Yui got home much later than usual that day. She tossed her bag off at her room and, without even taking the time to change, tiptoed over to Maki’s.
Yui slowly reached for the door knob, ready to get some much needed payback, only for it to turn as the door abruptly swung open.
“Eek.”
“What exactly are we up to here?” Maki poked her head out.
“Here.” Yui timidly held her glasses out. “Don’t need these anymore.”
“That was quick. Not that I expected it to go any different.”
Why didn’t you stop me then? Moron. She thought about saying, only to realize it’d mean admitting defeat. Actually, now that I think about it, what’s wrong with me? Putting on glasses to look smart... Even a grade schooler would’ve dropped the idea in five minutes.
“It’s kinda like an enchanter dabbling in conjuration. I guess you could say I wasted memory slots.”
“An awfully fancy way of admitting defeat.”
“That’s when it hit me. Fighting the enemy on their turf is the height of stupidity, so why don’t I double down on my strengths instead?”
After some intense introspection on the way back home, Yui rediscovered her true forte. Taking all my war records into consideration, the answer is clear.
“What’s the one skill a woman can’t go without?” Yui asked, pretending to stir.
“Mimery?”
“Good one.”
It was, of course, cooking and where does that road lead? Bento.
“It all inevitably comes full circle; the starting point is the highest point.”
“Realized that’s all you have going for you, huh?”
“That’s it! No more bento for you!” Yui turned toward the door, scurrying back to her room.
Maki ran after her, latching onto her arm. “Wait, don’t go! I know all your good areas!”
“Such as?” Maki didn’t answer, instead quietly lifting her hand from below. Yui immediately snatched her wrist. “Let me guess, my ass?”
“Yes but I wouldn’t use that word. Too dirty.”
Yui knew Maki’s tricks like the back of her hand.
I don’t have time for this. After shooing her away, Yui wondered what to put in the bento as she returned to her room. Forte. Cooking. Bento. Butt. Ass. Bass? Huh.
✦ ✦ ✦
Yui just barely made it to school in time the following morning.
Yuuki heard the chair to his side scraping against the floor, so he glanced over and noticed a striking lack of glasses. He gave her a quiet stare. Yui, however, just sat there looking pretty, as if confused by his gaze.
“Where are your glasses?”
“I slept my bad eyesight off.”
That’s some serious self-regeneration.
Sensing zero hint of sarcasm in her voice, Yuuki decided not to delve any further. Besides, he had studying to do.
He had barely made any progress back home; it was hard to focus with Mina around.
As Yuuki prepared to make up for lost time, Yui abruptly extended her hand, placing a box-shaped object wrapped in floral fabric onto his desk.
“Hmm? Is that... some kind of explosive?”
“It’s a bento. I’m giving it to you.”
“What? Why?”
“It’s, erm, my way of saying sorry for yesterday, you know?”
“I don’t.”
“It’s a, uhh, whatchamacallit, thank you gift, yes, ‘thank you for the stone’ gift!”
The reasoning felt a tad forced.
Yuuki didn’t really know what to make of it but he took the bento anyway, deciding not to look a gift horse in the mouth.
As he stuffed it into his bag, Yui leaned over and whispered, “I put in bass.”
“And?”
“Silly Yuuki, I know how much you love bass.”
Yuuki had no idea what she was going on about, so he just ignored her.
In any case, she seems awfully relaxed. Are her studies coming along that well?