The bell signalling lunch echoed faintly through the halls. Hearing this, Arata sighed and stretched his back, before slowly getting up to go and find a place to eat.
Meanwhile, right next to him, Raiden Mei clapped her hands happily and looked up at her now standing seatmate.
"Kurokami-san?" She called out to him.
Hearing his name being called by his seatmate, he looked down at her with an intrigued expression.
"What is it, Mei ?"
This time, he remembered her name. Her first name, at least.
"Eh?"
Suddenly being called out as "Mei", she was left a little startled. Whether that came from being randomly called by her given name or by the fact that Arata names her correctly, he didn't know.
"Hm? Is there a problem?" He blinked cluelessly.
"Uh, no! Of course, not. I was just surprised that you called me by my first name."
He said my name correctly!
"Oh... I'm sorry, was that presumptuous of me ? I thought that since we were friends, it could call you that. Also, it's easier for me to remember "Mei"."
He didn't mean to come off as rude or anything, so he immediately apologised.
"No, no! It's fine, you can call me Mei if you want! I'm just.. surprised, that's all." Mei quickly clarified, her heart thumping in her chest.
She raised one hand up to her chest and fell into thought, as she felt those vibrations from within her core. She could physically feel her heartbeat.
Arata has always been very casual with Mei.
And now, when he referred to himself as her friend in such a casual manner and called her Mei in such a familiar way, it made her feel bashful.
For some odd reason, she seemed really drawn to him. From the moment she first laid eyes on him, to the moment he helped her, she's been very interested in him deep down.
And also, she was quite excited.
After all, despite having many friends across the campus, Mei was never truly close to any of them. She wasn't stupid, she could tell that they weren't overly close to her.
No matter how close she was with any of them or how many girls she hung out with, there was always that unspoken distance between them that she could feel. A distance between herself and her peers that she was never able to overcome.
This was the first time she felt a proper budding friendship with someone who put no barriers around himself. Whenever she talked to him, she truly felt like their bond was growing closer. That unspoken distance did not exist between them, because he truly viewed her as his friend.
"Oh... In that case, you can call me Arata too. If you're comfortable, of course. I know it's a little forward in Japan... But you're a close friend of mine, so I don't mind." He smiled warmly as he spoke, truly meaning every word.
Her ears reddened a little and Mei looked away slightly, her fingers tightening slightly over her sleeves.
"T-then... A-Arata-kun. Thank you for being my friend."
Hearing him call her "Mei" made her feel something that just made her happy. Was it because he was the first real friend she's made?
"Of course. Did you want to ask me something?"
"Ahem. Yes, actually." She quickly cleared her throat, dismissing that familiar feeling of happiness within her and smiled at him.
"Do you want to come have lunch with me today? I noticed you avoid crowded places, so you don't go to the cafeteria. I know a nice place to eat where we won't be disturbed by others. It's my favourite spot, actually."
Arata looked up and her in surprise, but smiled and nodded his head.
"Sure. Lead the way, Mei."
He liked that name. "Mei" just rolls off the tongue so nicely.
"Did you bring your own lunch ? Or should we go to the cafeteria?" She questioned and pointed a finger down the hall, but he shook his head quietly.
"Don't worry, I make my own bento. I live alone, so I learned how to cook."
He then looked at her and offered, "Do you want to try it ?"
Mei raised her hands up and shook her head.
"It's alright, Mei. I made too much anyway, so if you start craving some after you see it, don't be shy to ask." When he said that, his lips curled up into a smile that could only be described as smug and sly.
That smugness made Mei narrow her eyes in response.
"What makes you think I'll start craving your lunch, Arata-kun?"
"Call it a gut feeling~ I'm actually quite confident in my cooking skills. In fact, I think you'll like it very much."
His gut just told him that Mei would like his cooking. He didn't know why, but he just knew it.
And his cooking was in fact, really good. Not only did he seem to just have such skills, but he has also practiced, as he lives alone. And there were also those times where he cooked for those girls at the orphanage whenever he visited them.
"Fufu... Then I'll look forward to it, Arata-kun." She giggled with a hand over her mouth.
