Let me go off on a tangent for a bit to talk about the concept of equality. I don't know who exactly thought of it and when it started to become a thing. But I do like to believe that it exists. For instance, I believe that food should be distributed equally among people. This is to make sure that everyone gets a fair share or at least one or two bites. Everyone would be happy with that even if there's only a limited amount of food to go around, right? At least, I would be content with it. But alas, there will inevitably be some people who cannot grasp this concept and will eat more than their fill.
"These beef slices are so good! I wish I could eat these every day."
"I'm glad you like them, Asuka-san. Please, go ahead and take as much as you like."
"Heck yeah! You're the best, Reina-chan!"
I could only stare helplessly as Asamura takes another big portion of succulent, mouthwatering wagyu slices. I haven't even taken any yet but it's already down to just a couple more pieces. If I want to get at least one, I should grab it now! But it'll be extremely awkward to attempt to get one now after I made a big deal about not wanting to have lunch with them in the first place.
So, it's a question of which am I willing to sacrifice: my pride or the wagyu beef?
"Sugiyama-san, do you not like the food? You have not taken any of it yet."
"Oh, uh… No, I just want to finish my own lunch first before grabbing some of the beef."
"I see. In that case…"
Kurebayashi takes a couple slices of the beef and places it in my disposable lunch set.
"Those are for you, Sugiyama-san. I remember how much you liked them when we first ate lunch together. So I made sure to make them the same way."
"O-okay. Thanks a lot, but…"
I glance at the now empty container. Come to think of it, Kurebayashi hasn't had a single bite yet. Asamura practically ate most of it and Kurebayashi gave me the little that remained. We just took her lunch from her! Are we bullies? This is what bullies do, right?
"You haven't eaten anything either. Are you sure you want to give this to me?"
"Yes. Please do not worry about me. I still have some pickled plums and rice. These are more than enough for me."
Nah, this doesn't sit right with me. I can't enjoy the taste of wagyu knowing that the one who owned them is eating like a peasant. Let's see, the lunch set I bought has a bed of rice, some salad, and fried fish. I took the fish apart and placed it inside Kurebayashi's lunch box.
"... It's not wagyu beef, but fried fish goes well with rice."
She briefly showed a look of mild surprise followed immediately by her signature warm and radiant smile.
"Hmhm! Thank you, Sugiyama-san. That is very gracious of you."
After finally getting that out of the way, I begin to eat. Meanwhile, the two girls are chatting away, talking about god knows what. To me, they're more like background chatter. As I take a bite out of my meal, a cool Autumn breeze sweeps through the school. It brings a refreshing chill to the skin, almost like it's signifying the winter to come. From the view of this gym stairwell, I could see the daily comings and goings of everyone below. It's almost as if I'm playing The Sims and taking enjoyment in simply observing all the characters go about their daily lives.
After I finish eating, I once again immerse myself in this strangely calming atmosphere. The view, the background chatter, the breeze, I don't know what it is but there's something about them that makes me want to just close my eyes and take a nap. In fact, I got so immersed that I didn't even hear Asamura calling out to me. It took a light flick on my forehead for her to finally bring me out of my trance.
"What's up with you? I've called your name out several times now but you kept just staring into nothing."
"... Oh, sorry. I guess I just felt really sleepy and didn't notice you at all."
"That kinda ticks me off for some reason. But anyway, I wanted to ask you what we're supposed to do after the rumor spreads."
"What do you mean? Are we supposed to do something at that point?"
"Eh? Of course we should do something!"
"... Like what?"
"I… don't know. But still, we can't just sit around and wait. That's too nerve-wracking!"
"Look, anything that happens after the rumor spreads is out of our control. The only thing we can do is wait and see what happens."
Even after that explanation, Asamura still looks dissatisfied. Well, I'm sorry but that's just how it works. And I can't be bothered to come up with some balderdash reasoning just to satisfy her.
"Uhm… If I may make a suggestion…"
Kurebayashi raises her hand like someone trying to get recitation points in the classroom.
"If it is to everyone's approval, we could all meet up over the weekend to discuss this matter."
"Oh! I like that, Reina-chan! We should totally go to that cafe you went to yesterday!
"Oh, of course but… How did you know that I went to a cafe yesterday?"
"Sugiyama-kun here told me about it this morning. And I'm pretty bummed out that you didn't even invite me."
"M-my apologies, Asuka-san. It was a sudden arrangement which is why I was not able to invite you as well."
"Mmm well, that's fine. But I want you to take me there tomorrow as payback."
"Yes, of course. I would be delighted to go there with you."
After agreeing among themselves, they both looked toward me. Oh hell no! I was looking forward to spending the entire weekend lazing around the house. And I'll be damned if I let anyone take that away from me!
"How bout it, Sugiyama-kun? Tomorrow sounds good, right?"
"Yeah, no. I have other plans for tomorrow and Sunday. You two go on ahead without me."
"But you're the pioneer of this entire plan, Sugiyama-san. We cannot possibly proceed without you."
"That's right! What plans do you have that's so important anyway? I bet you just want to stay in your house all day."
"W-what's wrong with having a little peace and quiet after a tiring week of school? I'd say that's normal behavior for any stressed out student."
"So I'm right! You are just lazy! In that case, I'll let you choose."
"C-choose what?"
"We either go to your house and bother you there. Or you come with us to the cafe. Pick your poison."
Damn. Well, looks like I can kiss my weekend plans goodbye. Highschool girls are hella scary, man.