Side Hayato
It had been ages since I’d eaten a bento made by someone other than my parents.
But this was beyond delicious—it was practically cheating. If it was this good in a bento, I could only imagine the impact of eating it freshly made at home. Without any flattery, Kazunari’s eating habits must have been a literal heaven.
Satsukawa-senpai was more than just a surprise; she was someone who defied all standards. Despite her extraordinary looks, she was incredibly domestic, and her cooking was professional-grade. She was devoted to a fault, dedicating herself to Kazunari in a way that seemed almost impossible.
And she never gave any man besides Kazunari a second glance. She showed no interest, refused to put on a friendly face for them, and never spoke more than was strictly necessary. Her thoroughness was almost refreshing.
There was no way a woman who embodied such a miraculous collection of ideals wouldn't cause a stir. However, the outsiders currently making a fuss weren't doing so because they understood Satsukawa-senpai's unique inner self. They just clung to an image of an ideal they’d created for themselves based on her appearance.
I wasn't boasting, but I understood that feeling well because I shared similar aspects. The worst were the people who showed a one-sided interest in me despite having absolutely no connection to me. Those people almost certainly tried to define my character based solely on my looks.
That was why people said all sorts of things behind my back. "Flashy Guy," "Womanizer"—I was used to the labels, but I could swear I had never actually seduced a woman. To begin with, I never even participated in the mixers I was invited to because I wanted to; in fact, I hadn't attended a single one since meeting Kazunari.
Despite that, I knew the other boys called me those names out of jealousy. It was truly troublesome when women took those labels seriously and approached me looking for a fling, or when others avoided me for the same reason.
To be honest, I wanted everyone in the Fan Club—though I hated calling them that—to stop making such a scene. I was grateful for the support, so I couldn't just brush them off coldly, but...
From my perspective, Satsukawa-senpai, who could so thoroughly exclude everyone but Kazunari, was truly amazing. I genuinely felt that way. The fact that her behavior was still accepted by those around her was surely a testament to her own effort and talent. That was why she possessed that sense of aloofness.
I could never be like that.
But even for someone like me, I had found friends I could call my own from the bottom of my heart—not just superficial acquaintances. I had found a best friend. I had found companions to whom I could show my true self, who truly understood me.
And finally, someone I could say I loved from the bottom of my heart had appeared.
There was a time when I had convinced myself I liked Natsumi-senpai, but I could now see that was a misunderstanding. I truly felt that my current feelings for Todo-san were of a completely different nature than what I’d felt back then.
If I closed my eyes, Todo-san's innocent, carefree smile from that day floated vividly into my mind. I knew that back then, she didn't see me as a man as much as a friend—or perhaps she was just soothing me like a child. Her smile and tone suggested as much.
But that smile, filled with kindness and manifesting Todo-san's purity of heart, had captured my heart and wouldn't let go. Pure heart, innocence—those words fit her perfectly. My previous romantic interests didn't even compare; she was the first woman I thought was truly lovely and dear from the bottom of my heart. That was Marina Todo-san.
At first, because of the Kazunari connection, I saw her as just another friend. But in an instant, I had received the greatest shock of my life and fallen for her. I fell in love. It was the first time I’d ever experienced such intense feelings for a woman.
Precisely because she was Todo-san, however, I found it hard to make a move. Because she was so innocent and pure, she was extremely oblivious to any affection from men. I suppose it was the weakness of being in love that made me find even that trait adorable. In that sense, I probably couldn't judge Kazunari.
Because of her obliviousness, I didn't know the right pace for my approach. Perhaps I was also held back by my own lack of experience with feelings this strong. The fact that Todo-san didn't consciously see me as a man was the greatest wall of all.
Therefore, I believed I should start with improving that recognition. Haste makes waste. The one who panics, loses. Always keep the match calm—that was my motto in tennis.
If I suddenly showed my hand to Todo-san while she wasn't conscious of me at all, something unexpected might happen. If that resulted in her avoiding or hating me, it would be a total failure. I hoped that by being together, she would gradually start to see me as a member of the opposite sex.
I wanted her to feel favorably toward me. And if she became conscious of the man I was... that would be the time for my next move.
But I could tell that she still saw me as nothing more than a close male friend. I was in the same position as Kazunari. Perhaps it was time to consider a change in policy. Risks, ideals—I might have been overthinking things and becoming a coward.
