Flashback – 2 Years Ago
(Okami's POV):
I grabbed the lunchbox from her hands.
Because I knew.
I knew how much it hurt when you made something for someone, only for them to not even bother opening it.
Her eyes widened slightly in surprise before softening again.
And then—
That same warm smile.
Like she already knew I would take it.
"Oh yeah! Rentarou-kun, I made enough for you too!" Usagi said with her bright smile, her voice filled with that usual energy.
She continued, "How about we all eat together?"
Rentarou looked at me, silently asking for my answer. But honestly, I didn't know what to say, so I just nodded.
"Really!?" Rentarou practically sparkled. "Thank you very much, Usagi-chan! You even made enough for me!?" He cried dramatically, clutching his heart like she had just saved his life.
Usagi giggled. "Hehe, let's eat at the college yard! Do you mind if I call my friends too?"
"The more, the merrier!" Rentarou said, already hyped up.
And just like that, the three of us sat at the campus gazebo, where two of Usagi-san's friends were already waiting.
As we settled down together, I could feel my heart pounding. It had been a while since I'd talked to anyone like this. It felt... new again. Unfamiliar. A little overwhelming.
Usagi-chan suddenly clapped her hands together, snapping me out of my thoughts.
With that same bright smile, she gestured towards me. "Let me introduce you! This is Okami—Okami-kun!"
Then, turning to Rentarou, she did the same. "And this is Rentarou-kun!"
Her energy was contagious, so effortless. Meanwhile, I could barely process how I ended up sitting with this lively group in the first place.
"And Okami-kun, Rentarou-kun, this is my friend Hina-chan! And Mei-chan!" Usagi said cheerfully.
Both of them gave a short bow, so we did the same in return.
Mei tilted her head, scanning me for a second before blurting out, "Whoa! Looking up close, doesn't Okami-kun look pretty decent? Not that he's my type, but he looks pretty good!"
I had no idea how to react to that, so I just gave an awkward smile.
Before I could even say anything, smack!
Hina chopped Mei's head. "That's a very rude way to compliment someone, moron."
"Ah, sorry!" Mei said, rubbing her head where Hina had chopped her.
Rentarou suddenly pointed at Mei's hairpin. "Ohh! Isn't this from that manga?"
Mei's eyes widened in excitement. "Whoooaaa! You know it!?"
"Yes, I dooo! It's peak!!" Rentarou matched her energy instantly.
And just like that, those two were in their own world, geeking out over some manga.
As Usagi, Hina, and I glanced at each other, we all shared the same thought—completely left out from those two energy balls.
Hina finally broke the moment. "MEI! I think we were going to have lunch?"
Mei blinked, then looked at her. "Ah, right!"
Rentarou almost jolted in realization and quickly sat down, like a kid caught misbehaving.
We all opened our lunchboxes, and as I lifted the lid of the one Usagi had made for me, Rentarou leaned in, waiting for my reaction.
I took the first bite.
Usagi's eyes widened, sparkling with anticipation.
I chewed slowly. The taste—warm, familiar, something I hadn't felt in a long time. Before I even realized it, my eyes teared up.
"Eh? Eh? Eh? Okami-kun?!" Usagi panicked. "Is it spicy? Is it not good? Did I forget the salt?!"
Hina, Mei, and Rentarou all turned to look at me.
Ah, this is so embarrassing...
I shook my head, my voice barely above a whisper. "No... it's delicious. It tastes like home."
A few stray tears escaped my eyes as I smiled.
Usagi's expression softened.
Rentarou, trying to lighten the mood, said, "Oi, Okami! I make lunch daily at home—what about that?"
I let out a small laugh through my tears. "Idiot, that's different."
"It's just... it's been so long since I had a homemade meal," I admitted, wiping the corner of my eye. "Thank you."
Hina and Mei smiled warmly, while Usagi beamed.
"Oh! Then from now on, I'll bring a lunchbox for you daily!" she declared.
"Huh?! No, no! Please, I can't bother you with that!" I waved my hands, panicking.
But Usagi just laughed. "Oh, it's no big deal! I want to be a chef, you know? Making meals is my favorite thing to do, and this will just help me hone my skills!"
Rentarou suddenly gasped dramatically. "Usagi-chaaaan!! What about me?! I also don't eat homemade meals!!"
Usagi chuckled. "Hehe, alright, alright! I'll make one for you too, Rentarou-kun!"
"Yoshhh!!!" Rentarou cheered, pumping his fist, while Mei and Hina shook their heads, smiling.
"Ohh! Usagi-chan, you even added meatballs?!" Mei said excitedly as she shamelessly plucked one from Rentarou's lunchbox and popped it into her mouth.
"WHOOOOAAA!! MY MEATBALL!!??" Rentarou dramatically shouted, pointing at her in horror.
Mei grinned mischievously, opening her mouth to reveal the half-chewed meatball. "Go ahead, take it~" she teased.
Rentarou let out a dramatic wail and leaned toward Hina. "Hina-saaaan!! That was my meatball!!"
Hina sighed, smacking Mei lightly on the head. "Moron! Have some table manners! And don't steal other people's food without asking!"
Hina sighed and picked up a meatball from her own lunchbox, holding it out to Rentarou. "I made meatballs too. Here, you can have one."
