In the end, Sakiko naturally declined Kyo's invitation. To her, even sharing an umbrella on a rainy day required careful consideration of potential implications.
Now, under the blazing sun, to cling tightly to someone else beneath a tiny piece of clothing held overhead...
Not only was it unnecessary compared to the former scenario, but it was also far more conspicuous.
Indeed, Kyo was already drawing curious looks from passersby. Students hurrying to lunch and even teachers spared a glance at the strikingly graceful girl standing out among the crowd, though they quickly averted their eyes.
Even those who stared longer bore no malice; their gazes were simply intrigued by the amusing sight.
Just walking alongside Kyo toward the cafeteria, Sakiko felt her face burning—not only from the relentless sun but also from the added heat of the attention they were attracting.
It was another vivid reminder of just how popular Kikukawa Kyo was at school.
The moment they stepped into the cafeteria, cool air greeted them pleasantly, dispelling the scorching heat instantly.
"Ahhh..." Kyo sighed deeply, unusually relaxed despite not drinking anything this time. "Air conditioning truly is a great invention."
Seeing Kyo regain her vigor, Sakiko asked, "So, what do you want to eat, Kyo?"
"Oh no, that's a hard one."
What's the hardest question in life? What to eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It commonly haunted family members responsible for meal prep, students deciding together in cafeterias, or exhausted office workers staring blankly at restaurant menus.
Truly, it was humanity's ultimate conundrum.
Regardless of place or person, the answer was almost always the same...
"Whatever's fine." After earnestly thinking, Kyo couldn't quickly decide among the numerous dishes in the cafeteria and settled on this most noncommittal answer.
Sakiko sighed.
"Really, whatever?" Sakiko asked again, eyes narrowed skeptically. "Don't suddenly change your mind when I'm already at the counter."
"I'm not picky," Kyo declared proudly, patting her chest confidently, free from the typical fussiness of many her age.
It probably stemmed from her openness to all drink flavors, evolving into this broad-minded eating habit.
Trailing closely behind Sakiko, Kyo quietly guessed which dishes Sakiko would choose.
Hmm... She'll probably just go for the cheapest option again.
Sure enough, without surprise, Sakiko led Kyo straight to the universally recognized cheapest window in the cafeteria.
As for taste? If you're already paying so little, what more could you possibly ask for?
"Kyo, you could pick a different window," Sakiko said, noticing Kyo still following closely without any complaints.
"I already told you—I'm not picky." Kyo smiled, peeking curiously at the dishes Sakiko selected. "Or are you implying that even you know this spot's food isn't particularly good?"
Seeing that all-too-familiar playful smile, Sakiko sighed again:
"So, you're about to convince me I should pick something tastier, right?"
Kyo shook her head instead, picking the same dishes as Sakiko. They settled into a quieter corner of the cafeteria, facing each other.
"I'm not here to nag. As long as you aren't neglecting your health just to save money, I won't say anything." Kyo picked up her chopsticks, inspecting her meal critically. Her eyebrows rose slightly as she continued, "Even if the flavor isn't good, at least it's nutritious. It's certainly not like the almost-expired convenience-store bento you ate at the bookstore last time."
"…I didn't know you were knowledgeable about nutrition," Sakiko responded awkwardly, deliberately steering the conversation away from Kyo's caring observation, which left her feeling slightly uncomfortable.
Lately, she'd grown overly sensitive to others' kindness.
"Haha, well, I know a little," Kyo answered smoothly, picking up on Sakiko's forced topic shift.
"When I first started making soup myself, I glanced through some nutrition books. But only briefly—cooking should be enjoyable. If you rigidly follow the textbooks, the final dish always turns out bland."
Sakiko started quietly eating, adhering carefully to the good habit of not talking during meals.
Kyo briefly got up to fetch a bowl of seaweed soup. It was watery and bland, but soup nonetheless.
Eating quietly, they occasionally glanced up at each other unintentionally.
Unlike her dramatic enthusiasm or elegant savoring when drinking liquids, Kyo's attitude toward solid food was somewhere in between: she ate calmly and methodically, carefully chewing before swallowing, yet without any genuine interest or savoring of flavors.
Surprisingly, she lingered longest over the bland soup, drinking it very slowly.
Clearly, this meal was purely functional—just something to fill her stomach.
Both finished quickly without further conversation, and only afterward did Kyo finally speak again.
"So, Sakiko, since you deliberately chose these dishes, I assume it's to save money? Please don't say it's because you actually like them. Can I ask what you're saving for? Don't fall into the trap of saving money just for its own sake."
"I'm saving up to buy a keyboard," Sakiko answered immediately, without hesitation. Her goal was crystal-clear.
She didn't elaborate on the purpose of the keyboard—Kyo obviously understood.
"I see," Kyo nodded, indeed comprehending Sakiko's intentions. Then, without any subtlety or hesitation, she praised her friend directly: "Sakiko, you're really impressive."
Initially, Kyo had worried that Sakiko was merely traumatized by her past hardships, unwilling to spend money even when she had it.
Knowing now that Sakiko genuinely wanted to improve her circumstances, Kyo naturally had nothing else to criticize.
"Cough—what's with the sudden compliment..." Sakiko choked slightly at Kyo's straightforward praise. Quickly stepping ahead, she hurriedly changed the subject, "Anyway, let's go. I still need to review my notes from our last class this morning."
"Oh, you can go ahead first, Sakiko."
"Hm?"
Kyo scratched her cheek awkwardly, "We only have one afternoon class today, right? The classroom's just way too hot... I think I'll just spend that time in the infirmary."
Thus, Kyo casually announced her intention to skip class—
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T/N: i usually would skip class and go downtown, or just chill in the green room's sofa at the theatre class, heuheuheu sometimes i would sleep GRADUATED WITH HONOROS BABY EVEN IF I SKIP DAILY