the excitement he feels looking at the box in hands, containing the cake he made for the Christmas party.
There's a great feast for Christmas at the Minaduki estate, but Suhama is nowhere to be found. Awayuki assures Kashou he'll be back soon, so they can start eating right away. As the celebration carries on, Kashou is made to elaborate the differences between his La Soleil and his mentor's, and why the same cakes made with the same methods and ingredients might not be the same taste-wise. He also get gifted a picture frame from his mother to put one of his memorable moments in, as did everyone else.
As the family gathers for a group photo, they hear the door open. The tension rises for Kashou and the girls, as Suhama makes his appearance once more. Kashou and his father trade pleasantries before they get to the big reason why either of them would meet up, Suhama asking for tea and accompanying sweets. Chocola brings its box to the room, enthusiastically shaking it before Maple chides them for shaking the cake around. Kashou mitigates their concerns by telling them he considered children exuberantly shaking the box when making this cake.
He opens the cake, revealing a series of individually-sized cakes with a spherical shape. There are questions about what exactly it is before Awayuki deduces that the cakes are shaped after firework balls. Kashou dubs them "Hanabi", and offers one to everyone. Coconut immediately grabs one and gorges, leading Maple to chide her until Kashou explains he made these cakes with hand-eating in mind, similar to financier or manju. The family also finds a variety of flavors and styles incorporated into this cake, from citrons added for a kudzu to meringues lining the exterior. Kashou explains that he wanted to make a dish that represented himself, and a fusion of both the Japanese confection techniques his father taught him plus his mentor's Western baking. Having explained himself, everyone waits with bated breath as Suhama finally takes a bite of Kashou's cake. He gives no reply, simply standing up and turning to leave. Kashou grits his teeth, but not out of anger or frustration. He declares his resolution to his father, to make a cake he will acknowledge. That's when it happens. With faint words that sound like they're being wrenched out, Suhama admits Kashou's cake was delicious, and leaves.
The words hit Kashou like a freight train. All around him, Shigure and the girls congratulate him on his success, moved to the brink of tears. Kashou is still confused though. Given how his father took one bite and then left, he wonders if he's still missing something. Awayuki assures him that there's more to his father's actions than meets the eye, but she trails off as she digs further into the Hanabi. Washing it down with tea, she explains that Suhama now approves of Kashou's baking, and will probably eat his cakes now without him needing to personally bring them over, that earlier departure simply to hide his overjoyed tears at his son's growth. She then tells Kashou his cake helped settle his father's regrets over his strict teaching, not wanting his son to be a milquetoast chef of any sort, as well as handle the regrets of one other.
Kashou and Shigure prompt their mother to explain, which leads her to a story about their grandfather, who long ago fell in love with a French woman who visited the family's shop. She explains that they married and had a son, who would grow up to be her husband Suhama. But their grandmother's brother died, forcing her to leave for France to inherit her family's bakery and flavor. Kashou finally pieces the puzzle together before his mother spells it out for him; Beignet, the woman he idolized and cherished as his mentor, was also his grandmother.
Shigure apologizes to Kashou for keeping it secret, but Kashou can only think about how all the hints were there, now that he has the benefit of hindsight. Shigure also explains Beignet herself asked her to keep it secret from Kashou, especially as he visited her during a rough patch of life, and things may have become worse if he found out. This also leads Kashou to realize the child Beignet always made sweets for was actually his father. Awayuki apologizes for not explaining anything either, but Kashou is understanding of everyone's reasons at this point. Even if Suhama and Beignet may never reconnect, and forever carry their own regret, Kashou has, for even the briefest of moments, reconciled two families with the cake he made.
The wistfully peaceful atmosphere is immediately shattered when Chocola and Vanilla drag Suhama back in the room, having left earlier to bring him into their family Christmas photos. Despite the patriarch's reticence, he acquiesces to the pleading of his catgirl granddaughters and joins in. Thus, for the first time in a while, the whole Minaduki family smiles for a celebratory photo.
Following the party, Kashou goes home to La Soleil with Chocola and Vanilla, amidst the lights and bustle of Christmas Eve. Despite having worked from the moment he woke up, Kashou's exhilaration refuses to let him sleep. Over hot cocoa, Kashou talks with Chocola and Vanilla about his behavior earlier into his life, realizing that in a different perspective, it was he, and not his father, being unreasonable and immature. He thanks the two, and all of his catpanions, for teaching him to put himself in other people's shoes. As the discussion finally winds down, Chocola and Vanilla ask Kashou for more than just his thanks. The two then declare as they're dressed like Santa, they'll give themselves as presents to Kashou a.k.a. lewd funtimes. Kashou is fully aware of how busy they'll be following Christmas, but decides that he's been holding back too much as well, and readies to give the two all the affection and attention they deserve.
Just as the night's about to get steamy, though, Maple, Cinnamon, Azuki, and Coconut all barge in, saying it's unfair if Chocola and Vanilla hog all the action. Maple reminds Kashou he has six catpanions now, to which he responds that he'll do all of them. Together. Reactions are varied yet all positive, as Kashou begins to have 7-way sex with his catpanions.
The day after Christmas, La Soleil is absolutely packed with customers and orders again, the tasks piling up faster than Kashou can ever manage them. Azuki immediately steps up and organizes the crew, but not before scolding Kashou for standing around, to the amusement of the customers watching. Kashou realizes the workflow is becoming too much even for his catgirls, but still wants to run the place much like his mentor did hers, even if he's being selfish or inefficient. The girls all pledge their support for Kashou and the continued operation of La Soleil, though as Kashou considers new hires, his thoughts go back to a certain catgirl diligently working in France...
At that moment, Shigure barges in, offering her skills to assist La Soleil. Everyone appreciates her assistance, even if only part-time, but Shigure shocks them all by declaring her intent to become a full-time live-in worker. Turns out the story of her grandmother and father's regret struck a chord in her. Now desiring to live without regrets, Shigure goes all-in on her affection for her brother. Moreover, Shigure has also made arrangements to expand the living space of La Soleil so all of the catgirls can also live with Kashou. Shigure declares her love for her brother, pouncing towards Kashou amidst his pleas for her to stop.
Etymology
- The name Kashou means "praise, auspicious" (嘉) (ka) and "auspicious, happiness, blessedness, good omen, good fortune" (祥) (shou).
- Kashou is a pun on the Cashew nut.
- Kashou's surname Minaduki means "June" (水無月).
- Minazuki ("water month") is a poetic way to refer to the sixth month of the calendar (originally of the lunisolar calendar, but now June in the Gregorian calendar).
Trivia
- Kashou is the only character to not have voice acting.
- This feature is basically standard in visual novels, as the games were meant to simulate the player/reader as the protagonist.
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