LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 29: Chapter 29: I would hate to kill myself now!
Chapter 29: I would hate to kill myself now!
_____
Rin Matsuoka watched Horikita Suzune's retreating figure as she walked away briskly. He rubbed his hair and murmured softly, "It's not that you scare others; it's just that I feel uneasy..."
For nearly two years, Rin and Horikita Suzune had barely communicated or interacted. However, now that they were riding the same bus, attending the same class, and even sitting at the same table, they had more chances to talk.
But despite these opportunities, the atmosphere between Rin and Horikita Suzune hadn't returned to what it had been two years ago.
Still, there was no need to worry. Rin was confident their relationship would soon revert to its former state—or perhaps even become closer than before.
Horikita Suzune and Rin Matsuoka entered the school cafeteria one after the other. The cafeteria's décor was quite elegant, resembling a spacious restaurant more than a typical student cafeteria.
At this cafeteria, students purchased meal tickets, so they didn't have to order directly from the staff. They simply selected their desired meal sets from the ticket machines, paid with personal points, and took the ticket to the cafeteria window.
The staff would then prepare the ordered meals, placing them on trays and handing them to the students in exchange for their tickets.
Rin had been called to the teacher's office by Chabashira Sae, and Horikita Suzune, who had waited for him, had wasted a lot of time. It was already 12:40 by the time they reached the cafeteria.
Although the lunch rush had ended, there were still many students eating in the cafeteria.
Rin stood before the ticket machine, scanning through all the available meal sets.
"The daily special is the tempura set meal, and it's only 300 points," he muttered to himself. "That's about the same price as at a family restaurant outside."
"It seems the school's prices are similar to those outside. One hundred thousand personal points could definitely last a month."
The most expensive set on the ticket machine was priced at 5,000 points, while the cheapest...
"Hey, why is there a free meal set?" Rin stared at the ticket machine, his face filled with surprise.
Curious, Rin considered ordering the free "Mountain Vegetable Set Meal."
At that moment, a voice from the narration system echoed in his mind.
[As the saying goes, high-end ingredients require only the simplest cooking methods.]
[However, the ingredients for the mountain vegetable set are all low-quality wild vegetables, but like high-end ingredients, they are also cooked using the simplest methods.]
[If the host chooses this set meal, after the first bite, the host will regret the decision to order it.]
"Is this wild vegetable set really that bad?" Rin wondered aloud, feeling a bit intrigued.
[Yes, it's so terrible it will be unforgettable.]
"…"
The narration system's description was so vivid that it sounded like the meal was barely fit for human consumption. Suppressing his curiosity, Rin decided against ordering the wild vegetable set.
The wild vegetable set meal was merely wild greens mixed with salt and steamed—a dish that was notorious for its bitter and astringent taste.
Yet, the mountain vegetable set meal did have two redeeming qualities.
First, it was free.
Second, it was incredibly healthy.
Not wanting to risk an awful experience, Rin opted for the daily special tempura set meal, spending 300 points. After receiving his receipt, he didn't immediately head to the window to collect his meal. Instead, he took a moment to survey the entire cafeteria.
Rin Matsuoka spotted Horikita Suzune, who had already gotten her lunch, sitting at an empty table for four.
Horikita Suzune appeared lonely as she ate by herself, but that solitude was precisely what she desired. She had always been a loner, preferring not to have anyone around while eating or studying.
Of course, there were exceptions.
For instance, her brother, Horikita Manabu, and that childhood sweetheart of hers who was always up to some mischief.
Rin shifted his gaze away from Horikita Suzune, and his expression turned to one of surprise when he noticed another student nearby.
He saw that the meal this student was eating consisted of a heap of wild vegetables and a bowl of rice—clearly the mountain vegetable set meal.
At that moment, the student was using trembling chopsticks to pick up a few wild vegetables, reluctantly stuffing them into his mouth with a look of resistance.
In the next instant, Rin noticed the student's face turning blue...
"Wow, so that's the mountain vegetable set meal? It looks so terrible you can't even swallow it," Rin muttered to himself.
Clicking his tongue, Rin looked away from the student whose face had turned pale, and then his eyes lit up with excitement.
He had spotted a beautiful older girl dining alone!
The uniform she was wearing was different from the one Horikita Suzune was wearing, indicating she wasn't a first-year student.
Rin had been searching for senior students from other grades—the beautiful kind.
After spotting his target, Rin picked up his tempura set meal and confidently walked over to the older girl.
"Senpai, may I sit here~?" he asked with a smile.
The senior seemed a bit irritated at being interrupted. She looked up, prepared to refuse, but then she saw Rin's handsome face.
One second!
Within that second, the irritation on the senior's face melted away, replaced by a cheerful smile. "Sure, sit if you'd like. I don't mind."
The senior had long, smooth orange hair with a flower hair accessory tied to her right bangs. She had a sweet and pretty appearance. Her figure wasn't as pronounced as Kikyo Kushida or Airi Sakura, but she had a more refined allure than Suzune Horikita.
Horikita Suzune calmly picked up her chopsticks, putting food into her mouth. While she chewed slowly, she glanced over and noticed Rin sitting across from another girl.
Chew, chew.
The food that had tasted delicious moments ago now seemed flavorless. Horikita Suzune suddenly found she could no longer savor the taste.
It wasn't tasty at all.
"Senpai, my name is Rin Matsuoka, and I'm a student in Class D of the first year," Rin introduced himself with a cheerful, boyish grin, naturally sharing his name and class with the senior in front of him.
After hearing Rin's introduction, the senior smiled with a curious expression. "Oh, so you're a student in Class D of the first year~"
Rin, noticing the odd tone, asked, "Senpai, is there something wrong with that?"
"No, not at all~" she responded lightly. She then pointed to herself with a slender finger, "I'm Asahina Nazuna, from Class A, Year 2."
"Hello, Asahina-senpai," Rin greeted.
"Hello, Matsuoka-kun," she replied with a smile.