Lunch For Four

Naturally, classes were held as usual on the day following the opening ceremony.

After finishing classes as always, as before the summer break, it was time for lunch.

When Minato got up from his seat to go eat at the school cafeteria, Kazuma called out to him.

"Minato, one more person is coming today with Shiori, is that okay?"

"Coming…? Ahh, so that's how it is."

Kazuma's face was grinning, so he could figure it all out.

As he had talked with Airi at home, she was supposed to have lunch with him starting today.

Minato wondered why he was asked for confirmation when he should have already informed Kazuma and Momose, but they had said she would pretend to those around her that Momose was the one that brought her there.

He deliberately said it in a slightly louder voice so that the people in the classroom could understand.

"Okay then, let's get going."

Kazuma did not say where they would meet, but it was in the hallway in front of the cafeteria, as it had been before when Momose had joined them.

The place was quite crowded, so if they kept Airi waiting too long, she would be in the public eye. He could not bear to have her exposed to strange eyes, so he quickly moved on.

"Hey, over here, over here!"

Momose and Airi were waiting for them at the meeting place. It was lunchtime, and as expected, there were many people.

And not only that, Airi, who wasn't with them before, was waiting for them. As they approached, many eyes were on Minato and Kazuma.

However, since there was no time to worry about the stares, Minato and the others spoke up to let others know the information they had already shared with everyone.

"Kazuma, Minato-kun. Starting today, Airi is going to have lunch with us, is that okay?"

"No problem. Take care of me, Ninomiya-san."

"Me too. Take care of me."

"Yes, take care of me too. Mutsura-senpai, Mi–Kujo-senpai."

(T/N: The three said Yoroshiku in their own way.)

Airi was about to call Minato's name out of habit, but quickly realized and reverted to her old way of calling him.

If Minato reacted, people around him would be suspicious, so he said nothing and they headed for the cafeteria.

While doing so, she bowed her head so slightly that only Minato could understand and apologized.

Don't worry, they don't know.

When he shook his head slightly to indicate that there was nothing to worry about, Airi's expression softened slightly, as if she was relieved, and she walked alongside Minato.

Naturally, the cafeteria was crowded, and they had to wait in line for quite some time.

There were enough seats so that it was not impossible to sit down, but Minato and the others who were waiting for their food were being pierced by glares.

Momose, who was with them, looked around with a wry smile.

"Wahh, the stares are amazing. I've been here a few times with Airi, but I think this is the most I've ever seen."

"…I'm sorry I caused everyone to look at us like this."

"No need to apologize! I'm sorry for saying things that made you misunderstand. You don't have to worry about me and Kazuma!"

"That's right, Ninomiya-san. I'm sure you know this, but just ignore them."

"Yes, thank you very much."

Kazuma and Momose were also good looking, so they were used to a certain amount of stares.

Minato was often with Kazuma and Momose, and he had also been subjected to stares when he and Airi went shopping together, so he thought he would be fine, but the stares were more intense than he had imagined. Perhaps it was the fact that they were also students, but he felt even more unfriendly stares than when they had gone out together before.

As he frowned at how uncomfortable he felt, Airi looked up at Minato with concern while wearing an outgoing mask.

"…Kujo-senpai. Are you okay?"

Minato, who had seen Airi on a regular basis, could tell that she was deeply worried about him, even though she was almost expressionless.

Not wanting to be put down by such a thing, he forced a smile on his face.

"Don't worry, I'm fine."

"Thank you very much. …I'll thank you when I return."

Minato knew that she could see through his empty energy, but he froze at the voice, which was so soft that only he could hear it and oozed her usual warmth.

Unsure of how to react in the midst of such stares, it was Minato and the others' turn.

The conversation that had been going on for a while had been lost, but Airi didn't seem to mind, and she accepted the food and sat down with a nonchalant look on her face.

And so began the first lunch between the four of them.

"Hey, do you guys always eat like this?"

Apparently, no one else was around to observe Minato and his friends. So Kazuma brought up the subject as he had done before without hesitation.

Minato and Airi didn't talk all the time during meals at home, just the bare minimum of conversation. He didn't think there was anything particularly odd about it, so he didn't know what the question was about.

"Yeah, it's like this. What's strange about it?"

"I don't know about strange, but I thought you get along really well with each other. How can you give each other what you want when you barely talk to each other? Ninomiya-san even adds water for Minato when it runs out."

"…I didn't notice that at all."

If they had lived together for more than five months, they would at least know what each other would want during a meal.

From the perspective of Minato and Airi, this was normal, but from the perspective of those around, it may seem abnormal.

Airi was also completely unaware of this, and her eyes widened at Kazuma's words with a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Get along…"

"Ninomiya, calm down your face."

"Y-Yes, I'm fine."

Airi knew very well that she shouldn't dye her cheeks here, so she immediately tried to mend her expression.

Feeling bad that she made such a face, he uttered an apology.

"But I didn't notice Ninomiya was refilling my water. Sorry, don't force yourself, okay?"

"No, I'm not forcing myself. I'm doing it because I want to."

"Thanks."

He was tempted to stroke Airi, who was smiling slightly, but he held back desperately because if he did so here, there would be screams from those around him.

When he thanked her instead, Momose gave him a dismissive look.

"You two shouldn't be flirting just yet, okay? Airi is showing her desire to devote herself to you, and Minato-kun doesn't usually smile in such a gentle way, right? Well, I'm glad you guys are getting along so well, but for now, hold it down."

"Sorry, I'll be careful. Ninomiya, be careful too when you eat outside."

Momose was right, they were trying to get closer little by little, but it would be no good to suddenly react the way they did now.

He apologized honestly and tried to convince Airi, but she raised her eyebrows in frustration.

"…But I want to take care of Kujo-senpai. Is that not even acceptable?"

"Wait, wait, wait. I'm the one being taken care of? …No, I guess I can't deny that."

Looking back on Minato's behavior up to this point, he was saddened by the fact that he could not deny that he was being cared for.

But that didn't mean that he could allow Airi to do whatever she wanted.

"Ninomiya, be patient. Hold back."

"…I understand, I'll hold off for now."

"I guess it's just for now."

"Of course. I'm the one by your side, aren't I?"

"I know."

Seeing Airi's face break out just a little, he knew that in the not-too-distant future, it would be just like when they were at home.

While Minato was happy that she cared about him that much without showing it in her expression, Kazuma's subtly sullen gaze pierced him.

"Oi, stop flirting. You're putting on a mending expression, but how can you get into this kind of mood just by talking…"

"Kazuma, I'm sure it's useless. This is going to get out of hand if we don't get our act together."

"Shiori, we have to take these lovebirds under control."

"Leave it to me! …But I think the sweetness of these lovebirds is a little hard to take."

"No, wait you guys, who's the lovebirds? And under control…?"

Minato and Airi were by no means dating.

It was impossible for them to be called a couple, and he thought they could maintain a reasonable distance from each other without being controlled.

When he glared at Kazuma and Momose and denied it, they gave him a staring look in return.

"Hah~, The people who aren't self-aware are scary…"

"Oi, what do you mean self-aware?"

"Should I just get you a mirror?"

"Like I said–"

And so they exchanged glances and light banter, and had a time that could be described as enjoyable.