The two of them walked through the hallways of building until they reached the place Mei was talking about. Mei led him to a stairwell, which lead to the rooftop. As he stepped forward, he took note of the peace and quiet that surrounded him. There was no one else here on the roof besides himself and Mei.
Arata subconsciously let out a smile. "It's so peaceful here..."
Nothing like the cafeteria, which was filled with rabid teenagers that stared at him shamelessly and talked about him behind his back even more shamelessly.
"Yes, that's why I like it here. It's quiet and peaceful. You you observe the weather and the clear skies from here." Mei replied with a gentle smile.
"I'm surprised you didn't invite anyone else. You seem to be the type that has many friends." He said as he sat down and brought his bento box out.
He's seen how popular Mei was. He knows for a fact that if she eats at the cafeteria, she'll be crowded around from all sides. Maybe that's why she's up here ? To be able to actually eat her lunch in peace.
Mei smiled wryly and sat down next to him.
"Actually, contrary to what you might believe, I don't really get swarmed by people during lunch times."
This surprised Arata. He was under the impression that the reason why she chose such a quiet and isolated place to eat was because she was overwhelmed by her peers and just wanted some peace and quiet.
After all, that was the reason why he chose to eat alone as well. Since he didn't want to be approached by random girls and he also didn't want them to interrogate him on anything.
"Then why do you sit alone?" He asked.
"Actually, there was a time when I used to sit and eat with my classmates. But as time went on, I slowly stopped enjoying it. I started to feel more like an outsider whenever I say with them. They all treat me well but... I've always felt a distance between us that I've never been able to bridge. So... I started coming here." She explained, still smiling but that smile seemed more sad now.
Everyone in the academy loved Raiden Mei. Loved her a tad bit too much even. They were all respectful and kind to her. But distant. They all admired her from a distance. They all treated her not in a friendly way, but fanatically. The relationship between Mei and her peers couldn't be called friendship. It was more like the relationship between a celebrity and their fans.
Mei was loved by the school. For her position. For her nobility. For her looks. For her grace. For her money. For her connections. For her power. And for a multitude of other reasons.
He started at her for a moment, before giving her a firm nod.
"In that case, why won't we start eating lunch together now ? Let's meet here everyday."
Her eyes widened. "You don't have to—!"
"Yes, I do! And I won't take no for an answer." Arata interrupted her quickly, a finger raised up to her lips.
"You may not know this, Mei, but I'm notorious for being very stubborn when I make up my mind. Nothing you say will change my mind. From now on, we're lunch buddies!"
Mei stared at him silently, as if pondering what he said. She searched his eyes for anything, getting lost in a sea of rubies.
Finally, she let out a sigh and smiled at him. "It seems nothing I say will matter, will it ? In that case... Let's start hanging out during lunch breaks."
The closeness between them was something that Mei was unfamiliar with. They hadn't known each other for long and they hadn't talked much, but their bond was already quite strong. In fact, as far as they were concerned, it felt like they knew each other for years.
They felt like they already knew everything about the other. They felt like they already understood each other.
Arata then spoke.
"I think we should eat now. I'm excited to see you try my bento out."
He opened the bento box, allowing the aroma to flow into the air and get carried by the gentle breeze.
Mei brought a hand to her mouth and stared at the appetizing bento box, filled with a large amount of food.
"That smells amazing! And it... It looks so good!" She leaned closer to it, feeling the aroma hitting her face. "It looks like it was prepared by a professional chef in a five star restuarant."
Arata smiled proudly, happy that Mei seems to be so impressed by his cooking.
"I wouldn't go that far. I'm confident in my cooking skills, as I have mentioned before. But not that much." He did seem a bit sheepish after the praise, but then pushed the box slightly towards Mei.
The bento box was delicious just to look at, and neatly arranged. Beautiful golden crispy chicken katsudon, beautifully sautéed vegetables, sweet and savory tamagoyaki, pork rolls with enoki mushrooms and garlic chives.
With a gentle smile on his face, he urged her to try it.
