Kotonoha's Bento / Hikari Kuroda's Despair

"..."

Lin Feng smiled at Katsura Kotoneha and let his gaze drift downward.

Looking at the girl's ample breasts, he nodded as if telling Kotoneha that hers were much bigger than that girl's.

Kotoneha immediately flushed with embarrassment and quickly opened her book again.

However, she found that she could no longer concentrate this time.

Kotoneha kept getting distracted while reading, and her gaze would drift toward Lin Feng.

Kotoneha's little self-deceiving actions did not escape Lin Feng's notice. Even the slow-witted Itou Makoto noticed them.

At that moment, looking at Kotoneha no longer gave Itou Makoto his usual healing feeling. Instead, his heart was filled with bitterness. That day, he experienced what heartbreak was.

Kotoneha's Bento

The next day, formal classes for the new term began.

When Lin Feng arrived in the classroom, he wore a refreshing smile.

The girls in class thought he was smiling at them. They immediately went wild, cupping their cheeks in both hands as pink hearts seemed to bloom in their eyes.

Naturally, Lin Feng's smile was not for those lovestruck girls.

He was celebrating the fact that Itou Makoto would become gay in just a little while.

What expressions would the girls who liked Ito—Kato Otome, Setsuna, and Sekai—make when they found out?

"You're in a very good mood today... Lin Feng!" After class began, Nanami wrote on her notebook and pushed it toward Lin Feng, looking carefree and casual.

The person she secretly loved was Kazannoin Kyoichi, so she could chat normally with Lin Feng. Besides, her conversations with Lin Feng never involved Ito.

"Something good happened, I guess. I have one less rival."

Lin Feng maintained his smile. Through the system, he could sense that Itou Makoto was about to change his sexual orientation.

"Is that so... then congratulations!"

Nanami propped her head up with one hand, looking unhappy while inwardly fuming. Yesterday, she had deliberately styled her hair and cut herself some wispy bangs, hoping to catch Kazannoin Kyoichi's attention!

Yet when she met her upperclassman on the way to school today, he had not noticed her at all.

Nanami was already feeling dejected. She did not know what her upperclassman thought of her.

But when she turned her face slightly, she found Lin Feng looking at her. His fiery eyes rested on her.

"Why be so formal? Just call me Feng. We'll be desk mates for at least one semester.

"Besides... Nanami... you seem more feminine today. You look very pretty!" Lin Feng said with a smile as he passed over his notebook.

What did he mean, more feminine? She had always been feminine! Guys even hit on her when she walked down the street, okay?!

Though she thought that, the moment Nanami saw Lin Feng's face, her heart still began pounding faster.

Damn it, this stupid fluttering heart!

Even a tomboy like Nanami could become instantly happy after receiving a casual compliment from a handsome guy.

Ding! [Kanroji Nanami Affection Points +20]

"R-Really?" Nanami rubbed the short bangs on her forehead. Sure enough, she was happy after being praised. "Then... what looks pretty?"

After seeing what Nanami wrote, Lin Feng could not help giving her another careful look. Azure eyes, toned and slender thighs, black thigh-high socks, F-cup breasts—those were Lin Feng's first impressions.

But what had left the deepest impression? After thinking for a moment, he wrote in the notebook, "Boobs!"

"...Boobs?? ...Boobs!!"

When Nanami saw Lin Feng's eyes focused on her chest, she immediately clenched her fists and nearly punched him. The offended tomboy ignored Lin Feng for the entire day!

The next day at noon, Saionji came to the roof of the school building. After opening the rooftop door with a key, her view immediately broadened. There was a huge open space, high wire fencing welded around the edges, and a bench. Those were the rooftop's only facilities, leaving it very empty.

Yet after stepping onto the rooftop, the view felt spacious and quiet in a way nowhere else in the school could offer.

Originally, Saionji had planned to invite Ito and Kotoneha to eat lunch there, so the two could get acquainted and perhaps develop some feelings for each other.

That morning, Saionji had successfully invited Katsura Kotoneha by email. She happily flashed a V-sign.

Sekai thought she had done wonderfully and hoped Ito would praise her. However, whenever Saionji Sekai spoke to Itou Makoto today, he barely paid her any attention. Every time she talked to him, Ito would inexplicably look in Taisuke's direction.

Sekai had a temper too. She felt somewhat resentful, so she did not invite Ito to the rooftop or tell him that Katsura Kotoneha would be coming for lunch.

"Saionji! Students aren't allowed on the school rooftop!"

Lin Feng came up from the stairwell.

