The lunch break bell rang, and Hikigaya rose to head toward the courtyard as usual.
Today, no one was gossiping about Sakuraba Ema anymore. The whispers heard during the morning breaks had all shifted:
"What's so good about that guy Hikigaya, anyway?"
"How did Nikaido end up liking him?"
"I heard he was pretty weird back in middle school..." and so on.
That's how rumors work; once one target is burned out, they imdiately move to the next. Like wildfire, they don't need a reason—just kindling.
Hikigaya, however, didn't care. He was long accustod to being a subject of discussion.
However, Sakuraba Ema was much quieter today.
Throughout the morning, she hadn't interacted with him at all. She simply sat at her desk, flipping through textbooks and taking notes as she was supposed to, occasionally saying a few words to Saeki.
Hikigaya wasn't sure if this counted as "normal." After all, the frequency with which they had spoken every day before might not have been normal to begin with. But seeing her this quiet made him feel sowhat uncomfortable.
There was already soone sitting on the bench by the flowerbed.
With long black hair, Nikaido Hiro sat there, her bento box placed beside her, posture poised, as if she were waiting for soone.
Hikigaya walked over, and Nikaido Hiro looked up.
"Sakuraba said you were looking for ."
Hikigaya blinked.
"I didn't..."
He stopped mid-sentence, seeing the hint of confusion on Nikaido Hiro's face.
"She told you wanted to co to the courtyard at noon."
Hikigaya frowned.
'Sakuraba Ema?'
Just as he was about to say sothing, footsteps sounded behind him. Sakuraba Ema and Saeki Miria walked over from the direction of the school building. Sakuraba Ema saw Nikaido Hiro, and without pausing, walked straight to the bench.
"Ah, Nikaido-san is already here." Her tone was natural, as if she had known all along that Nikaido Hiro would be there.
Saeki Miria followed behind her and sat down at the other end of the bench.
Sakuraba Ema didn't sit imdiately; instead, she stood beside Nikaido Hiro and turned her head toward Hikigaya.
"Hikigaya-kun, it was you who asked Nikaido-san to co, right?"
Hikigaya looked at her.
"She told ," Emma said with a smile, turning back to Nikaido Hiro. "He said he wanted to eat lunch with you, but he was too shy to ask directly. He was afraid your classmates would tease you and make you uncomfortable, so he asked to help set it up."
She said it so fluently, as if she had prepared this story long ago.
Hikigaya watched Sakuraba Ema's profile. She didn't look at him, just smiled and spoke to Hiro, her expression so natural it was as if she were truly acting as a matchmaker for a friend.
Nikaido Hiro glanced at Hikigaya, then at Sakuraba Ema, before averting her gaze.
"Is that so," she said, her tone devoid of emotion.
She didn't press for details, nor did she debunk such an obvious excuse. She simply picked up her bento box, placed it on her lap, and shifted her body slightly toward the other side of the bench.
Sakuraba Ema smiled knowingly, sat in the middle, and opened her own bento.
Inside were rice, a rolled olet, and a few cherry tomatoes. She glanced at Hiro's bento: an elegant porcelain box with black sesa seeds sprinkled over the rice, the side dishes arranged with ticulous precision.
"Nikaido-san's bento is so pretty."
Nikaido Hiro replied with a soft "Mm," but didn't continue the conversation. She started eating with perfect etiquette, her movents neither fast nor slow, her gaze remaining fixed on her own bento box without even a glance to the side.
Sakuraba Ema didn't mind, nor did she take the initiative to speak to Hiro again; she only spoke occasionally to Saeki in a very low voice.
Hikigaya had no choice but to sit on the nearby steps and begin enjoying his own lunch.
A few girls were eating nearby, and one of them glanced over and said sothing to her companion.
"Isn't that Nikaido? Is that Sakuraba next to her?"
"They're eating together."
"Are they actually good friends?"
The voices weren't loud, but they drifted over on the breeze.
Sakuraba Ema lowered her head, the corners of her mouth curving slightly. She picked up a piece of her own rolled olet and, after a mont's hesitation, reached out toward Hiro.
"Nikaido-san, would you like to try a piece?"
Nikaido Hiro's chopsticks paused for an instant. She looked at the olet.
"No, thank you."
She then continued eating, her movents unchanged, as if nothing had happened. The olet remained suspended in the air between them.
Saeki Miria gently nudged Sakuraba Ema's elbow from the side.
"Ema."
Sakuraba Ema snapped out of it and placed the olet back into her own bento box.
