A Meager Lunch

Only when Asaba Kotone went to buy bread did Kobeni Higashiyama realize what she had agreed to.

Her eyes widened involuntarily, and as she looked at the lunch box in her hands, she gradually turned into a "steam princess" again.

But she had already agreed, so there was no backing out now. She felt terribly nervous and embarrassed, yet full of anticipation.

Even buying bread took Asaba Kotone several minutes, since plenty of students were buying it, and the cafeteria shop had nearly sold out for the day.

Asaba Kotone's eyes were so distinctive that he easily drew attention wherever he went.

Some students had already identified him as Asaba Kotone from his eyes, but none came over to bother him.

After buying two bags of reasonably appetizing bread, Asaba Kotone returned to Kobeni Higashiyama.

Kobeni Higashiyama was still flushed bright red, her mind filled with thoughts of what would happen next.

As soon as Asaba Kotone returned, he noticed her unusually flushed face and had a fair idea of what was going on. Although Kobeni was naturally shy, her earlier reactions made it clear that her growing affection wasn't heading toward friendship or familial love, but romance.

And he already liked Kobeni. He had liked her quite a bit even before transmigrating, so his desire to help her was sincere-for instance, helping her resolve her family problems.

If all he wanted was the catalog rewards, there would be no need to do anything extra. He could simply focus on winning her over.

"Do you want to eat in the cafeteria? Or should we find somewhere to sit outside?"

Asaba Kotone asked Kobeni Higashiyama.

The cafeteria was so crowded that finding an empty seat would be difficult. But they could eat their lunch on the rooftop, by the sports field, or anywhere outdoors with seating, though the rooftop was usually locked.

As long as they weren't eating in a classroom, there generally weren't many restrictions. Eating in classrooms was strictly forbidden. Their lunch break lasted less than an hour, so if someone ate in a classroom, the smell would still linger when lessons began.

"Th-then... let's go outside..."

Kobeni Higashiyama had even more trouble getting her words out now.

"Don't be so nervous. If you feel too embarrassed, you can put a portion on the lunch box lid for me."

Asaba Kotone tried to ease Kobeni Higashiyama's nerves.

If he insisted on sharing such an intimate meal with Kobeni, her affection might rise further. But rather than forcing things just to raise her affection, he wanted to put her feelings first.

"O... okay!"

Kobeni Higashiyama followed behind Asaba Kotone in tiny steps. She seemed so nervous and embarrassed that she had forgotten she was supposed to be the one leading the way.

Benches stood at short intervals along the outdoor paths, and quite a few students could be seen sitting on them, eating packed lunches with their friends.

There was an empty bench right in front of them, so Asaba Kotone took Kobeni Higashiyama over and sat down with her.

Just sitting beside Asaba Kotone made Kobeni Higashiyama feel shy. She hesitated as she opened her lunch box. "Um... maybe I should be the one eating from the lid..."

After thinking it over, she felt that she had suggested this to make up for her own mistake in the first place. How could she make Asaba eat from the lid?

"No need. I don't mind."

"No, no! It was my fault... I can't make you put up with that, Asaba..."

In circumstances like these, Kobeni Higashiyama was surprisingly willing to speak up.

Asaba Kotone couldn't help feeling a little surprised. "All right."

He didn't care whether he used the box or the lid anyway. Since Kobeni had insisted, there was nothing more for him to say.

Next, Kobeni Higashiyama appeared to divide the lunch into equal halves, but she actually gave Asaba Kotone most of the meat dishes.

There hadn't been much meat in the lunch box to begin with, and she had given him most of it.

Watching this, Asaba Kotone couldn't help feeling a pang of sadness for Kobeni Higashiyama. The lunch her family had prepared for her consisted almost entirely of vegetables, and even those portions were small.

This lunch hardly has any nutritional value...

"Sorry, it looks so meager..."

Kobeni Higashiyama even apologized to Asaba Kotone, looking deeply embarrassed.

"Not at all. Isn't my bread even more meager?"

Asaba Kotone tactfully steered away from the subject, handing Kobeni Higashiyama one of the bags of bread he had bought.

It was a good thing he had bought extra bread. At least it would provide a little more nutrition and fill her up.

Then he added, "Wait here for a moment. I'll go buy us a couple of drinks."

Eating nothing but their lunch and bread would be a little dry, and this also let him move away from the subject of how meager her lunch was.

"Oh, okay."

Kobeni Higashiyama nodded blankly.

"By the way, what would you like to drink?"

Asaba Kotone asked.

"A drink? Um... I'm not really sure... could you just get me whatever you're having, Asaba...?"

Kobeni Higashiyama had hardly ever had drinks like that. She simply couldn't afford them. Occasionally, she could have some at an important family gathering, but there wasn't anything she particularly liked.

So she didn't know what to say and left the choice entirely up to Asaba Kotone.

"All right, let me go take a look."

There was a vending machine nearby, and with Asaba Kotone's eyes, he spotted it at a glance.

He considered his options in front of the vending machine for a while, then bought two bottles of juice.

Although he didn't know what Kobeni Higashiyama liked to drink, juice should be a safe choice.

Asaba Kotone returned to the bench with the two bottles of juice and handed one to Kobeni.

"Thank you!"

After taking it, Kobeni Higashiyama looked at it for a while before realizing it was juice. She had never tried this kind before.

Looking at the half portion of lunch, the bag of bread, and the bottle of juice in her hands, Kobeni Higashiyama didn't quite know how to describe her feelings. She never normally got to have such a lavish lunch.

A little over ten minutes later.

"It's good! So good! The bread and the juice are both delicious!"

Kobeni Higashiyama wore the same blissful expression she had when eating ice cream last time.

Perhaps it was because her packed lunch was so meager, or perhaps she was tired of eating the same kind of lunch every day. Kobeni Higashiyama thought the bread and juice tasted far better than her own lunch. The bread even had a filling.

[Kobeni Higashiyama's affection +5%]

"I'm glad you like it."

Seeing Kobeni Higashiyama so happy, Asaba Kotone's expression softened with quiet pleasure.

At the same time, Kobeni Higashiyama had mixed feelings. The lunch she had brought didn't even taste as good as the bread and juice Asaba had given her, yet he had finished his entire half.

She understood, deep down. Asaba had probably kept quiet out of consideration for her feelings.