The Wonderful Feeding Play

"Giving up on your dream?"

"What's it to you?" Sudo glared at him, a faint flame flickering in his eyes.

"It really has nothing to do with me," Eito said coolly. "If it weren't for Horikita, I wouldn't bother with a loser like you. But now I can see there's really nothing worthwhile about someone like you. What a shame. You've only been at this school for two months, and you're already getting expelled. What will your relatives think when they hear about it, you washed-up loser?"

"Who said I'm getting expelled? I'll see what happens when the time comes. It's not like the exam will be especially hard."

"So you're going to cram at the last minute? Do you think your problems can be fixed by looking over a few things before the exam? The questions on the last quiz were so easy, and you still only got that score. Are you planning to get a single-digit score on the next midterm and then crawl out of this school?"

"Hey, what are you acting so smug about?" Sudo was completely enraged. He grabbed Eito by the collar. "You think I'm a pushover who wouldn't dare hit you? I'll beat the hell out of you today, even if it gets me expelled!"

"Heh. Loser."

"You're dead!" Sudo raised his fist and swung at him.

"Wait!" "Hold on!"

Suzune and Yamauchi cried out at the same time. Even Ike, standing nearby, panicked.

By then, Eito had already activated his psychic ability. With time slowed, Sudo's fist crept toward him as if in slow motion.

"So slow."

He caught Sudo's fist with one hand, hooked his leg, and took him straight to the ground.

With a thud, Sudo's body slammed hard against the ground.

"Ah—ow—"

Sudo lay on the ground, groaning.

The sight stunned everyone.

After a moment of silence, Ike hurried over to check on Sudo.

"Sudo, are you okay?"

Eito said,

"Relax. He just landed on his back. Wipe off the antiseptic and you'll be fine. But Sudo, is that really all you've got? I thought you were bad at schoolwork but good at fighting. So that's it? I'd advise you to quit on your own. A loser like you will only hold the rest of the class back."

Sudo glared at him.

"My leg slipped just now. Just wait. I'll come after you once I've rested. I'll get my revenge, for sure!"

Eito had moved so fast that Sudo only remembered throwing his punch, then finding himself on the ground the next second. He assumed the floor had been slippery and he'd accidentally fallen.

"That's why you're a loser. You don't even know how you lost. What a shame." Eito sighed.

"Damn it!" Sudo clenched both fists and gritted his teeth. His gaze was full of resentment and humiliation.

After Ike took Sudo away, Yamauchi also said goodbye to the two of them. Only Suzune remained.

She asked, "What did you just do?"

She hadn't seen Eito's movements clearly either. She'd only glimpsed him catching Sudo's hand, and then Sudo was on the ground.

Could that have been magic?

It was the only explanation she could think of.

Eito said, "He must've tripped, I guess. So careless, falling over at his age."

"Is that so?"

Suzune looked doubtful, but there was no other explanation for the moment.

"I'll have to be careful around you from now on."

Eito had managed to bluff his way through it, but Suzune was sure he had something to do with what happened. If she'd been standing where Sudo was, how would she have reacted? The answer was, she wouldn't have been able to react.

If Eito ever tried to attack her, he'd have no trouble catching her off guard. Given how much of a delinquent he was, he'd surely do whatever he wanted to her. She wouldn't be able to do anything but endure the humiliation.

If Eito had heard her thoughts, he would've cried out that he'd been falsely accused.

He might be a little perverted, but he'd never force himself on a girl—unless she'd wronged him first.

That was a matter of principle.

"Can I still come to your room, then?"

"Of course not."

"What? Really?"

That hit him hard. He'd just gotten his fill, only to be told he couldn't visit Suzune's room anymore.

What a terrible deal.

He should've known better than to get involved.

Suzune continued, "I didn't think this through. If—"

If Eito had been the one lying on the ground, she didn't know how much guilt she would've felt.

Besides, she'd been too confident in her ability to keep Sudo under control.

In reality, there was no reasoning with someone like Sudo. He was even less rational than an elementary schooler.

"How about this? I'll treat you to a meal later, to thank you for helping me just now."

She meant him stopping Sudo, right?

It sounded like thanks, but she was actually trying to apologize.

He gladly accepted. "Sure, but I want you to feed me."