I needed to take the plunge and follow Kazunari's courage. Now that I was in a similar position, I truly realized how incredible he was.
I respect you from the bottom of my heart, my best friend.
"Kazunari-san, let's wipe around your mouth. Please look this way."
"Y-Yes."
"H-Hey... Sara? Takanashi-san isn't a child, you don't have to go that far... right, Takanashi-san?"
"Eh!? No, well..."
I felt bad for Nishikawa-san, but I didn't mind Sara-san doing this for me at all. If anything, I was happy to let her.
"Kazunari-san, it's a 'no' if you look away, okay?"
"I-I'm sorr—wup."
Sara-san herself completely ignored the exasperated Nishikawa-san. Almost half-forcing it, she pressed a soft handkerchief against my lips and wiped gently and thoroughly.
"Fufu... you mustn't move, okay?"
"Y-Yeth."
Though I thought it was surely clean by now, Sara-san didn't seem inclined to stop. Seeing her smile as she happily wiped my mouth, I figured I should just let her do it until she was satisfied. I found myself thinking the same thing every time.
But it couldn't be helped. I loved Sara-san, after all.
"I-I've been staying quiet but... you've been flirting and flirting and flirting and flirting for a while now! Really... is this some kind of spite directed at me? It's spite, isn't it? Right?"
"H-Hey, Natsumi? Nishikawa-san is... how should I put it... dark..."
"Hmm? Business as usual."
"Eh!? I-I see... So that's how it is after all..."
"By the way, what have the Handsome Guy and Marina been doing for a while now?"
"!?"
"Fueh!?"
Suddenly put on the spot by Hanako-san, Hayato and the others let out surprised cries. Curious, I turned my gaze toward them. Both looked strangely flustered—especially Todo-san, who was fussing nervously with her bag.
What was going on? They had seemed normal when lunch started.
"No... well."
"N-No, it's nothing, really!"
"If you want to say lines like that, do it so those around you don't notice."
"S-Sorry..."
"Ugh, I'm sorry..."
It was a bit harsh, but Hanako-san's point was sound. The two of them hung their heads dejectedly and bowed toward us. The movement was strangely synchronized, which was a little charming. But if they were being this mysterious, I was curious too.
"By the way, Marina, if the bento for the Handsome Guy is in that bag, you should just take it out."
"W-Why!?"
"You've been worrying about that bag for a while, and I can't imagine Marina would break a promise. If that's the case, there's only one possibility."
"Auuu."
I see, so that was why Todo-san was fussing with her bag. As usual, Hanako-san was sharp—and just as merciless. In many ways, she was very much herself.
Of course, I remembered talking about bentos the other day. But Todo-san had already put her own bento on the table, so I hadn't been particularly concerned. It turned out she had actually brought a Hayato-exclusive bento.
"Todo-san..."
"Y-Yes!?"
"Did you make a bento for me?"
"...Yeah."
"I-I see... I see."
Hayato showed a smile more joyful than I had ever seen on him. He just looked purely happy. I understood that feeling well. I always felt happy and fortunate that Sara-san cooked for me. The joy of having the person you love cook for you was a happiness that couldn't be put into words.
"E-Eh!? M-Marina, you made a bento for Yokokawa-kun!?"
"Y-Yeah."
"W-Why...?"
Tachikawa-san looked at Todo-san in confusion. Since the two had been friends for a long time, she likely had more thoughts on it than we did—oh, that's right, Tachikawa-san didn't know about Hayato and Todo-san yet.
"Kazunari and the Handsome Guy can't cook. But since his wife and I make Kazunari's bento, that's not a problem, which just leaves the Handsome Guy. So the conversation turned to Marina making it for him."
"I-I see? But weren't we all supposed to bring our own bentos..."
"That's that, and this is this."
"A-Ah, okay."
Tachikawa-san tilted her head with a delicate expression, seemingly convinced but still a bit puzzled. Regardless, I focused on the two of them.
"B-But, my clumsy bento is... compared to Satsukawa-senpai and Nishikawa-san's bentos..."
"That is incorrect."
Sara-san, who hadn't cut in until now, spoke with a voice so sharp it surprised even me. I reflexively checked her expression, but she didn't seem as severe as her voice sounded; her face actually looked quite soft.
