Chapter 3 - A Recipe for Awkwardness - Lunchbox Liaisons

A/N: Since I have a job (I'm actually writing this on my office computer right now, lol), please understand that there might be times when I can't upload chapters frequently. This chapter is barely 1,500 words.My work tends to get pretty hectic at the beginning and end of the month, so between those periods, I might try to write as much of this story as I can.Well, Chapter 1 is kind of a copy-paste and a bunch of editing from my side, but Chapter 2 and beyond will be entirely original. If you've read the LN and watched the anime, you'll know what I mean.Anyway, here's a picture of the trio of the student council(and all of its female members). I really like Hibari Hokobaru (the girl with red hair), but I'm still figuring out how to introduce her naturally. That might take some time.***Finally.I rose from my desk as the afternoon bell rang, signaling the start of the break. It's time to fill my stomach in the cafeteria.Heading to the cafeteria had become a bit of a daily ritual for me, though "ritual" might imply a level of enthusiasm I don't usually associate with, well, anything.Anyway, I'd spent the previous night experimenting with some new recipes for my own, packing a neat bento that would've looked right at home in one of those absurd gourmet magazines. Not that I was aiming for any kind of recognition, mind you. Ah, the savory aroma, the subtle seasoning, and a carefully balanced mix of vegetables that most people hate—I can only imagine the taste.Of course, I wasn't about to settle for just my bento, hence the cafeteria detour. They say that the place had finally rotated in a new dessert lineup, and the buzz suggested it was worth the trouble.Normally, I wouldn't bother getting pulled into these things, but it wouldn't hurt to take a look, right? Something about a new pastry, maybe? Hardly groundbreaking, but trying them was never bad. A well-made dessert could be its own kind of reward.I wasn't craving a sugar rush or trying to escape boredom; I was just curious. At the end of the day, food was one of those few experiences that didn't require extra context. I could appreciate it as it was, straightforward and unfiltered.But as I stepped through the classroom door—"Shikiya-senpai?""Ayanokouji-kun..."We nearly walked right into each other. I noticed the lunchbox she held in a plastic bag. "Looking for Basori?" I asked in passing, stopping for a moment.She nodded, a bit dispirited as usual. "I do..."I glanced back toward the classroom before stepping aside to avoid blocking the doorway."Looks like she's headed to the cafeteria."For the past few days, Shikiya-senpai had been dropping by our class more often. It was probably related to her student council duties, or maybe something going on in her club—not really my business, anyway.Just for context, Shikiya-senpai was a second-year and the student council secretary. Their closeness didn't seem unusual, all things considered."Well, I'll be going—""Wait...""Yes?"She tilted her gaze toward the plastic bag in my hand, eyeing my lunchbox."Did... you make that... yourself...?""Uh, yeah? Why?"What an odd question.She nodded, as if that answer somehow resolved things to her. "Why don't you... eat with us...?""Why—""—why's Shikiya-senpai into him?"I stopped myself. My classmates had plastered themselves against the hallway windows, eyes locked on our conversation. What are they doing?"Maybe it's 'cause Ayanokouji hangs out with Basori? You see them yesterday?""But he's so boring... and gloomy."They weren't exactly whispering as they might think, not that they seemed to notice. What had I even done?"He is handsome, though.""Oh, right. Forgot about that.""Guess the mystery allure vibe actually works?""What does 'mystery allure vibe' even mean?"Suppressing the urge to sigh, I turned back to Shikiya-senpai, keeping my expression composed."Sure, I don't mind."Any hope of avoiding strange attention had already been obliterated by the spectacle behind me."Then... let's go..."Shikiya walked with an unhurried pace, seemingly indifferent to the attention.I sighed. I'd enrolled in this school in the spring, and now summer was already upon us.If you asked me to recount anything interesting from that time, I wouldn't have much to tell. I hadn't exactly gone out of my way to do anything memorable, after all.The situation with Yanami was a recent twist, followed closely by this morning's accidental involvement with Basori—a shift from simple classmates to something a bit different.The first was pure coincidence. The second... well, maybe curiosity got the best of me, and here we are."I didn't think you would... actually accept..." Shikiya-senpai murmured. "I didn't see a reason to refuse," I replied, slightly puzzled."Ayanokouji-kun... doesn't seem like... the type to socialize.""The importance of not judging a book by its cover, I guess," I replied, glancing at her. "Take you, for example, Shikiya-senpai. You never really show emotion—neither in your expression nor your voice—yet I see you as friendly, someone who's comfortable with her friends, sociable even. I admit... in my case, my actions don't exactly