Hayashi Kei

Hayashi Kei, a striking figure standing at 179 cm tall, commanded attention with her waist-length dark brown hair tied in a ponytail and captivating light brown eyes. She exuded a fashionable aura, often donning the gal style, making her one of the most stylish girls in the entire class. Kei was always seen in the company of her close-knit group of three friends, displaying a strong personality and unwavering attitude. Her beauty was undeniable, with features that seemed to place her in a league of her own. Though her chest was modest, it only

added to her allure. Unofficially crowned as the queen of the school, Kei held a mesmerizing effect on anyone who laid eyes on her, including Kelly.

The most intriguing aspect about Hayashi Kei is her seemingly strong personality.

'Previously, I didn't pay much attention to it, but now I can't help but wonder if she's merely putting on a façade. Why would she feel the need to pretend to be strong? It's puzzling. And then there are the rumors about her being a slut, which she appears to brush off effortlessly. If her headstrong attitude was genuine, these rumors wouldn't have gained such traction. Additionally, there's the matter of the college guy she's reportedly dating. It's a peculiar situation. I used to think I knew her well, like an open book, but the more I contemplate it, the more mysterious she becomes. I want to know the person beneath the surface, beyond the unofficial queen and the enchanting beauty. There's more to her, that she is letting on'

Thinking like that and still ignoring the teacher time seemingly passed and lunch break finally came. At the lunch break most of the students flocked to the cafeteria, those who were left either lost their appetite or brought their own lunch suddenly a girl stood up and went up to Kelly's seat.

"Kelly-kun you okay, you don't look so good" she said with concern.

"Oh, Sumire. I'm fine, really," I replied, attempting to reassure her.

Shiranami Sumire, Kelly's friend and, to be honest, his only friend, occupies the seat next to him. With her black glasses, average height, and a cute face framed by butt-length black hair tied in twin pigtails with bangs swept to the left, she has a distinct appearance. Her black eyes and well-endowed figure complete her overall charm.

The reason Sumire and Kelly became friends is their shared interest in being otakus. Since starting high school, Sumire had always been a loner, it isn't that she was the only otaku in the class but the other three guys had a rather peculiar interest, but when Kelly joined in the beginning of their second year and started talking to her due to their proximity and shared passion, she was taken aback at first. However, she quickly warmed up to him, revealing her own deep-seated loneliness. But the peculiar part lies in the reason behind her isolation.

"Oh... I-is that so? S-sorry, I shouldn't have asked. I must have disturbed you. I'm sorry," Sumire stammered, her voice barely audible. She was naturally reserved and tended to keep to herself, often fading into the background. Academic subjects weren't her strong suit, and she lacked physical prowess and social skills, which contributed to her deep-seated inferiority complex.

"No, it's alright. I wasn't doing anything important anyway," Kelly reassured her with a smile.

"But it seemed like you were restless and troubled by something. You even have dark circles under your eyes. It looked like you were frustrated about something. And why were you looking at Hayashi-san with that expression in your eyes the whole time?" Sumire inquired, her observant nature picking up on Kelly's hidden emotions.

Kelly's heart skipped a beat at Sumire's perceptive observation. He hadn't realized his thoughts and emotions were so transparent.

What look, was I unintentionally gawking at her and why am I making weird delusions about her, not good I forgot Sumire has an exceptional ability of reading others and since she knows me for a long time, she will be able to see through my lies and excuses I need to come up with something fast.

Kelly's inner monologue took a frantic turn as he realized the implications of his actions. He berated himself for unintentionally staring at Hayashi and allowing his thoughts to spiral into strange delusions. Sumire's perceptive nature and her ability to read him like an open book added to his growing anxiety. He knew he couldn't hide his true feelings from her, and he needed to come up with a plausible explanation quickly.

"Well, it's nothing," Kelly replied casually, trying to downplay his earlier behavior. "I was just watching anime last night and lost track of time. And about Hayashi, I was simply looking that way for no particular reason. I didn't even notice her until you mentioned it."

Sumire let out a sigh, seemingly relieved by his response. "Oh, I see. Well, that's good then."

