Meal Buddy Kushida

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

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

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

"No. I just saw you surrounded and was worried if your points would last until next month.

You're just suffering through this for nothing. 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 voluntarily. We're all friends, after all, so 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 Kikyo Kushida's nature, 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 "heartfelt" concern:

(A heartfelt word to everyone... hahaha.)

"Fine, if you're happy with it, then so be it. But if you don't have money to eat, you can come to me. The free cafeteria meals are truly terrible and lack nutrition.

As a... friend, covering a few meals for you is no problem.

But don't even ask about borrowing money—if I lend it to you, you'll just turn around and have it borrowed by someone else, 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 this kind of concern. Being able to type out such a message had taken all his effort, and he even felt a bit awkward about it.

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

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...

The "you're easy to talk to" attitude... Lin Mu's concern was so direct, even a bit clumsy, yet genuinely sincere.

He was simply worried she wouldn't have enough to eat, rather than wanting to get something out of her.

This pure, selfless kindness felt incredibly 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 about to be tapped out, and there are still so many days left this 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, immediately sprang from her seat.

Her signature, vibrant smile returned to her face, and 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!"

The energetic Kikyo Kushida, who seemed to carry her own little halo of sunshine, stood next to Lin Mu, who remained sluggish and slow to even stand up.

Lin Mu's eyes were filled with a look that said, "What a hassle, but I already agreed," creating a stark contrast.

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 the scene, secretly thinking that the two looked quite good together and that their personalities complemented each other perfectly.

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

They exchanged glances and approached with cheeky grins.

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

"Yeah, yeah! Cafeteria food tastes better when you're with 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 get Lin Mu to split the cost; after all, they had to save the points they'd just borrowed, so 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 at Lin Mu, tossing the decision-making power to him: "This... it depends on what Lin Mu thinks."

Upon hearing this, Lin Mu didn't even lift his eyelids; he just let out a 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, as continuing to pester him might lead to them being ostracized within the class later on.

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

Upon arriving at the cafeteria, Lin Mu intended to order two of the most expensive set meals directly—after all, he wasn't short on money.

However, Kikyo Kushida, standing beside him, 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-priced 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, stopped insisting and followed her lead by ordering two medium-priced set meals.

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 set meals.

They chatted idly while eating, with the topics mostly being trivial school matters brought up by Kikyo—which teacher held interesting classes, or what new shops 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 grown closer by an invisible margin.

On ordinary days in the classroom, Kikyo Kushida would occasionally bring Lin Mu some cookies she had baked herself or candies newly stocked at the school convenience store.

And whenever Kikyo was surrounded by a group of "friends" borrowing 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 "dining 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.

(Event Period: May 1st to May 5th)