Chapter 61. lunch break

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Chapter 61

Word's counted --- 1600

Enjoy ~

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Don't hold me like that. I'm not going to disappear, Yamada," Aki sighed as he tried to shake off Yamada's firm grip on his arm. "And you too, Komi-san. Why are you walking five meters behind me?"

Stopping in his tracks, Aki reached out, gently grabbing Komi's hand to pull her closer so they could walk side by side.

Komi's cheeks immediately flushed red, and her eyes darted nervously. She didn't say anything, too shy and awkward to express her discomfort, but she allowed herself to be pulled along.

'I wanted to eat alone in the classroom,' she thought, still unsure how she'd ended up in this situation. Aki had invited her to join him and Yamada for lunch—or rather, he'd dragged her along with his infectious energy—and now, here she is. Despite her discomfort, she had no real objections. Over the past few days, they have exchanged messages and even talked on the phone a few times. So, Komi considered Aki a friend now, and if she turned down a friend's invitation, wouldn't that make him sad? Or worse—angry? Reluctantly, she followed along.

On the other hand, Yamada was fuming inside. This was her time—her golden opportunity for Aki to keep his promise and buy her whatever she wanted, just as he'd said. But now, one of her classmates had suddenly joined them, disrupting her perfect plan. She knew Komi well enough by reputation, but they had never spoken to each other directly.

'Why is she here?' Yamada thought, her pout deepening. She wasn't about to share her precious lunchtime or her snacks. This was her time, and she wasn't going to let Komi take a single bite of it.

As Aki walked between the two girls, he felt caught in a tug-of-war between Yamada's possessiveness and Komi's awkward silence. He glanced at Komi, her face red and her movements stiff, but then he caught a faint, almost imperceptible smile. It was small, but the sight of it was enough to make his heart skip a beat.

'A smile that can rizz up an infant! 'Aki though remembering a scene in komi anime.

There was something disarmingly cute about Komi, and in that moment, Aki couldn't help but be captivated by her quiet charm.

But then, looking to his other side, he was reminded of Yamada, who clung to him as though he might escape at any second. Her pouting face was undeniably adorable, with babyish dimples that made her look innocent. But if anyone ignored her face and focused instead on her figure, Aki was sure even a grown man might mistake her for an adult woman and lust after her. ' I'm stuck between two forces of nature,' he thought.

Finally, they reached the cafeteria. It wasn't long before Yamada's demands started pouring out. "I want three bowls of ramen," she declared, tapping her foot impatiently. "And don't forget the extra toppings—lots of pork! Oh, and get me a plate of fried chicken, two curry breads, and a parfait for dessert." She crossed her arms, looking like she was about to storm the kitchen if she didn't get what she wanted.

Aki, ever the gentleman—or perhaps just resigned to his fate—bought everything without hesitation. "Got it. Three bowls of ramen, extra pork, fried chicken, curry bread, and a parfait," he repeated with a sigh, wondering if Yamada's stomach was a bottomless pit.

After ordering Yamada's mountain of food, Aki turned to Komi, who was still standing quietly by his side. "What about you, Komi-san? What do you want to eat?"

Komi shook her head shyly, declining his offer. She wasn't the type to ask for anything, let alone food in front of others. "I-I'm fine," she stammered softly.

But Aki, as persistent as ever, wasn't having any of it. "No way. You can't skip lunch. Come on, just tell me what you want. I'll buy it."

Komi hesitated, but Aki's gentle insistence eventually won her over. "Maybe... a small salad," she murmured, still unsure.

"Just a salad? That's it?" Aki raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. But when Komi nodded, he relented and added a salad and a sandwich to the order, just to make sure she had enough to eat.

With trays loaded with food, they made their way to a table by the window. Yamada wasted no time, immediately digging into her three bowls of ramen with a ferocity that caught the attention of a few nearby students. Aki watched in amazement, trying to understand how someone so small could eat so much.

"So, Yamada-san," Aki began, watching her devour her food, "how is it possible that you can eat like this and still look the way you do?"

