The Kansai Villain’s Rebirth: I Accidentally Ended Up With a Harem. - Chapter 13: The Kansai Man, Lost in Flavor.
The Kansai Man, Lost in Flavor.
I started off bawling my eyes out — but damn, it was that good.
No, really. It was so good it moved me.
And not just any bento — the legendary Akitani Bento.
The one everyone dreams of tasting.
Who wouldn’t cry after eating something like that?
Anyone would. I did. Probably. I don’t even know anymore.
“…It’s so good… so good!”
“Tennouji-kun, calm down a little… okay?”
“Tennouji-kun, you seriously look like you’re in love with that food, haha.”
“Ha-fuh! Hah-fuh-fuh! Ngh!? Nggh!! Ughgh!!”
“You choked, didn’t you.”
“Ahh! Tennouji-kun! Quick, drink some tea!”
It was just too good. Like the wind itself was whispering to me kind of good.
And then… the rice got stuck in my throat. I chugged the tea she handed me and forced it down to my stomach.
“Guh! Gulp! Phaaah! …So good!!”
“Can you please eat more quietly?”
“I’d love to, but Fuyuki-san, this bento’s just too good! I can’t help it! I didn’t know food could taste like this!”
“Ahaha, it’s nothing special really. Everything’s pretty simple.”
“Still, the way you put care into making it since five in the morning — that’s what takes it to another level!”
Handmade, crafted with care from dawn… Of course it’d taste amazing. I’d been shoveling it down too fast — I needed to slow down and actually savor it.
“This tamagoyaki… it’s fluffy, a little sweet… and so mellow. How… how is it this smooth?”
“It’s sugar, a bit of dashi… and milk. I mix in a little milk.”
“Sugar and milk? That’d burn easy… but it’s cooked perfectly. Amazing! And this spinach… you didn’t just soak it in soy sauce, did you? It’s rich, with this sweet depth to it…”
“I used soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar! It’s my mom’s secret recipe.”
“The spinach isn’t soggy at all — just the right firmness… Incredible! And these sausage octopuses… perfect! Wait— is that kinpira renkon? Delicious! And this karaage… oh man… the flavor’s soaked deep into the meat…”
“I marinated it since last night. Fried it twice so the flavor wouldn’t escape. Another of my mom’s recipes! …Is it good?”
“It’s so gooood!!”
“You’re so loud! Eat quietly already!”
“…good…”
“Ahaha! Tennouji-kun’s vocabulary has officially shrunk to one word!”
“Fufu… but hearing that much makes me really happy.”
At that point, I’d basically turned into a ‘Delicious!’ machine.
Even though Fuyuki-san scolded me, all I could say was “so good.”
My chopsticks wouldn’t stop moving.
There’s something about fried chicken and rice — it triggers happiness straight from the brain.
I don’t understand it. But it’s bliss.
“…Thank you for the meal.”
I finished every grain of rice. Not one left behind.
For a high school guy, it was the perfect portion. I was full to the brim.
Guess for someone like Imamiya, who does sports, this would be just right.
Still, to reject this for cafeteria food? Unthinkable.
“Wow… the lunch box is spotless.”
“Unlike a certain someone’s, which usually looks like a wild animal tore through it.”
Whoa. Fuyuki-san’s going for the throat today.
Did Imamiya’s relationship flag just… snap in half?
No, no — he’ll recover with a grand-slam home run later… right?
“Every single grain of rice carries the sweat and tears of the farmers who grew it. Leaving any behind… that’s bad karma. The Mottainai Ghost might show up.”
“Ghosts!? Oh no! I better finish all my rice too!”
“Finishing everything is basic manners… but this level of cleanliness is impressive.”
***
“Oh right, Akitani-san — here.”
I handed her a 1,000-yen note. She immediately panicked.
“Ehh!? N-no way! I can’t take that!”
“You have to! It’s about gratitude! And these days, ingredients aren’t cheap either!”
“B-but, it wasn’t made for you today…”
“Doesn’t matter! It’s not about that — it’s about respect for the person who made it! Something this delicious shouldn’t go unpaid for. Please, let me thank you properly!”
Honestly, I’d pay another thousand if she asked.
It was that good — no exaggeration.
To eat this for free… that’d go against everything I stand for.
“Maybe you should accept it, Mio. He’s right — it does cost money to make a bento. Speaking of which… what about the ones you make for Imamiya? Does he pay you?”
“U-um… well…”
“So he doesn’t, huh?”
“H-he said… his mom gives him lunch money, but…”
“Wait. You make him lunch every day, and he’s still taking money from his mom?”
“Whaaat!? That’s a total scam!”
“You should talk to your mom about it, Mio. That’s not right at all.”
Oh boy. I think I just heard something I shouldn’t have.
So Imamiya’s pocketing the cash his mom gives him?
What’s he even spending it on?
Depending on the answer, I might have to punch him.
He’s eating free lunches and still has the nerve to reject one?
Nope. The urge to deck him’s rising fast.
