The deserted place Kanade led me to was located between the school grounds and the school building, past the trash collection area, and deep within the dense trees. There stood an incinerator that looked like it hadn't been used in a long time, and a faded bench was placed beside it.
“It’s here.”
“You really find some amazing places.”
I couldn't hide my agitation as Kanade marched right through the thick trees just before the incinerator. While the space around the incinerator was open, I had encountered quite a few bugs while passing through the trees.
I’ve hated bugs since I was a kid. However, looking back... Kanade has always liked bugs. Especially beetles; I feel like I was forced to go bug hunting with her every summer vacation.
“But no one will come here, right?”
“Well, certainly not.”
I’ve heard that small incinerators like those at schools were removed from almost all schools because they operate at low temperatures and release harmful substances when burning trash. In fact, throughout my school life so far—elementary and middle school—I had never seen an incinerator. They must have all been removed.
...However, perhaps this school was short on funds and couldn't remove it. Or maybe cutting down those dense trees for removal would have added extra costs...?
Anyway, it wasn't hard to imagine that even the current teachers would find this incinerator troublesome to handle. Or maybe the current teachers... just like us students, don't even remember this incinerator exists.
“...Ak-kun.”
“What?”
“This is a deserted place, isn't it?”
Kanade was double-checking.
“You can do anything you want here.”
“Ahaha. That’s true.”
Of course, I’m not going to do anything. While I was laughing carefree, I felt Kanade’s intense gaze piercing my cheek. ...Though I say intense, her gaze also felt somewhat... damp.
“Shall we eat lunch?”
“Yeah. ...Actually, I usually eat at the cafeteria.”
My parents are workaholics who often go to work on weekdays... and even frequently on weekends. I found making my own bento to be a hassle, so I ate lunch at the school cafeteria.
“I thought so.”
“Kanade?”
“Yes.”
Kanade, who had sat down on the bench before me, handed over a drawstring bag with a teddy bear on it.
“A bento. I made some for Ak-kun too.”
“...Eh.”
“Ak-kun. Will you eat my bento?”
“...”
“...”
“Is it okay? I feel a bit bad.”
“Ufufu. This much is an easy task. It’s for none other than Ak-kun, after all.”
I sat down next to Kanade and accepted the bento from her.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Well, let’s eat then.”
“Un!”
We untied the drawstring bags, took out the bento boxes, and opened the lids.
“Whoa...”
The bento Kanade prepared contained rice, mapo eggplant, rolled omelet, fried horse mackerel, and Napolitan pasta.
“Ahaha. It’s like you planned it; it’s all my favorites.”
“Really? I’m glad.”
“Itadakimasu.”
I began to eat Kanade’s handmade bento. Every item in her bento was delicious. The seasoning somehow resembled my mother's. It made me think that perhaps this morning, when she was at my house before I even woke up, she might have been preparing the bento together with my mother.
“...A-Ak-kun.”
“Eh?”
“...How is it?”
Looking closely, Kanade hadn't even touched her bento with her chopsticks yet. In fact, she looked nervous as she watched me eat.
...Ah. Even someone as dense as me could understand Kanade’s intention.
“Kanade, it’s really delicious. Thank you.”
“...I’m so glad.”
Kanade breathed a sigh of relief.
“It’s delicious. Really. I’d like to eat it every day.”
“I understand. From now on, I’ll prepare it every day for the rest of my life.”
“Ahaha. Really? I’m happy to hear that.”
...Hm? For the rest of her life?
“Ak-kun. Ak-kun.”
“What?”
“Actually, I think there was just one mistake with today’s bento, you know?”
“Eh, I think it’s all perfect though?”
“No. The nutritional balance is a bit biased.”
“...Ah.”
It’s true, now that I think about it, the bento Kanade made doesn't have many vegetables.
“I’m sorry, okay? I’ll be careful from now on.”
“It’s fine. If anything, I’m sorry for having you worry about so many things.”
“No. ...So, about that?”
Kanade took out a tablet from a small pouch she was holding and offered it to me.
“...What is this?”
“It’s just. A supplement, okay?”
“I see. Just a supplement, huh.”
In that case, was there really a need to emphasize the "just" part?
“I’m sorry. Can you... make up for the missing nutrients with this supplement today?”
“...”
“...”
“Yeah. I understand.”
“Ufufu. Ufufufufu.”
Kanade took out a water bottle and handed it to me.
“Here.”
“Kanade, you’re really attentive.”
She seems like she’d make a good wife in the future. Thinking that, I swallowed the supplement she offered... and.
“...*Yawn*.”
A while after eating the bento, I was hit by an intense wave of drowsiness.
“Ak-kun. Are you sleepy?”
“...Yeah.”
“...Oh no. It must be because you've been studying too hard.”
“...Is that, so?”
“It is. ...Why don't you sleep for a little while?”
Kanade was patting her own lap.
“You can rest your head here, okay?”
“Is it okay?”
“Yeah.”
“...Then, excuse me.”
When I rested my head on Kanade’s lap... the sensation was softer than any pillow, and my drowsiness deepened all at once.
“...Zzz.”
Before long, my consciousness faded away. However, was it just my imagination that I felt a cold gaze from above...?
I said it was a place where you could do anything you want... but are you the one who's going to do something to me?