Chapter 7: The Sun of the Class
A week had passed since I received the date ticket from Remi.
As the rainy season approached, swallows were flying low in circles. They would probably disappear soon.
Despite the humid heat before the rainy season,
Yuzu and I were spreading our lunch boxes on the rooftop.
“It’s so damn hot… Why are we eating on the rooftop?”
Even though we were sitting in the shade, the heat was making my body boil from the core.
“I thought it might snow since it’s so rare for Yoshiki to have lunch with me. But it didn’t!”
“Your response is too casual! We’re in the season furthest from winter. By the way, why do you have the rooftop key? You’re not on the student council.”
It was rare enough to have lunch with Yuzu, but being on the rooftop was even rarer. It was my first time in my life.
The gyaru who invited me to the rooftop gave me a look as if I had asked a foolish question.
“Huh? I stole it, of course.”
“That’s not ‘of course’! Isn’t that dangerous? Won’t you get in big trouble if you’re caught?”
“Haha, you’re such a scaredy-cat! It’s no big deal. I just picked it up from the hallway floor.”
Yuzu replied nonchalantly and snatched a shumai from my lunchbox, saying, “I’ll have this!” The issue of the key, which wasn’t okay at all, quickly flew out of my mind.
“You thief… I won’t forgive you…!”
“Yoshiki, you’ve always been so greedy with food since middle school.”
“Of course I’d react like this when it’s stolen! Give it back, or trade it for a better side dish!”
“Then I’ll give you two pieces of ginger pork. Not just one, but two!”
“Really?”
My mood instantly lifted at the sight of a boy’s favorite food being placed in my lunchbox.
When I looked up, Yuzu burst into laughter.
“Haha, you’re so simple, it’s cute!”
“I hate how easily I fall for it…!”
Even as I said that, food is innocent.
As I put the ginger pork in my mouth, sweet meat juices overflowed.
I had expected a spicier taste, but this was delicious too. In fact, it might be more to my liking.
Perhaps my face showed my happiness as I chewed, because Yuzu picked up another piece of ginger pork from her lunchbox.
“Here, Yoshiki. Say ‘aah’.”
“Hey, just put it in my lunchbox normally. This is a bit awkward.”
“Eh? That’s so virgin-like.”
“Is there such a thing as ‘too virgin-like’? There isn’t, right?”
“There totally is!”
“Is that so… I see…”
If that’s the case, I’ll show her I’m not a virgin. Even though I am.
I put my chopsticks down in my lunchbox, turned to face Yuzu, and closed my eyes.
“Good boy, good boy! Here, say ‘aah’!”
“…Aah.”
“Okay, open your eyes. As you wished, I put the ginger pork in your lunchbox.”
“You…!”
Yuzu held her stomach and rolled with laughter.
She seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the sight of me dancing in the palm of her hand.
“That’s enough! I’ll eat the ginger pork, but I’ve lost all desire to have lunch with you again!”
“Sorry, sorry! As an apology, I’ll give you some egg roll! I won’t do the ‘aah’ thing anymore, and I won’t tease you. It’s my family’s secret recipe egg roll, you’d really be missing out if you don’t try it!”
“Ugh…”
Egg rolls are so common that they’re in every lunchbox, but the taste varies from household to household.
To be honest, I’m really curious about Yuzu’s family’s secret recipe egg roll.
“Fine then. I’ll call it even with that.”
“Yay! Our egg roll is really sweet, is that okay?”
“I like the ones with ham inside. I won’t accept any other egg roll as an apology.”
“Ham inside an egg roll? What kind of situation is that? You’re so weird!”
Yuzu said, looking strangely happy, and shared her egg roll with me.
When I put it in my mouth, it was indeed sweet. The balance of sugar was just right, and this might be acceptable too.
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“Well?”
“It’s delicious. Yuzu’s family knows what they’re doing.”
“I see, I see. I’m relieved. You know, I made that.”
I froze and looked at Yuzu.
The number one gyaru in the school was looking up at me with a slightly nervous expression.
“This might be the first time I’ve had a friend eat my cooking.”
“…Seriously?”
Just as I was about to jump for joy internally, a scene from middle school flashed in my mind.
Come to think of it, didn’t Yuzu used to exchange food with other boys all the time?
“Wait, didn’t you used to exchange food with everyone when we didn’t have school lunch last year?”
“Oops, busted. Your memory is crazy good!”
“Not really, we’ve only known each other for a year or two. And don’t just casually lie!”
“A year or two is quite a long relationship! Boys who don’t value people will lose both Nikaido-san and Hanazono-san!”
“That’s too specific! And don’t change the subject!”
As I shouted, Yuzu laughed cheerfully.
I had thought this before, but Yuzu always laughs when I shout.
She probably just likes teasing people in general.
“By the way, how did you do on the modern Japanese literature quiz we got back today?”
“Eighty-one points.”
“I got a hundred!”
“You’re lying!”
“Did I get caught? I actually got ninety-three.”
I stopped my chopsticks that were holding the egg roll.
“…You’re kidding, right?”
“For real, I only got one question wrong. I’ve been itching to brag about it.”
“Losing to a gyaru…!?”
“That’s mean!?”
This gyaru, is she unexpectedly smart?
I thought there wouldn’t be a big difference since we’re in the same high school, but I never imagined I’d lose.
I mean, she’s always late to class.
“Hm hm hm~”
Apparently very pleased with my reaction, Yuzu started humming.
To distract myself from the frustration of the satisfied gyaru, I asked something that had been on my mind.
“Anyway, let’s get to the main point. Tell me how you’re going to connect me with Hanazono.”
“Eh? Ah, that. I haven’t thought about it at all yet!”
“Then why did you invite me today!?”
“I wanted to brag!”
“That’s the reason…!”
“Haha!”
Yuzu let out a laugh that sounded very pleased.
“Also, since Nikaido-san transferred, even the embers of our rumors have completely disappeared. So I thought maybe we could start hanging out together more.”
“…So you were also testing that.”
“That’s right.”
She’s as unpredictable as ever, but it’s hard to criticize her if she’s thinking about us.
We were late to class together before, but she seems to have forgotten about that.
Well, I might as well report about that incident today.
“By the way, I got a date ticket from Nikaido. I’m not sure when to use it though.”
Yuzu blinked her eyes.
“Date ticket? What’s that?”
“You know, it’s like something you’d often see in light novels.”
“Light novels? What are those?”
“My heart is starting to hurt…”
I held my chest and then proceeded to tell her about some of what happened with Remi.
When I finished outlining the story, Yuzu suddenly stood up and looked down at me.
“Wow, you idiot!? Are you seriously an idiot!? That was totally your chance to hit on her, or at least you should have absolutely texted her that day!”
“Where was there a chance to hit on her!? And I can see! Your skirt is short, so don’t stand up so carelessly!”
“That’s not relevant right now! If you keep saying things like that, you’ll never have a love life!”
“I will, just not the kind of special gyaru love!”
“Hey, I’m normal!”
“You said before that ‘your normal is just different,’ right? It’s different from my normal!”
Tit for tat.
This kind of playful banter was common between us.
But Yuzu closed her mouth as if she had been punched.
…This reaction was unusual.
Yuzu pouted and then sat down. She let out a small sigh.
“…Hey, why are you suddenly down?”
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This has been unexpectedly a good read, on the surface I thought it’d just be the typical harem scenario but its clearly bit more different than that.
We really do need to get a PoV from one of the Hanazono or Yuzuha or it’ll remain ambiguous. Esp Yuzuha, she seems unusually grateful to the MC but from the MC’s monologue he’s the one who got helped by her.