Fourth period ended, ushering in lunch break.
The class quickly turned noisy, a male classmate walking up to Rio’s male seatmate.
“Let’s grab a bite and then we can... the thing.”
“Dude, quiet, she’ll hear.”
“Ugh, don’t tell on us, girlfriend!”
Rio paid their cackles no heed. She cleared out her desk, took out her phone and booted up Line. In response to her DM of “how about lunch tomorrow?” Yui wrote “okey dokey! I’ll come meet you this time.”
Rio put the phone away with a smile on her face. She got up from her seat, her eyes meeting with her seatmate’s as she reached for her bag. “What?” The two shot her cautious looks, a deck of mahjong cards clutched in the hands of the non seatmate. “Are those…” Just as Rio opened her mouth, she saw Yui out of the corner of her eye, waving in the hallway.
Rio turned toward her, waving back with a smile. She herself was shocked at how naturally it came; there was no more awkward stiffness.
Rio returned her gaze, only to find the two gawking at her, frozen like stone statues. She giggled at the sight, asking, “Yes?”
“Err, uhh…”
They averted their gazes, mumbling incoherently.
“Don’t let the teacher catch you with that or they’ll confiscate it.” Rio said, pointing at the guy with the card deck.
She then promptly took out her lunch bag and went out into the hall to meet up with Yui.
“You could’ve come in, you know.”
“Was too busy listening in on your conversation, sorry.”
“Weirdo.”
“I have to say, you really broke those guys down, eh? Seatmate breaker.” Yui joked, patting Rio on the shoulder.
The seatmate breaker, huh? Yuuki’s face flashed before her eyes. Yui’s the seatmate killer and I’m the seatmate breaker. Has a surprisingly nice ring to it. She thought, a smile stretching across her face.
They then went down to the first floor, stopping by a vending machine on the way.
Rio inserted a few coins, punched in her beverage of choice near instantly and took it out.
“Eww, you’re seriously going to drink that?” Yui said, pointing at it with a sour look on her face.
“Ew? It’s delicious. Yuuki said he likes it too.”
“H-He did? When?”
“Uh, good question.”
The two conversed as they went outside, heading down the same path Rio had walked countless times alone. Her once heavy, cumbersome steps were now light, springy.
The two engaged in leisurely chatter as they arrived at the secret spot.
Today was Yui’s second time there. She was shocked the first time but this time she sat down on the concrete protrusion like she owned the place.
Rio sat down beside her. They then took out their bentos, placing them onto their laps.
Yui immediately took a peek at Rio’s. “Trade you for a piece of fried chicken.”
“Tamagoyaki, please.”
The two merrily exchanged grub.
As they were about to dig in, footsteps followed by a figure appearing before them. It was Yuuki, a bag hanging from his hand.
“Huh? Why are you here?”
“I invited him.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?!”
Yui exclaimed as Yuuki awkwardly scratched his head. He didn’t know Yui would be here either; it was all Rio’s idea.
“Come sit here Yuuki. Have some pity for her.”
“Next to the seatmate killer? I’d rather…”
“Hmm? You’d rather what?”
“I’m the seatmate killer, after all.”
Yui lied not to trick Rio, not even to save her own skin; she was just a terrible, terrible liar. Yui likely self-sabotaged like this many times before.
Her affection for Yuuki was painfully obvious by now, especially to someone seeing it from the side. Which is why Rio wanted to just scream “no, you’re not!” She wanted to convey Yui’s true, lie-free feelings to Yuuki.
But, at the same time, she didn’t want to waste Yui’s sacrifice either. Rio was, after all, a loser, a loser who fell head over heels for the seatmate killer. All she could do was wait, praying for the next challenger to succeed.
“Turn the tables on her... the seatmate killer.”
Rio whispered to Yuuki, sitting beside her, only to get a confused look. She quickly smiled and, after being caught by surprise for a moment, so did he.
“Wh-What did you just tell him, Rio?! You’re up to no good! I can feel it!”
“Don’t speak with your mouth full.”
“Stay, out, of, this!”
Rio’s quiet spot had turned into a lively battlefield.
How long their battle would last, how it would end: all remained a mystery. For now, all Rio wanted was to patiently watch the two’s awkward journey.