"Go on, pick whatever you want. Taste whatever you want."
Mei stared at the delicacy before her for a while, before choosing to go for the fried chicken first. She picked it up and put it in her mouth, biting into it with a delicate but scrumptious crunch.
Her eyes lit up instantly and a hand covered her mouth. "Oh my! This taste amazing!"
"See~? I told you I was good at this."
"It's incredible!"
The crunchiness was immaculate. The freshness of the chicken and taste and heat made it feels like he had cooked the meal right here in front of her. The seasoning made a perfect blend and the gentle spice adds flavour to it.
But even so, it shouldn't be so fresh and hot. He made the bento box earlier today, so how was it still steaming hot?
I stopped it's time, that's all.
Mei softly chewed the chicken in her mouth, before raising her chopsticks and reaching to try out the other dishes he had prepared. Each and every one of them were equally perfect, heavenly even, from texture to taste.
This was a bento of a five star chef!
The more she ate, the more she found herself craving. He really wasn't joking when he said she would start craving his cooking after tasting it!
Tasting his cooking made her feel the kind of satisfaction one would feel after not being able to eat their favourite dish for a long time and then finally get that opportunity after months! She's never tasted his cooking before, but it felt like she grew up on this type of food!
Mei was literally glowing as she took another bite, making Arata smile, content that Mei was enjoying the food he cooked. Without wasting any time, he too took a pair of chopsticks to eat with. And the two of them are until their bellies were full.
"Hah~! That was incredible...!" Mei exclaimed and patted her own stomach, a satisfied smile forming on her face.
She then looked at Arata and said, "If you ever decide to one day open a restaurant, I'll sponsor it myself."
"Surely you jest." The praise made Arata scratch his cheek bashfully.
"No, seriously. That was the best bento I've ever had. Even the chef's back home don't compare." She said this earnestly, those beautiful eyes of hers practically glowing.
"Then do you want me to make lunch for you too from now on ?" He asks, making Mei stiffen.
On one hand, she really wanted to say yes. Because she genuinely loved the food. But on the other hand...
"No! I can't trouble you like that!" The thought of Arata making extra food just for her warmed her heart, but also made her feel bad. She didn't want to bother him with that.
"Mei, it's not a bother at all. I love cooking for the people I love." He quipped randomly with a warm smile on his face. He leaned his face onto his hand and stared at the now reddening face of Raiden Mei.
"Mei, do you want to taste my cooking again? Answer me honestly."
"...Yes. I want to eat your cooking again." Raiden Mei nodded her head, her lips curling into an eager smile.
"In that case, I'll cook for you as much as you want. Don't worry about being a bother. This is what I love to do!"
The quiet rooftop was filled with the content noises of the two friends, now smiling and laughing. They talked a little more over the course of the remaining minutes they had before their break ended.
"Can you teach me how to make this?"
"You want to learn to cook, Mei ?" He asked, surprised that someone of her stature even wanted to learn the way of the kitchen.
"I've always been interested in it. I've never really had much of an opportunity to learn though."
"Is that so ? Alright, I'll help you with a few recipes!"
He saw the way Mei lit up after he agreed to teach her. Seeing her smile like that just made her heart flutter. Now he could at least confirm that he was, in fact, drawn to this woman. And she was equally drawn to him.
"By the way, Mei. What was the real reason you brought me here ?" He suddenly asked as he packed everything up and got ready to head back to class.
"Hm?" She froze and looked back up at him.
"The reason why you suddenly reached out to me for lunch ?"
Mei packed her bag and stood up, smiling at him softly. She looked away and twirled her hair around her finger as she answered.
"Well, I noticed you seemed stressed lately. You spaced out when I called you in class and you just look tired. Not physically tired, just lethargic. I was worried about it, so I thought... Maybe, if you came here, you'd feel better ? I remember you telling me you liked peaceful places, so I thought I could help."
Hearing her say that, made his eyes widen. The breeze started to flow softly behind Mei, making her hair flow, emphasizing her entrancing beauty. Knowing that she did this out of concern, Arata's eyes cleared up and he felt warmth building up in his chest.