Magic Lunchbox

What's the Oriental Family?

Suzuki Tsubame was completely baffled, suddenly having a family out of nowhere.

The worst part was that the system wouldn't even give him a proper explanation, which was really annoying.

But the progress had jumped straight from 10% to 50%, so the reward should be pretty good, he figured.

Just as Suzuki Tsubame was stuck in a daze.

Sakayanagi, like a little cannonball, dove headfirst into his arms.

"Wah... waaah..."

She was this emotional—very unlike Sakayanagi.

My school uniform's about to get soaked, Suzuki Tsubame silently protested.

But his actions weren't that cold-hearted; he gently patted Sakayanagi on the back.

Why did they always say great joy easily leads to great sorrow?

When people were extremely happy or extremely sad, that was when they were most likely to choke up.

If they couldn't catch their breath, they might just keel over.

Speaking of which, how long had Kamuro been gone? Why wasn't she back yet?

Luckily, it was lunch break now, so normally no one would come back to the classroom.

The girl's crying gradually quieted, but she still clung to Suzuki Tsubame, unwilling to separate just like last time.

She had quite the idol complex, but unfortunately, the timing didn't really allow them to linger.

"Your Highness, it's broad daylight right now. Anyone could walk in at any moment."

"And besides, Kamuro's been gone this long—don't you find that suspicious?"

Sakayanagi sobbed but didn't answer him.

"Speaking of... tears are one thing, but don't get snot on my clothes, okay."

"Pfft!"

...Damn.

Good news: Suzuki Tsubame had successfully made Sakayanagi laugh.

Bad news: As everyone knew, when you had diarrhea, you couldn't trust every fart.

Same logic, when you were crying, you couldn't trust every breath you took.

If you messed up, and it came out your nose, you'd get a full-on soup-and-water situation.

"Have Kamuro wash it."

The voice came out with a bit of a sob, muffled from within Suzuki Tsubame's arms.

You really don't treat Kamuro like a person, do you.

But credit where it was due—Sakayanagi's first reaction when something went wrong was to look for Kamuro.

Suzuki Tsubame was at a loss too.

He chose to calm Sakayanagi down first, so they wouldn't get caught when someone showed up.

"Alright, alright. I'm closing my eyes now."

"Find some tissues and clean yourself up."

"As for the clothes, I'll take them off later and just toss them in the washing machine tonight."

"Mm..."

Sakayanagi nodded firmly, agreeing to Suzuki Tsubame's plan.

The fewer people who saw her in this embarrassing state, the better.

"Did you close your eyes?"

Her voice was muffled, perfectly playing the part of a helpless little girl.

"They're closed."

Suzuki Tsubame obediently shut his eyes.

He couldn't bring himself to do anything that would embarrass the girl!

Sakayanagi quickly shifted off Suzuki Tsubame, followed by the rustling sound of tissues being pulled out.

Mm... and the sound of her blowing her nose.

Then, Suzuki Tsubame felt a small hand laboriously wiping at his chest.

"Alright, you can open your eyes now."

The moment he opened them, he saw Sakayanagi sitting in her own seat, looking thoroughly uncomfortable.

Her eyes were still red—anyone could tell she'd been crying.

"Give Kamuro a call. I'm starving."

Taking a seat in front of Sakayanagi, Suzuki Tsubame shed his coat and made the suggestion.

"R-right."

The call connected quickly, and before long, Kamuro entered through the back door.

"Here, chopsticks."

Tossing a pair of chopsticks at Suzuki Tsubame, she turned to eat her own noodles, already cold and clumped.

Her gaze never once landed on Sakayanagi.

So... she already knew.

The entire meal passed in silence.

Because of the Enhancement Serum, Sakayanagi's appetite had surged.

The two of them worked together to polish off all the food.

A pity that, due to the timing, the dishes had gone cold.

Suzuki Tsubame even felt that Sakayanagi's personal chef wasn't as good as Horikita's cooking.

Quietly I left, as quietly I came.

I flicked my sleeves, not taking a single cloud with me.

To avoid awkwardness, Suzuki Tsubame didn't say goodbye to Sakayanagi.

Back in the Class D classroom.

Only two people were there as well.

Suzuki Tsubame stuffed his dirty coat into his desk drawer, and suddenly a lunchbox was pushed over from the side.

Ah, right. I forgot to tell Suzune not to make a portion for me.

Staring at the lunchbox in his hand—he could still eat it, but overeating wasn't good for his health.

Suzuki Tsubame turned his gaze toward Horikita.

Tsundere as ever, she was using a leisure book to mask her concern.

He shifted his gaze to Sakura. She'd only eaten a single bread roll for lunch—definitely not full.

But passing a girl's heartfelt gesture on to another girl...

Just thinking about it was enough to get him executed.

What should he do?

Suzuki Tsubame racked his brain, searching for a solution.

Wait!

Buddha said: If I don't enter hell, who will?

Yeah. That's the plan.

Suzuki Tsubame stood up with the resolve of one facing death.

Lunchbox in hand, he marched step by step toward Sakura's seat.

"Sakura, you only ate one bread roll for lunch. You're definitely not full."

"This lunchbox is for you."

After delivering his lines, he set down the lunchbox, then turned and walked back to his seat.

All in one smooth motion, like an emotionless machine.

Sakura hadn't even processed it before a lunchbox appeared on her desk.

She looked at the two-tiered box. She was indeed a bit hungry.

But she also knew this was a lunchbox Horikita had specially made for Suzuki. She couldn't eat it.

Summoning her courage, Sakura carried the lunchbox over to Suzuki Tsubame's desk.

Setting it down, she mustered her voice and whispered:

"Th-this was made specially for you by Horikita. I can't take it."

Suzuki Tsubame looked at the brave Sakura before him, a hint of approval flickering in his eyes.

But his tone was ice-cold.

"Woman, I remember telling you, didn't I? Once I give something away, I never take it back."

"I... I really can't."

Sakura's body trembled slightly, her voice carrying a quiver.

Malnourishment, or being too hungry—it made the body shake involuntarily.

She was clearly too hungry, not scared.

"It's fine, Sakura. Go ahead and eat."

Only when that cool, clear female voice came did Sakura's situation improve.

"Th-thank you, Horikita."

Sakura sighed with relief, picked up her lunchbox again, and fled back to her seat like a scared rabbit.

As if only there could she find a shred of safety.

Suzuki Tsubame looked at Horikita with some embarrassment, but fortunately she showed nothing unusual.

Horikita's inner state was far less calm than her surface.

The entire sequence of the other person's entrance into the classroom hadn't escaped her eyes.

It was early May, and the weather wasn't hot.

When Suzuki Tsubame came in, he wasn't panting heavily, and there was no sweat on his forehead.

Excluding exercise and weather, the only reason left for taking off his jacket was stains.

Add to that the fact that he had food at home but didn't eat—the only possibility was that he'd already eaten outside.

Hmm... after Horikita's random analysis.

Suzuki Tsubame must have gone to eat, hit on someone, and gotten drenched by them.

On Suzuki Tsubame's side, his expression was equally subtle.

[Ding! Long-term quest: Timid Star, completion: 10%, reward: Emotion Spotlight. This item is visible only to the host. Can freely amplify target emotions (joy, anger, sorrow, etc.). Effect diminishes gradually when used on multiple targets.]

Six hundred and sixty-six.

He'd spent a hundred thousand points and hadn't even reached 10%.

Horikita finished it in one meal.

This is magic, right!