The group finally arrived at the cafeteria, the sound of chatter and clinking trays filling the air. While some of the girls grabbed drinks or a few snacks to go with their lunches, Shun calmly found a clean table near the windows, where the sunlight bathed the area in a soft, golden glow.
Once everyone settled in, Shun placed his lunchbox on the table and opened it. Inside was a neatly prepared meal—perfectly shaped onigiri, grilled salmon, tamagoyaki, sautéed vegetables, and a few slices of fruit for dessert. The colors were vibrant, the arrangement precise and inviting.
"Whoa…" Marin leaned over, eyes wide with admiration.
"It looks like a bento from an anime!"
Masha grinned and leaned forward, "Can I try a bite?"
Shun didn't hesitate. He picked up a piece of tamagoyaki with his chopsticks and, with a soft smile, offered it directly to her.
"Open up," he said in a gentle tone, his voice smooth and inviting.
Masha blinked, slightly surprised, but slowly opened her mouth. The moment the food touched her tongue, her cheeks flushed a delicate pink.
"Mm… That's really good."
She quickly glanced away, trying to compose herself, but Shun's calm smile made it even harder to hide her reaction.
Marin beamed. "That was so cute! Like, seriously anime-level cute!"
Komi, sitting beside them, turned her face away slightly, her cheeks dusted red, clutching her lunch tightly like it might explode.
Lilysa giggled.
"It's like I'm watching a romantic slice-of-life. Who needs streaming services when we have this?"
Shun chuckled, his tone light but confident. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."
Then, to everyone's surprise, Masha took a piece of her own lunch—a small meatball from a bento she bought—and held it out with her chopsticks.
"Your turn," she said, her voice a little shy but determined.
Without missing a beat, Shun leaned in, took the bite from her chopsticks, and gave a soft nod of approval.
"Not bad. You've got good taste."
The girls watched in stunned silence for a moment, before Marin let out a dreamy sigh.
"Why does everything you do feel like it belongs in a shoujo manga?"
Shun offered a small, knowing smile. "Maybe I just like making the people around me feel special."
It wasn't what he said—but how he said it. Warm, assured, with just enough charm to stir the heart without feeling forced.
Ako peeked at him from across the table, her hands trembling slightly over her own untouched lunchbox. Yanagi watched it all unfold with a grin, muttering under her breath.
"Harem protagonist energy, confirmed."
Shun didn't respond to that—he simply smiled, shared another bite with Masha, and took a sip of his drink, calm and collected.
As they ate together, Shun naturally struck up a conversation with Sumire and Yanagi, his tone casual yet laced with that usual calm charisma that seemed to draw people in without effort.
"So," he began, turning his attention to Sumire first.
"do you have any hobbies, Sumire-chan?"
She blinked at the sudden attention, almost dropping her chopsticks.
"Ah—um… I practice gymnastics," she said shyly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's nothing special, though…"
Shun tilted his head slightly, his eyes warm and focused. "Gymnastics, huh? That actually sounds really impressive. I'd love to see you perform sometime."
Sumire's cheeks instantly flushed, and she looked down at her lunchbox, hiding a bashful smile.
"Y-You can… if you want. I usually stay after class to practice… so you could visit if you're free."
Shun's lips curved into a gentle smile. "Then I'll come by and cheer you on. Watching someone so graceful in motion would be a privilege."
Sumire's face turned redder, and she nodded quickly, clearly flustered but happy.
Then Shun turned his gaze to Yanagi. "What about you, Yanagi-san? Got any hobbies you're passionate about?"
Yanagi grinned, resting her chin on her hand. "Gaming. I play a lot of competitive stuff—FPS, fighters, anything that gets my blood pumping. Not exactly as elegant as gymnastics, but hey."
That caught Ako's attention. She perked up slightly.
"You play too? That's cool…"
Shun chuckled, looking between the two of them.
"Looks like we've got a shared interest, then. You know, I'm sort of a gamer myself."
Yanagi raised a brow, then let out a short laugh.
"Oh? Confident and nerdy. I like it."
Shun smirked. "Guess you'll just have to see if my skills match my words."
She leaned back with a playful glint in her eye.
"Now that sounds like a challenge. Don't disappoint me, Protagonist-kun." The table buzzed with laughter and light conversation.
As the group enjoyed their lunch, the atmosphere was filled with laughter and playful teasing. Then, suddenly, Miku returned to the cafeteria—this time with company.
Trailing behind her were four girls with nearly identical faces, each with a distinct aura that set them apart.
"Sorry… they insisted on coming," Miku murmured, slightly flustered.
Ichika stepped forward with a teasing smile.
"So you're the famous Shun-kun we've heard about. You've made quite the impression on Miku."
Nino crossed her arms, eyeing him critically.
"Hmph. I don't see what's so special… though you are kind of handsome," she muttered under her breath, immediately looking away.
Yotsuba waved enthusiastically.
"Nice to meet you, Shun-san! Miku's been acting kinda weird lately, so we figured we had to see who was behind it!"
Itsuki adjusted her hair and looked him over. "I wonder why Miku asks strange around you."
Shun stood calmly, his usual confident smile on display.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all. I see beauty and charm run in the family."
All five sisters blinked in unison.
Ichika chuckled. "Smooth talker, huh?"
Yotsuba beamed. "Ohhh, he is charming!"
Nino looked away again, cheeks slightly red.
"Tch… whatever."
Miku was already redder than a tomato.
"C-Can we just sit down now?"
Shun gestured gracefully. "Of course. I made enough for everyone."
That caught them off guard.
"You cooked?" Ichika raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"Want a taste?" Shun asked casually, picking up his chopsticks and holding out a small bite toward her.
Ichika leaned in with a sly grin, letting him feed her.
"Mmm… not bad. You're dangerous."
