About the Cool Beauty in My Class Declaring She Won’t Eat Anything Except My Bento - 2

Chapter 2: The Cool Beauty in My Class

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A month had passed since enrollment, and the early May sky was stained a deep madder red. I—Sota Kirihara—walked briskly down the hallway illuminated by the setting sun.

“I’m glad I don’t have work today…”

I had forgotten an assignment due tomorrow, so I came back to retrieve it. That was all. The shouts from the sports teams and the melodies from the brass band club played a harmony of youth. However, on the first floor of the main building, far from the athletic fields and the club wing, I felt no sign of other people.

A school without the bustle. It felt as if I had wandered into a dreamlike world of illusions. But when I reached my classroom and looked inside through the door’s window, a small gasp escaped my lips. Sitting in the seat next to mine was the student who was number one on the class roster, Ayano.

Since I never expected anyone to be there, I instinctively stopped my hand as it was about to open the door. Looking closely, she seemed to be focused on solving a workbook.

Impressive.

It was still only May. Since the lessons hadn’t progressed very far, she was likely studying ahead. I had always thought she answered questions quite fluently during class, but it turned out she was putting in more effort than most behind the scenes. Because she felt too much like a perfect, superhuman being to approach, seeing her like this made me feel somewhat happy.

However, since my forgotten item was inside the classroom, I opened the door as quietly as possible, feeling bad about interrupting her studies. The old door slid open with a rattling sound, and Ayano looked up reflexively.

“Sorry. I just came to pick up something I forgot.”

When I gave a brief explanation, she gave a small nod without changing her expression and resumed her studies. As usual, I had no idea what she was thinking. 

Or rather, is she called the “Cool Beauty” because she shows no interest in others in the first place?

After that, silence dominated the classroom for a while, save for the sound of me searching through my desk and the light clicking of her mechanical pencil racing across her notebook. Even so, I wondered if Ayano stayed behind in the classroom to study until this time every day.

The apartment building that Kiritani High School leased out as a student dormitory was a bit far from here. About a twenty-minute walk, or thereabouts. To get home, one had to turn off the main road onto a side street. The number of streetlights dropped sharply there.

Lately, it stayed a bit bright even at night, but if she stayed at school until seven or eight o’clock, it meant a girl was walking home alone at night. Even though it wasn’t my business, that worried me too.

“Do you always study after school?”

Before I knew it, I had asked the question I was thinking about.

At the abrupt question, Ayano wore a rare expression of surprise. It was only natural. Even though we sat next to each other, the amount of times I had initiated a conversation with her until now was essentially zero.

“I suppose… yes. I usually try to head home before it hits eight o’clock.”

I thought I might have been creepy, but she answered me with that clear voice that was rarely heard. However, beneath that, I could sense a slight hint of wariness. It was the correct reaction for someone being spoken to by a member of the opposite sex who wasn’t even a friend.

“That’s pretty amazing,” I replied lightly, implicitly conveying that I had no ulterior motives.

But another question immediately came to mind.

“What do you do for food?”

Again, I accidentally asked. It was easy to tell that Ayano’s wariness had risen noticeably. A chill ran through my body, as if the cold air of a frozen wasteland was brushing against my skin.

“No, look, I don’t mean anything weird by it. I live alone too, so I get it. You have to do the cooking, chores, and everything yourself, right? So, I just wondered if staying late at school meant you didn’t get much sleep, that’s all.”

I hurriedly blurted out something that sounded like an excuse. When I directed my gaze toward Ayano—which I had been averting out of a vague sense of fear—she was knitting her brows suspiciously. Her wary look hadn’t faded, but more than that, she projected a silent question: “What is this guy talking about?” Perhaps I had stepped too far in, considering we weren’t even close.

“Sorry. You can just ignore me.”

Since I didn’t want to cause any more unwanted trouble, I decided to cut it short. I tucked the printout I had retrieved from my desk into a folder and put it in my bag. 

I should leave the room before the awkward atmosphere could settle in.

Just as I thought that….

“I always buy it. My mother provides me with some money for meal expenses.”

Ayano answered fluently. It didn’t feel like she was doing so reluctantly, but rather as if she were simply stating a fact. I stopped my departure and turned back toward Ayano. She had paused her studying and was looking at me. I was quite surprised by this, as I had expected to be ignored. I had thought “Cool” meant “Cold,” but it seemed she had more of a human heart than I imagined… though that was probably rude of me to think about in the first place.

“…What is it?”

“Ah, no… wait, every single meal?”

As I stood there frozen in surprise, Ayano glared at me again, so I hurriedly threw back another question.

“Well, yes.”

Ayano looked a bit awkward and nodded again.

What kind of young lady is she? 

That was the first thought that came to mind. Ours was a private high school, so the tuition itself was quite high. I figured Ayano probably had it a bit easier with a scholarship, but if she wasn’t cooking for herself, wouldn’t she need a considerable amount of money to support herself?

『I’ve never seen her eating lunch.』

I remembered a conversation like that I’d overheard someone having. It didn’t take long for that to connect to a certain hypothesis.

