Lunchtime that is usually spent in the preparation room quite easily. But today, I've come out rather rarely.
This is the coffee terrace behind the cafeteria that Abel brought me to before. It's just that the tables there are a bit narrow, so we spread out a mat on the lawn far away in the campus. The weather is also very good, giving it a bit of a picnic feel.
"You seem very happy."
Blake sitting beside me seems to have noticed my slightly excited mood. He smiles with his eyes narrowed. Usually it's Blake who makes a single portion of bento for me, but sometimes I also eat with Abel and them.
"By the way, teacher has been very happy during lunchtime lately."
"Really?"
Facing Abel sitting opposite who said this extremely cheerfully with a big smile, I don't quite understand the meaning in his words and tilt my head. Seeing me like this, he laughs even louder.
"Just like a baby bird waiting for food."
"A baby bird?"
"It's rewarding for my hard work when you can eat actively."
Abel smiling cheerfully and Blake chuckling softly look at each other with a smile while looking at people's faces. I'm even more confused. At this moment, a plate with chopsticks placed on it is handed in front of me.
"This is teacher's portion. If there's anything else you want to eat, just tell us."
Blake moves various dishes from the multi-layered lunch box spread out in front of him onto my plate. Looking at the plate, I suddenly utter the question in my heart as usual.
"Why do you specially bring it over to me?"
"Because teacher is rather polite. If not like this, you might not take the initiative to pick up the chopsticks, right? Moreover, if not like this, a lot of times the food would be gone before you even eat it."
I look at Blake who shows a bitter expression for an instant and freezes. He gently sighs and shrinks his shoulders.
"Well, well."
Indeed as Blake said, I'm not the type who would take the initiative to pick up the chopsticks and eat the bento. And when everyone is growing, even seemingly a large amount of food would disappear in an instant. Even so, it might be a bit strange for me to say this myself, but I still feel that I'm always being spoiled by Blake.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"Then, let me start."
Taking my words as the signal, Abel starts eating. It's common for half of this bento prepared by Blake to end up in Abel's stomach.
"Hey, Blake."
"What's up?"
"Isn't it hard in the morning? You don't have to do this every day."
I'm very grateful for being able to eat such delicious food every day, but I also feel bad making Blake who has trouble getting up in the morning force himself.
"It's okay. I've become a lot more used to it recently, and thanks to this, my physical condition seems to be good too."
"Well."
It's probably because the life has become regular that the physical condition has improved.
"Blake's life before was too irregular."
"Huh?"
I look at Blake who is smiling in confusion. At this time, an helpless voice comes from behind. I turn my head and see Zoe standing there holding a small plastic bag.
"Well, Zoe? Where did you go?"
Usually everyone eats together. Today, it's already been about fifteen minutes since the lunch break started.
"Here, this is a gift for teacher."
"What is it."
Zoe who is walking over leisurely takes something out from the bag in her hand and hands the rest to me. I take the plastic bag and look inside. When I see what's inside, my eyes widen.
"Puffs?"
The opening of the small white box inside the bag is open, and the contents inside are clear at a glance. The beautifully wrapped individual yellow puffs are the kind sold in the school store. Supplied by a nearby cake shop, so as a school store item, it's not to be underestimated and is very popular among students.
"You were actually able to buy it."
This is often sold out and not available to buy.
"... Because, this is a penalty game. I queued up desperately to buy it."
"Penalty game?"
Zoe pouts, tears open the bag of the puff in her hand and stuffs the puff into her mouth. Seeing her expression like she's sulking, I can't help but sigh. Beside me, Blake continues eating nonchalantly. Our eyes suddenly meet, and he smiles with just his eyes.
"What exactly were you betting on?"
"We were betting whether Blake could come out with just one ring of the bell every morning. Before, Blake always lost. If you lose, you have to fulfill one request from the other party."
I tilt my head. Abel suppresses a laugh and explains the whole story to me. But Blake who has difficulty getting up in the morning is always woken up by these two every day. So he knew from the start that he would lose, right? Can this even be considered a bet?
