Chapter Nine: Lunchbox

“…Huh?”

One early morning, I tilted my head, staring at the mountain of ginger pork I’d cooked. The pork I’d bought was nearing its expiration date, so I’d planned to make bentos for myself, but somehow, I ended up with far more than expected.

“Oh, right,” I muttered. If memory served, today was one of those rare days Shizuku could actually make it to school. She usually grabbed something from the school store for lunch, so maybe she’d appreciate a homemade bento. Better check with her first.

I fired off a quick message through the app, asking if she’d like to share my bento for lunch. Her reply came almost instantly.

“Really? I’m super excited!” she texted, followed by an adorable stamp of a bear bowing politely.

I got to work right away, packing two bento boxes with side dishes and rice. Since I made it myself, I couldn’t judge it objectively, but the taste was probably average—nothing fancy, no cute character designs or surprises when you opened it. Hoping she wouldn’t expect too much, I sealed the bento boxes shut.

When I arrived at school, Shizuku was already in the classroom, surrounded by classmates as usual. Their chatter was casual, nothing about dramas or her work in particular. As class began, I stole a glance at her. Thinking no one was watching, she stared at the blackboard with unnervingly wide eyes. From the side, it looked almost comical, if not a little eerie. She was probably fighting to stay awake, rubbing her head and pinching her cheeks, using every trick to fend off sleepiness.

I couldn’t help but worry about her health, but more than that, I was captivated by how her refined face contorted in such exaggerated, funny ways.

“…!”

Our eyes met. Shizuku’s face flushed, and she quickly looked away. I’d gotten too caught up staring, but lingering would be rude, even between close friends. Snapping back to reality, I turned my attention to the teacher’s words.

Lunch break arrived, and I grabbed my bag with the two bentos before slipping out of the classroom. Shizuku and I avoided talking in public where people might notice. It wasn’t like we were dating or anything shady was going on, but we kept things discreet. Even if we insisted there was nothing romantic, small rumors could spiral and potentially disrupt Shizuku’s entertainment career. It felt like the right call.

I headed straight to the duty room, no need to borrow the key from the staff room anymore. Mamiya-sensei had entrusted me with a spare, since hardly anyone used the room anyway. Borrowing the key when she wasn’t around was always a hassle, so having free access was a huge help.

“…Huh?” The door was already unlocked. I thought maybe I’d forgotten to lock it last time, but a faint whiff of cigarette smoke from inside told me otherwise.

“Hello, Mamiya-sensei.”

“Call me Akira-chan,” she replied, smoking by the window. Her attitude, as always, didn’t scream “teacher,” but it made her easy to talk to.

“Is Kamisaka coming later?”

“Yes.”

“Got it.”

“Want some coffee? I can make it quick.”

“Thanks, that’d be great.”

Something felt… off about her today. As I started preparing iced coffee, I couldn’t shake the vague sense of unease. Mamiya-sensei was usually more talkative, rambling about random things, but today her responses were short and to the point. She didn’t seem upset or annoyed, though.

“…Hey, Mikage.”

“Yes?”

“What do you think of Kamisaka lately?”

“What do I think…?” The question caught me off guard. Topics like these, where I couldn’t quite grasp the intent, always threw me off. “She’s doing her best, as always, I think.”

“Anything else?”

“Anything else?”

“Like her health or something. Any changes?”

“Oh, right.” I’d thought she was asking about my relationship with Shizuku, but that wasn’t it. “Her health worries me a lot. With filming and school every day, she looks exhausted.”

Mamiya-sensei nodded. “Good thing she’s got someone like you keeping an eye on her. She’s living a life she’s not used to, and the fatigue is definitely piling up. I want to help, but there’s not much a teacher can do.”

With Shizuku missing school often for her entertainment work, she’d been granted the bare minimum attendance under special conditions. The school was already doing everything it could, and for the sake of fairness, they couldn’t offer more special treatment.

“I know it’s pathetic for a teacher to say, but I can’t help her right now,” Mamiya-sensei continued, her tone unusually serious. “I can at least keep an eye on her while she’s at school, but… I’m sorry, I’m leaving her life outside school to you.”

