Work Text:
It was a Saturday, yet Sakura woke up just as early as he did everyday. Too much of a habit, he complained to himself, but he still went through his morning routine. Unfortunately, morning calls to his boyfriend didn't quite make the cut, mostly because Kaji wasn't a morning person, especially on weekends. He'd answer grumpily, sometimes even falling asleep during the call, so Sakura decided to give up on. Even though he wanted to talk to him so badly right now…it'd have to wait for later.
To empty his head, he went on his regular stroll. Taking the time to go through the shopping street, where most shops were yet to open since it was so early. He could bother Kotoha, but he knew she was supposed to do an inventory check every Saturday, so she opened late as well. Besides, he had a craving for curry bread – though he would always want one, frankly – which was perfect. Saboten, as a bakery, was open from 5am.
He entered the shop and looked around. Completely empty, just as he'd anticipated. “Hello?” He said out loud, finally attracting the attention of the owners. It was only the old lady, slightly surprising since he was used to being greeted by the old man.
“Sakura-kun!” She beckoned him and he got the gist of the situation without her needing to ask. “You came just at the right time!”
“Did something happen? Do you need help?” He took big strides until he stood by her side, next to the door leading to the employee-only area. Not an exciting room, by the way, he was there plenty of times and it was a simple kitchen. He thought he'd be awed by it, because it was the place that created one of his favorite snacks, but there was nothing impressive about what looked like a small kitchen. Though, there was this huge machine whose purpose was unclear, but it was huge, so by default it was more interesting.
“We got a delivery yesterday and when my husband tried to move the boxes, he pulled his back…”
“What?!” Sakura was alarmed. “Is he okay?!”
“Yes, yes. We went to the ER yesterday and now he's getting a good rest in bed, but I still need to move the boxes.” She appeared troubled.
What the heck! Sakura grumbled. He was genuinely worried there for a moment. If it was about some stupid boxes, then it was no big deal. “Okay, just show me, I'll move them for you.” At least she asked for help, there were a few stubborn people here who didn't. He remembered his first day when Hiragi explicitly told him to always be on the lookout for the older folks, back then he thought that was a hassle but now he knew better.
She led him through the door to the hallway. He could see four big boxes waiting by the door outside, where the unloading area was, and he wanted to sigh. There, a glowing example of a stubborn old man. The storage room wasn't too far and this was something that Sakura could do in less then ten minutes, but then another thought hit him. He imagined the old lady bending down to get items from the boxes and stock them on the shelves. What if she pulled her back as well? “I can put everything on the shelves too.”
“Oh, but that's…” She started, but he immediately interrupted her.
“You need to tend to the shop.” He pointed out. “And by the time you're free, you'd be too tired to do this shit.” Wow, look at him having a great excuse and being so convincing! He was never a smart person, but he guessed that hanging out with smart people meant he leveled up a bit.
“That's true…” Her troubled face turned into a bright smile. “Thank you, Sakura-kun, you really are such a sweet child, you know that?”
First of all, no! Sakura wasn't sweet nor a child! Second of all…oh, there was no second of all, he was just too embarrassed to think coherently, so he scurried away and started working on unboxing the items.
It was a mundane job, but it was better than painting over graffitis. At the very least, there was AC on here and it wasn't extremely mindless – he still had to make sure he was stocking the shelves correctly. After the first box, he could roughly tell where everything went, so the rest went smoothly. After half an hour, he was done. The job was more physical than he figured it'd be, making him sweat without realizing. He pulled his shirt up and wiped the sweat off his face. He should probably ditch the rest of the stroll and go back to get a shower.
“You're okay, sweetie?” The old lady popped her head into the storage. “You're already done? Oh my, you’re so quick! Perhaps we should hire you!”
That was the first time someone ever jokingly said that to Sakura. He thought that such sentences could only be heard in fictional stories, but he guessed not. He knew his face turned even redder, but he was blushing from the hard work anyway, so screw that.
“Don't say it like this. I'll help you even without payment.” Taking a page out of his seniors’ book, he stammered the most embarrassing thing he'd ever said to date. Good thing no one was around to hear that.
“No payment at all?” She squinted at him with her kind smile.
