I was lucky—Mr. Zhang always liked arriving late and dragging the class past its scheduled end. By the time he finally let us go, it was already past noon, lunchtime.
Very few students brought their own lunches; most either ate at the cafeteria, grabbed bread at the snack counter, or went off-campus. I was in the vast majority who ate in the cafeteria, mainly for convenience. By 12:15, the pig-slop they served was almost gone.
Class leader Shu Sha was staring my way—not to stir trouble with me, but to invite Renko to eat with them. Thank God, for some reason Mr. Zhang stopped her in the hallway and lectured her about something.
Renko turned and walked toward me.
"Haruya, do you want to eat lunch with me?" she asked, hands clasped in front of her chest, face full of hope.
I bolted.
Look at my speed—I can run 100 meters in 13.5 seconds! Short legs or not, I'm no joke.
I dashed down the hallway, ignoring Renko's shouts.
I'm not listening, I'm not listening, I'm not listening! If I move faster than the speed of sound, I won't hear her anymore!
Students cleared the hall as I passed. A student council member shouted, "No running in the halls!" But when they saw it was me, they immediately shut up.
Back when Renko was the "Little Tyrant," she ran fast, long legs and all. She'd catch me from behind, push my head into mud on the rain-slick streets, laughing: "Let me wash your hair!" or "Even a wild donkey needs hygiene!"
Ah, memories of past torment… I must be getting old.
Renko fell hard in class earlier. Is that why she can't catch up now? Or can she never run that fast again? Why do I feel a strange pang of sadness?
By the time I reached the cafeteria, most of the fighting for food was over. Cups and dishes lay strewn everywhere, and a grim-faced cleaning lady wiped tables like she'd seen it all before.
Not much food left to order—but Renko shouldn't even be here, right? Without her uniform, she probably doesn't even have a meal card. Our 28 Middle School cafeteria is strictly for students and staff—no outsiders, no cash. Even if she tried the "cute and pitiful" look to borrow my card, I wouldn't give in. Not a single cent.
I ordered string beans with "meat" (there wasn't any) and a serving of julienned potatoes, which looked like they'd been stir-fried yesterday. The cafeteria lady scooping my rice looked constipated. Depressing. The cooking? Worse than my dad's. Not bragging, but my fried rice is ten times better.
To comfort myself, I grabbed a cold drink—a Coke.
"Three dollars? That's expensive!" I muttered.
"It's not! Seven dollars at McDonald's!" a scruffy-bearded man replied.
Buddy, that's a large size. And comparing this cafeteria disaster to McDonald's? No. Just… no.
Balancing my tray and Coke, I looked for a clean table. Few people were here: mostly teachers, a scattering of students.
I collided with a girl and spilled some Coke on her.
"I'm really sorry!" I blurted, trying not to look like a total monster.
"No problem," Renko replied cheerfully.
When did you get here?! Your face isn't red, you're not out of breath, and you even have your food already! Did you teleport? You have your meal card already? Didn't even get your uniform first? I… don't get it.
"Let's sit here, Haruya," Renko said, pointing to a clean table. She set her tray down, Coke dripping slightly onto her shoulder. That outfit—Western-style, pricey, she must really like it. She'd be scolded if she dirtied her jeans last time… now her clothes are soaked.
"Haruya, sit across from me?" She noticed me eyeing the Coke stain and laughed, pursing her lips.
"No worries! As long as you eat lunch with me, I won't—get—mad!" She flashed a victory sign.
My eyes! 5,000 points of damage! Why are you smiling so sweetly—like you're in a toothpaste commercial?!
I placed my tray carefully, keeping a posture ready to leave at any second. Everyone kept their distance—students, teachers—like there was an invisible kill zone around me. Only Renko could survive in it.
Rumors from this morning are probably spreading. The whole school thinks I'm chasing her, right?
The head teacher, the school rule enforcer… aren't you supposed to stop this? The cafeteria witnessed it all, but you didn't intervene. All because I've got a reputation for stabbing and selling drugs? Even publicly humiliating a girl doesn't faze you?
And you gossiping students, why aren't the famous senior girls stopping me? Why aren't you yelling? Am I really that scary?
Class leader Shu Sha, you so-called righteous devil! Glasses bro, loyal dog of justice! Where are you?! Someone, just scold me so I can properly apologize to Renko!
No one moved. I clenched my teeth, sat down, and reluctantly started eating. Renko's garlic-shoots-with-egg dish was getting cold. She didn't return by the time I lost my appetite.
I was about to give up and leave when a hand hit my back—hard. I turned, expecting Renko—but it was Loud Mouth, one of Shu Sha's tag-alongs.
"Stop waiting. Renko's back in class. Apologize when you get there! Seriously! If you like someone, don't use such intense methods!"
Not everyone's afraid of me… even after I treated Renko like this, does she still like me? Was I wrong from the very start?