When trying to list every anime character with long, flaxen-brown hair, the very first name that popped into Suyan's head was naturally Asuna from Sword Art Online—the legendary Lightning Flash Asuna.
However, he instantly dismissed the absurd thought. He hadn't transmigrated into the world of Aincrad; he was in a zombie apocalypse. How could Asuna possibly appear here?
After a second of actual thought, the real answer clicked into place.
It was the classmate who sat directly behind him: Miyamoto Rei!
She was also one of the primary canonical heroines of this world.
Despite technically occupying the roles of both 'the girl sitting behind him' and 'major anime heroine', Suyan genuinely didn't know her very well.
Originally, Rei was in the same grade as Saeko. However, due to some unknown reason, she had been deliberately held back a year, which was the only reason she was currently in Suyan's class.
Moreover, her canonical character arc in the anime was so absolutely outrageous that Suyan had deliberately maintained a very low opinion of her. Since she used to be an upperclassman in a completely different building, he had never felt the need to play the desperate simp and forcefully insert himself into her life.
Furthermore, compared to other flaxen-haired heroines, Asuna was an undisputed, global titan of popularity across the entire anime industry.
As for Miyamoto Rei?
Her popularity within the fandom was mediocre at best. She couldn't even begin to compare to Saeko Busujima, an iconic character whose personal fame completely eclipsed the anime she came from. Hell, Rei was barely even on par with Shizuka...
Actually, scratch that. The ditzy, massive-chested blonde nurse was incredibly popular. Rei probably even ranked lower than the pink-haired tsundere with the least presence in the main cast, Saya Takagi.
Although, to be perfectly fair, a massive portion of Saya's popularity was directly carried by the sheer, overwhelming MILF energy radiated by her mother, Yuriko Takagi. Yes, Saya was essentially just a buy-one-get-one-free bonus attachment to her mom.
But regardless of the metrics, the undeniable truth remained: Miyamoto Rei's popularity was in the gutter.
And honestly, it was entirely justified. For a character positioned as the primary female lead with the absolute most screen time, her canonical storyline was a complete, unmitigated trainwreck.
Rei was the male protagonist's classic childhood friend. When they were kids, they had literally made a pinky promise to get married when they grew up.
Yet, right before the anime's plot even officially started, she abruptly started dating someone else.
And not just anyone—she started dating the male protagonist's absolute best friend.
You thought that was bad? It gets worse.
Barely an episode into the apocalypse, Boyfriend-kun gets bitten by a zombie and brutally written out of the story. Rei immediately throws a massive, suicidal hysterical fit, forcing the male protagonist to literally slap some sense into her. The physical assault apparently instantly triggers terminal Stockholm Syndrome, because she immediately pivots and falls madly back in love with the protagonist again.
So, the moment Suyan realized the crying girl huddled in the corner was Miyamoto Rei, his initial reaction was pure apathy.
Oh, it's just her. Whatever.
Suyan walked back to his original spot, popped the lid off his meticulously prepared bento, and began aggressively shoveling food into his mouth.
Technically speaking, Japanese high schools didn't have a designated 'nap time'. After morning classes ended, students were given roughly one hour to eat lunch and rest. Afterward, they had to sit through two more afternoon classes before the final bell rang around three o'clock.
If a student was part of a club, activities usually ran until five. If they were part of the 'Go-Home Club', they were free to leave immediately. High schoolers were also legally allowed to get part-time jobs for pocket money, provided they registered with the school, worked less than 28 hours a week, and clocked out before 8 PM.
Of course, since Suyan was currently being entirely financially supported by a wealthy sugar momma (Shizuka), he didn't need to waste time flipping burgers.
His plan was to wait until after school, head straight to the Kendo Club to check if Saeko had officially signed the contract, and, if she had, begin teaching her the absolute basics of Nen manipulation.
Sniff. Sniff.
A short distance away, the crying Rei suddenly caught the scent of incredibly aromatic, savory food drifting through the air.
It was an unimaginably delicious smell, completely unlike anything she had ever encountered.
For certain reasons, she had completely skipped breakfast. She hadn't packed a bento, and because she had desperately rushed to find an isolated place to cry, she obviously hadn't bought lunch either.
The glorious aroma instantly awakened the ravenous appetite in her stomach.
Hypnotized by the scent, Rei temporarily completely forgot her misery. Her throat bobbed as she reflexively swallowed a mouthful of saliva. Driven by pure, primal instinct, she lifted her tear-stained face to locate the source of the heavenly smell.
The moment she looked up, she locked eyes directly with Suyan, who was aggressively stuffing his face just a few yards away.
By some cruel, universally orchestrated twist of fate, the precise nanosecond their eyes met, Rei's stomach let out a shockingly loud, thunderous rumble.
Just kill me now! World, please, just violently explode!
Rei's face instantly burned a violently humiliating shade of crimson. Like a terrified ostrich, she wrapped her arms around her legs and buried her face back into her knees, wishing the concrete would literally swallow her whole.
She knew exactly who Suyan was. He sat directly in front of her in class, and he was one of the most famously unapproachable, elite students in the entire school.
She had never expected him to catch her completely breaking down on the rooftop. Even worse, she had practically audibly begged for his food while he was eating.
If a massive sinkhole suddenly opened up beneath her, she would dive into it without a second's hesitation.
After a long, agonizing minute, Rei slowly lifted her head, desperately praying that Suyan had taken the hint and left.
To her absolute horror, Suyan was still sitting exactly where he was, aggressively shoveling rice into his mouth.
Rei immediately buried her face back into her knees.
She waited another excruciatingly long minute.
He has to be gone by now, right?
She peeked up again, only to find Suyan still violently consuming his bento. He hadn't moved an inch. He was completely acting as if she didn't exist.
Her profound embarrassment evaporated in an instant, rapidly replaced by a surging wave of irrational anger.
What the hell is wrong with this guy?!
I'm already in this state, and you still want to bully me?
Rei puffed out her cheeks, glaring daggers at Suyan.
In response, Suyan simply began eating faster.
Rei felt a bizarre mix of absolute fury and utter disbelief.
Who do you think I am? Did you seriously think I was going to snatch your half-eaten bento?
She desperately wanted to stand up, march over, and scream directly into his apathetic face. But she remembered they barely knew each other. Plus, he sat directly in front of her; making an enemy out of him would make class incredibly awkward for the rest of the year.
Swallowing her furious pride, Rei forced herself to stand up.
Fine. If you won't leave, I will.
If she hurried down to the cafeteria now, they might still have some leftover, stale bread she could use to quiet her screaming stomach.
"Hold on a second."
Just as Rei turned to storm off, Suyan's voice called out, stopping her in her tracks.
Suyan casually picked up a second, completely untouched bento box—the one he had originally prepared for Shizuka. "You haven't eaten lunch yet, have you, Miyamoto?"
Rei froze. She slowly turned around, her eyes instantly locking onto the pristine, unopened bento box in his hand.
Wait... could it be?
Is he actually offering to share his lunch with me?
Maybe... he actually is a genuinely good guy?
Deep in her heart, Rei quietly issued Suyan a glowing "Good Guy Card."
However, Suyan's next sentence ruthlessly shattered her fleeting illusion.
With a highly amused, mocking smirk, Suyan said, "Tell you what. If you tell me exactly the reason you're secretly hiding on the roof crying and give me a good laugh, I'll give you this extra bento. Deal?"
Good guy, my ass!
Without a single second of hesitation, Rei violently revoked the "Good Guy Card" she had just issued.