Episode 97: Life Without Chopsticks

Chop, chop, chop…

Right now, in front of me, is Sara-senpai standing in the kitchen wearing the apron I gave her.

Yesterday after that, Senpai stayed by my side until I completely settled down after taking my medicine.

As a result, it became quite late, but I managed to persuade Senpai, who insisted on staying over, to take a taxi home.

I fell asleep immediately after that, but it seems she came in this morning before I knew it, and I woke up to the sound of Senpai cooking.

「Good morning, Takanashi-san. I thought it would be a pity to wake you, so I took the liberty of using the key right away.」

For me, of course, there is no problem.

But if I had to say, the picture of me sleeping shamelessly while Senpai goes that far is quite audacious… is this really okay…

「Yes, breakfast is ready. Please come over here.」

On the table, which is only used when Sara-senpai is here, breakfast is lined up, coloring the morning scenery.

…Well, there are no chopsticks or spoons in front of my seat, though…

「Um… Sara-senpai, a spoon…」

「Yes, Takanashi-san, aahn.」

Questions are useless, aren’t they? I knew it.

「Takanashi-san, please be careful not to use your right hand.」

Arriving at school, I am reminded one last time at the parting moment before heading to the classroom.

When opening the classroom door, I reflexively started to use my right hand and pulled it back in a hurry.

Being right-handed is quite a nuisance.

Rattle, rattle, rattle

「Mornin’.」

「Morning Takanashi, how was the hospital?」

I feel grateful for the members who confirm my condition immediately.

「My right wrist has a crack and a sprain.」

「Ouch, that’s painful.」

「I’ve done that before too, it actually takes quite a while.」

The doctor told me so too, but I guess it really does take time.

「Takanashi-kun, tell me if you’re in trouble, okay?」

「That’s right, we’re all in this together when someone’s in trouble~」

「Thanks, I’ll count on you if something happens.」

No jokes, I wonder what would have happened to me if it were the previous class situation…

Since today is a half-day, school ends in the morning.

It seems it has started raining outside, and with the humidity and heat, the bandaged right wrist feels stuffy, which was an extra unpleasant feeling.

I have a student council meeting after this, so I am meeting Sara-senpai in the student council room.

Rattle, rattle, rattle

「Good work~」

「Takanashi-kun, good work. Oh? What happened to that hand?」

When I entered the student council, a few people seemed to have arrived already and were eating their bento.

They seem to have sharply noticed the bandage on my right wrist.

「Good work. I messed it up a bit during PE yesterday…」

When I explained that it was a sprain and a crack, some people started saying 「It hurts, it hurts,」 as if they were bad at imagining pain.

「Takanashi-kun, did you eat lunch? If not, let’s eat together. Here, sit there.」

「It looks tough with that right hand. Should I feed you, if you want?」

「I don’t even want to imagine that (laughs).」

That’s right… somehow following the usual flow, I came here after hearing Sara-senpai say we would eat in the student council room because the weather was bad…

Sara-senpai has my bento!?

「Oh, what’s wrong? You don’t have a bento?」

What should I do?

The ideal would be to leave here once, meet up with Sara-senpai on the way, eat, and then come back.

「Ah, I forgot it in the classroom, so I’ll go grab it real quick.」

Rattle, rattle, rattle

「Good work.」

「Good work, everyone.」

It seems Sara-senpai and the President have arrived.

I feel like crying at the predictable result… am I too late?

What should I do? I wonder what Sara-senpai intends to do…

「Good work.」

「Good work~」

「Everyone was eating lunch here too, I see.」

When the President said that while looking at the respective bento on the usual meeting table, Sara-senpai, who also saw it, clouded her expression.

「Ah… I am sorry, Takanashi-san, I have kept you waiting. I will prepare it immediately.」

She hurriedly takes out a tiered box from her bag and sets out a water bottle with tea and a chopstick box.

There is only one tiered box and no bento box for me; of course, there is no chopstick box for me either… in other words, there is no mercy.

「Whoa, Satsukawa-san, it’s a tiered box!?」

「Do you always bring it like that?」

It’s natural to be surprised by a tiered box.

Hardly anyone uses one for themselves.

I didn’t think she would pack it in a tiered box either.

「No, it is usually different. Since I packed for two people together today.」

…I feel like I can hear the countdown to a public humiliation play. However, I have only just declared that I would accept her, and the word「refusal」does not exist.

「Heh~ since you’re packing it, that means Satsukawa-san really makes her own bento… for two?」

「Oh? Where is Takanashi-kun’s bento…」

「Now, sorry to keep you waiting. Takanashi-san, please come here.」

Since she designates the seat next to her, I sit down quietly.

「Um… Sara-senpai, my chopsticks or a spoon…」

「? Yes, aahn.」

I ask while betting on a slight hope, but instead of an answer, a dish that is likely today’s main was delivered to my mouth.

「「「「…Huh?」」」」

Hmm… it’s been a while, the unified reaction of the student council officers.

「Fufu… how is it?」

「Munch, munch… it’s delicious…」

「「「「…………」」」」

I don’t want to look, I don’t want to look around.

I might be attracting attention, but as long as I don’t look at it, there also exists a me who is not attracting attention (a mystery).

「Aahn.」

And so, Senpai’s「aahn」attack continued until my stomach was full.