LMLCG – Episode 38 – A Friendly Analysis

“This one is cute too…”

Senpai murmured while examining a bento box.

Right now, she is looking at one with a cat illustration on it.

Honestly, I’d imagined something more masculine and simple, but… well, if Senpai likes it, then I have no complaints.

“Sara doesn’t care about what’s ‘for guys.’ She’ll definitely pick something cute.”

“I just… can’t picture Kazunari eating out of a cute bento box…”

It’ll probably take them some time to choose. Let’s take this chance to sort out some things.

“Let’s properly introduce ourselves while we have time. Once again, I’m Yuuzuki Natsumi, second year, and I’m that girl’s, Satsukawa Sara’s, friend and classmate…”

“I’m Tachibana Yuuji. I’ve known Kazunari since elementary school.”

“Nice to meet you, Tachibana-kun. So I’m guessing the fact you’re here today means you’re a little worried, too?”

“Nice to meet you too, Yuuzuki-san. Yeah, Kazunari has a few things he’s dealing with… and besireds, it’s been a while since he went out with anyone other than me, so I was curious.”

Dealing with something, huh…?

I’m curious, but it’d be rude to ask so suddenly.

“I tagged along because I was worried about Sara’s first date. Definitely not because it looked interesting.”

“…I see. By the way, let me ask something basic. Satsukawa-san calls Kazunari her ‘friend’ publicly, right? That’s accurate?”

So he’s picking up on that, too.

Which means Takanashi-kun is taking Sara’s words seriously…

“Yeah, she definitely says he’s a ‘precious friend’… So, Tachibana-kun, can I count you as an ally? There are a few things I’d rather not tell Takanashi-kun directly.”

“I just want Kazunari to finally find some peace. He’s kind, but he’s endured some terrible things because of the people around him. If this could lead to his happiness, I’ll help however I can.”

Alright. He seems trustworthy.

I’m curious about the “terrible things” he experienced but I guess it has to do with the “things he’s dealing with.”

Still, birds of a feather… Tachibana-kun’s clearly a good guy, too.

“Okay. So here’s something just between us: Sara hasn’t really realized her own feelings yet. She’s never fallen in love before, so even if she feels jealousy or possessiveness, she just brushes it off as a quirk of having a male best friend. I haven’t corrected her on it either.”

“I figured. The way she acts doesn’t seem like someone who’s just treating him as a friend.”

“Exactly. Her priority for Takanashi-kun is way beyond what’s normal for a friend, but she doesn’t seem to notice, or rather, she doesn’t care. She thinks it’s all within the bounds of friendship, even stuff that screams ‘romantic interest’ to everyone else.”

“Is she the kind of person who tends to misinterpret things?”

“Well, Sara used to avoid guys entirely for personal reasons. So now, with this being her first time getting close to a boy, and possibly her first love, it’s like all her emotions are bubbling over. She can’t really control them yet.”

“I see… So that explains why her actions don’t align with just ‘friendship,’ even though she insists otherwise.”

“What about Takanashi-kun? How does he feel?”

That’s the big question.

At the very least, I suspect his feelings go beyond friendship…

“He’s… aligning himself with what Satsukawa-san wants.”

“Aligning?”

“He just wants to be whatever she needs him to be. If Satsukawa-san says ‘friend,’ then he’ll be her friend. He says it doesn’t matter what the relationship is called, his feelings for her won’t change.”

Ahh… I guess that’s typical of Takanashi-kun…

Basically, he treasures her so much that he’s okay being anything for her.

…Nope. I definitely want to get these two together now.

“…I can’t say much since it’s personal to him, but back in middle school, something happened. Since then, he hasn’t wanted people who already knew him, he’s been searching for someone who could learn who he is now and still accept him. So when someone like that finally appeared, it’s no wonder he clings to them. Even when I ask, he never says he wants to be her boyfriend, or that he’s in love.”

“I see… But if that’s the case, then he’s putting Sara’s feelings first, even if that’s not what he truly wants?”

“I think… deep down, he does have feelings for her. But since she clearly calls him a friend, he’s determined to stick with that.”

“…I understand. Then the first step is for Sara to realize what her own feelings actually are. That’s what I want too, but I also want to let her discover it herself.”

That’s my honest wish.

For Sara, who’s finally opened her heart to someone, to slowly figure out what she’s feeling.

“I feel the same. No matter what’s going on, if Kazunari’s genuinely happy right now, there’s no need to force anything. Let’s just make sure things don’t go in a bad direction and watch over them.”

Agreed.

Well, it turns out Tachibana-kun is a good guy who cares about his friends. I think we’ll work well together.

“Alright, now that we support characters have shared intel and agreed on our approach… let’s get back to observing today’s date for now.”

“Sounds good.”