Chapter 25 – A Loner’s Hidden Skill

The three of us settled on having lunch together, and the morning quickly flew by.

Our mornings usually started with homeroom, followed by 4 periods of lessons. Normally, those classes felt like an eternity, but today, it felt like it was over in a flash.

They say the flow of time is constant, but right now, it doesn't seem that way. I wonder if there is someone out there who has the power to skip through time? 

"Mmm ~ Finally, the morning classes are over ~ It felt longer than usual, don't you think so, Umi?"

"No, it's the opposite for me…"

Asanagi locked her eyes with mine. As expected, she was worried about what will happen after this, like me.

Normally, our classmates would leave the classroom immediately after the bell, but today, most of them stayed behind and observed the three of us.

"Seriously, it's just having lunch with a male classmate. Why are you guys turning this into a big deal? …Also, Nina, put your phone away…"

"Ugh… ehehehe…"

As soon as Asanagi called her out, Nitta-san's phone slipped out from her sleeves and fell to the floor.

Seriously, one can't let their guard down against her.

Like Asanagi said, why would people turn this matter into a big deal? It isn't like we'll do anything more than talking.

"Ahaha… We can't really eat inside the classroom like this… Should we eat outside? It's a bit chilly though…"

"Sure, I'd prefer somewhere warmer, but whatever… Are you okay with this, Maehara-kun?"

"Uh, sure."

So the three of us left the classroom to look for a good place to eat.

"Hey, Umi, where should we go? I usually eat in class or in the cafeteria, so I don't know of any good spots."

"Mmm… the courtyard is fine, but that place is usually crowded. I don't particularly mind, but… Maehara-kun, what do you think?"

True, the courtyard was crowded, but not enough to not have any vacant spots to sit.

If they thought that it was fine to eat there, I wouldn't mind.

'Hey, are those two girls over there freshmen?'

'Seems like it. They both look cute, especially that blonde girl'

'What about that gloomy guy in the back? Why is he following them? A stalker?'

Just by walking down the corridor, we were bombarded by this kind of talk.

If it was just the two of them, they could just ignore it because people just kept calling them 'cute' over and over, but they were also hurling rude remarks at me, and Asanagi and Amami-san couldn't just ignore those comments.

If we were to eat in this kind of environment, we wouldn't be able to enjoy our meal.

"Um, if it's okay with you two…"

"Hm?"

"What?"

I called out to them as they were talking about eating lunch in the courtyard.

I've been eating my lunch in the classroom lately, so I haven't had a chance to show off my hidden skill, but now I have the opportunity. My hidden skill, finding a hidden spot in the school.

* * *

"Woah, it's true. This place is so empty, I can't believe it!"

"It's warmer here, there aren't any tables, but there are benches… Yeah, this place is perfect."

"Right? I'm glad that no one is using this place today."

The spot I recommended was the 'faculty smoking area'. It was located on the south side of the school grounds, next to the faculty building where the staff and principal offices were located.

Apparently, until a few years ago, this area had been a place for the teachers who liked to smoke to relax during lunch breaks. But recently, due to shifting trends, smoking was eventually banned outright on school grounds. As a result, no one used this place anymore.

We cleaned the dusty benches and picked up the scattered cigarette butts… Compared to the courtyard, this place was smaller and covered in weeds. Though, to be fair the courtyard was well-managed. Still, this place was perfect if we wanted to stay away from the crowd.

The perfect place for a loner like me to relax.

"Sorry, this was the only place I could think of."

"Don't be! This place is great! Thank you, Maki-kun! Umi too, thank him, quickly!"

"Why are you getting ahead of yourself now, hm, Yuu? …Well, thank you, Maehara-kun."

The two of them seemed to be satisfied with the place. They quickly sat down and spread out their lunch.

"Ah, Maki-kun, your egg rolls look delicious. Wanna trade for a sausage?"

"I don't mind, but I made it myself, so it might not taste good."

"It's fine, it's fine… Wait, you make your own lunches, Maki-kun?"

"Yeah, whenever my mom is busy."

Amami-san seemed surprised, but in truth, it wasn't that difficult to do. I just used leftovers from last night's dinner and made some simple side dishes. As long as I woke up earlier, I could prepare lunch easily.

While I did slack a lot, I live alone with my mom, so I did occasionally help her with chores.

"Umi, what should we do? Maki-kun has more girl power than us…"

"Don't ask me, I lost to him by default…"

Asanagi looked at me for a moment, I guess she had something to say to me.

"Woah… This egg roll is yummy! The sweetness and saltiness are perfect!"

"Really? …Maehara-kun, can I have some too?"

"Sure."

The moment she put the egg roll in her mouth, Asanagi's eyes widened.

"…How was it?"

"…This is unfair…"

It was just a simple dish. I just added a pinch of sugar and some shirodashi when I made it. I'm glad that they both liked it though. (T/N: Shirodashi is colorless dashi. Dashi is a soup stock made from bonito flakes or kelp)

I'm curious about what Asanagi meant by 'unfair', but whatever, I'll take it as a compliment.