It Only Takes Octopus Sausage

Under the canopy of a Japanese varnish tree, Kyashii found herself sitting on a bench in between Yuyo and Minori. From a distance, it seems like everything is fine, except for one thing... 

What’s going on? They haven’t even said a word! This is so awkward!

They just started eating in silence without saying anything. I thought they were already close. Was I mistaken?

Hmm... But I need to say something. It’s probably best to start with Kamiwaki-san. Shibasaki-san has knocked all my confidence to the ground now that I’m sitting next to her!

She stared at Minori, who was quietly eating her lunch, before taking a quick glance at the lunchbox.

“Wow! Kamiwaki-san, that’s a cute bento! Did you make it?” The Shiba character bento caught Kyashii’s eyes. 

Minori flinched a little when Kyashii’s reaction hit her. “Y-Yes. I enjoy making my bento. My mom taught me how to do this.” She flashed a shy smile.

“Really?! That’s great. I like preparing bento as well. Isn’t it a lot of fun?” Kyashii smiled enthusiastically.

“Yes, indeed. Umm... Would you like to swap recipes next time, Mikami-san?” 

“Sure! That sounds wonderful to me! I’m sure we’ll get along well over food, Kamiwaki-san.”

“I am certain of that. But umm... Why didn’t you bring your bento today, Mikami-san?” Minori was curious as to why Kyashii was eating something from the school cafeteria.

“Ahh… I was in such a hurry today that I couldn’t make one.” Kyashii smiled with a slight blush.

“I see...”

Needless to say, Kyashii couldn’t let Minori know straight away she was trying to arrive at school before everyone else.

It’s because I’m trying to get a hold of this annoying person over here, but someone else beat me to it. Hmmph! 

She retraced her attention to Yuyo, who was silently eating her bread on the sidelines.

Okay, Kyashii, here’s your perfect chance to bother her!

“So, Shibasaki-san, how about you? Why didn’t you bring your own lunch?” Kyashii’s confidence surprisingly rose from the ground as she turned to Yuyo. 

“Making bento isn’t my thing.” A nonchalant Yuyo replied.

“Really? What about your mom?”

“I don’t have my parents with me.”

Uh oh... Hmm. I wonder why. But umm... asking about it seems inappropriate.

Nevertheless, she was getting more and more intrigued by Yuyo. “Umm... Do you live alone, Shibasaki-san?”

“No. I live with my older brother.”

“Ohh… I see.” Kyashii’s lips contorted into a lopsided smile.

Gaahh! I think she’s way too sparing with her responses! How cold… Hmph! But no... Regardless of the outcome, I intend to bother this girl today. I’ll keep bothering her! Not to mention she doesn’t seem to mind it all that much. 

However, before Kyashii could ask Yuyo another question, Minori graciously offered to share her lunchbox. “Shibasaki-san, Mikami-san, do you want to try something from my bento?” 

“Really?!” Kyashii turned to Minori with sparkling eyes.

“Yeah, you can take your pick, Mikami-san.” Minori extended her lunch box to Kyashii.

“Ohh! I’d love that! Thank you, Kamiwaki-san~… Wooah! A dog design food toothpick! Even your food pick is cute, Kamiwaki-san!” Kyashii’s admiration for cute food-related stuff is something she can’t keep a secret. “Now then… I’ll have this last piece of octopus sausage here. Thank you so much for the food.” She nibbled on a small portion of the sausage. “Uhmm~. It’s yummy! This makes me wish I had made my bento today.”

Minori let out a small giggle. “I’m glad to hear that, Mikami-san.” The praise on her bento box had her beam with delight and satisfaction. “How about you, Shibasaki-san? Would you like to try some?”

“No, but thank you, Kamiwaki-san.” Yuyo politely declined.

“Ehh? Shibasaki-san, you only had one bread bun. Here... You should try this sausage from Kamiwaki-san’s bento. It’s tasty.” Kyashii holds the sausage near Yuyo’s mouth. “Come on… Just a small bite.” She’s beaming with a good-humored smile.