“W-well, one or two curry breads would be nice…”
“Absolutely right. Did you eat breakfast today? Ah, I guessed not. Silly me! I should've asked it earlier. Come on, let's get you something.”
Sakura followed her to the kitchen. He figured that something meant bread from the store, but the old lady pulled a rice cooker from the cupboard, which got him excited.
“Could you take care of the store in the meanwhile?” She asked with an apologetic expression, but he nodded enthusiastically.
He was at the counter for only twenty minutes at best, during which no one entered the store, and after that he was called back to the kitchen. The meal took up the entire space on the table – so much! He drooled at the fragrance coming from it. Not to mention, it was a traditional Japanese breakfast, as well! Perhaps he got too used to Kotoha's omurice, but he had to admit that simple, white rice in the morning was the best. Shit was mediocre when cold, but when it was freshly steamed it was somehow amazing, how could that be?
And the fish as well. Ugh, he didn't know what kind of fish it was, but he shoved it into his mouth and savored its taste. Grilled fish was great in general, but the old lady's cooking method hit the mark with full points. Slightly charred on the outside with light seasoning, but it only served to enhance the fish’s taste. He gobbled it up quickly, alternating between it, the rice and the miso soup. There was no vegetable side dish on the table, thank goodness, but she brought out a small bowl of pickled vegetables which he totally enjoyed.
After Sakura was finished eating, he washed the dishes and placed them to dry off since he didn't know where to put them. He walked back to the store to see the old lady talking with another person, a man he didn't recognize, and nodded his head towards the stranger.
“Ah, is that your grandson?” The man asked and Sakura was floored. No way he mistook Sakura for the old lady's grandson.
“I wish.” She laughed. “My eldest grandson is still ten and all he cares about is playing the new trendy game. If he was as hardworking as Sakura-kun here, I wouldn't need to be so worried about his future.”
“Isn't it the case with us all?” The man smiled sheepishly. “Sometimes I wonder if my girl is going to be alright on her own, haa…”
She handed him the bag with his purchase and with that, he left the store. Sakura was still in a half-shocked and half-dazed state due to his earlier question.
“Did you enjoy the breakfast?”
“A-ah, yeah, it was…very tasty…”
“Really? That makes me so happy!” True to her words, her smile was too wide. “I know you usually eat your breakfasts at Pothos, but you're always welcome here too. It might be a bakery, but I don't mind whipping out a meal for you, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner.”
“That's a bit…you don't need to go that far…” The words wouldn't come out. He was feeling a slight wetness at his eyes’ corners, and goddamnit, he didn't mean to cry because someone was being nice!
“But I do, and that's because you're very dear to me, Sakura-kun.”
Sakura had to cover his left eye, otherwise the tears would start rolling. “Thanks…” His reply was quiet, an opposite to the storm of emotions he was feeling on the inside.
“I'm actually extremely grateful I could do this for you, you know why?” He shook his head, now moving his hand to his right eye to wipe the tears. “Do you know why eating together is so important?”
Oh…he knew why. Not something he could put into words, but he always felt warmth when he was surrounded by people during his mealtime. Moments that were pleasantly peaceful, when he didn't need to punch or kick hard to prove his worth. He was just existing in a space near his friends and was able to talk to them. Somehow, even the food tasted better. He nodded shyly at her question.
“Then you could easily figure out why cooking for someone else is even more important.”
“Huh?” Sakura's eyes widened up in wonder. Cooking was a pain in the ass – standing next to the stove while watching the food in the pan was on the same level as watching paint dry.
“Cooking for someone else – essentially feeding that person – means you're taking care of them.” The old lady continued, her gaze looking far in the distance, as if she recalled a happy memory. “My father used to work in construction when I was a child, he'd be out of the house before the sun even rose. My mother, however, would wake up even earlier, so she could pack a lunch for him. Times were tough back then, we didn't have much, but my mother always poured her soul into her packed meals. Because this was what gave my father the strength to go on with his day.” She stopped to chuckle. “I always thought it was romantic, wishing I could do the same for my husband, but I ended up marrying someone who can cook even better than me. What do you think, Sakura-kun?”
