Athletic Festival Arc
26 Rooftop and Delicious
After a short period, Yuuri's grandfather headed to the guest seats having wreaked as much havoc on the field as possible. He was an old man who played the fool, but since he was the current head of the Aidou family, his status was high.
To head to the rooftop, they walked through a school building and the people eating lunch in the opened classrooms kicked up a fuss. Of course, that was aimed at the executives excluding Meru.
"Meru-chaaaan!"
"Easy there, Fuu-chan."
Laila kicked Fuuga from behind as he boldly went to embrace Meru in the middle of the hallway. Maybe because he was in his male appearance, but his behavior was rougher than usual.
"Laila!"
"Think about where we are."
Laila said while knitting his eyebrows. At first, Fuuga tilted his head in confusion but soon seemed to figure out what he meant, so he obediently pouted.
"Thanks, Lailchan."
"No problem. If that were to be seen by those terrifying eyes glued to the windows…right?"
When Laila looked sideways with just his eyes, the gaudy female students who appeared to be Fuuga's fans were looking at Fuuga with heart-shaped eyes.
"But it's not just Rengetsu-kun. The cause of these ardent gazes, that is."
Meru smiled wryly. They weren't glued to the windows, but she could feel gazes directed at the executives other than Fuuga from within the classroom. Of course, that included Laila who currently had a man's appearance.
"I won't let them bother you, Ruu-chan, so you can relax."
"Thank you."
Meru and Laila were talking carefreely about that.
At the same time, just a little in front of them, Fuuga had listened to Laila and had joined in the conversation with Hayate and everyone else.
"Hayate-kun, did you and the others meet President Toujou? I wanted to meet him, too."
Fuuga was jealous. In his case, it wasn't for the status, but rather something brought by his curiosity.
"It seems like the president will be here for the whole day, so it's probably fine if you go meet him."
"Eh!? Really!? Ooh… I wonder if I should go greet him. Shoutarou-kun, you haven't gone either, right? Let's go together!"
Fuuga invited Shoutarou. If it was as usual, Shoutarou would say something like "I don't want to be together with you," but he seemed to be thinking about it. Fuuga was excited even by that.
"Come call me when you're free."
"Shoutarou-kun, you didn't hit your head somewhere, right?"
"Do you want to be beaten?"
Fuuga apologized earnestly in front of Shoutarou's glare.
"At any rate, is it ok that you left?"
If Toujou was at the academy for the full day, Hayate receiving him was the best. However, Hayate was here. That was Yuuri's question.
Hayate's eyebrows creased and he gave a sidelong glance behind them as he spoke.
"Well…with the board chairman and principal there, they'll be able to take care of it. More than anything, missing out on Meru's home cooking is something harsher than any punishment game."
"That's true."
When Yuuri agreed, Hayate smiled a little.
They finally arrived on the top floor and Shoutarou put the key he robbed, no, borrowed from the teachers into the keyhole. With a clank and a heavy sound, the door opened.
"Wow! Amazing!"
Meru admired the scenery she was seeing for the first time.
When she looked up, there was only blue sky and white clouds spreading out. They were so close to the sky that she felt as if she could reach it.
Meru held her hand over the sun.
"Meru. Do you like it?"
"Yeah! It's pretty!"
Meru smiled with a bit of excitement. When that smile full of child-like innocence was directed at him, Hayate looked a little taken aback.
"Nononono!"
While saying ‘no’ over and over again, Fuuga hugged Meru from directly in front of her. Because of the others' weaknesses, even Laila didn't kick him this time.
"Fuuga…"
Hayate sighed once and glared sharply at Fuuga who separated slightly from Meru while turning pale.
When Meru protested him obstructing her hard-earned view, he said, "I don't want to show this cute of a Meru to others!" unabashedly.
"Rengetsu. You're giving me the creeps."
"It's already summer, but they still come out, huh."
"Wai, Yuuri-kun! I'm not some suspicious person!"
While Fuuga was being cornered by Shoutarou and Yuuri in an argument, Meru smoothly slipped out of Fuuga's arms.
