Chapter 8

"Yanagi, why don't you eat lunch with us?" a couple of girls invited him over to where they had pushed their desks together.

"Sorry, but I'm eating with Kuruma," Yanagi replied.

"Aw, but you two do everything together! Spare some time for us."

"It's like you said, we do everything together." Yanagi shrugged. "Sorry, girls, but thanks for the invite." He winked at them, and they squealed.

"I didn't think it was possible, but I swear it's worse than it was in middle school." Kuruma sighed, shaking his head. "I don't understand the hold you have over them."

"Not sure why you thought it'd get better," Shiori grumbled, glancing at Kuruma as Izumi turned around to eat her bento with Shiori, who brought a sandwich and an apple.

Hope she won't mind eating with me.

"Hey, Izumi," one of their classmates called out to her.

"Hmm?" She turned to them.

"Do you want to..." they trailed off when Yanagi glared at him. "Never mind." He swallowed hard. "Uh, we can talk about your old town some other time." He backed away.

Yanagi nodded and pushed his desk up to Shiori's from the row behind. "I think the four of us should eat together."

"I don't think you needed to move your desk for it." Shiori crunched through her apple, lazily looking over at him.

"Easier for all of us to eat together this way. Oh, you've got animal-shaped food? How cute." Yanagi looked into Izumi's bento at a panda onigiri under an omelette blanket.

"Yeah, my mom likes to get creative with it. I always feel bad eating them, though." She poked at the blanket with her chopsticks.

"But it'd be a waste not to eat. We can trade if you don't want to eat yours," Kuruma offered. "Though all I have are onigiris."

"No, my mom made this for me, so I should eat it. Sorry, Mr. Panda." Izumi took a deep breath and dug in. Aw, he looks so sad now. I like how cute they are, but I'd rather not have to ruin it.

"Yup, your mom is an artist," Shiori said, looking at the picture she quickly snapped before Izumi took a bite.

"Sure you don't want to trade?" Yanagi offered up his sushi.

"I'm sure." Izumi poked the panda's ear.

Yanagi reached over to Kuruma's box and switched two pieces of sushi for an onigiri. "He does make good onigiri."

"You make them yourself?" Izumi asked Kuruma.

"Not like it takes much, though I didn't do any special filling today. Too lazy," Kuruma mumbled as he bit into Yanagi's sushi.

"Oh, and it's normal for us to trade like this, so don't overthink it if you want to do the same," Yanagi said.

"Thanks, but I'm good."

"Shiori?"

"Hmm?" She shoved the last bit of her sandwich into her mouth, finishing before everyone else. "What?"

"You've got a little bit of mayo right there." Yanagi reached over, wiped the corner of her mouth with his thumb, and licked it.

Shiori's eyes widened, her hand automatically covering the spot.

"You know, I could go for a sandwich for lunch."

"Are you complaining your parents send you with sushi?" Kuruma grumbled. "Tastes way better than what I make."

"Not really, it's just been a while, and I could use a variety."

"Then ask them. They'll give you whatever you want."

"If I could get a moment with them, and remember, sure."

"Why don't you make a sandwich yourself?" Shiori asked, cleaning her desk. "Don't think you need a chef for that."

What's this weird tension? Izumi closed her polished off bento.

"I suppose you have a point." Yanagi sighed, his shoulders slouching.

Maybe he wanted a piece of her sandwich specifically... I wonder.

"And you could always swing by the school store for one of those buns if you want to."

"Also a good option. Thanks, Shi."

"It's Shiori," she huffed. "Keep it up with the nickname, and I'll put a curse on you." She pointed at him and swirled her finger around.

"Is that so?" He tilted his head to the side and smiled. "What kind of curse?"

Her eye twitched.

"Something that makes me ribbit every time I try to say your name? Or how about my voice cuts out when I try to?" He rubbed his throat.

What an active imagination he has! Though now I'm wondering, too. Izumi held back a laugh.

"Tch."

"Why does it sound like you want her to curse you?" Kuruma asked, cleaning Yanagi's desk.

"I don't want to be cursed, but I am curious what she'd do to me."

"You're so weird sometimes."

"Rich coming from you."

"Hmm? Yeah, I guess you're right."

"And people wonder why we work."

"Do they?" Kuruma thought about it for a moment and nodded. "Figured they thought you took pity on me or something, and that's why we're friends. For those who don't know about our rivalry, anyway."

"Pity? For what?"

Kuruma stared at him blankly. "Sometimes I wonder if you're clueless, despite being so smart, or do you see the world completely different than most people?"

"I'm hoping it's the second one, but something tells me it's a mix."

"Time's up; go back to your spots." Shiori pointed at the clock above the door and tried to shoo them away.

"Aw, lunchtime passed too fast." Yanagi pouted and shifted his desk away from hers.

I wonder if every lunch is going to be so lively. Izumi turned her seat back to her desk.

After carefully packing her bento away, she glanced over at Kuruma to see him drawing a poster for his club while waiting for the teacher.

"Ugh." He scribbled over his drawing and pulled out a new sheet of paper.

"How long do we have to find another person for the club?" Izumi asked.

"A couple of weeks at most. The earlier the better, but no one seems to have an interest in it," Kuruma grumbled, scratching out another failed attempt.

"Hey, Shi," Yanagi called out to her. "Any chance you can do a rough draft for him? A quick sketch from you that he can outline for his poster would be awesome. I'll even buy you lunch or whatever you want for it."

Izumi turned to her, pouting as she gave her puppy dog eyes.

"Geez, are you going to pull this every time you want something?" Shiori mumbled.

If it works, it's likely I will! Can't say that, though. "Please help us. I'd do it, but I'm no artist, unless you're looking for stick figures."

"Ha..." Shiori covered her mouth. "Good to know, I suppose."

"Alright, class." The teacher clapped, grabbing their attention. "Lunch is over. Everyone back to your seats."

Izumi whispered please again and turned to the front. Feels like I'm going to hopelessly rely on Shiori this year; I hope it doesn't bother her. I want this friendship to last. I wonder what I could do for her.

"Do the gym shorts have to be so... short?" Izumi complained as she tugged on the bottom of them as they headed outside for P.E.

"I don't know why they don't just give us shorts like the boys have. At least it'd cover more skin, and I burn so easily in the sun." Shiori blocked sunlight with her hand as she gazed up at the cloudless sky. "Or at least let us stay inside until it's warmer. I think they just want to torture us all." Shiori hugged herself, shivering as a breeze blew by.

"Once we start moving more, it won't feel chilly." Izumi stretched her arms out as the girls gathered for their fitness test. "Hey, the boys are starting baseball while we get tested?" She pointed at the baseball field a bit in the distance.

"Guess they test us at different times here."

"Hey, is that Kuruma at bat?" Izumi wandered closer, with Shiori close behind.

"Looks like him, and Yanagi is pitching. Do the guys have anything specific they're doing? Feels like they just let them play." Shiori sighed.

"Well, looks the other boys are watching them."

Crack. Kuruma sent a baseball flying. The other boys cheered.

"And maybe that's why." I know he likes baseball, but is he actually an expert?

"Kuruma and Yanagi competing to see who can hit the most wouldn't be abnormal for them. The teacher is here. Ugh... Can I sit in the bleachers instead of doing a fitness test?"

"Not likely."

"Time to show how little stamina and co-ordination I have. Yay..."

"I actually want to show off my sprinting and long jump."

"Really? Are you athletic?"

"In regular sports with a ball? No... But I'm fast and I can jump." Izumi gave her a thumbs-up. Just like one of my favourite characters in the mech isekai! Let's rock this.