Eating lunch together with your girlfriend. I’m sure every guy has fantasized about it at least once. I don’t think there’s any difference between introverts and extroverts when it comes to that.
Well… I can’t say if it’s absolutely everyone though.
At the very least, even an introvert like me has imagined it before. Fantasizing is free, after all.
It usually goes something like this.
My girlfriend and I go up to the rooftop where it’s just the two of us. Looking a little embarrassed, she says she might have messed it up as a sort of preemptive excuse, then slowly opens her lunchbox.
But despite what she said, the contents are actually a perfectly cooked, delicious-looking bento. I eat it and tell her it’s tasty. She smiles happily, and we spend a peaceful lunch break chatting together.
Just a normal fantasy like that.
I never imagined it would actually happen to me. I always thought fantasies would stay fantasies.
And yet the person involved is Nanami-san.
She was supposed to have confessed to me as part of a punishment game, but after meeting up this morning she walked to school holding my hand—and now she even made me a bento for lunch.
She’s way too serious about this punishment game.
Or… could it possibly mean she actually likes me at least a little?
…No, I shouldn’t get carried away. I haven’t done anything yet that would make her like me that much. I haven’t taken any actions to make her fall head over heels for me.
I should keep it firmly in mind that this is simply her way of pursuing her “ideal girlfriend image.”
If I don’t think of it that way… I won’t be able to endure this.
Mainly all the stares around us.
Right now, during lunch break, the two of us are on the rooftop. At our high school, the rooftop is open, so it’s not unusual for people to eat lunch here.
But today… there are a lot of people.
“The rooftop feels nice when the weather’s good. Oh, that bench over there is empty. Let’s eat there. Come on, Youshin.”
“Yeah, Nanami-san.”
The reason there are so many people is obvious. They gathered here to watch Nanami-san and me eat lunch together. Because of that, even though the rooftop is crowded, there’s a strangely empty space around us.
Everyone has gathered in a circle around us just to watch from a distance.
It’s like the donut phenomenon we learned about in class.
By the way, Otofuke-san and Kamoenai-san aren’t here.
They said they were going to have lunch with their boyfriends for the first time in a while and left earlier. Apparently, both of them secretly go off campus.
Up until yesterday, Nanami-san had been spending lunch with those two.
It was probably their way of protecting Nanami-san, since she wasn’t used to dealing with boys.
And now that role has been passed on to me. The fact that they aren’t here probably means exactly that. I can’t help but feel the pressure of being entrusted with such an important responsibility.
But even more than that, the sheer number of stares is brutal.
The curious looks from the girls are still manageable. They’re uncomfortable, but harmless—and their interest seems to be directed more at Nanami-san than at me. As in, why she chose me.
The real problem is the boys’ stares.
Hatred, resentment, jealousy, regret, anger… all kinds of emotions are directed at me.
They probably won’t actually attack me because Nanami-san is here, but it feels like they might at any moment.
There are expressions like “killing someone with hatred” or “killing someone with a stare.”
After experiencing these stares, I feel like saying this.
I’m going to be killed by hatred.
I’m going to be killed by their stares.
My stomach feels like it’s about to get a hole burned through it.
I want to shout that Nanami-san is only doing this because of a punishment game, so they shouldn’t worry—but I can’t do that. So all I can do is endure it.
“Youshin, what’s wrong? Come on, hurry up.”
Ignoring my inner struggle, Nanami-san was already sitting on the bench. She patted the seat next to her, inviting me to sit.
I did as she asked and sat beside her. In her hands were two small lunchboxes, and she handed one of them to me.
“…Was this the thing you woke up early to do today?”
“…Yeah… it was.”
Her cheeks were slightly red as she answered shyly.
A bento she woke up early to make… for me.
Yeah… somehow I feel like I can endure all those stares now. I guess I’m pretty simple-minded.
“I actually wanted to surprise you at lunch, but Hatsumi pointed out this morning that it would be awkward if you had brought your own bento. I’m glad you didn’t.”
“I never imagined Nanami-san would make me a bento either. I’m really happy.”
My parents usually give me money for lunch, so I normally buy bread or eat at the cafeteria…
But today’s lunch money ended up completely unused.
Well, even if I had brought my own lunch, I definitely would’ve eaten this one too.
I’m not a big eater, but I could handle that much easily.
No—actually, even if I had to force it down, I would’ve eaten it. Even I understand how important this bento is.
“Hey, instead of spacing out, could you open it already?”
“Ah—sorry. Right. Let’s see… thanks for the food.”
I slowly opened the lunchbox she gave me.
And there was no clumsy development where Nanami-san was actually bad at cooking and I had to struggle to finish it.
The bento looked perfectly normal… no, actually it looked really delicious.
“Wow…”
The first homemade bento I’d ever received from a girl looked so beautiful it was almost dazzling to me.