“That sounds…really sweet…”
“It is! Someday, you too will have someone you want to feed, or…perhaps you have someone in mind already?”
“N-no!” He did his best to deny it, but he was getting too flustered. The image of Kaji's face appeared in his head, as he imagined the kind of expression his boyfriend would make if he cooked for him.
“You ought to try it.” She winked at him. “I promise you it will be worth your time.”
•───────•°•❀•°•───────•
Those sentences echoed in Sakura's head for the rest of the day. He dared dozing off when Kotoha helped him with his homework, so she scolded him with an annoyed look. He was normally a person who avoided doing his homework, but it was clear his head was busy with other thoughts.
A packed meal, huh? Last week, Takanashi showed up with a homemade bento that his girlfriend prepared. He was teased by half of the guys, mostly because they were jealous (Sakura was also jealous, but because it looked delicious), but he waved off their comments. He was over the clouds and when Sakura asked, saying he really appreciated the effort she put into it. Apparently, Takanshi was usually the one making bentos for her, so having the roles reversed made him surprised and, more importantly, very touched.
If Kaji had the same reaction, Sakura would surely explode on the spot. Though his boyfriend was too straightforward, if Sakura messed it up, he probably would directly tell that he screwed up the food. That made him slightly hesitant, but he concluded it was a risk worth taking. Worst case scenario, he just…wouldn't bring the bento to school and Kaji would be none the wiser.
That being said, Sakura had practically nothing in his kitchen. If someone caught wind of it, they were bound to volunteer to help, but what was the point? He wanted to make it entirely on his own. Besides, he didn't trust anyone with a secret. Not out of malice, but goddamn it, he already saw some rumors catching on wildfire. He was the subject of one of them – when he told Nirei he didn't have cutlery or plates in his house, and the next day he was suddenly gifted three sets, like he’d need that amount. His apartment couldn't contain more than six people comfortably at best anyway! He didn't need thirty plates and bowls!
But he digressed. His main worry was that it somehow reached Kaji, thus eliminating the surprise element. Now, he trusted his friends – for the most part – but if it ruined his surprise, they weren't allowed to get involved. Still, that didn’t mean he could orchestrate the entire thing himself. He didn’t own a single pot and, up until a month ago, he didn’t own a fridge. To this day, he didn’t get a stove, despite the apartment supposedly having one before, so cooking was out of the question.
Unless… Sakura took a big breath, his hand grabbing the knob with a death grip before slightly loosening. He twisted the knob and opened the door, looking at the scenery as the door slowly opened. The creaking it made was painful to his ears, as though it informed the rooftop’s occupants of his arrival.
He spotted Umemiya squatting by his plants – watering them like he had nothing better to do. Fuck, he was getting anxious, could he really ask?
“Hmmm…” Umemiya was humming some stupid song. Sakura once heard him saying that singing helped the plants to grow up, which he actually believed for a second, until someone told him that was just a joke. Ugh, just the worst timing to remember it, that made his face get beet red.
Umemiya must’ve felt his presence somehow, because he turned around to face Sakura.
“Eh, did I call you up?”
“No…” Sakura gritted his teeth. He had to do it.
“So you came on your own? Wow, how rare!” Umemiya stood up. “I didn’t think this day would come so early – “
Spouting nonsense as usual. “Need your help.”
“Yes – eh?” Umemiya froze up and looked at Sakura with surprise. Though, he regained his wits too fast. “Ehhh? Need my help? Ehhhh, what should I do? Our prickly little brother is being so sincere, I was speechless for a moment!” Only then Sakura noticed Hiragi, who sat on the bench under the shade and pretended he wasn’t listening to either of them.
“J-just shut up for a second!” The words flew out of Sakura’s mouth before he could think about the right way to retaliate. He should’ve resorted to thievery from the beginning, God, why did he put himself in this shitty situation. “I just…need a small favor.”
“Sure thing, just say anything – “
“The portable stove. Hand it over.”
That was the moment Hiragi broke and let out a small snort. “Sounds like you’re robbing him, Sakura.”
