The Beautiful Girl I Accidentally Helped Who Has Somehow Become Attached To Me. - Chapter 3: Settlement Of Debts.

Settlement Of Debts.

The day after I told Mikami Hina what I’d like as thanks.

I left home at the usual time, yet somehow arrived at school a bit early.

Ah, that’s right.

Today, I didn’t stop by the convenience store since Mikami-san is supposed to treat me to bread. The time I usually spend shopping in the morning was saved, so I arrived a few minutes earlier than usual.

Glancing away from the big clock hanging in the hallway, I head toward the classroom, thinking about today’s first period being math—a bit of a drag—or wondering if English will surprise us with a pop quiz. Soon, the classroom comes into view.

Normally, I arrive at the start of homeroom, so the hallways are mostly empty by then, but today I’m a bit early, and a few students are scattered around. Among them is a face I’ve been seeing a lot these past few days.

“Good morning, Kirishima-san.”

Mikami Hina is looking straight at me, but…who could she be greeting? Maybe there’s another Kirishima in a different class.

“Good morning, Kirishima Rei-san.”

As I try to walk past, she calls out my full name. There’s no chance she means anyone else. Yep, this greeting is definitely directed at me.

And here we go… Having a girl like her talking to someone like me, the class loner, naturally draws attention. Even the students inside the classroom are staring.

“What’s up? I’d rather keep this brief; I don’t like attracting attention.”

“Attention? What do you mean?”

“Just by talking to you, Mikami-san, I’m standing out. So make it quick.”

“Oh, really? …In that case, let’s meet at that spot during lunch.”

She seems a bit puzzled, but sensing my urgency, she whispers her message briefly before turning away. I head to my seat as well, but the attention hasn’t quite died down yet. What a start to the morning. I bury my head on my desk, hoping time will pass quickly.

It’s a routine habit, but today, it feels strangely uncomfortable—no doubt because of Mikami Hina.

Between classes, I occasionally felt eyes on me, but no one directly addressed me.

If they have time to pay attention to someone like me, a loner, they’d be better off chatting with their friends. I might be recommending that out of a slight bitterness, given that I don’t have anyone to chat with.

After a moment of self-deprecating thoughts that hurt just a tiny bit, I stood up. It’s lunchtime—time for the meetup.

I reach for my bag, then remember that I didn’t stop by the convenience store today. Today, Mikami Hina is supposed to treat me to bread as a thank-you.

After a brief detour, I head to the agreed spot. Just like yesterday and the day before, Mikami Hina is already sitting there, waiting.

“Hello, Kirishima-san. You’re late—I thought you might not come.”

“I just stopped by to grab a drink. I forgot to buy one since I didn’t go to the store today.”

“Ah, I see. That explains it.”

“So… you’re treating me, right?”

The only reason I’m here is that she insisted on repaying me for a favor. Under any other circumstances, there’s no way someone like me would get called out by a girl like her. And if she hadn’t followed through, I would have ended up skipping lunch. But it seems I didn’t have to worry.

“Yes, I’ve got it all ready. Here you go.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“Fufuu~~, ‘thank you’ is my line, you know. You’re quite funny.”

She’s right—I was supposed to be receiving her thanks, yet I ended up thanking her. Amused, Mikami-san gives a small smile. It’s actually the first time I’ve seen her smile. She’s usually so cool and reserved that the contrast is surprisingly… captivating.

“Well, shall we eat? Are you just going to stand there all day?”

“Oh, right. Are you eating here too, Mikami-san?”

“Yes, that was my plan… does that bother you?”

No, not really. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit disappointed—I’d imagined I might finally get to spend some time alone today. But if the alternative is eating in the classroom, surrounded by classmates, I’d much rather stay here. Having Mikami-san beside me feels a bit unsettling, not because it’s unpleasant but simply because she’s, well… stunning. If I can ignore that, it’ll be fine… hopefully.

“Mind if I open this?”

“Go right ahead. I’ll open mine too.”

I open the slightly larger bento box she hands me. I wonder what’s inside? Maybe sandwiches? As I lift the lid, a soft white filling peeks out.

“Huh?”

“Is something wrong?”

“Nah, it’s nothing. Just thought I saw something else.”

