Meal Buddy Kushida

Kikyo Kushida's reply came with a crying emoticon and a clear sign of stress-induced exhaustion:

"Lin Mu, are you here to borrow points too?"

Lin Mu frowned as he looked at the message. He typed back quickly:

"No. I just saw you surrounded and was worried if you had enough points to last until next month.

You're just struggling to keep your head above water like this. Aren't you afraid they won't pay you back, or that they'll just come back to borrow more? It's a bottomless pit."

After the message was sent, there was a moment of silence before she replied:

"It's okay, Lin Mu. I... I lent them the points voluntarily. We're all friends, after all. I want to help where I can. (′▽`)"

Looking at this typical "Kushida-style" response on his screen, Lin Mu was momentarily speechless, not knowing what to say.

He had never understood this kind of bottomless, people-pleasing self-sacrifice; to him, it seemed both foolish and exhausting.

(Kikyo Kushida's people-pleasing personality... not necessarily.)

But he wasn't entirely sure; perhaps this was just who Kikyo Kushida was, a way for her to survive and find a sense of security that couldn't be changed by a few words from him.

He sighed, deliberated for a moment, and sent a message that he considered to be "pouring his heart out" in concern:

(A heartfelt word to everyone... hahaha)

"Fine, if that's what you want. But if you don't have money for food, you can come to me. The free set meals in the cafeteria are truly terrible and lack nutrition anyway.

As a... friend, I can manage a few meals for you.

But don't even think about borrowing money—if I lend it to you, you'll just turn around and let someone else take it, which means I'd be indirectly funding a group of people I don't even know."

He had never been good at interacting with girls, let alone expressing concern like this. Writing even this much had taken all his effort, and he felt a bit awkward about it.

On the other end of the phone, Kikyo Kushida sat at her desk, her fingertips pausing as she looked at the message from Lin Mu.

Deep in her heart, an indescribable warmth welled up, instantly washing away the irritation and grievance she had felt from being surrounded by borrowers.

Compared to those boys who only knew how to crowd around her, using sweet words to borrow money without ever mentioning a repayment date, and whose eyes even held a faint sense of...

"You're easy to talk to, anyway"—Lin Mu's concern was so blunt, even a bit clumsy, but it was incredibly sincere.

He was simply worried about her not having enough to eat, not wanting to get anything out of her.

This pure, purposeless kindness felt especially precious in her current state of mind, where she was feeling suffocated by "friendship" and "demands."

The difference was night and day.

She bit her lower lip, hesitated for a moment, and then her fingertips danced across the screen, sending a message with a cute, aggrieved sticker:

"Then... Lin Mu, can you treat me to lunch? I'm... really being hollowed out here, and there are still so many days left in the month..."

Almost the instant the message was sent, Lin Mu's reply popped up:

"Sure."

Short and concise, as always.

As soon as the lunch bell rang, Kikyo Kushida, who was sitting in the middle of the classroom, sprang up from her seat.

Her signature, vibrant smile returned to her face as she walked with a light step toward Lin Mu's seat in the back.

"Lin Mu!" she said, her voice crisp. "Let's go to the cafeteria together!"

Full of energy, as if she carried her own little halo of sunshine, Kikyo Kushida stood in stark contrast to Lin Mu, who remained lazy and sluggish, appearing a beat slow even when standing up.

His eyes were filled with the expression of "what a hassle, but I already agreed," creating a striking difference between them.

One was like a leaping flame, the other like a still pond, yet they somehow exuded a strange sense of harmony and complementarity.

Many students in Class D watched this scene, secretly thinking that the two looked quite pleasing together and that their personalities complemented each other perfectly.

However, a few boys who had just successfully borrowed points from Kikyo Kushida were not happy to see this "harmonious" scene.

They exchanged glances and approached with cheeky grins.

"Kushida-chan, Lin Mu, are you two going to eat? Take us with you! The more the merrier!"

"Yeah, exactly! Eating in the cafeteria is only fun when there's a crowd!"

Their little schemes were clicking away in their heads: if they could eat with Kushida and Lin Mu, maybe they could get one of them to pay.

Or at least they could get Lin Mu to split the cost; after all, they had to save the points they'd just borrowed, and every free meal counted.

Kikyo Kushida looked at the boys surrounding them, a look of distress appearing on her face.

Not wanting to break her persona, she subconsciously looked toward Lin Mu, tossing the decision to him: "This... it depends on what Lin Mu thinks."

Upon hearing this, Lin Mu didn't even lift his eyelids. He let out a faint, barely audible sigh, silently complaining to himself: Why are they trying to join in on this?

Trying to use moral kidnapping to get a free meal? He looked up, his gaze sweeping over the grinning boys with indifference, his tone devoid of any fluctuation:

"No."

Three words, crisp and clean, leaving no room for negotiation.

The smiles on the boys' faces froze instantly, as if they had been splashed with a bucket of cold water, and they stood there awkwardly.

They looked at the expressionless Lin Mu, then at the apologetic but clearly relieved Kikyo Kushida, and ultimately didn't dare to say another word.

They could only disperse resentfully to seek other targets, fearing that if they continued to pester him, they might end up being ostracized within Class D.

Afterward, Lin Mu and Kikyo Kushida walked out of the classroom side by side, crossing the hallway toward the cafeteria.

Upon arriving at the cafeteria, Lin Mu initially intended to order two of the highest-tier meal sets—after all, he wasn't short on money.

However, Kikyo Kushida, who was by his side, hurriedly stopped him.

"There's no need to order something so expensive, Lin Mu!"

She waved her hands, her voice gentle yet firm, "A medium meal set is just fine!"

"I'm already very happy that you're treating me to a meal; it's much better than eating the free salad set!"

She knew that Lin Mu likely didn't lack money, but she didn't want him to feel like she was taking advantage of him.

Lin Mu glanced at her and, seeing the sincerity in her eyes, decided not to insist further, following her lead by ordering two medium-priced meal sets.

The two found a relatively quiet corner to sit down.

The food wasn't exactly exquisite, but it was a world of difference compared to the free meal sets.

They chatted idly while eating, with the topics mostly consisting of Kikyo sharing trivial school matters—which teacher was interesting during class, or what new shop had opened in the shopping district.

Amusing anecdotes about everyone after the club recruitment... the atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant, without any forced flattery or heavy burdens.

Following this incident, the relationship between the two seemed to have invisibly drawn a step closer.

In the classroom on weekdays, Kikyo Kushida would occasionally bring Lin Mu some cookies she had baked herself or candies that had just hit the shelves of the school convenience store.

And whenever Kikyo was surrounded by a group of "friends" asking for money and looking troubled, Lin Mu would use the excuse of "needing her for something" to help her out of the situation.

Time passed in this unhurried manner.

The overall anxiety and struggle within Class D continued, with the pressure of the midterm exams looming like dark clouds.

But Lin Mu's life remained methodical.

It was just that by his side, there was now a "meal companion" who was always full of energy, occasionally made him feel a bit noisy, but was inexplicably comfortable to be around.

This... didn't seem so bad. Lin Mu would occasionally think this, then continue to focus on the lollipop in his mouth and the clouds outside the window.