Feelings, Thoughts.

Hayato’s POV.

Eating a bento made by someone other than my parents—it’s been ages since the last time.

But this… this is honestly a little too delicious. Like, foul-play levels of good.

And if it’s this incredible as a bento, I can only imagine what eating freshly made food at home must be like. Kazunari’s daily meals really are paradise, no exaggeration.

But seriously… Satsukawa-senpai has gone beyond surprising—she’s completely out of the ordinary.

With looks that stand head and shoulders above everyone else, yet unbelievably domestic, and her cooking is legitimately pro-level.

Utterly devoted, serving Kazunari to an almost unbelievable degree.

And toward any man who isn’t Kazunari? Zero interest. No glances, no smiles, no unnecessary conversation. The thoroughness is almost refreshing.

So of course a woman this miraculous, this ideal, is going to attract attention and rumors.

But the people making all that noise on the outside—do they actually understand her unique inner world? Not really.

They’ve built their own fantasy image… and in the end… it’s probably mostly about her appearance, isn’t it…

This isn’t me bragging, but I get it because I’m in a somewhat similar position myself.

The worst are the ones who have zero actual connection to me yet unilaterally fixate on me. Almost without fail, they decide my entire personality based purely on looks.

So yeah, I’ve had my share of things said behind my back too.

Playboy, womanizer… I’m used to hearing it by now, but I swear on everything—I have never toyed with a woman’s feelings.

I don’t even like going to mixers; I’ve never once gone willingly (and since meeting Kazunari, I haven’t gone at all).

Yet some guys—out of pure envy—call me that. And then there are women who believe the rumors and approach me thinking it’s just for fun… and the opposite kind who avoid me completely. It’s a real hassle.

Honestly, part of me wishes the fan club (I hate calling it that) would stop making such a fuss. But at the same time, being cheered for feels good, so I can’t exactly brush them off coldly…

From that perspective, I genuinely admire Satsukawa-senpai for being able to completely shut out anyone who isn’t Kazunari. I mean that from the heart.

And the fact that even that gets accepted positively by those around her—it’s all thanks to her own effort and talent. That’s why she’s so… solitary, I suppose.

There’s no way someone like me could ever pull that off.

But…

Even I have managed to make real friends—true friends—who see past the surface. People I can be completely myself around, who truly understand me.

And finally… someone I can say from the bottom of my heart that I love has appeared.

There was a time I thought I liked Natsumi-senpai, but now I can admit it was just a misunderstanding, an assumption.

Because the feeling I have for Toudou-san now is completely different in nature from what I felt back then.

If I close my eyes, her innocent, carefree smile from that day comes back so vividly.

I knew full well she was smiling at me not as a “man,” but as a “friend”—maybe even like she was humoring a child. That was the tone, the expression.

But to me… that smile was overflowing with her pure kindness. Even now, it grips my heart and won’t let go.

Pure-hearted… innocent.

Those words fit her perfectly.

For the first time, I truly thought a woman was adorable, precious—far beyond any previous crush. That person is Toudou Marina.

At first, I only saw her as one of Kazunari’s friends.

But that day, I received the biggest shock of my life.

And in an instant… I fell for Toudou-san.

I fell in love.

It was the first time in my life I’d ever felt anything so intense toward a woman.

But… precisely because it was Toudou-san, I hesitated to make a move.

Her innocence, her purity—they make her extraordinarily oblivious to male affection.

Even that part is endearing, and I know that’s just the weakness of being in love.

In that sense, I probably can’t talk about Kazunari either.

But because of that, I didn’t know how hard—or soft—to push.

Maybe another reason was that I’d never felt this strongly about a woman before.

And the biggest wall of all: Toudou-san didn’t see me as a “man” at all.

So I decided the first step had to be changing that perception.

Haste makes waste.

The impatient one loses.

Always stay calm in the match.

That’s my motto in tennis.

If I suddenly made a move on someone who wasn’t even aware of me that way, something unexpected might happen. If it ended with her avoiding me or hating me, that would defeat the whole purpose.

So even if it was slow, if we spent more time together, maybe she’d gradually start to see me as the opposite sex.

If she could start feeling favorably toward me.

If she could become conscious of me as a “man”… then I could take the next step.

But…

Even now, it’s clear Toudou-san still only sees me as a close guy friend.

Which puts me in basically the same position as Kazunari.

So maybe it’s time to rethink the approach.

All the risks, all the ideals… maybe I’ve been overthinking and turned cowardly without realizing it.

Time to take a page from Kazunari’s book and go for it boldly.

