Episode 297: The Bento Contest

「Now then, preparations are complete.」

「「「…………」」」

Nishikawa-san acted like everything was perfectly normal. Honestly, we weren’t in a position where we could just easily say,「Yes, you’re right.」

Up until the part where we decided to start getting ready, things were fine. The problem came after that. Nishikawa-san raised her right hand as if giving a signal, and several men appeared out of nowhere.

While we watched in a daze, they spread out mats, set up a large tarp tent, and even prepared a full table set, including a spot for the irregular guest, Uesaka-san.

I mean…

What. Is. This?

「Hey… can I say something yet?」

The first one to speak up was my fearless… or rather, always reliable Big sister.

「Is something wrong?」

「What is all this?」

Nod, nod. We all found ourselves nodding along in agreement.

Because everyone was thinking the same thin… wait, it looked like Sara-san and Natsumi-senpai weren’t that surprised?

「If we do this, we can enjoy our meal comfortably outdoors, right?」

「Well, I mean, that’s true, but…」

「Hanako-san, it’s useless to point it out.」

「Eririn lets her refined lady side out in specific moments. Actually, she’s done this a few times before.」

I see. That’s why Sara-san and the others weren’t as shocked.

「Listen, Natsumi, what’s that supposed to mean?」

「Nothing. I was just thinking my social circle is full of people who don’t understand the concept of ‘normal.’」

「Natsumi, please stop. It sounds like you’re including me when you say that.」

「「「…………」」」

That’s weird.

No, I don’t mean Sara-san is weird, but why is everyone giving me and Sara-san a look that says they have a lot to say? It’s a complete mystery.

「Whoaaaa.」

「Th-th-this is amazing!!」

「Seeing them all lined up like this is quite a sight.」

「This really is impressive…」

Everyone’s reactions said it all as the bentos were lined up on the table.

Some of them clearly included high-end ingredients. At a glance, I could see sashimi including spiny lobster heads, grilled matsutake mushrooms, and even steak… all inside tiered lacquer boxes.

「Yes! As expected of Eririn! Just what I predicted!!」

「I selected ingredients that men would likely enjoy.」

「Natsumi, that is unseemly. Stop making such a fuss over the food.」

「But come on, you don’t get to eat stuff like this every day!」

Natsumi-senpai didn’t budge an inch despite Sara-san’s scolding, as she was completely hyped up. That’s just how incredible the bentos were.

I agreed that these weren’t the kind of ingredients you’d see on a regular basis.

You don’t usually see a massive spiny lobster on a daily dinner table, and how many of those matsutake mushrooms are there?

Don’t tell me Nishikawa-san’s dinner table looks like this every night.

「Alright, alright. You two stop bickering and let’s eat.」

「Okaay.」

「Haa… honestly.」

For a split second, the three of them looked like sisters.

But if that’s the case, Natsumi-senpai would be the third daughter. Who would be the eldest and the second?

Wait, who am I even asking…

「Satsukawa-senpai’s bento has an amazing lineup of home cooking too!」

「Whoa… Takanashi-kun always looks like he’s enjoying his food so much, I’ve wanted to try it at least once! I’m so happy.」

「Um, by any chance, is all of this…」

「Yes. It is all handmade.」

「Whaaat, even these croquettes and the fried chicken!?」

「Yes. It is quite simple as long as you know the steps.」

「S-Simple…」

I don’t cook, so I can’t say for sure, but there’s probably a huge gap between Sara-san’s definition of simple and the average person’s.

First of all, frozen foods don’t exist in our house.

Sara-san makes things and freezes them herself, but since she does everything from scratch on a daily basis, I guess she can say that without thinking much of it.

「Ugh, with all these amazing bentos, my own feels so… wait, Hanako-san, your bento looks great too!?」

「It’s true… Hanako-san, is this really your first time making one?」

「It is my first time making a proper bento. But I have been studying cooking.」

「Is that so? But you didn’t mention anything like that when you were back home, did you?」

「I started studying after I came here.」

「Heh, but why so sudden… oh, Takanashi-kun.」

Tachikawa-san’s gaze locked onto me, and she started smirking in a meaningful, slightly nasty way. That was definitely the face of someone thinking about something unnecessary.

「As his Big sister, I wanted to make a meal for my little brother.」

「I see. But aren’t you afraid of being compared, since Satsukawa-senpai is so amazing?」

「I’m well aware that I can’t beat the Wife. I’m satisfied as long as Kazunari says it is delicious.」

I was truly happy that Hanako-san would say that, and I would never dream of comparing her to Sara-san.

Even if Sara-san’s cooking is the absolute best for me, that doesn’t mean I won’t find other food delicious.