“Are you eating properly?”

“…I’m eating properly, you know?”

“So you’re not…”

At my question, Ayano’s shoulders gave a visible flinch. She also averted her eyes. There was no doubt about it. She really didn’t eat properly.  Even though no one had asked, Ayano added in a small, defensive voice, “There are… well, times when I occasionally don’t eat, but…”

It was obvious that “occasionally” wasn’t the right word.

『I won’t let you ask anything else.』 That kind of cold air continued to drift about, but it didn’t seem like she was completely rejecting me. It made her seem less like a cold-hearted person who had no interest in others and didn’t want people prying, and more like someone who was just bad at communication.

“Heh.”

A laugh naturally welled up at the gap between this and her usual “Cool Beauty” persona.

“…What are you laughing at?”

“No, sorry. Just that you’re the type who can’t tell a lie.”

“Please leave me alone.”

When I spoke with my usual tone, she seemed offended by the overfamiliarity and replied with her usual blunt attitude. I reflected on the fact that I had been too pushy toward someone of the opposite sex who was practically a stranger. While her unhealthy lifestyle was a concern, Ayano likely felt that “it’s someone else’s business, so please stay out of it.” Pushing any further would be the very definition of being a meddler.

“Well, good luck with your studies.”

“Thank you.”

This would be the last time we shared such a casual conversation. I was about to make a clean exit—when it happened.

Grumble…

A cute sound echoed quietly in the classroom.

My head turned toward the source of the sound. When I looked at Ayano, she was hanging her head low. Her shoulders were trembling slightly. Her face, which was flushed red all the way to her ears, was covered by both hands, so I couldn’t see it well.

“Ayano?”

“…Please be quiet.”

Her tone was sharper than usual, yet she seemed fragile, and I asked her without hesitation. At this point, it felt like hesitating would be more of a nuisance.

“When was the last time you ate?”

“Please don’t worry about it.”

“Be honest.”

When I pressed Ayano, who was clinging to her meager pride.

“…………Yesterday morning.”

She honestly lost to the pressure and confessed. As she confessed, she rested both elbows on the notebook spread across her desk and put her forehead against it, completely hiding her face. It wasn’t a lie that she had a small appetite. I was certain it wasn’t, but as I thought, her food expenses must have been in tatters.

Seeing the human side of this perfect beauty, who looked like an angel in a painting, I could only feel exasperated. Yesterday morning. In other words, she hadn’t eaten anything for over a full day. I had been thinking that her skin boasted an inhuman paleness, but it might have just been that her complexion was poor due to a poor diet. If she just relied on those around her a bit more…

Wait, given Ayano’s personality, that’s impossible.

“Good grief… Do you have food at home?”

“…Please don’t worry about it.”

“I’m telling you, don’t act tough at a time like this…”

Feeling exasperated with the stubborn “Cool Beauty,” I set my bag on the floor and tore off a single sheet from a memo pad. While being watched by Ayano, who had lifted her head to see what the noise was, I took the liberty of borrowing her desk and mechanical pencil. It was the room number of my apartment.

“It would be bad if we walked home together… mainly for me. This is my place, so stop by on your way back. I only have leftovers, is that okay with you?”

“N-no… I don’t need anything.”

Ayano seemed unwilling to accept the proposal, looking apologetic, but I ignored her and left the classroom.

I felt this was the very best I could do.

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It was just about to pass eight o’clock. I was working on the assignment I’d fetched while playing some music when the “ping-pong” of the chime announced a visitor. When I opened the front door, a familiar head of black hair entered my sight.

“…Um.”

“Come to think of it, do you have any allergies?”

“I don’t, but… that’s not it!”

Ignoring Ayano’s protest, I headed to the kitchen and brought back Tupperware containing meat and potatoes, sautéed burdock root, and potato salad.

“Money…………”

“It’s fine. Think of it as fulfilling my desire to help someone in need or something.”

“Even so…”

Even though she hadn’t eaten in over twenty-four hours, perhaps combined with her good upbringing, Ayano was reluctant to accept the Tupperware. The indecisive situation dragged on and I started to find it a bit tedious, so I decided to take drastic measures.

“Ah, fine then. If you don’t eat all of this and return the empty Tupperware to me at this time tomorrow, I might just tell the whole class that your stomach was growling—”

At my words, Ayano froze. Then, with a slightly teary-eyed look, she glared up at me.

“…Mean.”

“Whatever.”

Ayano reluctantly accepted the Tupperware. I instinctively averted my eyes at the expression and behavior I had never seen from her before. 

I simply told Ayano, “See you tomorrow,” and went inside. Just before the door closed, I heard a faint “…Thank you very much.”

Rather than a “Cool Beauty,” she’s just a clumsy person.

I hoped she would feel better, or that she would eat properly. It was a feeling close to mere self-satisfaction. Nothing more and nothing less. That was the kind of relationship we had anyway. 

I certainly thought so… At this point in time. 

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