The next day, since I had some work to take care of, I arrived at school during the lunch break.
As I entered the classroom, everyone turned to look and greeted me. Out of politeness, I greeted them back.
Sure, just because I get along with everyone doesn't mean they're truly my friends.
After sitting down in my seat, I glanced to my right and noticed that the seat beside me was empty.
Ah... it looks like Chika has fallen victim to the Carolina Reaper ramen, just like the others.
Then, something interesting happened: Kaguya walked over to my desk and placed a glass bottle on it. The bottle looked like it contained herbal syrup from one of those traditional shops run by friendly grandmas.
"Makabe, this is for you..." she said. I tilted my head, confused.
"What is this?"
She took it back, opened it with a crack, and said, "Drink this. My stomach felt awful after yesterday, so this should make you feel better."
Still puzzled, I took the bottle. "Uh... thanks. But why are you giving me this?" I asked, taking a sip. It tasted like ginger and some herbs I couldn't identify. Honestly, something warm like this was unexpected coming from her.
Maintaining her sleepy expression, Kaguya sighed. "Hmph. It's my way of apologizing, and don't misunderstand—I sent one to Fujiwara, too." She brushed her hair aside, turned, and left the classroom.
Then I noticed my classmates looking my way, though they quickly turned away when I glanced back. These fuckers— I could catch some of their whispers you know?
Still, when I think about it... she's kinda... Well, I'm talking about Shinomiya Kaguya. She's amusing, for sure. At first, she was wary of me, accusing me of using Chika as a shield from the other girls, but then she apologized for her actions.
Even though she tries to act cold, turns out she's a decent person, huh?
Well then, it's time to eat the lunch Mom packed for me.
What the hell is this?
When I opened my lunchbox, I noticed Mom had written "Love, Ma-kun" on the lid. But that's not the issue—I forgot that Mom doesn't hold back when it comes to cooking! She packed a high-calorie, deep-fried set that would make any middle-aged man's heart tremble with fear.
Thankfully, I'm still young, but eating like this all the time might be dangerous. Come to think of it, I've been eating this kind of food since I started living with Mom.
Taking my chopsticks, I went for the ebi furai first. Hmm... delicious. Well, I've heard she's a specialist in Japanese cuisine.
As I was chewing, I noticed Kaguya had arrived through the front door, carrying a large lunchbox, and sat at her desk in the front row.
"What's the meaning of this, Makabe?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as I brought over my chair and sat across from her, my lunch in hand. Her sleepy red eyes met mine.
"What? I decided to eat with you. They say food tastes better when you eat together," I replied.
"Hmph. Whatever."
Kaguya then opened her lunchbox dramatically, as though a spotlight shone down on it.
What the heck is that?! Did someone slave over this lunch? I mean, look at the shape and decoration!
"Oi, did you have a restaurant make this for you or something?"
"Yes, technically. I have a whole team cooking for me at home, and the head chef brings this bento every day at lunchtime," she said with a slight smirk, still maintaining her cold gaze. "Don't tell me, you want my lunch?"
Look at this smug little... Her expression said it all: she was staring at me like I was some pitiable commoner.
"As if."
What was I thinking earlier? I thought she was kinda nice, but she's just your typical ojou-sama, the kind that would laugh "Ohohoho!" at something amusing just because of our different social standings.
In this case, it's my homemade bento versus her fancy one that probably contains 30-day dry-aged wagyu or something.
Forget it. Let's just eat.
"Hmm..." Kaguya murmured, pointing her index finger at my lunch—specifically, at Mr. Octopus. "What is that?"
I looked down at my lunch, noting her bewildered expression. Was she seriously puzzled by my food?
"It's a frozen sausage," I said with a sigh, then gave a playful huff. "What is it? For your information, this food is good, even if yours is fancier."
"I-I see..."
I hummed at her meek response. I half-expected something like, "Oh, that's a cute dish," but she just kept staring at my lunch, barely touching her own food.
Then, a small smile crept onto my face as I realized what was going on.
"Hey, your mouth is wide open. An airplane might fly in if you're not careful..."
Kaguya snapped out of her daze, quickly closing her mouth and wiping the corner of it just in case. She glanced around, visibly relieved to see no one else nearby—it was lunch break, after all.
"You better keep quiet about this," she muttered with a frown.
I chuckled. "My mouth is as tight as my wallet."
Yup, Kaguya might seem cold on the outside, but deep down, she's just not very honest about her feelings. What's the word for it... hm, tsundere?
"Alright, wanna trade some food? Here, I'll give you this octopus wiener."
"I don't want to eat that," she protested.
"Heh, don't be shy. Here, I'll just put it in your lunch."
Ignoring her protests, I moved the wieners into her lunchbox. She sighed.
"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm only eating it because you're forcing me to," she muttered, but then put some of her food into my lunchbox as well.
"Okay...?"
.
.
.
.
.
Finally, I started to eat, and Kaguya did too. I noticed her eyes widen slightly after trying the wiener sausage, and her eating seemed to pick up speed.
"Hey, slow down a bit, and eat at human pace will you? No one's gonna steal your sausage."
Kaguya stopped eating and frowned at me, a bit of leftover rice stuck to her left cheek—though she didn't seem to notice.
"Do you have a problem?" she asked. "And are you not going to eat that?" She pointed at Mr. Octopus again.
I hummed in response. "Sure, I'll give you all the sausages." I moved the remaining wieners into her lunchbox, and she didn't stop me, "There you go."
She looked away. "Thank you. Not that I'm hungry or because it's delicious or anything," she muttered.
I chuckled, "Sure, sure..."
Let me translate that: This deep-fried sausage is delicious and making me really hungry; that's why I'm eating so fast.
Honestly, today was pretty entertaining for me. After this lunch, surely, I learned a little more about Shinomiya Kaguya.
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