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The next day at school.
"I'll see you all next meeting. You may take your lunch now." the teacher says, rising from her desk at the front of the class.
'Finally!' Rheyna yelled internally. She rushed out of her seat and onto Mark's desk. Her hands gripping the sides. "Let's go eat!" she says with sparkling eyes and a smile that's barely containing her excitement.
Why she's suddenly so excited about lunch all of the sudden? That's because yesterday Mark offered to make her lunch today.
Her boyfriend making a homemade meal for her.
Few girls in this world would ever reject such an offer from their boyfriend.
So she all too enthusiastically said yes. Which Mark teased her with for a bit.
"Hahah- Okay, okay!" Mark chuckled. Flattered that Rheyna is so excited to have his homemade cooking even though it has been packed into a lunch box and no longer freshly made.
Rising from his seat, Mark takes his lunch bag with him. Inside it is his and Rheyna's lunch for today.
Rheyna reaches out and holds Mark's hand. Intertwining her fingers with his.
Even though it hasn't been long since they started dating, the sensation of Rheyna's hand holding his is something that has gradually become familiar and comforting. 'Is this what girls in my old world felt, or is it the same for guys too?'
The two headed for the door, walking behind their classmates who were also leaving the room.
And as soon as they did, they saw Bea leaning against the wall right outside their classroom door. Her eyes looking back at them.
She moves away from the wall and approaches the pair. "Let's go." she says simply, before turning and walking in the direction of the cafeteria.
Two words. That's it. A brief interaction that lasted no more than three seconds.
'... Strange. Did she really give up on Mark after yesterday? So fast?' Rheyna thought to herself before trailing after Bea.
At the cafeteria, the place is filled with the sounds of students chatting amongst themselves while eating.
Finding an empty table, Bea sat down first. While Mark and Rheyna naturally sat side by side across from her.
Yet, Bea didn't mind. She didn't react. She simply began unpacking her lunch.
Rheyna glanced at Bea, finding her actions strange. She started to wonder if she had the wrong idea about Bea this whole time.
"Rheyna, what are you looking at?" Mark called out.
"Ah- uh, nothing!" Rheyna says, snapping to look at Mark.
"Here." Mark says, placing two separate tupperwares in front of Rheyna. One is rectangular and the other is circular. To the side is a container designed after a spoon. Taking the lid off, Mark reveals a pair of utensils inside.
But there's something way more important than a spoon and fork. Rheyna's gaze locks on to the rectangular tupperware. 'The moment of truth...!' she reaches for the lunch box with both hands.
"Wait." Mark called out.
'Oops. Almost forgot.' it was in that instance that Rheyna remembered the thing they've always done before eating together.
Rheyna stretches her palms out to Mark. And he sprays sanitizing alcohol on them. Rheyna rubs her hands, spreading the alcohol to sanitize her digits.
"Hands should always be clean before eating."
A saying Mark repeats to Rheyna every now and then.
It may seem like nagging to some, but to Rheyna, she finds it endearing. Because it means Mark cares about her.
"Oi! Bea, did you wash your hands?" Mark looked at Bea and asked.
And even though Rheyna may have mixed feelings about it, that care extends to Bea as well. Mark's family.
"I washed my hands in the CR while I was waiting."1comfort room. A public restroom essentially. Bea replies. Her lips curved into a smirk. Also seeing Mark's nagging in a positive light.
"Good." Mark smiles. Perfectly content with that response. He looks back at Rheyna who is already unpacking the lunch box.
And the sight that greets her is...
'Rice...?'
Plain white rice.
That's the only thing inside the rectangular tupperware.
She turns to Mark with a confused gaze that says "Where's the dish?"
Seeing this, Mark laughs to himself. "Look inside the second one." he says, still laughing a little.
Rheyna opens the circular tupperware and sees the dish Mark has prepared for her.
Giniling. A Filipino dish where ground meat is sautéed then stewed in tomato sauce with diced potatoes, carrots, and peas. A simple, but delicious dish.
Gulp
Rheyna swallowed her spit. Salivating at the meal her beloved has prepared for her.
She takes the giniling and pours it all over the rice. The slightly thick sauce coats the white rice like a canvas. Rheyna even took a few spoonfuls of rice and put it in the tupperware the giniling was in to soak up the leftover sauce. She didn't want to waste a single bit of this meal.
Rheyna reaches for the utensils, but stops and looks at Mark who is looking at her with a smile on his face.
She smiles back. "Thank you, Mark!" she says. Expressing her gratitude to the chef.
"You're welcome." Mark says, happy to receive Rheyna's heartfelt gratitude.
"Ah, but... I want something in return..." Mark raises a finger and points it at his cheek facing Rheyna.
Realizing what Mark is hinting at, Rheyna's cheeks flushed red. "O-Okay." she says.
She leans in and presses a kiss on Mark's exposed cheek.
It was soft.
She pulls back to verify his reaction. "Heh... A good trade~" Mark says, a cheeky grin on his face.
Rheyna's heartbeat quickened. Beating loudly in her chest.
She looks back at the food.
She grabs a spoon and uses it to scoop up a hearty bite.
The orange sauce had seeped into the layer of rice.
Without a second longer, she opened her mouth and ate the first bite.
Chew.
Chew.
Then swallow.
"... Delicious." she muttered.
She takes another bite.
It's just as good as the first.
"Rheyna. Here." Mark called out.
Rheyna turns and sees a spoonful of giniling and rice.
"Ahh~" Mark echoed. Pushing the spoon closer to Rheyna's lips.
He's offering to spoon-feed her. Something only couples do.
She looks at Mark, then at the spoon before finally leaning in.
She opens her mouth and Mark places it inside.
Closing her mouth, Mark pulls out the spoon.
And only Rheyna's saliva remained.
She chews once, twice, then swallows.
It's the same as what Rheyna was eating, but it somehow tastes better.
The only factor that changed is that Mark fed her himself.
"Do you like it?"
Rheyna stares for a solid second.
She then parts her lips.
"Please marry me."
THUNK!
Bea's knee jolted, hitting the table from underneath.
Mark and Rheyna snapped to look at her with surprised faces.
"Sorry. Accident." she said. Continuing to eat her lunch like nothing happened.
But in truth, her mind is in turmoil.
'Kuya Mark hasn't done that for me, yet...'
She recalled the sight of Mark feeding Rheyna.
The way they looked at each other like they were in their own world.
It looked so affectionate.
Because it was.
And then Rheyna uttered the words. "Please marry me."
Those three words caused Bea to lose her composure for a moment.
Since implanting the new hypnosis on Mark, she thought she was in complete control.
That she'd steal all of his firsts away from Rheyna.
But now she realizes it won't go as she had thought.
Rheyna can still take more of Mark's firsts.
'I shouldn't underestimate her ever again...'
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