Chapter Text
Lunch Box
Everyone in the Sekigumi had grown accustomed to seeing Oochi Shinya take out his extra-large and heavy lunch box and Oochi Masaya eat nothing but roll cakes during their lunch break. After all, the Orochi brothers are in their lovey-dovey phase, enjoying the love bento prepared by their girlfriends.
But today, the other Sekigumi was drawn to their rookie, Murayama, and his lunch.
For some reason, the Master agreed to let Murayama work for the construction company during the summer. Despite his lack of construction experience, Murayama worked hard and was eager to learn from his mistakes. He has progressed from Murakami to Murayama. They now look forward to going out with him for drinks and tasty grilled meat.
They also know that Murayama never ate anything that resembled a lunch box because he couldn’t afford to make or buy one. He’s always chowing down on melon pan, yakisoba, onigiri, or, on a good day, a corndog dripping in extra sauce. Despite this, he still has the build of a man who can move many bricks all day.
Everyone was drawn to the black lunch box he’d just taken from his flower-embroidered pink lunch bag.
“Eeee?!”
“Murayama, hold on a second. Don’t tell us that you have a girlfriend as well?”
Murayama looked up from his meal, a boyish grin on his face, embarrassed to be the centre of attention for his seniors. “Well.” He gave a nod. “Todoroki-chan had some time before her class today, so she packed me a lunch box. It’s nothing special—just leftover beef stew from last night’s dinner.”
“Eeee?!”
“Murayama, do you and your girlfriend live together?”
“No way. She used to stop by for dinner now and then.” He put his hands together and said a quick prayer with a casual expression before starting to eat.
“O-oh.”
While eating his roll cake, Masaya quickly glanced at Murayama before asking the golden buzzer question. “So, tell us about your girlfriend. You two must have recently started dating.”
“Todoroki-chan? She’s my high school junior. We started dating last year.” Murayama began to tell his Sekigumi seniors about his girlfriend, Todoroki-chan, who is genuinely sweet and innocent, with fair skin and long black hair, an intelligent appearance thanks to her glasses, and a passion for reading in the broadcast room. Despite having just three members in her faction, she was the most powerful in the full-time system. He recently learned that she broke up an alliance by thrashing an entire school team while fighting off another team the next day. Even though she is a third-year student preparing for the Tokyo University entrance exam to enter law school, she appears enthusiastic about everything.
“Hold on! Murayama, did your girlfriend go to Oyako?”
“Sweet and innocent, intelligent, likes to read, and is about to enter Todai?” To be sure, Masaya repeated Murayama’s description of his girlfriend. “That kind of girl couldn’t possibly attend that kind of school, could she? Murayama, your joke isn’t funny.” They knew that Murayama had been Oyako’s formidable Banchō before his retirement and employment with the Sekigumi; the school was famous as a gathering place for delinquents nationwide. One of the Orochi brothers’ closest friends, Hanaoka Fujio, attends that school.
Murayama wolfed down his lunch and repacked it inside the pink lunch bag before sitting with his arms crossed and looking at his seniors seriously. “Well, considering that Todoroki-chan does not exactly look like your typical delinquent—she wears glasses and keeps herself neat—and is most likely smarter than all the full-time students combined. However, she is undoubtedly the strongest; her kick and fist are extremely painful.”
“She is the only full-time student with two fights with me. Todoroki-chan is a strong opponent.” Murayama ended his speech with a fond look.
The Sekigumi exchanged a gaze of mutual disbelief. Is this “girlfriend” real? Does she even exist?
Suddenly, though, the laid-back atmosphere surrounding Murayama evaporated and became oppressive. “I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but Todoroki-chan belongs to me. So, please, try not to let yourself fall in love with her. Okay?” Murayama’s amber eyes locked on Shinya, who was reportedly dating a partner who was both physically and emotionally strong.
“Oy, Murayama. Are you up for a fight? For me, Madoka is the only one.” Shinya informed him with a low tone and a snake-like look in his eyes.
The other two older workers began packing lunches to break up the sudden tense situation. At the same time, Masaya noticed an imaginary spark between the cobra and the mongoose behind Shinya and Murayama.
“All right! The lunch break is over. Let’s keep up the great work today!”
OWARI
Extra 1
“Why would you start a fight with that senior, you idiot? Are you striving to fit in society as a worthless adult? What if you lost your job again? Or did you believe you can fill your bike's gas tank with leaves?” Multiple arrows from all directions severely wounded Murayama; naturally, his Todoroki-chan showed no mercy.
“Have you sincerely apologised to that senior after that?” She interrogated him.
“I offered to take him out for a drink on the next payday as an apology for being rude,” Murayama sulked like a wet cat who had just received a reprimand.
“Hmm…” She responded with a sceptical hum. Murayama sighed in defeat as she nodded her approval of how he had resolved the issue with his colleague. “Well, since this issue has been resolved. What would you like to eat, Yoshiki?” Todoroki Yosuke stood up and asked her lover as she made her way to the kitchen of Murayama's apartment.
“Sukiyaki.”
“All right.”
Extra 2
“You mean, like, Dorokki? Yeah, she’s crazy strong and friends with Tsuji and Shibaman.” Fujio remarked this casually as he was attempting to prepare his monjayaki. This is a regular night for the childhood group to get together at their favourite restaurant. "What makes you ask?"
“She is real, then,” Shinya muttered.
“Outstanding Oyako high school girl.” Masaya trailed after him.
Fujio laughed at the two brothers. “What is it? You made Dorokki seem ominous.”
“What are you two brothers muttering about? Shinya, are you cheating on me?!” Madoka asked her boyfriend threateningly.
Shinya got up, sat beside his lover, and firmly refused. "There's no way I would do that to you, idiot!"
Masaya and Fujio cast a distant look at the scene.