Saionji's eyebrows twitched. Taking out a ring of keys, she said, "As a member of the astronomy club, I'm here to observe celestial bodies."

"Huh." Lin Feng waved his hands repeatedly, then sat down on the bench. "I thought Saionji Sekai was here to sleep."

"You're the one who wants to sleep..." Saionji Sekai's face began to redden, and she snapped angrily, "I'm not a pig!"

"That's true. But the environment here is nice. It really is suitable for eating lunch." Lin Feng sat directly on the bench and smiled.

Then he took out a bag of dry bread from his pocket and began chewing on it.

Sekai watched Lin Feng eat dry bread in surprise. She felt that such a handsome face eating cheap bread was incredibly out of place.

"What? Never seen bread before?" Lin Feng asked.

"No. I'm just a little surprised... Lin Feng, you're only eating one piece of bread for lunch?"

"Can't be helped. My family isn't here, so there's no one to make me a bento. I can only make do with bread." Lin Feng spoke calmly.

...What? She had thought he was some young master who came to Japan to study abroad. Was Lin Feng just an ordinary person like everyone else?

And thinking about it carefully, he was Chinese and living in Japan. His parents were not by his side, and he had no friends. Living alone had to be rather lonely.

Sekai came from a single-parent family. Her mother, Yoriko, worked in food service and was always extremely busy in order to support their household, often returning home very late. Because of that, Sekai often felt lonely at home too.

This was probably what they called being drawn to one's own kind.

After learning a little about Lin Feng, Sekai felt somewhat closer to him. Seeing the faint sadness in his eyes—the loneliness only children raised in single-parent families could understand—Saionji suddenly felt her maternal instincts overflow.

"That has no nutrition. I'll prepare a bento for you next time."

"Huh? Wouldn't that be too much trouble for you, Saionji?"

Sekai herself was surprised by her sudden suggestion, but she still said,

"It's fine. Making things like rice balls doesn't take much extra time if I make two more."

"Oh—then thank you very much, Saionji. I'll be in your care next time," Lin Feng said with a smile.

For Saionji, liking someone required more than handsome looks. It also required stirring up her maternal instincts.

From how she had come to like Ito, it was clear that for Saionji to like a boy, he first needed a handsome appearance. Then he had to evoke her maternal love—in other words, make her feel pity, sympathy, reluctance, and the desire to care for him. He had to make her believe she was the one he needed.

Lin Feng had realized this long ago, which was why he deliberately took out a piece of bread and chewed on it. Judging by the results, Saionji had indeed taken the bait.

"Um... am I interrupting something?" A weak voice suddenly came from the rooftop entrance. Lin Feng and Saionji Sekai hurriedly turned around.

"Kotoneha..." Saionji Sekai called.

The person who entered the rooftop was Katsura Kotoneha. She had waist-length black hair, a black sailor uniform, round and slender legs accentuated by pantyhose, and G-cup breasts far beyond what girls her age should have.

Lin Feng casually swept his eyes across Saionji Sekai and Katsura Kotoneha's chests. Sekai's was not bad, but compared with Kotoneha's, she was immediately overshadowed.

"Saionji invited me to eat bento together." Kotoneha lifted the small bag in her hand and said, "I specially made a lot at home for this."

"Oh..." Only then did Saionji Sekai remember. That was right, she had made this arrangement with Katsura Kotoneha yesterday. Saionji Sekai had originally wanted to play matchmaker for Itou Makoto, but Ito had been acting strange after arriving today, leaving no chance for them to talk.

"That's right." Saionji Sekai said, "Then let's eat together."

"So you invited Lin Feng." Katsura Kotoneha opened her bento box, then sat down on the bench as well. "Thank you very much for yesterday, Lin Feng."

"It was nothing." Lin Feng smiled.

Kotoneha looked at Lin Feng shyly. In that instant, the girl felt something called fate. Every girl had secretly woven romantic stories in her heart.

Feeling that this was a fated encounter, Kotoneha happily took out the bento she had made.

But when the boy accepted the sandwich the girl handed him—

The sandwich was beautifully made, filled with bright red and green vegetables as well as ham.

After Lin Feng put it in his mouth and his taste buds touched the vegetables inside, he suddenly froze.

So spicy! And so bitter!

Lin Feng swallowed the deadly sandwich without changing expression, then gave a thumbs-up and praised her.

"It's delicious. Katsura Kotoneha, you're quite skilled."

He handed another sandwich to Saionji Sekai and said, "Saionji should try something this delicious too."

Saionji did not suspect anything. She picked up the sandwich and took a bite, nearly bringing tears to her eyes.

Why was a sandwich this spicy?!

