Two outcasts who look down on each other share an innocent first kiss. - Chapter 7

I had been mildly curious about this even before Sumino became my next-door neighbor.

Where does she go every lunch break?

Unlike me—who shamelessly eats lunch alone in the classroom—Sumino always leaves as soon as the bell rings.

Sometimes, she carries a bento box. Sometimes, she doesn’t—probably heading to the cafeteria.

But either way, she always eats lunch somewhere hidden.

I never really cared before.

But now that we talk regularly, I suddenly find myself wondering.

Could she actually be eating in the bathroom?

No way, right?

Today, like always, I watch her disappear out the door.

I almost—almost—consider following her.

But that would basically be stalking.

If she caught me, she’d call me a creep without hesitation.

Maybe… I’ll just take a quick walk after I finish eating.

I have nothing better to do anyway.

So, about ten minutes later, I leave the classroom as casually as possible.

If anyone asks, I’m just going to the bathroom.

If Sumino really eats in the bathroom… well, that’s it.

There’s nothing I can do about that.

I can’t exactly go into the girls’ restroom to check.

And honestly, I don’t want to know.

But if she’s somewhere else…

If she’s found a secret hideout…

Then maybe, just maybe, it could be useful to me too.

I walk past an empty classroom where some students are sitting around, chatting while eating.

I doubt she’s here.

Most empty classrooms are never actually empty.

Maybe… near the rooftop entrance?

Nope.

Behind the gym?

Also nope.

Maybe… near the emergency exit?

Still nothing.

Now I’m starting to worry.

Could she actually be eating in the bathroom?

If so, that’s just… sad.

I know it’s not my problem, but still…

I’d rather believe she’s at least found somewhere better.

I wander aimlessly, heading toward the shoe lockers.

There aren’t many students here during lunch break.

Looking around, I spot the exit leading outside.

Beyond it, the bike parking area and the school gate.

Wait…

I glance at the shoe lockers.

If I check Sumino’s locker, I can tell if she went outside.

If her indoor shoes are still here, that means she’s out there somewhere.

Feeling clever, I walk over to the locker labeled “Sumino.”

And then, just as I reach for the handle—

“…Wait, isn’t this kinda creepy?”

I pause.

For a moment, I actually consider giving up.

But… it’s not like I’m stealing anything.

Just checking.

Nobody will know.

So I open it.

Inside, her indoor shoes are still there.

Meaning…

She is outside.

Where though?

It’s against school rules to leave campus.

So she has to be somewhere within the grounds.

Still curious, I swap my own shoes and step outside.

A cool May breeze brushes against my neck.

I shove my hands into my pockets and scan the area.

Straight ahead is the school gate.

To the right is the bike parking lot.

To the left are the gym and training hall.

The bike parking lot is the most secluded area here.

Maybe she’s over there?

I start walking toward the old, rusted bike shelter.

It’s pretty big, built for a larger student population than we have now.

But most of it sits empty.

I glance down each row of parked bikes, but there’s no sign of her.

Then, I remember—

Behind the bike shelter, there’s a narrow space against the fence.

Could she be back there…?

I walk to the end of the shelter and peek around the corner.

And there—

“Oh.”

“Mmph?”

I found her.

Sumino is sitting on the concrete base of the fence, legs crossed, with a bento on her lap.

Or rather—

I accidentally found her.

I wasn’t actually expecting to succeed.

This was just a random idea.

A way to kill time.

And yet—

Here she is, hiding behind the bike shelter like a hidden collectible in an RPG.

Her eyes widen as she looks up at me.

She swallows whatever she was chewing, blinks a few times, and—

“You… scared the crap out of me…”

“Who even goes back here? What are you doing, Harrison?”

“I should be asking you that.”

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m eating lunch!”

That’s not the point.

I step fully around the corner to get a better look.

The space between the bike shelter and the fence is about a meter wide.

It’s narrow, but enough for a person to sit comfortably.

She’s using the concrete fence base as a bench.

And since the shelter’s wall blocks the wind, it’s actually pretty decent.

“How the hell did you find this place?”

“Cool, right? It’s gonna be super shady in the summer. Winter’s gonna suck, though.”

She says it like she’s proud.

“Are you looking for a place to eat too?”

“Uh… no, I—”

Crap.

I can’t just say I was looking for her.

She’d immediately call me a stalker.

But before I can think of an excuse—

“…You don’t even have a lunch.”

“Oh.”

She notices my empty hands.

Her eyes dart around.

Then, suspiciously—

“Wait a second…”

“Were you… looking for me?”

“N-no, I just—”

“Hehhhhh…?”

She smirks.

A very self-satisfied smirk.

Oh no.

She totally misunderstood.

And the worst part?

She likes it.

I can see it on her face.

Her ego is inflating.

Like she’s genuinely convinced I was searching for her because I wanted to see her.

Goddamn it.

