The lunch break bell rang out like the clarion call of final judgment, piercingly harsh to Hikigaya Hachiman’s ears.
He dawdled as he put away his textbooks, his gaze settling heavily on the bento box tucked inside his desk—wrapped in that cute cartoon-patterned paper.
It seemed less like a lunch and more like a bomb about to detonate.
‘If it’s meant to be a blessing, it won’t turn into a curse.
If it’s a curse, there’s no escaping it…’ He silently recited this ancient proverb to himself, trying to muster a sliver of psychological comfort, but the cramping in his stomach was all too real.
He drew a deep breath, like a warrior about to march to the execution grounds, and picked up the cartoon-wrapped bento.
‘I can’t favor one over the other…
no, I mean, I can’t waste food.’ He tried to convince himself with this reasoning.
The path to the special-purpose building seemed extraordinarily long.
Every step felt like treading on cotton, or climbing stairs leading into an unknown abyss.
He could even hear his heart thumping restlessly inside his chest.
At last, that familiar door sign—[Service Club]—appeared before him.
He stopped, took several deep breaths, and then raised his faintly trembling hand to knock lightly.
“Come in.” From within came Yukinoshita Yukino’s characteristic voice—cool, clear, and steady.
Hikigaya drew yet another deep breath, as if trying to inhale every ounce of courage into his lungs, and pushed the door open.
Inside the clubroom, the afternoon sunlight remained bright and beautiful, illuminating the space thoroughly.
Yukinoshita was already seated in her usual spot.
On the table before her sat a teapot and two delicate teacups, the fragrant aroma of freshly brewed black tea faintly wafting through the air.
She looked no different from usual—expression composed, posture elegant.
However, when her gaze landed on Hikigaya’s hands—particularly as he stood there holding a bento box like a bewildered deliveryman—her ice-blue eyes flickered almost imperceptibly.
“Hikigaya-kun, you’re here.” Her tone betrayed no particular emotion.
“Ah…
yeah.” Hikigaya nodded stiffly, feeling like an interloper who had barged into someone’s carefully prepared banquet.
He steeled himself and walked over, taking the seat across from Yukinoshita, his movements as rigid as if he were attending his very first job interview.
Yukinoshita did not immediately produce her bento.
Instead, she poured him a cup of black tea first, her movements fluid and graceful.
“Have some tea first.”
“Thank you…” Hikigaya picked up the teacup and took a token sip, but the warm liquid did absolutely nothing to ease his inner tension.
He knew what was coming would come.
Sure enough, Yukinoshita set down the teapot and brought out the wooden bento box she had prepared, wrapped in a cloth.
She gently pushed it toward him.
Her movements were soft, but to Hikigaya, the bento box felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.
“This is…
the lunch I promised you.” Yukinoshita’s voice remained calm, but Hikigaya seemed to detect a faint, barely perceptible hint of anticipation beneath that placid surface.
This is it.
The moment is now.
Hikigaya closed his eyes briefly, as if resolving himself to something.
He set down his teacup and placed the cartoon-wrapped bento box he had brought onto the table as well, right next to Yukinoshita’s bento.
In that instant, the air in the clubroom seemed to freeze solid.
Yukinoshita’s gaze fell upon that bento box decorated with cute animal patterns.
Then, slowly, it lifted to meet Hikigaya’s face, her eyes carrying a clear, silent question.
She didn’t speak right away, but that wordless stare carried more pressure than any interrogation could.
“…And this is?” At last, she spoke.
Her voice was a shade lower than before, carrying a probing edge.
Hikigaya felt cold sweat already beginning to bead on his back.
He knew lying was useless.
In front of Yukinoshita Yukino, any pretense was as transparent as glass.
He chose to tell the truth—even if it might get him killed faster.
“It’s…
from Yuigahama.” He explained dryly, doing his best to make his tone sound like he was merely stating an objective fact.
“She said…
it’s a reward for yesterday’s…
uh…
actions.
I couldn’t refuse.”
After speaking, he didn’t even dare to look at Yukinoshita’s expression.
He could only stare at the faintly rippling surface of the black tea before him, as if some revelation of fate might emerge from within.
Silence.
A suffocating silence spread through the air.
Then, Hikigaya heard a very soft, almost inaudible sigh.
Next, he saw Yukinoshita reach out her hand—not toward the bento, but toward the teacup before him, the one she had just poured with her own hands.
Slowly, with an air of absolute finality, she took it away.
Hikigaya’s heart sank along with that receding cup of tea.
Cautiously, he raised his eyes and looked at Yukinoshita.
On her face, an extremely faint curve—barely qualifying as a smile—had appeared.
But the smile didn’t reach her ice-blue eyes.
If anything, it made those eyes seem even clearer and colder.
In a voice so calm it was nearly eerie, yet laced with a thread of frost, she spoke softly.
“It seems Hikigaya-kun has quite the abundant selection today.”
She paused, her gaze sweeping between the two bento boxes before finally settling on Hikigaya’s face.
“Comparatively speaking, surely you wouldn’t…
let either of our ‘feelings’ go to waste?”
The words “either of our” were enunciated with particular clarity.
Ding—!
