LMLCG – Episode 5 – Rumors and Truth

Today, like always, I was in a terrible mood.

The idiots in class were louder than ever, and more people were starting to join them. The classroom had become so immature, it was hard to believe we were in high school anymore, and I was getting sick of it.

Deciding to ignore everyone as usual, I left the classroom as soon as lunch break started. I just wanted to be alone and headed straight to the flower bed.

I figured I could calm myself down there. With the weather starting to warm up, I even began thinking it might be time to increase how often we watered the plants.

I wasn’t even in the gardening club or anything. I wasn’t responsible for any of this. So why was I thinking that way? I almost laughed at myself.

Still… a part of me hoped I might run into Satsukawa-senpai, whom I had awkwardly walked away from last time. I knew I had been rude, and I did want to apologize.

“Good afternoon.”

When I arrived at the flower bed, Satsukawa-senpai was already there watering the plants.

The water sparkled in the sunlight as it sprayed, and the way the light reflected on her made her look truly like a goddess.

I found myself staring, speechless.

“………”

“Takanashi-san? Is something wrong?”

She called me by name.

I hadn’t expected her to remember it.

I was honestly happy. The shock of that brought me back to my senses.

“Sorry, I was just spacing out. Hello again, Senpai.”

“Hello. What brings you here today?”

There was nothing cold or intimidating about her today.

Compared to last time, her demeanor seemed entirely different.

I figured now was a good time to talk, so I brought up something that had crossed my mind earlier.

“I came to check on the flowers. Since it’s getting warmer, I was wondering if we should start watering them more often.”

“I thought the same. It’s true, we may need to.”

She let go of the grip on the hose to stop the water, then turned to look at me.

Then she seemed to notice the bag I was holding.

“By the way, have you already eaten lunch?”

“Ah, no. Not yet.”

“In that case, I’ll take care of the watering. Please, enjoy your lunch.”

“Thank you. I’ll take you up on that.”

I sat on the usual bench and unpacked my lunch.

Was Senpai in a good mood today?

Compared to our first meeting and her sharp attitude before, this felt like a completely different person.

“If you don’t have enough to drink, feel free to help yourself to that bottled water. There are some disposable cups over there too…”

“Eh? Thank you so much!”

“You’re welcome. Take your time.”

I hadn’t expected her to be that kind, so I was genuinely surprised.

Looking at her face, she wasn’t smiling… Her expression was as unreadable as ever, but she didn’t seem displeased.

Whatever the case, her kindness made me happy.

When I finished eating, as if she had been waiting for it, she spoke again.

“Up until now, we’ve been informally alternating the watering duties, but with the heat increasing, perhaps it would be better to have a proper schedule.”

“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea.”

Looks like she had the same thought.

She seemed like she was about to continue, but suddenly looked a little startled, as if something had just occurred to her.

“Forgive me. I should’ve confirmed this earlier… Takanashi-san, you’ve been tending to these flowers out of kindness, haven’t you? Is it alright to assume you’d be willing to continue helping?”

Ah, she noticed that.

It’s true, I wasn’t officially assigned to do this. Whether I continued or not was entirely up to me.

But this flower bed had become one of the few places I felt comfortable. Even if it started casually, I didn’t want to quit halfway.

Also… I couldn’t deny that I wanted to see Senpai again.

“Of course. I started this on my own, and I don’t see any reason to stop now.”

“Thank you. In that case, I look forward to working with you in the future.”

She gave a small bow.

I had heard all kinds of rumors about her, the harshness, the reputation as the “lonely goddess,” and had seen her be sharp with others.

But honestly, I didn’t think any of that fit her today.

She didn’t seem cold at all. Her tone was polite and composed. She responded when I spoke and even initiated conversation herself.

“In that case, shall we alternate days between us?”

“I’m fine with that. Also, if it’s not a bother, would it be okay if I kept coming here during lunch break?”

“I don’t mind… Are you sure?”

The reason I came here was because I didn’t want to be in the classroom. I hoped to continue doing that.

I didn’t think I’d said anything strange, but Senpai looked a bit hesitant. Why?

“You may already know, but… I’m not exactly someone known for being easy to get along with.”

So that was it.

But that didn’t bother me at all. In fact, I didn’t feel that way about her.

“Actually, I just… don’t want to be in the classroom. After coming here a few times, it started to feel like this place belongs to me… in a way.”

When I shared my honest feelings, Senpai seemed to understand and gave a small nod.

Looking closely, I realized, though she seemed expressionless, her face did shift, just slightly.

“I see… I think I understand that feeling.”

“Really?”

That answer surprised me, but it made me think she might really accept me here.

“Yes. Then, like before, I’ll also try to come during lunch when I can. But if there’s ever a time when neither of us can come, these flowers might suffer, so… would you mind exchanging contact info with me, just in case?”

That caught me off guard.

It was a fair point, but still, I didn’t expect to be exchanging contact info with her…

“Y-Yes! Would RAIN be okay, Senpai?”

I chose the most common free messaging app, an easy choice.

I pulled out my phone from my pocket and opened the app, displaying my barcode.

Senpai scanned it with her own phone.

“…I’ve registered you. How about you, Takanashi-san?”

“Yep, I’ve got you registered too.”

It was the first time I’d exchanged contact info with anyone since entering high school, and to think it was with the goddess herself. I could hardly believe it.

While looking at her phone, Senpai muttered:

“Come to think of it, this is the first time I’ve ever registered a guy’s contact on RAIN… It feels… a bit strange.”

So she was thinking something similar too.

Judging by her expression, I don’t think she meant it in a bad way.

“Ah, was that… a bad thing?”

“No, not at all. I do have male classmates and student council members around me, but it’s just… strange that none of them were the first. And now it’s you.”

I see…

Normally, there would be plenty of guys she could’ve exchanged contacts with. But she hadn’t.

For someone like me, sitting in a corner with no social connections, to be her first contact, it must have felt strange indeed.

“Actually, it’s the same for me. I haven’t exchanged contacts with any of my classmates yet… and my first is the vice president of the student council. It’s kind of surreal.”

She seemed slightly worried after I said that.

“Um… you didn’t mean that in a bad way, right?”

“Of course not. I’m honestly really happy. I might even end up messaging you about something unrelated.”

I joked a little, but deep down, I really did want to send her a message.

“Well, that’s what the app is for… Feel free to message me anytime.”

Her reply felt like a polite formality, but I appreciated it.

Just then, the warning bell for the end of lunch break rang.

“Ah, I need to clean up quickly…”

“I’ll help.”

“Sorry, I appreciate it very much.”

We detached the nozzle from the hose and wound up the reel.

Since we only watered the plants today, cleanup was quick. We’d make it back in time.

“Well then, see you tomorrow.”

“Yes, thanks for your hard work.”

Even though I just went with the flow, I ended up exchanging RAIN contacts with Senpai.

That small thing made me happy, and gave me the feeling that I could get through this miserable afternoon.