The droning voice of the history teacher, Mr. Takichi, was a lullaby to the soul of the mediocre. In Class 2B, the air was thick with the scent of chalk and apathy. Kenzuki sat at his window seat, chin resting on his palm, staring intensely at a particularly interesting dust mote dancing in the sunlight. He wasn't sleeping—that would be too active. He was simply existing in a state of low-power mode.
"Therefore, the economic collapse of the period led to..." Takichi droned on.
Did I lock the door when I left? Kenzuki's brain suddenly sparked, bringing him out of his reverie. Yes, I did. Twice. I remember the satisfying click. But did I turn off the stove? I didn't use the stove. I scrambled eggs. Did I wash the pan? No, I left it soaking. Good job, Kenzuki. You might actually survive the week.
Across the room, the subplots of the classroom continued to develop without his input. Hitashi, ever the oblivious prince, was leaning over to Ruki's desk.
"Hey, Ruki-chan, did you understand the part about the tax reform?" Hitashi asked, his voice a warm, inviting hum that made half the girls in the room sigh. "I was totally lost."
Ruki pushed her glasses up her nose, her expression cold but her eyes slightly softened. "It's simple if you actually read the textbook, Monoki-kun. I have notes if you want to look at them."
"You're a lifesaver, Ruki-chan!" Hitashi beamed, a smile so genuine it was almost disgusting.
Aris, sitting just behind Hitashi, watched this exchange. Her bright, beautiful face dimmed, the sparkle in her purple eyes fading like a lightbulb losing power. She looked down at her own desk, picking at a splinter on the wood.
And there it is, Kenzuki thought, observing the scene with clinical detachment. The tragic comedy of youth. Hitashi is too dense to realize Aris is crushing on him, and Ruki is too focused on her grades to care about Hitashi's clumsy advances. It's a perfect storm of idiocy. Good thing I'm not involved.
The bell finally rang, a harsh shriek signaling the arrival of the most important part of the day: Lunch.
The classroom exploded into motion. Students rushed out, eager to buy overpriced yakisoba pan from the cafeteria or gather in groups to eat in the courtyard. Within five minutes, Kenzuki was alone.
He pulled out his lunchbox—a plastic container holding a sad, solitary sandwich filled with nothing but mayonnaise and a single slice of ham. He looked at it, then out the window at the vibrant, loud campus.
I know what you're expecting, Kenzuki thought, settling back into his chair. You expect me to go to the rooftop. The classic romantic spot. So many people there. The view is good, I agree, but it's loud, annoying, and I might accidentally walk into a confession scene and have to witness more cringe. No thank you.
He took a bite of his bland sandwich, savoring the solitude.
I'd rather eat alone in this class while watching the view from the window! How good is that! How peaceful is that!! No awkward conversations, no judging eyes, just me, the window, and my mayonnaise-filled nightmare. This is a Paradise: Minimum Edition!! Bare Minimum is Enough for me. I don't need fancy food; I just need to survive until the end of the day.
He was halfway through his sandwich, staring at a sparrow perched on the window sill, when the classroom door slid open.
Aris walked in.
She stopped abruptly when she saw him, her eyes widening in surprise. She clearly hadn't expected anyone to be here. She looked at Kenzuki for a long, uncomfortable moment, then looked down, quickly closing the door behind her. She walked to her desk, not saying a word, and sat down with her own elaborate, colorful lunchbox.
She didn't open it. She just stared at it, her shoulders shaking slightly.
She seems sad... Very much, Kenzuki thought, taking a small bite of his sandwich to make it last longer. The patterns broke down, just like I thought. Yeah, maybe her childhood friend, that guy, chose to eat with Ruki instead of her... Pathetic. Welcome to the Loser Tag, Kataromi-San.
The silence in the room was deafening, broken only by the faint sound of Aris's quiet sniffles. She reached out, her hands trembling, and gripped her lunchbox, lifting it toward the trash can at the front of the room. It looked expensive, likely handmade with love and care, now destined for the bin because it was rejected by association.
She's going to throw it away? What a waste!
Unexpectedly, Kenzuki spoke. His voice was calm, a little lazy, but firm.
"If You don't want to Eat it, Give it to me. I'm still hungry."
Aris stopped, frozen in the act of throwing the box away. She slowly turned to look at him, her eyes red and teary, her expression shocked. She looked at his small, pitiful sandwich, then back at him.
Hopefully, she brought the box over to his desk and handed it to him.
Kenzuki opened it. Inside were perfectly shaped onigiri, tamagoyaki, grilled fish, and colorful vegetables.
"It looks delicious, Kataromi-San," Kenzuki said, his voice sincere. "Thank you."
He took a pair of chopsticks and immediately began eating, his inner monologue going wild.
Hah! FREE EXPENSIVE HANDMADE FOOD! PRIDE? NEVER HEARD OF THAT! Why would I be proud when I can be full? It's Common For Losers like Me, Baby! I don't need to be the hero; I just need to eat the hero's leftovers.
He took a bite of the tamagoyaki. It was warm, sweet, and perfectly cooked.
"Emm! It's so delicious," Kenzuki mumbled, his mouth full. "Let me guess, You made it yourself, right?"
Aris, who was watching him with a mixture of confusion and disbelief, blinked. "How... How did you know?"
Kenzuki smirked, the same cynical smirk from before, but now with a hint of warmth. "You were looking at me like a puppy waiting for Approval. Haha. It's obvious. You put a lot of work into this, and I can tell you're the kind of person who takes care of others."
He took another bite, closing his eyes in bliss.
"It's a LOSS for SOMEONE who DECLINED it."
He opened his eyes and gave her a genuine, albeit slightly lazy, smile.
"It's really delicious. Thank you, Kataromi-San."
Aris blushed, a deep red that spread from her cheeks to the tips of her ears. She hadn't expected this. Not from him. From Kenzuki Goddomori, the boy who usually sat in the back and whispered jokes to himself.
He... Knows... Aris thought, her mind racing. A loss for someone... he means Hitashi. He knew I was sad about him. And HE... Kenzuki Goddomori... is eating it with such... gratitude? He's not laughing at me. He's just... grateful.
She looked at him, really looked at him, not just as the background character, but as a person.
"I..." she stammered, then gathered her courage. "I'm glad... I'm glad you like it, Kenzuki-san."
Kenzuki shrugged, going back to the onigiri.
It's so delicious, Thank you Kataromi-San! he continued his monologue, feeling a surge of genuine joy. Thank you whichever Gods or Deities or Good Japanese Ghosts are blessing me today! This is better than any cafe food! Maybe being a loser isn't so bad when the food is this good.
The rest of the lunch break passed in a comfortable silence, broken only by Kenzuki's occasional appreciative hums, and Aris watching him, a small, tentative smile growing on her face.
To be continued.