Fourth period was drawing to a close.
Sigh... I was truly drowning in self-loathing.
Why couldn't I have just held back?
Beyond that, even if it had been due to forces beyond my control, I had gone as far as barging into Sara-san's classroom.
That was the one thing I had firmly decided I would never do...
I wasn't about to pin it all on Yuri-senpai, though.
No matter what the catalyst had been, the moment I stepped into that room, I had felt a flicker of anticipation at seeing Sara-san. I had felt a spark of joy. I had been happy.
At that point, the responsibility was mine alone.
I would have to apologize properly to Sara-san during lunch break.
I was sure she would tell me she wasn't angry, but this was a matter of principle for me.
...It felt like I was dealing with a lot of "principles" today.
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Ding-dong, dong-ding...
The bell signaled the end of fourth period. As the teacher left the room, the atmosphere instantly shifted into the rowdy energy of a break.
Starting with the canteen group that bolted for the door, my classmates began moving toward their usual lunch spots.
"Kazunari, let's go."
"Right."
Hanako-san spoke to me as she stood up, clutching the drawstring bag containing her bento in one hand.
For the record, I was empty-handed, but that was nothing new.
"Hey, Takanashi-kun? I've been curious for a while now. By any chance, do you have lunch with Satsukawa-senpai every day?"
I was stopped near the exit by a group of girls who had staked out a spot near the door.
It wasn't something worth hiding at this late stage, so I figured I might as well be honest.
"Yeah, that's right."
"I knew it!"
"Wait, wait. Is the reason you're always empty-handed also because...?"
"Eh? Oh, Sara-san makes my bento..."
"Kyaaaa!"
"Whoa! Satsukawa-senpai makes your lunch every single day!?"
"Seriously, she's basically like a wife already!"
"...I'm not jealous... I'm not jealous... I'm not jealous, dammit!"
"...E-Every day... Every single day, Satsukawa-senpai... a bento..."
"...Ugh, I'm so jealous I could die..."
I had only mentioned the bento, but the girls had erupted into a total frenzy.
This kind of gossip might be fun for them, but it left me a little unsure of how to respond.
"Kazunari, everyone is waiting. We should hurry. If we're late, your wife will get fretful."
As I was struggling to find a reaction, Hanako-san offered me a lifeline. She reached out with her right hand—the one not holding her bento—and gave my left hand a little tug to lead me away.
"Gufufu! You two are as close as ever!"
"Sorry for stopping you!"
"Say hi to Satsukawa-senpai for us~!"
"...He's got a gorgeous girlfriend, and yet he's still got Hanasaki-san too..."
"...Hey, just how far do you think the power of a curse reaches?"
"...Wanna try? Should we give it a shot!?"
The classroom had been in an uproar since this morning.
Well, I suppose it was partly my fault... but regardless, we had to get moving!
As the flowerbeds came into view, I could see the rest of the group already gathered on the plastic sheet spread across the ground.
It looked like we really were the last ones to arrive.
That was to be expected, given the time we'd lost being cornered by those girls on our way out of the classroom.
Sara-san, naturally, was the first to notice us.
The moment she spotted us, she stood up and approached with a light jog.
"Kazunari-san, thank you for your hard work."
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Come to think of it... during the break earlier, I thought I heard someone shouting as I was leaving Sara-san's classroom...
Judging by her current demeanor, however, there didn't seem to be any problems.
In fact, if anything, she looked to be in an even better mood than usual.
"Not at all. Everything is ready, so let us eat our bento."
"Wife, why are you in such a hurry?"
"I am not particularly in a rush. It is simply that I promised to hold Kazunari-san after we finish lunch. I wish to make that time last for as long as possible."
"...Huh?"
In contrast to Sara-san's blissful smile, Hanako-san's face instantly defaulted to an expression of pure exasperation.
I wouldn't go so far as to say she was glaring with deadpan eyes, but her look screamed, 'What are these two idiots talking about?' It was incredibly awkward.
Still, this was something I had requested myself, and Sara-san was the type of person who followed through on her word without fail.
In other words, the hug was a certainty. I was about to be subjected to a public display of embarrassment—no, a reward(?)—while being exposed to everyone's gaze.
"Now, let us eat. Afterward... I shall give Kazunari-san plenty of 'there, there' pats.♪"
Sara-san beamed at me. If it was for the sake of making her look that happy, I didn't care if I was teased or looked at with deadpan eyes.
