>Let's see if we can keep a straight face. "And I'm looking forward to it, too."
>And then have the rest of lunch.
>Kyouko smiles. It's not a lie that you're looking for to going home, is it? Even if you... don't.
>Pushing that aside, you apply yourself to your meal. The coffee isn't much more palatable for all the milk and sugar you dump into it, and you're not even sure it helps with your energy levels, but the sandwich is nice at least. You and Kyouko exchange more idle chatter; she manages to go on at some length about a theatrical performance she saw recently, which at least frees you up from having to gloss over more uncomfortable topics. Though even as things as pleasant and superficial, there is still that air of subtle disquiet to the conversation - those fleeting glances at your cheek, the way her smiles seem to light up her face less wholly than you remember - as if everyone were avoiding talking about the elephant in the room. You suppose they are.
>Kyouko finishes her sandwich before you, orders a flaky cherry pastry to follow it, and is nearly finished
that by the time you polish off the last of your own meal; your appetite feels rather muted, somehow. Can't imagine why.