This sentence coupled with Sakura’s earlier thoughts made him shudder. Was Hiragi, perhaps, a… mind reader?! “Is not like this!” He protested. “I just…need a stove!” But phrasing it that way would make them misunderstand. “Temporarily, just for a couple of days! So I figured I could borrow one from here…” He finished rather lamely.
“For what purposes?” Umemiya got way too close just for this question, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.
“Uh…” He rehearsed his words before arriving, but it didn’t help whatsoever! “For c-confidential reasons, I-I can’t disclose the details.”
“Damn, look at him being so cool and shit. Can’t really refuse when he’s like that, right, Umemiya?”
“Yeah, you’re completely right. Let me grab it from the classroom real quick.”
Another ten minutes of enormous anxiety, with Sakura waiting for Umemiya to return and Hiragi grinning at him. He just waited for the door to open so he’d be able to run back to his classroom.
“You can definitely tell me and I won’t tell Umemiya, you know.”
“Nuh uh, not happening.” Sakura flat out refused because that was dumb. Hiragi, while being highly trustworthy, was surrounded by chatty people. He wasn’t going to risk that – if Hiragi blurted out something by mistake, Sakura’s reputation was a goner. He wanted to at least ensure a successful bento before he let his reputation dissolve into nothingness. Because, knowing himself, cooking anything edible will take a while.
The door burst open with force, Umemiya showing up behind it with the portable stove. “There it is!” He announced, like it was an exciting event.
“Okay…t-th…” Why was it so hard to say?! “I’ll be careful with it, so…uh…thanks…!” He snatched the stove from Umemiya’s hands and bolted away.
•───────•°•❀•°•───────•
Having a portable stove solved about only half of his problems, because he still needed a pot. As with all problems he had, he could usually find the solution with the help of Kotoha.
“Why do you need a pot?” She looked at him with suspicion.
“For…reasons!” Her gaze felt scrutinizing and it was difficult to make up an excuse.
“Ume also told me you took the portable stove – “
“ – Lent it, I didn’t…I didn’t take it!”
“Are you, perhaps, finally taking up to cooking?” Oh no, now she was excited. “That one omurice you made was actually pretty good, so you can definitely do it if you try! Not to mention, it would be healthier than eating ready-made meals from the convenience store all the time.”
“Hold on! You’re gettin’ it wrong!” He stopped her rambling with exasperation. “I’m not doing that, I took the portable stove temporarily! So…yeah, I’m going to cook something, but it’s…a one time thing!”
She tilted her head, rubbing her chin. “Ah, you’re making something for your boyfriend?”
“What!” How did she know?! He was busted so easily?! “...how…”
“Just had a feeling. Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. Though, I could help you out – ”
“No! I want to do it by myself!” Sakura replied stubbornly. He was aware of how good Kotoha’s cooking was, so relying on her might upgrade his bento, but that felt like cheating. Though, on second thought… “Ah, but could you…maybe…write down what a bento is supposed to have in it…” He mumbled shyly. He figured out he could somehow check it, but using Kotoha’s expertise in that case wouldn’t be counted as cheating, right?
“Of course. I’ll give you a few simple recipes as well.” She smiled at him.
With that, he returned home, holding the pot tucked under one arm and carrying a bag with supplies with the other. That made some of the residents raise an eyebrow, so he hurried, to make sure no one would have a chance to ask questions, and got to his apartment in record time. In the corner of his room, the portable stove waited for him.
Kotoha sent him off with a package of mini sausages, claiming it was the easiest thing to make – you just need to boil them! – a small bag of rice, oil and some seasonings. Unfortunately, he didn't have a rice cooker, something that would shorten the entire process, but Kotoha forwarded him a few links on cooking rice on a stove top.
“I can do it!” He told himself with a huff, attempting to instill some sort of confidence. First, he'd try to boil the mini sausages. He dropped the entire package into the pot and filled it with enough water to cover the sausages.
“Looks like they're drowning.” He mumbled as he turned on the stove. He was supposed to wait for ten minutes, which is why he hated cooking. So fucking boring. He knew he wasn't supposed to take the lid off, but he was so tempted…
Instead, he scrolled through his phone, answering some messages in the meanwhile. He wasn't sure the sausages were actually ready when the ten minutes passed, meaning he had to confirm by checking.
