77 Congratulations (1/2)
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Lunchtime. There weren't any unexpected disturbances in class so Kazuya was able to peacefully read his books. Kurumi sat peacefully in the seat she occupied yesterday which made Kazuya feel a little weird. He expected her to continue pestering him but she seemed to be thinking about a couple of things while trying to steal glances at him.
It was quite difficult for her to look at him since she sat right in front of him but that didn't stop her from trying. He almost couldn't maintain a poker face as he was quite sensitive to stares.
”(What is this girl up to now?)” Kurumi's actions somewhat reminded him of when he first encountered the robot girl sitting beside him so he just shrugged it off and hoped that she would eventually get tired of it.
*tug tug*
”Hmm?” Kazuya turned and found a sandwich that was cut triangularly with it's pointed end toward his mouth.
*stare*
”You made sandwiches again?” he tried looking at the sandwich and it's contents.
*nod*
”Did granny Kaori teach you some more?”
*nod*
Kazuya smiled wryly. He found nothing visually wrong with the sandwich in front of him. He didn't know why but the robot girl's grandmother suddenly took both of them away from training one day and started teaching Tomoyo about cooking. She shook her head and tried to decline but when Kaori said that she needed to learn it so that she could make some food for Kazuya to eat, she accepted the tutelage.
He wondered why he was also asked to go with them but it turned out that he was there to try the 'food' that the robot girl had produced. It was the first time that Kazuya had started to think about how robots or machines still couldn't replace the people that cook the food that is commonly sold in convenience stores.
The taste was of course bad. Tomoyo had zero sense and tried to mix all the things she considered delicious and made him try it. Even though he was now spoiled by the delicious home cooked meals that the Fujiyamas served him, he still appreciated simple foods like cup ramen or bento boxes commonly sold today like he did in his previous life. So he was confident in labeling the sorry excuse she served for food really inedible.
Apparently, Kaori did not prevent him from eating it so that Tomoyo could learn that not everything that tasted good would taste good if she merely just mixed them all together. Tomoyo looked very guilty after seeing the reaction Kazuya had when he tried eating so that prompted her to take Kaori's lessons seriously.
*stare* Tomoyo stared at him who still hadn't taken a bite. Kaori already made preparations and contacted Akane to tell her that she didn't need to prepare lunch for Kazuya today so he would have no way to avoid his current predicament.
”(Is this girl trying to force Kazuya-kun to eat her sandwiches?)” Kurumi who was watching quietly held onto her pencil and small notebook. She was observing them intently while wishing that Kazuya would decline her offer.
”Fine…” Kazuya finally gave in. This robot girl would be extremely talented with a sword in her hand but she was very clumsy when it came to things like cooking and would make simple mistakes. He could see some scratches on her hand so he would feel bad if he at least didn't try it. This robot wasn't as unreasonable as she was in his previous life and was now very understanding and sensitive towards his feelings. She wouldn't force him to eat food that he didn't like and would take away any food she made that he didn't like.
*SNAP*
Kurumi unconsciously broke the pencil in her hand after Kazuya took a bite from the sandwich that Tomoyo held. She wished that he would find it disgusting and would spit it out.
”You made this?” Kazuya asked her after he swallowed the food.
*nod*
”By yourself?”
*n…od*
”Really? Why did you hesitate?”
Kurumi was dumbfounded at how smoothly the two communicated. Kazuya had been the only one talking so far but it looked as if they were having a smooth conversation. She didn't understand what Tomoyo meant but she could tell that the girl wasn't moving her lips.
”I see…” Kazuya took the final bit and ate it with gratitude. ”Congratulations. This one is quite acceptable. You've come a long way” he reached out and patted her head.
The two of them ate harmoniously as Maron approached Kurumi who hadn't noticed that she wasn't even trying to hide how she was closely watching the two anymore. Both of them didn't bring any lunches so they had to go to the cafeteria to grab a bite to eat.
”(Phew they finally left…)” Kazuya breathed a sigh of relief after the Stockton's left the room.
Kurumi tried to act secretly but Maron who was watching from behind didn't hide the multiple changes to her emotions throughout the day. Things have been quiet for now but things were starting to change ever since these two disrupted the flow that had been going on for two years. Kazuya's failure to understand the two made him feel uncomfortable because he had other and more important things to worry about than playing with these stubborn children.
It wasn't that he wasn't thinking about it because he tried to analyze why Kurumi acted how she did back in his previous life by using the information he had now. He thought that it would have simply ended if the Kurumi from his previous life simply just explained to him how they knew each other but instead, she took a route that made him want to avoid her as much as he could.
He felt a little weird interacting with her because he was not convinced that a girl of her standing would see him as a potential love interest. This was actually his theory at first but he experienced the life of a young master in this life. Kyouko and Mei even explained to him the complexities of being a member of a well-known family so he dropped this theory.
That was not the only reason he dropped the theory though, Kazuya took a look from his memories his own standing and appearance before he was summoned to Edea and given a huge transformation with the help of the overflowing mana that fixed his leftover flaws from the accident he suffered. He was not as naïve as he was before and even examined the Kurumi from his memories. There were clearly no signs of affection but rather sheer curiosity. Her reaction was akin to a child trying to solve an unsolvable puzzle.
This was the difference between Kurumi and Tomoyo. The robot girl of the past was very similar to the robot girl he first met in this new life. Although she had undergone a complete change now, he more or less understood that their families were quite close and from his understanding on how she used to think, it was probably her doing whatever she thought was right.
It didn't matter what her motivations were for doing what she did but he had a rough understanding of the robot girl now so he couldn't really stay mad at her for something that he had already prevented from happening. He was much more satisfied with this version of her because this one had been more empathetic towards him and the other people that mattered.