Yuyo wiggled her brows at Kyashii for a moment, then turned her eyes to the octopus sausage. And with only a few seconds to spare, she flashed a sly smile before finishing off the rest of the sausage from Kyashii's hand.

“. . . . .”

Eh?!

Kyashii was lost for words as she blinked at the empty food pick in her hand. She hoped that Shibasaki-san would leave a small portion, but she ate all of it. 

Her eyes slowly shifted to Yuyo munching on the sausage while giving her a condescending smile.

Huh? Wait…

She did that on purpose, didn't she?!

Gaahh!

“It would have been nice if you had left me even a small piece, Shibasaki-san! What a meanie!” Kyashii’s glare of death landed on Yuyo.

That’s the last one! I only had a small bite!

“Ah-re? Your words encouraged me to eat it, which is why I did. I guess you’re right, Mikami-san. It’s pretty tasty.” Yuyo smirked impishly.

“My memory tells me I said a small bite! That was a whole bite you took! Where’s the small in that?” Kyashii’s scowling as she gives Yuyo the evil eye.

Yuyo simply scoffed and pretended she hadn't heard Kyashii.

“I’ll just bring more tomorrow, Mikami-san.” Minori stepped in as she awkwardly watched the two squabbling over a small piece of food.

“Ohh! That’s not it, Kamiwaki-san. It’s just that Shibasaki-san is just being mean. She definitely did that on purpose.” Kyashii pouted as she handed back Minori her food pick.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Mikami-san. It’s rude to make accusations like that, you know.” Yuyo’s amused gaze rested on Kyashii, who was rolling her eyes at her.

“I don’t need to hear any confirmation from you, Shibasaki-san. It’s your smile that speaks volumes.” Kyashii’s expression turned grim.

Yuyo just laughed inaudibly.

“It’s been on my mind to ask, but do you two know each other even before school starts?” Minori asked curiously. 

“You could put it that way.” Yuyo shrugged. “We’d already met on the way to school yesterday.”

“Huh?!” Kyashii looked at Yuyo in shock. 

“What... Didn’t we meet on that train, Mikami-san?” Yuyo isn’t sure why Kyashii seems so surprised.

“Ohh! Y-Yes, that’s right...”

Waah!

So she actually remembers me! Oh my gosh!

Wait… Did I spend all that time fussing over nothing?!

“I see. So that’s why the two of you have a strange air of familiarity despite being strangers. Hmm…” Minori repeatedly nodded as if she agreed with something.

“I don’t know about that. The two of us just happened to cross paths yesterday. Our meeting was entirely by chance. I’m not sure if I’m acting too familiar toward Mikami-san.” Yuyo replied indifferently.  

“Ahh... Erm... Maybe that was because I was trying to bug Shibasaki-san w-when I thought she’d forgotten about me. That makes it seem like I was familiar with her.” Kyashii blushed as the magnitude of her nonsensical attitude towards Yuyo dawned on her.

“Huh? So that explains your strange behavior toward me since yesterday. You’re trying to get back at me?” Yuyo’s surprise is palpable.

“We-Well… Something like that! To think that you don’t even recognize me was a serious blow to my ego. Hmph!”

“But it’s not that I can easily forget you in just a matter of hours. It only took me a second to recognize you during the class introduction.” Yuyo creased her brows at Kyashii.

“. . .”

Kyashii was frozen for a split second.

Of course! The class introduction! She’s in the last row, so she can openly glance at those presenting themselves from their seats. It was already clear that she remembered me before I saw her at lunch. That was why she no longer reacted with surprise to my presence.

Waah! I’m an idiot! That didn’t even cross my mind!

“Hmmph! Well... Aherm! I get that a lot, Shibasaki-san. Is it because I’m cute?” Kyashii did not take any time to recover from her embarrassment. It’s as if a switch has been flipped, enabling her to crack jokes around Yuyo.

“It’s true that you’re cute, but that’s not what made me remember you. I remembered you right away because of your clumsiness.” Yuyo said with a straight face.

“Haah?! C-Could you at least have some filters, Shibasaki-san?! You’re so straightforward! And I’m not clumsy!” Kyashii snarled.

