It had been an ordinary high school life.
Hyunjin attended his classes with moderate attention, and when school was over, thanks to Amelia’s considerate nature, he had more time to spend with Ryunosuke and Sojuro.
Amelia deliberately gave them personal time, subtly signaling that they should treat him as a close friend. If her future happiness depended on it, she believed forging a genuine friendship with this unwanted boy was essential. After all, she could do anything if she put her mind to it.
“…By the way,” Hyunjin muttered as a challenging situation arose.
The heroine, Ohana, who had helped him with his duties the previous day, had invited him to lunch. This event was something that should have happened to Ryunosuke, the protagonist.
Yet, here he was, being called to the rooftop discreetly.
“Um,” he mumbled to himself, unsure of what to expect.
A standalone event like this often signified the beginning of something significant.
Could it be a confession?
The thought seemed absurd. After all, she had her childhood friend, Ryunosuke—surely, this wasn’t about him.
“Surely, it can’t be,” Hyunjin muttered under his breath as he headed to the rooftop.
In a typical love comedy, misunderstandings intertwined until feelings were finally laid bare. However, he didn’t think a confession would come from simply helping someone the day before. He resolved to eat lunch and leave.
As Hyunjin climbed the stairs, a warm spring breeze greeted him on the rooftop.
Waiting for him was Ohana Kamiyama.
“Ah, Kim-kun… you’re here?” she greeted, her tone hesitant.
“Sorry for the delay. I got caught up in the bathroom,” Hyunjin replied casually, though in truth, he had been deep in thought.
“Yeah, it’s okay,” Ohana responded.
“So, you mentioned wanting to talk during lunch. What is it?” Hyunjin asked cautiously.
Ohana fidgeted nervously, her shyness evident. “If you don’t mind… the lunchbox I made… won’t you try it?”
With that, she carefully handed him a boxed lunch.
Event Alert!
Hyunjin paused, thinking, No, no. This should be happening to Ryunosuke, not me. He decided to probe further.
“Don’t you usually eat with Natsuki?” he asked.
“Well, yes, but…,” Ohana trailed off.
“But?”
“I’m practicing a new menu… and I wanted to try a little harder,” she admitted.
“Oh, I see,” Hyunjin nodded, realizing he had been chosen as a test subject. When his expression turned contemplative, Ohana clasped her hands nervously.
“Why? Is it too much to ask?” she asked hesitantly.
“No, it’s fine. I’ll eat it,” he replied, smiling.
Truthfully, Hyunjin had grown tired of the repetitive breads from the school canteen. Cream bread, red bean bread, melon bread, yakisoba bread—he’d had them all. A homemade bento was a refreshing change.
Receiving the lunchbox, Hyunjin inspected it.
It was a modest two-layer box. The top layer contained side dishes—tamagoyaki, cherry tomatoes, pickled vegetables, karaage, and octopus-shaped sausages. The bottom layer was fluffy rice topped with a couple of umeboshi.
“How does it look?” Ohana asked eagerly.
“It looks delicious,” Hyunjin replied, earning a triumphant cheer from her. “Come on, try it, Kim-kun! It’s a taste test!” she exclaimed.
Taking the chopsticks she offered, Hyunjin sampled the ebi furai. It wasn’t on par with the gourmet dishes from the Lionheart family, but it had a comforting, homemade quality.
“How is it?” Ohana asked expectantly.
“I’m still eating. Could you give me a moment?” Hyunjin replied tactfully.
“Ah, sorry!” Ohana quickly apologized, looking endearing in her awkwardness.
Next, Hyunjin tried the sausages. They were simple yet satisfying. The pickled vegetables were similarly unremarkable but had a pleasant flavor. Despite their lack of sophistication compared to the Lionheart family’s cuisine, there was a charm to this ordinary meal.
Finally, he bit into an umeboshi with some rice, only to wince at the overwhelming saltiness. He took a few more bites of rice to balance it out before speaking.
“Kamiyama, I’m curious about something,” he began.
“Huh?” Ohana looked at him questioningly.
“This umeboshi… did you intentionally make it so salty?”
“How did you know?!” she exclaimed, surprised.
“I think just one umeboshi would suffice in a lunchbox like this. Adding more makes it too salty,” Hyunjin advised gently.
“Oh, really? I thought more would be better…” Ohana admitted sheepishly.
“Yes, seriously. The salty and sour flavor is strong enough that it’s hard to eat more than one,” Hyunjin said with a small smile.
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