Chapter 56

Lunchtime had came and the roof, where most of the upperclassmen hung out during, was full of older students carrying bentos and chatting about what shows they had watched the night before.

One such individual was a certain student with a fair tan and hair that flashed a vibrant crimson, was neither an upperclassman, nor in the mood to talk to anyone, the latter of which was unusual for him to do.

Dozens of faces, some who had recognized him as their school's ace track star, dropped their conversations and stared endlessly as he walked past them. Some, starstruck, others, confused as to why he would eat alongside them, the older students?

The individual, Keisuke, said nothing to them as he sat on a tile next to the school's greenhouse.

He reached into his lunchbag tied with fabric and pulled out a bento box that his mother had made for him.

Before he could open the contents of the box, he could already tell it was going to make him sick.

"Ugh!"

Keisuke recoiled in horror as the stench wafted from the box, forcing him to to pinch his nostrils in disgust.

The food was burnt rice with octopus, deathly deep fried to imperfection, and a side of the foulest smelling raw kelp imaginable, as if it was just fished out of saltwater.

(Mom's a fast runner, but she ain't no cook, that's for sure.)

The tomboy's neck shivered with a fearful gulp as he tried taking a bite of the octopus.

The taste was unbearable. The meat itself was undercooked, which most likely had little focus put into it. That's because any focus, if at all, had went right into the tempura batter used to coat the abomination that danced maniacally in the chopsticks he used to pick it up with.

It was fried eight ways to high hell, making the exterior borderline impenetrable. Luckily, Tomboy-kun's teeth could probably cut diamonds, as he took care of them, but that wasn't the worst of it.

He had felt this feeling many times before: an unmistakable tingle started to erupt in his throat, then he was reminded why his mother was into spicy foods.

So was he, but her taste was overkill.

(W-Water!)

As he puffed with reddened face due to the crude mix of wasabi and cayenne pepper infused in the batter, Keisuke instinctively clamored in his lunch bag for something, a sign, anything involving quenching this thirst, but to no avail.

"Yo!"

A certain blonde haired upperclassman casually strolled up, carrying his own lunchbag before incidentally tripping over a loose tile that made up the texture of the roof.

He fell forward and crashed into the greenhouse wall, face flat, right next to Tomboy-kun.

Keisuke could not believe what he had just seen as he laughed so hard in between choking coughs.

After he retains his composure, Taiyagi clears his throat.

Handing him a soda can, he looks away as he knows the little speedster is still laughing.

"I was talking to some pals of mine, then saw you over here, so I figured I might lend a hand."