“Yummy!” He stuffed his mouth, so good!
Ah, but he wasn't supposed to eat them just like that! Kotohas showed him these cute octopus sausages which he could do by simply cutting them on one side. He took a knife and with a shaky hand, he tested on the first mini sausages. Apparently, he was more skillful with a knife than he knew because the cuts were neat and straight, it turned out just like the pictures!
Emboldened by this success, and his belly full of sausages, he decided he wanted to try his hand at cooking rice next. This one was tricker, he had to fry the rice in the oil for a few minutes first and then put some water and cover it with the lid. He was anxious because he felt like he was close to messing it up, seeing how got distracted at some point and almost forgot to turn off the stove. So yeah, the rice turned out crispy at the bottom of the pot, sue him, it didn't mean it was any less tasty!
He almost forgot the whole point of this was to make a bento for Kaji because, truly, he was enjoying the hot food. It might be sausages and rice, but damn that was tasty. But he had to plan ahead. He wanted to fry some meat, probably chicken since it was the cheapest, and he knew it was usually served with some fresh green vegetables. He had no problems buying the meat, but Sakura Haruka being seen buying vegetables? Over his dead body. He had another idea for that, one that required cooperation from the least cooperative person in his class. He just had to cross his fingers and hope for the best.
•───────•°•❀•°•───────•
“I just need a little bit of – “ He was cut short by a growling noise and a stern look from Sugishita.
That was his best bet, since mentioning anything related to vegetables next to Umemiya would turn into a long and boring lecture. Sugishita, as insufferable as he was, at least didn't ramble about the stupidest shit ever.
“But…”
“No.” Damn, that was immediate. He needed to convince him, and do that fast because Umemiya would surely arrive at any moment.
“Please, I'm literally begging here!”
“No, these are Umemiya-san's vegetables, you can't have them!” Uh oh, Sugishita was starting to get pissy.
“Just a little bit, I'm sure Umemiya wouldn't even – “
“SAN!”
“Okay, okay, Umemiya- san wouldn't notice, fine?!” Sugishita stared at him with shock. A very hilarious expression to see on his face, but Sakura was getting impatient. “So what are you saying?”
“You said it…”
“Yeah, I sure did. Why, you want a repeat? Umemiya- san, there you go.”
Sugishita looked conflicted, but quickly changed his stance. He nodded in agreement. “A little bit…should be fine, I guess…”
That…worked out?! Sakura was hopeful, but when facing these results he couldn’t help but be surprised.
“But not now, I'll bring it later.”
“Sure, t-thanks…”
Sugishita turned his back, returning to happily watering the plants, and Sakura took it as a cue to leave him on his own. He went back to class, with a stupid smile on his face that he couldn't contain. Things went smoother than expected, how could he not be so happy?
He stumbled upon Nirei in the hallway leading to their class. He was holding his bento box, which reminded Sakura of the most crucial part in his plan – the fucking box! He didn't own one!
“Nirei!” Sakura grabbed him by his collar.
“W-what?! Uh, Sakura-san, you scared me!”
“Oh, sorry.” He let go of Nirei's shirt. “I need your help.”
“What? You need my help…? Uh, sure! Whatever you need!” Nirei’s eyes were sparkling.
But Sakura couldn’t exactly say it in a hallway surrounded by curious students. “Let’s meet after school.” He also needed to account for the time for getting the vegetables from Sugishita. “Ah, wait for me by the gate? It might take a while?”
“Of course!” Nirei beamed in a response. “I’ll do my best!”
The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. Sakura dozed off in most of his classes, only waking up for the last period. After the bell rang, his eyes met Sugishita’s eyes, and with a nod, they both stood up and walked to the rooftop.
Sugishita pulled a cute, pink paper bag that was far too colorful for someone like him, but Sakura wasn’t here to judge. Maybe it was Umemiya’s, actually? Could be funny. When he reached out to take it from Sugishita, the latter held out the bag.
“Don’t tell anyone.”
Fuck this. “Yes, I didn’t plan to!” It would be helpful if that bag was at least more inconspicuous!
“Swear it.” Sugishita still refused to hand out the bag, just like him to be overly petty.
