When Natsukawa Kanade emerged from the bathroom, Shiina Mahiru had returned to her usual composed demeanor—though her flushed cheeks betrayed lingering embarrassment.
"I'm ready. Shall we head to the cafeteria?" Kanade suggested.
Mahiru hesitated. "But… we might run into someone on the way."
She was understandably reluctant. After all, this was still the boys' dormitory. While she had assumed that visiting during lunchtime would mean fewer people around, her earlier encounter with Hachiman had shaken her confidence.
It wasn't her own reputation she was worried about; she could easily explain her presence. What concerned her was the potential for gossip about Kanade if they were seen together.
Mahiru longed to be closer to him—so close that no one could question their bond. But she wanted their connection to be genuine, not something built on rumors or misunderstandings.
So, with her heart set on a different approach, she quietly offered, "How about… we eat here together instead?"
"Sure," Kanade agreed without hesitation, not picking up on the significance of the word together.
He assumed the bento Mahiru had brought was only big enough for one person. But when he opened the lid, he was taken aback.
"This is… packed," he remarked.
Normally, bentos only filled about two-thirds of the container. But today, it was crammed to the brim, so much so that sauce had smeared onto the lid, obscuring what looked like an attempted design.
"Ah… it's all smudged…" Mahiru's shoulders drooped in disappointment. She had worked up the courage to ask the kitchen staff to draw a design on the rice, but now it was unrecognizable—making the bento seem messy and poorly made.
Even though it wasn't her cooking, she felt a pang of embarrassment.
"It's fine," Kanade reassured her with a smile. "It all ends up in the same place anyway."
He picked up a piece of sausage shaped like a squid and popped it into his mouth. It tasted fine—though it was a bit milder than what he was used to.
"Did you make this?" he asked, curious.
Mahiru shook her head. "Of course not. Where would I find the time?"
The dormitory facilities weren't nearly as convenient as her home, and with only an hour for lunch, there was no way she could have prepared and delivered a bento herself.
"Ah…" Kanade nodded, realizing how unreasonable his assumption had been. Then another thought occurred to him. "Wait, have you eaten yet?"
Mahiru shook her head again. "Not yet."
"…"
Kanade frowned slightly. She had skipped her own lunch just to bring him this.
"You should eat too. Let's go to the cafeteria," he suggested. "We can eat together there."
"No, no, it's fine!" Mahiru quickly waved off the idea. "Besides, the bento's already open. If we go to the cafeteria now, it'll get cold. Cold food isn't good for your stomach…"
While eating with Kanade in the cafeteria sounded nice, it wasn't what she wanted most.
"If you really feel bad about it…" Mahiru began, her voice trailing off.
"If I what?" Kanade prompted.
"Then… maybe you could feed me?" she mumbled, her face turning red again.
Kanade blinked, momentarily stunned.
She had finally said it—her true intention. To ensure they shared the meal, she had deliberately brought only one pair of chopsticks.
"Uh…" Kanade hesitated, glancing at the chopsticks he had already used.
"If you don't mind," Mahiru added, trying to sound nonchalant, though her heart raced with anticipation.
Kanade considered washing the chopsticks first, but Mahiru's expectant gaze made him think twice. Refusing now might make it seem like he was avoiding her or, worse, rejecting her.
"Alright," he said, carefully picking up a fried meatball and holding it out to her.
"Ah—" Mahiru opened her mouth slightly, her petite frame trembling as a faint mist seemed to cloud her eyes. She shut them tightly and leaned forward.
With a soft ahm, she bit into the meatball, then swallowed delicately. A small pink tongue peeked out to lick the corner of her lips, cleaning away the sauce.
"..."
Realizing what she had done, Mahiru let out a small whimper, her face burning brighter.
Kanade, too, felt a strange, inexplicable warmth rising within him. Without thinking, he picked up another piece of food.
"Another bite?"
Mahiru nodded slightly, her head lowered.
"..."
"..."
The quiet back-and-forth continued for several more rounds. Gradually, Mahiru's embarrassment eased, and her cheeks lost some of their redness. She even managed to look Kanade in the eye—only to find him gazing at her with an oddly delighted expression.
"!"
Overwhelmed by the intensity of his attention, Mahiru's composure crumbled. Her mind went blank, and she suddenly sprang to her feet.
"I-I'm going back!" she blurted out.
"Ah—" Kanade reached out instinctively but stopped himself as she bolted for the door.
"She… ran off…" he murmured.
Left alone, Kanade glanced at the half-eaten bento. For some reason, his appetite had waned—but as his eyes drifted to the chopsticks, he felt a sudden pang of hunger.
Picking up a squid-shaped sausage, he popped it into his mouth.
The same food, yet somehow… it tastes sweeter, he thought, savoring the lingering hint of something he couldn't quite name.
Before he knew it, he was eagerly finishing the rest of the bento.
When will the next taste of this come, I wonder? Kanade mused, a faint sense of anticipation blooming in his chest.