Volume 2 - CH 29

“Yuzuru has ……”

“A bento…..”

Incredible things were seen.

The world might be destroyed tomorrow.

The two who looked as if they were saying that, were Soichiro and Hijiri.

“Isn’t it fine?. I just brought my own bento.”

Yuzuru said as he opened the lunch box he had received from Arisa this morning.

It was still warm inside because it was of the heat-retaining type.

There are two boxes of bento.

One is filled with white rice with pickled plums.

The other is filled with stylish side dishes.

As is to be expected with Arisa, there are no frozen foods in it.

…… Is it because she feels like she’s defeated in this too?

At any rate, he took a mouthful of fried chicken.

The taste is not too strong, not too thin.

The batter is crispy even though it has been made for a long time.

When he bit into it, it was more tender than he expected, and the flavor of the meat spread to his mouth.

(As expected, it is delicious.)

Yuzuru decided that he would tell her tomorrow morning that it was delicious.

By the way, there are three bento boxes in total, and they are rotated every day.

“Is it from Yukishiro-san?”

It was Soichiro who made the guess.

As Yuzuru lived alone, there was no way he could receive a lunch box from his mother, and then again, there was no way Yuzuru would make one, so it was a natural deduction.

“Ah well.”

But it was really delicious.

Arisa’s food is exceptionally delicious when freshly prepared, but she also seems to be able to make side dishes that are delicious even when cold.

Not only are her dishes delicious, but they are also very colorful and nutritious.

It was truly mind-boggling.

“Is it good?”

“Of course it is.”

” ……Can I have a taste of it?”

“Give me some as well.”

Soichiro and Hijiri wanted to try some.

Yuzuru was torn between wanting to monopolize Arisa’s lunch box and wanting to show off Arisa’s cooking, but ……

He decided to share a little.

For Soichiro, he gave fried chicken.

For Hijiri, he gave a rolled egg.

The two gave Yuzuru a side dish in return and then took a bite of the side dish that Arisa had made.

“It’s delicious.”

“It’s better than I thought it would be.”

Soichiro and Hijiri shouted in surprise.

Yuzuru felt proud, even though he hadn’t made it himself.

“What’s this ?….. Now I’m the only one who has to eat from the School cafeteria?.”

Soichiro is bringing a bento box that his mother made for him.

So far, Yuzuru and Hijiri have been eating lunch in the school cafeteria and Soichiro has been eating lunch alone, but that will end today.

“Still,  you’re in high school and you have a loving wife who packs a bento for you.”

“Why don’t you just get married already?”

Soichiro and Hijiri said in a tone that was half ridiculous and half-serious.

He has already told Hijiri that they are engaged, with Arisa’s permission.

Apparently, after the study session and Halloween, Arisa became friends with Tenka.

She felt bad about hiding it from her friends, so she decided to tell Hijiri and Tenka.

As for Yuzuru, he was a little concerned about hiding it, so it made him feel better.

“I’m paying for the ingredients, though.”

“I don’t think Yukishiro-san would normally make something with just the cost of ingredients.”

“If I ask, will Yukishiro make one for me?”

“Well, that’s impossible.”

Arisa is not a bento shop.

It’s the same amount of effort. That said, the fact that she makes a lunch box with only the cost of the ingredients is because she has a certain amount of affection for Yuzuru.

Whether it is friendship or love……It is hard to tell.

“Seriously, aren’t you going out with her? …… Well, since you’re engaged, I’d say you’re already dating.”

“From what I’ve heard so far, you guys look like a couple of lovebirds. Do you guys have any plans to reach the finish line?”

“Oh, so that’s what you’re asking.”

Yuzuru was not unaware of this.

In the beginning, they went on dates to “act as fiancé”, but lately they have been enjoying themselves normally.

The same would be true for Arisa.

“…… Well, I do like Arisa.”

“Obviously.”

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but that kind of Western look is right up your alley.”

“No, it’s not just her face, though.”

As Hijiri said, Arisa’s appearance, including her amazing style, is right up Yuzuru’s alley.

In addition, she has a good personality.

She is kind, caring, and supportive of Yuzuru.

Arisa says she has a bad personality, but …… she is cute in that way as well.

In addition, she is a good cook.

And above all, as seen from the Halloween incident, she has a surprisingly good sense of humor and can tell jokes. ……

–It’s fun to be with her.

“It’s just that……if you’re asking me if I’m in love with her, I’m not sure.”

“You mean you like her as a friend?”

“You don’t like her as a person?”

“No, I like her as a person of the opposite sex…..But liking her and having strong feelings for her are different things right……”

Every man has a girl or two that he likes.

Even men who have wives or girlfriends may not have affairs or cheat on them, but they may still be attracted to a beautiful and kind woman.

“In short. I’m comfortable with the relationship we have now, so I’m not so sure I want to force it to move forward. Most importantly, ……”

Not all lovers and couples in this world enter into a relationship with a strong desire to be together.

In fact, many of them may have started their relationship ‘just for the sake of it ‘.

So there is nothing strange about Yuzuru becoming lovers with Arisa, but ……

“For my part …… I don’t think it’s wise for me to fall in love with Arisa.”

Yuzuru and Arisa appear to be equals, but in reality, they are not.　

Yuzuru can refuse to marry Arisa if he wants to, but Arisa can’t.

The “engagement” between Yuzuru and Arisa is only possible because Yuzuru has no intention of getting married.

In other words, …… for lack of a better word, Yuzuru has the right of life and death over Arisa.

So if Yuzuru falls in love with Arisa, that is, if Yuzuru wants to marry her, Arisa can’t refuse it.

He explained his idea to Soichiro and Hijiri.

“Well, that’s how it is. …… So for now, I’ll maintain this relationship. I don’t think I want to force my feelings on her to become my girlfriend.”

After saying that, Yuzuru thought of his father’s face.

(My father is a man of means. He probably saw through Arisa’s feeble nature long ago. …… I have to be careful.)

Kazuya Takasegawa may look mild-mannered at first glance, but he is actually a very calm, cool-headed, and cold-blooded man.

This is of course one of the aspects of his professional life, but in his personal life, he is kind to his family. A good father in general, and Yuzuru respects him as a father. ……

It’s also true that if he wants to use his son Yuzuru as a tool in a political marriage, he could do so easily.

He has no hesitation in using his own son Yuzuru, so it goes without saying that he will use Arisa who is a stranger to him.

Of course, Arisa had to be protected from Amagi, but she also had to be protected from Takasegawa.

In fact, Takasegawa is probably her worst enemy.

Calm, cold-hearted, and cold-blooded.

Never leave any stone unturned to achieve a goal.

They are a cunning family that excels at scheming and laying the groundwork.

That’s how the world views Takasegawa, and it’s not wrong.

The threat of the ‘Takasegawa’ is best known to Yuzuru, who is a member of the ‘Takasegawa’ clan.

From his father and grandfather’s point of view, he was an extremely rebellious son, Yuzuru chuckled inwardly.

” “……” “

On the other hand, Soichiro and Hijiri looked at each other when they heard Yuzuru’s words.

Then they asked Yuzuru.

“Then, if you fall in love with her for real, and you think you want her even by force, what will you do?”

“What would you do if Yukishiro sought you out from her side?”

Yuzuru cowered in response.

“Well, I guess we’ll see at that time.”