Asano had lost his entire family in a tragic car accident not too long ago. This trauma left him with deep dread, terrified that he might one day lose anyone else he held dear. This fear manifested in severe social anxiety, making it nearly impossible for him to connect with others. Although he appreciated the kindness of his classmates, whenever they invited him to hang out during lunch, he always found himself turning them down. After the tenth rejection, his classmates were beginning to lose hope.
They had been in the same class for over a month but had yet to spend any real time with him. Still, they remained persistent and decided to try again tomorrow, hoping he’d feel more comfortable by then.
As Asano watched them leave, his childhood friend, Mutumi, approached him and plopped a bento box onto his head. "You're hopeless, you know that?" she scolded, pointing out that aside from her, Asano had no friends.
Asano shrugged, unbothered by this fact, though Mutumi was determined to get through to him. She had made lunch for them to share and wasn't taking no for an answer. Knowing he hadn’t been eating well due to his anxiety and constant stress, she insisted he join her for a meal. Eventually, Asano relented and sat down with her, though her comments about his lack of friends lingered in his mind.
Mutumi wasn't exactly a social butterfly either; she rejected every guy that tried to talk to her almost immediately.
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