"Haa… Ah, Lailchan. Sorry."
Meru went up to Laila who was silently laying out a sheet. Meru took out the multi-tiered bento from the backpack she was carrying on her back. When she did, Laila blinked at it.
"Ruu-chan. That amount…did you make it all on your own?"
"Eh? Ahh, yeah. I've been cooking for a long time, so my skills are relatively good. I don't know if it's delicious, but I don't think it's bad."
Meru said while sitting down on the sheet. Hayate sat next to her.
"That's amazing. You made this much even though you're tired as well."
"It's fine. Or should I say, just who was it that made the decision, huh?"
Meru glanced at Hayate and he held his hands up in surrender with a wry smile.
"Then, let's eat."
There was a dispute regarding where they would all sit, but with Hayate taking no notice of the others, they surrounded the bento from Meru's right in the order of Yuuri, Fuuga, Shoutarou, Laila, and Hayate.
"Go ahead."
Meru opened the multi-tiered bento's lid.
The characteristic smell of a bento tickled their noses and their hunger strengthened. The standard side dishes and onigiri were arranged neatly.
The five people grabbed various side dishes with their chopsticks and popped them into their mouths.
Meru wasn't that interested in their reaction, so she poured the tea she had brought into cups, making a glugging sound.
"""""……"""""
Those five people swallowed with a gulp and stiffened, staring in wonderment.
Meru tilted her head at that situation while drinking tea.
"Hm? Was something weird?"
"Meru-chan! This is the best! My future diet is secure!"
"Excuse me."
Yuuri pushed Fuuga's face as he went to embrace Meru.
Meru felt relieved that Yuuri was between her and Fuuga.
"Well, it's not awful, right?"
"Ih hit een cosh to awho…!"
"Is it even close to awful, it's super delicious."
It was unclear whether Yuuri was speaking on behalf of Fuuga whose face was currently seized and couldn't talk well, but he said that. Meru gave suitable thanks and took an onigiri.
"Well…it's not inedible."
"Hmm, with that reaction, you don't need anymore, right, Shou-chan? If you need a replacement bento, I'm sure your fans will give you one."
Laila snatched the tamagoyaki from Shoutarou's paper place. He looked at the discontent expression on Shoutarou’s face and scrunched his eyes in a smile.
"…! …Since it's not bad, give it back."
"Ahh, yeah, yeah. Don't get so mad."
Laila and Shoutarou's conversation unfolding before their very eyes seemed like a couple's quarrel no matter how you looked at it. If Laila had his usual appearance, they would surely be a picture-perfect couple.
"Kamishiro-kun, how is it? Does it suit your tastes?"
Meru looked at Hayate beside her while eating an onigiri. Hayate chuckled unintentionally at Meru whose face was distorted by the sourness of the umeboshi in the onigiri.
"Ahh. It's incredibly delicious. To the point where I want to eat it forever."
"Then if I fall into trouble in the future, I guess I should have you hire me as your house's chef."
When Meru laughed, Hayate smiled, "Definitely."
After that, Fuuga tried time and time again to hug Meru, but Yuuri defended her. Laila teased Shoutarou, and Meru and Hayate moderately had their meal. Until the multi-tiered bento disappeared, similar things unfolded.
"It was really delicious. Meru-chan."
"Thank you very much."
"Hmph. Well, I'll thank you."
"Geez, Shou-chan… Ruu-chan, thanks."
They all gave their thanks to Meru and Hayate, drinking the barley tea he'd received from Meru, grinned while looking at her.
"Will you make it again?"
"If I feel like it."
The uncooperative Meru was a little shy.
I did it, I got it out on time. Barely. I may or may not be writing this note 10 minutes before the scheduled time.
If ya'll are interested in the foods mentioned and don't know what they are, please look them up. I was gonna pop some pictures down here, but as I'm translating this while very hungry and given that I'm not a masochist, I decided against googling food.
Anyway, this was a very cute chapter, so I hope you all enjoyed! See you next week.