CHAPTER 40

"Good morning, Lin Yu."

Early the next morning, a refreshed Lin Yu stepped out of his apartment building only to find Shizuka already waiting nearby, holding something carefully wrapped.

"Morning, Shizuka. Were you waiting for me?"

"Mhm," she nodded brightly. "Didn't we agree I'd bring you breakfast?" She paused, a playful glint sparkling in her eyes as she winked. "And... I wanted to check if you actually kept your promise and got some proper rest last night."

"Well? What's the verdict? I didn't lie, did I?" Lin Yu chuckled, falling into step beside her as they started walking towards school together.

"Hmm," Shizuka pretended to study his face critically. "Okay, looks like you did rest pretty well last night." (Thanks to the Efficiency Booster Pill, Lin Yu had actually finished drawing both chapters two and three by around midnight, getting his best night's sleep in a while.)

"Of course!" Lin Yu declared smoothly, channeling his inner smooth-talker without batting an eye. "When I make a promise to Shizuka, I always keep it." (The previous promise about resting? Minor details.)

His words made Shizuka blush slightly yet again. Lin Yu was finding she was quite susceptible to his teasing, easily getting shy.

"Well, that's good then," Shizuka said, quickly changing the subject back to safer ground, though she had gotten somewhat used to his teasing lately. "You haven't eaten breakfast yet, have you? I wasn't sure what you liked, so I just brought a little bit of everything." She lifted the neatly wrapped bento box she was carrying, giving it a little swing in front of him.

"Wow, thank you so much, Shizuka!" Whatever was inside, Lin Yu thought gratefully, it had to be better than the convenience store bread he'd been subsisting on for nearly two months straight.

"By the way, Shizuka, did your mom say anything about you bringing me breakfast?"

At this question, Shizuka's blush deepened considerably. She pressed her lips together and darted a quick glance at Lin Yu, their eyes meeting mid-air for a split second, sending her heart into a fluttery panic. "N-no... not really..." Shizuka stammered quickly. "My mom... she just said you should come over for dinner again sometime..." Her hurried explanation strongly suggested she was hiding something.

Seeing this, Lin Yu decided not to press the issue and casually changed the subject. Shizuka got embarrassed so easily; best to leave it there.

They chatted casually on the rest of the walk to school, and by the time they arrived, Shizuka's blush had finally subsided. As soon as she sat down at her desk, with time still to spare before class, she handed the bento box to Lin Yu. "Here, Lin Yu. You should eat quickly before the teacher comes." (Bringing outside food wasn't usually allowed, so getting caught wouldn't be ideal.)

"Okay, thanks again! Time to dig in then," Lin Yu said gratefully, taking the box and opening the lid. A wonderful aroma immediately wafted up. Lin Yu knew Shizuka probably hadn't cooked it herself, but the careful arrangement of the food inside clearly showed her thoughtful effort.

The bento box had two tiers. The top held perfectly cooked tamagoyaki (rolled omelet), some miso-pickled vegetables, and a piece of grilled fish. The bottom layer contained steaming white rice, topped with two little octopus-shaped sausages and a slice of yellow pickled radish arranged to look like a smiling face. (That cute smiley face definitely had Shizuka's touch written all over it.)

Looking at the warm, lovingly prepared meal, a genuine smile spread across Lin Yu's face. "Thank you, Shizuka," he said again, his voice softer this time.

Meeting his sincere gaze, Shizuka quickly looked away, her cheeks flushing once more. "Y-you already thanked me... why are you thanking me again...?" she mumbled.

"Because getting to eat such a wonderful breakfast this morning makes me really happy," Lin Yu replied honestly. "Especially since Shizuka brought it for me."

Thump-thump! Thump-thump... Her 'fluttering deer engine' kicked into high gear again.

Shizuka's face instantly turned scarlet. She whipped around in her seat, unable to look at him. "Y-you just hurry up and eat!" she stammered. "Before the teacher gets here...!" Lin Yu chuckled softly, noticing even the back of her delicate neck had turned pink.

Deciding not to tease the easily flustered girl any further, Lin Yu picked up his chopsticks and started eating with gusto. Compared to convenience store bread, the bento Shizuka brought was incredibly delicious, infused with a care no cheap meal could match. The portion was just right for breakfast.

By the time he was down to the last few bites, more classmates had trickled in. A few glanced over at him eating, but no one came over to chat. That is, until Gian and Suneo burst into the classroom together. Their eyes immediately scanned the room, landed on Lin Yu, and they made a beeline straight for his desk.

"See, Gian? Told you Lin Yu would be here early today!" Suneo said as they approached.

"Yeah, yeah," Gian grumbled good-naturedly. "I was just worried he might've stayed up too late studying again last night, okay?" Chatting amiably, they arrived beside Lin Yu's desk, then paused, noticing the nearly empty bento box.

"You guys are here for the manga pages, right?" Lin Yu guessed, smiling. He gestured towards the bento box. "I brought them, but you'll have to wait until I finish breakfast."

"A bento?" Suneo asked, looking surprised. "Lin Yu, did your parents come back or something?" He remembered Lin Yu mentioning he lived alone and found it hard to believe a kid could make such a nice-looking bento.

"No, this is..." Lin Yu swallowed his last bite of rice, finishing the bento completely. He closed the lid, about to explain that Shizuka had brought it for him, when suddenly, Shizuka, blushing furiously, spun around from her seat in front of him, snatched the bento box, quickly wrapped it back in its cloth, and then bolted out of the classroom without looking back, leaving only a flustered whisper hanging in the air: "I-I'll go wash this...!"

Watching Shizuka's hasty retreat, Gian and Suneo exchanged a look, then turned back to Lin Yu, breaking into wide, knowing grins and simultaneously giving him a big thumbs-up.