Lunchtime at Hanamori High was a bustling, noisy affair. Students crowded the cafeteria, chatting and laughing, while trays clattered against tables. Aiko Tanaka carried her lunch nervously, scanning for an empty seat near her friends.
And then… she tripped. Again.
"Ah!" she yelped, just enough to make a few students glance her way. She stumbled forward, nearly dropping her lunch tray—but this time, someone caught it.
Ren.
He held the tray steady, his dark eyes calm and patient. "You okay?" he asked, one eyebrow slightly raised.
Aiko's cheeks flamed. "I-I'm fine! Thank you…" She adjusted her hair, trying to act normal, but failing miserably.
"You can sit here," Ren offered, nodding toward the empty seat beside him.
Her heart skipped a beat. Sit… next to him? Aiko quickly nodded, sliding into the seat.
Ren didn't say much, just opened his lunchbox neatly. Aiko couldn't help but glance at it: rice balls shaped like little stars, a tiny cherry tomato on the side, and what looked like homemade tamagoyaki.
"You made this?" she asked, genuinely impressed.
Ren shrugged slightly, cheeks coloring faintly. "Yeah… it's nothing special. Helps me focus."
Aiko smiled brightly. "I like baking too! Well… mostly cupcakes. They never turn out perfect, but it's fun." She lifted her tiny cupcake-shaped pin for him to see.
Ren's lips twitched into a faint smile. "Maybe we could focus together sometime. Baking and… whatever I do."
Aiko's heart fluttered like a trapped butterfly. "Y-Yeah… maybe," she stammered. She quickly looked down at her lunch, cheeks burning.
For the rest of lunch, they ate in companionable silence, occasionally glancing at each other. Aiko found herself noticing little things: the way Ren's hair fell just above his eyes, how his fingers moved delicately as he picked up his chopsticks, the soft hum he made while eating.
She told herself it was just curiosity, nothing more. Yet, when she returned to class, her thoughts were full of Ren's calm smile and gentle eyes.
She didn't realize it yet, but sitting beside him today had planted the first real seed of something sweet and fluttery in her heart.