Really… only when you’re in the same position do you truly understand how impressive he is.

Once again, I respect you from the bottom of my heart… my best friend.

***

“Kazunari-san, let me wipe around your mouth. Face this way, please?”

“Y-yes.”

“Hey… Sara? Takanashi-kun isn’t a child anymore, you don’t have to go that far… right, Takanashi-kun?”

“Eh!? N-no, um…”

Hmm… sorry to Nishikawa-san, but I don’t mind Sara-san doing this at all.

In fact, I’d happily let her keep doing it…

“Kazunari-san, no looking away~ That’s a no-no, okay?”

“S-sorry… mmmph.”

Sara-san completely ignores the (apparently) frightened Nishikawa-san.

She gently presses something soft—a handkerchief—to my mouth and wipes carefully, tenderly.

“Fufu… no moving, alright?”

“Y-yesh.”

I think it’s clean enough already, but Sara-san shows no sign of stopping.

Seeing her happily wiping my mouth with that smile… yeah, I always end up thinking the same thing: let her do it until she’s satisfied.

But it can’t be helped.

Because I love Sara-san.

“…F-from earlier, if you just stayed quiet… all this lovey-dovey, lovey-dovey, lovey-dovey, lovey-dovey… really… is this payback against me? It’s payback, right? Right?”

“…H-hey, Natsumi? Nishikawa-san is… uh… kinda… dark…”

“…Hm~? Business as usual.”

“…Eh!? R-right… yeah, of course… yeah…”

“By the way, what have Handsome and Marina been up to this whole time?”

“!?”

“Fweh!?”

Suddenly called out by name by Hanako-san, Hayato and the others let out startled noises.

Curious, I looked over—and both of them looked oddly flustered… especially Toudou-san, who was fidgeting with her bag for some reason?

What’s going on?

At least up until lunch started, everything seemed normal.

“N-no… it’s nothing…”

“U-um, n-nothing at all?”

“If you’re going to say that, at least try not to make it obvious to everyone around you.”

“S-sorry…”

“Ugh, sorry…”

Hanako-san’s tone was a little harsh, but her point was completely fair.

So the two of them drooped their heads apologetically and bowed toward us.

Their movements were strangely in sync, which was kind of cute.

But when it’s this suspicious, even I’m curious what they were thinking.

Should I just ask directly?

“By the way, Marina—if Handsome’s bento is in that bag, you should bring it out already.”

“W-why!?”

“You’ve been fidgeting with the bag this whole time, and I don’t think you’d break a promise. So there’s only one possibility.”

“Auuu…”

Ah, so that’s why Toudou-san was touching her bag!

Hanako-san is as sharp as ever… merciless, though.

That’s just Hanako-san in every sense.

Of course I remember the conversation we had the other day about bentos.

But Toudou-san had already put hers on the table, so I hadn’t thought much of it (mostly because other things were happening).

So she actually made a separate one just for Hayato.

“Toudou-san…”

“Y-yesh!?”

“You made a bento for me?”

“…Yeah.”

“I see… I see…”

Hayato broke into the happiest smile I’d ever seen from him.

Pure, unfiltered joy… and I get it completely.

I feel the same happiness and gratitude every time Sara-san makes food for me.

Having the person you love cook for you—it’s a joy and happiness words can’t fully express.

“Eh… eh!? M-Marina, you made a bento for Yokokawa-kun!?”

“Y-yeah.”

“W-why…?”

Tachikawa-san looked at Toudou-san in confusion.

They’ve known each other a long time, so maybe she has more complicated feelings… wait, right—Tachikawa-san doesn’t know about Hayato and Toudou-san yet.

“Kazunari and Handsome can’t cook. Kazunari’s bentos are taken care of by his wife and me, so no problem there. That left only Handsome. So Marina offered to make one for him.”

“I-I see…? But isn’t this supposed to be a potluck…?”

“That and this are separate matters.”

“Ah, yes ma’am.”

Tachikawa-san tilted her head with an expression that was half convinced, half not.

But right now, the focus was on the two of them.

“B-but my clumsy bento… compared to Satsukawa-senpai’s or Nishikawa-san’s…”

“That isn’t the case at all.”

Sara-san, who had stayed quiet until now, spoke with a sharpness that surprised even me.

I quickly glanced at her… but her expression wasn’t as stern as her voice. There was a softness there.

“Yokokawa-san himself said he wants to eat yours. There’s no meaning in comparing it to mine or Eri’s. It’s natural to worry about how it turned out, but in cooking—more than technique, more than taste—there is something that surpasses both… something called ‘feelings.’ It definitely exists.”

