The next day at lunch.
「H-Here. U-Um, today’s portion…」
「Yeah, thanks again, Sasaki-san!」
Today at lunch, I came to the rooftop with Sasaki-san. And as usual, I was receiving a bento from her.
But before I knew it, quite a few days had passed since Sasaki-san started making me bento.
(Haha, it’s really great that I’ve been able to receive bentos from Sasaki-san for so longー!)
Thinking this in my heart, I expressed my gratitude to Sasaki-san while opening the bento box.
── Paka…!
「Uwaa! It looks delicious again today!」
Today’s bento was also beautifully arranged with colorful side dishes, looking very appetizing.
Seeing the delicious-looking bento that Sasaki-san had made, I felt very excited.
「D-Do you think so? I-I think it’s just an ordinary bento anyone could make, though.」
「No, no, that’s not true! It’s an amazing bento that only Sasaki-san could make! Really, thank you so much, Sasaki-san! Then, itadakimasu!」
「Nn… i-itadakimasu.」
So, after properly putting my hands together, I started eating Sasaki-san’s bento.
「Mogu mogu… Yeah! Today’s bento is really delicious too! This karaage is juicy and tasty, and this simmered dish has absorbed the flavors well, making the rice go down so easily! Yeah, it’s delicious! Ah, this one’s delicious tooー!」
「Y-You don’t have to eat so ravenously. E-Eat more slowly… fufu.」
Although Sasaki-san said that to me, I couldn’t resist and continued to devour the bento.
And while watching me eat, Sasaki-san smiled gently.
But after a while, Sasaki-san looked a bit serious and asked me this.
「…U-Um, it’s really late to ask this now, but… is it okay?」
「Mogu mogu… Nnn? What do you mean?」
Sasaki-san asked me with a serious expression. But I didn’t understand what she meant, so I quickly asked back.
──Light Novels──
──Read Here──
「Y-You see, um… lately, we’ve been spending a lot of time together every day… so, um, it seems like we’re being rumored about.」
「Eh? Wait, a-ahh… could it be…?」
「Y-Yeah, that’s right… that kind of thing.」
When Sasaki-san said that, I immediately understood.
Come to think of it, Natsue also said that Sasaki-san and I seem really close. So it’s not surprising if everyone in class thinks so too.
And if a boy and girl in class seem really close… well, it’s not strange if rumors about us dating start to spread…
「I-I see. I had no idea there were such rumors about us. But if those rumors are causing trouble for Sasaki-san, I’m really sorry…」
「N-No, that’s…! I-I don’t have a boyfriend or a-anyone I like, so it’s fine! S-So you don’t have to worry about it at all!」
「Ah, I-Is that so? I-I see, I see. Yeah, that’s good to hear…」
「Eh? G-Good to hear… w-what do you mean?」
「Eh? A-Ahh, no! It’s nothing!」
Apparently, Sasaki-san doesn’t have a boyfriend or anyone she likes right now. I felt relieved to hear that.
(…Wait, huh? Why am I feeling relieved hearing about that?)
At that moment, I tilted my head slightly, not understanding why I felt relieved hearing about Sasaki-san’s romantic situation.
「…Ah! B-But! I-It’s fine with me! B-But, Yamada being seen with me like this, more and more people might start to misunderstand and think we’re dating. S-So, um… if Yamada actually has a girlfriend or someone you like… I feel a bit sorry about that…」
「Eh? Ahh, that’s not a problem for me either. I don’t have a girlfriend… Rather, I’ve never even had a girlfriend in my life. Ahaha.」
When Sasaki-san said that, I replied with a laugh. Then Sasaki-san…
「Eh? Ah, i-is that so? F-Fuun, I see. B-But, haven’t you ever had a girl you were close with in elementary or middle school?」
「No, not at all. In elementary and middle school, I mostly just hung out with my guy friends.」
「F-Fuun, I-I see. So Yamada has never had a girlfriend before. F-Fuun, I see, I see, that’s good…」
「Unn? What’s good?」
「Eh… Ehh!? N-No, sorry, that was just me talking to myself! So you don’t have to worry about it!!」
「Eh? O-Okay, got it?」
Sasaki-san’s face turned bright red as she continued to eat in silence. So I decided to quietly eat my meal together with her.