Clueless

We arrived at the cafeteria shortly after, selecting a spot to sit and eat. Throughout the entire walk, Sato-san remained silent, holding my hand as she followed along. However, I couldn't help but notice how tender her hands felt. I assumed she must be contemplating which subjects she needed help with, as I couldn't find any other reason for her silence. Either that or she was simply too hungry to muster the energy to speak.

Once we sat at our table, I quickly glanced at the food catalog to ensure I wouldn't mistakenly order the wrong dish again. However, as I began to head toward the chef, I suddenly halted. I had forgotten to ask Sato-san what she wanted to order. Her silence had caused me to momentarily forget she was even with me.

"Sato-chan, what would you like to order?" I asked as I approached the table.

"Just a salad," she replied softly, immediately diving back into her thoughts.

Just a salad? Was she on a diet or something? She already had a very decent figure. Ah, I swear I'll never understand girls.

I made my way toward the chef and placed an order for a sandwich for myself and a salad for Sato-san. As I waited for our order to be prepared, I took a look around the cafeteria and noticed a rather peculiar scene. All the students were engrossed in reading books, whether they were eating or not. It seemed the upcoming exams had struck a nerve, prompting everyone to give their all in order to avoid failing any subjects.

Well, that's what they get for not studying throughout the year. However, in fairness, there were also those who diligently attended classes without skipping a single one. Now, they were simply engaging in a general revision to refresh their memory.

Once I finished my musings, our orders were ready, and I returned to our table. Sato-san remained lost in her thoughts, oblivious to my presence. Only when I placed her salad in front of her, she snapped out.

"Thank you," she murmured before delving back into her thoughts, leaving me alone once again.

Taking the first bite of my sandwich, I looked around the cafeteria in the hopes of finding something amusing to alleviate my boredom. It was a challenge to have no one to talk to. However, my gaze met the stares of all the other students in the cafeteria, who seemed to be eagerly waiting for something to happen between Sato-san and me.

"Um, Sato-san, everyone is looking at us. What should we do?" I whispered, feeling a tinge of unease.

"Just act normally," she replied, her tone tinged with annoyance.

Of course, I wasn't going to let this opportunity pass. She needed to realize the consequences of having me as her boyfriend. Besides, it was her punishment for not giving me any attention all this time.

"So, you're saying you want me to feed you, Sato-chan? Is that right?" I proclaimed loudly, capturing everyone's attention.

She immediately raised her head, her expression a mix of anger and cuteness. "You idiot, what are you saying?" she retorted.

Her reaction brought a smile to my face, confirming that I had to continue this performance for the crowd that had gathered.

I picked up the fork beside the salad and delicately fed her a few pieces, placing them in front of her mouth. "Hey, what are you trying to do...?" she began to say, but upon noticing the persistent stares of the other students, she stopped mid-sentence. Instead, she brushed the hair falling in front of her to the side and said, "Thank you for the meal," before consuming the salad I had offered.

Although she smiled warmly, I could tell she wanted to strangle me. It was her way of taking revenge for what I had done.

She retaliated by grabbing my sandwich and holding it in front of my mouth. Perhaps she thought she could embarrass me, but little did she know that this was exactly the response I was hoping for. Without hesitation, I took a bite from my sandwich and echoed, "Thanks for the meal."

This left her at a loss for words, her eyes fixed on me.

"For how long do you intend to ignore me and be all lovey-dovey with your girlfriend?" a voice suddenly came from my left side.

I turned my head and saw Ken standing there, wearing a disapproving expression. Honestly, I must admit that I hadn't even noticed him. How long had he been standing there? Sato-san hadn't noticed him either.

"How can I help you, Ken?" I inquired.

"I wanted to ask if you've decided when we'll start our private lessons. Time is running out," he replied, his face serious.

"No way, you're actually worried about the exams? Weren't you cool and collected before? What changed?" I asked, somewhat surprised.

"I didn't realize we only had two weeks left."

"How long did you think we had then?"

"I thought we had about a month or so," he responded apologetically.

Okay, it was settled. He truly was clueless.

"Can you come to my house after school today to start studying?"

"Won't I be a bother to your parents?" he asked, concerned.

"Don't worry about it. They won't have a problem."

"Alright, then. See you after school," he said before walking away.

I turned to Sato-san, who continued to stare at me in silence, her thoughts unspoken.

"Sato-chan, would you like to come to my house after school to study with Ken?" I asked.

"Eh? Ah? Y-yes, sure," she replied, her senses abruptly returning.

After finishing our meal, we headed to our last class for the day. Nothing noteworthy occurred during that time; everything went smoothly. When the class ended, we gathered at the school gate and started walking towards my house.

As I thought about it, Sato-san hadn't been to my house in many years. I believe the last time was when we were in junior school. I wondered if my mom would remember her. Well, it was highly likely that she would.

I updated my mom every day about Sato-san since she believed that, as childhood friends, we had a high chance of becoming a couple.

What if she knew we were actually faking a romantic relationship?