“S-Satsukawa-senpai…”

“So it’s fine. If you made it thinking of Yokokawa-san, then to him, it will be better than anything else. Don’t hold back—hold your head high and give it to him.”

Coming from Sara-san, who has an almost obsessive passion for cooking, those words carried more than just persuasion.

And… I know it from experience.

The reason I consider Sara-san’s food the absolute best isn’t just because it suits my tastes—though that’s a big part.

But at the root is the clear, powerful “feeling” that she truly makes it thinking of me.

And I can feel that clearly.

That’s what makes me happiest of all.

That’s why—no matter how high-class a restaurant, no matter how famous the chef—I am absolutely convinced nothing can beat Sara-san’s cooking. And nothing ever will.

And surely Hayato feels the same.

“Toudou-san, I want to eat the bento you made.”

“Yokokawa-kun…”

“It’s okay. I would never compare it to anything else.”

“…O-okay… got it.”

Pushed forward by Sara-san’s words, and with Hayato’s as the final blow…

Toudou-san nodded cutely, cheeks flushed with happiness.

By the way… I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who felt Hayato’s line sounded suspiciously like a proposal.

And Toudou-san’s reaction… was that…?

***

Natsumi’s POV.

Looks like those two over there reached a conclusion.

Goodness… so innocent, or maybe just pure.

Toudou-san is the very picture of honest, adorable, and reserved.

And Yokokawa-kun, for all his coolness, seems surprisingly innocent himself… probably not the type to go straight in with momentum.

But really… unlike a certain stubborn someone who notices everything yet forces others to say it out loud… ugh, never mind.

Still, Toudou-san’s demeanor has changed just a little?

I’m not entirely sure yet, but maybe that’s…

…Anyway, I don’t have the luxury of commenting on others right now.

Because Sara has been throwing very pointed glances my way since earlier.

And of course I know exactly why.

Hanako-san went for the opening rush and quickly made her move on Takanashi-kun. Toudou-san somehow found the courage to hand over her bento too.

Which naturally leaves only me.

To begin with, this whole bento situation started because I planted the seed. I teased Sara unnecessarily, and that’s how things snowballed into this mess.

…Saying it like that makes it sound like it’s all my fault.

I’m a victim here too, you know.

At least in terms of mutual benefit, Hanako-san, Yokokawa-kun, and probably Toudou-san too are happy with how this turned out.

But for me, knowing exactly how this plays out next… it’s not something I can celebrate.

Since earlier, Sara has been silently pressuring me with her eyes: “Hurry up. Your kouhai found her courage—surely senpai isn’t going to run away in shame, right?”

I already know that without being told. And yes, I made Yokokawa-kun’s bento too. All that’s left is to bring it out.

Simple, right…?

But what Sara really wants to say is one level above that.

In other words…

To Eri-rin, Tachikawa-san, and Daichi…

Report about me and Yuuji.

Tachikawa-san will probably be fine.

She’ll be surprised, but I think she’ll say “congratulations.”

But Eri-rin and Daichi… especially Eri-rin lately… she’s been emotionally unstable (?) a lot.

I’ve heard some of the story about Eri-rin.

No decent encounters, let alone good prospects—even forced into arranged meetings…

And the guy who pursued her most aggressively turned out to be the “King of Scum,” and even involved in crime.

Meanwhile, Sara—who used to hate men—somehow got a boyfriend, flaunted their lovey-dovey moments right in front of her every time… and ended up engaged.

So she wants to bless Sara with a calm heart, yet is torn apart by violent anger at her own lack of reward… wait, what am I even talking about?

A-anyway, I think all those tangled emotions are what’s fueling Eri-rin’s outbursts.

If I report that I’m with Yuuji now… obviously… right?

…No.

Blaming Eri-rin is unfair.

The truth is, I’m just embarrassed to make it public myself.

And while we’re at it, having to officially tell Daichi—who’s known me since we were little—makes me feel awkward too.

Yuuji has been slowing down his eating pace, waiting for my decision.

If I keep running from this, Sara will block every escape route—obvious as day.

And above all… I hate keeping something this important from my best friend forever.

So… enough already, Natsumi. Make up your mind!!

***

Toudou-san rummaged in her bag for a moment, and out came a bento box wrapped in an adorable chick-patterned pouch.

Whether from nerves or something else, her face stayed bright red as she placed it in front of Hayato… then looked down shyly.

“…Can I open it?”

“…Y-yeah…”

Confirming her tiny nod, Hayato slowly undid the knot on the pouch.

What emerged was an almost childishly cute bento box—but honestly, mine’s similar, so I didn’t think anything of it.

