Lunch break at Seirin High School always sounded the same.
Chairs scraping.
Plastic wrappers crinkling.
Loud voices echoing in every classroom.
To most students, it was the liveliest part of the day.
To me, it was simply another routine.
I walked through the hallway toward Class 2-B like always, my bento box in one hand and my phone in the other. The corridor smelled faintly of fried food from the cafeteria downstairs.
Nothing unusual.
Just another normal day.
At least, that was what I thought.
When I slid open the door to 2-B, the usual noisy atmosphere greeted me. Boys joking near the back, girls chatting beside the windows, someone complaining about unfinished homework.
I stepped inside quietly and headed straight to Daichi's desk.
He noticed me immediately.
"Yo, Haruto! You're late."
"Only by three minutes."
"That's late for you."
I sat beside him and opened my lunch.
Rice, grilled chicken, and tamagoyaki.
Exactly the same as yesterday.
Predictable food for a predictable life.
"Did you study for the history quiz?" Daichi asked between bites.
"A little."
"You always say 'a little' and then score higher than me."
"That says more about you than me."
"Hey!"
I allowed a small smile.
Talking with Daichi was easy. No pressure, no expectations. He filled most of the silence anyway.
For a few minutes, everything felt normal.
Then—
"Haruto-kun!"
That voice.
Bright. Clear. Unmistakable.
Before I could even react, Aiko Tanaka appeared in front of our desks with her usual cheerful energy.
"Good afternoon!"
Daichi waved lazily. "Hey, Aiko."
I nodded politely. "Afternoon."
She placed her bento on the desk beside ours without asking permission and sat down like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"So, what are you eating today?" she asked, leaning slightly to look at my food.
"The same as always."
"That's boring."
"I like boring."
She laughed. "You say that about everything."
I tried to focus on my meal, hoping she would lose interest and return to her friends.
But she didn't.
Instead, she stayed.
And talked.
A lot.
"Haruto-kun, what did you do after school yesterday?"
"Went home."
"That's it?"
"Yes."
"No games? No clubs? No hanging out?"
"No."
"Wow… you really live like an old man."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
She giggled again.
For some reason, every simple answer I gave seemed to amuse her.
I didn't understand why.
Inside my head, I sighed.
Why is she talking to me again?
There were dozens of interesting people in this classroom—athletes, honor students, funny guys, cute girls.
Yet she chose to sit here with the quiet guy from another section.
It made no sense.
"By the way," she continued, "you're in Class 2-D, right?"
"Yes."
"Is your homeroom teacher still that scary lady with glasses?"
"Ms. Fujimoto? She's not scary."
"She yelled at our class once!"
"Because your class is noisy."
"That's true."
Another laugh.
While she talked, I noticed a few classmates glancing in our direction.
Some looked curious.
Some looked surprised.
That made me uncomfortable.
I didn't like being noticed.
Daichi suddenly smirked.
"You know, Aiko, Haruto usually eats lunch in silence. You're ruining his peaceful life."
"I am?" she asked with wide innocent eyes.
"Yes," I answered honestly.
"Then I'll ruin it more."
"That's not something you should admit."
She ignored me completely and continued chatting.
For the next ten minutes, the conversation flowed in a strange rhythm.
She asked questions.
I answered shortly.
She laughed anyway.
It felt less like a conversation and more like an interrogation disguised as friendliness.
Yet… it wasn't unpleasant.
Just unfamiliar.
At one point she suddenly asked,
"Haruto-kun, why are you always so quiet?"
The question caught me off guard.
"I just don't talk much."
"But why?"
"I don't see the need."
"That sounds lonely."
"It isn't."
She looked at me thoughtfully, resting her chin on her hand.
"You're a mysterious person."
"I'm really not."
"I think you are."
Those words bothered me more than they should have.
Mysterious.
Interesting.
Different.
Labels like that attracted attention.
And attention was exactly what I had spent years avoiding.
Finally, the lunch bell rang.
Students started packing up.
Aiko stood up and stretched.
"Well, I'll go back to my seat. See you tomorrow, Haruto-kun!"
I nodded.
"Yeah."
She waved cheerfully and walked away.
As soon as she was gone, I let out a quiet breath I didn't realize I had been holding.
Daichi looked at me with amusement.
"You're doomed."
"Don't say scary things."
"She definitely likes talking to you."
"Impossible."
"Trust me."
I shook my head.
There was no way someone like Aiko Tanaka would take a real interest in someone like me.
I closed my bento and prepared to leave.
Just another lunch break.
Just another day.
Yet, as I walked back to Class 2-D, one thought lingered in my mind.
For the first time in years—
My routine had developed a small crack.
And I wasn't sure whether to be annoyed by it…
…or strangely curious.