Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818622176550308690/episodes/16818792436863291819
The lunch bell rang, and at the same moment, Suzukita-san called out to me.
Lately, Suzukita-san hasn’t been going to buy that amazing curry bread anymore. She says she just got bored with it.
That fickle vibe—that’s exactly what makes her a gal. Yeah.
“Ayatachi! Let’s go to lunch!”
“Mm, got it.”
As I answered Suzukita-san,
I found myself unconsciously glancing over at Renka sitting next to me.
Then—Renka, looking fidgety, met my gaze.
“Um… well, Akito…”
“Wh-what is it…?”
“Um… well, actually? I… I accidentally made two lunches…”
Whoa. …Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Even I didn’t think, “What kind of mistake is that?” I’m not some clueless protagonist from a light novel.
“So, um… if you don’t mind… would you eat it…?”
Saying that, Renka gave me her signature upward glance while pulling out a lunchbox wrapped in cute fabric.
My heart skipped a beat. The nostalgic scent of hamburger steak wafted from the box.
“…In that case, I understand. Since you went to the trouble, I’ll gladly accept it.”
“R-Really? Ehehe, I’m so happy…”
When I took the lunch box, Renka’s cheeks softened into a smile. …What’s with that face? I can’t think of any word other than cute.
And behind my gaze—Sena and Hideki were grinning like idiots. The murmurs of my classmates felt louder than usual.
“Hmm, what’s up, Ayatachi! Did you get Renren’s homemade lunch for the first time in ages?”
Suzukita-san popped her head up behind me, peering intently at the lunchbox in my hands.
No… Suzukita-san was Suzukita-san, standing incredibly close. It was the absolute limit of not touching. My heart was pounding at this sudden proximity to such a beautiful girl.
“Mfufu, it’s hot, isn’t it? Could this mean… Renka Mama is back?”
“W-Wait, I’m not mama!”
Suddenly, Renka slammed her fist on the desk and stood up. The classmates’ gazes instantly converged on us. The noisy classroom fell silent.
In that awkward atmosphere, Renka’s white cheeks flushed crimson as she stammered,
“W-Wait, I… more…!”
“Uh-huh, more?”
Suzukita-san behind me prompted her to continue in an amused tone.
Wait—amused?
I couldn’t see her face, so I couldn’t tell. But… somehow, her voice seemed just a little more subdued than usual. Well, probably just my imagination.
“More with Akito—wait, no, that’s not it! I-it’s nothing…!”
…Nothing at all? I felt embarrassed for secretly hoping.
Renka’s face literally turned bright red. It was a shade of red that made me worry.
Then, just like that, Renka clung to Sena, saying, “Senaaa!” Sena gently hugged Renka back, patting her. Next to them, Hideki shrugged his shoulders with an exasperated sigh.
“Well, I guess that’s as far as she’ll go in public… Alright, Akito, we’ll take Renka from here. See you later, Akito.”
“Huh? Oh… okay…?”
Hideki and the others disappeared down the hallway.
The classmates, who had fallen silent, started chattering noisily again.
…What on earth was that about Renka just now? She was definitely acting weird.
All that remained with me was the lunchbox Renka had given me.
“Hehe. Maybe I teased Renren a little too much?”
With her usual bright smile, Suzukita-san said something like that.
“Seriously, Ayatachi, are you sure you’re okay not going with Renren and the others? She made you a bento, and then you’d eat it with me? That’d be a messy affair!”
“It’s not like that between me and Renka.”
Taking a breath, I turned my gaze to Suzukita-san standing beside me.
“Besides, you know. I really wanted to eat lunch with Suzukita-san anyway.”
“…………Huh?”
Suzukita-san tilted her head, looking puzzled.
Her beautiful golden side-tails swayed gently from side to side.
“For me, Suzukita-san is one of my important friends too. I feel bad for Renren and the others, but I want to cherish my time with Suzukita-san as well.”
Ah… Dammit, I ended up trying to sound cool.
Is this what they call that rumored second-year syndrome? It felt a bit off, but—either way, it was incredibly embarrassing.
My face flushed instantly. If she said something like, “Huh? I don’t even think of you as a friend, Ayatachi,” I’d never be able to show my face at school again.
“Th-that didn’t count. Forget it, Suzukita-san…”
After spilling out that pathetically lame cover-up, I cautiously glanced at Suzukita-san’s profile.
Then… I wonder why, I thought.
“—Hehe. I won’t let you take that back, okay?”
Saying that, Suzukita-san…
…had her beautiful face flushed much redder than mine, even though I was the one who should have been mortified.
For some reason, my heart fluttered.
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I still hope he ends up with the gyaru.