"Go ahead, dig in! ♪"
"O-Oh...!"
It was lunch break. Sitting on our usual bench behind the school building, I let out a low whistle of admiration at the bento box resting on my lap.
She’d boasted that she had pulled out all the stops for this masterpiece, and she wasn't kidding. It was magnificent.
"This is... incredible..."
The stainless steel lunchbox was rugged and showed its age; it likely belonged to her father.
As I carefully pried off the lid, the first things to greet me were the vibrant side dishes. There was golden, crispy fried chicken, bite-sized hamburgers topped with dabs of ketchup, and potato salad tucked into a corner alongside broccoli and cherry tomatoes. The colors were so vivid that just looking at it was a treat.
In one compartment, slices of fluffy rolled omelet sat in a neat row. I could almost smell the faint, sweet scent of dashi drifting from them.
But what really caught my eye was the dish claiming a solid quarter of the box—the meaty kinpira gobo I had requested.
The finely shredded burdock and carrots were thoroughly sautéed and mixed with a generous helping of pork. A light dusting of white sesame seeds provided a soft accent to the deep brown glaze. More than anything, the aroma was what got to me. The sweet and salty scent of soy sauce and mirin, bolstered by the rich depth of dashi, made my stomach growl with a vengeance.
It didn’t just look delicious; I knew for a fact it was going to be amazing.
"Thanks for the food," I muttered, pressing my hands together.
I meant it. Out of all the times I’d said those words before a meal, I don’t think I’d ever felt more sincere gratitude.
My chopsticks trembled slightly as I aimed them at the kinpira gobo first. I picked up a mouthful and ate it, as if trying to swallow my nerves along with the food.
"...So good."
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
A nostalgic, sweet-salty flavor exploded in my mouth, followed by the earthy fragrance of the burdock. With every chew, the juices seeped out, and the abundance of pork elevated the dish, creating a synergetic burst of umami.
I took a moment to appreciate the crunchy texture before finally swallowing. A deep sense of satisfaction filled me, yet as soon as the food was gone, I felt a strange sense of loss.
Driven by a sudden urge, I took another bite, then immediately followed it with a mouthful of white rice. The savory glaze of the kinpira combined with the gentle sweetness of the rice, evolving into an even richer, fuller flavor.
So this is what they mean by mixing flavors in the mouth, I thought, finally understanding the concept. I kept going, taking bite after bite.
Before I knew it, only a third of the kinpira remained, and more than half the rice was gone. Seeing me look aghast at how fast I was vacuuming up the food, Akise-san giggled.
"I’m glad I made it if you’re going to be that into it. Do you like it?"
"It’s the best. Honestly, it’s so good I can’t stop...!"
"Hehe, I’m happy to hear that. Just don't choke, okay?"
I felt like my entire vocabulary had been wiped out by the flavor. As I continued to shovel the food down, Akise-san laughed and started on her own lunch.
"This fried chicken is great too," I noted. "It’s still soft and juicy, even though it’s cold."
"That’s because I made it fresh this morning!"
"You made fried food in the morning? Wasn't that a lot of work?"
"Hehehe. Actually, you can make fried chicken in a toaster oven without using a deep fryer."
"Is that so...? That’s impressive."
Akise-san puffed out her chest with a smug, proud look. I couldn't help but feel pure admiration.
After finishing the chicken, I moved on to the rolled omelet. Chopped green onions were scattered through the beautiful yellow center, adding a lovely pop of color. It was thick and fluffy. When I bit into it, I first tasted the gentle sweetness of the egg, followed by the refreshing kick of the onions. The omelet leaned toward the sweet side, but the onions provided the perfect accent to keep it from being one-dimensional.
"I went with a sweeter seasoning for the omelet. Is it okay?"
"It’s amazing. I thought I didn't have a preference between sweet or salty, but... after tasting this, I don't think I can go back. The onions keep it from being too sweet. It’s perfect."
"You’re over-praising me! But I'm relieved. Putting onions in was my mom's idea. She thought boys might find plain sweet eggs a bit much."
"......Oh."
My chopsticks stopped mid-air.
Mom. Her mother. If she’d asked her mother for advice on what a boy would like... that meant her mother knew she was making a bento for me.
It wasn't a bad thing, necessarily. It just made me feel a bit restless.
To hide my awkwardness, I went back to eating with a singular focus. Before I knew it, the box was empty. Looking at the clean stainless steel gave me a sudden pang of regret. I should have savored it more.
I put my hands together again, feeling the weight of the meal.
"That was a great meal. Seriously, it was incredible."
