Another lunch break. Shuchiin was quite lenient with students' lunch requirements.
The school had a dedicated cafeteria, and there was also a school supermarket near the cafeteria. Of course, students could also bring their own bentos.
Ever since tasting Shirogane Miyuki's cooking, Uchiha Ryo decided to have his good brother bring an extra portion of food for him every day.
Of course, Uchiha Ryo generously offered to cover all the ingredient costs; Shirogane just had to do the cooking.
Shirogane Miyuki was too embarrassed to refuse. The main reason was... Uchiha Ryo was paying him too much. The daily bento fee was enough for him to make four portions, just right to bring one for Kei-chan and one for his dad as well.
"Shirogane? What are we having today! I can already smell it~"
Shirogane Miyuki chuckled. "This is a masterpiece I've been working on for a long time. I've named it Shirogane Yakisoba!"
"Yakisoba?"
Shirogane Miyuki looked at Uchiha Ryo in confusion.
"What's wrong? Don't you like yakisoba?"
Uchiha Ryo shook his head. "Not at all. It's just that you actually researched how to make yakisoba..."
A confident smile appeared on Shirogane Miyuki's face. "Of course! This smooth and chewy texture is not something your average instant yakisoba can compare to!"
"...."
"Uchiha-kun, would you like to have lunch together?"
Just as Shirogane Miyuki was continuing to boast about his yakisoba, a certain blonde gyaru suddenly ran into Class 1-B, holding her own bento box and smiling at Uchiha Ryo.
Shirogane Miyuki fell silent.
Even the other students in the class looked over with curiosity. Isn't that Hayasaka-san from Class A? Why would she come and invite Uchiha-kun?
Could it be....
Could it be that....
Shirogane Miyuki turned his head to look out the window and silently began to eat his yakisoba. "My yaki... delicious!"
Uchiha Ryo also didn't understand why Hayasaka Ai would suddenly run over to invite him for lunch. But it was just a meal. What did he, Uchiha Ryo, have to fear!
"Sure, Hayasaka-san. Are we eating here?"
Hayasaka Ai shook her head, grabbed Uchiha Ryo's hand, and ran outside. "Let's find a quieter place."
In a certain courtyard on campus, Hayasaka Ai slowly opened her bento box. Oho, as expected of a Shinomiya family maid. Never mind the taste, just the presentation was several times better than Shirogane Miyuki's yakisoba.
"So, why did you want to have lunch with me, Hayasaka-san?"
Hayasaka Ai blinked her cute, large eyes and raised her right hand to make a sideways peace sign.
"Because I have something on this weekend, so I have to find you for tutoring at noon~"
Uchiha Ryo silently took a bite of his yakisoba. Eh? Not to brag, but this Shirogane Yakisoba actually tastes pretty good.
Hayasaka Ai looked at her own luxurious lunch, then at the commoner's yakisoba in Uchiha Ryo's hand. "You eat this for lunch? Isn't it lacking in nutrition?"
Uchiha Ryo looked down at his yakisoba. "Well... as long as it's edible."
"I see. Then, as a reward for coming to tutor me, you can have this."
Hayasaka Ai very naturally picked up a small piece of tonkatsu and placed it in Uchiha Ryo's yakisoba bento.
Uchiha Ryo felt nothing from this couple-like lunch behavior because Hayasaka Ai's affinity hadn't moved at all. She was just putting on an act.
But who would refuse delicious tonkatsu? Uchiha Ryo gladly accepted.
"So, the plan to tutor me this weekend is cancelled? And you're thinking of coming over at noon instead."
"Mhm, mhm!"
Uchiha Ryo quickly finished half a bowl of yakisoba and a piece of tonkatsu. Hayasaka Ai dutifully picked up another piece for him.
After finishing the two pieces of tonkatsu and the Shirogane Yakisoba, Uchiha Ryo put away his bento box. Hayasaka Ai then handed him a skewer of her own dessert.
"This is..."
Uchiha Ryo looked at the dessert in his hand, lost in thought.
Hayasaka Ai patted her chest. "These are three-color dango I made myself. I'm very confident in the taste."
Seeing Uchiha Ryo eat her dessert as well, Hayasaka Ai put on a pitiful expression, like a lovable little rabbit.
"So what's your answer?"
"Uh, the tonkatsu was a bit salty. As for the three-color dango, I personally prefer honey over caramel sauce."
Hayasaka Ai: "???"
Is that what I was asking you to answer?!
Uchiha Ryo stood up. "Anyway, thank you for the side dishes. I'll treat you to a meal when I tutor you this weekend."
Hayasaka Ai secretly pouted, but her face still wore a smile.
"Wait a minute. I mean the weekend tutoring is cancelled. You can come over at noon these next two days."
But what Hayasaka Ai saw was Uchiha Ryo's back as he was about to leave.
Are you kidding me? The lunch break is precious rest time. How could he, Uchiha Ryo, waste it on someone like Hayasaka Ai who doesn't provide G-Points.
A lamb that can't be fleeced is not a good lamb. The professional shepherd, Uchiha Ryo, thought, Aren't Chitanda and Shirogane Miyuki in my class more appealing? Isn't it better to go to the clubroom and chat with Yukinoshita about Enyun-chan!
.....
"Lady Kaguya, this person is simply hopeless! Would anyone really like a guy like this? He's just a bit smart, that's all. I pleaded with him so much, but he showed no reaction at all!"
"Oh, right, he did have a reaction... He actually said my tonkatsu was a bit salty, and the three-color dango wasn't to his taste!"
Tonight at the Shinomiya residence, Hayasaka Ai was not calm.
Shinomiya Kaguya, on the other hand, was listening to Hayasaka Ai's complaints while studying. The corners of her eternally unchanging mouth, however, curled up slightly.
"Hayasaka, it's been a long time since I've seen you talk so much...."
"Hmph, Lady Kaguya, why don't you just give the order and let me handle him? I'll throw that insensitive block of wood into Tokyo Bay."
Shinomiya Kaguya closed her book.
"That won't do. It's rare to find a commoner who can make me feel a sense of defeat. I will defeat him with my own strength, and then I will take him in as a retainer for my Shinomiya Kaguya."
"Lady Kaguya....."
Hayasaka Ai seemed to have thought of something.
"I know! Since he doesn't want to see me at noon, I'll set the original tutoring plan for the day of the banquet. Then I'll stand him up good and proper!"
A cunning smile appeared on Hayasaka Ai's face. She could already imagine Uchiha Ryo's expression of frustration after waiting for her for a long time and she never showed up.
Mhm! I'll do just that!
Once Hayasaka Ai thought of it, she did it, immediately taking out her phone to contact Uchiha Ryo.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Ryo was entertaining Takashi and Nyanko-sensei from upstairs.
Nyanko-sensei had been sealed for nearly fifty years and didn't know much about the current situation on the supernatural side.
As for Takashi, Uchiha Ryo swore that he would not let this little brother get deeply involved in the world of youkai and onmyoji, even if Takashi was only his brother in name.