Her heartfelt request hit hard. Shizuku’s situation had reached a point where joking around wasn’t an option anymore. I’d been worried about her health all along, and I didn’t need to be told to keep looking out for her. I nodded firmly.

Mamiya-sensei downed the coffee I’d made in one swift gulp and slipped out of the duty room. As if on cue, Shizuku appeared at the door.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” she said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “I passed by Akira-chan—were you guys talking about something?”

“Nah, nothing special. She just wanted coffee, drank it, and left.”

“Got it.”

I had no intention of mentioning what Mamiya-sensei and I had discussed. Shizuku was already stretched thin, unable to rest even if she wanted to. Telling her to take it easy would only pile on more stress.

“I made some coffee for you too, Shizuku.”

“Thanks!” She grabbed the glass and downed half the coffee in one go. “Phew… that hits the spot.”

“Glad to hear it.”

As Shizuku plopped down on the tatami, I handed her the bento. “Oh, this is the bento you mentioned this morning, right?”

“Yeah, it’s nothing fancy taste-wise, but if it’s not to your liking, you don’t have to eat it.”

Opening the bento box, Shizuku let out a small gasp of admiration. The main dishes were ginger pork, tamagoyaki, and sausages, with mini tomatoes and boiled broccoli adding color and nutrition. “It’s like, the classic bento. It looks so delicious.”

“I’m glad you think so.”

“Can I dig in?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“Thanks for the meal!” Looking unusually excited, Shizuku took a bite of the ginger pork. Her face lit up with a radiant smile as she turned to me. “This is so good! The ginger pork!”

“Glad you like it,” I said, letting out a quiet sigh of relief.

“The tamagoyaki is perfectly cooked too. You’re really good at this, Juntaro.”

“If you’re praising me this much, all that practice was worth it.”

Shizuku polished off the bento in no time, her eager bites proving her compliments weren’t just flattery. “Thanks for the meal!”

“My pleasure.”

“I was starving, so this really hit the spot,” Shizuku said, patting her stomach with a satisfied smile. “It was delicious and hearty—honestly, it’s been a while since I’ve had such a satisfying lunch.”

“Speaking of bentos, I’ve always wondered—what are those location shoot bentos like?”

“Hmm, they’re mass-ordered from some famous bento shop, I think? I don’t know the details, but they’re always tasty… though I don’t get to eat much of them.” Shizuku furrowed her brow, looking troubled. “If I eat too much, it messes with my work in the afternoon…”

“Messes with your work…?”

“I get sleepy when I’m full,” she admitted, shyly averting her gaze.

I nearly burst out laughing, but I caught myself, knowing it wasn’t a laughing matter. A newbie falling asleep on set would hardly go over well, and I didn’t want to come off as rude. Still, her innocent reason for avoiding bentos was adorably endearing.

“Come on, it’s not funny,” she huffed.

“I know, I know. Here’s a tip: try drinking coffee before you eat.”

“Really?”

“Caffeine helps with sleepiness and keeps your blood sugar from spiking too much, so it reduces that post-meal drowsiness.” I’d read that drinking coffee beforehand was more effective than after, and it could even curb your appetite a bit, preventing overeating—a win-win. That said, caffeine could irritate sensitive stomachs, so it wasn’t for everyone. “You might want to be careful if your stomach’s sensitive, though.”

“You sure know a lot,” Shizuku said, impressed.

“I study whenever I have free time, so I’ve picked up a few things.” Coffee’s effects were hit-or-miss, though, and not everything worked as advertised. Some benefits had solid research behind them, but it varied from person to person. The key was to seek evidence-based answers rather than blindly trusting claims. “I love coffee, but I don’t worship it. There’s no proof it’ll make you live longer or anything.”

“Maybe I’ll ask my manager to keep some coffee ready for me.”

“That’s a good idea.”

“You know, if I could just drag you around with me all the time, all my problems would be solved,” she said with a playful grin.

“Huh?”

“I mean, you could handle both the bento and the coffee.”

“I’d love to, but… that’s not exactly possible.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s a great idea, though… if we just ignore the whole ‘impossible’ part…” Shizuku trailed off, her voice growing softer.