I must have just caught a glimpse of the white part of the sandwich… Yeah, that must be it. With that determined, I lifted the lid enthusiastically, only to be greeted by a bed of pristine, beautifully presented white rice.

I glanced back and forth between the gorgeous contents of the bento box and Mikami-san, who had already started enjoying her own meal beside me. Where did I go wrong? What did I even ask for yesterday?

“Hey, just to clarify one thing…”

“Mm-hmm? What is it?” she replied, mouth full.

“What exactly did I ask for as a thank-you yesterday?”

“You said you wanted me to treat you to some bread, if I remember correctly. Isn’t it a bit early for forgetfulness?”

“No, no, I remember perfectly. Good to know I wasn’t off. So… um, what’s this?”

“Can’t you tell just by looking? It’s rice. Kirishima-san… don’t tell me… you don’t know rice?”

“I know what rice is!” I protested.

Sure, I eat bread for lunch a lot, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know what rice is. I just don’t typically have it at this time of day. She looked at me curiously, tilting her head in an adorable way as if genuinely concerned about my rice knowledge—but that wasn’t the issue here. The problem was that instead of bread, I was handed a bento brimming with rice.

“I asked you to get me bread, right?”

“Yes, you did.”

“So… this is?”

“Rice, as you can see.”

Wait, didn’t we just have this exact exchange? If we keep going like this, we’ll be stuck in an endless loop. Although, it’s not like I don’t appreciate rice—it’s just that I had my mind set on bread. Interrogating her further won’t magically turn rice into bread, and I’m running out of time. Resigned, I grabbed the chopsticks tucked into the lid and started eating.

“…It’s good.”

The words slipped out unconsciously. Once I took a bite, I couldn’t stop.

The sweet, tender tamagoyaki, crispy and juicy karaage, cherry tomatoes with fresh lettuce, and broccoli salad—it was all exactly to my taste, and I couldn’t get enough.

“At this rate, you’re going to choke if you keep eating so quickly,” she warned.

But no matter how hard I tried to slow down, I just couldn’t stop.

“Fuufuu~~, seeing you enjoy it so much makes me happy. It was worth all the effort.”

“Wait, did you… make all of this yourself?”

“Yes, I did. I was a little worried since I didn’t know what you liked or disliked, or what flavors you prefer, but it seems like you enjoyed it.”

“Wasn’t that a lot of trouble for you to go through?”

Thinking about how much effort she put into making this bento makes me feel like what I did doesn’t measure up at all. My small favor hardly seems like enough to warrant this much of a gesture.

“It’s not a lot of extra effort if I’m already making the same food for myself. It’s just a bit more in terms of quantity.”

To prove her point, Mikami-san tilted her own bento box towards me so I could see. It had a little less food than mine but contained the same kinds of items. So, she’s telling the truth. Even so, for someone like me who never cooks, it feels like a lot of effort.

“Honestly, I’d have been fine with something as simple as a store-bought bun… Now it feels like I owe you something back for this.”

“Not at all. Besides, I only ignored your request a little because I thought you might benefit from a more nutritious meal. So please, don’t worry about it.”

Did she even consider my nutrition? She muttered something about “just bread isn’t enough nutrients.”

“Thanks for the meal. It was honestly amazing. No joke, it was delicious.”

“You’re very welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

The bento was so good that I didn’t even realize I’d finished it. As I considered what to do with the empty box, Mikami-san, reading my thoughts, took it back and tucked it neatly away, not a grain of rice left behind.

“I feel like you went a little overboard, but I guess that’s my thank-you… all squared away?”

“…Yes, I suppose it is.”

“Alright then, that’s good to hear.”

This was a thank-you—essentially, settling a debt.

It might feel a bit like she’s overpaid, but if she says not to worry about it, maybe I should just accept it without overthinking. Once this lunch break ends, our connection will be over.

Someone like me, a loner and an introvert, isn’t meant to mix with someone like her—a beautiful girl admired by everyone. Our paths crossed purely by chance.

Now that the debt’s settled, she no longer has any reason to be involved with me. Our brief interaction was nothing more than a fluke—a fleeting overlap in our otherwise separate lives. And with this, that moment comes to an end. Starting tomorrow, my usual, solitary routine will resume.

With these thoughts circling my mind, I spent the rest of the lunch break sitting beside Mikami Hina, gazing absentmindedly up at the clear blue sky.