We are pretending....right? - Chapter 12- Bento and past?
“You really don’t bring anything for lunch?”
Sumire was feeling rather guilty to eat alone as from what Sou told her, he generally doesn’t like to intake anything during day time since it makes him sleepy and the school has already filed more than ten applications regarding his sleeping habits.
Being in the third year it makes up more than three dozen complaints regarding him disturbing the class flow and also not paying attention to the teacher which has resulted in him with the last thread of warning.
Thus, Sou decided to put away his lunch to remain alive during the classes.
“Sumire-san…can you tell me, what Kabura-kun means to you?”
Sumire lifted the lid of her lunch box which displayed the perfectly arranged vegetables and soya and herbs pan-fried chicken resting inside of it. Not completely healthy but Sou gave a rather surprised glance at it.
Sumire was confused about the sudden query but she answered without putting much thought into it.
“He’s been a good friend for a long time and has been around a lot with me and Akari. He knows what I like but it’s not the same for me since I have a bad habit of forgetting things. Other than that, he likes to study even though he is not good at it and also helps me sometimes handle persistent lovers who try to force their confession. That’s all.”
Sumire nonchalantly finished with her words as she picked a small tomato from her lunch box before biting half of it with her small rabbit-like incisors.
Sou remained silent as he took some glances at the adorable Sumire from time to time, fighting the urge to take her pictures before he responded in a slightly heavy tone.
“I know you pretty much treat him just as friends but sorry to break it, Sumire-san, but Kabura-kun is borderline obsessed with you.”
The half-chewed tomato went directly down her throat as Sumire blinked her eyes in surprise to hear the sudden news that she was far from a realization.
Turning her head to meet his gaze, what Sumire saw was solemnity and slight anger in his eyes which he tried to mask well, but Sumire caught his reaction when he concluded with those words.
“I know you won’t believe me and considering the time you have spent with Kabura-kun, I can’t blame you either. But seeing his reaction in the morning and also the fact that he was eavesdropping on us just some moments ago, makes it more so obvious, how he is hell-bent to separate us.”
“Wait!! Did he really?!”
Seeing Sou’s unchanging expression which told her that he wasn’t joking at times like this, made Sumire tense up as she put back the tomato in the lunch box and frowned slightly.
‘Does he really… ‘
Sumire would have never believed Sou’s words about Kabura eavesdropping on them if not for the behavior the short-haired guy portrayed yesterday and in the morning.
Because of his recent actions, Sumire has a feeling that what Sou was saying indeed was correct and there might be a chance that Kabura might do something which would completely break the last bit of friendship they had.
“I know since I am a guy myself and I could see in his eyes how determined he is for you. So just like how you stay reserved with me, I would request you to stay on alert with Kabura-kun-”
“Wait…do I behave cautiously toward you?”
Sumire suddenly interjected when she heard Sou’s unexpected belief which he one-sidedly had faith in. She has not done anything which could tell that she was reserved toward Sou.
It was a little out of character for her to trust and make someone friend in such a little time but the wavelength and circumstances both of them have been going through definitely have formed some kind of bond between them.
“But just now, didn’t you say to stay away from me?”
Sou tilted his head, his previous solemnity fading and perplexion taking its place as he asked Sumire, making the girl recall the incident which transpired just some moments ago.
Sumire blushed slightly before she directed her gaze back to her lunch and while fidgeting with the piece of boiled carrot, she responded in a shaky tone.
“I-I never said to stay away from me….baka…”
Sou was barely able to control his chuckle seeing such a tamed Sumire before he shook his head and took a seat beside the girl.
“Then you won’t mind if I sit here with you right?”
Sumire grumbled with a slight “Mm-mm” sound leaking through her closed lips but she didn’t deny him nor shifted away, signifying that it was okay to this extent.
Sou felt like patting the cute child but he held back and gathered his attention on the bento she had on her lap and was drying under the wind since Sumire has only eaten a half tomato even though she was here for more than fifteen minutes already.
“Your lunch is making me feel like breaking my rule.”
Sumire huffed in confidence and boast upon being complimented for her homemade dish which her mother doesn’t like much nor her brother. But for some reason, Sumire likes it since a very early age and her habit never changed even though so much time has passed.
It was not Sumire who first ate the dish at her home but rather she stole it from someone’s lunch. Her childhood friend. He was reluctant to give it away but Sumire used her mastery of using chopsticks and made the boy offer all his lunch since Sumire was already on verge of stealing all the content.
It was a fun memory and the dish was so close to that memory that she tried to replicate it and always made it even though her family members had otherwise thoughts.
“Here.”
Sumire didn’t know why but she picked a piece of chicken and brought it toward Sou’s lips. As her cloudy gaze fixated on him, an image overlapped Sou’s face making Sumire blink more than twice, and in the process letting the drops of tears fall down her cheeks which had built in her eyes when she was reminiscing about her past.
“Arey…why am I…”
Placing the chopstick down Sumire began wiping her tears which were uncontrollably raining down even though what she thought about was a happy past. Something she treasures until now and doesn’t want to ruin by crying like this.
But the fact that these memories always were slightly bittersweet told the story of Sumire’s current state.
On the other side, Sou clenched his fist as his current expression was filled with anger and regret which Sumire entirely missed.
Bringing his hand above hers, Sou made Mike redirect her gaze toward him before stuttering words left his lips.
“Sumire… I…”
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A/N: – Drop a comment~