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In their second year, Ichiro and Samatoki wound up in different classes. But that didn't stop them from having lunch together every day.
Samatoki was usually the one to come to Ichiro's classroom, if they were eating inside. Ichiro's desk was closer to the window than Samatoki's own, and Samatoki liked the fresh air.
(It was just a convenient coincidence that Rio and Jyuto were in Ichiro's class too. Not like Samatoki went out of his way to see those nerds or anything.)
They did take turns bringing food. Sometimes Ichiro made extra for Samatoki and Nemu while cooking for his own brothers, and sometimes it was the other way around. Sometimes neither of them had time to cook, which meant a lunch of cafeteria food or bread instead.
Ichiro usually packed some bread even if they'd brought bentos for lunch—often a melon bun, sometimes a chocolate cornet. Something to split with Samatoki, to indulge the sweet tooth Samatoki swore he didn't have.
That was how they started or ended pretty much every lunch.
Until one day, when a certain someone seemed to have had enough.
Ichiro and Samatoki were sitting at Ichiro's desk like always, facing each other, legs almost indecently tangled. In one hand, Ichiro lifted the bento he'd brought from home—just one large one, with enough food for him and Samatoki both. In the other, he held up the melon bun he'd picked up from a conbini on the way to school.
Samatoki nodded to the bun. His own hands were busy hiding in the long sleeves of the cardigan he'd borrowed from Ichiro, keeping cozy and warm; it was the tail end of autumn, and Ichiro knew how easily Samatoki got cold.
So Ichiro unwrapped the bun, took a bite, and held it up for Samatoki to take the next—which Samatoki ducked his head and did, all without unfolding his arms from where they rest on the desk before him.
They split the bun like that, with Ichiro lifting a box of juice for Samatoki every now and then too. He even reached out with his thumb, catching a few crumbs that had been clinging to Samatoki's cheek, and sucking his own thumb clean.
Ichiro really thought nothing of it. He and Samatoki had been doing this all their lives, after all.
Which was why it came as such a surprise—enough of one to make both him and Samatoki jolt and yelp—when Jyuto suddenly appeared beside Ichiro's desk and slammed both hands down on the surface, eyes burning behind his glasses with the rage of a thousand suns.
"Start. Dating," Jyuto seethed, his voice low and dangerous. "And get the fuck over this sickening honeymoon phase of yours already."
Samatoki was the first to recover from surprise, bristling and snarling a belligerent 'hah?' up at Jyuto's face. "Or what, President Asshole?"
"Or die."
Ichiro came back to his senses then, too. Enough to catch himself just before a laugh broke past his lips. He did still let out a snort, which got Jyuto glaring at him instead.
"Sorry," Ichiro said, with a wholly unapologetic smile. "It's just, um… Samatoki and I are dating. Have been since summer break."
They weren't actively trying to hide their relationship, but they hadn't outright told anyone except their families either. Ichiro had sort of figured it would just be obvious, from the way they acted.
But Jyuto reeled back and blinked, like he really hadn't known. Later, he would give Ichiro one hell of an earful about how their dating behavior was literally identical to their just-friends behavior.
For now, he could only sputter, "Then… this honeymoon phase…"
Ichiro ducked his head, his smile turning a bit sheepish. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Samatoki settling back in his borrowed seat with a smug grin on his own lips.
It was pretty clear to them both that this was no phase.
"I think we're just like this," Ichiro said, managing to sound at least a smidge apologetic this time, but also a lot proud.
Jyuto gave him a look of abject disbelief, then horror, then exasperation, before throwing his hands up in the air and turning on his heel to get back to his own desk, where he was having a definitely-also-flirty-not-that-he-would-ever-admit-it lunch with Rio.
"Hopeless," Jyuto muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Ichiro and Samatoki to hear. "Utterly hopeless."
The student council proposed a PDA-ban the very next day.