Minorin and the Bento Trap

Spring sun and awkward feelings.

Class 2-C buzzed with life.

New school year. New seating.

Same old high school chaos.

But for Takasu Ryuuji, everything had changed.

Ever since Aisaka Taiga mistakenly dropped her love letter into his bag, they had become something like… “partners-in-crush.”

He helped her. She threatened him.

He cooked. She ate.

He cleaned. She ordered.

And yet—

She was still just a girl chasing her own clumsy dream.

Just like him.

---

Operation: Get Closer to Minorin

Ryuuji stood near the school field, clutching a pair of sports drinks. One was for him.

The other… for Kushieda Minori.

She was running laps, full of energy like always — shouting, laughing, sliding across the grass like a baseball player even though it wasn’t baseball practice.

> “How is she even real…” Ryuuji muttered.

“She’s a weirdo,” Taiga said flatly beside him.

“She’s passionate.”

“She’s possessed.”

“You’re jealous.”

“Shut up.”

But Ryuuji stepped forward anyway, mustering every drop of courage.

When Minorin finally stopped running, he walked over and handed her the drink.

“Hey, Takasu-kun! You’re a life-saver!” she grinned, her eyes shining.

“N-No problem. You looked like you could use a break.”

“Haha! What, do I look like a dying grandma out there!?”

“Not at all! More like… a super-genki grandma!”

She burst out laughing. “Okay, now you’re just weird.”

Ryuuji smiled awkwardly, heart pounding.

From a distance, Taiga watched, silently sipping her juice box.

---

That Evening: Cooking Lessons

After school, Ryuuji was in Taiga’s kitchen again.

“Look, if you’re going to give Kitamura a bento, it has to be edible.”

Taiga crossed her arms, glaring at the rice cooker.

“Food is just… food. What matters is the feeling.”

“Tell that to Kitamura when he’s in the nurse’s office.”

“I’m not that bad!”

“You tried to put whipped cream on salmon.”

“…It looked cute.”

Ryuuji sighed deeply, tying his apron tighter. “Let’s start from the beginning.”

They cooked together — badly at first. Taiga almost set the frying pan on fire. She threw rice at Ryuuji in frustration. He retaliated with a spoonful of miso paste.

Somehow… they were laughing by the end of it.

Not as tiger and dragon.

Just two awkward teens learning how to deal with life.

---

The Next Day: Bento Disaster

It was lunch time.

Ryuuji peeked nervously from behind his textbook.

Taiga sat two seats ahead, holding a cute homemade bento box — clumsily decorated with egg rolls and meatballs.

Her hands were shaking.

Kitamura sat nearby, chatting with friends.

This was it.

She stood up.

Walked over.

Raised the bento.

And—

“TAIGA-CHAN!!”

Minori suddenly popped out of nowhere, grabbing Taiga in a headlock.

“Ohhh~ you made lunch today!? Let me see!”

Taiga froze.

Ryuuji froze.

Kitamura looked over and smiled politely.

“Did you make that yourself, Aisaka?”

“…Yeah,” she said in a tiny voice, hiding the box behind her back.

“That’s amazing! You’re good at cooking too?” he said, smiling gently.

Taiga turned bright red.

“…N-no, I’m… not…”

But Minori clapped excitedly.

“Let’s all eat together! Come on, Ryuuji-kun!”

---

An Accidental Picnic

And somehow, just like that, the four of them ended up on the rooftop, eating together.

Ryuuji didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Taiga looked like she wanted to throw herself off the building.

Minorin kept telling ghost stories mid-bite.

Kitamura just smiled and kept asking polite questions.

Taiga tried offering Kitamura her food… but her hand shook, and the meatball fell into her lap.

She didn’t speak for the rest of lunch.

---

That Night: Crushed Hopes and Burnt Rice

Ryuuji stirred the rice slowly in Taiga’s kitchen, the room quiet.

She sat on the floor, hugging her knees.

“…I messed everything up.”

He didn’t say anything.

She looked away, voice low.

“I thought… if I could give him something I made with my own hands, maybe he’d… see me differently. Maybe…”

Ryuuji put the rice paddle down and sat beside her.

“You didn’t mess up.”

She glanced at him. He looked calm — serious.

“You made that bento. You tried. You faced him. That’s more than most people do.”

“…It didn’t change anything.”

He leaned back and exhaled. “Not yet.”

She closed her eyes, cheeks flushed.

“…Thanks, dog.”

“…You’re welcome, master.”

They both chuckled.

---

Beneath the Sunset

As Ryuuji left her apartment, the sky was painted in red and gold.

He paused on the walkway, looking back at her window.

Somehow, this life — this bizarre daily routine of shouting, bentos, awkward crushes, and cleaning — had become something he didn’t hate.

Maybe even something precious.

> “She’s selfish, violent, and impossible…”

But Ryuuji smiled to himself.

> “Still… I want to see how this plays out.”

---

To Be Continued…

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