Chapter 4: The Sweet Smile (part 2)
The bell for lunch finally rang, slicing through the thick tension that had built up around them. Meiko didn't release his hand right away. Instead, she gave it a light, affectionate squeeze and said with that same disarming sweet smile,
"Come on, Renjiro-kun. Let's go to the canteen together. I'm getting hungry."
Renjiro's heart raced even faster. The sound of the bell felt distant, like it was coming from another world.
He nodded quickly, still blushing deeply, his face warm and flushed.
For the first time in years, someone wanted to walk with him — not away from him.
He stood up from his seat, the chair creaking loudly under his weight, but he barely noticed it. All he could focus on was the warmth of Meiko's hand in his.
As they walked out of the classroom together, Meiko kept holding his hand openly in front of everyone.
Heads turned in the hallway. Students stopped mid-conversation to stare. Some whispered behind their hands. Some smirked with amusement.
A few even pulled out their phones, ready to capture the unusual sight — the school's popular beauty walking hand-in-hand with the overweight outcast.
Renjiro barely registered any of it.
His mind was too full of new, fragile emotions.
She's holding my hand in front of everyone.
She's not ashamed.
She actually wants to be seen with me.
The thought made his chest feel lighter than it had in years.
For a moment, the daily weight of being mocked and ignored felt far away.
Meiko walked beside him, maintaining her sweet, innocent smile the entire time. She leaned in slightly and spoke softly,
"You're very quiet, Renjiro-kun. Do you have any friends in school?"
Renjiro shook his head shyly, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Not really… I usually eat alone or sit at the back."
Meiko gave a small, sympathetic sound and squeezed his hand again.
"That's sad. You seem like a really nice person. People should want to talk to you."
Every word from her felt like a balm to the wounds he had carried for so long. Renjiro felt a small, genuine smile tugging at his lips — something that rarely happened in school. He thought, If she really likes me, maybe others will start seeing me differently too.
Maybe I won't have to be alone anymore. Maybe my life is finally turning around.
They continued walking toward the canteen.
The hallway felt longer than usual, every step filled with a strange mix of nervousness and hope.
Renjiro's heart was still pounding, but now it was a different kind of rhythm — one filled with possibility instead of just pain.
Meiko, on the outside, looked every bit the caring girl. She smiled at him warmly, her voice gentle and encouraging.
But inside her mind, the thoughts were cold and precise:
Look at him.
He's already so hooked. One compliment, one touch, and he's walking around like he just won the lottery. Pathetic.
Once we reach the canteen, I'll make him fetch things for me — ice cream, juice, whatever. Then I'll send the signal to Akuro.
The beating will be public.
Everyone will see what happens when a fat loser like him dares to dream. This puppet is completely under our control now.
Renjiro, lost in his new hope, didn't notice the subtle shift in her eyes or the way her smile never quite reached them.
He was too busy holding onto the warmth of her hand and the kindness in her voice, imagining a future where he wasn't the school's punchline anymore.
The canteen door came into view. Meiko gently tugged his hand and said with that same sweet tone,
"Let's sit at the corner table. It's quieter there."
Renjiro nodded again, his heart still racing with nervous excitement.
For the first time in a long time, he felt like he belonged somewhere — even if only for a few minutes. He followed her inside.
Canteen Entry & Sitting at the Corner Table
The canteen door came into view ahead of them. Meiko gently tugged Renjiro's hand and said with that same sweet, disarming tone,
"Let's sit at the corner table. It's quieter there."
Renjiro nodded again, his heart still racing with nervous excitement.
For the first time in a long time, he felt like he belonged somewhere — even if only for a few minutes.
He followed her inside, the noise of the crowded canteen washing over them. Students turned to look.
Some stared openly.
Some whispered.
A few smirked, already sensing something unusual. But Renjiro barely noticed any of it. His entire focus was on the warmth of Meiko's hand in his and the fragile new hope blooming inside his chest.
They reached the corner table and sat down. Meiko released his hand slowly, but her smile never faded.
She looked at him with what seemed like genuine affection and said softly,
"You can relax now, Renjiro-kun. I'm here with you."
Renjiro felt a small, genuine smile form on his lips. It was rare — almost foreign. For years he had eaten lunch alone, hiding at the edge of the canteen or skipping it altogether to avoid the stares and comments.
Today, someone wanted to sit with him. Someone beautiful.
Someone who had called him cute.
The weight he carried every day felt just a little lighter.
He thought to himself,
*Maybe this is the start of something real.
Maybe I won't have to be the outcast forever.
Maybe grandfather was right — if I hold my ground, things can change.*
Meiko watched him closely, her expression warm on the surface.
She leaned forward slightly and said,
"I'll have some ice cream and mango juice.
My ankle is still hurting from yesterday.
Could you get it for me, please?"
Renjiro nodded immediately, eager to do anything she asked.
"Of course. I'll get it right away."
As he stood up and headed toward the counter, Meiko's smile stayed in place. But the moment his back was turned, her eyes changed.
The sweetness vanished, replaced by a cold, calculating look.
Renjiro returned a few minutes later, carefully balancing a tray with ice cream, mango juice, and a small plate of food. He placed it in front of her with a shy smile.
"Here… I got what you asked for."
Meiko took the tray with a grateful expression.
"Thank you, Renjiro-kun. You're so sweet."
Renjiro sat down opposite her, his heart still fluttering.
He watched her eat, feeling a strange sense of pride and belonging.
For once, he wasn't invisible. For once, someone was looking at him without disgust.
But this was only the beginning of the trap.
Meiko ate slowly, chatting lightly with him, keeping the illusion alive.
Inside, she was counting down the minutes until Akuro and his gang arrived.
She knew exactly how this would end — with Renjiro humiliated in front of the entire canteen, his new hope shattered into pieces.
Renjiro, still lost in his fragile dream, had no idea that the sweet trap was about to snap shut.
This was just the calm before the storm.
Chapter End