As everyone settled in, the group naturally split into smaller conversations, but Shun flowed between them like a breeze—talking, laughing, complimenting, and always attentive.
Even the Nakano sisters, known for being hard to win over, were clearly intrigued.
And Miku? She sat beside him, heart fluttering uncontrollably.
'Why… does he make me feel strange? It's only been a day since I met him?'
Shun is like a virus that spreads the more you are exposed.
Ichika leaned slightly closer to Shun as he poured tea for everyone, her elbow resting lightly on the table, eyes scanning him with amusement and intrigue.
"You're a hard one to figure out," she said, her voice soft and laced with teasing.
"Kind, attentive… but way too calm for someone surrounded by girls. You hiding something, Shun-kun?"
Shun glanced at her, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Would it be more interesting if I said yes?"
Ichika smirked. "Oh, definitely. Mystery adds spice."
He tilted his head slightly. "Then what if I said I've already figured out a few things about you?"
"Oh?" Ichika raised an eyebrow, leaning in a little more. "Do tell."
"You're sharp. Observant. You like to play the older sister role, but you enjoy being chased more than chasing." He took a sip of his tea.
"And you enjoy having people wrapped around your finger… but not if they're boring."
Ichika blinked, her smirk faltering just slightly as her eyes met his. There was a pause—brief, but enough to feel the tension between them hum.
"…So you're saying you're not boring?" she asked, her voice a little lower.
Shun leaned in, matching her energy without ever breaking eye contact. "You'll have to find that out for yourself, won't you?"
Komi, Marin, and Miku all subtly looked toward them. Miku, in particular, glanced between the two with a slight frown, though she said nothing.
Ichika's smile returned, more genuine this time. She exhaled lightly, brushing a loose strand of hair from her cheek.
"You're trouble," she said.
Shun gave a playful shrug. "Maybe. But the good kind."
Their eyes lingered a moment longer before Ichika finally pulled back, her heart lightly thumping in her chest.
She bit her lip and thought.
'He's dangerous… and yet, I kind of want to see what happens if I keep playing with fire.'
After the flirty back-and-forth with Ichika, Shun turned to refill his tea when he noticed Nino glancing at him from the corner of her eye. She quickly averted her gaze the moment their eyes met, pretending to be more interested in her bento than the conversation.
Shun caught the subtle flick of her ponytail and the light pink dusting her cheeks.
"Not enjoying the food?" he asked casually, resting his chin on one hand as he looked her way.
Nino scoffed, keeping her tone cool. "It's fine. I'm just not used to this… loud lunchtime crowd."
"Ah, you prefer peace and quiet?" Shun asked with a light smile. "Hard to believe, considering the sharp comebacks I've seen from you so far."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "I'm just not a fan of people who act too smooth."
Shun raised an eyebrow. "You think I'm *too* smooth?"
"You make it seem like you've done this a hundred times," Nino said, her voice softer now. "Being surrounded by girls. Flirting like it's nothing. I don't get it."
Shun leaned forward just a bit. "Maybe I just say what I mean. And maybe it just happens to sound like flirting when I'm talking to someone I find interesting."
Nino blinked. That caught her off guard.
"H-Hmph," she huffed, turning her face away slightly. "You're just trying to get under my skin."
"And is it working?" he teased.
A quiet pause. Then:
"…Shut up."
But her voice lacked any real bite. If anything, she seemed flustered. Her hand gripped her chopsticks tighter, and her ears were visibly red. Even Miku caught that and stared at her with quiet surprise.
Ichika smirked behind her cup.
Shun didn't press further—he simply chuckled and returned to his food, allowing Nino the space to calm her rapidly beating heart.
'Why does he have to be so smooth?' she thought, biting her lip.
'I'm not going to fall for some playboy… but—ugh! He's annoying!'
Still, she found herself glancing at him again a few minutes later.
Just once.
As the lunch group continued chatting, laughter bubbling at the table, Itsuki sat more quietly, nibbling on her sandwich. She kept sneaking glances at Shun between bites, her cheeks puffing ever so slightly in thought.
Shun eventually noticed, flashing her a warm smile.
"You're awfully quiet, Itsuki-san. Something on your mind?"
Her eyes widened, caught off guard. "O-Oh! N-No, not really. I was just… thinking about something."
"About me, perhaps?" he teased gently, his tone teasing but not overbearing.
Her face turned pink immediately. "W-What? Don't be so full of yourself!"
Shun chuckled softly. "I'm just kidding. Though, you did keep looking my way."
"I-I was just wondering why someone like you seems to get along with everyone so easily," she said, trying to compose herself. "You don't seem like the type who studies much, but everyone listens when you speak."
"Hm," Shun said, leaning forward a little, resting his elbow on the table. "I study in my own way. People interest me more than textbooks. But I'm guessing you're the type who doesn't skip a single reading, right?"
Itsuki straightened up, pride flashing in her eyes. "That's right. I value education. I want to become a teacher someday."
"That's admirable," Shun said sincerely, his usual charm taking a softer turn. "I bet you'd be the kind of teacher who never gives up on her students. Kind, but strict when needed. You'd be amazing."
Itsuki blinked. For a moment, the flustered girl was gone—replaced by a quietly touched version of herself. "You really think so?"
Shun nodded. "I can tell. You've got that fire in your eyes. I respect that."
She looked away quickly, hiding her face behind her drink, trying to suppress the smile tugging at her lips. "You really do talk like you've done this before…"
"And yet, you're still smiling," he said with a wink.
She sputtered quietly, pretending to focus on her drink.
'He's dangerous,' she thought. 'And way too good with words... but, that was kind of nice.'
Ichika leaned over and whispered in her ear,
"You're blushing, Itsuki~"
"W-Worry about yourself!" she whispered back, flustered.