「Wow, between Satsukawa-senpai and Hanako-san, you’re really loved, Takanashi-kun.」

「Of course. I am the one who loves Kazunari-san most in the world.」

「Then… I am number one in the world for sibling love.」

Being stared at by both of them… when our eyes met, they gave me gentle smiles.

Being looked at like that, I…

「Ahem!! I understand that you’re all on good terms, so shall we eat?」

「You’re right, we have plans after this.」

「Yeah. The time has finally come.」

Hanako-san clenched her hands in a cute, determined way. We’re just having lunch… but I’m not that dense, so I knew why.

However, seeing her so fired up made me a bit nervous too.

「…Eririn, that was a smooth transition.」

「…Shh! Don’t say unnecessary things!」

I can hear you perfectly fine, you know…

「「「Thanks for the food!!!」」」

Everyone put their hands together for the pre-meal greeting.

Spread out before us were various tiered boxes and bento boxes. Even Sara-san had used a tiered box.

At first, everyone looked at each other hesitantly, but once Natsumi-senpai reached out her chopsticks without hesitation for a matsutake mushroom, everyone else started following suit.

「Please help yourself too, Takanashi-san.」

「Ah, yes. Thank you. But don’t worry about me for now.」

「Huh, Takanashi-kun, aren’t you eating?」

Nishikawa-san and Tachikawa-san, who didn’t know the situation, looked at me curiously.

Even though everyone else had started eating, I hadn’t touched anything yet. But Sara-san and Hanako-san were the same.

Except… they were both holding onto their own bento boxes.

「Hey Sara. What’s that bento box?」

「This is exclusive to Kazunari-san.」

「…What?」

「It is exclusive to Kazunari-san.」

「N-No, I heard you the first time…」

Nishikawa-san tilted her head with a strained, subtle smile.

I mean, once someone is holding an「exclusive」bento box, the whole concept of a「potluck」kind of goes out the window.

「Hanako-san, what about that?」

「Exclusive to Kazunari.」

「Huh?」

「Exclusive to Kazunari.」

「…………」

And Tachikawa-san got the same treatment.

「Um… I thought it might be something like this, but calling them exclusive… doesn’t that defeat the purpose of a potluck?」

「Eririn, I know you want to point it out, but it’s better to just ignore it.」

For the record, those who knew what was happening were blatantly ignoring it. Yuji was ignoring it even though he didn’t know. And the former President… I guess he figured that’s just how it is?

「Now then, Kazunari-san, sorry to keep you waiting. Let’s have our meal.」

「The time has finally come. I am going to feed you my entire bento, Kazunari.」

「Wha!? W-Wait a minute! You aren’t seriously planning on feeding him the whole thing, are you!?」

Nishikawa-san looked disgusted… and a bit scared.

But unfortunately, what was about to go down was an「ahhh」party hosted by Sara-san and Hanako-san. So I apologized in my heart.

Sorry, Nishikawa-san…

「Eririiin, just ignore them.」

Natsumi-senpai reached for the lobster with sparkling eyes, not even looking our way. She was completely tuned out.

I mean, Natsumi-senpai had been aiming for the high-end ingredients from the start. I secretly wanted to eat some of those too… though now I’m starting to wonder if my stomach can handle all this.

「Here, Kazunari-san… say ahhh.」

「Ahhh.」

Ignoring my slight anxiety, the first dish was delivered by a happy-looking Sara-san.

The thing that went into my mouth was Sara-san’s specialty, my favorite hamburger steak.

Whenever there’s hamburger steak on the table, I always eat it first. Sara-san knew that, of course, which is why she chose it for the first bite.

Munch, munch.

Really… as always, the way it’s cooked is perfect, and it’s so fluffy. It’s packed with meat juice… and there’s a hidden flavor deep inside that I can definitely taste.

I don’t know what it is since she won’t tell me, but she said it’s a secret technique she learned from my Mom. And it’s way better than my Mom’s version.

This really is the world’s strongest hamburger steak made just for me.

It’s the best!

「Mnh…」

Chu…

「!?」

「「「…Ghk!?」」」

Sara-san suddenly leaned her face in and gave me a kiss without any warning. The gentleness and softness on my cheek made my happiness accelerate even more… wait, why so sudden!?

「S-Sara-san!?」

「Fufu… Kazunari-san, you were just so adorable… I couldn’t help myself.」

「No, I mean…」

「Is it delicious?」

「Y-Yes. It’s incredibly delicious. I’m sorry I can only ever say the same thing.」

「It is fine. Knowing that you find it delicious makes me happier than anything else, Kazunari-san.」

「Sara-san…」

Showing that there was no lie in her words, Sara-san stared intently at me with a blissful smile. To be loved and cared for this much, I really am the luckiest guy in the world.