"I see," she whispered.
Saeki Miria pushed her own bento toward Sakuraba Ema.
"I can't finish this tamagoyaki."
Sakuraba Ema looked at Saeki Miria, smiled, and picked up the tamagoyaki, placing it in her mouth.
Hikigaya sat on the steps, watching the scene.
From start to finish, Hiro hadn't spoken a single word, nor had she looked at Ema again. Yet, she didn't leave. She just sat there, quietly eating her al, occasionally glancing secretly at him.
She could have easily stood up and left; given her personality, she would never force herself to stay a second longer in a place she didn't want to be. But she didn't.
Hikigaya chewed his sandwich, thinking that this must be what they call a "high achiever's sense of responsibility." Since she had agreed to act, she would see it through to the end—what a hassle.
Halfway through the lunch break, Hiro packed away her bento box and wrapped it in a cloth. She stood up and brushed off her skirt.
"I'm finished; I'm heading back."
Sakuraba Ema looked up and smiled at her back.
"Co back tomorrow, Nikaido-san. It's more fun when we're all together."
Nikaido Hiro's steps faltered. She didn't look back, nor did she respond; she simply walked away.
Saeki Miria also stood up to leave, saying she was going to buy a drink.
Only Ema remained on the bench. She sat with her head down, her chopsticks stuck into the rice, motionless.
Hikigaya stood up from the steps and walked over to the bench.
"Sakuraba, why did you invite Nikaido using my na?"
Emma pulled her chopsticks out of the rice and laid them on the bento box, then looked up at Hikigaya.
"Because you two are boyfriend and girlfriend, you should be eating lunch together."
She covered the bento box and wrapped it with the cloth, her movents ticulous.
"Hikigaya-kun, I know."
"...Know what?"
"You're acting."
Hikigaya said nothing.
Sakuraba Ema placed her bento aside, leaned back against the bench, and looked toward the flowerbed.
"I realized it yesterday. Hiro accepting your confession was to protect you. And when you're together... it doesn't look like you're dating.
So I wanted to help, too. If everyone sees the three of us eating together, and sees and Hiro sitting together, those rumors will hold even less ground, won't they?"
She looked at Hikigaya and smiled, her lips curving into an arc.
"You don't need to do this."
"I know, but you've already tried so hard.
You're helping , so I want to help you. And isn't this fine? Everyone sees the three of us together and won't say anything else. Once the rumors are completely gone, you can 'break up.' Everyone will just think it was a normal end to a relationship and won't think twice about it."
She stood up and brushed off her skirt.
"Hiro... is actually a good person, isn't she?"
Hikigaya thought for a mont.
"I suppose so, though her personality is a bit troubleso."
"She could have refused." Sakuraba Ema looked toward the school building where Hiro had disappeared. "She could have refused your confession and refused this troubleso plan, but she didn't. She volunteered to get involved and chose to act alongside you.
So, I think you two are actually a pretty good match."
Hikigaya didn't respond.
Sakuraba Ema turned to look at him.
"So, Hikigaya-kun, you have to act well. Act convincing. Don't let Hiro's efforts go to waste, and don't let ... waste my efforts."
She picked up her bento box.
"I'll continue to help tomorrow. I'll keep inviting Hiro to eat and keep interacting with you in front of everyone until those rumors disappear completely."
"Sakuraba..."
"Don't worry about ." She interrupted him. "I'm really fine. On the contrary, I feel... relieved."
She lowered her head, holding the bento box against her chest.
"Because I can finally do sothing, instead of just waiting to be protected by you two."
She looked up and gave him a smile.
"Let's go, class is about to start."
She turned and walked toward the school building, stopped after a few steps, and looked back.
"Hikigaya-kun."
"Yeah?"
"You can have Hiro bring you a bento tomorrow. Eating sandwiches all the ti isn't healthy, and I believe she'll agree."
"A bento? Forget it, that's too much trouble."
"It's not trouble," Sakuraba Ema said earnestly. "And it looks more like a couple, doesn't it?"
"No..."
"It's settled then. I'll remind her tomorrow."
Without waiting for Hikigaya to refuse, Sakuraba Ema cut him off, waved her hand, and turned to leave.
Hikigaya stood in place, watching her retreating figure.
He stood there for a while, then also headed toward the school building.
When he reached the corridor, he glanced back.
The courtyard was quiet. Sunlight shone on the flowerbed, leaves swayed gently in the wind, and the bench was empty.
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