Chapter 47: A Lively Lunch

DING!!!!

'Ugh, that bell is annoying…'

Sliding my notebook into my bag, I kept my pen in hand, resting my face on my palm. Around me, classmates whispered and gossiped—not about anything important, just the usual talk about Mahiru and me. I ignored it, as always.

Itsuki, sitting in front of me, spun around with his usual impish grin.

"So, man, what's the plan for this weekend?"

I sighed, shaking my head. "Our original plans changed drastically, huh?"

"Bahahaha! Yeah, man, I still can't believe it!"

Shrugging, I thought for a moment. "Wanna hit up karaoke or something?" I didn't know any good spots, but I figured we'd find one. Food was the only thing I really knew.

Itsuki paused, rocking side to side like an excited kid. "Yeah, but you know we've got that break coming up, right?"

I blinked. "Eh? Seriously?!" I hadn't paid attention to anything school-related except for major holidays. That was all the original Amane ever cared about, and I'd been way too busy to check.

"Yeah, it's not exactly a holiday, but the school's shutting down for maintenance. They announced it yesterday."

'Of course, when I don't show up.'

"When's this maintenance happening?"

"Starts this weekend."

"No wonder you're so eager to make plans."

"Well, yeah—it's from Thursday to Tuesday!"

I leaned back in my chair, processing the information. 'Tomorrow, huh? September 12… at least it's not on 9/11, haha.'

A sigh escaped me as memories of my last life surfaced—not in a way that made me want to go back, but just enough to remind me how much better things were here. Life felt more colorful.

"Look, it's the angel!"

A sudden burst of excitement from the classroom snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned toward the door, already knowing who had arrived. There she was—my lovable succubus standing at the entrance.

Without a second thought, I got up from my chair, followed by Itsuki. We huddled together instinctively.

I glanced around and spotted Yuta, struggling to break away from a group of persistent girls. 'The troubles of being popular, huh…'

"Yuta, let's go, bro!" I threw him a quick out, and he seized the opportunity. With a polite nod and a smooth escape, he rushed over to us.

It was honestly impressive how he managed to deal with all that without ever losing his patience. A true skill.

The four of us walked out of the classroom—Mahiru to my left, her hand in mine, and the boys to my right.

Yuta sighed in relief. "I appreciate the help, Amane."

I waved it off casually, but before he could fully recover, Itsuki pulled him in, ruffling his hair like he was some prized pet.

"You sly dog, still as popular as ever!"

Yuta smirked, effortlessly flipping his hair back into place. "Well, I am rather good-looking, after all."

Mahiru, amused by their antics, decided to chime in. "Shouldn't you be a little more humble about it?"

"Why?" Yuta shot her a confident grin. "When you look this good, being humble is just an insult."

Mahiru fell silent, actually considering his words. Then, much to my horror, I heard her mumble under her breath, "So that's how I should act with him…"

My lips twitched. Oh no. Yuta's a bad influence.

Thus, "Come here, Yuta!"

"A-AMANE, NOT YOU TOO!"

I lunged forward, joining Itsuki in delivering righteous punishment to Yuta. We thoroughly messed up his hair, but somehow, it only made him look even better.

"This must be the immunity of a protagonist," I muttered.

Itsuki sighed dramatically. "You are, Amane. It's all useless against a protag."

We both let out a collective sigh of defeat and finally made it to the cafeteria.

The moment we walked in, a familiar wave of noise hit me—the dull hum of conversations overlapping, trays clattering onto tables, and the occasional outburst of laughter from a particularly lively group. The smell of fried food, freshly baked bread, and some questionable cafeteria curry lingered in the air.

Eyes turned toward us immediately. Some out of curiosity, some out of jealousy (probably aimed at Mahiru), and a few out of mild irritation at Yuta's effortless protagonist aura. We ignored it and headed toward the food counter.

As I scanned the menu, a soft tug at my hand pulled my focus away.

"Amane, what do you think I should get?" Mahiru asked, looking up at me.

