*RING RING RING*
The school bell rings, signalling recess time. The teacher left, and I put my lunchbox in my desk.
“Oi, Mari-chan! You’re gonna have lunch ahead of all of us?”
A boy wearing our school uniform with black spiky short hair, named Minamoto Ryuji, is approaching my seat, carrying his own and places them next to mine. He is 167cm tall and weighs around 65kg. He is thin but slightly muscular.
“M-Minamoto-san?! You misunderstand! I was sensing my enemy's presence, so I immediately pulled out my supplement to replenish my energy before I confronted them!”
*THUD*
And then someone else also carried their seats and placed them next to me.
A girl wearing our school uniform with long, dark brown hair that reaches her back, named Asakusa Sakura. She is 166cm and weighs around 52kg. Her bust size is C-cup.
“Yeah, alright, alright! You must be pretty hungry, huh, Mari-chan?”
Mari pouts her mouth and nods in embarrassment.
And then three other students joined us, carrying their seats and placing them in front of us.
“Ey! Don’t leave me please!”
A boy wearing the male student uniform with gray crew cut hair, wearing a black frame glasses, named Akita Nobisuke. He is 170cm tall and weighs around 70kg. He is thin and also slightly muscular.
“Yeah! Today, my lunch feels luxurious!! Hehehe!”
Next to him is a girl wearing the same uniform with dark green short wavy hair that reaches her shoulders, named Miyaji Honda. She is 167cm and weighs around 49kg. Her bust size is B-cup.
“Eh? Really? Please share with me! I’ll share mine too! Let’s trade!”
Next to her is another girl also wearing the same uniform with long, straight, dark red hair that reaches her upper back. She also has two small twin tails on the top side of her hair on both sides. Her name is Kageyama Sumire, she is 169cm, and weighs around 53kg. Her bust size is D-cup.
Then there’s another student who placed their desk to our left.
“Hey! How about we trade one vegetable or meat with the person on our right so we can brighten our food a lot more?”
A boy wearing the same school uniform with buzz cut hair, named Aota Hibiki. He is 163cm tall and weighs around 46kg. He is the smallest guy in our group.
And finally, my last friend in the group placed her desk on our right side.
“Great idea!! Let’s all trade each other’s food!!”
She is wearing our school uniform as well, with yellow, straight, long hair that reaches her back. She is 165cm and weighs around 48kg. Her bust size is a B-cup. Her name is Sierra Pendrago.
“By the way, Mari-chan! Did you know that Sierra is two years older than all of us?” said Hibiki.
“. . .Eh?”
“It’s true, Mari-chan! She was held back twice in elementary school. She must be pretty stupid, right?” adds Hibiki.
“AAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”
“OOII! WHAT ARE YOU TELLING OUR NEW FRIEND ABOUT ME? I HAD SOME DIFFICULTIES REGARDING MY DAD’S JOB NECESSITIES, SO WE HAD TO MOVE OUT MULTIPLE TIMES, AND I HAD TO RESTART THE YEAR TWICE!! THAT IS ALL THAT HAPPENED!!” explains Sierra as she pinched Hibiki’s cheek.
“I-Is that so?”
“Yeah, unfortunately, it’s true! But don’t worry, she is only older in age, not in maturity! She fits in right with the rest of us, right?” said Ryuji.
“HEEEYYY!!!”
“BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”
And then everyone laughs except me because I still feel distant from them.
Everybody else put their lunchboxes in their desk and they open them at the same time.
“WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! AKITA-KUN, WHAT’S WITH YOUR LUNCH TODAY?” said Honda.
“WOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!” Everyone else was also in awe, but I was the only one who was quiet about it.
“Hehehehe! Today, my mom got sent some packages from my grandpa in my hometown! HAHAHAHAHAH!! I WILL ENJOY MY LUNCH TO THE FULLEST!!”
“Hey, wait, Honda-san’s also looks delicious? What’s up with that?” said Sierra.
“Hehehehe! Today I woke up very early and helped my mom prepare my breakfast, and I offered her my own input, and this is the result! I am so proud of this!”
“Awww!! Mine’s just a normal bento with rice, nori, fried mackerel, and miso soup,” said Sakura.
“Yeah, mine’s normal too!” said Sumire.
“Same!” said Ryuji.
“Hey, what about yours, Mari-chan?”
“Heh! There’s no need to worry about my energy supplement! It is enough to refill my entire mana bar for every battle I will face today!”
“EEEEHHHH? C’mon! Don’t be shy, Mari-chan!!”
Sierra opens my lunchbox forcefully.
“AH!! W-WAIT A MINUTE!!!”
. . . . .
Everyone sees that it was just two onigiri with no fillings, and they weren’t wrapped with nori as well. But then they all smiled. One by one, they each take two types of food from their portion and give them to me.