Sumino definitely thinks I like her.

Even if she doesn’t fully believe it, I can feel her entertaining the possibility.

I mean, if our roles were reversed—

If I was eating alone, and Sumino suddenly showed up?

Wouldn’t I think, “Wait, does she like me?”

Wouldn’t I lowkey get my hopes up?

Yeah.

I would.

Because we are the same kind of person.

And I hate that.

The problem is—

When it comes to whether or not I see her as a girl, the answer is…

I kind of do.

It’s pathetic, really.

That’s just how high school boys work.

Even if a girl isn’t your type, if she gets close enough, you start noticing her.

Not that I can imagine dating Sumino.

Not at all.

But it’s not even about romance.

There’s another reason she’s been on my mind lately…

I sit down a meter away from her, mirroring her posture on the concrete fence base.

The fence creaks slightly.

Sumino glances at me, chopsticks frozen in mid-air.

“This is… something I can only say to you.”

“O-oh? W-what?”

Her voice cracks.

She’s obviously nervous.

Relax, I’m not confessing.

“Do you ever… see someone as a ‘mother bird’?”

“Huh?”

“Like, if you have someone you can talk to—even a little—you naturally start gravitating toward them. But they usually have plenty of other friends, so you just… lose your chance to talk to them. It happens a lot on school trips and group events…”

“…Mmmgghhh—!”

Sumino suddenly writhes beside me.

Like I just reopened a traumatic wound.

She clutches her chopsticks tightly, pressing a hand over her face.

“…I know exactly what you mean…”

“Right?”

“I thought they were my friend… so I stopped knowing how to act around them… then they started looking annoyed with me… and then… I just couldn’t talk to them anymore…”

“Ughh… uggghh… uggggghhh…!”

Wow.

That struck a nerve.

I should probably change the subject before she turns into a vengeful spirit.

“Honestly… I think that’s happening again. But with you.”

“…Huh?”

She peeks through her fingers.

“Wait… you mean… I’m treating you like a ‘mother bird’?”

“No, the other way around.”

“Oh…”

I stare at my knees, embarrassed.

Whenever I see her, I instinctively drift toward her.

She’s the only person I can talk to.

So naturally, I want to stay close.

Even though sticking together at school won’t get us anywhere.

“That’s probably why I came looking for you today… Sorry for interrupting your lunch.”

“I-it’s… not like that…”

Sumino lowers her hand.

Her eyes stay fixed on her lap.

“Honestly… I think I do the same thing.”

“Oh… really?”

“Yeah…”

Silence falls.

A familiar kind of silence.

But unlike usual, this time—

Sumino’s ears slowly turn red.

Then, as if escaping her own thoughts, she suddenly starts eating.

Fast.

Half her bento is gone in thirty seconds.

She grabs the bottle of tea beside her, opens the cap, and gulps it all down.

As if trying to cool herself off.

But even after she’s finished drinking—

Her face is still bright red.

“F-Forget that ever happened…”

She mutters, gripping the empty bottle.

“Huh? Forget what?”

“Just… what we just said!”

“Why?”

“B-because…”

She hunches her shoulders, voice barely above a whisper.

“…It’s… kinda embarrassing…”

…Embarrassing?

Why?

We just admitted that we—

…Oh.

This kinda sounds like a…

Mutual crush.

“…Alright. I’ll forget it.”

“…Mm.”

I rub my mouth absentmindedly.

Honestly—

It wasn’t just the thought itself that messed with my head.

It was the fact that Sumino realized it first.

That was—

Embarrassing.

And… kind of nice.

She totally likes me.

If I were anyone else, I’d 100% believe that.

The way she reacted just now…

But if I say anything, she’ll just call me gross.

Before I can think any further, the warning bell rings in the distance.

Lunch break is almost over.

I stand up.

Sumino quickly wraps up her empty bento box and follows.

Neither of us say a word as we walk back to the shoe lockers.

But in my head—

One question keeps rising.

“Can I eat there too?”

Would that be…

Too presumptuous?

Would she think I’m acting like she’s into me?

I should probably just keep quiet.

Yeah. That’s the safe choice.

…But why play it safe?

With Sumino, playing it safe is pointless.

“Hey, Sumino…”

She pauses, mid-way through switching shoes.

“Mind if I… use that spot too?”

I almost chickened out.

But I asked.

Because—

Sumino isn’t like the others I’ve clung to before.

She gets me.

She understands how I think.

So even if we misinterpret each other sometimes—

We’re not gonna mess this up.

Sumino’s eyes widen.

Then—

Her gaze shifts side to side.

Then—

Back to her shoe locker.

“…D-do whatever you want.”

Her voice cracks slightly.

Then—

She quickly puts on her shoes and hurries off.

The sound of her footsteps echoes as she rushes up the stairs.

I watch her go.

Then—

Slowly—

I start walking too.

For the first time in a while—

I felt like I’d gained something.