"Finally! It's all over!" Ace yells, falling back in his chair. It had been an hour since they started deshelling and the boys were exhausted.
"My arms hurt…" Deuce complained, hissing as he lifted them.
Trey only laughed at their misery. "Good work," he said, going to Xinyi to take the last unshelled chestnuts. "With all your hard work, I'm sure it will be delicious."
Grim sniffs the air, his mouth-watering. "The smell is making me hungry~"
Trey looks over at the monster, with a playful smirk. "I added some butter and sugar to the Marron paste and finally the secret ingredient, Oyster Sauce."
Ace and Deuce did a double take when they heard the last ingredient, while Xinyi looked to be holding back her laughter. "Oyster sauce?!" The boys yelled, looking at the green-haired man for confirmation.
"That's right. The umami that comes from the oyster gives the cream a rich flavor." Trey explained nonchalantly. "There is no famous pastry that doesn't use this in their tart."
"Seriously?.... It's a very salty sauce." Deuce looked disgusted, and not able to comprehend how it works.
"Well, they do put chocolate in curry, sooo…. I guess it kinda makes sense." Ace said, trying his best to make an analogy, but still not fully understanding.
Xinyi couldn't hold it in anymore, bursting with laughing. The other's looked at her in confusion only to have Trey do the same.
"I was just joking!" Trey said, wiping the tears from his eyes. "There's no way I'd actually put oyster sauce in the tart!"
"What?!... I thought you were serious!" Ace said, looking at him with a glare.
Trey only continued to laugh before holding his stomach in pain. "If you would have thought about it a little bit you'd realize it's impossible!" he said before looking up with a smile. "Don't believe everything you hear without questioning it. A lesson learned."
"This Guy looks all nice, but he had no problem lying to us," Grim grumbled but Xinyi only patted his head.
"H-he is teaching us to be more observant. There is nothing wrong with that." She said putting the dirty dishes in the sink.
"Next is the fresh cream… ah!" Trey stops looking into the fridge.
"What's wrong?" Ace asks, becoming concerned.
"I went a little overboard and made too much maroon paste with all the chestnuts you brought," Trey said, scratching the back of his head with a guilty expression. "Now we're a little short on fresh cream."
"I can go buy some. Do they sell it at the campus store?" Deuce volunteers, taking off his apron.
"That shop has almost anything, so I'm sure they have it. Would you be able to pick up other stuff for me too while you're there?" Trey took a piece of lined paper, and started writing. "Two packs of Milk, two cartons of eggs, aluminum cups, and five cans of fruit."
Deuce looked surprised. "I don't think I can carry all that by myself." He then looked over at Xinyi. "Hey, will you come with me?"
"Sure." She smiles, putting away her apron. "This is my first time going to the school store."
"I'm going too!" Grim exclaims, getting onto his supervisor's shoulder. "I'm tired of mixing the flour!"
The three wandered down the school's halls, asking a painting or two for directions before ending up at the store's main building.
"Pardon us," Deuce says as he opens the door only to freeze in awe. "...Wow, this place is amazing. There's a crystal skull, grimoires… What kind of taxidermy is this?"
"Woah. Do they really sell whipped cream here?" Grim asks Xinyi who only shrugs in response.
"Hey! My lost little demons, how goes it?" a man in a top hat appears out of nowhere causing everyone to jump. "Welcome to Mr. S's Mystery Shop! What can I do for you today? A charm for uncharted lands? Mummy of an ancient king? Or how about some cursed tarot cards?"
"Nya!?! You scared me!" Grim yells, hiding underneath Xinyi's hood, while the girl only giggles.
"I'm older than you, and must know better."
Lewis Carroll Alice's Adventures in Wonderland