The bell signaling lunch break finally rang, and the atmosphere in the classroom instantly became light and lively.
Students gathered in small groups, taking out their respective lunch boxes.
Shido also took out the bento box he had prepared
a habit formed from years of looking after his younger sister, Kotori (and a certain gluttonous Spirit in the future).
His bento was always exceptionally rich and elaborate, and today was no exception: golden, crispy fried chicken, tamagoyaki, sausage rolls, and vibrant green broccoli. The color combination was truly appetizing.
However, before he could even pick up his chopsticks, a figure sat down naturally in the empty seat beside him.
"Yo, Shido, your bento looks luxurious today too!"
It was Koushi. He was holding a rather ordinary-looking convenience store bento, the plastic box containing simple rice and a few bland side dishes.
As he spoke, he skillfully and precisely snatched the largest, juiciest-looking piece of fried chicken from Shido's bento box and popped it into his mouth without hesitation.
"Mmm
! Delicious!" Koushi narrowed his eyes in satisfaction, chewed a few times, and let out a genuine compliment.
"As expected, the things you make, Shido, are the best! The fried chicken is cooked perfectly
crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and the seasoning is flawless!"
As he spoke, he naturally reached out his chopsticks again, this time aiming for the sausage rolls.
"I swear, I don't even know what I've been eating at home these past few days. My taste buds are practically dying of boredom, it's killing me..."
Halfway through his sentence, Koushi's chewing suddenly stopped.
He tilted his head slightly, a genuine look of confusion on his face. His brow furrowed gently as if he were trying hard to recall something, and he muttered to himself:
"...Speaking of which, these past few days at home... what exactly was I eating? How come... I don't remember anything at all..."
The hand holding his chopsticks paused in mid-air, his gaze vacant, seemingly searching fruitlessly through the fog of memory.
Meanwhile, Shido, sitting across from him, felt his heart skip a beat, as if struck by a sudden bolt of lightning, when he heard Koushi say, "These past few days at home... what exactly was I eating?"
(He remembers!)
(He doesn't remember the specific events, he doesn't remember Chinatsu's existence, but... his taste buds remember! His body remembers the food Chinatsu cooked these past few days!)
An indescribable wave of heat, mixed with ecstasy and bitterness, rushed to Shido's head, making him nearly drop the chopsticks in his hand.
He widened his eyes, staring intently at Koushi's confused face. A completely unprecedented thought, carrying a faint yet incredibly stubborn light, sprouted wildly in the heart frozen by guilt and despair, like a tender shoot breaking through the soil
(That's right! Memories can be erased, existence can be wiped away... but what about feelings? What about habits? What about the things etched into physical instinct?)
(Chinatsu... perhaps she hasn't entirely vanished! She's just been "hidden"! Inside Koushi's body, or in some corner of his soul!)
(If... if I can bring her back... if I can awaken that forgotten feeling...)
Shido's breathing involuntarily quickened, and his eyes shone with a brilliance they hadn't held in days. He looked at Koushi as if he were looking at a treasure containing endless hope.
(In that case... after bringing Chinatsu back... could they... still be like they were before... No, maybe even...)
A vague but beautiful vision of the future flashed through his mind
Koushi and Chinatsu, two people.
They could go to school together, tease each other, and he could prepare bentos for both of them, watching them fight over his fried chicken... (...Could they... continue to be together?)
This thought carried immense temptation, accompanied by even deeper uncertainty and risk.
But at this moment, for Shido, who was nearly crushed by guilt, this was undoubtedly a lifeline, a faint glimmer of light suddenly appearing in the darkness.
"Hey, Shido?"
Koushi's confused voice interrupted his reverie. "What's wrong with you? Your eyes are wide open, like you've seen a ghost... Are you upset that I ate your fried chicken?"
He joked, trying to dispel his own momentary confusion, and simultaneously broke Shido out of his trance.
Shido snapped back to reality, quickly lowering his head to hide his overly exposed emotions, his voice tight:
"N-no! Go ahead, eat as much as you want!" He even proactively pushed the bento box towards Koushi, his tone carrying an almost desperate eagerness.
Koushi was momentarily stunned by his unusual behavior, then burst out laughing:
"Oh? So generous today? Then I won't hold back!" Saying this, he grabbed another piece of tamagoyaki and ate it with great relish.
Shido watched him devour the food without a care, the flame of hope that had just ignited in his heart intertwining with the persistent sense of heavy reality, forming an extremely complex emotion.
(Wait for me, Chinatsu...)
(No matter where you are, no matter the cost...)
(I will definitely... find a way to bring her back!)
He gripped the chopsticks in his hand. For the first time when facing Koushi, his feelings were no longer just guilt and a bad conscience, but also a firm, almost mission-like resolve.
This seemingly ordinary lunch break bento had already become the starting point of a silent vow for Shido.
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