"When Yokokawa-san himself is saying he wants to eat your bento, there is no meaning at all in comparing it to mine or Eri's. It is unavoidable to worry about the quality, but in cooking, there exists an element called 'feelings'—something that compensates for and transcends both technique and flavor."
"S-Satsukawa-senpai..."
"So it is fine. If it is a bento you made while thinking of Yokokawa-san, then for him, it will surpass all else. Do not hesitate; hand it to him with pride."
Because those were the words of Sara-san, who was obsessed with culinary perfection, they carried immense weight. Besides, I knew she was right from my own experience.
The main reason I felt Sara-san's food was the supreme best was, of course, because it was perfectly to my taste. But fundamentally, it was because of her clear and strong "feelings"—the fact that she truly made it with me in mind. I felt that intent clearly. And that made me happier than anything else.
That was why I was certain that no matter the restaurant or the chef, they could never beat Sara-san's food. And I knew it was the same for Hayato.
"Todo-san, I want to eat the bento you made for me."
"Yokokawa-kun..."
"It's okay. I promise I'll never compare it to anything else."
"...Yeah... I understand."
Pushed by Sara-san's words and Hayato's final blow, Todo-san nodded adorably, her cheeks slightly flushed. I surely wasn't the only one who felt like Hayato's line sounded a bit like a proposal. Also, Todo-san's reaction... was that perhaps...?
Side Natsumi
It looked like those two had reached a conclusion. Honestly... they were so fresh. Todo-san was obviously a straightforward, quiet girl. And Yokokawa-kun seemed surprisingly inexperienced in that area too; he wasn't the type who could easily attack with momentum.
He was a world apart from a certain mean, stubborn person who knew everything but tried to make me say it first... wait, no, it was nothing.
But had Todo-san's expression changed just a little? I couldn't tell yet, but could it be...?
Well, right now, I didn't have the luxury of worrying about other people. Sara had been blatantly throwing glances my way for a while now. I knew exactly why.
Hanako-san had made her move on Takanashi-kun right at the start. Todo-san had finally managed to hand over the bento. Naturally, that left only me.
In the first place, I was the one who sowed the seeds for this bento talk. Because I’d made an unnecessary jab at Sara, things had become this complicated. Saying that made it sound like I was at fault, even though I was a victim too.
For the time being, I supposed this had led to a result that Hanako-san, Yokokawa-kun, and probably Todo-san were happy with. But for me, since I could easily read what would happen next, I couldn't exactly celebrate.
Sara had been prodding me with her gaze, as if to say, "Hurry up. Your junior found her courage, so surely a senior wouldn't do something as pathetic as running away, right?"
I knew that even without being told. I had made a bento for Yuji, too. All I had to do was take it out and things would be settled. It should have been simple, but...
What Sara really wanted to say was one step above that. She wanted me to report the truth about Yuji to Eririn, Tachikawa-san, and Daichi.
I thought Tachikawa-san would be fine. She'd be surprised, but I was sure she'd say "Congratulations." But Eririn and Daichi... especially Eririn. She'd been emotionally unstable quite often lately.
I’d heard a bit about Eririn's situation. Forget about a good match, she hadn't even had a satisfactory encounter; she'd even been forced into an arranged marriage. And the man who had approached her most was actually the "King of Scumbags," a complicit criminal.
Meanwhile, Sara, the former man-hater, unexpectedly got a lover and was always flirting in front of her—and then she went and got engaged. I saw Eririn as being caught between a peaceful heart that wanted to congratulate Sara and a violent rage that she itself wasn't being rewarded.
If I reported that I'd hooked up with Yuji on top of that, naturally... you know?
No. It was cowardly to blame it on Eririn. Deep down, I just thought it was embarrassing to make it public myself. Plus, I felt shy about reporting it to Daichi, whom I'd known since we were small.
Yuji had been slowing his pace of eating, waiting for my decision. If I kept running away, Sara would eventually block my path of escape. And more than anything, I hated keeping something important from my best friend.
It was time to steel my resolve, Natsumi!
When Todo-san rummaged through her bag, out popped a bento box wrapped in a cute chick-patterned bag. Todo-san kept her face flushed as she placed it in front of Hayato and looked down in embarrassment.
"...Can I open it?"
"...Yeah..."
After Todo-san's small nod, Hayato slowly untied the knot. Although the box was so cute it could be mistaken for a child's, I was in a similar situation, so I didn't mind. Cuteness is justice—that is an unchanging truth of the world.
