As the group's conversation carried on, a burst of laughter erupted from one side of the table. Yotsuba was animatedly sharing a story about helping a lost child find their parent on the way to school. Her hands moved wildly as she described the scene, and her green ribbon bounced with each excited gesture.
Shun listened with a relaxed smile, chin resting on his hand, clearly entertained.
"…And then the kid gave me his candy as a thank you!" Yotsuba finished, proudly holding up a small piece of wrapped chocolate like it was a medal of honor.
"You really can't stop helping people, can you?" Shun said with an amused grin. "You're like a walking good deed machine."
"Of course! Helping people is what I do best!" she said with a thumbs-up, her grin wide and innocent. "Besides, if I don't help, who will?"
"You know," Shun said thoughtfully, "you're the type who makes the world feel a little warmer just by being in it."
Yotsuba blinked, her smile faltering just slightly before her cheeks flushed a deep pink.
"W-Whaaat? That's so cheesy! Are you trying to flirt with me?!"
Shun leaned in, voice lower and smoother.
"Would it work if I was?"
She froze like a deer in headlights, then quickly covered her face with both hands, letting out a squeaky noise.
"Aaah! You can't just say stuff like that so casually!"
The rest of the table laughed, amused by Yotsuba's rare moment of flustered panic.
Shun chuckled, his tone softer this time. "I'm serious though. That kind of kindness isn't something you see every day. It's easy to underestimate."
Yotsuba slowly peeked through her fingers, smiling bashfully. "You're really weird, you know that?"
"But the good kind of weird, right?"
She gave him a big grin and a double nod. "Yeah… the good kind."
Ichika leaned toward Miku and whispered, "Yotsuba's falling fast."
Miku sighed, half-exasperated, half-amused.
"We all are…"
Ichika leaned back with her drink in hand, eyes glinting with amusement as she glanced at Miku.
"My, my," she drawled, nudging her sister with her elbow. "We all are? That's quite the confession, Miku."
Miku stiffened, face blooming red. "I-I didn't mean it like that…!"
"Oh?" Ichika smirked, clearly enjoying herself. "Then what did you mean, hmm?"
Before Miku could sputter out a reply, Ichika turned her gaze toward Shun, her smirk sharpening like a cat who had found a new toy.
"You've got quite the effect on girls, Shun-kun," she said smoothly. "Getting close to all five of us in one lunch break? That's impressive… or suspicious."
Yanagi leaned on the table, resting her chin on her hands. "He *does* have that cool harem protagonist energy. I was thinking the same."
Shun, calm as ever, just let out a small chuckle. "I'm just trying to get along with everyone, that's all."
Ichika raised an eyebrow, amused. "That's *exactly* what a harem protagonist would say."
The girls laughed while Shun let out a helpless sigh, glancing at Ichika with a small grin.
"Is that such a bad thing?" he asked, his tone teasing, eyes locking with hers. "If I am, then I guess I'll just have to make sure I'm everyone's favorite."
Ichika's smile twitched, faltering for the briefest second before she recovered—flashing him a charming, challenging look.
"Dangerous words, Shun-kun," she purred, voice lower. "You might just find yourself in over your head."
"I've been called worse," he replied with a casual shrug.
Miku groaned softly, face still flushed, while Yotsuba whispered dramatically to Itsuki, "It's starting! The battle for Shun's heart!"
Meanwhile, Ichika tapped her glass against his lightly. "I'll be watching you," she said, soft but playful.
"And I'll be watching back," he replied smoothly.
Just as the conversation lulled, a voice called out from across the cafeteria.
"Nee-san!"
Masha turned with a bright smile. "Alisa!"
The others followed her gaze and saw a striking girl approaching. With silver-white hair that shimmered like moonlight and piercing ice-blue eyes, she moved with elegant poise. She wore the same uniform, yet something about her stood out—her presence, cool and graceful, demanded attention without trying.