Rentarou's eyes sparkled as he dramatically clasped his hands together. "Oh, goddess Hina! Thank you for blessing me with—"
Before he could finish, Mei swiftly snatched the meatball from his chopsticks and popped it into her mouth. At the same time, she shamelessly stepped on Rentarou's foot.
"AHH! IT HURTS!!" Rentarou cried, clutching his foot while Mei chewed happily.
Hina, looking completely done, smacked Mei again. "Moron! Is that how you act with someone you just met?!"
She sighed and helped Rentarou sit up properly before pushing her lunchbox toward him. "Here, just eat from mine before Mei steals everything."
"Oh, what a beautiful sight of friendship before me," a sudden voice echoed from behind us.
We all turned to see a boy stepping into the gazebo with an amused smile. He casually tucked his hands into his pockets and tilted his head.
"Mind if I join you?"
"Who??" We all asked in unison, staring at him in confusion.
"I'm Izumi! Your friend!" he declared confidently.
We all exchanged glances, whispering among ourselves.
"Your friend?"
"No, yours?"
"No, no, definitely not mine…"
Izumi pouted, placing a hand on his chest dramatically. "Ouch! That hurts, guys. Here I thought we were fated to be the best of friends!"
"Who are you, boi?" Mei asked, narrowing her eyes.
Izumi gasped, placing a hand over his heart. "Oh my, my! You failed to recognize my presence? Let me enlighten you!" He struck a dramatic pose. "I am Izumi, from the editorial department! The great editor who has newly blessed this college with my presence!"
We all just stared at him, processing his over-the-top introduction.
"...Is this guy for real?" Rentarou whispered.
"Unfortunately, I think so," Hina sighed.
"If you don't mind, can we know what you want from us, Izumi-kun?" Usagi asked with her usual sweet and polite smile.
Izumi suddenly dropped his composed act and dramatically crawled to Usagi's feet, fake crying. "Uhh… hmm… I-I'm Izumi! Izumi!!"
Usagi blinked in surprise as Izumi dramatically crawled to her feet, fake-crying like a lost puppy.
"Uhm… I'm Usagi…?" she introduced herself hesitantly.
"Oh, Usagi-chaan! Usagi-chan!!" Izumi wailed, gripping her hands like he'd just found his long-lost sister. "You don't understand! I worked my butt off in high school—three whole years of studying non-stop just to get into this college! And now—now I realize I forgot to make friends!!"
We all just stared as he continued his monologue.
"It's already the third day of college, and everyone looks at me like, 'Oh, he's a studyholic! Let him be!' No one even tries to approach me! But then—then I saw you guys laughing, eating together, having the time of your lives!" He sniffled dramatically. "So I came here, hoping—praying—that you'd let me be your friend!! Please!!"
Silence.
Then Mei muttered, "…Dramatic much?"
Hina sighed, rubbing her temples. "This guy is exhausting."
Meanwhile, Rentarou was nodding approvingly. "Respect. That was a top-tier tragic backstory."
Usagi, being Usagi, just smiled brightly and said, "Of course! The more, the merrier!"
Izumi sniffled loudly, his nose running like a faucet.
"Ahhh, somebody give this guy a tissue!" Mei groaned, looking disgusted.
Hina sighed and handed him one. "Here, you mess."
Izumi took it dramatically, wiping his face like he had just survived a war. "Thank you, kind soul… I shall never forget this kindness!"
We all just burst out laughing.
And in that moment, as laughter echoed through the gazebo, I realized—this was the first time in a long while that I had genuinely laughed.
Present day :
"Okami-kun? Okami-kun!?"
Hina's voice snapped me back to reality.
"Oh… yeah?" I blinked, shaking off the memories.
"Where were you lost?" She sighed. "I was asking if you've decided on a pen name yet!"
"A pen name, huh…?" I muttered, tapping my fingers on the table.
"Yeah, I have!" I said.
"Great!" Hina-san nodded.
Ding!
The doorbell rang, and as Hina opened it, Izumi stepped in, striking an overly dramatic pose.
"You guys betrayed me?!" he gasped, clutching his chest like a tragic hero. "Having a meeting without me??"
Izumi pouted dramatically. "You guys betrayed me! Having a meeting without me!?"
He cried out as he crawled toward Usagi. "Usagi-chaaannn! You forgot to call me too!?"
"Ah-um, I just got here myself!" Usagi said with the most obvious lying face ever.
Izumi squinted at her before pulling her cheeks. "Liar!"
"Ahm shaww showwwyy!" Usagi mumbled, her cheeks still being stretched. (Translation: I'm so sorry!)
I grabbed his wrist and said, "Oi, oi, you're hurting my bunny!"
"Eta ta ta ta! Sorry, sorry! Let me go!!" Izumi yelped, instantly letting go of Usagi's cheeks while flailing dramatically.
"So, about what you said, Okami... you need a translator like me, huh? Hmph!" Izumi crossed his arms, grinning smugly. "Well then, consider yourself lucky! I'll graciously lend you my totally universal intelligence! Hmph!"
I crossed my arms and smirked. "Oh? So you're saying you're the perfect translator, huh?"
Izumi puffed out his chest dramatically. "Hmph! Of course! You need a genius like me, after all! I shall grant you my totally universal intelligence!"
Hina sighed, rubbing her temples. "Here we go again...."