"School cafeteria?"
"Yes, a school cafeteria."
Like the time when they had entered the underground street, Kamijou explained it to a thoroughly confused Index.
The Kamijou trio walked into what looked like an ordinary popular chain restaurant. They were seated at a 4-seater table, Kamijou and Index were facing each other, and Kazakiri was sitting beside Index.
On a side note, the calico cat was resting on Index's lap. They had originally thought that it would be illegal for them to bring pets in, but unexpectedly, cats were acceptable. Looking closely, the company that owned the restaurant was the same as the one that operated the chain of restaurants that allowed pets in.
"There're too many schools here in Academy City, so one can already form a restaurant by choosing the best from all the cafeterias. Even though it's a school cafeteria, it does have diet value. Once you arrive here, you'll be able to tell what the other schools are eating."
"Oh, but Touma, what's the meaning of a diet lunch in a school cafeteria?"
asked Index, as she stared at the huge drawing board-like menu with a taunting look.
Truthfully, as Kamijou had lost his memory, he didn't remember what a diet lunch for compulsory education was. However, there were still some remains of knowledge inside him, so he roughly knew what that was.
"Basically, that's just food that can only be obtained from school."
"So…so cool! Is this the so-called limited edition?"
"…Ah, whatever, I'm too lazy to explain. That's right, it's really rare!"
"Erm…since you ignored it…because you're too lazy…I don't think that it's really…"
Kamijou was too lazy to retort since he was sleep deprived, and Kazakiri could only mutter two sentences back, but these words didn't seem to reach Index's ears. Index's face was blocked by the huge menu like a father who only read newspapers. Then, Index peeked her eyes out from above the menu and said to Kamijou,
"Touma, I can choose anything?"
"Ah—don't choose one that's too expensive."
Kamijou said casually, but deep inside, he was not really nervous. That was because all the dishes in the shop were either those that originated from school cafeterias or diet lunches, so logically, they shouldn't be too expensive.
'PA!' Index slammed the menu onto the table, pointed at a photo in an angle such that Kamijou was able to see it, and said,
"I want this."
"Hm? Which one?"
Kamijou looked at where Index's slender white finger was pointing. On the menu, it read:
'Tokiwadai Middle School Diet Meal—4,000 yen'
Without saying anything else, Kamijou closed the menu and knocked Index on the head with the corner of the menu.
"It hurts! Why did you suddenly hit me!?"
"Didn't I say that you can't choose those that are too expensive? Are you intending to ignore me like that?"
That electric Middle-schooler was actually eating such delicious food? Kamijou inadvertently wondered. He gingerly opened the menu again and took a look. The photographs of dishes looked like a deluxe meal that could only be eaten in a highly decorated restaurant, seemingly shining.
"…Ah…then…I want this…"
Sitting beside Kamijou and Index, who ware making a ruckus, Kazakiri Hyouka pointed her finger at a certain dish on the same page.
The photo of this diet lunch looked ordinary, a simple French loaf and milk.
Kamijou was looking somewhat touched, maybe because there was finally an example for Index to learn from.
"Watch and learn, Index, this is a good student's answer."
"Wah, Hyouka's tastes are so bland. I prefer to eat something fancy."
Facing Index, who was still arguing, Kamijou sighed.
"When you choose food, you should go by taste and not appearance, Index. Also, DON'T TRY TO USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO RECOMMEND KAZAKIRI THE TOKIWADAI MIDDLE SCHOOL DIET MEAL, IDIOT! KAZAKIRI'S ALL DEJECTED BECAUSE SHE GOT LABELED AS BLAND AND WONDERING WHETHER SHE SHOULD CHANGE ORDERS NOW!"
Kamijou couldn't help but shout out. On hearing this, Kazakiri seemed like she got shocked as she quickly grabbed the huge menu and blocked her face. It seemed like her relationship value with Kamijou just got so little that it was impossible to drop any further. It seemed like trying to get it back was harder than trying to ascend into Heaven.
After a while, the trio's serving of meals was served.
The contents included paper-carton milk, French loaves (one can choose to spread margarine), meat and potato stew, salad, fried chicken, and cup-sized yoghurt for dessert. According to the waitress who was dressed like a diet lunch server, the characteristics of the diet lunch was that it mixed both Japanese and Western cuisines, ignoring international diversity. The price was slightly higher than an original diet lunch because the ingredients used were different even though the dishes were the same, and they couldn't mass produce to lower the cost.
"Alright, everyone, let's tuck in. Oh yeah, Kazakiri, why did you choose this? Is it because you like yogurt?"
The dishes of this shop were sorted by schools, so besides the contents of the dishes, there were other reasons why these were chosen. For example, one wanted to get into a school but couldn't make it, and so they wanted to eat the food that the school offered.
However, Kazakiri didn't seem to have these thoughts. She shook her head and said,
"…That…that's…because I haven't eaten…this kind of meal before…"
"Oh? Your school never provided you with meals ever since young?"
"Erm…yeah."
For some reason, Kazakiri looked guilty, and right now, Kamijou was thinking…
(She never had a diet lunch, so that means that she had bentos for lunch all the while? In other words, it's not that she made her own bento, but that her dorm provides bentos? I'm so envious, I want a bento for lunch as well. No need to fight with others over food, I can eat in a refined manner. Hai, that dorm of mine doesn't provide breakfast nor bentos for lunch. Hold on, don't I have someone who's eating free meals at home? If I ask Index to make a bento…nonono, don't even think about that, how can that girl even cook when she can't even use a microwave?)
"Hehhehhehhehhehheh…"
Kamijou showed a sinister smile, releasing negative energy at the same time.
"…Erm…may I know…why…are your eyes so terrifying…"
"Hyouka, this is Touma's old habit. Just forgive him with regards to this, please?"