The Protagonist's Sister Loves Me, But She's Definitely a Yandere. - Chapter 11: Lunchtime Event

Chapter 11: Lunchtime Event

Some schools keep their rooftops closed all the time, but at my high school, students are free to go up there. By lunchtime, it was always bustling with activity.

Amidst that lively space, Runa and I were sitting side by side on a bench.

She had suddenly appeared in my classroom and told me she’d made lunch for me. Since both of my parents worked, it had become routine for them to leave me lunch money and for me to figure it out myself.

Most days, I ate store-bought bread or cup noodles. That’s just how it is for a high school boy.

“Here you go! I made extra, so dig in!”

“Ugh, I can feel the painful stares. The stares of resentment are piercing me…”

Apparently, since starting high school, Runa had been making her own lunch.

Back in middle school, we had a school lunch system, but for someone who loved cooking like Runa, making her own lunch wasn’t a hassle. But why did she make one for me, too? Was my unhealthy lifestyle finally showing on my face or something? Whatever the reason, now that she’d dragged me up to the rooftop, I had no choice but to accept my fate.

Countless eyes of curiosity and anger were stabbing into me from all directions.

Some were filled with envy, too. Despite that, I gratefully accepted the lunch.

When I opened the lid with a snap, a beautifully colorful bento was revealed.

Even though the rice was cold, it still looked shiny. None of the side dishes looked like they were frozen, either. It was clear she had put a lot of effort into it. Honestly, it looked so good she could probably sell it for a decent price.

Runa’s love for cooking was no joke. I was impressed. Amazed. Words couldn’t even describe it.

“W-Whoa, you really went all out this morning. Wait, why even make one for me?”

“Because knowing you, Shin-nii, you’d just eat store-bought bread or cup noodles.”

“Nghh… Y-You saw right through me… What a terrifying girl.”

I didn’t think she’d guess it so perfectly. And not just guess —she nailed the exact items, too: bread and cup noodles.

We’d been childhood friends for a long time, after all. I laughed internally, even if I didn’t show it on my face.

Anyway, it seemed like she was genuinely worried about my health.

“I actually wanted to start making you lunches sooner, but I was practicing because I wanted you to eat a perfect bento. You know how bento gets cold? I had to figure out how to make it still taste good.”

“I… don’t really get it, but I guess that makes sense.”

It was a long time ago, so my memory was a bit fuzzy, but I remembered her starting to cook pretty early on. Since the Ichinose parents often worked overseas, and Hinata wasn’t interested in housework, Runa ended up taking care of things at home.

Honestly, aside from money, Runa pretty much had everything covered.

“Even if it’s cold, I’m sure your food would still taste great, Runa.”

“Even so! I’d hate it if you were disappointed, Shin-nii.”

“I wouldn’t be disappointed. Your food is the best, Runa.”

I told her this as she twirled a strand of her light brown hair around her finger.

Sure, when she first started cooking, she made a few mistakes. But now, her food was honestly delicious. I didn’t say this out loud, but her cooking had spoiled me —even family restaurant meals didn’t satisfy me anymore.

“Yeah. …Really?”

“Yeah. I’m not lying.”

Her eyes, filled with a hint of anxiety, wavered slightly.

She had spent so much time in the kitchen, and even now, she practiced making this lunch just for me. There was no way her food could taste bad after all that effort. She needed to have more confidence in herself.

I nodded at Runa, who looked so delicate and uncertain.

“H-Hmph. So, my cooking is the best, huh? Idiot.”

“Hey, what’s with the sudden insult?! I was complimenting you!”

“Idiot, idiot. Now hurry up and eat already.”

Her cheeks turned a faint shade of red as she kept calling me an “idiot.”

Even though she felt like a little sister to me, her flustered expression was still charming. Whoever ends up as her boyfriend is going to be one lucky guy. Of course, before she dates anyone, I’ll be sure to thoroughly check them out. That’s non-negotiable.

Also, I could feel the glares around me getting colder.

When I casually glanced around, a few guys were glaring at me like they wanted to kill me.

Runa’s popularity really was something else.

―Oh, and by the way, the lunch was amazing.

“So?”

Runa suddenly spoke as she was packing up the lunch box.

I raised an eyebrow, confused by what she meant.

“So what?”

“That! That weird look on your face!”

Runa leaned in close and looked up at me with those puppy-dog eyes. While I was glad she wasn’t wary of me, the closeness made me feel a little uncomfortable. Also, the simple insults didn’t help.