[High-Energy Crisis Node Detected: Double “Feelings”!]
[System Commentary: Host, congratulations on successfully triggering the classic scenario “Trial of the Twin Bentos”!
Your trouble-magnet constitution never ceases to amaze this system.
You’re practically tap-dancing on the edge of death!
(⊙ˍ⊙)]
[Generating Options…]
[Option 1: Grit your teeth and declare, “I’ve got a huge appetite—I can finish both!” (Reward: Title “Iron Stomach King” (Temporary), high probability of triggering gastrointestinal distress and subsequent decrease in both Favorability ratings)]
[Option 2: Attempt to muddle through with twisted logic, such as “A bento is essentially a collection of carbohydrates and proteins.
From an energy standpoint, eating one or two makes no difference…” (Reward: Yukinoshita Yukino’s Icy Glare MAX, Yuigahama Yui’s Bewilderment and Disappointment)]
[Option 3 (Recommended): Face it honestly.
Seek to share.
Open both bentos, sincerely express that both feelings are precious and you cannot bear to partake alone, and propose sharing them together—transforming this “gratitude” into a shared lunch.
(Reward: Yukinoshita Yukino’s Favorability subtly increases, Yuigahama Yui’s Favorability remains stable, Special Status “Crisis Averted (Temporary)”)]
Looking at these three options, especially the “death flags” attached to the first two, Hikigaya barely hesitated at all.
He pursued solitude, yes, but that didn’t mean he had a death wish!
He chose Option 3!
Drawing a deep breath, Hikigaya raised his head and met Yukinoshita’s gaze—seemingly calm on the surface but with turbulent currents churning beneath.
He didn’t try to justify himself, nor did he attempt any clever tricks.
Instead, in a tone that was rare for him—somewhat clumsy yet exceptionally sincere—he spoke.
“Yukinoshita…
Yuigahama…
I’ve received both of your feelings.
I’m grateful.”
He reached out and opened both bento boxes at the same time.
Yuigahama’s bento was brightly colored, with cute shapes—one could see the effort, though the traces of inexperience were evident.
Yukinoshita’s bento was as exquisite as a work of art.
Even the cross-section of the tamagoyaki was flawless.
And those familiar butter cookies, in particular, stood out conspicuously.
“But,” he continued, his voice quiet yet resolute, “such precious feelings…
I truly can’t, in good conscience, enjoy them alone.
They’re too heavy.”
He looked at Yukinoshita, his eyes earnest.
“If…
if it’s possible…
could we…
share them together?
Think of it as…
celebrating the successful resolution of yesterday’s matter?”
After saying all this, he felt as though he had exhausted every ounce of courage and emotional intelligence he possessed for the day.
His heart pounded wildly in his chest as he awaited the final judgment.
Yukinoshita listened quietly.
Her gaze lingered on his face for a long moment, then shifted to the two open bento boxes on the table—so different in style.
That faint layer of frost on her face seemed to gradually thaw in the wake of his sincere words.
She was silent for a few seconds.
Just as Hikigaya was sure she would refuse, or deliver even colder words, she suddenly stood up.
She walked over to the cupboard, retrieved a clean small plate and an extra set of utensils, and placed them in the center of the table.
Then, she sat back down.
She picked up the teacup she had taken away moments before and gently pushed it back in front of Hikigaya.
The tea inside was still warm.
“Next time,” she picked up her chopsticks, her voice returning to its usual cool clarity but seemingly lacking some of its earlier sharpness, “do not put yourself in such an awkward position requiring ‘sharing’ again, Hikigaya-kun.”
She picked up a piece of shrimp tempura from her own bento and placed it on the small plate in the center.
Her movements were natural, as if this had been part of the plan all along.
Looking at that recovered cup of tea, then at the small plate in the center, and at Yukinoshita’s seemingly composed profile, Hikigaya felt his taut nerves finally relax.
The cold sweat that had soaked his back seemed to evaporate in an instant.
He quickly responded, “…Mm.
Understood.”
He picked up his chopsticks and placed a piece of tamagoyaki from Yuigahama’s bento onto the small plate as well.
“The follow-up on yesterday’s request has been handled smoothly.” Yukinoshita spoke in a businesslike tone as she took small bites of her food.
“Aikawa Ren has been temporarily placed in proper care, and the relevant legal procedures are underway.”
“Mm, that’s good to hear.” Hikigaya responded, also tasting the shrimp tempura Yukinoshita had made.
Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside—the timing was perfect.
He tentatively tried a piece of Yuigahama’s tamagoyaki.
The taste…
was actually not bad.
Though the presentation was somewhat crude, it was a normal, edible food.
And so the two of them, circling around the topic of yesterday’s request, began to converse in fits and starts.
The atmosphere couldn’t exactly be called warm, but at least it was no longer the suffocating, frozen state from moments before.
The sunlight streamed through the window onto the table, illuminating the two bento boxes and the shared small plate between them, as if that invisible storm just now had never happened.
‘A romantic battlefield…
can I consider this one over with?’ Hikigaya thought uncertainly as he chewed his food.
‘Hopefully the next one would come a little later,’ Hikigaya thought.
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