On Monday morning, Akira woke up and gently rubbed his eyes.
He had gone a bit too far teasing Sajuna yesterday.
He had not managed to control himself, and Sajuna's startled reaction caused her elbow to hit his eye.
Getting an elbow to the eye was certainly not a pleasant experience.
After all, the delicate eye area was not included in the "step on me, big sister" fantasy.
So Akira felt his eye instantly dry up at that moment.
Sajuna had been incredibly flustered. She wanted to lean in and blow on it for him, so anxious that her eyes were almost tearing up.
Of course, Akira would not blame her. It had been his own fault.
It was normal for accidents to happen when a boyfriend and girlfriend were being intimate.
Akira sat up, felt the vigorous energy in his body, and went to the bathroom for a cold shower.
After wiping his hair, he slowly stepped out of the bathroom and walked to the bedside table to pick up his phone.
It was time to head to Sajuna's house.
They had agreed to make bentos together.
Thinking this, Akira put on his school uniform. Summer uniforms were always quick to put on.
He opened the refrigerator at home and tidied up the remaining ingredients. He felt that he no longer needed to stock up himself.
Until Sajuna's parents returned, he would probably be eating two meals at her house.
He could not help feeling like he was being kept and living off her.
He found a plastic bag, packed up the remaining ingredients, put on his backpack, and, holding the ingredients in one hand, walked to Sajuna's house.
Ding-dong.
Shinju, as always, smiled and opened the door.
"Good morning, Shinju."
"Good morning, Akira-gege."
"Where's Sajuna?"
"Big sister is in the kitchen," Shinju said with a smile, dressed as if she had been helping cook.
Akira took off his shoes at the entrance, put on indoor slippers, and walked into the living room with the ingredients.
"I brought some ingredients. Can I put them in the refrigerator?"
"Thank you, Akira-gege."
Akira walked to the side of the living room, opened the refrigerator, and put the ingredients inside.
Then he slowly walked into the kitchen, where Sajuna, wearing a chef's apron, was seriously making breakfast.
Akira stepped behind her, extended his arms, and gently hugged her.
Sajuna's body tensed for a moment. Just as she was about to say something, Akira's arms left her.
"If you are always this unwelcoming to your boyfriend, I will be sad, you know," Akira whispered into her ear.
Sajuna felt a slight disappointment, missing Aki-kun's embrace.
"Mm." Sajuna nodded. "I will definitely welcome Aki-kun tomorrow."
"How is your eye?" Her hands slowed as she turned to look at him.
"Do not get distracted. You are still cutting things," Akira quickly chided, worried she might accidentally cut her finger.
He did not want Sajuna's beautiful fingers to be scarred.
Any wound on her body would pain him.
He felt a bit too doting, like he was treating her as a child.
After reflecting on himself, he felt he was being too controlling.
Sajuna did not mind. She simply smiled and nodded.
"I know. It looks like Aki-kun is fine now."
Shinju watched them from the side, smiling happily. The atmosphere at home felt harmonious.
The three of them finished making enough bentos and then ate breakfast together in the living room.
Afterward, Shinju left alone for school, saying she was going to meet her friends. It was unclear if she was deliberately avoiding the date-like atmosphere between Akira and Sajuna.
Akira and Sajuna's routes did not overlap much.
They walked side by side, chatting.
---
"Wakana, good afternoon." Akira, holding his bento, walked to the desk in front of him and found Wakana already eating.
"Akira-kun, good afternoon." Wakana looked at him cheerfully. Yesterday's events clearly had lifted his spirits.
"Do you have any plans after school today?"
"Today I am going to deal with the clothes we used yesterday with Kitagawa-san," Wakana said with a beaming smile.
"A home date? I wish you a pleasant time," Akira teased as he opened his pink bento box.
His bento box was originally brown, but since Sajuna insisted on swapping, he ended up with this color.
Fortunately, there were only a few people in the class.
Unfortunately, there were only a few people in the class.
Akira thought this to himself. Wakana paused when he saw the color of the bento box, then seemed to understand.
"Did you swap bentos with your girlfriend?"
"Yeah, Sajuna insisted," Akira said with a boastful expression.
"Wakana, do you want to ask Kitagawa-san to swap bentos?"
"How could I possibly say something like that?!" Wakana yelped, then his voice softened. "Besides, it is too sudden."
"Wakana, you really need to work harder," Akira encouraged, then felt he was stating the obvious. "When necessary, just express your feelings. I feel like Kitagawa-san has a good impression of you."
"That cannot be. Kitagawa-san is so outstanding..." Wakana said hesitantly.
"I told you not to be so self-deprecating. If she did not have a good impression of you, why would she spend so much time with you?" Akira said.
"Besides, Kitagawa-san was quite worried about you before."
Akira ate from his bento box, feeling today's rice was a bit hard. Tomorrow he should persuade Shinju to add a little more water.
Wakana lowered his head and said nothing.
Akira felt he had given enough advice. The rest was up to him.
He suddenly felt that his university life was a bit monotonous, but he did not have any clubs he wanted to join.
"Wakana, do you have any club recommendations?" Akira asked.
"I do not know. Since I have to learn how to make Hina dolls, I have not participated in club activities, and I have very few friends."
"That is true. I feel it is time to join a club."
"Eh, Akira-kun wants to join a club?"
"After all, going home after school is carefree, but I always feel like something is missing," Akira mused. "The wonderful life of university is connected to club activities."
In his previous life, after all, he had joined many.
"Wakana, do you want to come along?"
"Eh, me too?!"