CH 8

Chapter 8 – Lunch Time

“In other words, you don’t have a disreputable relationship with Fujisaki-san’s sister?”

“Yes, that’s what I’ve been saying all along.”

It took until lunchtime to convince Ide. Thanks to this, the entire morning break time was lost.

As a friend, I was going to brag to Ide alone until I was satisfied, but I didn’t trust his mouth any more than I thought I would. It’s not good to have him spreading either what is or isn’t…

After all, it’s important for a lover to be reliable. I’ve learnt something.

Anyway, so much for this story.

“Let’s have lunch for now.”

What I took out was the lunch box I received from Kotone-chan this morning. I gave Ide the same explanation as Fujisaki-san. I like the way he looks at me with envy.

It’s a homemade lunch from my girlfriend. I’m super-excited, to put it mildly.

My lunch time was with Ide at my desk. The joy of a homemade lunch box is a little lessened by the fact that it’s with Ide.

“Excuse me…”

I heard a voice from beside me, so I turned my head reflexively.

There was a junior girl with flaxen hair in twin-tails. Kotone-chan was looking at me with red cheeks.

“Eh, Kotone-chan? Why are you here?”

“Well, My sister said…I could go into the classroom.”

Fujisaki-san is having lunch with a group of friends in the same classroom. She glanced at me as if she was checking me out. But she quickly returned her gaze.

“So, um…”

She’s fidgeting. She looks like a maiden in love. Am I going to get a confession?

“I was thinking of having lunch with Y-Yuji-senpai…”

She held up a handmade lunch box. It was the same one I got.

I guess it’s normal for boyfriends and girlfriends to have lunch together. In fact, some of my classmates do. I think, and I’m not joking here, that the people who are showing off like that should explode.

But that normal doesn’t apply to me and Kotone-chan. I can understand if I ask to eat lunch together first, but it was unexpected that Kotone-chan asked me first.

Is this okay? But I wouldn’t be a man if I refused here.

“Sorry, Ide. I forgot I had an appointment.”

I apologized to Ide in form only. He’s had his mouth half open ever since Kotone-chan showed up, probably because he was surprised.

“Shall we go, Kotone-chan?”

“Yes, Yuji-senpai.”

I left the classroom with Kotone-chan. It was the first time in a long time that I felt comfortable being looked at by someone.

※※※

I sat with Kotone-chan on a bench in the courtyard and opened her homemade lunch box.

“U-Um, was it okay that I went to Yuji-senpai’s classroom all of a sudden?”

“There’s nothing wrong with that.”

I said with shining white teeth. I’m glad I brush my teeth every day.

But I got carried away again and made a weird face. So disgusting… What if she starts to hate me?

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Kotone-chan breathed out a sigh of relief. Hmm, she’s not creeped out? Am I really okay?

Her facial expression showed no signs of disgust. She looked genuinely relieved.

“Well, can I open the lunch box?”

“Y-Yes. Please do…”

She looks nervous as she’s waiting for me to open my lunch box.

…I’m getting nervous too.

“……”

“……”

I hesitated a little. Meanwhile, Kotone-chan’s eyes were fixed on my hand, the one holding the lunch box.

I exhaled and opened the lunch box.

“Oh…?”

I was about to scream with joy, but before I could do so, I tilted my head.

There were two side dishes.

“Broccoli?”

“Yes. It’s boiled properly.”

“Sasami?” (T/N: A Japanese dish made from chicken breast.)

“Yes. It’s low in fat and high in protein.”

That’s all there is to the side dishes. Well, there are plenty of them, but the right half is full of these two kinds of side dishes, and the left half is brown rice.

What is Kotone-chan trying to do to me? I don’t think I’m that fat. The side dishes look like diet food.

I was thinking more like tamagoyaki or a hamburger steak. Or maybe octopus sausages, I thought they’d be cute.

But it’s the first homemade lunch box she’s given me. I won’t complain. Of course I ate it.

“Is this the kind of lunch you usually have, Kotone-chan?”

I bought a drink from the vending machine and drank it. The warmth feels good.

Kotone-chan had the same lunch as me. I asked her if her menu was always this stoic.

“No, my mother usually makes it for me.”

She continued…

“So this is the first time I’ve ever made lunch for someone…”

Kotone-chan had an embarrassed expression on her face. Even the way she was blinking was cute.

“Wow, I’m really happy to hear that. Did your mother or sister teach you how to make it by any chance?”

It was just a casual remark.

“…Sister?”

But Kotone-chan’s embarrassed expression quickly disappeared.