“I swear, for fuck’s sake!”
Only then Sugishita was willing to part with the bag. Sakura mentally prepared himself to make a dash down, but his rotten luck stopped him when he was almost at the entrance. Of fucking course Kaji had to be there chatting with Enomoto.
“Sakura.” He said once he noticed Sakura, extending his hand and grabbing Sakura by his waist to pull him closer. “What you got there?” Anyone would be curious if they happened to see Sakura walking around with such a cutesy paper bag.
“Something for a project.” He wasn’t technically lying, yet his face still heated up.
“What sort of project?” Fuck, why was he so insistent on knowing today? And when did his face get so close? Kissing in public…was prohibited! Sakura used the paper bag as a way to block him, which made it easier to release himself from Kaji’s hold.
“I’m actually busy now, got plans with Nirei, so I gotta go.” He blurted out in one breath.
“Hey…” Kaji frowned. “What plans? Why are you getting so secretive?”
Ahhh, he’s impossible! Sakura didn’t want to resort to it, especially not in front of Enomoto, but he had to use that. He quickly leaned toward Kaji and placed a kiss on his cheek. That acquired his goal of rendering Kaji speechless, with the slightly annoying addition of seeing Enomoto snorting, but it worked and he could go on his way.
Nirei, as expected, waited by the gate. He was a bit confused over Sakura’s beet red face and his need to hurry.
“We leave. Now.”
He dragged Nirei all the way to the shopping street, looking right and left before he dared to open his mouth. “I need a bento box.” He whispered. It would be fine if he told Nirei, as he would execute his plan tomorrow.
“Huh, so that explains the portable stove and the pot, hmm…”
“Wait, how did you…nevermind, I probably don't want to know that. Just…help me find a good bento box, please…” Sakura was completely clueless, so he placed his trust in Nirei and let him lead the way to a store somewhere near the shopping district.
“It was reopened recently, I'm sure we can find just the right bento box there.” Nirei enthusiastically said, going on about unimportant details.
“Does it matter so much?” Sakura had to wonder if it really mattered. Wouldn’t any box do, in that case?
“No, no, you don't get it!” Nirei waved his hands dramatically. “You put so much effort into the food, you can't just put it in a plain box!”
Again…how the fuck did he know that?! Sakura was starting to doubt his sanity, but was spared of it when Nirei excitedly pulled him into the store. There was actually an entire section full of bento boxes of all kinds. Traditional and plastic, small and big, it had everything, Sakura was overwhelmed by the variety.
“Maybe this one?” Nirei picked one, then returned it to the shelf and picked another one. Sakura, still dazed, had a hard time focusing on one box out of all of them, until he saw The One. A regular size, which was just what he needed, in a simple white color, only that…it had a pink lotus pattern on the lid!
“Sakura-san?” Nirei peered over his shoulder. “Oh, that's…perfect! You should totally get it, ah, you also need a wrapping cloth. We can look for one in pink so it matches the pattern. Here, i think we can find some there – “
Sakura didn’t plan to spend so much money at that store, not when he had to buy the meat later as well, but this was too cute to resist.
•───────•°•❀•°•───────•
His bento box was finally ready. After the test run with the rice, Sakura was able to make rice that wasn't burned, thankfully – because it took forever to clean the pot after that, and his mini sausages turned even better. Frying the chicken wasn't particularly hard, he had some experience after grilling his own meat at some restaurant. It was a bit different on a stove, but not by much. He wasn't sure how to lay the vegetables he got from Sugishita, so he put it under the chicken and hoped it was fine. He even remembered to pour over a sauce he found in his fridge.
All in all, it looked normal! He managed to tie it nicely with the wrapping cloth and put it inside his bag, for later. First, he had to walk to school, which he was already nervous about. He barely noticed anyone around him, not paying attention to the people trying to talk to him. His imagination was working overtime, creating various scenarios of Kaji’s reaction to his box. Ah, when should he give it? Lunch surely would be the best, right? Alright, he just had to survive until lunch!
Always easier said than done. He was an absolute mess, with everything the teacher said going in one ear and exiting through the other.
Just a little more! He thought, just hang on for a little more!