Yamada paused between bites, looking up with a mouthful of noodles. She swallowed hard and grinned. "I'm blessed with a fast metabolism," she replied proudly. "And don't forget, I'm still growing."

Aki chuckled. "Right, of course. Growing into what, exactly? A bottomless pit?"

Yamada playfully stuck her tongue out at him before going back to her ramen. Meanwhile, Komi nibbled on her salad quietly, occasionally glancing at Aki and Yamada's banter. She wasn't used to being in such a lively group, but she had to admit—she didn't mind it.

As Aki leaned back in his chair, content to just enjoy the moment, he noticed Komi glancing at him as if she wanted to say something. Her usual hesitance held her back, though.

'Probably her communication syndrome acting up again,' Aki thought, feeling a bit bad for her. Just as he was about to offer her an easy topic to talk about, Yamada beat her to the punch.

"Shijo-kun, why didn't you buy anything for yourself?" Yamada asked, slurping her third bowl of ramen with such enthusiasm it made the other students in the cafeteria look over in curiosity.

Aki shot her a tired look, feeling exasperated. "I'm not that hungry," he replied, shaking his head. "Besides, I was planning to eat your leftovers, but looking at the way you're going, I doubt there'll be any left."

Yamada blinked in surprise, and then the realization hit her like a ton of bricks. She hadn't even considered whether Aki had enough money to splurge on all her food. Her face fell, guilt washing over her as she stared down at the ramen. ' What if his money came from his parents or savings? What if he spent his hard-earned money on me,' The bitter thought gnawed at her conscience.

Feeling the weight of her actions, Yamada pushed her remaining food toward him, her usual playful demeanor fading. "If you're hungry, we can share. And… I'll pay you back for everything I ate....-- and.. It was all a prank, you know? I didn't mean to take all your money."

Aki raised an eyebrow. 'A prank?' he thought. 'Who would believe that?' He wanted to say something sarcastic, maybe tease her a bit for her sudden change in tone, but before he could, a half-eaten sandwich appeared near his face. He blinked, turning his head to find Komi nervously holding it out to him.

"Uh, Komi-san?" Aki asked, confused.

"..." Komi's face turned beet red as she tried to push the sandwich into his hands. After a moment of intense internal struggle, she finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "I-I've eaten a little of it, but... you can have the rest..."

Aki stared at the sandwich, completely caught off guard. 'Was this a real-life dilemma?' On one hand, Komi offering him her half-eaten sandwich was so unexpectedly cute that he didn't want to refuse her. On the other hand, Yamada was glaring at him, as if daring him to reject her own offering of ramen. He was trapped.

"Sigh, what am I supposed to do here?" Aki mumbled to himself. If he didn't eat, he'd look like a jerk to both of them. If he accepted, he might never live it down.

"Sigh... I'm really not hungry, okay?" Aki tried again, hoping they'd let him off the hook.

Both girls, however, weren't backing down. Their eyes bore into him with such intensity that Aki felt like his soul was being squeezed. Finally, he raised his hands in defeat. "Fine, fine! I'll take a bite from each of you. Just one bite, though, and you have to finish the rest yourselves."

Yamada smirked in triumph, while Komi gave a small, relieved nod. Aki took a scoop of Yamada's ramen first, slurping the noodles in resignation. Then, he carefully took a small bite from Komi's sandwich, trying not to notice how flustered she was. As he deliberately bites the area where koni previously had bitten.

It was an odd moment, but somehow, it felt like they were bonding over it.

"Happy now?" Aki muttered, giving them both a pointed look.

Komi looked down, but her lips curved into the faintest of smiles. Yamada, on the other hand, was already back to devouring her ramen, as if she hadn't just had a mini moral crisis.

"Umm,um ," Yamada replied through a mouthful of food. "Just don't expect me to share next time!"

Aki chuckled to himself. 'What a strange girl,' he thought, but he couldn't deny that despite the awkwardness, it felt kind of... nice.

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