"Yeah, that's all," Kelly affirmed, grateful that the topic seemed to be resolved. "So, would you like to have lunch now?"

"Sure," Sumire agreed with a smile, letting the conversation shift to a more light-hearted topic.

"ell, it's not that Kelly doesn't trust her or anything, but how can he talk to her when he himself is unsure of what happened? Kelly didn't think Sumire would appreciate him mentioning his dream about Hayashi. After all, before he arrived, girls used to bully Sumire for being an otaku, and sometimes it was Hayashi's friends. Even now, they occasionally give her jealous glares and gossip behind her back. It's not surprising, though. In the end, Sumire is much prettier than any of them, and her nervous demeanor makes her an easy target.

As Sumire opened her lunch, Kelly's eyes sparkled with delight. Seeing his reaction, Sumire shyly offered to share her meal with him.

"H-here, you can have some if you like."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Kelly sought confirmation, and Sumire happily agreed. This wasn't the first time she had shared her lunch with him. She knew Kelly was a gourmand and had a great appreciation for good cooking skills. She prepared her lunch eagerly every day, hoping that Kelly would enjoy it.

"It's so good! I can't get enough of it. You're really something, Sumire."

"T-Thanks."

"I wish I could eat your cooking all day. Ohh... I have a great idea! How about you teach me how to cook?"

Sumire's face lost all its happiness when she heard that. She immediately thought back to the last time she attempted to teach Kelly how to cook. While Kelly knew a lot about food and was undeniably someone who loved and appreciated it, his culinary skills were lacking, to say the least. In truth, he was downright terrible. But the oblivious Kelly remained unaware of this fact. In fact, he loved cooking, and on more than one occasion, Sumire had become the unwitting victim of his culinary experiments.

Experiments the things he makes can't even be called food at this point.

"Huhh, what's wrong?" Kelly asked, noticing the pale look on Sumire's face, concern evident in his voice. However, Sumire, in the midst of racking her brains for a polite excuse to decline his offer, completely ignored him.

She couldn't help but recall the last time she tried teaching Kelly. Just the thought of it sent shivers down her spine. She wanted to tell Kelly to give up on the idea, but when she saw his genuine concern, she couldn't muster the courage to do so. However, that didn't mean she was willing to take on that task again. She simply didn't have the willpower for it anymore.

"We-well, how about we don't do that," Sumire stammered in response.

"Huhh, but why? I recently saw a new recipe, and I want to try making it with you," Kelly stated matter-of-factly. Sumire let out a sigh and answered with exasperation in her voice.

"Did you forget that our exams are coming up soon? We don't have time for these things."

"Ohh, okay," Kelly reluctantly backed off. Although he wanted to persist, something told him that Sumire would be very angry if he did. In order to shift the topic, he decided to bring up something that had been on his mind for a while.

"By the way, Sumire, are you angry at Hayashi? The way you told me, I don't think Hayashi ever bullied you. It was just her friends, right?" Kelly asked, interrupting their lunch. Sumire appeared momentarily stunned, but after grasping the meaning behind his question, she responded in a serious tone.

"Yes, she didn't bully me directly, but she also didn't intervene to stop her friends," Sumire replied. There was a brief silence between them.

"....."

"I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I don't have any right to be angry at her. I guess I should be grateful that she didn't participate in it herself."

Kelly couldn't help but feel shocked and surprised as he looked into Sumire's eyes. Her serious expression was a stark contrast to her usual shy and reserved demeanor. He had never seen this side of her before, and it caught him off guard. It made him realize that there was so much more to Sumire than he had initially thought.

Honestly, I was surprised to see such a serious look in her eyes, never thought she had it in her.

"No, you have nothing to apologize for. You're right, sorry for asking such a weird question," Kelly responded, realizing the awkwardness of his inquiry.

Sumire glanced at him, her eyes softening. "No, I don't mind if it's you," she replied quietly.

An awkward silence settled between them for the rest of their lunch. Kelly and Sumire resumed eating, their conversations halted. Within a matter of minutes, they finished their meals without exchanging a single word.