「Cough, cough… I thought I was going to choke.」

「…Yeah. That surprised me.」

「…The flirting between these two hasn’t hit its limit yet, has it?」

「…Seems so. It’s quite something, in a way. By the way, Uesaka-san is…」

「…………」

「…Eririn and Daichi can’t handle this yet. Whoa, this is delicious too!」

「N-Next is me!」

The usually calm Hanako-san made a hasty appeal.

That was heartwarming too, but I glanced at Sara-san for a final confirmation.

She gave me a light smile and a small nod.

So it was okay.

「…Whoa… they’re doing natural eye contact.」

「…Takanashi-kun and Satsukawa-senpai communicate through their hearts. I’m so jealous…」

「Ka-Kazunari, here.」

Hanako-san, looking a bit nervous, held out her chopsticks with a piece of tamagoyaki.

I wonder if she knew tamagoyaki was one of my favorites. The fact that she chose to feed me that first must mean she remembered.

「Ah, say ahhh…」

「Ahhh.」

She didn’t look overly timid, but the tips of the chopsticks were shaking slightly. Hanako-san’s indescribable expression was so cute I almost smirked… but I endured.

As I kept my mouth open, the tamagoyaki was slowly brought in. Hanako-san’s left hand, placed underneath to catch any drops, felt more feminine than usual…

Munch, munch…

Wait, this is unexpected… or maybe it makes sense given Hanako-san’s image?

The tamagoyaki in my mouth was a bit on the sweet side, exactly the way I like it. It was cooked perfectly so it was still soft, which is also how I like it.

「H-How is it?」

「Yeah, it’s delicious! The sweetness is perfect.」

「U!?」

「…Hanako-san?」

「S-Sorry… I made it sweet out of habit…」

「No, I actually prefer sweet tamagoyaki.」

I kind of had that image, but it seems Hanako-san really does usually make hers sweet. From my perspective, it was a total win.

「…Really?」

「Yeah.」

「I’m glad… I like sweet tamagoyaki too, so I’m happy we’re the same.」

Hanako-san looked worried for a second.

But after looking into my eyes, her face immediately broke into a bright smile.

It looked like she read my mind again. That mysterious skill really comes in handy at times like this.

But being looked at with such joy… it was a bit embarrassing.

「Kazunari… that face is unfair. It makes me want to kiss you too.」

「Eh!?」

「But I’ll endure. I’m just happy you’re eating my bento today. Next is the Wife’s turn.」

Saying that, Hanako-san leaned back a little. She looked happily at the tips of the chopsticks I’d used… I have to finish the whole thing no matter what.

Kazunari, it’s time to show your manliness!

「Kazunari-san, it’s this way now. For the record… please don’t hold back and show me your cute face, okay? …Fufu.」

For some reason, Sara-san put her index finger to her lips and wore a meaningful smile.

I’m sure the second I show a reaction that pleases her, her lips are going to come charging in… I’m certain of it.

「…Man, we just started eating and I’m already full…」

「…Ah, hahaha, Yoko too?」

「…I heard that the feeling of hunger is felt when blood sugar levels drop, you know?」

「…Are you suggesting that because that corner is so full of sugar, our sense of fullness is increasing? You tell an interesting joke, Uesaka-san.」

「…N-No… well…」

「…Nishikawa-san’s eyes are dead…」

「…Yuji, don’t touch a dead-eyed Eririn, there’s no curse like it.」

「…U-Understood.」

「Here, Kazunari-san… say ahhh.」

The chopsticks Sara-san held out next had a potato from her nikujaga, another one of my favorites.

It was a dish from the Satsukawa family… or rather, it’s a recipe that Mayumi-san taught her, which Sara-san improved to suit my tastes. It was definitely another one made just for me. So of course…

Munch, munch…

Haa… delicious.

Marina POV

Takanashi-kun always looks so happy, so truly happy whenever he eats Satsukawa-senpai’s bento.

It’s my first time eating it too, and ugh… it’s so delicious it should be illegal.

I thought my mother was good at cooking, but Satsukawa-senpai is definitely better.

Eating a delicious bento like this every day, and eating fresh, delicious meals at home… it’s no wonder Takanashi-kun ended up the way he is.

But really… Satsukawa-senpai is amazing.

No,「amazing」isn’t enough to describe her. She’s just incredible.

Cooking, cleaning, laundry, sewing… she’s perfect at every domestic task I can think of.

Her grades are always at the top of the year, and her personality… she can be a bit extreme… but she’s so kind to the most important person, Takanashi-kun, that「too kind」doesn’t even begin to cover it. She’s just overflowing with love…

And even to me as another girl, she’s so beautiful I find myself staring. Nishikawa-san and Yuzuki-senpai are also very beautiful, but Satsukawa-senpai is on a whole different level.