I had already resolved to simply let her spoil me.
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"Now, Kazunari-san, say 'aaah'."
"Aaah."
Chomp... chew, chew...
"Fufu... how is it?"
"It's delicious!"
It really was, but I felt a little guilty that my feedback was always so repetitive.
I wished I could say something more sophisticated, but if I started rambling about specific flavor profiles, it would probably sound forced.
In the end, a simple "it's delicious" was the most honest thing I could offer. Sara-san seemed genuinely happy with it, so I figured that was what mattered.
"Hah... Honestly, every single time... How do you two not get tired of flirting like that?"
"Natsumi, what a strange thing to say. How could anyone ever get tired of something so blissful?"
"......"
I was in total agreement on that one.
The possibility of ever growing tired of my happy time with Sara-san was zero. Not now, not ever.
I could state that with absolute certainty.
"Now, now, Natsumi-senpai. If these two stopped acting like this, it would actually throw my rhythm off."
"That's right. I like seeing Takanashi-kun and Satsukawa-senpai getting along so well. It makes me feel happy just watching them."
Uugh... Todo-san's sincere smile was like a balm for the soul. She was an angel as always.
"Well... I agree with the part about the rhythm being thrown off. Though not in such a flowery sense."
And then there was the Little Angel over here, currently in total exasperation mode.
She was watching us with a look of complete disbelief, though I noticed her occasionally glancing back and forth between her own bento and my face. I wasn't quite sure what that was about.
"Hanako-san, 'flowery' is a bit harsh."
"My mistake. My true feelings slipped out."
"That wasn't a follow-up."
"Shut it, handsome guy."
"Guh... You're as sharp as ever. Hey, Hanako-san, don't you think it's about time you treated me even a third as well as you treat Kazunari...?"
"You're a thousand years too early to compare yourself to Kazunari. You aren't even fit to be his big toe."
It seemed there was still no ground to be gained on that front.
However... after seeing how things played out this morning, I got the feeling Hanako-san actually enjoyed this routine to some extent.
The look she gave the guys in class—one of pure contempt or disdain, as if she were looking at something pathetic—wasn't there when she spoke to Hayato.
Her words were biting, but her expression wasn't nearly as cold. She still wasn't smiling, and I wasn't sure if you could call this a "functional conversation," but she was definitely responding to him.
Just the fact that she engaged with him every time instead of avoiding him made her response far better than anything the guys in our class ever received.
"Kazunari-san, 'aaah'."
"Aaah."
Chew, chew... Mmm, so good!
"Natsumi, why don't you do the same for Tachibana-san?"
"Wha!? N-No, I mean... right, we go to different schools!!"
Her defensive stats were as low as ever. Natsumi-senpai was incredibly weak to being teased herself.
Given her usual assertive personality, this total lack of immunity was actually quite maiden-like—a classic case of gap moe, perhaps.
"Ah, that is true. It would have been nice if you attended the same school."
"R-Right?"
"In that case, we simply need to create an opportunity for you to prepare a bento. Since we are discussing it, why don't we go out somewhere and have everyone bring a bento..."
"I'm in!! Satsukawa-senpai, since everyone is gathering for the school festival anyway, why don't we all bring lunch? Tachibana-kun will be there, and Nishikawa-san and Yoko are coming too, so it would be perfect!!"
Todo-san jumped on Sara-san's casual suggestion with surprising intensity.
She began pitching the idea with rare excitement, and I had to agree that it sounded like a fun plan.
The only issue was that if everyone was bringing something, I would run into the problem of being completely unable to cook...
"...Hey Hayato, can you cook?"
"No, never tried. You, Kazunari?"
"Do I look like someone who could do that when I'm being pampered by Sara-san?"
"Wow. When you own it that much, I actually respect you in a weird way."
I knew I was being pathetic.
But it was the absolute truth, so there wasn't much I could do about it.
If nothing else, I hoped I could learn at least one thing during tomorrow's cooking class so I could contribute something...
"Kazunari-san, there is no need for you to learn how to cook, you know? I shall handle everything."
"U-Understood."
Yeah, I knew she would say that.
I had no intention of clinging to the old-fashioned "men shouldn't be in the kitchen" mindset, but Sara-san was a brick wall on this subject.
Essentially, as the man who was going to marry her, that was going to be my reality forever.