This guy actually set me up! Saionji glared angrily at the smiling Lin Feng, her little hand clenching tightly.

After noticing the strange expressions on their faces, Katsura Kotoneha tasted the sandwich in her hand too...

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's my first time making them." Katsura Kotoneha clasped her hands together, lowered her head, and spoke in a panic.

"It's okay, it's okay. It has Kotoneha's unique character. And it's not inedible!" Saionji Sekai gulped down water.

"In that case, I'll leave the rest of this food to you, Saionji." Lin Feng handed both remaining sandwiches to Saionji Sekai, then said with a smile, "They're all Kotoneha's heartfelt effort, so don't waste them!"

Saionji Sekai was stunned by Lin Feng's shameless behavior. Just one bite of the sandwich had been unbearably spicy. If she ate them all, her delicate chrysanthemum would surely be burned to ruin when she used the bathroom tomorrow!

Saionji really wanted to throw the sandwiches away, but looking at Katsura Kotoneha's and Lin Feng's smiling faces on either side of her, Saionji Sekai suddenly wanted to cry.

In the end, just as Saionji Sekai was about to eat the sandwiches, Lin Feng snatched them away and threw them off the rooftop, then invited both girls to eat at the cafeteria.

"I'm really very sorry!"

Katsura Kotoneha said embarrassedly, "Let me pay when we go to the cafeteria later."

"The only boy should be the one paying!" Sekai grinned teasingly and reached out to smack Lin Feng hard on the back. Unknowingly, the distance between Sekai and Lin Feng had greatly shortened. The two were like close friends who had known each other for half a year, joking and chatting as they headed toward the cafeteria...

The Dejected Kuroda Hikari

In the cafeteria, Saionji Sekai and Katsura Kotoneha chatted happily while eating lunch. Most of the time, Lin Feng and Saionji were the ones talking.

Kotoneha only smiled between them. But seeing the shy and bashful girl's gaze constantly drift toward Lin Feng, Saionji realized that Itou Makoto had no chance. He absolutely, absolutely could not take Katsura Kotoneha back from Lin Feng!

For some reason, Sekai suddenly felt relieved. She knew that Itou Makoto had a crush on Katsura Kotoneha, but now it seemed much more likely that Kotoneha and Lin Feng would become a couple. When Itou Makoto found out that the Katsura Kotoneha he secretly loved already liked someone, he would definitely be heartbroken.

As long as she comforted him then, becoming Makoto's girlfriend should be easy, Sekai thought.

Meanwhile, Itou Makoto had not brought a bento for lunch, so he went downstairs to buy bread from the vending machine. He walked slowly through the campus, watching other students travel in groups of three or five, feeling deeply irritated. Ever since Lin Feng, the transfer student, arrived, all the time he could have spent alone with Kotoneha on the way to and from school had disappeared. It made him feel very lonely...

"Yo, Ito, didn't you bring anything to eat?"

Sawanaga Taisuke's voice suddenly came from behind him.

Itou Makoto turned to glance at Sawanaga Taisuke, then continued walking. He did not even want to greet him. Whenever he saw Taisuke now, his heart inexplicably began racing.

Damn it! I like girls! Why would my heart race when I see a guy?!

"Hey! Ito, why are you walking so fast?" Seeing Itou Makoto trying to run away, Sawanaga Taisuke took several large strides and immediately grabbed Ito's hand.

Slow-witted Sawanaga Taisuke had not felt anything toward Ito before, but after grabbing Itou Makoto's delicate hand, soft like a girl's, he could not help pulling hard. Makoto's face drew closer and closer to Sawanaga Taisuke's.

Taisuke carefully examined Itou Makoto's delicate face.

A flame immediately rose in his heart. So his best bro's skin was even softer than a girl's! Taisuke hugged Itou Makoto's head and pressed his lips down.

"Slurp~ Slurp~"

Passing by, Kuroda Hikari suddenly saw Sawanaga Taisuke and Itou Makoto hugging and kissing. Her right hand could not help covering her little mouth.

Kuroda Hikari did not like BL. Seeing two men embracing and making out, she only found it utterly disgusting!

Kuroda Hikari had always held some affection for the blond-haired Taisuke. Even though he was foolish, dense, and rough, Kuroda Hikari instead thought he was very manly. Men should be forceful!

But this sight completely shocked her.

As Itou Makoto was kissed by Taisuke, his struggles gradually weakened. The arms that had been pushing Sawanaga Taisuke away instead wrapped around him...

Behind them, Kuroda Hikari stared with wide eyes, alone and disheveled in the wind...