I leaned down slightly so we could look at the menu together. Our faces were super close, and I could practically feel the stares of every jealous guy behind me. I relished in it. I had achieved the impossible—the almighty harem!

[Yeah... YOU totally did.]

'C-Come on.'

[Ha~]

'YOU JUST SIGHED!'

[...]

Mahiru blinked up at me, tilting her head. "Amane?"

I snapped out of my thoughts. "Ah, sorry. How about we get one of each and just share?"

Mahiru smiled at my suggestion and nodded. We went with that.

I opted for an American-style hamburger, loaded with everything except pickles, paired with a side of Pommes Frites. It was surprising that our school even offered something like this, but then again, this was kind of a rich-kid academy, a place where the well-off and high-achieving scholarship students coexisted.

Mahiru, on the other hand, decided on a Croque Monsieur, a crispy, golden French ham and cheese sandwich topped with a layer of creamy béchamel sauce. She tilted her head slightly, considering her choice.

"I always wanted to try something more European," she admitted with a small smile. "Since we're sharing, I figured you wouldn't mind something like this!"

I chuckled. "If we like it, maybe we can try making it together."

"I would love that." Mahiru smiled warmly as we picked up our trays.

Itsuki and Yuta ended up getting the same thing as me, though Itsuki ditched the tomatoes, and Yuta wanted no mayo.

We found a table quickly—a six-person round table, perfect for giving us space. Mahiru sat beside me, which was both wonderful and practical, since we were sharing food. Itsuki took the seat to my left, one spot away, while Yuta sat directly across from me.

"Thanks for the food!" We all said in unison before digging in.

I reached for my knife, about to cut the burger in half, but Mahiru gave me a strange look. I paused, looking back at her, and immediately realized what she meant.

"Haha~, still not used to this kind of thing!"

She smirked. "Here I thought you hated me~."

"Totally, my deadly succubus-angel~."

Mahiru's face flushed pink, and she lightly pinched my arm. "S-Shut up, idiot!"

Her reaction was adorable, though I could tell she was a little embarrassed—especially with Itsuki and Yuta grinning like idiots across the table.

Before they could tease her further, a familiar voice interrupted.

"Excuse me."

None of us were annoyed, but I could tell the other three weren't exactly thrilled either. Meanwhile, I knew exactly who it was.

"Saeko-senpai! What's up?"

Saeko stood there, graceful as ever, holding her tray with the same effortless elegance she carried when she held her sword. Her refined movements didn't seem intentional but more instinctual. It made perfect sense, given her aforementioned skill with the sword.

"Nice to see you too, Amane." She giggled lightly, which caused a small bounce in her chest—a sight that didn't go unnoticed.

I felt my lips twitch as most of the guys in the cafeteria blatantly stared.

Saeko, unfazed, simply smiled and shook her head.

'She's used to it. I don't know if I should feel bad or not?'

Feeling slightly annoyed for her sake, I gestured to the empty seat. "How about you join us?"

It was the polite thing to do plus, I thought of her a friend.

She hummed thoughtfully. Mahiru gave a small nod, and Itsuki and Yuta simply shrugged, clearly trusting my judgment.

"Sure, but… are you expecting anyone else? I wouldn't want to intrude."

"Don't worry, the last person is Chi, but she'll be a little late," Itsuki chimed in.

"Chi?" Saeko raised an eyebrow.

"My lovely girlfriend!" Itsuki declared proudly.

"Oh! So, miss?" Saeko turned to look at Mahiru, thankfully my succubus-angel knew what Saeko wanted. 

"Mahiru." She smiled. "Please sit here! Chi will definitely want to sit next to these two."

She gestured toward me and Itsuki.

I could understand why Chi would want to sit next to Itsuki, but why me?

"Amane, you can't be serious?" Itsuki groaned.

"I am." I didn't think I was that easy to read.

"You are so hopeless, but it's obv—"

Before Itsuki could finish, Yuta cut him off.

"She knows you two better than us."

'Ohhhh.'

[Maybe you aren't smart.]

'I'm hungry, shut it!'

[Actually, that is believable.]

'…'