The Misadventure of the Midnight Snack Summoner

 midnight, its soft clicks drowned out by the growl of my stomach. I, Haruto Tanaka, high school second-year and self-proclaimed master of procrastination, was facing a crisis of epic proportions: I was starving. Not just "I could eat a snack" starving, but "I might sell my soul for instant ramen" starving." Ugh, why didn't I grab something after club?" I groaned, flopping onto my bed. The kendo club had run late, and I'd been too lazy to stop by the convenience store. Now, my fridge was a barren wasteland, and my wallet was crying somewhere under a pile of manga.As I stared at the ceiling, a wild idea struck me. "What if… I summon food?" I sat up, grinning like an idiot. Okay, hear me out. Last week, I'd found this weird old book in the school library's "do not borrow" section. It was called The Grimoire of Minor Conveniences, and it had spells for stuff like "find lost socks" or "make your tea the perfect temperature." I'd skimmed it during detention, and one spell stuck out: The Pact of Sustenance. It promised to "call forth nourishment from the beyond." Sounded like a free meal to me.I scrambled to my desk, digging out the dusty book. Its cover was leather, etched with swirls that glowed faintly under my desk lamp. "This is either the coolest thing I'll ever do or the dumbest," I muttered, flipping to the page. The spell required a circle drawn in salt, a candle, and "an offering of personal value." Easy enough.I poured a shaky salt circle on my bedroom floor, lit a half-melted candle from last year's birthday cake, and grabbed my offering: a limited-edition gacha figure of my favorite anime idol, Sparkle-chan. "Sorry, Sparkle-chan," I whispered, placing her in the circle. "This is for the greater good."Clearing my throat, I read the incantation, trying to sound mystical and not like I was auditioning for a bad fantasy drama. "Oh spirits of the beyond, hear my plea! Grant me sustenance, and I shall honor thee!" I waved my hands dramatically, feeling like a total dork. For a second, nothing happened. The candle flickered. My stomach growled again. "Well, that was a bust," I sighed, reaching for Sparkle-chan. Then the room exploded with light. Okay, not exploded, but a blinding glow erupted from the salt circle, and a gust of wind sent my manga flying. I yelped, shielding my eyes. When the light faded, I peeked through my fingers—and froze. Standing in the middle of my bedroom was a girl. She was maybe my age, with long silver hair tied in twin tails, wearing a frilly black dress that screamed "gothic lolita meets magical girl." Her eyes were a weirdly vivid red, and she was holding… a steaming bowl of ramen." Who dares summon the great Aiko, Devourer of Delights?" she boomed, her voice echoing like she was in a cathedral, not my messy room. Then she blinked, looked around, and dropped the dramatics. "Wait, is this a bedroom? Lame." I gaped. "Who… what… ramen?" She rolled her eyes, shoving the bowl into my hands. "You summoned me, dummy. Pact of Sustenance, blah blah blah. Here's your food. Now, what's the deal? You're not some evil overlord, are you? You look like you barely passed math."" Hey!" I protested, clutching the warm bowl. The smell of miso broth hit me like a truck, and I almost drooled. "I'm Haruto, and I was just hungry, okay? What's with the 'Devourer of Delights' stuff? Are you, like, a demon?" Aiko plopped onto my bed, kicking her legs. "Demon's such a boring label. I'm a spirit of indulgence, bound to grant food-related wishes. Used to serve emperors, now I'm stuck with… you." She squinted at my Sparkle-chan figure, still in the circle. "Wow, you offered that? Nerd alert." I flushed. "It's a collector's item! And you're eating my snacks!" She'd already grabbed a bag of potato chips from my desk and was munching loudly. "Payment for services rendered," she said, smirking. "So, Haruto, what's your deal? Why summon a spirit for ramen instead of, I dunno, walking to a store?"" Because it's midnight, and I'm lazy," I admitted, slurping the ramen. Holy crap, it was the best thing I'd ever tasted—savory, spicy, with perfectly chewy