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By the time lunch rolled around, Nene had already settled into her desk. The classroom had grown unpleasantly noisy with the familiar sounds of chairs scraping against the floor, she just hoped they'd get out of the class faster.
Nene had just picked up her chopsticks when a distinctly familiar series of hurried footsteps approached from the hallway.
She didn't even need to look toward the door.
The classroom door slid open with considerably more enthusiasm than necessary, and Emu appeared on the other side with her lunchbox clutched in both hands.
Her eyes immediately swept across the classroom until they landed on Nene, and her whole face lit up as she hurried over—so energized you probably wouldn't have been able to tell she ran across the city all the way from Miyajou.
"Nene-chan!!" Emu greeted brightly as she set her lunchbox down on Nene's desk (which Nene had left half the table freed up for) and leaned over the back of the chair. "I came to eat lunch with you!"
Nene paused with her chopsticks halfway to her mouth before looking at her girlfriend. The smallest smile appeared on her face as she shifted her own lunchbox slightly to make more room.
"I figured you would," Nene admitted as she gestured toward the empty seat. "You always come running in here the moment lunch starts."
Emu immediately pulled a nearby chair over and sat down, swinging her legs beneath the desk with barely contained excitement. "Because lunch with Nene-chan is the best lunch!"
Nene's cheeks warmed faintly at the unabashed declaration, and she lowered her gaze to her food as she picked up a piece of tamagoyaki. "You say that every time."
"Because it's true every time," Emu replied without hesitation as she opened her lunchbox and proudly displayed its contents. "Look! My Onee-chan packed my favorite things today!"
Nene leaned closer to inspect it, her expression becoming more interested as she spotted several familiar foods arranged inside. "Oh, those little sausages again?"
Emu nodded enthusiastically while spearing one with her chopsticks. "Mhm! They're shaped like octopuses☆"
She looked at the tiny sausage. "They're cute."
"They are!" Emu agreed as she held the chopsticks up a little more so Nene could see it better. "Look at its little legs!"
Nene laughed softly as she leaned back. "You're really easy to entertain."
"That's a good thing!" the younger insisted as she popped the sausage into her mouth. After chewing, she pointed her chopsticks toward Nene's lunchbox. "What did you bring, Nene-chan?"
Nene glanced down at her own food before nudging the container slightly closer to Emu. "Nothing particularly interesting. Rice, vegetables, some chicken, and tamagoyaki."
Emu's eyes immediately focused on the tamagoyaki.
"Can I have some?" she asked.
Nene stared at her for a moment, then quietly picked up a piece with her chopsticks and held it out.
"Here," she said as she extended it toward Emu.
Emu's face brightened as she leaned forward and accepted it, chewing happily before giving an approving little hum. "Mmm! Nene-chan's lunch is delicious!"
Nene smiled into her own lunch. "It's the same omelet as usual..."
"Then I like it every time."
"You're just saying that,"
"I am not!" Emu protested as she shook her head so vigorously that her hair bounced. "I remember everything I eat with Nene-chan!"
Nene's expression softened.
That was probably one of the things she liked most about Emu. She could be impossibly energetic, easily distracted, and prone to turning an ordinary hallway into a racetrack, but when it came to the people she cared about, Emu remembered the smallest things.
Nene had gotten used to having someone eagerly ask about her day, remember what game she'd been playing, notice when she was tired, and insist that she come along for something fun even when Nene had initially intended to stay home.
It was nice.
More than nice, actually.
Nene quietly took another bite of her lunch while Emu continued enthusiastically describing the shapes her sister had made with the food in her lunchbox.
She listened with an amused smile, occasionally asking a question or pointing out something particularly cute. There was no need for her to pretend she was annoyed by the constant company. She genuinely enjoyed having Emu sitting beside her.
After a while, Emu rested her cheek against one hand while picking at her rice with the other. Her gaze drifted toward Nene's lunchbox, then toward the window, before returning to Nene.
"Nene-chan," she said as she tilted her head curiously, "What did you do this morning?"
Nene swallowed before answering, setting her chopsticks down for a moment. "Nothing special. I finished some homework before school, then played a little on my phone before class started."
Emu's eyes immediately widened with interest as she leaned forward. "What were you playing?"
Nene's expression changed instantly.
"That new RPG I told you about," she explained as she picked her chopsticks back up. "I finally got past that boss I was stuck on."
Emu gasped so dramatically that a couple of nearby students glanced over.
"You did it?!" she exclaimed as she grabbed Nene's sleeve excitedly.
Nene laughed as she gently freed her arm. "Yes. After about three hours of trying yesterday."
"Three hours?!"
"Mhm."
"You fought the boss for three whole hours?!"
Nene nodded while taking another bite. "I changed my party composition. The problem was that I was trying to brute-force it instead of using the mechanics properly, since all the mechanic descriptions were so long and complicated... I spent this morning reading it and somehow beat it first try."
Emu stared at her with genuine admiration.
"Nene-chan is so smart," she said as she clasped her hands against her chest.
Nene's face warmed again. "It's just a game."
"It's still impressive!"
Nene couldn't help smiling. "Thanks."
Emu beamed before suddenly leaning closer. "Can I watch you play it later?"
"Sure," Nene replied as she considered it. "If you want."
"I do!"
"You'll probably get bored."
"I won't!"
"You'll ask me what every button does."
"Hehe... I might. But then I can play with Nene-chan!"
There wasn't a multiplayer mode... yet.
She should probably check if 1) there was a co-op gamemode and 2) when she could unlock it.
"Mm, okay then," she settled on replying.
Emu immediately brightened as though she'd just been given a grand prize. "Yay!"
She reached across the desk and gently squeezed Nene's hand, her thumb brushing over her knuckles for a moment before she returned to her lunch.
Nene looked down at their hands, then at Emu. "You really like doing things together, don't you?" she asked as she rested her free hand beside her lunchbox.
Emu nodded without hesitation. "Mhm. Everything's more fun when Nene-chan is there!"
"Even eating lunch?"
"Especially eating lunch!"
Nene let out a quiet laugh as she shook her head. "You're strange, Emu." Not in a bad way.
Emu smiled at her over the top of her lunchbox. "But you like me anyway."
The greyish-green haired girl paused, then reached over and lightly poked Emu's cheek with one finger. "Unfortunately," she teased as she watched Emu puff her cheeks out in exaggerated offense, "I do."
Emu immediately giggled, and Nene found herself smiling along with her.
The conversation wandered naturally from schoolwork to shows, then from shows to the latest strange thing Emu had seen on her way to school.
Emu acted everything out with her hands, nearly dropping her chopsticks twice in the process, while Nene listened and occasionally laughed when the story became particularly ridiculous.
Every so often, Nene would offer her a bite of something from her lunch, and Emu would reciprocate with something from hers.
By the time they were both nearing the end of their meals, the classroom was starting to fill up again with students coming back to class.
Emu carefully closed her lunchbox and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand before looking toward Nene again.
"Nene-chan," she said as she rested her chin on her hands, "I'll see you later, with Tsukasa-kun and Rui-kun too!!"
Nene finished putting the lid back onto her own lunchbox before looking over.
Emu made ordinary days feel less monotonous. She liked hearing about Emu's live, her likes, the latest thing she had become excited about. She liked the way Emu always seemed genuinely happy just to see her.
"Yeah... I'll see you later."
And with that, Emu ran off back to her school.
...Unbelievable, that girl is really unbelievable.