scream 'approachable,' so it's only natural people see me that way."It was true that I lacked any particular interest in making friends or socializing by most people's standards. To me, interactions with others usually had a certain function—a simple exchange of information or something equally transactional. I had no inherent need for relationships beyond that.Yet, there was a curiosity.What would it feel like to have a connection deeper than just a familiar face in the same classroom or a coincidental seat partner? I wondered if I could pull it off—if I tried.If I were to genuinely invest effort, would I find meaning in it?"You think... I'm like that?""Shikiya-senpai?"She'd stopped abruptly, causing me to halt as well. I looked at her with a puzzled expression.She gave a faint, almost imperceptible nod. Whatever she was thinking, it hid behind that same neutral mask she always wore."Thank you... for coming along, Ayanokouji-kun," she finally said, leaving me confused still."...Not a problem," I replied with that, not pressing further.***The cafeteria was predictably crowded, but I quickly spotted Basori sitting alone at a table in the far corner, surrounded by empty chairs. For some reason, she always seemed to keep people at arm's length—intentionally or not.—but my priority wasn't having her at the top. I headed straight toward the dessert counter, glancing over the newly introduced selection of wagashi—traditional Japanese sweets—with a detached curiosity. One particular treat caught my eye immediately: a dorayaki with a delicate matcha cream filling instead of the usual sweet red bean paste. Its soft, golden-brown pancakes looked almost fluffy, with a hint of green matcha cream barely visible between them.Ordinarily, I wouldn't bother to get sidetracked by sweets during lunch in particular, but after a week that had been, let's say, more "eventful" than I'd prefer, a small indulgence seemed justified.After paying, I took the dorayaki and carefully unwrapped it, inspecting the soft pancakes and the hint of matcha peeking out from between them. Around me, a small crowd was gathering at nearby tables. Fortunately, their voices were like a background hum I could easily ignore."Ayanokou—"I tuned out whatever that was and took a bite.—this is great.The first bite delivered a subtle sweetness balanced with the mild bitterness of the matcha—a calm harmony that avoided any extreme flavors. The smooth cream contrasted nicely with the light, airy pancakes. Simple and well-executed. It didn't need excessive flair or overdone sweetness. Just... balance. Unassuming, satisfying."...Ayanokouji-kun?""Hm? Ah, sorry, didn't mean to ignore you."Somehow, I'd ended up at the table where Basori was seated. She gave me a strange look, while Shikiya-senpai wore her usual blank expression—for a split second, I thought I caught a faint, almost imperceptible pout on her face. Uh, I ignored her earlier, right?"You seem to really enjoy that," Basori commented, apparently unbothered by me tagging along with Shikiya-senpai for a meal. "—to the point where you just ignored us. First time?""...yes, and first experiences should be valued and treasured.""That sounds so wrong.""?""D-Don't look at me like that.""What do you think it meant?""Tiara-chan is so... dirty-minded.""I'm not, though?!"I ignored their conversation and opened my lunchbox. And hey, don't call it strange just because I had dessert first.Inside the box was a fairly straightforward assortment: a simple omurice with an herb garnish, some vegetables on the side, and a few meticulously prepared onigiri, each wrapped in nori. I'd kept it minimalist, but everything had been cooked just right—no flair, just the essentials done well.The moment I lifted a piece of the omurice with my chopsticks, Basori glanced over, her eyes lingering on the food longer than she might have intended. Shikiya-senpai leaned in slightly, a subtle curiosity in her expression."Did you... really make that yourself?" Basori asked, slightly seemed like she couldn't believe it.How dare you doubt my skills."Of course," I replied, allowing a bit of pride to slip into my voice. "You're welcome to try the onigiri and tell me what you think.""Really?" she blinked in surprise.Shikiya-senpai, looking equally interested, added quietly, "Could... I have one, too?""One for each of you."Basori picked up an onigiri carefully. Shikiya-senpai followed suit, though she handled hers more casually. Basori took a small bite. "Oh... it's surprisingly good.""What did I say?""I think it's clear already, but you don't exactly come off as the culinary type, Ayanokouji-kun," she said somewhat reluctantly, for whatever reason."Looks can be deceiving," I replied dryly while watching her quickly took another bite.Shikiya-senpai finished hers quietly, giving me a small nod of approval. "Thank you... it was very good."***A/N: Yes, I know Ayanokouji doesn't have the traits I'm portraying. I'm not trying to inject too much seriousness into this fanfic, after all, and keeping Ayanokouji as in the original light novel is hard for me.Please keep that in mind. This will focus quite a lot on lighter themes rather than a serious one.