"Alright, class, it's time to break for lunch," the teacher announced.
Lunchtime. It was the time of the day that students love the most. For most students, it's a time to meet up with friends and enjoy the precious time they have to interact. But it wasn't the same for Yuri. For her, it was another time of the day to lose herself in another good book. As her classmates moved their desk and chairs around, Yuri slipped her work and into her bag and walked towards the door.
The young maiden was currently on her way to her usual reading spot until, from the corner of her eye, she noticed something that caused her body to become paralyzed with fear. Her heart beat started to speed up and she felt like she couldn't breathe, a feeling she hasn't felt since last year. Without a second thought, Yuri ran down the direction she came from, determined to get away as far as possible from what she saw until she collided head-on with another student.
"Yuri?" she heard a familiar voice say her name.
The frightened maiden opened her eyes and her cheeks changed shades once she realized that ran into Shujinkou.
"S-Sorry!" Yuri stammered. She couldn't help but feel embarrassed over the entire situation.
"It's no problem," Shujinkou said, dusting his jacket off.
The young man then stood on his feet and offered his hand to Yuri. She slowly reached towards it and gripped it. She felt a sense of comfort and protection pour into from it and allowed him to help her onto her feet.
"Where were you off to in such a hurry?" Shujinkou asked.
"Ah..." Yuri diverted her gaze. She couldn't think of a way to explain what she was doing. Soon, silence overtook their short conversation. Shujinkou didn't know what to say until he noticed Yuri eyeing his lunch.
"Were you heading somewhere for lunch?" he asked.
"Um..." Yuri quickly checked behind her and turned back to Shujinkou with a nervous expression on her face. "Do... Do you think I could spend lunch with you?"
"Huh? Oh... uh... sure," Shujinkou replied, scratching his right cheek. The surprised student nervously led her back to his classroom and toward his desk. He then grabbed an empty chair and slid it under the opposite side of the desk.
Yuri silently sat in the seat she was provided with and watched Shujinkou plop himself down in his own. She then glanced to her left and noticed all of the other students happily eating lunches with their friends.
"I hope it's not too loud for you in here," Shujinkou said.
"Ah... no," Yuri replied. "Do you always eat lunch like this?"
"Like what?" Shujinkou asked.
"Um..." Yuri went silent for a moment and turned back to Shujinkou. "Never mind. Sorry."
"Sorry? For what?" he asked.
"For intruding during lunch," she finished.
Yuri expected Shujinkou to express his annoyance soon and knew she couldn't hold it against him. But instead of doing what she thought he would, he just smiled.
"You're not intruding," Shujinkou assured her. "To be honest, I was more worried that you wouldn't feel comfortable enough to be in this situation."
She watched him scratch his right cheek once again and breathed a small sigh of relief. She wasn't sure why but being around Shujinkou seemed to calm her nerves whenever she felt nervous. Just like at the Cultural Festival, it was like she didn't have to always worry about the small things.
Yuri then glanced down at his desk and noticed a drawing of a man wearing an eyepatch.
"What is that?" Yuri asked.
"Oh that?" Shujinkou responded as he reached for the drawing. "It's a sketch of Big Boss."
"Big Boss?" Yuri repeated.
"He's one of my favorite characters in fiction," Shujinkou said. "He's a legendary mercenary that been through a lot of hardships. No matter how much good he tries to do, life always finds a way to try to kick him down until he eventually decides that he's had enough. His story is basically one about how a protagonist becomes a villain."
"He sounds like a very complex character," Yuri replied.
"Yeah, I think that's how he became as popular as his son in the fan's eyes. You would not want to start a debate over which Snake they like better," Shujinkou chuckled.
Shujinkou carefully slipped the drawing into his bag and placed it under his desk.
"Do you draw often?" Yuri asked.
"Mm-hmm. It's a hobby of mine. It's also kind of an outlet," Shujinkou grinned. "What about you? Do you have any hobbies other than reading?"
"Well..." Yuri took a moment to find a way to express what she wanted to say. "It's not really separate from reading but... Do you know about aromatherapy?"
"Sorta," Shujinkou shrugged.
"I like to use it as a technique to help take me to a faraway place when reading. There are so many different aromas for many occasions... It really enhances the experience," Yuri explained.
"Like when you make tea for the club?" Shujinkou asked.
"Tea can calm the body," Yuri explained. "It's best to lose yourself to a good book when both your body and mind are calm."
"Huh... I never really thought about it like that," Shujinkou said. "It's really nice that you try to get all of us in the right mindset for the club."
"Ah... it's nothing special," Yuri started to play with her hair. She wasn't used to being complimented. It was a really nice feeling.
"Don't say that," Shujinkou said, shaking his head. "At least you contribute to the club."
"What do you mean?" Yuri asked.
"I mean, Natsuki makes us sweets, you make us tea and Sayori and Monika handle club stuff... I just... I'm just around. I don't really add much," Shujinkou sadly scratched his cheek.
"Don't say that!" Yuri said, unintentionally raising her voice.
Shujinkou stared at her with a surprised look on his face, causing her to divert her gaze.
"I mean... you always offer to help us and you're always so patient with me," Yuri said without thinking. Even she didn't know why she was able to say those things without contemplating, but she felt like she had to. "I'm... I'm really glad you joined the club, Shujinkou."
"T-Thanks, Yuri," Shujinkou replied, scratching his right cheek once more. The small smile appeared on the bashful girl's face. She glanced towards the class door and felt a familiar sense of dread sneak up on her. Her heart dropped as a young man walked in and approached Shujinkou's teacher. The teacher pointed towards the classroom's closet, which was right behind the two club members.
The frightened maiden looked down at Shujinkou's desk, desperately hoping that the man wouldn't notice her. Her heart skipped a beat along with his encroaching footsteps. Yuri cautiously glanced to her left and met eyes with the man, causing her to feel a massive chill crawl down her spine. No words were exchanged, but Shujinkou could sense some form of familiarity between them.
The man quietly walked into the closet and just as quietly left with a stack of papers. Once he was out of the classroom, Shujinkou glanced back towards Yuri and noticed that she still was wearing the same worried expression.
"Yuri... are you okay?" Shujinkou asked.
Yuri didn't answer. The young maiden simply lowered her head and stayed silent for the rest of lunch.