By the time Kanade emerged from the bathroom, Shiina Mahiru had seemingly regained her usual composed and elegant demeanor. However, the faint pink hue lingering on her cheeks betrayed her, making her look even more delicate and lovely.
"I'm ready. Shall we head to the cafeteria?" Kanade asked casually, adjusting his collar.
Mahiru hesitated, her fingers lightly brushing the hem of her uniform skirt. "But… we might run into other people on the way…"
She naturally felt a little uneasy. After all, she was still inside the boys' dormitory. Initially, she had assumed that most students wouldn't bother returning to their rooms during lunch break—it was too much of a hassle to go back and forth—but that assumption had just been shattered when she ran into someone earlier. Now, she couldn't help but worry.
If someone saw them together, what kind of rumors would spread this time?
If she were caught alone, it wouldn't be a big deal. She could always brush it off with some excuse. But if she was seen walking with Kanade… wouldn't that just add fuel to the fire? People might start talking behind his back again, dragging his name into pointless gossip.
She didn't want that.
Of course, she wanted to be by his side. She wanted to stay close to him, to have people recognize their bond—but not like this. Not because of some scandal. Not because of idle whispers.
She wanted something real. A love that wasn't dictated by the expectations of others but one that blossomed naturally between them.
But the biggest problem right now was—
"J-Just here… t-together… eat…" Mahiru mumbled softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
She had her own little plan. If they went to the cafeteria, wouldn't that completely ruin everything?
Kanade blinked at her sudden nervousness but didn't think too deeply about it. "Then I'll do as you wish."
As he spoke, he glanced down at the bento box in his hand. It looked like a standard, single-person portion, so he didn't immediately catch the significance of the word "together" in her hesitant request.
However, the moment he popped open the lid, he was met with an unexpected surprise.
"…It's so full?"
Normally, the bento would only be about two-thirds packed, but today, the portion was almost overflowing. There was so much food crammed inside that the sauce had smudged the inside of the lid, turning the neatly arranged rice into a bit of a mess. Upon closer inspection, it seemed like there had been some kind of pattern on the rice, but now it was barely recognizable.
Mahiru stiffened slightly, then let out a small, frustrated sigh. "Ah… it got messed up…"
For the first time, she had mustered the courage to decorate the bento, carefully drawing a little pattern on the rice. She had even planned to act indifferent, brushing it off as something store-bought if he noticed. But now, with everything smudged and out of place, the cute design was completely ruined.
Even if she wasn't the one who made it, she still wanted it to look presentable!
Kanade chuckled at her reaction, finding it unexpectedly endearing. "It's fine, even if it's messy. Food's meant to be eaten anyway."
With that, he casually picked up a squid-shaped sausage with his chopsticks and popped it into his mouth.
The taste was… slightly different from usual. It wasn't bad, but the seasoning was a little lighter than what he was used to.
"Did you make this?" Kanade asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
Mahiru immediately shook her head. "O-Of course not! Where would I even find the time to make a bento?"
The dorms didn't have the same facilities as home, and lunch break was only an hour long. There was no way she could have prepared everything from scratch and still made it here in time.
Kanade frowned slightly, realization dawning upon him as he looked up from his meal. "…Wait. What about you? Have you eaten yet?"
Mahiru hesitated for a brief second before shaking her head again. "Not yet."
A heavy silence followed.
Kanade sighed.
Really, Mahiru…
She had rushed over here to bring him lunch before even thinking about having her own meal.
He set down his chopsticks and stood up. "Alright, that's it. Let's go to the cafeteria. I'm not letting you skip lunch just because of me."
Mahiru's eyes widened, and she quickly waved her hands in protest. "N-No, it's fine! Really!"
She frantically searched for an excuse. "A-Anyway, the bento is already open! If we go now, it'll get cold, and eating cold food isn't good for the stomach…"
Eating with Kanade was, of course, appealing. And if they went to the cafeteria together, they'd definitely draw attention. But… that wasn't what she wanted right now.
She had something else in mind.
Something a little more special.
"I-If you really feel bad… then…" Mahiru fidgeted, clutching the fabric of her skirt between her fingers.
Kanade tilted his head slightly. "Then?"
"Just… feed me a little something."
The words left her lips in a whisper, but they carried the weight of all her hesitation and anticipation. This was what she had been building up to all along, her ultimate goal. That was why she had only brought one pair of chopsticks.
"Uh…"
Kanade froze, completely caught off guard. A strange feeling surged through him, something he couldn't quite describe.
He glanced down at the chopsticks in his hand—the ones he had already used. His first instinct was to suggest washing them and letting her use them first. But then… would that seem weird? Would she think he was avoiding sharing with her?
What if she thought he disliked her?
Mahiru had gone through all this effort, and now she was looking at him with those wide, expectant eyes. Could he really say no?
"If… you don't mind," he murmured, hesitating only for a moment before carefully picking up a fried meatball.
He held it up to her lips.
"Ah—"
Mahiru's delicate frame shuddered slightly, and Kanade swore he saw a misty look in her eyes. Then, as if to steel herself, she shut them tightly.
"Ah—"
She gently bit into the food, her lips brushing against the chopsticks for the briefest of moments. Then, with an elegant yet unintentional grace, she swallowed and…
She licked the corner of her lips, where a tiny drop of oil had been left behind.
Kanade felt something in his brain short-circuit.
Mahiru, however, instantly realized what she had done. Her eyes widened in pure horror before she let out a tiny, embarrassed whimper.
"Guu…"
The sight of her flushed face, the way she tried to sink into herself, it was almost enough to make Kanade laugh—but instead, he simply picked up another piece of food and held it out.
"A-Another one?" Mahiru stammered, her voice shaky.
Kanade nodded.
"…Mm."
She gave a tiny, barely audible response and lowered her head slightly.
And so, it continued.
Each time she took a bite, her hesitation lessened. The redness in her cheeks faded just a little, and she gradually grew bolder, eventually daring to meet Kanade's gaze as he offered her another bite.
That was when she made a mistake.
She looked directly into his eyes.
Kanade, still wearing that same unreadable yet oddly excited expression, was watching her intently. There was something in his gaze—something that sent a shiver down her spine.
"!"
Her entire brain shut down.
"I—I… I'm going back!"
Without giving him a chance to respond, Mahiru shot up from her seat, turned on her heel, and bolted out of the room as if running for her life.
Kanade blinked.
"…She ran away," he muttered, staring at the empty space where she had just been sitting.
He glanced down at the bento still in his hands. Oddly enough, he no longer felt all that hungry. But then, after staring at the chopsticks for a moment longer, an odd craving returned.
Without thinking too hard about it, he picked up another squid sausage and popped it into his mouth.
…Huh.
It was the same food, prepared the same way. But somehow, at this moment, it tasted different. There was an imperceptible sweetness to it, something he couldn't quite put into words.
And it was… intoxicating.
Slowly, he resumed eating, savoring each bite.
He didn't know when the next time would be, but—
The thought of it made his heart race just a little.
It was getting harder to hold back in all sorts of ways.