Unveiling 2
“What do you mean?”
Sōma made a puzzled face, and his best friend began to unwrap his lunchbox, saying,
“Everyone must have been confused by that explanation. But if they actually see what Sōma and Satomi-san are doing, the story will change dramatically.”
“So you mean they’ll feel sorry for me being bullied by Chika?”
“Are you talking in your sleep? I’m saying if they saw the sickly sweet stuff you two are up to, this classroom will turn into a scene of wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
Shōhei shivered as if he had actually imagined that hellish scene.
“We’re not being sweet on purpose. At least, I only feel like I’m being teased with.”
“Are you serious? If so, I’ll record you guys next time and show you.”
Shōhei, looking exasperated, stabbed his chopsticks into a piece of fried chicken.
“——Um, Sōma-san.”
Chika, who had been fussed over by the girls, approached with a solemn expression.
“I apologize for doing as I pleased without consulting you. I should have properly obtained your consent, but today’s homeroom seemed like a good opportunity, so it ended up being after the fact.”
She bowed deeply in apology.
“It’s fine. I’m not bothered by it. Eventually, everyone would have found out anyway, and it’s not like we’re doing anything bad. I think it was good to get it out in the open sooner rather than later.”
Sōma truly felt that way.
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Originally, he had thought it would be better not to hide their cooperative relationship.
Although he had hesitated to make it public due to Chika’s position as a beloved mascot and the potential for resentment or jealousy, in the end, it didn’t cause much of a stir, so it must have been the right decision.
As Sōma waved his hand dismissively, Chika showed a relieved smile and presented him with a lunchbox she had been hiding behind her back.
“So, you see, as a way of apologizing, though I’m not sure it’s quite that, I made a bento. Would you mind tasting it?”
“Is this part of the guardian job already?”
“I’ve been thinking about it for a while. I really wanted to get your opinion.”
“Alright then.”
He put the sandwich he was about to unwrap on the desk and took the lunchbox.
He had taste-tested her homemade lunch last month too. Back then, he had to sneakily accept the lunchbox and sneakily give his feedback, which frankly, was annoying.
Thanks to making their cooperative relationship public, such troubles were avoided.
It could be said that the benefits of opening up their cooperation were already apparent.
“Ichinose, the ‘Angel of Peace’s’ homemade bento huh? Isn’t that a bit unfair?”
The surrounding students started to make a fuss as they noticed Sōma receiving the bento from Chika.
“She has been tasting sweets for me, so it’s not strange for me to taste Chika’s cooking, right?”
“That makes sense, but… I see, I guess that’s what mutual cooperation is about, huh? Damn it, I’m jealous.”
To be honest, at that moment, Sōma felt a bit of superiority.
At school, Chika was a beloved character by everyone, regardless of gender.
Being the only one who could eat her homemade bento was special.
And basking in that special feeling while receiving envious looks wasn’t a bad sensation at all.
Feeling good, he opened the bento to find it packed with dishes like chili shrimp, bang bang chicken, shredded pork with green peppers, and mini spring rolls.
“The bento is really something today.”
“I tried going with a Chinese theme today. Remember, we talked about Chinese and Indian food the other day? I’ve wanted to make it since then.”
Chika pulled up an empty chair and sat down next to Sōma.
“Wow, this is amazing. It looks quite authentic.”
The guy sitting next to him peered into the lunchbox and expressed his envy, triggering a ripple of murmurs from a few others.
Sōma frowned slightly at the increasingly noisy surroundings but quickly regained his composure and was about to eat Chika’s homemade bento when he realized he couldn’t find any chopsticks.
“Huh? Where are the chopsticks?”
“Right here.”
Saying that, Chika cheerfully took out the chopsticks.
Instead of handing them over, she began to hold them herself.
“…I see what you’re doing.”
“That’s the intention.”
Though not entirely without resistance, if Chika wanted to do it, well, it couldn’t be helped.
“Sōma-san, which would you like to eat first?”
“Let’s start with the spring roll.”
“Okay, then please say ‘ahh’.”
She picked up a small spring roll with the chopsticks and brought it to Sōma’s mouth.
“Itadaki—”
“Wait a second!”
Just as Sōma was about to take the spring roll in his mouth, one of the boys surrounding them shouted out loud to stop.
“Why are you guys casually doing something so outrageous!?”
“She’s the one who wants to do it.”
While munching, Sōma pointed at Chika.
“Usually, she’s the one being fed, right? So, she wanted to try being the one to feed. And now, I’m the one being fed. It’s not like I asked her to do this, you know.”
“I see… No, wait what…?”
The boy tried to convince himself but couldn’t quite manage it and tilted his head in confusion.
“Don’t worry about it. It doesn’t mean anything deep. I’ve decided not to care about it anymore.”
“Is that really the issue here…?”
Having explained everything he could, he had no more energy to engage further and turned back to Chika.
“The spring roll is good. Though, since it’s a bento, the flavor could have been a bit stronger.”
“I did taste it, but I didn’t consider it as a bento side dish. That was a bit of a mistake.”
“People have different tastes, so some might like this seasoning, so it’s not that big of a deal.”
“No, at least, this bento was made for you, Sōma-san. Therefore, I think it should be seasoned to suit your taste. I’ll make something even more delicious next time.”
“Alright, I’m looking forward to it.”
As Sōma nodded, Chika smiled happily.