Chapter 1

Mmm, what a truly magnificent bit of sunshine!

On days like this, there's nothing better than having my delicious luncheon on the rooftop!

That's true.

When you're in a good mood, lunch somehow tastes even better.

When sitting down, I must be mindful not to hunch over...…

Alright, I shall take a seat around here.

U-Uh, yeah…..

As I open the lid, I must be aware of my fingertips...…

Now then, today’s bento is…..

Oh! It’s ginger pork!

There’s nothing better than an unexpected reunion with a beloved dish!

Hmm? What’s wrong? You’ve got an odd look on your face, did you perhaps find something you don’t like in your bento?

It’s not that, it’s just..…

What is that? You’re putting way too much effort into every little movement....

Hah Hah Hah!

So you noticed!

Uh, you'd have to be blind to not notice anything......

Truth is, Kikyo Troupe's performance from the other day left a vivid impression on me.

The acting, the script, the direction; it was all superb.

But more than anything, what caught my eye was their graceful movements.

They were so elegant, I couldn’t take my eyes away!

Yeah.

That's very true.

After witnessing such beauty, I was overcome with the burning desire to master that elegance myself!

Hence, I’m putting it into practice like this!

Ahh..… so that’s why you’ve been moving weirdly.

What do you mean by “weirdly”?

Weirdly, she says.

It’s important to first become aware of how you carry yourself in your daily movements!

These mannerisms aren’t something you can learn overnight.

That’s exactly why I must remain ever-so-conscious of them!

"Ever-so-conscious"...…

Wait, don’t tell me you’ve been like this all day?

As far as I’ve seen, yes.

He’s kept this up the entire morning.

Even my classmates were taken aback by my elegance and poise!

The fruits of my heightened awareness are already starting to show!

That’s right.

Many even asked me about you, Tsukasa-kun.

Asked you about me?

Things like, “Why is Tenma moving so strangely while erasing the board?” or “Why does he wiggle around so much when reading aloud in Japanese class?”

You were definitely the talk of our class.

W-Wait a second!

That’s not how I imagined this was gonna go at all!

I was picturing people being captivated, breathless even, from the elegance of my every movement!

And if I was being stared at like I was some weirdo, why didn’t you say anything to me!?

Oh, I certainly intended to.

But you see, I thought it would be a fascinating opportunity to observe how people react when they see something truly bizarre.

That moment was perfect for collecting such data.

Watching you like that though..… It was painful, believe me.

I watched on with a heavy heart, torn between my logic and sympathy…...

Hey! You were just prioritizing your own curiosity!

But to think that’s how I was coming across…..!

I had truly believed I was exuding elegance!

Wow...… You were that confident about it?

Tch..… Just you wait.

I will master the art of beautiful and elegant movement, mark my words.

Yeah, yeah.

Anyway, can we just eat lunch already?

You’re right...…

I shall soothe this sorrow with my beloved luncheon.

Hmm…..

Oh, that reminds me, do you have any plans after school today?

Not particularly.

Why, what’s the matter?

I was thinking maybe we could all head to SEKAI together.

Everyone’s been curious about what we've been doing over in Morinomiya lately.

That sounds good.

Should we message Emu-kun too?

Yeah, let’s do that.

Tsukasa, are you free—

…...Wait, why are you just sitting there frozen, still holding your chopsticks?

Ah..… I was pondering how best to eat ginger pork elegantly…..

On one hand, I want to take a big, satisfying bite...… but that’s hardly graceful.

On the other, nibbling at it bit by bit doesn’t feel right either...…

If you keep agonizing over this, lunchtime’s gonna be over.

Seriously..… You let yourself get way too influenced by things.

Fufu, well, it just goes to show how wonderful that performance was.

Hmmgh..… Which is the correct way..…?