Mash-Up Anime World: Anything for Money

Eriri rummaged through her desk drawer, but she couldn't find what she was looking for.

Frustrated, she crouched down to take a closer look.

Seeing it with her own eyes, she still found it hard to believe—how could it not be there?

"No way… Where is it?"

"Did I put it somewhere else?"

She glanced around her desk and even searched through her backpack, but the thing she was looking for was nowhere to be found.

Then, suddenly, Eriri realized something. Her hand, which had been gripping the backpack, paused mid-motion.

This morning… It seemed like Hakuto didn't bring her breakfast.

She carefully recalled the morning's events. It really hadn't happened. 

After a long moment, she placed the backpack beside her legs and, almost unconsciously, turned to look at the classroom door.

"Eriri, are you looking for something?"

A female classmate sitting behind her noticed Eriri holding her backpack with a dazed expression and asked instinctively.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Eriri shook her head.

"No… nothing."

"Come to think of it, I didn't see Shiratori-kun bring you breakfast today. Did something happen?"

At the mention of Hakuto, a trace of awkwardness flashed across Eriri's face, but she quickly suppressed it.

"Probably," she replied indifferently.

Placing her backpack down, she sat back in her chair. As she looked at the dwindling time on the classroom clock, her gaze instinctively drifted toward the door again.

What am I thinking? So what if he doesn't come? Haven't I always told him not to bring it?

Feeling that she was acting strangely, Eriri patted her cheeks to snap herself out of it.

But no matter how she reasoned with herself, she couldn't help but glance toward the door again, as if hoping to see a familiar figure appear in the next second.

Yet, even when class started, that familiar figure never showed up.

Expressionless, Eriri didn't know what she was thinking.

This was the first time in two years that Hakuto hadn't brought her breakfast. Normally, rain or shine, that familiar pink bento box would always be waiting for her in her desk drawer.

The sudden break in routine left her feeling a little out of sorts. But after a while, she let out a quiet sigh of relief.

It wasn't like she even liked Hakuto. 

He was like an annoying piece of gum stuck to her shoe—no matter how hard she tried to shake him off, he wouldn't go away. 

Maybe this was an opportunity.

Maybe Hakuto had finally given up on her.

Even though it was just a small thing—skipping breakfast delivery—Eriri knew very well what this small thing meant.

She knew exactly what it meant to the boy who always obeyed her every word, who never let her suffer even the slightest grievance.

At that thought, she sighed again, a hint of relief appearing on her face.

If this was truly the case, then it was better for both of them.

That was what she told herself.

And yet, the entire morning, Eriri found herself absentmindedly glancing at the classroom door whenever there was a break.

Habits were hard to change—just like chewing betel nuts or smoking. 

It wasn't about how good they tasted or how enjoyable they were; it was simply a habit that had been ingrained over time.

Speaking of bento boxes…

Eriri reached into her desk drawer and absentmindedly touched two empty bento boxes—the ones Hakuto had given her for breakfast and lunch yesterday.

After finishing the meals, she had washed the boxes and placed them back in her drawer.

Normally, by the next day, Hakuto would take the empty boxes and replace them with freshly prepared meals.

Every time, his face would light up with a joyful smile, as if bringing her food was the happiest thing in the world.

Eriri stared at the two empty bento boxes in her hands, and a sudden thought crossed her mind—

Did something happen to Hakuto?

It wasn't like he had never been sick or injured before. 

But even when he had been surrounded by delinquents looking for trouble, he had always made sure to deliver her meals on time.

This led to Eriri developing a rather distorted habit—when Hakuto didn't bring her breakfast, her first reaction wasn't to worry if something had happened to him. 

Instead, she would just sit there brooding over it.

Thinking about this, Eriri almost felt the urge to slap herself.

Even though she insisted that she didn't like Hakuto, she had to admit that over the past two years, he had taken exceptionally good care of her. 

Sure, it was his own choice, but that didn't mean she ever felt entirely at ease accepting it.

"I'll just use the bento boxes as an excuse to ask him…"

She nodded slightly to herself. Even if she didn't like Hakuto, she didn't dislike him either. 

In fact, if he really did give up on pursuing her, she felt they could probably be good friends.

"At the very least, as a friend, I should check in on him."

Eriri reassured herself with that thought. 

Though what truly motivated her… only she knew.

…

Meanwhile, during class, Hakuto received a small folded note from Hachiman.

Honestly, the moment he took the white slip of paper, he was completely baffled.

They were literally sitting right next to each other—was there really a need to pass notes?

Hakuto glanced at Hachiman and muttered under his breath,

"Can't you just say whatever it is out loud?"

Hachiman glanced at their teacher, Hiratsuka Shizuka, then back at Hakuto.

Even though it had only been a month since school started, he had already experienced firsthand just how terrifying Hiratsuka's iron fist was. 

There was no way he'd take the risk of speaking in her class.

Only someone like Hakuto would have the guts for that.

But since Hakuto had already asked, Hachiman decided there was no need to keep up the whole note-passing act.

"What's going on between you and Sawamura?"

At those words, Hakuto raised an eyebrow.

So it seemed his absence from breakfast delivery today had caused quite a stir—at least for his closest friend.

He didn't bother hiding anything and simply answered in a carefree tone,

"I'm not chasing her anymore."

Just three simple words.

Yet they nearly made Hachiman jump out of his seat.

"HUH!?"

His shocked outburst shattered the silence of the entire classroom.

All at once, countless eyes turned toward them. Even Hiratsuka-sensei was smiling sweetly in their direction.

"Hikigaya-kun," she said with deceptive gentleness, "is there something about my lesson that surprised you so much?"

"N-no… Sorry, Hiratsuka-sensei…"

Under the gaze of the entire class, the usually invisible, unremarkable Hachiman felt like he was being skewered alive. 

He wanted nothing more than to find a hole to crawl into.

Seeing Hachiman's miserable state, Hiratsuka clearly had no intention of letting him off the hook just yet.

"Come to my office at lunch."

The moment he heard that, Hakuto couldn't hold it in anymore. Despite all his training, despite his usual composure, this time, he really couldn't help himself—

"Pfft—"

Hiratsuka sighed, shaking her head. "Forget it, Hikigaya, you don't have to come anymore."

Then her gaze landed on Hakuto.

"The one who just laughed—you come instead."

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