Stumbling Over Love | ✓

Chapter 18

_Chapter 18~ Competitive_

"Um, Reina?"

"I was thinking maybe a performance would work. But, the question is of what?"

Daichi watched me pace around the home economics lab, awkwardly scrunching his eyebrows. "Er..."

"Unless I do something generic like food..."

Reaching into the microwave, I slipped out the plate of curry I'd warmed up from my lunchbox. It was currently lunch, following the end of our home economics class, and although the rest of my classmates had been ushered back to our classroom by Ms. Osaka, after asking for permission to stay here, she granted it to us on the condition that we don't allow anyone else inside.

Passing students did occasionally peek inside but all of that was pushed to the back of my churning mind.

"Here," I said, skidding the plate toward him. "I packed this for myself this morning. Eat it and tell me what you think."

Daichi lit up at the sight, green eyes twinkling. "No way. You're feeding me?"

I collapsed into one of the many open seats, a hand rested under my chin.

"If I'm making food, wouldn't takoyaki get more of a crowd?" I made a face. "I'm not that great at that... I should search it up."

"Whoa, this is amazing!" Daichi exclaimed, stuffing his face with it. "I had no idea you cooked, Reina!"

"But how about taiyaki?"

"Holy! Can I have more after this?"

I rounded to glare at hm. "Daichi, quit being so loud! I'm trying to think."

He stopped mid-chew, blinking up at me with his cheeks full of curry. "Swowwy."

I rolled my eyes. "You're supposed to be helping me."

After a few more sounds of the spoon hitting the plate, and him gnawing blissfully, Daichi spoke, "But you haven't even told me what we're doing here, besides you telling me to eat curry. Which, for the record, is definitely the best I've ever had."

He extended his empty plate to me.

"I'm going to need a lot more, if you don't mind."

I sighed, rising to my feet and pulling the remaining leftovers out from my bag. After warming this batch up, I handed it to him, and he gladly began devouring it as if he hadn't just inhaled the previous plate seconds ago.

"I told you," I said after a while, propping my elbow on the table. "Iwasaki and Miyabi are working against me for this charity thing and I need ideas on what kind of booth to set up."

Daichi cheeks moved up and down, them being as puffed up as a squirrel's with acorns, and he spoke, "You have absolutely no clue what you want?"

It didn't come out as comprehending as that, of course, but it was what I was able to piece together amidst dodging shreds of flying food and interpreting his incoherent murmuring.

"I want to beat them, y'know," I told him. "Badly."

Daichi tilted his head to the side. After swallowing, he stared at me seriously. "That sounds like a you problem though. Why am I here?"

"Because you're supposed to be helping me!"

"I am?"

"You are!"

He nonchalantly delved into the curry once more. I pouted.

"You're Class President, aren't you? You should be flowing with good ideas for these kinds of things!"