After our morning lectures wrapped up, Arisa and I met with Iris, who had been attending a different class. We headed to the university cafeteria for lunch, but the place was even more packed than we had expected. We stopped dead in our tracks at the entrance.
"It’s unusually crowded today. Maybe because it’s the first day back after the long weekend?"
"We definitely missed the rush," Arisa noted. "It doesn’t look like we’ll find a decent seat. What should we do? None of us have afternoon classes today, so why don't we just head off-campus to eat?"
"Hmm, I’m fine with that. Iris, did you bring a lunch box today?"
"...No," she replied softly. "I didn't... bring one... today."
Arisa and I usually relied on the cafeteria, but since Iris occasionally made her own lunch, I figured I should ask. It seemed today wasn't one of those days. If that was the case, going out as Arisa suggested sounded like a plan.
"Alright, let’s go out. Any ideas where?"
"I've got it!" Arisa chirped. "Since I am a sophisticated, mature, and Transcendent Beautiful Girl... we're going for hamburgers!"
"Iris, where would you like to go?" I asked, turning to her.
"Hey, I'm being ignored!?"
To be honest, Arisa would eat just about anything, so I decided to prioritize Iris's preference.
"...I... haven't had... many hamburgers," Iris admitted. "So... I’d like to try them."
"Is that so? Then how about the burger shop in front of the station?"
"...Okay."
"What’s with this blatant favoritism?" Arisa grumbled. "It’s completely unfair."
She continued to mutter under her breath, but I just ignored her as we left the cafeteria and made our way toward the station. As we walked, a thought suddenly struck me.
"Should we... invite Fey as well?"
"Oh, right. Arisa, is Fey-san on campus today?"
"She should be, but she's probably sleeping in the library or something again, don't you think?"
Fey Murakumo was one of the members of our close-knit circle of friends. Based on her name, one might assume she was from China or somewhere similar, but she was born and raised in Japan through and through. Technically, she was a quarter-blood, though I had never really asked about the details.
She was Arisa's childhood friend and best friend, and I had known her since high school. She was incredibly brilliant, especially when it came to anything involving computers, but she was also hopelessly lazy and skipped class constantly. Still, she had managed to get into university without breaking a sweat, so she was definitely impressive in her own way.
"If we go looking for Fey-san, the sun might actually set before we find her," Arisa sighed. "Let's just go by ourselves."
"Yeah, you're probably right."
Fey-san wasn't the kind of person you could find just because you went looking. Arisa, having known her for so long, could track her down with a decent success rate, but even then it wasn't a guarantee. We decided to skip the search and headed to the burger shop as a trio.
We placed our orders at a popular chain near the station, collected our food, and settled into a four-person booth. I was a cheeseburger person, while Arisa preferred the teriyaki burger. Since Iris didn't have much experience with fast food, she had opted for a standard, orthodox hamburger.
"I've been meaning to ask, Iris—is there a specific schedule for when you bring a lunch box? The days seem pretty random."
"...Yeah. I make it... at the same time... as my father’s," Iris explained. "So on the days... he's off work... I don't bring one."
"Oh, I see. What does your father do, anyway?"
"He's the president of a trading company," Arisa answered for her.
"Huh, I guess that explains the irregular hours. Wait, Arisa, why are you the one answering?"
I looked at Arisa with exasperation for jumping in before Iris could, but the idle chatter continued as we ate.
"Still, I envy the lunch box thing. My mother wasn't a good enough cook to handle making them, and I’m not exactly a chef myself. I've always admired the idea."
"...Is that so?" Iris looked at Arisa. "Then... why doesn't Arisa... make them for you?"
"Hah!? Wh-why on earth should I!?"
"...Because, Arisa... you're... a wonderful cook."
Iris was right. Arisa’s culinary skills were world-class. She hung out at my place quite often and had made me dinner several times; every single dish had been absolutely spectacular.
"Well, I mean, it's true that I'm a super Transcendent Beautiful Girl who can perfectly master everything from home-style cooking to three-star gourmet flavors," Arisa boasted, her face flushing slightly. "But that doesn't mean I should just... I mean, I guess, if Kaito-san absolutely insists... I could make them. For a fee, obviously..."
"Seriously!? You'd do that? I’d be incredibly grateful!"
"Wait, really? You're actually that excited about it? H-hold on, your face is too close! A girl needs to prepare herself mentally for this kind of thing..."
"But your food is honestly amazing. I’d happily pay whatever a cafeteria lunch costs for it."
"I-I see... Well, look, I’m not a professional or anything, so just covering the cost of ingredients is fine. Should I... starting tomorrow, then?"
"Yeah. Thank you, Arisa. I’m really looking forward to it."
"Geez... You get so aggressive all of a sudden, it's going to give me a heart attack."
"Hm? Did you say something?"
"It's nothing!!"
This was a happy turn of events I hadn't expected. I found myself genuinely excited for lunch tomorrow.
"...Arisa... your face... is bright red."
"Shut up! And stop smiling like that! Oh, that's it! This is what happens to mouths that say too much!"
"...Ah... wait... I don't like mustard—it’s spicy!?"
For some reason, Arisa had grabbed a nugget, smeared it with mustard, and shoved it into Iris’s mouth.
Serious-senpai: "Hey, I was just thinking..."
???: "About what?"
Serious-senpai: "The best friend in the inner circle who harbors romantic feelings but can't be honest about them... plus a mutual friend who supports her while hiding her own feelings... Isn't Arisa the obvious Main Heroine of this Academy Love Comedy?"
???: "Wait, you're right! What the heck... We'll have to serialize this Academy Series as a separate spin-off!"
Serious-senpai: "...By the way, he's still in the middle of a trial."