“All the more reason you should take this! It’s my way of saying thanks!”
“O-okay… then I’ll accept your gratitude. Thank you, Tennouji-kun.”
“No, thank you. Honestly, even a thousand yen doesn’t feel like enough.”
“Ahaha… oh! This might sound weird, but… maybe next time Imamiya doesn’t need a bento,
I could make one just for you instead?”
“For real!?”
“Well, I don’t know when that’ll be, but…”
“Hey, maybe even tomorrow!”
“That’s not happening, Shiina…”
“Bet he’s broke,” Fuyuki muttered. “Probably spent his lunch money on something stupid,
so he’s pretending it’s a ‘club thing’ today. Sounds about right.”
“Fuyuki-san, you’re brutal today…”
“Well, what kind of guy values a cafeteria lunch over a handmade bento from his friend?
If you hadn’t been here, that bento would’ve gone to waste.”
“Y-yeah… guess that’s true.”
“Come on, Rin-chan, don’t get so worked up…”
“Muu…”
Can’t blame her though.
If my friend went through that, I’d be mad too.
“Honestly, I’m disappointed in Imamiya,” said Natsume-san.
“He gets free lunches and still complains or turns them down? Makes no sense!”
So that’s it, huh? Complaining about the side dishes, maybe?
Like, “You didn’t pack my favorite one today”?
And this guy doesn’t even pay for it?
If Akitani fans heard that, they’d go feral.
And yet… the Imamiya I knew from the game wasn’t like this.
He never made a fuss about money — he always praised Mio’s lunches,
saying, “Your bentos never get old, Mio! They’re always delicious!”
But this version… feels off.
This worldline might be a little warped.
***
“Mio-chan, you really should talk to your mom. Especially about the money!”
“She’s right. You shouldn’t have to shoulder everything alone. If it’s hard to bring up, your mom can help. It’s not fair otherwise.”
“Uu… yeah…”
Poor thing. She looked torn, but this had to be said.
If she let it slide till graduation, it’d only get worse.
Then Natsume started ranting again — about him staring at her chest and legs —
Wait, what!? His reputation’s tanking even faster!
Just as the tension peaked, the chime rang.
“Oh no! It’s almost the warning bell! We’ve gotta hurry back!”
“Eh!? Already!?”
“Next class is math, right? That teacher hates latecomers. Let’s go.”
“Guess we took our time a little too long. Come on, let’s move.”
“Waaait, everyone, hold up!”
I returned to class in high spirits. And there he was — Imamiya, glaring daggers at me.
…Yeah, not my problem.
Comments for chapter "Chapter 13: The Kansai Man, Lost in Flavor."
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
Bro should have proposed to her as a repayment 😭
💯Agreed!
In Japan, typical pre-made bento boxes from supermarkets or convenience stores cost between ¥300 to ¥1,000 (approximately $2 to $7 USD), while high-end options can range from ¥3,000 to over ¥10,000 (approximately $20 to over $65 USD). An American equivalent for a high-end bento would likely be a gourmet, multi-course takeout meal from a specialized restaurant, potentially costing $50 to $100 or more. So when you pair that with the hard efforts of making it homemade every day, on top of the portion sizes (which I’m assuming that, for a boy in the sports club, is probably 1.5 servings in that bento box) that would get expensive real fast. So, essentially, it’ll be an average of $10 – $40 dollars per lunchbox per day, assuming that it’s all real food and there’s no frozen/pre-made food. Keep in mind that even if they get several ingredients in bulk, the total price would probably be between $100 – $150 dollars for just one or two week’s worth of bento ingredients. 🤓🧐
So Imamiya-kun has seriously been getting FREE LUNCHES from Haruka-sama since the FIRST YEAR — with very little gratitude, feedback, and atrocious manners and not even PAYING for the ingredients?! That’s seriously messed up! Doesn’t matter if it’s a childhood friend, best friend, lover, or complete stranger or acquaintance, if somebody makes a homemade lunch for you, you pay for the ingredients. If the guys and girls in the school were to hear of this, while thinking/assuming that Imamiya and Haruka were dating as a couple but found out that they weren’t? Ohohoho! Imamiya should prepare for an early grave! Nobody messes with the sacred tradition of homemade lunchboxes! 💢😡
Mark my words, I suspect Haruka’s mother will be greatly pissed off that Imamiya not only hasn’t been paying for the bentos for so long, but also isn’t appreciating it and taking advantage of her daughter. Which means that Tennouji (MC) will be winning a lot of brownie points with Haruka’s mother as a result, I bet. 😎
If Imamiya wasn’t acting like his OG self, then either the timeline got twisted, or it’s very likely that he’s also a reincarnator. Which is both predictable but annoying at the same time. If it’s true, then it’s baffling that he’s making all the wrong choices when he should be a player like the MC. Why do OG protags and heroines always mess up in these sort of games when they’ve played, yet they’re not willing to do any of the work in order to raise up favorability?? Little wonder the MCs keep taking all the heroines for themselves! 😤
Appreciate the Bento Research 👍