“…Shizuku?”

Suddenly, her eyelids began to droop, and she started nodding off, clearly losing the battle against sleep.

“Sorry… maybe because I actually ate a proper lunch for once… even with the coffee… I’m sleepy…”

“Can’t help it—everyone’s different. There’s still some time, so why don’t you take a quick nap?”

“Is that okay?”

“A short nap will do you good. No one’s watching here.”

“…Alright, then… thanks,” she murmured.

As she spoke, Shizuku started leaning toward me. I tried to catch her, but she slipped through my hands, her head gently landing on my lap—a classic lap pillow.

What do I do now? My heart pounded at the unexpected closeness. But as I gazed at Shizuku’s peaceful sleeping face, her soft breaths steady against my lap, my racing heart gradually calmed.

Time quietly slipped by since Shizuku drifted off to sleep and lunch break was nearly over. I knew I had to wake her soon, but waking Shizuku was no easy task—she slept so soundly, like a baby, her face almost sacred in its serenity. Her translucent skin, long eyelashes, glossy lips, and well-groomed hair shifted smoothly with every slight movement, as if she were a finely crafted doll. No gem could rival the beauty of her sleeping face, and disturbing such peace felt like a sin.

Still, skipping class would betray Mamiya-sensei’s kindness, and I couldn’t let that happen. With a pang of guilt, I gently shook Shizuku’s shoulder. “Shizuku, class is about to start.”

“Mmm…” she murmured, reluctant to stir, her soft squirming sending an odd tickle through me.

“C’mon, you gotta get up.”

“Ugh… huh? Juntaro…?” Shizuku’s eyes fluttered open, scanning the room before locking onto mine. As realization dawned, her eyes widened. “Did I fall asleep?”

“Yeah, you were out like a light.”

“S-sorry. Are your legs numb?”

“I’m fine. More importantly, we’re running out of time.”

Checking the time, Shizuku’s face twisted into an “uh-oh” expression. “Our precious alone time…”

“Hm?”

“N-nothing!” Flustered, she tried to brush it off, quickly chugging the rest of her iced coffee. “Sorry for making you wait. Shall we go?”

“Yeah.”

With that, Shizuku and I left the duty room.

◇ ◆ ◇

What a blunder. Back in the classroom, I prepared for the next class, inwardly kicking myself. Falling asleep like that? Unbelievable. Well, sleeping itself wasn’t the worst—getting some rest was worth celebrating. The real problem was that I barely remembered my time with Juntaro. In the midst of my hectic days, those rare moments alone with him were precious, and I’d squandered them sleeping.

But that lap pillow… it was incredible. The perfect height, the perfect firmness, and above all, it carried Juntaro’s scent. Even overwhelmed by unbearable sleepiness, I’d slept so well because he was there. If he slept by my side every day, would I always rest so soundly? It was a brilliant idea—tempting to suggest to Juntaro, but no way could I say it out loud. Asking him to sleep with me every day? That was practically a marriage proposal! That’s far too big a leap!

For now, we should take it slow—maybe three years of dating. Then marriage, two years enjoying life as a couple, and then kids. Wait, hold on. Three years of dating would make me twenty at marriage, and kids at twenty-two? That felt way too fast. I wasn’t against having kids young, but for me, twenty-two was too soon. Maybe twenty-seven? But did Juntaro even want kids?

Ugh, thinking about a life with Juntaro sent my imagination spiraling. We weren’t even dating yet, and here I was, getting carried away. First, I needed to figure out how to start dating him. My best shot was the reward date after the drama shoot—the perfect moment to confess. With feelings this strong, waiting for him to make a move was too slow. Someone else could swoop in while I hesitated, so I couldn’t afford to dawdle.

Where should I confess? A Ferris wheel at the amusement park? No, the aquarium was better. The dim, mystical atmosphere would create the perfect mood. Standing side by side before a massive tank, blessed by the sea’s creatures as we came together—what a brilliant plan. The aquarium it was, then.

Thanks to that quick nap, my sleepiness had vanished, but I got so lost in daydreams that I didn’t absorb a single thing from the afternoon classes.