The Bento

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CHAPTER 8: THE BENTO

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I forgot my lunch on a Wednesday.

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I didn't notice until noon, when I reached into my bag and found nothing. I'd left it on the kitchen counter. My mother had been asleep. I hadn't wanted to wake her.

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I sat on the roof with my back against the wall and stared at the athletic field and tried to ignore the fact that I was hungry.

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The door opened.

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Hana appeared with a bento box in her hands.

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"You forgot yours," she said.

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"How do you know?"

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"I noticed."

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She sat down beside me and opened the box. Rice. Fish. Tamagoyaki. Pickled vegetables. Two portions.

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"I made extra," she said. "Like always."

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She handed me a portion. She took the other one for herself.

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I stared at her.

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"What?" she asked.

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"You're eating."

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"I'm hungry."

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"You're never hungry."

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She looked at me. Her chopsticks hovered over the rice. For a moment, she didn't say anything.

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"Maybe I am," she said. "Sometimes."

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We ate in silence. She finished her portion. It was the first time I'd ever seen her eat.

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When she was done, she closed the box and set it aside.

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"Thank you," I said.

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"For what?"

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"For sharing."

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She smiled. It was a small smile. Not the performed one. Not the fake one. Just a small, real thing.

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"You don't have to thank me," she said. "It's just food."

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But I noticed that she had eaten. And I noticed that she had only eaten because I was there. 118Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWec3HVCiI1

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