During the lunch break, Tanaka Masao brought his lunch box to the Service Club.
He knocked on the door, heard Yukinoshita Yukino's voice from inside, then pushed the door open and walked in.
Seeing Yukinoshita Yukino already seated by the window, Tanaka Masao couldn't help but complain.
"I came here right after class ended. How did Yukinoshita get here before me?"
Yukinoshita Yukino placed her lunch box on the table and replied while opening it.
"Of course—it's because Tanaka-kun walks at a turtle's pace."
"It's not that bad," he retorted.
Tanaka Masao set his lunch box down on the ground, went to the back of the classroom, and dragged a desk out from a pile of stacked tables and chairs.
He then positioned it opposite Yukinoshita's desk.
Yukinoshita Yukino frowned at this and spoke with some displeasure.
"Tanaka-kun, could you not put your desk so close to mine?"
Setting the desk down, Tanaka Masao explained,
"Aren't I coming here for training in the afternoon? If I move it to the other side, it'll take up too much space."
With that, he shifted the desk back slightly, leaving about a meter between them.
Seeing that he had taken the initiative to move it, Yukinoshita didn't press the issue further. She simply nodded.
"Alright then. Let's eat."
Tanaka Masao pulled out a chair and sat down. Sitting so near, he could clearly see what Yukinoshita had packed for lunch.
It wasn't like the lavish bento boxes of wealthy anime heroines.
As the second daughter of the Yukinoshita family, her lunch was surprisingly ordinary—no luxurious dishes, modest portions—but arranged with delicate care.
Tanaka Masao guessed it must have been made by Yukinoshita herself, and he couldn't help imagining:
It looks delicious. I wonder when I'll ever get to eat one of Yukinoshita Yukino's homemade lunches myself.
Just as he could see her food, Yukinoshita could also see his.
His lunch was nearly fat-free, with almost half of it consisting of vegetables.
This satisfied her, and she said nothing, quietly eating her meal.
Tanaka Masao also ate quietly. The classroom was silent except for the faint sounds of chewing.
······
Ten minutes later, both of them finished at almost the same time.
At that moment, Yukinoshita Yukino spoke.
"I didn't expect Tanaka-kun to eat so elegantly."
While cleaning his lunch box, Tanaka Masao paused and asked, "What do you mean by that?"
"Not only do you not talk while eating, you hardly make any sound. I thought you'd be humming like a pig."
Hearing this, Tanaka Masao was speechless.
"I'm just a little overweight, not a pig."
Yukinoshita Yukino nodded. "You're right—that was my mistake. I judged you by appearance."
Although her apology sounded sincere, Tanaka Masao muttered, "Yukinoshita, there's no need to judge people by appearance."
But still—wasn't she basically saying he looked like a pig? He wasn't that fat!
Actually, pigs have a body fat percentage of less than 20%.
Compared to humans, pigs wouldn't even have big bellies.
As Tanaka Masao drifted off into this strange line of thought, Yukinoshita looked at him curiously.
"What's wrong with you?"
Even though they hadn't known each other long, she could tell Tanaka Masao had a high tolerance for sharp words.
He didn't mind sarcasm—in fact, he seemed to enjoy it.
So why was he suddenly so down?
"Nothing," Tanaka Masao waved his hand, then quickly added to avoid misunderstanding,
"I just thought maybe I'm not even as good as a pig."
That left Yukinoshita even more puzzled. She stayed quiet until they reached the classroom building.
Then she said softly, "I think you're still better than a pig."
With that, her class began, and she walked inside.
Tanaka Masao was still hung up on whether he was worse than a pig, and it left him a little depressed.
Watching her back, he thought:
Was Yukinoshita Yukino… comforting me?
He found the idea unbelievable.
We've barely known each other, and Yukinoshita Yukino is already offering me words of comfort. Could it be… she likes me?
"No, no, no."
He shook his head quickly, dismissing the thought.
This is Yukinoshita Yukino. There's no way she'd fall for someone so easily. It's probably just that she hasn't had friends for a long time, and now that she has someone to talk to, she shows a little concern. At the very least… I'm her friend.
Thinking this made him a little happy.
…
It was a little past two in the afternoon, the hottest time of the day.
Since it was already May, the weather was growing warmer.
Unfortunately, Tanaka Masao's class had physical education at this time.
Naturally, many students complained, but no one dared skip since PE grades were important too.
Tanaka Masao sighed helplessly.
After yesterday afternoon's workout and this morning's training, his body was still sore.
And now, another round of PE.
Worse yet, PE was the last period of the day. Afterward, he would still have to drag his exhausted body to the Service Club for another hour of training.
"I'm going to die…"
The thought left him feeling utterly drained.
I'll have to discuss reducing the training with Yukinoshita today. She should understand.
As he was thinking this, he followed his classmates out to the playground.
There, he spotted a familiar figure.
It was Yukinoshita Yukino.
Dressed in sportswear, she stood slightly apart from the others, creating a small empty space around her that made her stand out.
Seeing this, Tanaka Masao realized she also had PE in the last period.
…
On the other side, Yukinoshita Yukino suddenly sensed a familiar gaze.
She looked over and quickly spotted Tanaka Masao trying to stay unnoticed at the edge of the crowd.
She understood instantly.
Will Tanaka-kun really collapse if I make him train for another hour after PE? Hmm… let's test it. He probably won't die. After all, he's the one who came up with the weight-loss plan. He should be able to handle a bit more.
Thinking this, Yukinoshita couldn't help but smile faintly.
Although she stood alone, many eyes were already on her.
Especially the boys—every so often, they stole glances her way.
Her smile instantly caught their attention.
Because Yukinoshita Yukino, who was usually cold and expressionless, looked breathtakingly beautiful when she smiled.
Many boys felt their hearts race, all thinking the same thing:
Did Yukinoshita just smile at me? Does she like me? I'll write her a love letter tomorrow!
Tanaka Masao's heartbeat also quickened.
It's over. My back feels cold. I don't think I'll survive today.