Soone once said that happiness is sothing you can't touch or see, yet when you reach out, it's all around you.
That is happiness.
But for Hitori Gotoh, who was extrely shy and had just been suddenly hugged by Ijichi Seika—
Waiting for her emotions to settle down in this mont was definitely not a ti of happiness.
However—
"It's really delicious."
Yamada Ryo wiped her mouth discreetly, letting out a rare expression of admiration.
And with just that one sentence, everyone present—except for Hitori Gotoh and Kita Ikuyo—nodded in agreent.
"This is just homade cooking, so why is it this good?"
Ijichi Nijika poked at the now empty bento box with her chopsticks, reluctant to accept that all the food was gone.
She had always been quite confident in her own cooking skills.
Yes, it was just simple ho-cooked fried chicken and stewed potatoes.
But why did it taste so incredible?
Before they knew it, they had finished the entire bento without a second thought.
Even now, Ijichi Nijika couldn't stop thinking about the taste of that al.
"I never expected Bocchi to be such a good cook."
Sitting at the counter with her legs crossed, Ijichi Seika uncharacteristically gave a straightforward complint.
Even she had to admit it.
The bento that Hitori Gotoh had brought was absolutely delicious.
She couldn't help but wonder when she would get to taste that flavor again...
Ijichi Seika sighed internally.
Compared to the reserved attitudes of Ijichi Seika and Ijichi Nijika, Yamada Ryo, leaning on one hand, had already turned her head toward Hitori Gotoh.
"Bocchi, cook for from now on."
She looked at the shrinking, nervous Hitori Gotoh and, in a serious yet expressionless manner, said, "If you don't, I'll have to bully you—ow."
Yamada Ryo turned around to see Ijichi Nijika hitting her on the head with a karate chop.
"Don't threaten Bocchi."
Ijichi Nijika was used to her bassist's shalessness, but warnings still needed to be given when necessary.
"But Bocchi's food is really good."
Despite being hit, Yamada Ryo remained energetic, her eyes shining as she looked at Hitori Gotoh, as if she had just discovered a gold mine.
"U-Um... I'm happy that Ryo-san likes it, but... this bento wasn't actually made by ."
After staying silent for a while, Hitori Gotoh finally mustered up the courage to explain in a small voice.
"Bocchi didn't cook it?"
Ijichi Nijika's interest was imdiately piqued. "Then who did?"
"Ah... it was Minami-senpai. He said it was his first ti cooking at ho and wanted to try it."
Hitori Gotoh shrank back as she spoke.
"Minami-senpai... Huh—? You an Minami Shouji?"
Ijichi Nijika stood up in surprise.
"Minami Shouji...? Oh—wasn't he the guy who borrowed a guitar effects pedal from you yesterday?"
Ijichi Seika imdiately recalled the na.
She rembered Nijika ntioning him yesterday—Hitori Gotoh's friend who wanted to borrow an extra effects pedal from the practice room.
"Yeah, Bocchi must be talking about him, but—"
Ijichi Nijika nodded, then shook her head in amazent. "That guy is seriously incredible."
Top grades, great communication skills, and now it turns out he's an amazing cook too. Not to ntion, he's apparently quite handso and even starting to learn guitar.
No wonder Kita Ikuyo had once called him a "perfect superhuman."
How did he manage to learn so much? Did he have 48 hours in a day?
Being able to excel in so many areas was beyond impressive.
"I rember Minami is supposed to co by today for guitar lessons with Bocchi, right?"
Yamada Ryo's thoughts started heading in a different direction.
"How about this—one al per lesson? That's way cheaper than any guitar class."
She was seriously calculating. "No, maybe we could even sell his cooking. That would make even more money..."
"Eh—?"
Hitori Gotoh's mouth hung open.
"If Bocchi teaches him guitar, he brings a bento every day. Seems fair, right?"
Yamada Ryo perked up, her androgynous, well-defined face lifting slightly. "That way, we can all enjoy delicious als every day."
"Uhh—"
As soon as she said that, even the adults like Ijichi Seika and PA-san fell silent.
There was no helping it.
Yamada Ryo's suggestion was simply too tempting.
If they had never tasted Minami's cooking, maybe Ijichi Seika and PA-san could have put on a mature, adult-like attitude and lectured Yamada Ryo about her shalessness.
But after experiencing a ho-cooked bento rated at a system-level 4.3 stars...
They couldn't help but feel that everything they had cooked and eaten before was suddenly bland and unappetizing.
Even without any so-called "happiness bonuses,"
That warmth—the kind that could chase away the chill of winter and wrap one's body in comfort—was impossible to forget.
If only they could eat like that every day...
Gulp—
Everyone swallowed their saliva and turned their eyes toward Hitori Gotoh.
"Uhh—"
It was the first ti Hitori Gotoh had received this much attention.
Feeling the burning gazes of everyone, and recalling the mories that had just surfaced in her mind, she hesitated.
She had always been bad at refusing people, but this ti, she sohow managed to gather the courage to say:
"Um... I still think it wouldn't be right to trouble Minami-senpai..."
But before she could even finish her sentence, a voice suddenly interrupted from behind.
"Sure, as long as we split the cost of ingredients, I don't mind making extra food."
"Huh? Minami-senpai?"
The male voice stood out starkly among the all-female crowd, making Hitori Gotoh instinctively turn her head.
And there he was—a young man with a guitar case slung over his back, standing at the entrance of Starry.
It was Minami Shouji, who had just finished a conversation with the principal of Shuka High and had rushed over to Starry.
He smiled and nodded at Hitori Gotoh, then greeted everyone else politely. "Hello, I'm Minami."
"He's Minami? Bocchi's friend?"
Ijichi Seika turned her head toward Ijichi Nijika, raising an eyebrow.
However, this ti, her voice carried a hint of doubt.
And who could bla her?
No matter how she looked at it,
The impression this young man gave off was far too different from the gloomy and socially anxious Hitori Gotoh.
His skin was fair but had a healthy glow. He had neatly trimd short hair, with slightly curled tips. His clean, delicate features were frad by a pair of strikingly clear eyes—eyes that gave off an inexplicably refreshing and comfortable aura.
But perhaps the biggest contrast between him and Hitori Gotoh lay in his deanor.
Hitori Gotoh was shy and socially anxious—she stamred whenever she spoke to soone face-to-face.
But Minami was the complete opposite. His speech was articulate, and he naturally exuded a sense of approachability that made people want to talk to him.
And just from his brief introduction, Ijichi Seika—who had spent years in live houses—picked up on sothing else: a deep-rooted sense of confidence.
It was hard to miss.
She had a feeling that even if she put Minami in the middle of a crowd, she would still be able to pick him out instantly.
Maybe it was sothing about his aura. Ijichi Seika wasn't quite sure.
And that confidence—
Was precisely what the timid and self-doubting Hitori Gotoh lacked the most.
This guy was really Bocchi's friend?
It was like the sun and the shadows eting.
Ijichi Seika couldn't help but be skeptical.
But then again...
There was no way he was just after Bocchi for her body, right?
---
For Advanced Chapters, 16 ahead on my /Loverice929
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