"What's the bet reward for today?"
I think it should not be money, but I'm still very curious.
"What? Look, it's this. Today's dessert for my lunch, or teacher's dessert."
"Huh?"
"Teacher likes eating sweet things, right?"
"Huh?"
Hearing Zoe's words, I suddenly turn to Blake. He bursts out laughing suddenly with his shoulders shaking.
Indeed I'm undoubtedly a sweet food lover. I like both puffs and cakes. It's also a fact that I will definitely eat something sweet every day. But I should not have shown this when I'm with Blake.
"I thought it wasn't discovered yet, but it can be seen when we're together. Things you like to eat are sweet flavors, like sweet drinks and such. I've said before that teacher is easy to understand, right? Do you dislike this?"
"... No."
"That's good."
I mutter in a low voice. Blake, on the other hand, is laughing extremely happily. Seeing his expression, I can't help but frown.
"You definitely have some strange radar."
"Huh?"
"I don't understand you at all. Isn't this unfair?"
I say to Blake who has his eyes wide open in surprise with growing irritation. Suddenly, I hear the sound of clapping hands.
"Teacher Ben!"
"Why are you shouting so loudly all of a sudden."
Suddenly being called by my name loudly, I turn my head and see Zoe clapping her hands with a cheerful smile on her face.
"Rather than saying there are a lot of things you don't understand, the more you understand this man, the less substance he has. But Blake is originally very capable. Just train him according to teacher's preferences."
"Zoe!"
Abel and Blake interrupt Zoe who is speaking excitedly at the same time.
"Ah, sorry, sorry. I got a bit too excited."
After being interrupted by the two, Zoe widens her eyes instantly but still puts her hands on her cheeks and looks very happy.
"Yes, yes. The proof is that the place where he works part-time is mainly Western food restaurants. He wasn't very good at making home-cooked dishes originally."
"Huh?"
I follow Zoe's hand pointing at the bento spread out on the mat. I've been eating it without questioning before, but when compared, there are always more home-cooked dishes. Normally speaking, leaving me aside, the young Abel and Blake should prefer Western food more.
"What you want him to make, just say it. Maybe he'll make you some snacks in the future too. As long as Teacher Ben says so, he might be able to do not only cooking but also cleaning, washing clothes, and all kinds of household chores."
"No, it's not to that extent."
I'm pulled back to reality by Zoe who starts talking in mid-air. I hurriedly shake my head. Indeed if I say so, he might do it.
"It's not like marrying a wife."
"The position of a wife is not good? And he's already an online friend of your mother, right."
"Huh? I haven't heard of this."
I see Zoe covering her mouth with her hand to suppress a laugh. Suddenly I grab Blake's arm. His face turns to one side.
"Before, on the way back to teacher's home... I was asked for the contact information and we contact each other occasionally."
"So that's why. I felt that the recent dishes and flavors – are very similar to what my mother makes."
Hearing Blake muttering in a low voice, the thing that has been strange in my heart is finally solved. At the same time, my face heats up all of a sudden.
"By the way, why does that person exchange contact information so casually."
My suppressed head feels dizzy for an instant. My own mother, her thoughts are completely unpredictable.
"Well, thanks to this we can eat delicious food every day. Ah, how about letting him live in teacher's home?"
"Don't get excited casually!"
Zoe's wild behavior doesn't seem to stop for a while.
"Am I causing you trouble?"
"... No, it's not trouble, but..."
The arm I'm holding is pulled slightly. Blake looks at me uneasily – facing his face, I'm still as weak as usual and can't say a word. Where is it trouble? Clearly it's very happy.
"Well, it somehow feels very good."
"Hey, Abel. Why are you acting like an onlooker all by yourself."
The excited Zoe and Blake who is lowering his head a bit awkwardly. And Abel who is looking at them with a grin.
This lively and a bit noisy scene is ultimately like usual, a scene during lunchtime.