“Wow! Look at Mari-chan’s food! There are so many variations!!”
“Yeaaahhh!!! GO EAT LIKE A PRINCESS TODAY, MARI-CHAN!!”
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“Enjoy the food, Mari-chan!!”
“Yeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!”
. . . .
*!*
I shed tears, and everyone was surprised. I was silently crying and sobbing, but then they all put their hands on my head, my back, and my shoulders, patting them gently. Feeling their warm gestures, I cried even harder. I made some noises, but I tried to hold them back the whole time. I’ve been friends with these guys for only a week, and already, they have become my most precious treasure in my whole life.
And then we all enjoyed our lunch together, throwing friendly banter at one another, trading our food, talking about fun stuff like things happening on social media, and whatnot. That day became one of my favorite lunch times in my life.
A few minutes later, we had finished all of our lunches.
“WHEW!! THAT WAS GOOD!!”
“YEAAAHHH!!! AWESOME!!!”
“WOOOO!!! I’M FULL!!”
“Did you enjoy the food as well, Mari-chan?”
. . . .
I was very hesitant to answer because of my shyness, so I eventually put my hand on my face and answered them.
“I appreciate everyone’s sacrificial offerings to me! Because of that, I’ve been filled with holy energy, and I can now finally defeat Satan today!! He’s been a really tough opponent to beat in all of my time as the Protector of Mankind!”
“Ah! So, you like it? Hehehehe! That’s good, Mari-chan!!”
“Yeah, same! I’m so glad you like my food! My taste buds are a little bit different than most people, so I was very anxious about it.”
“Eh? Did you give her some weird food, Minamoto-san?”
“IT’S NOT WEIRD!! IT’S JUST DIFFERENT!! DIFFERENT!! YOU GUYS SHOULD TRY SOME OF MY FOOD SOMETIMES!!! I PROMISE IT WILL OPEN ALL OF YOUR EYES!!”
“EEEEEEHHHHHH?”
“DOES THAT MEAN YOU’LL TREAT US?”
“EEEEEHHHHHHHH?”
“YAAAAYYYY!! RYUJI-SAN IS TREATING US!!”
“WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!”
“LET’S PICK SOME FANCY PLACE!!”
“SUCH A RARE OCCASION!! LET’S ALSO GO TO A KARAOKE AFTERWARDS!!!”
“AGREEDDD!!!”
“YEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!”
Somehow, we suddenly have a plan to go and hang out with each other. I stayed silent through the entire ordeal as I don’t have any experience in. . . hanging out with friends.
“HEY!! HEY!! Wanna go to my house after school today?” said Sierra.
*!!!!*
Everyone except me suddenly surrounds her in milliseconds.
“EEEHHHH?? FOR REAL???”
I was confused about their reactions. I have no idea what makes them react that way.
“YUP!! There’s a new party game that came out recently, and I already got the game!! LET’S PLAY TOGETHER!!!”
“YEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”
“WE LOVE YOU, SIERRA-CHAAAANNNNN!!!”
“Hey! I wish I heard that more often whenever I am not using the power of my family’s wealth!”
“HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!!!”
Everyone except me just laughs at her.
*!*
But then, everyone turns towards me.
“Mari-chan, are you free after school?”
“. . .”
I think to myself for a second. I really wanted to say yes, but I felt very hesitant. I know they are good and kind people, it’s just that I haven’t really known everyone personally that well, so I feel a little bit out of place. . .
I stand up and put my hand on my face once again.
“H-HAHAHAHAHA!!! I apologize, my minions, but I have a very important battle today that I cannot overlook any longer! This evil abomination has been torturing people from across the city, and I must slay it once and for all and free everyone!”
“Oh! I guess you’ve gotta run some errands for your parents, huh? It’s okay, Mari-chan! But please come with us next time, alright?!” said Sierra.
“I-I-IF I HAVE NO BATTLES SOMEDAY, I’LL BE HAPPY TO JOIN THE CEREMONY!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!”
“Got it! As soon as you have no plans, please inform all of us, okay?” said Sumire.
I immediately went timid once again and answered them quietly.
“Y-yes, everyone. . .”
“Hehehe!”
Everyone smirked and smiled at me afterwards, and then the school bell rang once more, signalling the end of recess.
.
.
.
After school, 16:00. . .
I run and leave the school gate alone.
“MARI-CHAAAAAAAAAAANNNNN!!!”
*?!*
I turned around and saw that everyone was calling my name.
“BE CAREFUL ON YOUR WAAAYYYYY!!!!” shouts everyone in harmony.
I smiled at them, and I put my hand on my face again.
“Rejoice, my minions, for I have all of your courage and blessings for the rest of the day!! I will not lose my fight!! WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!”
And then I turned around and ran towards my house.
“She’s so adorableeeeeee. . .” said all the girls.
