Ko and Kenika arrived at the school entrance. The shadows cast by the walls slowly faded as the gentle morning sun shone brightly on their faces. The sweet scent of flowers from the school garden filled the air. Walking past the gates, they entered the school building.
Ko turned toward her.
"Are you eating lunch with your friends today, Kenny?"
"Ah, no," Kenika replied. "Shanba said she's busy with club work today, so we should be able to eat together. And don't buy anything from the cafeteria! My attendant will deliver our lunch around 12:00, okay?"
She looked at him with questioning eyes.
Ko smirked.
"Okay, milady."
Separating for the morning, Ko started walking toward his classroom. He glanced out the hallway window, his thoughts drifting.
*The sky is especially clear today.*
Ko slid the classroom door open and confidently stepped inside.
"Good morning, soldiers! Y'all ready for the math battle today?"
A male classmate sighed from his desk.
"Here comes the chuunibyou."
A female classmate called out,
"Ko, did you finish the physics homework?"
Ko replied gently,
"Yeah, I did. Do you want to copy it?"
Hearing that, several other girls instantly gathered around him.
"Heh, I wanna copy Ko's homework too!"
"Ko, give that to me! I'm the one who helped you with cleaning duties yesterday."
Then another girl leaned closer.
"Ko, did you forget what we did in the locker room?"
Ko blinked before replying with a playful grin.
"Did we play Space Ranger? Then I must have been the Red Ranger, hehe!"
Suddenly, a hand forcefully pulled Ko's physics notebook away from everyone.
A sharp voice shouted,
"Ko! What are you doing?!"
"What's wrong, Meh? I'm just letting them copy my homework. Well, it was pretty hard, right?"
The girl holding the notebook grew thoroughly enraged.
"Can't you say NO?! And I'm telling you again—my name is MAY! May Violet! Not Meh!"
"Heeh... sounds like 'Meh' to me—"
Before he could finish, the girl grabbed Ko's collar and pulled him closer.
Ko gulped under her intense glare.
"I understand, Ms. May Violet."
The girl finally let go and nodded.
"Hmm, that's good."
The girls gathered around them started laughing.
"Why are you all laughing?" Ko asked in confusion.
The girls replied simultaneously.
"Nothing!"
Ko turned toward May.
She seemed to be shining.
He rubbed his eyes and looked at her again.
May narrowed her eyes.
"Is there something on my face?"
"No."
Ko answered with a completely straight face.
"You seem to be shining today."
May immediately blushed and turned away.
"What are you talking about, you idiot?"
At that moment, the teacher entered the classroom.
Homeroom began.
The bell rang.
May looked at him.
"Are you eating together with that senior again?"
"Mmm, yeah."
Ko stood up and started walking toward their usual lunch spot.
On the way, he stopped and looked up at the sun.
"What are you plotting today? Why are you being this gentle even though it's already 12:30 PM?"
When he arrived, he saw his girlfriend sitting beneath a lush green tree.
*I wish I could stop time now.*
For a brief moment, he stood there, completely mesmerized by her presence.
Mesmerized by her beauty, he slowly walked toward her and sat beside her.
"Kenny."
She got startled but immediately recognized his voice.
Turning toward him, she asked,
"Hmm?"
Ko stared into her purple contacts. His gaze passed beyond the lenses and settled on her naturally black eyes.
"Kenny, today—"
"What?" she asked softly, a faint blush appearing on her face.
"Can I borrow your game CD?"
Kenika froze.
Then she burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Is that all?! I thought you were gonna kiss me or something, you goofy!"
"Ehh, you wanted a kiss?"
Ko leaned closer and gently pressed his lips against her cheek.
"There. Good?"
Kenika's face turned bright red.
"You're not gonna kiss me on the lips? Just the cheek is enough for you?"
Ko grabbed her hands and intertwined their fingers.
"Yeah. Your cheeks feel so soft."
Kenika started unpacking the lunch without saying anything further, though a mischievous smile remained on her face.
Kenika handed the lunch box over to Ko.
Looking down at the food, Ko blinked in surprise.
"Woah, what's this? I thought your aunt couldn't cook. And why is mine completely different from yours?"
Kenika smiled warmly.
"I told her you like chicken curry and rice, so she woke up early and prepared a separate menu for both of us."
She puffed her chest proudly.
"I also helped out, you know! I was the one who cooked the rice, haha! Do you like it?"
"Ehh..."
Ko looked at her with the same expression a father might wear while reading his son's disappointing report card.
"Why are you staring at me like that?!"
"Hmm, nothing."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"I just thought... I have an extraordinary girlfriend."
"Hehehe! See? I am the best girlfriend in the world!"
Ko smirked.
"In what world? Otsutsuki's planet?"
"Hmph!"
Kenika crossed her arms and turned her head away.
Ko took another bite of his lunch before suddenly stopping.
"Wait..."
Kenika glanced at him.
"What?"
Ko stared at the curry.
"There are no tomatoes in this curry."
"Huh?"
"Even you didn't know that I don't like tomatoes in my curry. Is it just a coincidence? Or did your household run out of tomatoes?"
Kenika froze for a split second.
"How do I know? I think it's just a coincidence, so leave it."
She immediately checked the time and changed the subject.
"It's getting late. Eat up fast, you goofy!"
Ko tilted his head suspiciously but eventually returned to eating.
The gentle breeze carried the scent of flowers through the school grounds as the two continued their lunch beneath the shade of the tree.
For a little while, neither of them spoke.
Yet neither of them minded the silence.
---
After lunch, Ko returned to class and sat through the remaining lessons.
The rest of the school day passed peacefully.
When the final bell rang, students poured out of the building and headed home.
Ko walked alongside Kenika until they reached their usual parting point.
Kenika waved at him.
"Bye, Ko! Get ready early tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay."
Kenika turned around and started walking away.
"And Kenny..."
She stopped and looked back.
"Yeah?"
Ko cupped his hands around his mouth.
"Remember—say no to drugs!"
Kenika stared at him for a moment.
Then she sighed.
*Ah, this idiot...*
A smile crept onto her face as she continued walking home.
---
Ko stepped inside his house and immediately froze.
His father was standing there waiting for him.
Worse, he had a terrifying expression on his face.
Ko felt a cold sweat run down his neck.
"Hehe... hello, Dad. You're home early today, huh?"
For a brief moment, the silence was unbearable.
Then—
His father's stern expression completely disappeared.
A warm smile spread across his face.
"Here!"
He held out a brand-new game disc.
Ko's eyes widened.
"The game I wanted?!"
His father laughed.
"Hahaha! My presentation today was a massive hit! They're promoting me to Project Head too!"
"Yay!"
Ko immediately grabbed his father's hands.
"Congrats, Dad! More games for me from now on!"
His father laughed even harder.
"Look at this guy."
He reached over and ruffled Ko's hair.
"Did The Preserver actually answer your prayers?"
Ko grinned from ear to ear.
His father shook his head in amusement.
"Man..."
A gentle smile appeared on his face.
"You really are His favorite child, huh?"
The evening sunlight filtered through the windows of their home.
For Ko, it was just another ordinary day.
A peaceful day.
One he wished would last forever.
To be continued...