LMLCG – Episode 8 – Sara’s POV

I found myself thinking back to the moment I saw Takanashi-san off…

I was a little surprised to find myself waving at him.

I don’t recall ever doing that before… At least not to a boy.

At that moment, when Takanashi-san turned to look back, I felt a strange, indescribable emotion.

And before I knew it, I was waving.

“What kind of person is Takanashi-san to you, Sara-chan?”

Obaa-chan asked with curious eyes.

Well, she’d probably never seen me talking normally with someone my age, especially a boy.

The truth is, I do think Takanashi-san is different from the other boys.

I feel like I can talk to him the same way I do with my friends, without having to overthink things.

Maybe that’s why he feels so mysterious to me, as the first boy who doesn’t make me feel uncomfortable.

I’ve never been good with boys.

I don’t remember much from kindergarten, but in elementary school, I was often bullied by them.

And it wasn’t just one or two boys.

Some even came from other classes just to tease me.

There were times when they’d hide my things to mess with me.

And if I so much as talked to a boy, people would say, “You two are close,” or “You like him, don’t you?”

Nothing really changed when I got to middle school either.

Do their brains just stop developing at a certain point?

Talking about games and anime is one thing, but there were boys who’d go on about it proudly without me even asking.

And just from sitting there listening, suddenly people would start rumors about us dating…

Some would even say absurd things like, “Don’t talk to my girl,” as if I belonged to them.

It got so exhausting that I decided not to waste my time dealing with immature boys who couldn’t read the room.

So I just said it straight.

“Don’t talk to me. You’re an eyesore. Who exactly is your girl? Are you so delusional you can’t tell fantasy from reality?”

The stunned look on the boy who had called me his “girl” is something I still remember clearly.

After that, I’m sure the boys’ impression of me only got worse… Not that it matters.

Strangely, girls started talking to me more, even girls from other classes.

Some of them had also been fed up with how childish and annoying boys could be, and they told me I was cool and that it was satisfying to see someone speak up.

But even those girls who claimed to be fed up with boys eventually started trying to get close to them again. Honestly, it looked pathetic to me… I guess that’s just how it is.

I have no intention of changing my stance.

But I also understand that my attitude might only increase the number of people who dislike me.

So, to avoid giving anyone a reason to complain…

Not to brag, but I’m not bad at studying.

I don’t dislike housework or other domestic tasks either.

Since I have time, I decided I would give my best in everything I could and improve myself.

I wanted to be so competent that people would say, “Well, if it’s her, then it can’t be helped,” and have no grounds to criticize me.

Even in high school, my stance didn’t change.

Though the differences among the boys have become more noticeable…

There are the shallow, frivolous ones with hair dyed brown who can’t even behave properly, talking loudly with crude language and making a scene wherever they go.

There are boys who don’t even know me, yet ask me out in that same casual tone.

Even the more “normal” looking boys have started confessing their feelings to me despite not knowing a single thing about me.

I mean, how can you say you like someone you’ve never even spoken to? What do they think they know about me, and what exactly do they like?

As more of these boys appeared, I became even more guarded. I can tell that myself.

I had my own goals, so when the student council invited me, I agreed without hesitation.

It wasn’t something I wanted, but before I knew it, I became the vice president.

I worked to fulfill as many requests as possible, especially those that I felt were necessary from the students…of course, it was for my own selfish reasons.

By limiting the student council’s efforts to manageable tasks and carrying them out efficiently, I figured it would help me earn the acknowledgment of those around me.

I studied hard as well.

Even in PE and Home Ec, my practical grades weren’t bad.

Before I knew it, my seniors, classmates, and juniors alike began to say I was amazing.

I thought I was just doing what was normal, but hearing their appreciation made me genuinely happy.

Though because I’d done it all with calculation, it was hard to express that happiness openly.

More people started offering to help me.

Among them, my classmate Natsumi stood out, her boyish appearance matched her outgoing personality, and despite my poor social skills, she always approached me directly.

Before I realized it, I could talk to her naturally.

Now, I consider her a very dear friend.

I think everyone in the student council accepts me properly.

As vice president, I give directions as usual.

Sometimes… or rather, always… I say harsh things.

Maybe that’s why no one approaches me unless they have a clear reason to.

And then, I met Takanashi-san.

He seemed like a completely different type of boy from anyone I’d encountered before.

It’s hard to explain exactly what was different, but the more we interacted at school, the more he stayed on my mind.

When I got home, I found myself reflecting on today.

…Right. That thank-you gift…

But now that I think about it, I’m not sure what to do.

I promised him something “simple,” after all.

I’ve never given a gift to a boy before.

Sweets don’t feel quite right… and giving him a small item he might not even need…

I tried to picture the usual Takanashi-san at the flower bed to see if any ideas came to mind.

First, he always shows up and eats his lunch…

I realized he only ever eats rice balls.

If I gave him a lunch box… that would overlap with the rice balls, so maybe just a side dish…

If I can figure out his favorite side dish…

The idea came to me surprisingly easily.

If I see him tomorrow, I’ll try to ask casually.