Chapter 33: Unexpected Defeat!! (Fukitaru Style)

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Pros:

• I don’t want to deal with a woman who betrayed me anymore.
• I actually told her clearly to stay away from me.
• Who knows what’s in it? Besides, I have no idea about Kurebayashi-san’s cooking skills.

Cons:

• If she gets depressed and ends up in the hospital again, I'll feel guilty.
• Not just my conscience but also Kurebayashi-san's parents, especially her mom, are unknown factors.
• I'm broke right now. And I'm hungry.
• Letting the bento go to waste isn't good for the environment.
• Talking to Kurebayashi-san is necessary if I want Asuka-san to set up that mixer for me.

I gave in. It's pathetic, but I'm inexperienced, so it can’t be helped.

So here I am in the courtyard. The spring weather is pleasant, making it bearable to be outside.

“… I woke up early and worked hard on this. I'm confident in how it turned out, so please enjoy.”

Being watched eagerly by Kurebayashi-san from the side is a bit uncomfortable. I wonder if her mom is spying on us somewhere.

“… What's wrong, Yuuta-kun? Why are you looking around?”

“Oh, uh, no reason. Are you here alone, Kurebayashi-san?”

“What? Of course, I made this by myself.”

That's not what I meant. But there are other things I find strange.

“Why did you suddenly decide to make a bento?”

“Well, Yuuta-kun, you had curry from Shinko Cafeteria for lunch yesterday, right?”

“…Yeah, so?”

She was watching me. Without my permission, why?

“So, I thought maybe you don't prepare lunch for yourself… and since I caused trouble before, I wanted to apologize… Is it a bother?”

“Well, if you put it that way…”

She's right. It's annoying that Kurebayashi-san is doing this for me now. Even if it's meant as an apology, it feels more like a condolence.

But it's rude to say that when she's gone to the trouble of making lunch. I should just eat it. She won't let me go until I do.

Alright, let's see what's inside. Thankfully, there's no embarrassing, explicit stuff in here.

The contents of the bento are:

• A few pieces of fried chicken.
• Tamagoyaki.
• Octopus-shaped sausages.
• Something like coleslaw and tomatoes.
• Rice sprinkled with sesame salt.

How should I make this effort of waking up early to make something fairly plain?

But unfortunately, fried chicken is my favorite.

Feeling a bit uneasy under her intense gaze, I decide to give it a try.

Bite.

“! …Delicious.”

“Really!? I'm so glad.”

Frustratingly, the fried chicken, though cold, is delicious. The garlic and spices are just to my liking. The tamagoyaki isn't sweet, which I prefer. The coleslaw tastes better than the one from the school cafeteria. She must have made the dress herself.

She remembered that I like fried chicken, huh, Kurebayashi-san?

“Thanks for the meal. It was delicious.”

“You're welcome. I'm so happy you liked it.”

Since I was treated, I have to thank her. But why is she so happy?

“Actually, this is the first time I've made a bento for anyone besides my family.”

“Huh?”

Here comes a potentially awkward confession from Kurebayashi-san. 

If we were dating, it'd be different, but getting her “first” in this context isn't that special for me.

“Didn’t you make one for Okutsu?”

“A-ahaha…”

“Huh?”

“Um…. I never did…..We never had the chance…you know.”

Oh, I see. They were too busy with other things to have time for making bentos.

While I understand that's typical teenage behavior, isn’t spending time together without just having sex important in a relationship?

Or maybe because they weren't officially dating, those things didn't happen.

Her statement annoyed me, and I almost said something harsh. 

“…But while making the bento….I realized how foolish I was back then.”

I was taken aback. Fine, I'll listen.

“This really is the first time I've made a bento for someone. It was fun waking up early and preparing it. I thought it was an apology, but it turned out to be enjoyable.”

“…”

“Why didn't I do this before? I now realize how much I care for you, Yuuta-kun, how much I like you, and how foolish I was back then. It’s too late, though…”

Really. After choosing to indulge in pleasure, now she regrets it?

“Isn’t that a bit too delusional?”

“No, it's not. I might have been mistaken back then, but this feeling is real. It's the first time I've felt like this.”

So, another “first” for her, not for Okutsu. Seriously, why give away so many “firsts” to a guy who wasn’t even her boyfriend?

“…I would've wanted your ‘first’ as your boyfriend back in middle school.”

Oops, that slipped out. I was annoyed, so I spoke without thinking.

But it's the truth, and I don't regret it.

The issue isn't the future, but the past. If someone boasts about their wild past as an adult, it's just annoying.

How will Kurebayashi-san respond? If she starts crying like she did in middle school, it's best to avoid her as much as possible from now on.

…Though I'll miss the chance for that mixer.