"Huh?"

Suzune looked at him as if he were an idiot.

Seeing her expression, Eito pretended to sigh. "What a shame. I guess friends are just there to be used. Once they've served their purpose, you toss them aside. You might as well get a dog instead. When you're done with it, you can just feed it a bone."

"Fine," Suzune said helplessly. "I'll treat you like a dog."

"..."

A Wonderful Feeding Play

Dusk.

On a secluded bench deep in the school grounds,

two people sat together.

Eito leaned back against the bench, growing impatient.

They'd agreed that she would feed him.

But Suzune had said they should find somewhere private. He'd suggested his room, but she'd immediately turned him down.

So the two of them had come here instead.

However, Suzune had said she needed a little time to prepare, so he'd been waiting for nearly fifteen minutes.

He was a patient person. Even if Suzune made him wait a lifetime, he'd be willing to wait. But being kept waiting like this was too much for his stomach.

"Why don't I show you how?"

"...All right." Suzune finally agreed, handing him the lunchbox.

Eito opened it and found a generous assortment of side dishes: chicken, ribs, steamed fish, and another vegetable dish.

At the same time, Suzune's cool voice reached him. "I heard boys all like meat, so..."

It was clearly a homemade lunch.

Eito didn't reply. He picked up a rib and held it to her lips.

"Here. Say ah~"

"..." Suzune didn't move. She just stared fixedly at the chopsticks.

"What's wrong?"

"Well... do I have to say 'ah' when I open my mouth?"

"Uh..." Eito had never heard that question before. He thought for a moment, then replied, "Do whatever you like."

"Oh. Then..." Suzune opened her mouth and carefully took the rib between her lips, chewing slowly.

Her movements were refined, like those of a sheltered young lady in a castle. Her calm eyes shone softly, like stars in the night sky.

"How is it?"

"It tastes fine."

"I wasn't asking how it tastes. I was asking how it feels."

"It's a little... embarrassing." Suzune touched her lips, her face glowing red in the sunset.

She seemed afraid to meet his eyes, glancing around while her other hand gripped the edge of the bench tightly.

After several dozen seconds of silence, Suzune suddenly said,

"Maybe we should forget it. I'll make it up to you some other way."

"No." Eito turned her down without hesitation. "We already agreed, so you can't back out now. Are you breaking your promise? Here, take it. It's your turn to feed me."

"A-all right."

Suzune could only take the lunchbox and imitate his movements. She picked up a piece of chicken and held it to his mouth, but because she wasn't looking at him, she nearly poked him in the eye with her chopsticks.

"Hey, be careful."

"S-sorry."

Suzune was startled and lost her grip on the chopsticks. The meat fell straight to the ground.

"Never mind. Let's try again," Eito said in a gentler tone. "But this time, blow on it first."

"Why?" Suzune asked, puzzled.

She didn't think the food was all that hot.

"Because that's what everyone else does. Skip that part, and you lose eighty percent of the fun."

"O-okay." Suzune was doing this for the first time. She wasn't sure, but she thought she'd seen people do it on TV, so she didn't question it further.

She opened her soft, delicate lips and gently breathed on the food. To avoid making a mistake, she stared intently at the piece of meat, blowing on it again and again, as if she were struggling against something.

She really does try hard at the strangest things.

After half a minute, Suzune finally offered him the food. "Here... ah..."

Her cheeks were bright red, and her clear eyes seemed to glimmer.

Her usual cool expression had vanished, replaced by a vulnerable, slightly bashful look. She was like a little girl being forced to do something naughty.

Eito bit off the piece of meat and chewed.

At once, the aroma of chicken mixed with another, peculiar scent and rushed into his nostrils.

"This smell... could it be..."

Yes, it was familiar. He'd smelled it just two days ago.

It was Suzune's own scent, lingering in his body and refusing to fade.

This was what they called—

an exchange of bodily fluids.

The food, steeped in Suzune's breath for a full half-minute, had merged with her scent and become something entirely new: a unique delicacy that only Suzune could make.

If he could, Eito would give it a ninety.

"It tastes good. Keep going, Horikita," Eito said, his expression cool.

To keep enjoying this delicacy, he had to act as if he didn't care.

"All right."