Shimada Hazuki: "Come to think of it, I've been playing with idiot big brother the whole time and completely forgot to eat."
Shimada Minami picked up the two lunch boxes behind her, placed one on top of Shimada Hazuki's head, and said: "How can that be? If you don't eat properly, you won't grow up."
"But isn't this lunch box made specifically for idiot big brother?"
Shimada Hazuki held the lunch box in her hands and looked at her sister in confusion. She had personally watched her sister get up early today and put in a lot of effort to make it. Her sister didn't usually do this.
Shimada Minami started walking away from Akihisa's direction with Shimada Hazuki: "No, how could it be? This one was made for Hazuki, of course."
"Then let's eat it together."
Shimada Minami walked for a bit and then stopped: "Hazuki, big sister still has supplementary lessons later. You go home first!"
Shimada Hazuki obediently waved goodbye: "Okay, got it."
After parting with Shimada Hazuki, Shimada Minami lowered her head in dejection. Standing alone in place, she looked especially lonely.
(Sigh, I should go check on Akihisa after all…)
Saiki teleported away and followed in Akihisa's direction. He was mainly a little worried about that Kubo Toshimitsu. Even though it was just eating together, still…
Saiki arrived at the restaurant. At this moment, Yoshii Akihisa had just ordered his set meal. Kubo Toshimitsu had gone to pick it up, so he was sitting alone at the table.
Yoshii Akihisa [This is great. I can finally eat my fill.]
(From the looks of it, there's nothing weird going on.)
But Akihisa glanced sideways and noticed that Iron Man was also sitting nearby eating.
That alone was fine, but his eyes drifted to the briefcase beside him. Half of the game console that had been confiscated from him was peeking out from inside.
Yoshii Akihisa instantly became energized [The game console! No way, I have to get it back. Otherwise, class time will drag on forever and I'll get super hungry.]
Akihisa slowly reached out his hand, stretching toward it while observing Iron Man's condition. He seemed to be focused on eating and hadn't noticed Akihisa's movements.
"Got it."
Just as Yoshii Akihisa was about to succeed, a large hand clamped down on his wrist. He turned his head and saw Nishimura Soichi with a very "kind" expression on his face.
"What are you doing, Yoshii?"
Yoshii Akihisa broke into a smile and said calmly: "Ah! Well, I saw there was a bug on your briefcase, Sensei, so I wanted to help swat it away for you, haha haha haha."
"I see, haha haha haha…"
Nishimura Soichi laughed along with him. The two of them kept laughing until the laughter gradually died down.
Nishimura Soichi reached out and clamped his hand on Yoshii Akihisa's head: "Yoshii, are you ready?"
"Wait wait wait, I have a reason for this!"
Nishimura Soichi started dragging Yoshii Akihisa along: "I was originally planning to hold onto your stuff for a few days and return it after school on Monday. But seeing you like this, hmph, you're coming with me for punishment first."
Yoshii Akihisa cried tears: "Nooo, at least let me finish eating first…"
But Iron Man truly lived up to his name—even his heart was made of iron. He dragged Akihisa away just like that.
Kubo Toshimitsu, who had just returned with the food, saw this scene, blushed, and pushed up his glasses.
"Yoshii-kun is so cute…"
Saiki: ...
Right after Saiki left the cafeteria, Sakamoto Yuuji and the others walked up.
"Saiki, where's Akihisa?"
[Well, he's off having fun with Iron Man.]
"Seriously, that idiot got himself in trouble again."
Tsuchiya Kouta: "Saiki, let's head back."
[Yeah, time to go home.]
As they were walking, Hideyoshi suddenly spoke up.
"But where did Shimada run off to in the end? We never found her. I'm a little curious if she ever gave Akihisa that lunch box."
Tsuchiya Kouta: "Yeah. I was thinking of following Akihisa to see, but who knows where he went."
Sakamoto Yuuji: "No helping it. Himeji-san's lunch box was way too powerful. By the time we recovered, we couldn't even find Akihisa anymore. Otherwise, if we'd kept tailing him, we might've gotten to watch some good drama, right, Saiki?"
Said the guy who had just finished secretly tailing and spying on someone else.
[Yare yare, what's so interesting about that? Stalking other people isn't good behavior.]
Hideyoshi: "True. But I'm just a little curious about Shimada's lunch box. Hazuki said she got up really early and put a ton of effort into it. I just don't know if Akihisa will ever get the chance to enjoy it."
Saiki recalled what Hazuki had said in his mind.
"Big sister got up so early and worked so hard just to make a lunch box for idiot big brother…"
Saiki stopped walking.
The others looked puzzled.
Sakamoto Yuuji: "What's up, Saiki?"
Tsuchiya Kouta: "Did you forget something?"
Hideyoshi: "Need to go back for it? This old one will wait here for you."
Saiki smiled and answered,
[No need, thanks. I did forget something. You guys don't have to wait for me. Go on ahead. I have other things to take care of.]
After saying that, Saiki turned and left, leaving the bewildered group staring at his back.
"What was that about?"
"Who knows…"
......
It was only around 3 o'clock, but the fiery red sunset had already spread across the land, casting the world in new colors. Shimada Minami sat alone on a bench on the rooftop, creating a very lonely scene.
Shimada Minami opened the lunch box and looked at the meal she had carefully prepared. She imagined Yoshii Akihisa devouring it enthusiastically.
While scarfing it down, he would say: "Idiot. Akihisa is an idiot. Super idiot. Super ultra mega idiot…"
Saiki watched this scene from the corner.
(She's still in the mood to curse out Akihisa. Looks like it didn't affect her too much. Seriously, I shouldn't have come back to meddle.)
Shimada Minami's rant continued: "Who would make a lunch box for such a huge idiot? Who would? Who would? Who would…"
Eventually, her voice slowly turned into sobs. Shimada Minami set the lunch box down. Tears unconsciously flowed down her face as she bit her lip.
"Idiot…"
(Both of them are idiots.)
Saiki vanished from the spot.
...
As 4 o'clock approached, Shimada Minami walked through the school grounds and stopped by a trash can next to a bench.
Shimada Minami took out her lunch box, opened it, looked at the barely touched meal, and prepared to throw it away.
Just as she reached this spot, Yoshii Akihisa, who happened to see the scene from nearby, rushed over: "Wait… wait wait wait."