Thanks RobertJay for the support. Here are the additional chapters...
No way? It's only been a few seconds since it started. Can't I hide my presence with my overflowing aura? No, maybe I become a LED lights?
"Senpai, you're being called, so stop thinking stupid stuff and let's go."
"How do you know what I'm thinking?"
"It's written all over your face."
Oh, really? Do I have such an obvious expression?
While we're having this conversation, Lisha is bouncing around and waving her hands. The guys around her are giving me painful looks.
"Yuusuke-san, aren't you going to eat?"
Stop bouncing and waving your hands. Your chest is moving in a way that's far from ladylike. The guys' gazes are jumping back and forth between me and Lisha. It's like a seesaw between murderous intent and lust.
Well, I can't help it. I'll approach Lisha quickly to avoid drawing too much attention.
"Alright, alright, did you make the onigiri properly? Did I cause you any trouble?"
"I always think that Yuusuke-san is making fun of me in some way."
"I'm not doing anything like that."
"Really?"
No, I'm not.
Next to Lisha, who pouts with her cheeks puffed out, a gentle-looking girl with narrow eyes speaks up.
"Don't worry so much, Lisha-chan made them perfectly fine. I've heard that some foreigners don't like the smell of rice, but luckily, that's not the case here."
"Isahaya-senpai, thank you for taking care of her."
Isahaya-senpai, the beautiful lady, effortlessly silenced the intimidating stares from the men with just a glance and casually waved her hand. She's still as poised as ever.
"It's fine. Teaching a straightforward girl like Lisha-chan is quite rewarding."
"Thank you, Keina-san!"
Isahaya-senpai looked at Lisha, who was expressing her gratitude with a smile, with a gentle gaze. Despite her seemingly untouchable appearance, Lisha had a natural and pure brightness about her, so Isahaya-senpai's feelings were easily understood.
Well, because of that, there was a palpable air of jealousy emanating from the surrounding male members!
Since I broken up with Tsukiko, I haven't had to deal with this kind of situation much.
Let's just grab some onigiri and make my exit.
"For now, I'll take an onigiri."
"Oh, wait, Yuusuke-san."
"What's up? I'm pretty hungry."
"If you're going to eat, take this with you."
Saying that, Lisha takes out a Tupperware container from her bag. Inside are five plain onigiri. Well, compared to the other onigiri, they are slightly misshapen.
I don't even need to ask who made them.
"Hmm, thanks."
As I take the Tupperware, Lisha watches me with an indescribable nervous expression. It's rare to see Lisha make a face like this.
Come to think of it, Eris made a similar face when I ate her homemade food for the first time. Blushing cheeks, tightly pursed lips, and a sharp, piercing gaze. Well, Lisha isn't quite at that level; there's still a gap between a hawk and a chick.
Eris was a purebred princess, so she had never cooked before.
Thinking back on those days with nostalgia, I open the Tupperware and take out an onigiri. It's smaller than the ones I make, and it's still slightly warm.
"Itadakimasu."
With one bite, the perfect balance of saltiness and the sweetness of rice fills my mouth. I don't have many opportunities to eat homemade onigiri, but it's quite enjoyable.
I finish it in two bites and say to Lisha,
"It was delicious."
"Really?"
"Yeah, if you can make onigiri like this, maybe you can help Kanami."
"No, that's too much to ask."
Lisha protests, but she's still smiling while swaying her body. It's like watching a dog wag its tail.
But unlike a dog, her beauty and figure are dangerously alluring. It's a bit tricky, whether it's a good thing or not. The men around us are on the verge of being knocked out.
I'm no exception. I must admit, if I hadn't built up resistance through various honeypots, I would have undoubtedly confessed right here.
This girl is a lethal weapon when it comes to situations outside of combat.
Amidst the men who were frozen in their tracks, a mischievous youkai suddenly appeared.
"Lisha-chan, what about mine? Don't I get one?"
"Didn't you say something about 'hate' earlier?"
Or did I mishear? Matsuda gave a thumbs-up with a smile that wouldn't be suitable for children.
"In this situation, it's pretty clear that Yuusuke's 'hate' meter is maxed out. It wouldn't make a difference if I took one now."
"Your way of thinking is quite base..."
"Call it strategic, if you will."
Matsuda proudly snickers. It's even more infuriating because I can't deny it.
"Oh, Matsuda-san, there's some for you too."
