Chapter 2 - The Croquette You Shared with Me

Ding, dong, ding, dong.

The bell rings, indicating the lunch break time has started. The class come to a halt, and the students start pouring out of the class one by one including me—but...

"Homura, are you going to the cafeteria?" Akari who sits next to me. She put her breakfast on the table as I getting up from the chair.

"Uhm... Not really, I'm going to the school garden. I brought my own lunch so there's no need to go to the cafeteria..." I replied while holding my lunch.

"Oh, I see... Uhm..."

"Is there something, Akari?"

"Ah... Its nothing... I just... I just wanna ask if it's okay for me to join you, in the garden...?"

"Oh, yeah... Of course you can, but... Don't you want to join with your friends?"

Since homeroom started this morning, Akari got a lot of attention from the classmates—so I thought she already have some friends who already invited her to eat lunch together or something...

"About that... No one invited me." Her smile dimmed 

Wh-what?! Is this because of her conditions? I hope I was wrong...

I thought they really cared about her...

In that case, at the very least, as her friend I should accompany her.

"Alright, then let's go to the garden." I stood up and give my best smile to her.

Akari's eyes is full of sparkles when she heard it. Her head is nodding fast with excitement and swinging her hands joyfully.

She looked like a kid, and that's cute.

After that, I grabbed the handles, my lunch box is on Akari's lap as per her request so I can push the wheelchair comfortably.
As we walk to the garden, we got a lot of stares from the students in the hall—and honestly... That makes me feel uncomfortable...

Stares... I don't want to be the spotlight...

"...mura... Homura."

"Oh, yeah, what is it?" I snapped back to reality after hearing Akari has been calling me out.

"Are you feeling uncomfortable? With all these stares?"

"Ah... Uhm... Yeah I think... Sorry, because of it I spaced out and didn't hear you..."

"Mhm, it's okay... It's my fault too because me... You got all these stares." Her voice sounded sad.

"No, no, this is not your fault. I'm okay, don't worry about it." I tried to reassure her.

Akari didn't give me any reply. She just nodded then fell silent.

I think I should cheer her up... But I don't know anything about good communication...

If this keep on going... The atmosphere around us will be gloomy...

Alright. I should give it a shot and worry about the result later.

"Akari."

"Yes, what is it?"

"What is your lunch today?"

"My lunch? I bring—" Akari stopped, then continue with, "that's a secret~ you will know when we arrived at the garden."

"Hee? Why secret? I'm curious about it though..."

"Ehehe~" Akari giggled.

Long story short, we arrived at the garden.

After looking for a great place for a while, I parked Akari's wheelchair beside a long bench we found in the garden and choose it to be our spot to eat together.

"Homura."

"Yes?"

"Can you help me? I wanted to sit on the bench too.'

"Oh, okay."

If I remember correctly... She once said she's going to be healthy again soon, right? If that's right then I didn't have to carry her.

No, not it's not like that. She's not heavy, it's just... Embarrassing...

"Don't worry Homura, I can stand well enough if I'm holding on to something."

"Ah, I see... But unfortunately... There's nothing sturdy enough for you to lean on..." I said as I looked around. "Do you want to lean on me?"

"Eh?!" Akari looked at me with shock, I can see her face growing red. "N—no, then it's okay... I will sit here, on my wheelchair..." She said while fidgeting around.

"You sure? I would be happy if I can be a help."

After saying that, Akari changed her mind and agreed to accept my offer.

Before I started helping her, she put both of our lunch box on the bench.

I crouched down as low as possible so her hands can rest on my neck.

"Okay, up we go, slowly there."

Akari slowly stand up with my helo, her face is right next to mine, her hair is tickling my cheeks and my ears—and also... She smelled really good...

Eventually, she made it from the wheelchair to the bench.

"Hey! Look! You did it!"

"Ugh... Homura... You sounded like a proud dad watching his son learning how to ride a bike." Akari giggled.

"Ahaha... I'm sorry. Shall we eat now?"

Akari nodded and give me my lunch box.

We sit right next to each other, clapped our hands and said "Let's eat!" At the same time.

"Woah! So your lunch is croquettes?"

"Ehehe~ As you can see, it's croquettes.'"

Her lunch only filled with croquettes and that makes me wonder... Did she make it all by herself?

If I didn't misremembered, she come from a wealthy family right? I don't know for sure yet, but this is only my thoughts after seeing her maid.

So it would be weird to see her lunch is only croquettes...

"Homura, you keep staring at me... You're not going to eat your lunch?"

"Ah... Yeah, I was just about to eat it now..."

I cut a slice of omelette, scoop some veggies and rice then eat it up.

I have eaten my mom's cook countless time and it keeps make me craving it more and more.

"Woah! Omelette! Did you mom make it?"

"Yeah, I couldn't cook so..." I chuckled awkwardly.

"It sure tastes good, isn't it?"

"Of course it is, my mom's cook is the best out of all cooks I have tried."

"Hee... Is that so?" Akari took one croquette from her lunch box and offered it to me. "Try this, let's see if I my cooking can match your mom's."

"E-eh? Mmm... Okay then..." I accepted the croquette, then eat it up.

...

Mmm!

"Akari... Are you... My mom's apprentice?"

"Hahaha, what do you mean?" Akari laughed.

"I'm serious, your cooking... Tasted a lot like my mom's..."

When I said that, Akari jumped a little and closed her face with both of her hands. Her body is also trembling a little. 

"A-Akari... What happened?"

"No, it's... It's nothing..."

"Are you sure?"

"This... This is the first time... Someone praised my cooking... Other than my family..."

Eh...?

"E-Eh? ... Mmm... You never shared your cooking with your friends before?"

"Of course I have... Only with my girl friend..."

Oh.

So what that's mean is...

I'm the first guy—outside of her family members—that eaten and have praised her cooking?

That's a little...

"Oh... Mmm..." I fell silent, don't know what to say...

In the end, I finally understand why is Akari behaving like that...