She had already stated quite clearly that she would never let me help.
"I have no objection to a potluck, but the main goal is for Natsumi to feed Tachibana-san her cooking. Therefore..."
"W-Wait a second! Why is this conversation moving forward on its own!?"
"What is the problem? Once you experience it, you will surely understand my feelings. After that, you will never say something as silly as 'getting tired of it' again. If you have a complaint, say it after you have tried it once. It is settled."
"Uuuugh..."
Yeah, once it reached this point, Natsumi-senpai stood no chance against Sara-san.
The same thing had happened before, but a battle between Sara-san, who was honest with her feelings, and Natsumi-senpai, who wasn't, was a total mismatch.
Besides, by giving Sara-san the opening of "deciding she would get tired of it without even trying it," Natsumi-senpai's defeat had been inevitable.
"While we are calling it a potluck, Natsumi, please focus on making a bento for Tachibana-san. I, naturally, will be making one for Kazunari-san."
Sara-san wrapped up the discussion, putting a heavy emphasis on "naturally."
Personally, I had no objections; it sounded like a good time.
The way I immediately felt relieved the moment I realized I wouldn't have to cook myself made me wonder about my own backbone, though.
"Wait, if it's a potluck, that means anyone can eat anyone's bento, right?"
"Yes... I suppose that is how it works..."
"...I'll do my best."
For some reason, Hanako-san lightly clenched her fists as if psyching herself up.
Her interest in the topic was one thing, but seeing her show a reaction like that was rare enough that it was actually quite endearing.
"Um... I can't cook either, though."
"I have no intention of cooking for a handsome guy. If you want to ask someone, why not ask the person in front of you?"
Hanako-san threw out a sudden suggestion that caught Hayato off guard.
He stared at Hanako-san for a moment... but she glared right back, and he quickly looked away.
Hmm... it looked like it was going to take a while for those two.
"Eh!? M-Me!?"
Todo-san, meanwhile, began to panic at being put on the spot by Hanako-san.
I could understand the surprise, but why did she look so troubled?
"Well... if you don't want to, that's that."
Crush.
I could practically see the word appearing on Hayato's face.
I wasn't joking; he looked genuinely devastated.
But honestly, I didn't think Todo-san was the type to refuse a request like that in this kind of situation.
"Eh!? N-No, I don't hate the idea! It's just... well... I'm not very good at cooking either... so when you say it's 'for' someone... it's just..."
Todo-san's voice trailed off.
I see, so that was it. That made sense.
Still, seeing her shrinking back so apologetically made me feel bad for her...
Good grief. This was exactly when Hayato needed to step up. I elbowed my friend, who was still frozen in shock, to prompt a follow-up.
"Ah!? R-Right! Anyway, even so, would it be okay if I said I still want to eat your bento, Todo-san?"
The moment I nudged him, Hayato snapped back to reality and made his move. He was a pro at this.
"Eh? B-But then it won't really be like a potluck..."
"Ah, let me clarify: I have no intention of letting any man other than Kazunari-san eat my cooking. My father is an exception, as is my future father-in-law."
Sara-san jumped in with an additional follow-up... or whatever that was.
While her sentiment made me incredibly happy, I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to the actual "potluck" part of the plan.
...Well, whatever.
"In that case, I'd really like to have yours, Todo-san."
"U... Are you sure you're okay with me?"
Todo-san still looked nervous, but a happy smile was starting to break through. If he put it like that, she was clearly pleased deep down.
"Yeah. Is that a 'no'?"
"...I-I understand... I'll do my best."
"Thanks!"
It looked like Hayato had managed to close the deal.
Still... their relationship didn't seem to be making much overt progress. I wondered what was actually going on between them.
I knew Hayato tried to stay by her side as much as he could, but Todo-san seemed very shy. It was hard to see any clear movement on the surface.
"Hey... this isn't a potluck at all anymore, is it?"
Well... yeah, naturally she'd think that.
Natsumi-senpai had arrived at the same conclusion I had, but even when she voiced it...
"It is not a problem. We can be flexible. The important thing is simply that Natsumi makes a bento for Tachibana-san."
"Agreed. No problem at all. Actually, I prefer it this way."
This was the result.
Setting Sara-san aside, it was a little funny how Hanako-san was being so uncharacteristically eager to agree.
In any case, bento at the school festival...
I had one more thing to look forward to that day.