"I’m glad you liked it! ♪ I borrowed the biggest lunchbox we have—the one my dad used to use—but you finished it in no time. Boys really can eat, huh?"
"Well, even for a member of the Go-home Club, I’m still a growing high school guy. I’ll wash the box and get it back to you."
"Eh? But... well, alright."
Akise-san looked like she wanted to protest, but I wasn't going to budge on that. Since it was Friday, I wouldn't be able to return it until next week... but wait, we had the Study Group tomorrow. I could just give it back then.
Akise-san smiled, looking genuinely pleased. "I was confident in my cooking, but having someone else enjoy it like that really boosts my ego. I went with chicken and hamburgers today, but do you have other favorites?"
"I don't know... I'm a fan of pretty much any meat. Teriyaki, chicken katsu, that kind of thing."
"Got it... maybe I'll try teriyaki chicken next time. And chicken katsu after that. I’ll have to plan out a rotation."
As I watched her mumble to herself in serious thought, I did a double-take.
Next time? What did she mean, "next time"?
"Um, Akise-san? What do you mean by 'next time'?"
She looked at me blankly. "What do you mean? For the next bento. You just gave me requests, so it's okay for me to bring more, right?"
"No, no, no, no!"
I shook my head frantically. This was supposed to be a one-time "thank you" for keeping her secret, but in her head, this had already turned into a long-running series.
"I only said those because I thought you were asking what I liked in general! It wasn't a request for more!"
"Really? Well, consider it a request now!"
"That’s not the point! I thought the bento was a one-time thing as a reward. This is going too far!"
"Ehhh?" Akise-san pouted. "But you just said it was delicious. Is it really that bad?"
"It’s not that it's 'bad'... there’s just no reason for it. You and I are just... just..."
Just what?
"............Friends? If that’s okay with you?"
"Why do you sound so unsure? I’ve thought of us as friends for a while now."
"Oh... good."
That was a relief. If she’d told me we weren't even friends, I would have had a total crisis of faith in humanity.
As I let out a breath, Akise-san gave me a mischievous little grin.
"Though, I don't usually make bento for 'just' friends. ♪"
"......"
I didn't have the guts to ask her what she meant by that. I felt like I was walking into a minefield, so I cleared my throat to change the subject.
"Regardless! It’s weird for a regular friend to make someone lunch over and over. It looks like... like we’re—"
I bit back the word just as it was about to escape.
Akise-san stared at me, her eyes so clear I felt like she was reading my mind. Then, she finished the sentence for me, and my whole body locked up.
"Like... we're lovers?"
"......!"
Her cheeks were dusted with a faint pink as she said it.
My heart gave a massive thud against my ribs. Her gaze was too earnest, too steady for me to laugh it off as a joke.
"...J-Just kidding?"
She suddenly looked away.
I couldn't tell if she was actually joking or just covering up her own embarrassment.
"Anyway! I'm just doing this because I... I want to. I like cooking for people. In fact, I'm kind of asking you to let me do it."
"......Then at least let me pay for the ingredients and your time. And it’s a lot of work, so let's stick to once a week."
At this point, saying no felt like it would be more rude than accepting. I knew my sense of social distance was being warped, but the offer was too good to pass up.
So, I offered a compromise. I wasn't shameless enough to accept meals like this for free.
"I don't need your money... but fine. I'll take it, so stop making that face."
Apparently, I looked pretty grim. But that was my line in the sand, and I was glad she agreed to it. She wasn't as flexible on the frequency, though.
"I’d be happy with every day, but... how about three times a week?"
"Have mercy, I'd die of guilt. Twice."
"Fine, fine. We have a deal."
She sighed as if she were the one doing me a favor. Wait, isn't this normally the other way around?
Despite my confusion, I could feel a bubble of excitement in my chest. That lunch had been phenomenal. If I got to eat like that every week, I’d be willing to pay five figures for it. I didn't know how long it would last, but I suddenly had something major to look forward to.
"Next week is the Midterm Exam, so let's start the week after that."
"Good point. We have to keep our priorities straight."
She nodded seriously. Despite how much my impression of her had shifted lately, she was still the school's model student.
Once we both finished eating, the preparatory bell rang. We stood up and started walking back to the classroom together, but my mind was stuck on the conversation we'd just had.
'Like... we’re lovers?'
"......"
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Nothing... I think I was just about to yawn."
I desperately swallowed the sound that wanted to come out, unsure of what emotion was even driving it. Akise-san looked up at me and gave me a bright, innocent smile.
"Let’s work hard and stay awake for the afternoon classes!"
"...Yeah."
The faint, warm thrum in my chest refused to go away.