Explode!

"Here, please use this."

Yusuke placed the refill of black tea in front of Sayu, while he sipped his Coke.

"Have you decided what to eat?" he asked.

In response, Sayu groaned. "Well... that's fine then."

Looking at the place Sayu pointed, Yusuke saw it was a picture of pasta covered in white cream.

"Creamy pasta?" he muttered. "Do you like this kind of food?"

"Eh? Not really, but sometimes I want to try it," Sayu said, pushing the menu towards him.

"What about you, Yusuke? What do you want to eat?"

Taking a quick glance, Yusuke finally ordered an egg sandwich.

"Huh? Is that enough?" Sayu tilted her head. "You usually eat more, Yusuke."

"I'm not very hungry today," Yusuke said, shaking his head. "How about you two?" He looked at Yamaguchi and Takei.

The two exchanged glances, then turned to the waiter. 

"I'll have a cheeseburger patty," said Yamaguchi.

"And I'll take the mixed barbecue set," said Takei.

It seemed they both had good appetites.

"Please wait," said the waiter, noting their orders before leaving.

Yusuke looked at his friends. "Isn't this supposed to be a study meeting? Where should we start?"

"Japanese, English, science, math, or social studies—take your pick," Yamaguchi listed.

"Ah, I have a question first," Yamaguchi said, raising his hand.

"Is it related to the study meeting?" Yusuke asked.

Yamaguchi shook his head. "No, it's not."

"Then it's not relevant," Yusuke said calmly. "Since this is a study meeting, let's stick to the topic."

"Why!" Yamaguchi protested. "Takei, back me up here!"

"Uh... Takashi wanted to ask about your relationship with Sayu-chan," Takei said, scratching the back of his head.

After spending some time together, the two had become curious about the relationship between Yusuke and Sayu.

"That's right," Yamaguchi nodded, smiling at Sayu. "Hey, Sayu-chan, are you and Yusuke dating?"

"Huh?~" Sayu blinked. "We're just childhood friends."

"Really?" Yamaguchi said skeptically. "You seem very close."

"Really," Sayu said, a slightly silly smile on her beautiful face. "We've known each other since childhood, so it's normal to be close, right?"

As she said this, Yusuke felt a soft, delicate touch on his hand under the table. He glanced over while drinking his Coke and saw Sayu had entwined her fingers with his, gently rubbing the back of his hand.

"Cough, cough..." He cleared his throat, squeezed her hand in a warning, then pulled away and looked back at the others.

"Let's get started," he said, taking out his math booklet. "Since no one is choosing, we'll start with math."

Takei and Yamaguchi exchanged reluctant looks but finally agreed.

...

Time passed quietly.

To keep Sayu from getting bored, Yusuke shared some of his exercises with her. Everyone focused on studying, with occasional exchanges limited to academic problems.

When they finished their set of questions, their food arrived.

"Oh—! Here it comes!" Takei said excitedly.

The assorted grilled meat set he ordered was a carnivore's dream: a generous portion including hamburger meat, sausage, and thinly grilled chicken, accompanied by a bowl of white rice—enough for two people to share without feeling stuffed.

"Wow, that's an insane amount of meat," Yamaguchi joked, attracting a dissatisfied glare from Takei.

"Are you even qualified to talk to me?" Takei pointed at Yamaguchi's plate.

The 100% meat burger steak was still steaming, drizzled with brown sauce. Along the cut corner of the steak, rich cheese oozed out, looking very tempting.

"Ah..." Yamaguchi took a bite and mumbled through his mouthful, "It's okay because I'm very vegetarian."

"Talk after you finish eating!" Takei spat back, then ignored him and focused on his own meal.

"Yusuke~"

"Yes?"

Yusuke turned to see Sayu, covering her mouth while swallowing. Her amber eyes locked onto his as she asked, "This is delicious. Do you want to try it?"

Yusuke frowned at the sight of the pasta covered in cream and mushrooms, sprinkled with finely chopped parsley.

"No thanks," he said, shaking his head. "I'm not very interested."

"You're not interested," Sayu giggled, then returned to her meal.

She ate slowly, twirling a small portion of noodles with her fork, tucking her hair behind her ear with her other hand, then feeding herself, chewing in small bites.

Her delicate ears were exposed, her smooth cheeks slightly puffed, and her lips looked even more charming with a touch of cream, causing Yusuke to narrow his eyes unconsciously.

"Um?"

Noticing his gaze, Sayu stopped chewing and turned slightly toward him. "W-what's wrong?"

"Here," Yusuke pointed to the corner of her mouth, then handed her a tissue. "You have some cream."

"Eh?" Sayu's face quickly turned red. She took the tissue, hurriedly wiped her mouth, and looked up at Yusuke. "Is there more?"

Yusuke shook his head. "No more."

"That's good..." Sayu's eyes flickered before falling silent.

Their eyes met, and an indescribable tension filled the air.

After a while, Sayu said softly, "Yusuke, you surprisingly... often look at me."

She shyly played with the ends of her hair, her eyes like water, reflecting his figure clearly.

Black hair and eyes, sharp brows, and a sculpted face.

Her words hit Yusuke's heart like a heavy hammer.

His dark eyes wavered as he looked away, picked up his drink, and took a sip.

At that moment, he noticed two strange looks from across the table.

Yamaguchi took a deep breath, cast a contemptuous look at him, and said slowly, "Explode!"