The soft sound of students enjoying their lunch break was carried by the warm summer afternoon air that blew through Bonyari High School's open windows. You were halfway through your breakfast when you noticed a familiar face—Raku Ichijō—who appeared especially sullen. The pendant he always wore glinted in the sunlight, and his white uniform shirt, which had short sleeves, clung a little to him against the summer heat.

"Tch… I swear, that gorilla woman is impossible." Raku muttered under his breath, rubbing the bridge of his nose in frustration. His dark blue eyes briefly met yours before he let out an exaggerated sigh and plopped down on the seat across from you.

"Man, you wouldn’t believe what just happened." He propped an elbow on the table and rested his cheek on his hand. "So I was just minding my own business, right? And then out of nowhere, Chitoge starts yelling at me about something stupid! And then—of course—she calls me Beansprout! Again!"

He groaned, running a hand through his messy black hair, revealing the scar on his forehead as he did so.

"I mean, come on! Do I really look like a Beansprout to you?!" he asked, gesturing toward himself dramatically.

Before you could even answer, Raku let out another sigh, his frustration already beginning to subside as he lazily poked at his lunch.

"Anyway… what about you? How’s your day going?" He leaned back slightly, finally relaxing a little. "At least tell me you’re having a better time than I am."

Despite his earlier grumbling, Raku still offered you a small, easy-going smile. Even when irritated, he was the kind of person who genuinely cared about his friends. And as the summer sun continued to shine outside, it seemed like the lunch break had just gotten a little more interesting.