“Yeah, I agree! She’s very cute!!” said Ryuji.
“I can’t believe how different she looks when she has people treating her with kindness and love.” said Nobisuke.
“True! I still remember the days when she looked so distant, cold, weird, and sad all the time during school.” said Hibiki.
“Okay, guys! Let’s go play!!” said Sierra.
“YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYY!!!”
.
.
.
I arrived at my home and opened the front door. It’s a one-story house, 6x6 meters in size.
“. . .”
I walk inside and reach the living room.
“. . .”
I walk to where my room is on the 1st floor. I enter my own room, throw my school bag on the floor, and jump onto my bed.
*BUMP*
I landed with my face kissing the bed sheet. I stayed on the bed for a few minutes.
“. . .”
I got up and changed my clothes right away. I put my dirty clothes into my washing machine and turn it on. I leave the washing machine to clean my house.
“. . .”
I spent the next two hours just cleaning my house without uttering a single word.
This is my daily life. I lost my parents about two years ago, and I have been living alone ever since. I inherited all of their wealth, and I’ve been using it strictly for paying the basic necessities like food, electricity, gas, water, and the internet.
Since it’s just me, and I spend most of my time at school, the monthly bill was really cheap compared to anyone in the neighborhood. Yet I was still being really careful not to spend too much spending my fortune. The banker once came to me after my parents’ burial that all of their wealth would be exhausted about two years after I graduated from high school. His advice sticks with me to this day. I’ve been very careful with all of my money.
I am also an only child. I don’t have any siblings. My parents also have no relatives. I am all alone now in this world. Sometimes, the loneliness got to me so much that I started crying in my own room, curled up on my bed. Though, since a year ago, I’ve been absorbing anime and video games to cope with the loneliness, and I’ve been feeling a bit better ever since.
In terms of safety, there was one time when a burglar sneaked into my house at 4 in the morning while I was sleeping. I woke up because the burglar made too much noise, and I immediately ran outside and screamed for help to my neighbors. They all woke up and helped apprehend the burglar in a large group. The burglar was beaten so senselessly that the story made it to national television, and ever since then, my neighborhood has had zero activities for crimes in general. I thanked all of my neighbors, and then they all often gave me free food from time to time since then. My food expenses have been saved a lot of times, and I am very thankful for that.
After cleaning my house, I immediately go to the closest convenience store from home to buy some food for dinner. I can’t really cook, so I just grab either packaged food or cooked food. For tonight, I’ve decided to eat three onigiri again for dinner. I quickly went home afterward.
I walk towards my home as my mind wanders all over the place. I’ve looked at a lot of passersby on the way. They are either a family or a group of friends.
. . . . .
I felt a little bit jealous of all the families and friends. I can only sigh as I keep walking home.
. . . . .
I have my head down with no enthusiasm on my face. For every step I took, I felt more and more lonely. I don’t even know if going home feels. . . correct. Home doesn’t feel like home when you’re all alone. But then I snapped out of that bad mood and straightened my head.
. . . . .
It’s currently 18:30, and it’s so quiet in my neighborhood.
. . . . .
*!!*
As I walk and turn the corner of my house, I see that there are a lot of people in front of my house.
“(Is there another burglar? But those people don’t look like my neighbors?)”
*!!*
“Ah! MARI-CHAAAANNNN!!!”
Seven of my friends, the most precious group of people in my life, came to visit me. I stopped walking when I was still 2 meters away from them.
“YOOOOO, MARI-CHAAAANNNN!!!”
“GOOD AFTERNOON, MARI-CHAAANNN!!!”
“MARI-CHAAANN!!! LET’S HAVE DINNER TOGETHER!!!”
They all lift their plastic bags, carrying a lot of food in their hands.
*sobs*
I shed a single tear, but I held myself back from crying as hard as possible. I run and jump, approaching them with the biggest smile on my face.
“WELCOME TO MY DOMAIN!!! MY DEAR MINIONS!!”
“WAHAHAHAHAHAH!! WHAT DO YOU MEAN, MINIONS?” said Ryuji.
“THAT’S NOT A GOOD WAY TO ADDRESS YOUR FRIENDS, MARI-CHAN!!” said Honda.
“BAHAHAHAHA!! WE BROUGHT A LOT OF FOOD!!!” said Nobisuke.
“LET’S HAVE A PARTYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!” said Hibikil.
“WOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! LET’S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!” said Sierra.
“EY DON’T FORGET TO DO OUR HOMEWORK AFTER DINNER FIRST!!!” said Sumire.
“YEAH, PLEASE DON’T BE A BUNCH OF LAZY BUMS!! WE’RE ALL 3RD YEARS, AFTER ALL!!” said Honda.
I welcomed them into my house. That was the first time I had friends coming to my home. We have so much fun having dinner together, and this became another core memory of my life.
