Breakfast: I Really Am Useless

"Ahhhhh~ Stupid, stupid, Miki! You're a huge, huuuge idiot~~~"

Yamamura Miki clutched her head and wriggled around on the bed like a worm, shouting nonstop:

"Why did I listen to him? Why couldn't I say no? He's just ordering me around however he wants! Stupid, stupid, you're such an idiot."

Yamamura Miki squirmed around on the bed for ages, berating herself over and over in her head. She felt like a complete failure.

She always tried to turn people down tactfully, hoping they'd understand what she meant.

And then Kijima Tsukur led her around by the nose...

She felt so stupid.

Suddenly,

she sat bolt upright, her eyes widening as she realized:

"Wait, am I being bullied?"

The more she thought about it, the more it seemed so.

They'd only just met, and he was already making her buy things, making a girl carry them, making her cook—and it looked like he was going to make her clean, too.

And tomorrow, she had to bring that guy lunch?

How could it be anything but bullying?

"No! Tomorrow, I'm definitely going to give him a firm no."

Yamamura Miki clenched her little fists, trying hard to pump herself up:

"I'll tell him I don't like this. If he wants me to cook for him, he'd better ask properly. He'll have to beg me for it! Hmph!"

Yamamura Miki gave a proud little hmph, then sank into disappointment. She hugged her pillow and lay on the bed, her lovely eyes gazing vaguely at the wall.

For someone whose presence had always been faint, and who'd had few friends since childhood,

everything that had happened today was a completely new experience.

For the first time, someone had paid so much attention to her. For the first time, she'd gone shopping with someone. For the first time, she'd eaten with someone—and that someone was a boy...

Even if he was a jerk.

When she thought about the two of them wandering around the convenience store, about directing Kijima Tsukur as he picked out things, and how he'd obediently put them into the basket,

even Yamamura Miki had to admit she hadn't actually hated it that much.

That was what made Yamamura Miki the angriest.

Yamamura Miki hugged the pillow to her chest, feeling terribly aggrieved.

He'd been ordering her around however he pleased, and she hadn't wanted any of it—but for some reason, she still couldn't bring herself to dislike him...

"What an idiot... Tomorrow, I'm definitely going to say no properly!"

Chapter 8: Breakfast—I Really Am a Failure

The next day.

The second day of school.

Kijima Tsukur got up right on time, washed up, and headed to school.

This wasn't his first time living alone, and it wasn't that he couldn't take care of himself. He just didn't know much about everyday life.

Of course, more importantly, having someone wait on him was pretty comfortable.

Kijima Tsukur walked to his seat without looking around. Even without glancing at anyone, he could sense that something had changed.

The class had split into several little circles, along with a few loners.

The two biggest circles

naturally belonged to Katsuragi and Sakayanagi Arisu.

Thanks to his generous nature and the way he valued his classmates, Katsuragi had made quite a few friends.

As for Sakayanagi Arisu...

She was cute, had difficulty walking, and yet was strong-willed. That sort of personality naturally made the people around her want to protect her.

At the moment, quite a few people glanced at Kijima Tsukur as he entered.

There was no dramatic scene of him puffing out his chest and making everyone submit on the spot, nor did he stand out by deliberately provoking someone.

As long as he didn't bother anyone, everyone treated him like he was invisible.

In that respect,

the students in Class A were all exceptionally capable—or, rather, they tended to approach things rationally.

With no conflict of interest,

everyone simply kept an appropriate distance and went about their own business.

That was only natural.

What was admirable was that even if they were privately displeased, the students in Class A still maintained a civil front and did their best to avoid contact.

That was why Kijima Tsukur sat all by himself, undisturbed, while Sakayanagi Arisu behind him greeted him with a smile.

"Good morning, Kijima."

"..."

Knowing that Sakayanagi Arisu was only looking for a bit of fun, Kijima Tsukur ignored her. He had no interest in playing along with her.

The few people standing beside Sakayanagi Arisu smiled but said nothing.