"This is my younger sister," Masha introduced warmly.
"Alisa Mikhailovna Kujou. We call her Alya."
Shun offered a calm smile and met Alya's gaze head-on.
"Приятно познакомиться, Аля." (Pleased to meet you, Alya.)
Alya blinked and turned to her sister who was smiling then back to shun. "Ты говоришь по-русски?" (You speak Russian?)
Shun's expression didn't change, but his tone grew more fluid, natural.
"Свободно. Я вырос в России, хоть и японец по происхождению." (Fluently. I grew up in Russia, even though I'm Japanese by blood.)
Her eyes widened just a little, the reserved façade flickering. "Серьёзно?" *(Seriously?)*
Shun gave a light shrug. "Долгая история. Но да, я жил там большую часть своей жизни." (Long story. But yes, I lived there most of my life.)
Alya stared at him for a heartbeat longer, then looked away—quickly, subtly.
"Интересно..." (Interesting...)
Masha chuckled beside them.
"Alisa, Shun's our new class president. He's been pretty impressive."
Alya nodded, recovering quickly. "Я рада это слышать." (I'm glad to hear that.)
"Would you like to join us for lunch?" Shun offered naturally, gesturing to the open spot beside Masha.
Alya hesitated only for a moment. "If it's no trouble."
"Of course not," he replied smoothly, helping adjust the seats.
As she sat, Marin leaned toward Masha and whispered with a grin.
"She's seriously model-tier pretty…"
Masha grinned. "She hears that a lot."
Alya didn't react, but her eyes flicked once toward Shun's bento. He noticed.
"Ты можешь попробовать, если хочешь." (You can try it if you'd like.) he offered with a subtle smile.
"Я подумаю." (I'll think about it.) she replied, cool as ever—but the way her lips curved slightly told him she was curious.
Shun chuckled to himself, the tiniest glint of mischief in his eyes.
He casually reached for his chopsticks, offering her another bite of his lunch.
"It's not too bad. I'll let you decide if it's worth trying," he said with a hint of amusement.
Alya blinked, taken aback by the sudden offer. Her eyes widened for a brief moment, and she hesitated, not sure how to respond. She wasn't used to being put on the spot like this, especially when it came to something so... personal.
"I... I'm fine, really," she muttered, looking down at her own lunch, her face turning slightly pink as she struggled to keep her composure. It was as if Shun's easygoing confidence and charm were throwing her off balance.
Shun tilted his head, still smiling warmly.
"Are you sure? It's really no trouble. I promise I'm not trying to force you into anything." His tone was light, teasing, yet sincere. He wasn't going to push her, but he couldn't help the slight playful glint in his eyes.
Alya's fingers fidgeted with the edge of her napkin, and her eyes darted briefly between his outstretched chopsticks and his expectant gaze. She swallowed hard, her heart racing for reasons she couldn't quite understand. The tension in the air was palpable, and Alya could feel her cheeks heating up.
"Okay..." she mumbled, her voice soft and shy.
"Just... just a little." She tentatively accepted the chopsticks from Shun, her fingers brushing lightly against his, and immediately she felt her face flush deeper. It was a simple touch, but something about it sent a wave of warmth through her chest.
Shun offered her the piece of food with a grin, his voice dropping just a little, his words laced with a gentle teasing undertone.
"I promise it's nothing fancy. But it's something I thought you might like."
Alya carefully took the food, her hands trembling just slightly as she brought it to her lips. She quickly chewed, trying to mask the nerves bubbling inside her. As she swallowed, she glanced up at Shun, finding him still watching her with that warm, almost knowing smile.
"It's... good," she said quietly, avoiding his gaze, though her voice had softened, betraying a hint of appreciation.
Shun's smile widened, though he noticed how flustered she seemed. It was a subtle reaction, but it was there.
"I'm glad you think so." He leaned back slightly, continuing to keep the conversation light, but there was an edge to his words, a sense of closeness in the way he spoke.
