It really wasn't interesting to argue with a bunch of young girls.
They, like Mei initially thought, believed Takatsuki was pursuing her because of Raiden Mei's background.
But was Takatsuki such a superficial person!?
In the Honkai world, what use were these assets!?
I was doing it for the mission!
I am sincere, I am noble!
Raiden Mei didn't expect Takatsuki to stand up for her or anything, after all, this wasn't something that could be resolved in one go.
Takatsuki couldn't stay by her side forever...
All she could do was keep her distance from those who disliked her, as she had no friends among them anyway.
At lunchtime, she also took the bread she bought at school to the rooftop.
Previously, her nanny would prepare her bento every day, and a dedicated driver would send it over, but now those people had left.
She could only eat these things. Perhaps in the future, she would prepare her own bento...
"Here, ramen."
Just as she was about to find a corner to sit down, a lunchbox suddenly appeared in front of her, startling her.
"Takatsuki!?"
Looking at the familiar face, Raiden Mei blinked: "Didn't you already come today?"
Everyone knew that Takatsuki only came to confess once a day.
"I never said I'd only come once. Before, wasn't it because your bodyguards and the school's security guards were always chasing me?"
He placed the item in his hand on the ground, took out a picnic cloth from his system's inventory, and shook it open on the ground.
Then, he took out two cushions and a small table, placing them on top.
He sat down beside the table, pulled out a bento box, and took out two steaming bowls of ramen from it.
Pork bone broth ramen with sliced, exquisite char siu.
Garnished with bamboo shoots, nori, seafood, and an egg, the presentation alone was appetizing.
Of course, the exquisite appearance and the aroma that could be smelled just by standing there proved that this ramen was not cheap.
"Why are you still standing there? Sit down."
Takatsuki looked at the dazed Raiden Mei standing foolishly and patted the small table in front of him.
"You..."
What was in front of her exceeded her imagination: "Where did you get all this stuff?"
Takatsuki had no intention of hiding his inventory; it would be exposed eventually anyway. After all, to obtain crystals, he would definitely have to get involved with the main storyline.
"Oh, this? If you become my girlfriend, I'll tell you."
"No way."
Takatsuki said it so casually that Raiden Mei immediately realized he was just joking. She said nothing more and walked to the opposite side of the table to sit down.
She looked at the ramen in front of her with a somewhat complicated expression.
"Eat, just looking won't fill you up."
Raiden Mei looked at Takatsuki, picked up the chopsticks beside her, and then something else came to mind.
"Takatsuki, why are you so good to me?"
She hadn't felt it before, or rather, she had only thought of him as an annoying person. But there's a saying, 'adversity reveals true friendship.'
Raiden Mei's worth had plummeted, yet Takatsuki remained "loyal" and even treated her better and better.
"I'm doing it because I want to," Takatsuki said casually while chewing on the char siu in his mouth.
"You won't win over any girls with such insincere words."
Sensing Takatsuki's playful tone, although she didn't get an answer, Raiden Mei's mood still improved slightly.
"That's great then, I'll bother you every day."
"..."
Although Takatsuki's words sounded strange, even a little perverted, Raiden Mei blushed and whispered, "Then it's a deal..."
"Huh? What did you say?"
"I'm digging in!"
After clasping her hands together and saying a phrase, Raiden Mei began to savor the ramen in front of her, no longer answering Takatsuki.
"Thank you for the meal..."
She let out a long sigh, looking at the ramen in front of her, even the soup completely drunk. Raiden Mei had the illusion of being back home.
Raiden Ryoma's imprisonment not only caused her to lose her father and her previous standing, but all valuable items in her home were taken to pay off debts, leaving only an empty mansion. Although she still had a large sum of money in her own name, as a student with no income, she naturally couldn't easily use that savings.
"How was it? What do you want for dinner?"
Takatsuki, who had already finished eating, put away the bowls and chopsticks; he still had to return them to the shop owner later.
"Takatsuki, you don't have to do this."
One who eats from others' hands is beholden to them. Constantly receiving favors from him, Raiden Mei felt a bit embarrassed, coupled with her inherent personality.
"I'm happy."
Takatsuki smiled, "A thousand pieces of gold cannot buy my happiness. If you're worried about me not having money, there's no need to worry at all. Even if I had to support a few more people, it would be no problem for me. If you really feel indebted to me, why not smile more? I really like to see you smile."
…
Although Takatsuki's primary objective was merely to complete a task, he could even say he was single-mindedly focused on the task, but today, he might have wavered a bit.
"Young man, did something good happen? You're smiling so happily."
The ramen shop uncle said, joking with Takatsuki as he took back the bento box.
"Am I smiling?"
Following the uncle's pointing finger, Takatsuki saw the slight upturn of his lips, yet he was completely unaware of it. Even now that he noticed, it was hard to suppress.
"Ahem..."
After collecting his emotions, Takatsuki once again realized that he was just an ordinary eighteen-year-old boy. Originally, his interactions were purely for survival and utilitarian purposes, but after today, he might truly be a little moved.
A little bit...
Hmm... a little bit...
No more thinking about this. It's better to quickly complete the public order maintenance task. This morning, his luck was quite bad; even with Eagle Eye, he couldn't find any criminals.
Although there was still an afternoon, if he was unlucky, he might miss Mei's dismissal from school.
And if he wasn't there, he wondered if those young girls would bully her.
When he was around, those guys didn't dare to act, at most just ostracizing her, but if he wasn't there, Mei alone would be quite dangerous.
As the saying goes, love makes one blind.
Takatsuki completely forgot that Raiden Mei was a master of the North Star One-Sword Style. Although, a few young girls would be no match for her. She was unwilling to resolve problems with force simply because she was kind-hearted.
However, this personality also made her extremely sensitive and fragile. After losing her most important pillar of support, her weaknesses became even more apparent.
So, what she presented to Takatsuki was a lonely and fragile girl, which unconsciously sparked a bit of his protective instincts...
A little bit...