Chapter 5

Walking side by side with Rin, we headed home.

On the way to the nearest station from school, I noticed something.

The physical distance between Rin and me had strangely shortened.

In the morning, there was a gap of about 30 cm, but now it was down to 15 cm.

"..."

I subtly moved my body a bit away while walking.

"Whoosh."

Rin moved her body closer by the same amount I had moved away.

"Um, Rin?"

"I am not a compound."

"That's phosphate. Anyway, isn't the distance a bit close?"

Rin slowly moved her body away, with an expression like a cat that had been caught snacking on treats, and said,

"Well, where is it?"

"Don't pretend you don't know."

Carefully observing, I noticed her blinking more frequently than usual, and her lips, pressed into a straight line, were trembling. These were gestures she often made when she was anxious.

"It's just my imagination, a coincidence, a misunderstanding. If you're going to waste your brain resources on such trivial matters, why don't you show off a talent that would make me roll on the floor laughing?"

"Your forceful approach is refreshingly honest!"

Still, I thought it was better not to push it.

She probably didn't want it.

Probably just a whim.

Rin has a cat-like personality, and this happens sometimes.

Even I, her childhood friend, can't understand her actions and words.

There's no logic to it.

That's just how whims are.

If there's no logic, there's no point in thinking about it.

So, I decided to handle it like an adult.

But in return, let me indulge in a little fantasy.

If I interpret Rin's actions conveniently... it's still a bit chilly, and she might be feeling a bit lonely, but there's no one to lean on. Wait, maybe her childhood friend, Yonekura-kun...

What? Convenient assumptions?

It's fine, fantasies are free.

"Right now, you're definitely thinking something creepy. I'll turn your brain into syrup."

"Not only my inner freedom but also my life is at risk."

We arrived at the station, got on the train, and reached the station near our homes.

We walked side by side from the station to our houses.

Maybe it was karma for my evil fantasies, but the distance between us had returned to 30 cm.

A bit lonely.

Still, something about Rin seemed off.

If you only looked at our conversation, it was just me saying silly things and Rin cutting them down sharply, like the scenery of the countryside, our usual banter.

But something about the sharpness of Rin's words seemed dull compared to usual.

It felt like she was always thinking about something else.

Reflecting calmly, I realized that Rin, who usually goes home with the others, had waited for me to finish writing and suggested we go home together, and had subtly moved closer. There were several odd points.

No, this is just weird.

It wasn't a whim; she seemed to have something deliberate on her mind.

That feeling turned out to be right.

"By the way,"

Rin, unusually, initiated the conversation.

"Shuu, you always eat the bread from the school cafeteria for lunch, right?"

"Uh, yeah. It's cheap, quick, and tasty, so it's really useful."

"Would you want to eat a free, quick, and delicious lunch if it was available?"

"Huh? Of course, but there's no such thing as a free lunch."

...

......

"Um, Rin?"

"......Bento."

Her voice was so low that I had to listen carefully to hear it.

"Are you interested in bento?"

Rin kept glancing at me.

Her usual expressionless face, but her blinking was frequent, her cheeks were red, and her lips were trembling. The emotion in her clear, winter sky-like eyes... was it anxiety and hope?

"Rin, you didn't say that just to—"

"Don't misunderstand. I'm just being a little generous to a certain childhood friend who always has a lonely lunch. It's just a whim of my goddess-like kindness."

"You called yourself a goddess."

"Shut up. I don't want to be criticized by someone who always claims to be a new world god."

"I don't have a black notebook!"

"Didn't you have a notebook full of cryptic codes about Hellfire Phoenix and Crimson Moon Fallen Angel?"

"That's my black history notebook! Why does Rin know about that notebook?"

It was supposed to be my top-secret information.

"So, what do you think?"

She asked.

My mind, which had been on the black history notebook, was brought back to the bento Rin offered to make.

Without thinking, I said,

"Of course I want to eat it!"

I folded my arms and declared it firmly.

I expected a comment like, "Why are you acting like a bully, it's creepy."

But it didn't come.

"Really?"

Her voice was slightly higher than usual.

Rin's expression, with her eyes lowered and the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, clearly showed joy.

...Cute.

Pat, pat.

I could feel the warmth and smooth texture of her skin as I instinctively placed my hand on Rin's head.

"Ah..."

A short, uncharacteristic cry from Rin.

"Ah, sorry!"

I quickly removed my hand.

"What's wrong? Suddenly petting my head like that, are you crazy? That's suspicious behavior."

Rin, placing both hands on the spot I had touched, spoke rapidly like a bullet train.

But her expression didn't seem entirely displeased.

What? Is this also a convenient assumption?

...Maybe.

"Sorry, I got carried away."

"Really, if it wasn't me, I would have backed off instantly."

"Ah, you forgive me."

"...You know that."

Rin gave a protest-like glance and pouted like a child, which was also cute.

"Back then, we used to do it a lot."

I suddenly remembered.

A dim classroom.

The smell of dust and chalk.

I often petted Rin's head when she was crying, covering her eyes.

"...That was a long time ago."

Rin gripped her hands in front of her chest and whispered that.

"Anyway, I'll make a bento, so be prepared. I'll give it to you tomorrow morning."

"Great, thanks! I'm really happy and looking forward to it!"

I expressed my honest feelings.

Rin smiled slightly again.

Honestly, at that moment, I was so overwhelmed with joy that I couldn't think clearly.

About the true reason why Rin wanted to make a bento for me.

I would realize that reason a bit later—.