"You know, I could get used to making lunch for you. But only if you promise to try it again next time."
Alya's eyes widened a bit, and she immediately looked away, her cheeks burning now, her shyness turning into something a little more flustered.
"T-That's... really not necessary," she stammered, feeling her heart race.
"I-I can make my own lunch."
Shun chuckled softly, his voice low and inviting.
"I know. But it's not about necessity. Sometimes, it's just nice to share."
Alya's fingers gripped the edge of her lunch tray as she tried to keep her composure, but she couldn't help the slight flutter in her chest. Why was she so nervous around him? It was just lunch, after all. But something about Shun's presence, the calm confidence he exuded, made her feel like her usual quiet composure was slipping away.
Masha, who had been watching the exchange with an amused smile, leaned toward Alya and nudged her playfully.
"You're blushing, Alisa," she teased, using the affectionate nickname she always called Alya.
Alya's face turned crimson as she quickly looked away from both Masha and Shun.
"I-I'm not!" she protested, her voice a little more high-pitched than she intended.
Shun just smiled, a quiet, almost smug satisfaction in his eyes as he watched her fluster.
"Don't worry, Alya," he said, his tone still light, but there was something almost comforting in his words.
"I promise not to make you uncomfortable."
But Alya, her gaze still averted, wasn't entirely sure whether she was feeling uncomfortable—or if she was just becoming more aware of how much she enjoyed the attention. She couldn't remember the last time someone made her feel this way—this... flustered, this alive.
Shun's eyes twinkled as he glanced around at the others, but he didn't miss the way Alya was now pulling her lunch tray closer to herself, as if trying to hide behind it. He chuckled to himself, knowing he had left a mark on her.
"Well, I guess I'll leave you to finish. But I do hope I'll get to share lunch again with you."
Alya's lips parted for a second, as if she was about to say something, but she only nodded silently, her face still warm as she took another bite, trying to act as normal as possible. Inside, however, she couldn't help but feel a flutter of anticipation.
As the lunch break drew to a close, the group began to gather their things. Shun turned to Ichika, Yotsuba, Itsuki, Nino, and Alya, flashing them a charming smile that carried both warmth and mystery.
"It was a pleasure meeting all of you," he said in a low, velvet tone that seemed to linger in the air.
There was something hypnotic in his voice—an effortless allure that pulled at their hearts. Each girl felt a strange flutter in their chest, cheeks tinged pink as they struggled to maintain their composure.
Alya glanced away, her lips pursed tightly to hide the faintest smile and blush. Itsuki's eyes widened for a moment, then lowered bashfully. Even Nino, usually sharp-tongued, found herself momentarily at a loss for words.
Ichika tilted her head and gave him a sly smile.
"You really are dangerous, you know that?"
They said their goodbyes and parted ways, though the blush on their faces lingered long after they walked off.
Yanagi trailed beside Shun with a playful smirk, arms casually behind her head.
"Two days and you've already got a dozen girls wrapped around your finger," she teased, half-impressed, half-amused.
"At this rate, you're living out the perfect harem fantasy."
Shun chuckled, arching a brow at her. "Are you saying you're one of them?"
Yanagi shrugged with a mischievous grin. "I'm not denying it."
She wasn't sure when it happened exactly, but somewhere between his bold charm and casual sincerity, Shun had caught her attention in a way no one else had. He was attractive, yes—lean, strong, and confident—but he was also intelligent, reliable, and surprisingly thoughtful. It was an irresistible mix.
Marin and Lilysa exchanged a quick glance from behind, both silently agreeing. They didn't want to say it out loud, not yet—but they were definitely feeling something.
Sumire clutched her bag closer, her gaze shyly following Shun while her cheeks burned. Ako, flustered, tapped her fingers nervously against her side, silently wondering when Shun had become the center of her thoughts too.
There was something undeniable about him. Two days was all it took to leave an impression they couldn't shake.