Lunch Mayhem
Lucky approached Kaiho with a wide grin, crumbs still clinging to the corner of his mouth. "So what up?"
Kaiho, caught off guard, simply shrugged. "Nothing."
Lucky nodded with exaggerated enthusiasm. "Cool. Let's go then."
The two wandered toward the canteen, grabbing some quick bites to eat before heading to the classroom. Lucky piled his plate high with a mountain of food, while Kaiho opted for a simpler dish.
As they sat down to eat, Lucky's gaze shifted to Saito, who was sitting across the room, eating alone.
"You've been staring at that guy for 15 minutes now," Lucky said through a mouthful of food. "Did something happen?"
Kaiho blinked, flustered. "What?"
Nat appeared out of nowhere, her expression sharp as she sat beside them. "Did he do something to you?"
Kaiho raised his hands defensively. "No, it's nothing—"
Lucky grinned mischievously. "Don't worry, Kaiho. We'll take care of it."
Nat stood up with purpose, brushing crumbs off her hands. "Let's go."
Kaiho panicked, waving his arms. "Hey, wait…!"
Inwardly, he thought, These guys are gonna kill me.
Saito, meanwhile, had noticed the commotion. His gaze shifted uneasily toward the group. Crap, they're walking right toward me, he thought, his grip tightening on his tiffin box.
Lucky was the first to approach, his usual carefree grin plastered on his face. "Hey."
Saito stared at him warily, unsure of what to expect.
Lucky, still chewing his food, said, "What…munch…munch…if you…munch…munch…I'll…munch…munch…"
Saito squinted in confusion. What is he even saying?
Nat chimed in, casually grabbing a handful of Lucky's fries. "That's right. If you…munch…munch…munch…we will…munch…munch…munch."
Kaiho threw his hands in the air, exasperated. "Either eat or threaten him! Don't do both!"
Before anyone could react, Lucky reached over and grabbed a bite from Saito's tiffin box.
Saito froze. "My food…"
Lucky, unbothered, grinned at him. "If you want it back, I'll give it to you—"
Kaiho groaned. "Don't spit it back!"
Saito slumped in defeat, watching his lunch disappear. I don't have money. I live in the hostel, and we only get four meals a day. I guess I'll have to go without lunch.
Kaiho sighed apologetically, trying to salvage the situation. "Sorry about this guy. If you want, I can share my lunch with you."
Saito waved it off, though his tone was a little resigned. "It's fine." He glanced at his tiffin box. It's just one bite. I still have half my—
His thoughts screeched to a halt as he noticed Nat casually munching on the rest of his lunch.
"Where is my tiffin box?" he asked aloud, more to himself than anyone else.
Nat blinked, looking up from his food. "Munch…munch…what?"
Kaiho buried his face in his hands. "Oh god."
Saito, bewildered but somehow resigned to his fate, sat down beside them. And that's how all four of us ended up sitting together to eat lunch.
Kaiho looked down at the enormous lunch box his mom had packed that morning. Good thing Mom made enough food to feed the whole class.
FlashBack
Mikoto, Kaiho's mom, beamed at him as she placed the enormous container into his arms. "Make sure to share it with your friends, okay?"
Kaiho grunted under the weight, nearly stumbling. "This weighs 30 kilograms!"
Kaiho recalled his mom's words as he opened his bag.
Mikoto smiled as she handed Kaiho the massive 30-kilogram lunch box. "Don't worry. All students are given special bags that can carry up to 50 kilograms of stuff. It's like what you call inventory in video games."
Kaiho's eyes widened in amazement. "Wow."
Present
Back at the table, Lucky and Nat stared at Kaiho's food, their mouths already watering.
Kaiho sighed and gestured at the food. "What are you waiting for? Join in."
Without hesitation, Lucky and Nat took a bite.
"Yum, it's so good!" they both exclaimed in unison, stuffing their mouths full.
"Munch…munch…munch…"
Saito watched them in awe. These three have quite the appetite.
Hesitating for a moment, Saito picked up his chopsticks.
Nat blinked, pointing at them curiously. "What are the sticks for?"
Lucky, mid-bite, nodded. "Yeah, eating with sticks? That's weird."
Kaiho smirked to himself. That's Japanese for you.
Saito, unfazed, replied calmly, "This is how we eat in our homeland."
Nat shrugged. "As long as the food goes in your mouth, it doesn't matter."
Saito took a tentative bite, then his eyes lit up. "It's yummy!" Without another word, he started shoveling food into his mouth with newfound vigor.
Nat grinned. "That's more like it!"
Lucky slammed his hand on the table. "I won't let you win!"
Kaiho adjusted his headband and cracked his knuckles. "Then I won't hold back either."
The table descended into chaos as the four of them ate like they were competing in a food-eating tournament.
[15 Minutes Later]
The once-overflowing lunch box was now empty, save for a few stray crumbs.
Kaiho leaned back, patting his stomach. "That…was intense."
Lucky, sprawled out on the bench, grinned lazily. "Best meal ever."
Nat stretched her arms over her head. "Kaiho, you're bringing this every day from now on."
Saito, looking oddly content, nodded. "That was… the most satisfying lunch I've had in a while."
Kaiho groaned, already imagining his mom's reaction when he told her he needed even more food tomorrow. I hope she doesn't make me carry 40 kilograms next time.
Back home
Kaiho burst into the house, still buzzing with energy. His mom, Mikoto, was at the counter, stirring a pot.
Kaiho: "Mom! So today, I met this guy named Saito. He seemed really strong, kinda scary at first, but he's actually pretty decent. Then, Lucky, Nat, Saito, and I all ended up sitting together to have lunch. It was chaotic, but fun."
Kaiho animatedly described every detail, from the intense stares to Lucky stealing a bite from Saito's lunch. Mikoto nodded along, but her mind wandered as she listened.
Mikoto (thinking): Kids really do grow up fast. One day, they're running around the house, and the next, they're out there making friends and finding their way in the world. It's nice to know he's making those bonds.
Kaiho: "Mom? Are you even listening?"
Mikoto snapped out of her thoughts, her hands frozen mid-stir.
Mikoto: "Yeah… yeah, of course I'm listening!"
Kaiho raised an eyebrow, but her warm smile reassured him.
Kaiho: "Alright, good. Anyway, guess what Lucky did—"
Mikoto: "Save it for dinner! Go wash up first."
Kaiho groaned, rolling his eyes but heading upstairs. Mikoto glanced at the giant lunchbox she'd packed for him, her smile softening.
Mikoto (thinking): It's good to know he's sharing more than just his lunch.