"I'm still a little worried about sewing needles every once in a while.

I don't think about it all the time, of course.

It'd be pretty rude if I poked at my food while eating lunch with you guys, wouldn't it?

Of course I know that no one would actually put a sewing needle inside of my food."

"......But you're still a little scared?"

"Well...

Maybe I am somewhere inside my heart."

"......So.

...You saw a sewing needle...

...inside the ohagi that Mii gave you?"

.........

"......You saw a sewing needle inside of one?"

"Yeah.

...I did."

Inside that ohagi...

there was a needle, just as I feared...

.........Why was I telling her about something that was just my imagination?

Mion and Rena came to see me when I took a day off from school while I was sick.

...That never happened, so obviously my brain was just making it up...

But I spoke to Rika-chan

because she said she wouldn't make fun of me.

"......Are you afraid of this ohagi now? Do you feel like there might be a needle inside?

Is that why you're not eating it?"

I realized that Mion and Rena were also looking at me.

They were wondering why I was staring at the ohagi without eating it.

"Oh... you don't like ohagi, Kei-chan...?

If you don't, you don't have to eat it..."

Mion was assuming that I didn't like ohagi.

...She felt bad for forcing me to eat something I didn't like.

In turn, I felt guilty seeing the sad expression on her face.

"Sis, he must be convinced that you put something in it."

I immediately denied Shion's remark.

...No one else would understand what I'm saying.

Even I didn't know.

"No, I know for sure that there's no sewing needle inside this ohagi."

"A-A sewing needle?

Why would this ol' man put something like that in there?"

"Aha ha ha... of course you wouldn't.

You're not the type to visit and bring something with you out of pure generosity.

You might play a trick with tabasco sauce or something, but you'd never put needles inside.

You'd never do something as dangerous as that...

I know you would never do such thing."

I grabbed the ohagi with my hand.

As I brought it in front of my mouth, I felt the need to check it, just in case...

...But I told myself clearly.

Hey, you wimp!

When are you going to stop being scared of that stupid comic book?

Mion brought these ohagi to treat everyone in the class.

There's no way she'd put needles inside of these!

I forced that stupid memory out of my brain and munched on the ohagi.

"Mmmm... It's delicious!!"

"Of course it is!

There wasn't a needle inside, was there?!"

"No way.

I'm really sorry.

I was just caught up in a traumatic experience I once had..."

My heart had stopped pounding, and I felt relieved.

The next moment, I got the urge to say something to Mion.

It wasn't the right thing to say, but I just felt like I had to say it.

"Hey, Mion."

"Huh? What is it?"

"The ohagi was delicious."

"Huh?

Ahahahahaha. I'm glad I brought them then, even though they were really heavy!"

I didn't know why I wanted to tell her again that the ohagi was delicious.

But I was glad I said that to her.

...I was finally released from that odd feeling.

"Well then!

Since Kei-chan overcame his fears and ate the ohagi, you should eat this squash, Satoko-chan!

Mm, it's so soft and sweet~!"

"How can that lunch box always be so full of squash!?

You're going to give me a traumatic experience!"

"Ahahahaha!

Shii-chan is trying so hard to stop Satoko-chan from hating squash!"

"She's so passionate about it.

Maybe she sees her as her future little sister. Heh heh heh!"

By the time I finished eating my ohagi, we had returned to our usual, fun lunch time.

"......Keiichi.

What if?"

"Hm?

What if what?"

"......What if you really do see a needle inside your food?

...What would you do...?"

"That's not going to happen.

Don't you threaten me, Rika-chan."

"......Keiichi.

What if it really happens...?"

Rika-chan looked at me with a serious face as I joked around.

What's gotten into her lately...?

"Stop it.

It's not going to happen, and I don't believe it will."

I had just overcome my stupid trauma after all that.

That's why I made that firm statement.

"I understand.

......Keiichi.

I'm sorry I'm asking you so much...

...If you see a needle inside your food, it's definitely some kind of mistake...

Please don't ever believe that it's Mii's fault."

"You're just trying to tell me not to be suspicious of Mion, right?

Of course I won't!

I would never be suspicious of my friends!"

I raised my fist in the air.

Rika-chan finally looked happy.

She smiled as if she was relieved by my words.