The Saint Lisha doesn't discriminate even against the weirdos and takes out another Tupperware container. She's doing this too much; she might actually get carried away.
"Really? Thanks, Lisha-chan! I'll treasure this!"
"You should probably eat it sooner..."
Lisha looks appalled, while Matsuda takes the Tupperware with excitement. He's the kind of guy who might actually do it.
As the youkai disappears with a *poof*, Hinata steps in after the swap.
"Lisha-chan, you shouldn't spoil Matsuda-san too much. He'll get carried away endlessly."
"I-Is that so? I'll be careful."
"And don't spoil Senpai too much either."
"Hey, haven't I ever been spoiled by Lisha?"
Actually, she's the one who's been spoiled. By the way, I'm greatly indebted to Kanami-san.
"Oh, Hinata-san, please take this too."
"Do I get some too? Thank you, I'm so happy!"
"I'm always grateful to Hinata-san."
Lisha hands the Tupperware to Hinata with a smile. She even made onigiri specifically for us. It seems like she made extra onigiri for our first time...
I noticed something and asked Lisha in a hushed tone,
"Lisha, did you only make onigiri for us?"
"Uh, well..."
Lisha visibly avoids eye contact and twirls her silky hair with her fingers.
"I didn't have time to make some for the others."
"That's perfectly fine, I understand."
I glance at Isahaya-senpai, and she nods subtly. We need to make sure this information doesn't get out to the other members. There could be a fierce competition over these onigiri.
"Well, what about mine then?"
Souji, who was listening to our conversation from behind, naturally asks the question. Come to think of it, Souji is the only one who didn't receive any. If it's just for Matsuda, it makes sense, but it's strange for Lisha's personality not to make any for Souji.
"Oh, Souji-san's portion is..."
"What's the matter, Souji? Can't you be satisfied with the onigiri here?"
Huh?
Interrupting Lisha's words was our Literature Club president.
Despite it being late at night, her enthusiasm made it seem like she was drunk. But the scary thing about her is that she's always like this.
"Nah, I'm good with the onigiri here."
"True, someone like you might not be satisfied with this size."
"Are you even listening to what I'm saying, President?"
Souji looks bewildered. Oh, I see now. I understand the reason why Lisha didn't make onigiri for Souji. The president is quite indirect about this.
"It can't be helped! I thought someone like you might be here, so I went ahead and made a special onigiri just for you, Souji. You should gratefully accept it."
"It's late, and regular onigiri would have been just fine..."
It's a well-known fact in the Literature Club that the president has a thing for Souji. Offering him homemade onigiri is a way to convey her feelings because it's embarrassing to say it directly.
But then, the president is surprisingly shy for someone with such a high spirit. She pushes the onigiri filled with her feelings onto Souji. Even middle schoolers nowadays would be more direct with their approaches.
"Alright, thanks, Lisha."
"Thank you, Lisha-chan."
"Yes, please enjoy!"
Normally, I'd stick around a bit longer to observe the president, who's likely to get flustered, but there's still work to be done. Let's go back and get to work.
I wonder if I'll have to work through the night like this when I start my future job. I've realized that the physical fatigue from my time as a Hero and the mental fatigue from this kind of work are entirely different beasts. Being a corporate slave is absolutely not for me.
As I take another onigiri from the Tupperware and toss it into my mouth, I think about these things. Next to me, Hinata raises her eyebrows and looks up at me with pursed lips.
"What's wrong? I don't think the filling is any different from yours, Hinata."
"No, it's not that. I mean, what are you talking about?"
"Huh? Weren't you jealous of the umeboshi?"
"That's not the reason, of course!"
Hinata sighs deeply and shrugs her shoulders. Well then, what is it? A girl's feelings are more mysterious than the depths of magic.
"No, I just thought that maybe I would have preferred being in charge of the onigiri."
"So, you're saying you want someone to eat it?"
"Well, who knows?"
Hinata flashes her mischievous smile as usual. It wouldn't be surprising if Hinata had someone like that in mind. She acted strangely the other day, but that was probably part of Tarim's scheme. It's both disappointing and reassuring.
Anyway, I pick up Lisha's last onigiri after settling into my seat. It reminds me of the onigiri I had last year. I wonder whose it was in the end.
As I feel the faint saltiness seep into my tired body, I picture the absent her in my mind.
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