And…here it was! The bell rang! He immediately rose from his chair, taking out the bento box from his bag and practically running to 2-1. He had to get there as early as he could, in case Kaji decided to take a stroll or something. He normally didn't do that, but fuck, Sakura was too anxious to think clearly. He opened the door to 2-1 with a slam and thankfully spotted Kaji in his seat.
“Huh?” Kaji opened his mouth and looked like he was about to stand up and greet him, but stopped as Sakura quickly made his way towards his desk. He was holding the box behind his back, but once he stood next to Kaji, he placed it on the table. There was some hollering and whistling from the second year students, but Sakura couldn't hear any of that. He only heard the sound of his loud heartbeats and he could no longer do that. He did what he was set on doing, so it was time to peace out.
“Wait…Sakura…!” Kaji shouted after him, but Sakura was fast on his feet. He had no particular destination in mind, he only needed a quiet place where he could cool off. Somehow, he found himself behind the school building, in the small corner that Kaji showed him earlier this year. And, somehow, Kaji was there too, arriving at the spot before him.
“That's…what's the meaning of this…?” He was holding the box by the knot of the wrapping cloth, like it was some sort of an alien object, and his face was unusually flushed. A surprising treat for Sakura, if he wasn't on the verge of dying from overheating himself.
“I…made you a bento…” He shrugged, trying to play it off cool.
“You…made me a bento…” Kaji repeated his words, almost like it was an unbelievable feat.
“Yes…I…made you a bento! So…eat it!” Sakura replied.
“Huh.” Kaji changed his hands’ position so he'd hold the box more carefully. “And you made everything on your own?”
“Y-yes! That's exactly what I'm saying!”
Kaji slowly sat down and untied the knot. “You really put a lot of thought into it…” He said as he stared at the patterned lid.
“Hnn…” Sakura had no way to answer that, so he let out an embarrassed noise and sat next to Kaji. He put the content of it together just a few hours ago, so he had no idea why he held out his breath as he watched Kaji taking off the lid. It was all inside, just as he put it earlier, and even the walk to school didn't mess it up in the slightest.
“Wow, it looks…” Sakura crossed his fingers for edible at the very least. “Really good…”
Yes!
“What about the chopsticks, though?”
Ah, fuck!
“Pfft…” Kaji laughed. “You big doofus. I knew you'd forget them. Good thing I brought my own.”
“Hey, I made you lunch!” Sakura said half-heartedly. He was more interested in one of those sausages, damn things could be really tasty…
“Alright, let's try it out…” When Kaji moved his head to put aside the wrapping cloth and the lid, Sakura snatched one of the sausages and swallowed it in one bite.
Kaji took one bite out of everything, his expression staying as soft as it was, making Sakura’s heart swell with warmth. That besides the nagging feeling of hunger because he forgot to get his own lunch, and he totally wasn’t eyeing the bento he made!
However, Kaji could easily see through him. “You can eat the rest.” He offered Sakura the box.
Under other circumstances, Sakura would’ve asked if he was sure, but he was too hungry to even consider it. He simply ate his bento and he enjoyed it as well.
“Ahh, sorry.” He eventually said when guilt sank in. He wasn’t supposed to do that…
“It’s fine.” Kaji placed his hand around Sakura’s shoulder and pulled him closer. “You just need to remember to make more next time.”
“Oh, hell no. I’m not making any more food anytime soon! You have no idea what I had to do for this box to exist.” He complained.
“C’mon, surely it wasn’t that bad.” Kaji was skeptical, but he didn’t know that Sakura went through an entire journey to get this done. He also refused to be respectful towards Umemiya again just for some veggies that neither of them ate.
“How about you make one, then?”
“Well, I don’t mind, if you make one the next time.”
“Fine! I can definitely do that!” Maybe he should’ve taken on that offer from Kotoha to get a permanent stovetop. Knowing her, the offer was probably still on the table. He puffed his chest as he decisively nodded. “Yeah, we can take turns.”
“Sounds like a deal to me.” Kaji kissed his forehead. Later on, he would blame it all on the ticklish kiss, because there was no way he agreed to cook so much on his own volition…