041. An Unexpected Club Dinner

After spreading out the tablecloth, Jiang Yu picked up Tomoya Aki’s bento and laid out each tier one by one. Standing up, he stroked his chin in thought for a moment, then hurriedly dashed downstairs.

Meanwhile, Megumi Kato took out her own bento, packed full of handmade rice balls, and placed it beside Tomoya Aki’s lunchbox.

Watching the strangely harmonious interactions between Jiang Yu and Megumi Kato, Utaha Kasumigaoka couldn’t help but feel a faint discomfort rising within her, a feeling both unfamiliar and never before experienced.

Suppressing this odd and uncharacteristic sensation, Utaha Kasumigaoka stood up and walked over to the animatedly chatting Tomoya Aki and Eriri Spencer Sawamura. She said, “Aki-kun, Sawamura-san, while you’re having such a lively conversation, perhaps you should take a look at what some people have been doing?”

Eriri looked at her with evident irritation, while Tomoya, following Utaha’s words, noticed the neatly arranged lunchboxes on the tablecloth not far away, and Megumi Kato sitting quietly beside them.

Glancing around and not seeing Jiang Yu, Tomoya felt a little awkward and curious. “Thank you, Kato-san… By the way, where did Jiang Yu go?”

Megumi gently shook her head and replied calmly, “It’s no trouble. As for Jiang Yu, he suddenly ran downstairs—I’m not sure what for.”

“Oh… I see…” Tomoya replied as he made his way toward the rooftop door, intending to look for his friend.

Before he reached the door, he heard hurried footsteps and heavy breathing echoing up the stairwell.

Jiang Yu appeared at the doorway, arms full of items, panting heavily.

Seeing Tomoya’s surprised expression, Jiang Yu said irritably, “Come on, give me a hand, Tomoya!”

Tomoya quickly stepped forward to help, taking the items from Jiang Yu’s arms—cans of drinks.

He exclaimed in surprise, “I was just asking Kato-san where you’d gone, turns out you went to buy drinks?”

Jiang Yu pouted, teasing, “Of course. You and Sawamura-san were chatting so happily, I didn’t want to interrupt by asking you to buy drinks, so I went myself.”

“Who’s chatting happily with him?!” Eriri protested indignantly, but her adorably flushed face made her words entirely unconvincing.

“…Sorry, Yu,” Tomoya pressed his palms together and bowed slightly, apologizing sincerely.

“Well, I’m just saying. Actually, I saw Kato brought rice balls but no soup or drinks, so I went to get some.”

Tomoya’s genuine apology left Jiang Yu, who’d only meant to make a joke, a bit at a loss. Waving it off, he explained himself.

Utaha Kasumigaoka chuckled softly. “I didn’t expect you to be so considerate, Kouhai-kun. You’re even more—”

“Please, senpai, could you not?” Jiang Yu interrupted, exasperated.

“Tch—” Utaha stopped her teasing with a look of regret, crossed her arms, and after surveying the group, sat down on the tablecloth.

Megumi Kato put her phone away at just the right moment. “Sawamura-san, Aki-kun, Jiang Yu—come eat.”

Truly, Kato’s organizational skills were impeccable…

With this thought, Jiang Yu nodded and walked over. Tomoya and Eriri were even quicker.

Tomoya picked a spot and sat down. Eriri hesitated for a moment before choosing a side where no one else was sitting.

Now, a simple geometric problem: a square tablecloth, four sides, five people dining. How should the seats be arranged?

Well, wasn’t the answer obvious? Jiang Yu naturally sat next to Tomoya.

This placed him directly opposite Eriri, with Megumi Kato and Utaha Kasumigaoka to his left and right. Satisfied with this rare moment of harmony among the club members, Jiang Yu cleared his throat and declared, “Though things have been chaotic and full of unexpected turns, our game development club’s first group meal begins now. I hope everyone will—hey, Tomoya, don’t take the fried shrimp in front of me!”

“Mmm—” Eriri, having ignored Jiang Yu’s words from the start, was first to move, picking up a piece of tamagoyaki and savoring it with a blissful expression.

Tomoya followed, snatching a fried shrimp and giving Jiang Yu a look to urge him to eat quickly.

Utaha and Megumi smiled at the scene, picking up their chopsticks and eyeing their favorite dishes.

Jiang Yu cut off his pointless commentary and hurried to join the food grab.

And so, the club’s first meal together began—unexpectedly, full of blunders, yet beautifully so.

What echoed above the rooftop afterward were the sounds of boys and girls laughing and teasing one another—the purest, most enviable friendship of carefree youth, the kind of memories of those verdant years that, many years later, would be cherished most dearly.

…

After returning to the classroom, full and content, Tomoya glanced at Jiang Yu, who looked idle and relaxed. Curious, he asked, “Yu, are you done with your work? You seem like a completely different person from yesterday.”

Lounging in his seat, Jiang Yu replied with a lazy tone, “Ah—more or less. I finished writing the first volume of ‘Spring Story,’ and I’ll submit it on the Undying River website when I get home. Haven’t really started the proposal yet, but the general idea is there.”

“Oh, right—Tomoya, are you okay with this?” Suddenly, Jiang Yu sat up straight, looking at Tomoya seriously.

“Okay with what?” Tomoya replied, puzzled.

“I mean the game—after all, you were the one who first suggested making a game, and you recruited the club members. In the end, though, we’re making my project.”

Jiang Yu wore a look that said, “You should care about this a little.”

Tomoya responded calmly, “It’s fine. In the end, isn’t it the same whose game we make? Besides, I do want to make the leap from consumer to creator, but there’s no rush. It’s good to see how you do things first.”

“Then… what about Kato? Weren’t we aiming to make her the kind of main heroine who makes everyone’s heart flutter?” Jiang Yu tried to sound casual, though a subtle feeling stirred within him.

Tomoya, hearing this, showed a complicated expression. Glancing around, he lowered his voice, “I get the feeling that’s a hell-level task I could never accomplish. Why don’t you give it a shot, Yu?”

Jiang Yu couldn’t help but laugh. “Why me?”

Before Tomoya could reply, a gentle voice interjected, “Jiang Yu, Aki-kun, what are you two talking about?”