It seemed like I’d accidentally stepped on one of her landmines without realizing it.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m always making weird faces, aren’t I?”

“No, that’s not it. You’ve got a ‘Shin-nii, Shin-nii’ face on.”

“…Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

Runa tilted her head slightly. Nope, that didn’t help at all.

Sure, compared to Hinata, I was probably no better than a pebble on the roadside, but I still wanted to dream a little. God, if you’re listening, please let me be a handsome guy in my next life.

“Anyway, stop looking all gloomy. You just ate my bento, didn’t you?”

“Was I really making that face? You’re imagining things. I’m the same as always.”

“We’re childhood friends, you know. I can totally tell.”

Runa shrugged her shoulders, clearly annoyed.

As for me, I did have an idea of what was bothering me. Maybe it showed on my face, after all. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I felt guilty about that.

I didn’t want her to worry. Especially not Runa.

The truth was… No, there was no “maybe” about it. That person was definitely a stalker. I couldn’t understand what they saw in me to feel that way, but their actions were clearly those of an obsessed stalker. Right now, they were only sending letters and emails, but who knew when things might escalate into something worse?

If that was the case, there was a real chance that Runa —one of the few girls who hung out with me— could get caught up in this mess. I wanted to handle things peacefully, but since I didn’t know who was behind it, I couldn’t make any risky moves.

Honestly, I wanted to talk to someone about it. I wanted to share this burden.

But if I gave in to that simple desire and thought about what could happen next, talking to her wasn’t the smartest idea. The last thing I wanted was for this to end with someone getting hurt.

“What’s up? Is there something you can’t tell me?”

“Nah, it’s not that. It’s just… with exams coming up, I haven’t studied at all. Asking Hinata or Rika for help feels awkward, so I don’t know what to do.”

That wasn’t a lie. Exams were definitely coming up soon.

And asking Hinata for help —or even Rika, who liked Hinata— just felt too awkward.

I let out a deep sigh and smiled bitterly before looking off into the distance.

I hoped that gesture would signal the end of the conversation. Whether she got the hint or not was up for debate, but Runa just replied with a half-hearted, “Hmph, sure.”

“Shin-nii, you’re terrible at lying, you know?”

I take that back. She didn’t buy it at all. Not even a little. 

That’s the power of being childhood friends for so long —she could see right through me. Half-baked lies just didn’t work with her.

But surprisingly, she didn’t press me for more details like I thought she would. When I glanced beside me, she looked deep in thought, gently running her fingers through her light brown hair.

That expression on her face made me curious, so this time, I decided to ask.

“…What’s with that look?”

“Why? You won’t tell me anything, but I have to tell you?”

“Fair point.”

I exaggerated a shrug. She was completely right.

Here I was hiding things while expecting her to spill everything —that wasn’t fair. But at least I’d managed not to tell her about the stalker. It wasn’t time to talk about that yet. If I did tell someone, it would probably be Hinata, since he’s a guy, or maybe my parents —though that would be incredibly awkward.

“Well… you know.”

Her soft words got swept away by a sudden strong breeze. I barely caught any of it. She spoke so quietly that if I hadn’t been paying attention, it would’ve disappeared completely.

“Alright, let’s go!”

Before I could ask her what she said, she stood up suddenly with a cheerful shout.　

I instinctively looked up at her. She still had that fragile, delicate vibe, but her eyes were sharp and determined. Her intensity caught me off guard, and like an idiot, I just froze there with my mouth half-open.

“Lunch break’s almost over! Let’s go, Shin-nii!”

“Whoa, careful! Don’t pull me so suddenly, I’m gonna fall!”

Runa grabbed my hand and yanked me forward. For a second, it felt like my feet left the ground.

I barely managed to keep my balance and stay on my feet. Completely unaware of my struggle, Runa ran ahead, her loafers clacking against the ground.

“Geez, are you out of shape? That’s so lame!”

But what if…

What if my stalker was watching us right now?

Would they be able to stay calm? Or would they lose control, driven mad by jealousy?

I didn’t want Runa to get dragged into this. That’s why I hadn’t told her anything.

But what if just being a girl who was close to me made her a target? The thought alone sent a chill through me, and my body trembled.

…Maybe I should keep some distance from Runa until things settled down.

But no —if I did that, she’d just get more suspicious and probably stick to me even more.

I ran through all the possibilities in my mind and decided I’d have to be careful until I figured out how to solve this.