Tontontonton...
I watched Sara-senpai standing in the kitchen, wearing the apron I’d given her as a present.
Yesterday, after I’d taken my medicine, she stayed by my side until I had completely settled down. It had ended up being quite late by the time I finally persuaded her to go home in a taxi, despite her insistence on staying the night.
I’d fallen asleep immediately after she left, but it seemed she had let herself in this morning while I was still out cold. The rhythmic sound of her cooking was what finally woke me up.
"Good morning, Takanashi-san. I didn't want to wake you, so I took the liberty of using my key."
I didn’t have a problem with that, obviously.
However, if I had to be critical, the sight of me sleeping lazily while she worked so hard for my sake felt incredibly brazen. I really wondered if this was the right way for things to be.
"There, breakfast is ready. Come and sit down."
The table, which was only ever used when Sara-senpai was around, was now filled with dishes that brightened the morning.
...Though, there were neither chopsticks nor a spoon at my place.
"Um... Sara-senpai, I need a spoon..."
"Here, Takanashi-san. Say 'ahh'."
It was non-negotiable. I should have known.
"Takanashi-san, please make sure you don't use your right hand."
She gave me one final reminder as we parted ways at school.
Even something as simple as sliding open the classroom door triggered a reflex to use my right hand, and I had to pull back in a hurry. Being right-handed was proving to be a real nuisance.
Clatter, clatter, clatter.
"Morning."
"Morning, Takanashi. How was the hospital?"
I felt a wave of gratitude for the way everyone immediately checked in on me.
"A hairline fracture and a sprain in my right wrist."
"Ouch, that's gotta hurt."
"I've done that before. It takes a long time to heal, man."
The doctor had said the same thing. I guess I was in for a long recovery.
"Takanashi-kun, tell me if you need help with anything, okay?"
"Yeah, we've all got your back!"
"Thanks. I'll let you know if I'm stuck."
Honestly, if this had been my old classroom situation, I didn’t even want to imagine how miserable I’d be right now.
Since today was a day of half-day classes, school let out at noon.
It had started raining outside, and the combination of humidity and heat made the bandage on my right wrist feel stifling. It was a gross sensation.
I had a Student Council meeting to attend, so I was supposed to meet Sara-senpai in the Student Council Room.
Clatter, clatter, clatter.
"Good work today."
"Takanashi-kun, good work! Oh? What happened to your hand?"
When I entered the room, several Student Council Officers were already there eating their bento. They were quick to spot the bandage on my wrist.
"Good work. I messed it up a bit during PE yesterday."
When I explained it was a fracture and a sprain, a few people started cringing and saying "Ow, ow," as if they could feel the pain themselves.
"Takanashi-kun, have you had lunch? If not, come eat with us. Here, sit."
"That right hand looks like it'll make things difficult. Should I feed you?"
"I don't even want to imagine that (lol)."
That's right... I’d just followed the usual routine because Sara-senpai had mentioned eating in the Student Council Room due to the weather, but...
Sara-senpai was the one with my bento!
"Wait, what's wrong? Did you not bring lunch?"
This was bad.
Ideally, I should leave right now, meet up with her somewhere else to eat, and then come back.
"Ah, I left it in the classroom, I'll just go grab—"
Clatter, clatter, clatter.
"Good work."
"Good work, everyone."
Sara-senpai and the President had arrived. The predictable outcome was here, and I felt like crying. I was too late.
What was she planning to do?
"Good work."
"Good work~"
"Oh, is everyone eating lunch here today?"
The President spoke as he looked at the various lunches spread across the meeting table. Sara-senpai’s expression clouded when she saw them.
"Ah... My apologies, Takanashi-san. I've kept you waiting. I'll have everything ready in just a moment."
She busily pulled a multi-tiered bento box out of her bag, followed by a water bottle filled with tea and a chopstick case.
There was only one multi-tiered bento box and no separate bento for me. Of course, there was no second set of chopsticks, either. She was showing zero mercy.
"Whoa, Satsukawa-san, a multi-tiered bento box!?"
"Do you always bring lunch like that?"
It was a natural reaction. Almost nobody used a box like that for a solo lunch. I hadn't expected her to pack it that way either.
"No, it's not usually like this. Since I packed for two today, I put it all together."
...I could practically hear the countdown to my public execution. However, I’d only just sworn to accept her feelings, after all; "no" wasn’t an option.
"Heh... if you're the one packing it, that means you really do make your own lunch... Wait, for two?"
"Wait, where's Takanashi-kun's bento then...?"
"There, sorry to keep you waiting. Takanashi-san, come sit here."
She gestured to the seat right next to her, and I sat down obediently.
"Um... Sara-senpai, could I have my chopsticks or a spoon...?"
"? Here, say 'ahh'."
I’d asked, clinging to a faint hope, but instead of an answer, the star of today’s lunch was delivered straight to my lips.
" " " " ...Huh? " " " "
It had been a while since I’d seen the Student Council Officers perform a perfectly synchronized double-take.
"Fufu... how is it?"
"Munch, munch... it's delicious..."
" " " " ............ " " " "
I didn't want to look. I refused to look around. People were definitely staring, but as long as I didn't acknowledge them, the "me" who wasn't the center of attention still existed in some parallel reality.
"Say 'ahh'."
And so, Senpai's say ahh attack continued until I was completely full.