noodles. "This is amazing. You made this?"" Nah, I pulled it from a parallel dimension where ramen's a religion. You're welcome." She leaned forward, eyes glinting. "But here's the catch, buddy. You summoned me, so we're bound until you fulfill the pact." I choked on a noodle. "Bound? Pact? What's that mean? "She sighed, like I was the slowest kid in class. "The Grimoire didn't explain? Typical. You get food, I get freedom—if you complete three tasks I set. Fail, and I'm stuck here, haunting your sorry butt forever. Also, I eat all your snacks."" Three tasks?" I set the bowl down, panic rising. "Like, slay a dragon? I can barely swing a kendo sword!"" Chill, it's not that intense. Probably." Aiko hopped off the bed, circling me like a cat eyeing a canary. "Task one: tomorrow, you gotta share a meal with someone you've never eaten with before. And it has to be meaningful, not just 'yo, want a chip?' Got it?"" That's it?" I blinked. "Sounds easy. "She grinned, showing a hint of fang. "Oh, you sweet summer child. You'll see. "The next morning, I woke up to Aiko sprawled on my couch, binge-watching my streaming account and surrounded by empty snack bags. "Morning, loser!" she chirped. "Ready for your task? ""You're still here," I groaned, rubbing my eyes. Part of me had hoped it was a dream. "Don't you have a spirit realm to haunt? ""Nope! Bound to you, remember?" She floated—floated—over to me, poking my cheek. "Now, go to school and find someone to share a meal with. I'll be watching. ""Creepy," I muttered, grabbing my backpack. As I headed to school, I racked my brain. Share a meal with someone new? I wasn't exactly Mr. Popular. My friends were the same five kendo club guys I'd known since middle school, and we always ate together. Everyone else at school either ignored me or thought I was "that loud kendo dude. "By lunch, I was sweating. The cafeteria was packed, and Aiko's voice kept echoing in my head: Meaningful, not just 'yo, want a chip?' I scanned the room, clutching my bento. Then I spotted her: Yuna Sato, the quiet girl from Class 2-B. She was always alone, reading under the cherry blossom tree outside. Nobody talked to her, not because she was mean, but because she gave off this "leave me alone" vibe. "Perfect," I muttered. "She's new, right? I've never eaten with her." I ignored the knot in my stomach and marched outside. Yuna looked up as I approached, her dark eyes narrowing behind her glasses. "What do you want, Tanaka?" I froze. She knew my name? "Uh, hi! I was just… wondering if you wanted to eat lunch together?" My voice cracked, and I wanted to die. She stared, her book half-open. "Why? "Good question. "I… thought it'd be cool to hang out?" I held up my bento like a peace offering. "I've got extra tamagoyaki. "For a second, I thought she'd tell me to buzz off. Then, to my shock, she sighed and scooted over. "Fine. But don't talk too much. "I sat down, heart pounding. We ate in silence at first, the cherry blossoms drifting around us. My tamagoyaki was a hit—she took a second piece without asking. Finally, I worked up the nerve to speak. "So, uh, what's that book? "She glanced at me, surprised. "It's a fantasy novel. About a girl who summons a spirit and gets in over her head. "I nearly choked. "Sounds… relatable. "To my surprise, Yuna smiled—a tiny, barely-there smile, but it was something. "You're weird, Tanaka. Most people don't bother talking to me. ""Well, most people are dumb," I said, then cringed. Smooth, Haruto. But she laughed, soft and quick. "Maybe. "By the time the bell rang, we'd talked about her favorite books, my kendo mishaps, and how the cafeteria rice was always too sticky. As I headed back to class, Aiko materialized beside me, grinning. "Not bad, nerd. Task one: cleared. ""That was meaningful?" I hissed, glancing around to make sure nobody saw me talking to thin air. "Yup. You made a connection. Yuna's not as prickly as she seems, huh?" Aiko winked. "Two more tasks, and I'm free. You ready for the next one?"" Ready as I'll be," I said, already dreading it. Sharing lunch was one thing, but knowing Aiko, the next task would probably involve more magic—and more chaos.