There were three small, adorable rice balls. Some were wrapped in seaweed, others sprinkled with furikake, making them colorful despite being rice balls.
The tamagoyaki was a perfect golden yellow without any burn marks, shining like gold.
There were also four pieces of fried chicken, neatly arranged with lettuce and cherry tomatoes for bright color.
I carefully set the opened lunchbox down on the bench.
Nanami-san tilted her head at my actions, but I ignored it, took out my phone, and started taking pictures of the bento.
Many pictures. From many angles.
“Hey! What are you doing?!”
“This is a work of art. It would be a waste to eat it before properly recording it.”
Ignoring Nanami-san’s confusion, I took over a dozen photos before finally feeling satisfied.
Then I put my hands together toward the bento—and Nanami-san.
“Thanks for the meal.”
“…Go ahead.”
Nanami-san replied while blushing slightly. For some reason, that made me really happy.
The rice balls were gently shaped from firm rice, and the grains seemed to melt in my mouth.
The tamagoyaki wasn’t too firm or too soft, and the slightly sweet flavor suited my taste perfectly.
The fried chicken still had a crispy coating even though it had cooled down, and the rich seasoning made it impossible to stop eating.
In short… everything was delicious.
I was eating enthusiastically, but then realized I should probably say something thoughtful. So I picked up the second rice ball.
“The rice balls are small and cute. They’re perfectly round too.”
“Thanks. My hands are this small, you see, so they always end up that size.”
Nanami-san waved both her hands in front of me.
At that moment, I suddenly became very aware that those slender fingers had shaped these rice balls.
…Thinking about it is dangerous. Really dangerous.
I can’t even explain why—it’s just dangerous!
My brain short-circuited from the confusion, but I continued eating the bento she made.
Maybe because I was eating so eagerly, or because the lunchbox was small… but I finished it in no time.
“Thank you for the meal. It was delicious.”
“I’m glad you liked it.”
Nanami-san was still eating her own, and I suddenly wondered if I had finished too quickly.
“Nanami-san, you’re really good at cooking.”
“Making bento is my job, you know. Today I secretly made one extra and brought it.”
Maybe both her parents work too, and she helps out at home by making lunches.
Just as I was thinking that…
Grrr…
My stomach growled.
Quiet, but loud enough for Nanami-san to hear.
My face turned red.
Nanami-san’s face turned slightly pale.
“S-sorry!! Of course—you’re a boy! My spare lunchbox wasn’t enough, was it?!”
She hurriedly apologized.
My stupid stomach!
Why couldn’t you hold out a little longer?! At least wait until we weren’t together anymore!
To be honest… even though I’m not a big eater, that amount had been a little unsatisfying.
I had planned to buy some bread afterward… but thanks to my weak-willed stomach, I ended up embarrassing her.
“Sorry… I still have some left. Here—have some fried chicken.”
While I was scolding my stomach internally, Nanami-san picked up a piece of fried chicken with her chopsticks and held it out toward me.
Huh?
What’s going on?
This was the classic “Say ahh” situation. I’d seen it plenty of times in manga.
Nanami-san seemed to realize it too, because her face turned bright red.
But she didn’t pull her chopsticks back.
The sounds around us seemed to disappear.
It felt like everyone was holding their breath, watching us.
Trembling slightly, I leaned forward and took the fried chicken she offered.
…I couldn’t taste anything because I was too nervous.
But I’m sure it was even more delicious than before.
My stomach… you actually did a good job.
My hands were spinning like drills from nervousness, but it didn’t matter.
You did good.
Nanami-san slowly pulled back her chopsticks and continued eating the rest of her lunch quietly.
“I… I often… do this… with Hatsumi and the others… feeding each other like this…”
“I-I see… r-really…”
For a while after that, we couldn’t hold a proper conversation.
We only started talking normally again after the redness faded from our faces.
During that conversation, I honestly told her that the portion had been a little small. I was satisfied in many ways now, but I still felt like eating a little more.
“Then how about today after school, we go buy a bento box for you, Youshin?”
Her unexpected suggestion made my mind freeze.
“…Can I interpret that as you making one for me again tomorrow?”
“That was the plan… but would that bother you?”
“Not at all. I would be deeply honored.”
My words came out strangely formal because I was so happy and flustered.
Nanami-san simply murmured, “That’s good,” and clasped her hands in front of her chest.
God… if I died right now, I’d have no regrets. This must be the peak of my life!
Those people sending murderous stares at me might kill me later, but I don’t care.
There’s no way I’ll ever experience greater happiness than this.
Just as I was thinking that, Nanami-san tilted her head slightly. With her cheeks faintly red and a shy smile, she whispered softly.
“It’ll be an after-school date.”
…God.
Please allow me to retract my previous statement.
I will absolutely survive!
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