Shibasaki-san is really something! How annoying!

“But you are. If you’re not clumsy, how can you be unprepared twice when the train stops?” Yuyo asked earnestly, stressing the word twice.

“That’s....”

That’s because my brain was overwhelmed with thoughts, and you’re one of those distractions!

And yet, Kyashii couldn’t bring herself to say that out loud. And she realized Yuyo was right. She did look pretty clumsy yesterday. “Well, whatever!” She ended up giving Yuyo a mean look.

Minori smiled at the two girls with fondness. “Ara~... The two of you are incredibly close.”

“We’re not,” Yuyo replied without any hesitation at all.

“Haah?!”

Could that mean she doesn’t want us to be friends? How rude! Hmph!

Kyashii was still in the process of glaring at Yuyo when an interesting thought struck her.

She shifted her focus to Minori.

“Yes, of course, Kamiwaki-san! Shibasaki-san and I are already good friends. As a matter of fact, she actually asked me to be her best friend during lunch break yesterday.”

“No, I did not….” Yuyo didn’t think twice about refuting Kyashii’s assertion.

“Yes, you did~... Aren’t we already best friends, Shibasaki-san?” Kyashii’s glare toward Yuyo is one of deadly determination. “You asked me after you offhandedly mentioned yesterday that you don’t have a best friend. So... I suppose I can now call myself your best friend, right?”

But Yuyo simply ignored Kyashii.

Minori can’t stop smiling. Even though she knew Kyashii was bluffing since it was too obvious, she decided to play along. Also, she’s interested in seeing how this one plays out.

“Are you and Mikami-san really best friends, Shibasaki san?” Minori asked. 

“We are, aren’t we?” Kyashii’s expression toward Yuyo remains unchanged.

Just say yes, you! It’s not like saying yes will kill you!

“Uhh…Yeah... Sure...” The monotonous voice and lifeless expression on Yuyo’s face conveyed a sense of resignation.

“Yatta! Alright! As we have now become best friends, it’s okay for me to call you Yuyo, right?” The tempo is on for Kyashii. Her gut says this won’t be the last time she bothers Yuyo.

“Fine… Whatever floats your boat.” Yuyo dismissively replied.

“Hmph! That’s it! You have a best friend in me now, Yuyo. Keep that in mind.” Kyashii smiled smugly at Yuyo as she jutted out her chin.

Yuyo just shook her head as she threw Kyashii a side-eye.

Minori laughed lightheartedly. “It’s so cute to see you two together. Ohh... May I call you both by your first names too?”

“I’m fine with it. Then I’ll start calling you Minori.” Kyashii grinned at Minori.

“That’s alright with me as well.” Yuyo concurred.

“Ohh~... I’ll call you Kyashii-chan and Yuyo-chan then.”

“You are free to drop the ‘chan’, Minori. I’m fine without it,” Yuyo noted.

“Really? Then Yuyo it is.” Minori smiled brightly.

“Hey, Yuyo! Call me by my first name too! It’s unfair... You just called Minori by her first name.”

“Ohh… Yeah… My bad. What was your first name again?” Yuyo grins at Kyashii. In all candor, she finds Kyashii quirky and annoying, yet weirdly enough, she isn’t seriously bothered by her demeanor.

“I hate you!” Kyashii huffed.

“Then that means we’re not best friends anymore, right?” Knowing that this is not the last time she would have to deal with Kyashii, Yuyo’s starting to figure out how to handle her strange behavior toward her.

“No! It’s possible to hate you and yet remain your best friend!” Kyashii does not doubt that she’s acting childlike, but she’s also aware Yuyo’s really hitting a different nerve on her.

“Heeh… What was that? That’s rather weird... But, of course... Then, it’ll be a pleasure to be in your care, Kyashii.” Yuyo’s sneer softened into a warm smile as she bowed to Kyashii.

Huh?!

Kyashii’s cheeks flushed since she hadn’t expected Yuyo to smile kindly at her and call her by her first name simultaneously.

Waahh!

My heart is racing because of her smile. This makes me so happy! This could be the start of something new for me.

Haaah~...

It’s undoubtedly spring.