CH 5

Feeling embarrassed after being scolded by Sensei, I was allowed to share a textbook with the glasses-wearing girl sitting next to me. After that, each class proceeded smoothly, and soon it was lunch break.

Everyone moved their desks and ate lunch with the group they got along with. As usual, I took the bread I would have for lunch to Tasuku's desk. Tasuku had already laid out a lunch box that his mother should have prepared for him.

"Excuse me."

"Yeah. Been waiting."

As soon as I took a seat, Tasuku unfolded the cloth wrap from his lunch box and opened the lid.

Inside was a piece of umeboshi on top of white rice, fried chicken, lettuce, as well as the standard menu of rolled omelet, and meat-filled bell peppers asserting its presence.

"Woah~, it looks delicious no matter how you look at it. Bell peppers as well, huh."

"I could give you these bell peppers."

"Which means you don’t like it. Eat it properly."

"...Hmm."

He looked depressed when he saw the bell peppers, something he disliked. How adorable.

As Tasuku started eating, I also opened the package of this sausage bread I bought on a convenience store yesterday.

"Let's eat together...or rather, you already are."

"Sorry to bother."

"Hmm?"

As soon as I bit into the bread, Ayane and Takagaki called out as they pulled over their desks together with their lunch boxes. Ayane came to us already several times, but this was the first time she brought over Takagaki. Come to think of it, I had seen Takagaki eating her lunch alone as she gazed out the window, but I wondered if she was the solitary type or just lonely.

Watching them open their lunch boxes, I saw that Ayane also had familiar side dishes.

"Eh, pepper meat rolls...aren't they too big?"

Judging from how she was astonished by its size, this was probably the work of their mothers. At their usual tea party, I could imagine Ayane's mother starting off with the story of her daughter's dislike for peppers, and then being amused by the idea of pepper meat rolls recipe from Tasuku's mother.

"You match with Asami-kun."

"That is true, but...I wonder if I can finish this."

Munch, munch, munch, as I took a look over at Takagaki's lunchbox while Ayane was groaning. It was a small lunch box unique to girls, filled with white rice, rolled omelet, some salad, fried chicken, and an octopus sausage, and it seemed like a healthy box.

"What are you staring at?"

"Hmm? Ah, sorry, sorry. My bad."

My parents both worked, so they left early in the morning and returned home late at night. When I was in middle school, I still had lunch boxes made for me, but that stopped now that I was in high school, and I didn't want to trouble my parents either. I could have them make it for me in advance or I could do that myself, but that seemed laborious and troublesome, so I just received 500 yen instead as lunch money.

I wasn't particularly envious about their lunch boxes, but they might have gotten curious because I was staring too much.

"You're already done eating?"

"I don't go that far during the day. Besides, this is an energy-efficient body."

"Go home club king, huh."

After finishing the bread in five bites, I folded the package and stored it in my chest pocket. While I was occupying myself with my phone as I waited for everyone to finish, something green in the corner of my eye caught my attention.

I turned to see green peppers filling my vision.

"I can't finish it, so you eat it. A~hn."

"Don't even try to feed me that."

It was Ayane who skillfully grabbed the peppers with her chopsticks and held them out to me. What she was doing right now was the so-called mouth-feeding.

It was the first she ever did this, but I was proud that she was finally able to.

While thinking of something stupid, I suddenly realized.

This was something that couples did.

A chance! I thought as I turned my head to the side, locking eyes with Tasuku who was making a bitter face as he chewed on the peppers.

The way he shook his head side to side when he saw my expression was something like a frightened animal, but since it was rude of Ayane's mother to force him to eat it, and it would be a problem if I was the to do it as well, I unfortunately had no choice but to reject her.

"Don't just hate it because you haven't eaten it yet~."

"Are you making fun of me?! It's not that I hate it, I just can't finish it!"

Ayane directed her gaze to Takagaki next to her, but when she couldn't get through the other party, she reluctantly began to eat it with a painful look on her face as if to say, 'I'm dying~.'

I would definitely take a picture when the time came for the both of you to feed each other. I would also have to prepare and SD card as well!

☆☆☆

"Hmm. Everyone is gone, so should we start?"

"Ah, sure. Where should I begin, huh."

As soon as classes ended, after confirming that students other than Takagaki and I had left the classroom for either club activities or just hanging out, Takagaki went straight to the same topic as yesterday.

Unfortunately, I still didn't understand the root of the problem. If that was the case, it might be a good idea to ask for outside opinions.

Back when I was in middle school, I never consulted with anyone because I thought I alone could do it, but it ultimately ended without any success, perhaps because I was too pretentious in supporting them.

Yesterday, I talked about the origin of my story.

Today, I was going to tell her about my past actions, thoughts, and goals in detail.

What would Takagaki think after this, huh. Was it disgusted just like yesterday, or was she going to sympathize with me, or maybe...she'd be disappointed?

Last time, I put the thought of intervening between them on hold, but after imagining that scene from lunch earlier, I could no longer suppress myself.

From now on, if possible...I would like this girl in front of me as a collaborator.