Ruri kept her head down as she fished her lunch from her bag.

She made the effort to look like she was busy and nobody bothered to check what she was doing. Technically she shouldn't be eating in here, but the teachers took pity on her, so they left her alone.  She noticed that, once again, Toshi was still in the classroom after everyone had left, updating his notes. It was Friday and the end of the week and here he was, working on his notes when everyone else couldn't wait for the day to be over. She noticed that he was doing well in most of his classes and couldn't help but envy him. He had it all. Looks, brains, money, popularity, you name it, he had it.

It was this part of him that stood out. He might seem to have lucked into his life, but he didn't coast along. He was diligent when it came to studying for his classes. He took all of it very seriously and put his social life second. She smiled to herself as she thought about how much she knew about him that nobody else did. It was a small bit of pride that while he seemed to have friends crawling out of the woodwork, nobody knew him, not like her.

This other side of him, where he worked so hard to stay on top. She couldn't understand how people could so easily dismiss him. Everyone else saw him as a simple-minded, yet beautiful and innocent prince who stumbled through life. He had this lovable, bumbling charm about him that was only enhanced by his humility and kindness.  Everyone seemed to like him, but so few people seemed to know him. She could tell the way they talked around him. It annoyed her the way they thought he was harmless and looked down on him for it.

The moments when they were alone in the room together, even if they said nothing to each other, meant something to her. She felt superior to everyone else, even if it was in this small way. She might be a social outcast and she might be hiding from everyone, but they didn't know Toshi like she did. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back as she thought about the situation. It didn't mean much, but in her pathetic life, it was little things like this that helped her keep sane in this horrible place.

So when a bento box dropped on her desk it took her totally by surprise.

Ruri looked up at Toshi who was already leaving. She looked at the box then up at Toshi, "What is this?"

Toshi paused in the doorway, "Just a thanks for... you know." Then put a finger to his lips and gave a wink before he slipped out. Ruri looked at the bento box. It had a large piece of paper taped to the top. When she pulled it off she got a much better look at the cover and her eyes bulged out.

It was a Honey Whitefox Bento Box. Not just ANY Honey Whitefox bento box, but a limited edition, hand-crafted, eco-friendly bamboo, Honey Whitefox bento box with a holographic cover that had Honey Whitefox's likeness wink when you tilted the box. Across the cover, written in golden magic marker with Honey Whitefox's trademarked sparkling flecks, was written 'Stay Foxy' and under it his signature. She looked at the paper and unfolded it, revealing that it was the certificate of authentication along with a note at the bottom that read, 'Thanks'. Her jaw dropped open as she saw that it was number 8 out of 1000.

She lifted open the box and looked inside then closed it immediately, ~He took a limited edition Honey Whitefox Bento box out of its packaging and made me lunch.~ She blinked and slowly traced a finger around the edge, ~Are you insane? The resale value dropped the-~ She paused and smiled softly, ~And you really don't care.~ She slowly opened it up to look inside. It wasn't anything fancy. Breaded chicken, roasted vegetables, a small cup of berries, but the bedding of white rice stood out for he took the time to arrange black and yellow grains to make a smiley face on top.

She covered her mouth and just gazed at it. Her mother was too busy to make her a bento. The last time someone made her a bento was Dad, but that was... before. She had been making her own lunch for over two years now and she didn't want anyone to know. It ate at her that it was her and mom now. Her brothers had moved out two years ago. Simultaneously, this bento box was both the nicest, and most painful, gift she had ever received. It hit her so hard that it took her a minute to realize she had been crying. She immediately pulled herself together, wiping away her tears as she looked around to make sure nobody caught her. She had enough issues without being called a crybaby.

That's when she saw Toshi's handbag lying on his desk, "Uh-oh..." She got up, rushed over, and picked it up. She briefly fretted over the invasion of privacy but popped it open anyway, ~This is all his money.~ She slammed it shut and looked to the door. She rushed over to look down the hallway towards the corner around which was the lunch room.

She felt cold sweat start to crawl over her skin.

The last time she ventured out she got the crap beat out of her. This was the unwritten agreement with the bullies. She stayed in the classroom, and they left her alone, ~But Toshi needs his lunch money.~ She looked at the bag, then the hallway. Nobody was immediately visible, "I'll just dash down there, hand him his bag, then come right back." He muttered to herself. Her knuckles turned white as she clutched the bag, "It's the least I can do." She took a deep breath and then broke into a run. Ruri came around the corner and smacked right into someone. The force barely moved the other person, but Ruri bounced off and fell on her behind. She mumbled an apology and was about to get up and keep going when she heard a familiar voice from out of her nightmares.

It was Naora.

Ruri was paralyzed with fear as she looked up at Naora and her two flunkies who now surrounded her. They loomed as Naora asked, "What the hell are you doing here?"

Ruri started to shake as she mumbled a reply, "T-T-To-Toshi lost his bag. I-I am re-returning i-i-it." She clutched the black bag tightly as if it were the most important thing in the world to her.

Naora's eyes lit up as she heard Ruri say 'Toshi'. She leaned in closer, "That's Toshi's you say? Well well well..." She reached out to take the bag, "I'll make sure he gets it." Her smile twisted itself into a most sinister leer.

Ruri's stomach turned to the thought that not only did she fail to get Toshi's bag to him in time for lunch, but that the very bane of her existence was about to steal it. She twisted her body to shield the bag from her tormentor and shouted, "NO!"

Naora's eyes narrowed. "What did you say to me?"