When Hayato opened the box with a complex expression mixed with joy and tension, I could see it was about half rice and half side dishes.
"Um... it doesn't look very good, but I did taste it, so I think... it's okay. B-But if it's not to your taste, you don't have to eat it."
"No, I'll eat it all. There's absolutely no way it won't be to my taste."
"Eh... U-Um. Thanks..."
"I'm the one who should be saying thank you. Well then, I'll have some right away."
"H-Help yourself!"
The sight of the two of them was so fresh that it made even me feel embarrassed just watching. It made me curious about how Sara-san and I looked to others in the beginning.
Back then, I was just happy to be with Sara-san. She was always kind, always led the way, and let me act like a spoiled child.
Wait. Has much actually changed even now?
Even so, watching those two reminded me of those early feelings, filling me with a bittersweet emotion.
"Sara-san."
"Kazunari-san, here you go?"
I had only called her name, but Sara-san acted as if she understood everything. She softly stood up from her seat and, with a gentle smile, spread her arms to welcome me.
I naturally leaned into her.
"Fufu... you really are an affection-seeker."
When I clung to her, Sara-san immediately held me tight. She moved one hand to the back of my head and, as usual, guided my face toward her chest. The softness, the kindness, and the security of being enveloped by her spread through my heart.
"H-Hey, Hanako-san. Why did those two suddenly..."
"They were probably triggered by seeing Marina and the Handsome Guy. Most likely, they remembered the start of their own relationship and felt like touching each other."
"I-I see, as expected of Hanako-san to understand that much. But Takanashi-kun... he does what needs to be done, but he's quite a spoiled child, isn't he?"
"That's what's cute about him. Honestly, I want to hug him like that too."
"A-Ah, I see..."
"I'm sorry, Sara-san..."
"No... honestly, I felt the same way. If Kazunari-san hadn't called for me, I would have done this myself."
Whether those were Sara-san's true feelings or she was just being considerate, I didn't know. But her kindness was transmitted to my whole body. It truly came across that she accepted me from the bottom of her heart.
"Watching those two reminds me of the time when I started taking care of Kazunari-san."
"Not from the start of our relationship?"
"Yes. At the time, Natsumi said quite a lot to me... but thinking about it now, my actions back then certainly exceeded the boundaries of a friend. Especially after I started taking care of Kazunari-san at his house, what I was doing was almost no different from what I do now."
"Certainly. Actually, I was thinking something similar. So practically speaking, we had already become lovers back then?"
I had often thought our actions exceeded the boundaries of friends back then, too. So perhaps the start of our relationship really was when Sara-san started coming to my house.
"Yes. However..."
Sara-san cut her words off and hugged my head tightly with both hands. Since I was still sitting, she leaned her body in as if covering me from slightly above.
"My feelings are different from back then. The way I value Kazunari-san has a different meaning now. Now, I have come to truly think of you as so very dear... I want to hold you like this all the time and have you depend on me from the bottom of my heart. I can say I love you with pride now."
Sara-san skillfully moved the hand she had around my head and gently stroked the side of it. I was happy, so I clung to her more firmly; Sara-san let out a happy-sounding voice.
"H-Hey, Hanako-san, the atmosphere between those two is starting to get suspicious..."
"I'll stop them soon before they run wild."
"R-Run wild? What more are they going to do!?"
"I can't say it with a maiden's mouth."
"Ehhhh!?"
"N-Nishikawa-san, are you okay?"
"............"
"N-Natsumi?"
"Hmm... the timing... when..."
"T-This is a problem..."
"Wife, that's enough. Are you intending not to let Kazunari eat his meal?"
Just as my head was swimming with Sara-san's skinship, Hanako-san's exasperated interjection cut in. Sara-san's body trembled for an instant, and she softly loosened her arms.
"I-I am terribly sorry, Kazunari-san. I just..."
"N-No, I also got carried away acting like a spoiled child..."
I felt a lingering regret, but I had to separate from her. But the expression I caught on Sara-san's face—her usual gentle smile, but with a touch of sadness—made my heart hammer again.
Really, Sara-san was...
"Y-Y-Yuji!!"
At that perfect timing, Natsumi-senpai suddenly raised a voice that sounded like she was at her wit's end.