No one told Sakayanagi Arisu to leave him alone, and no one scolded Kijima Tsukur for being rude. They were all about minding their own business and not offending either side.

Still, a few people frowned.

Relationships between people varied in closeness, and everyone had different limits of tolerance. Perhaps after a while, they would come down firmly on Sakayanagi Arisu's side.

"Kijima."

Sakayanagi Arisu wasn't annoyed either. She smiled cheerfully.

"No matter how capable someone is, no one will be willing to serve as your subordinate if you don't take action~"

"Looks like you've got something wrong."

Kijima Tsukur flipped through a book with one hand and toyed with a Rubik's cube with the other. Without turning around, he glanced over his shoulder.

"It's not that I want to be a leader, and it's not that I insist on taking you all as my subordinates. The fact that you'll become my subordinates has nothing to do with anyone's personal wishes."

Heh.

What an arrogant young master.

Kamuro Masumi and the others nearby smiled without saying anything. Did he think they'd beg to wait on him?

"Heh..."

Seeing that Kijima Tsukur hadn't even turned around, Sakayanagi Arisu chuckled softly.

"That may be what you say, but the only person who seems to have anything to do with you right now is Yamamura, isn't it? It's already this late, and she still hasn't come to school. Did you do something to her, or is she deliberately avoiding you?"

"Whether I did something to her or she wants to avoid me, neither can defy destiny."

What Yamamura Miki thought didn't matter. Kijima Tsukur was more interested in why she still hadn't arrived.

He was waiting for her to bring him lunch, after all.

As for whether Yamamura Miki was avoiding him, there was no way she could keep that up.

Sakayanagi Arisu wasn't quite sure what to say.

Whenever he ran into a problem, he blamed destiny. Did this guy think he was a god?

Never mind.

No matter what Kijima Tsukur thought,

Sakayanagi Arisu still had things to do.

She needed to gradually turn the people who had gathered around her out of concern into her own strength, forming a faction of her own.

Then she could have some fun with Katsuragi and Kijima Tsukur.

If Kijima Tsukur was still like this by then, it would only prove he wasn't all that impressive after all.

Meanwhile,

outside Class 1-A,

Yamamura Miki stood in the doorway. Her faint presence made it seem as though the people around her didn't even notice her.

She held shopping bags in both hands. Inside was the breakfast she'd brought for Kijima Tsukur.

The night before, she'd firmly resolved to give Kijima Tsukur a hard no today.

But now that the moment had come,

Yamamura Miki couldn't help hesitating. Should she bring it in or not?

If she decided to bring it,

she could simply take it over to Kijima Tsukur.

If she didn't...

She considered entering the classroom through the back door.

Her seat was the last one in the first column by the door, while Kijima Tsukur's was right in the middle. Given his personality, he probably wouldn't turn around and look at what everyone else was doing.

In other words,

if she moved quietly, Kijima Tsukur wouldn't notice her.

Then she wouldn't have to bring anything to Kijima Tsukur.

Besides,

with a presence as faint as hers, people probably wouldn't notice her anyway, would they?

Even if Kijima Tsukur noticed her after class started, surely he'd understand that she was refusing him, right?

But then again,

Kijima Tsukur had transferred twenty thousand points to her yesterday. That was equivalent to a month's living expenses.

Since she'd accepted the money, it didn't seem right not to bring him breakfast, did it?

But Kijima Tsukur had forced the money on her. She hadn't even wanted it!

'Ugh...'

Yamamura Miki let out a whimper and took out her phone to check the time.

There were about fifteen minutes until the bell rang. If she waited any longer, Kijima Tsukur might not even have time to eat the breakfast if she brought it to him.

That was it.

She had to make a decision now!

Was she really okay with letting someone order her around like this?

Should she tactfully refuse Kijima Tsukur, or hand over the breakfast?

The decisive moment was now!

'You can do it!'

Yamamura Miki clenched her little fist and tried to cheer herself on.

She'd decided!

She'd go in through the front door!

If Kijima Tsukur noticed her, she'd give him the breakfast.