Her perfectly formed features, her translucent skin, her glossy, flowing black hair…

I’m sure the term「Japanese beauty」was made for someone like Satsukawa-senpai.

Her figure is balanced too, with those large… that Takanashi-kun surely loves.

Haa… I’m so jealous…

I don’t know anyone else as perfect and ideal as Satsukawa-senpai. Actually, she probably doesn’t exist. To use Yuzuki-senpai’s words, she’s a bundle of girl power, a physical manifestation of a man’s ideals. That’s Satsukawa-senpai.

That’s why as a fellow girl I admire her, but at the same time, I know I can never be like her.

After all, I’m childish even by my own standards (both in personality and figure…), and I’m clumsy, so I’m bad at cooking and sewing… auuugh.

So, the bento that Satsukawa-senpai made…

It doesn’t have the luxury or flashy appearance of Nishikawa-san’s, but every single part is made with such care. It’s full of dishes usually served at home, which makes me realize how truly incredible she is.

She makes everything from scratch, even things most people would just use frozen or pre-made… and everything is so delicious.

That’s why Yokogawa-kun, who’s next to me, is eating it with such a happy look on his face.

It’s natural since it’s actually delicious, and there’s nothing weird about it.

But…

Satsukawa-senpai’s and Nishikawa-san’s bentos are just too amazing…

So I…

I don’t have the courage to take out the other bento box in my bag…

The bento of mine currently on the table is just a standard, relatively decent one that my mother helped me with a little.

But the one in my bag is a separate bento that I somehow managed to make all by myself.

I made it because I promised Yokogawa-kun… but to be honest, I’m embarrassed to bring it out when there are such incredible bentos around.

I had fun making it while thinking of Yokogawa-kun… I can’t say it turned out well, but I thought it would be nice if he said it was delicious.

So now I understand exactly how Satsukawa-senpai and Hanako-san feel.

But.

But… more than anything…

Why do I feel so restless?

My friend is just enjoying another friend’s food…

Takanashi-kun is even being fed by Satsukawa-senpai and Hanako-san.

But watching Yokogawa-kun enjoy Satsukawa-senpai’s and Nishikawa-san’s bentos makes me feel restless… and feeling this way makes me feel like I’ve become a nasty person…

To begin with, when did I start caring about Yokogawa-kun like this?

Before I knew it, I was spending more and more time with Yokogawa-kun.

At first, it was because I was worried about Takanashi-kun, and I consulted with Yokogawa-kun, who was also worried. We decided to support him together… that was the start.

But somewhere along the way, we started meeting up in the morning to go to school together… Yokogawa-kun started coming to my classroom to pick me up at lunch, and lately, since Student Council finishes late, he walks me home.

I felt bad, so I tried to tell him I was fine… but he said,「Kazunari asked me to, and besides, I’m worried too.」

He even told me,「I want to do it, so let me walk you home if it’s not a bother.」

I answered,「Then… please do,」but… it’s because I was happy.

Yokogawa-kun is a wonderful boy who really cares about his friends. He’s a friend I’m proud of, someone who is kind to both Takanashi-kun and me.

And… I don’t really want to say it, but he’s also very popular.

He has the looks of a male idol, he’s the ace of the tennis team even though he’s a first-year. He’s friendly and easy to talk to.

There’s no way a guy like that wouldn’t be popular with girls. He even has a fan club, and there are many people there who are more wonderful than me.

So even when I see him in the hallway, he’s always being talked to by different girls, or having a fun conversation…

But seeing that makes me feel restless… even though Yokogawa-kun hasn’t done anything wrong. I hate myself for thinking like that…

I’ve heard boys in class call Yokogawa-kun a lady-killer because of that. I’ve heard them say he makes girls cry all the time.

But that’s definitely not true.

Because I know that Yokogawa-kun is truly a sincere person.

He treasures his friendship with Takanashi-kun, he can work hard for his friends, and he’ll even bow his head for them. Plus, he’s always so kind to me even though I’m slow… I feel comfortable when I’m with Yokogawa-kun.

Even though they don’t know the real Yokogawa-kun…

Even though they don’t know him at all, they shouldn’t talk like they do…

Ah…

I see… this is how Takanashi-kun feels…

Having people interpret his precious Satsukawa-senpai however they want, making a scene as if it’s the truth. He really can’t forgive that…

…Wait?

Takanashi-kun really treasures Satsukawa-senpai… that’s why he’s angry…

Then… what about me?

Can I not forgive the fact that my friend is being misunderstood?

Can I not forgive that they’re saying whatever they want?

Why do I feel restless when I see Yokogawa-kun getting along with other girls?

Why do I feel restless right now, watching him enjoy Satsukawa-senpai’s bento?

Ugh… I’m starting to get confused…

What’s wrong with me…

But for now… what should I do about the bento…