Cute is justice… an unchanging universal truth (questionable).

Hayato opened the lid with an expression mixing joy, tension, and a barely suppressed grin… From here, I could see rice and sides roughly half-and-half.

“Um… it doesn’t look great, but I taste-tested it, so it should be okay… I think. But if it doesn’t suit your taste, you can stop.”

“No way. I’m eating every bite. There’s no chance it won’t suit me.”

“Eh… o-okay… th-thank you…”

“I’m the one who should be thanking you. Alright, time to dig in?”

“P-please do!”

Hmm… how to put it…

The two of them are so fresh and innocent it’s making me feel embarrassed just watching.

But seeing Hayato and Toudou-san like this makes me wonder what Sara-san and I looked like to others back at the beginning.

Back then, I was just so happy to be with Sara-san. So blissful.

She was always gentle, always leading me, spoiling me.

…Hm?

Wait… has it actually changed that much?

Even so, watching these two brings back that sweet-and-sour feeling from those days, overflowing all over again.

So…

“…Sara-san.”

“Kazunari-san, here you are?”

I only called her name, yet Sara-san seemed to understand everything. She quietly stood, arms opening just slightly in invitation, wearing that gentle smile.

So I honestly…

“Fufu… such a spoiled boy.”

I slipped into the space between her arms and hugged her. She immediately wrapped me up tight.

One hand slid behind my head, guiding my face to her chest like always.

The softness, the kindness, the安心感 of being enveloped by Sara-san.

It filled every corner of my heart.

“…H-hey, Hanako-san. Why did those two suddenly…?”

“…Probably got triggered watching Marina and Handsome. Remembering their own early days and wanting to touch each other, most likely.”

“…I see. You really understand everything, Hanako-san. But Takanashi-kun—he can be bold when he wants, but he’s kind of a spoiled baby too, huh?”

“…That’s what makes him cute. I actually want to hold him too.”

“…I-is that so…”

“Sorry, Sara-san…”

“No… actually, I was feeling the same. If you hadn’t called me, I would have done this myself.”

Whether that’s her true feeling or just consideration for me, I don’t know.

But either way—her kindness seeps into me completely.

I can feel, without a doubt, that she accepts me from the bottom of her heart.

“Watching those two reminds me of when I first started taking care of Kazunari-san.”

“Not the early dating days…?”

“Yes. Back then, Natsumi teased me endlessly… but looking back now, I think my actions already went beyond ‘friend.’ Especially after I started looking after him at his house—almost nothing has changed from what I do now.”

“…Yeah. Honestly, I was thinking something similar. So does that mean we were basically lovers already back then?”

I’d always felt that things had crossed the friend line even then.

So yeah—if you think about it, Sara-san is right. The start of our relationship = the time she began coming to my house… maybe that’s accurate.

“Yes. But…”

Sara-san paused there, then tightened both arms around my head from behind. Since I was still seated, she leaned over me slightly, pressing close.

“…the feelings… the heart is different from back then. The feeling of treasuring Kazunari-san has a different meaning now. Now I can think of you as this precious… I always want to hold you like this… I truly want you to spoil yourself on me. I can say proudly that I love you.”

Her hand moved skillfully behind my head, gently stroking the side.

It felt so good that I hugged her tighter in honest spoiled affection… and this time Sara-san let out a happy little sound.

“…H-hey, Hanako-san, the mood between those two is getting kinda suspicious…”

“…Better stop them before they go off the rails.”

“…O-off the rails? What more could they even do!?”

“…Something a maiden can’t say aloud.”

“…Ehhhhhh!?”

“…N-Nishikawa-san, a-are you okay?”

“…………”

“…N-Natsumi?”

“…Hmm… the timing… when…”

“…Th-this is bad…”

“Wife, that’s enough. Are you planning to keep Kazunari from eating?”

Just as my head was completely filled with skinship with Sara-san, Hanako-san’s exasperated jab cut in. In that instant, Sara-san’s body trembled slightly, and the arms holding me gently loosened.

“…I-I’m so sorry, Kazunari-san. I got carried away…”

“N-no, I got carried away being spoiled too…”

A little reluctant, but at this point I had to pull away from Sara-san.

But in that brief moment, I caught a glimpse of her expression—her usual gentle smile, yet somehow tinged with a touch of longing.

So my heart… my heart started racing again.

Really, Sara-san is…

“…Y-Y-Yuuji!!”

At what could only be described as exquisitely perfect—or disastrous—timing, Natsumi-senpai suddenly cried out in a desperate voice…