After chatting with Welt and tidying up their rooms, Ryn and Kiana agreed to eat lunch together at the cafeteria.
They had originally invited Sparkle and the others, but when Sparkle saw Ryn and Kiana holding hands, she immediately pulled Mei and the others away, telling Kiana to bring them back a portion. Sparkle didn't want to fill up on dog food before even starting her own meal.
However, Himeko still joined Ryn and Kiana at the cafeteria because she needed to bring a portion back for Theresa.
Himeko's home had a kitchen, but since she used to live alone and didn't enjoy cooking, and because she was rather messy, her apartment was a disaster. Mei and the others had spent a long time cleaning the place that day and had no energy left to prepare a meal.
When it came time to order, Himeko waved her hand grandly and announced, "My treat!" Ryn and Kiana quickly protested, knowing how much they both ate and not wanting to burden her.
But Himeko simply slung her arms around their shoulders and declared boisterously, "How much can you possibly eat? As long as you don't waste anything, I'll pay for whatever you order!"
With Himeko being so insistent, Ryn and Kiana couldn't refuse. Ryn, having undergone a leap in his life's essence, couldn't exactly say his appetite had increased—it was more like he'd never felt full before.
Ryn and Kiana ordered a mountain of dishes. When they handed the bill to Himeko, her eyes widened in shock.
Himeko picked up the menu, scanned the prices, patted her small wallet, and then looked back at the two tables piled high with food. She turned to Ryn with a stunned expression.
"Didn't we agree not to waste food? How could we possibly finish all this? And... I didn't bring enough money. We'll probably have to call the Principal to send some over..."
It seemed satisfying Kiana's appetite was still a bit too much for a normal person to handle...
(Kiana's actual appetite wasn't that big. She just ate a lot because everything tasted so good, stuffing herself until she couldn't eat another bite. She figured she might as well eat as much as she wanted now, since Ryn was treating her.
In the game, Kiana developed depression after her final lesson and took so many pills that she developed anorexia. After that, she ate very little, and even a bowl of instant noodles was enough to fill her up.)
"I'm sorry, Himeko," Ryn said with an apologetic smile, taking the bill from her. "Kiana and I have big appetites. It's rude to let you pay in the first place. We appreciate your kindness, but you shouldn't have to spend so much. I'll take care of it. I made a little profit from a recent business venture."
Kiana stood with her hands on her hips, utterly convinced of her own superiority. "That's right! Ryn is loaded! I told you Auntie Himeko didn't need to pay, but now she's letting us treat her anyway. Hmph!"
A hashtag appeared above Himeko's head. While she didn't mind being embarrassed about wanting to treat them, as it was a minor issue, she was very bothered by Kiana calling her "Auntie."
"Stupid Kiana, you can't say that! Himeko was just being kind. You're hurting her feelings," Ryn said, chopping Kiana's forehead with a hand knife. He then apologized to Himeko. "Kiana's spoiled and sometimes speaks rudely. I apologize on her behalf. Kiana, apologize too!"
"I'm sorry, Auntie Himeko!" Kiana performed a classic Eastern bow, which proved highly effective.
Himeko's face darkened further, and a vein popped out on her forehead. She "gently" patted Kiana's head, forcing a smile. "Classmate Kiana~ I'm still young! Don't call me Auntie!!"
Kiana giggled, dodging Himeko's hand and sticking her tongue out. "Okay, Auntie Himeko, I got it. Auntie Himeko."
Himeko's head was filled with hashtags, and the chopsticks in her hand had snapped from her grip.
Calm down... calm down, Murata Himeko. You're not close to them yet. You can't be too rude. Just wait for Kiana. Once you're familiar with them, I'll smash your head in. And just wait until class. I'll show you what I'll do to you then.
After their little squabble, the three began their meal in good spirits.
"Ryn, try this! It's pretty good!"
Kiana picked up a dish and held it to Ryn's mouth. Ryn opened his mouth and took a small bite.
"It's okay, but not as good as Mei's cooking. I'd give it an 80, but with Kiana feeding me, I'll give it a perfect score!"
"Hehe~ Then try this!"
Kiana picked up another dish and continued feeding Ryn. Ryn happily accepted. Occasionally, Ryn would pick up dishes he found delicious and feed them to Kiana.
"Ryn! Like this!"
Kiana gently tapped Ryn, signaling him to look at her. Then, she picked up a piece of meat, cupped his face, and fed it to him directly from her own mouth.
Ryn didn't resist. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Kiana, savoring the lingering taste of her lips.
The two were thoroughly enjoying themselves, but the third wheel, Himeko, couldn't stomach another bite.
Murata Himeko was practically grinding her teeth to dust. Damn it, I'm still single! How dare these two brats flaunt their affection right in front of me! She seethed. Damn it, damn it, damn it!!
But she couldn't exactly stop Kiana and Ryn from feeding each other. After all, there were no rules against it... so Himeko was forced to choke down mouthfuls of dog food—er, rice—with each bite.
So that's why Sparkle didn't come?
Damn it, I let my guard down. From now on, she'd never go out with this pair of lovebirds again.
After dinner, Himeko packed a portion to take to Theresa and bid them farewell. She had no idea how she'd managed to finish the meal—it had been pure torture.
As Himeko left, Ryn stroked Kiana's belly, who was sitting on his lap, leaning against his chest. "Full now?" he asked.
Kiana closed her eyes, savoring Ryn's touch. "Yes, but I want to stay like this a little longer," she murmured.
"Alright, alright. We'll stay a while longer then," Ryn continued to gently massage Kiana's belly, which would help with digestion.
Suddenly, Kiana seemed to remember something. She looked up at Ryn and said, "Ryn, I realized I really like Mei! What should I do?"
"If you like her, then just like her. I like Mei too, you know."