Chiaki's POV
We were all gathered around the large dining table again, the long polished one that could easily seat all of us without anyone needing to squeeze in or awkwardly fight for elbow space. It had kind of become our usual spot. At this point, sitting there with everyone almost felt routine, like the kind of thing you'd expect from a school lunch break rather than from people who had been dragged into another world.
The food for lunch today was the same as usual.
And like always, it tasted really good.
The cooks here never seemed to miss. Every dish had this warm, comforting flavor that reminded me that even though we were far away from home, someone was still putting in the effort to make sure we were taken care of. The rice was fluffy, the meat was cooked just right, and the soup carried this rich aroma that should have made anyone hungry the moment it reached their nose.
But for some reason… I just couldn't focus on it.
