Episode 8: Sara POV

I was remembering the time I saw Takanashi-san off…

I was a little surprised to find myself waving my hand before I even realized it.

I don’t remember ever doing that before… at least, not to a boy.

In that moment… when Takanashi-san turned around, I felt this strange feeling that I can’t quite explain.

And then, before I knew it, I was waving.

「From your perspective, Sara-chan, what kind of person is Takanashi-san?」

Obaa-chan asked me with a curious look.

Well, Obaa-chan has probably never seen me talking normally to a boy my own age before.

Actually, I think Takanashi-san is different from other boys.

Just like when I’m with my friends, I feel like I can interact with him without having to think too much about it.

It must be this strange feeling that comes from meeting the first person of the opposite sex who doesn’t trigger a sense of revulsion.

I have always been bad with boys.

I don’t remember much from kindergarten, but I have memories of being bullied quite a bit in elementary school.

And it wasn’t just one or two people.

It wasn’t limited to my classmates; there were even boys from other classes who would come over specifically to tease me.

When it was bad, they would hide my things to cause me trouble.

Just by talking to a boy, people would make a huge scene about how I was close to him or how I must like him.

And even in middle school, the boys didn’t seem to have changed much.

Does the inside of their heads just stay childish without ever growing up?

It would be one thing if they were just talking about games or anime, but there were boys who would talk about those things boastfully even though I hadn’t asked.

And even though I was just being forced to listen, before I knew it, rumors would spread about us dating…

Among them, there were even boys who got carried away and said things like「Don’t talk to my woman」in their sleep-talking delusions.

It became a hassle, and since I felt like dealing with them was a waste of time, I thought I had no choice but to be blunt with these childish boys who couldn’t read the room.

「Don’t talk to me, you’re an eyesore. Who exactly is “your woman”? Are you so crazy that you can’t tell the difference between your delusions and reality?」

I still remember the shocked expression on the face of the boy who had been calling me his woman.

I think the impression boys had of me got worse after that… not that I care.

On the other hand, girls from all over started talking to me, regardless of their class.

The girls, who were sick of the childishness and annoying nature of the boys, told me I was cool or that it felt refreshing.

But even though they said those boys were a nuisance, seeing them eventually try to get close to and be friendly with those same boys felt disgusting… I guess that’s just how people are.

I have no intention of changing my stance.

However, I do understand that this attitude of mine only serves to create more enemies.

In order to make sure no one could complain…

I don’t mean to brag, but I’m not bad at studying.

I don’t dislike housework or domestic tasks either.

Since I have the time anyway, I decided to do my best in everything I could and focus on self-improvement.

Just enough so that no one could complain, making them think「If it’s her, then it can’t be helped」…

Of course, I didn’t change my stance even after entering high school.

The differences between boys seem to be getting bigger, but…

Lightweight, flashy guys with brown hair who look stupid just by looking at them… they expose their own low-level nature and make a huge scene regardless of where they are, using language that feels unpleasant.

Even though they know nothing about me, some even show up and suddenly ask me to date them with that same frivolous attitude.

Beyond that, even with boys who look normal, the number of people who confess they love me even though we’re complete strangers has increased.

I don’t understand the meaning of being told you’re loved suddenly when you aren’t even acquaintances. What exactly do they know about me, and what parts do they supposedly like?

With the number of boys like that increasing, I know my own attitude has hardened even more because I’m so fed up.

I had my own goals, so I accepted the invitation from the student council without a second thought.

It’s not that I wanted it, but before I knew it, I became the Vice President, and I moved to fulfill student requests as much as possible if I thought they were necessary… naturally, it was a calculated move.

I thought that if I could successfully fulfill the student council requests within a range that wasn’t too difficult, it would help in making those around me acknowledge me.

I worked hard at my studies too.

I think my grades in PE, home economics, and other non-written subjects aren’t bad either.

Before I knew it, my senpai, my classmates, and my kouhai had all started saying I was amazing.

I intended to just do things normally, but I was genuinely happy to be thanked.

Though because it was calculated, it was hard to express that happiness honestly.

The number of people who help me also increased.

Especially my classmate Natsumi; she’s an active girl who looks just like her boyish appearance, and she was the type of person who would always push through even with someone like me who has a bad personality.

So before I knew it, we were able to talk normally.

Now, I consider her a very important best friend.

In the student council, I think everyone accepts me properly.

As the Vice President, I give out instructions as usual.

Sometimes… no, it’s always… I say harsh things.

I suppose that’s why there aren’t many people who approach me unless there’s a clear reason.

It was around that time that I met Takanashi-san.

He seemed like a type of boy I hadn’t had around me until now.

If you were to ask me exactly where… I would be at a loss, but every time we interacted at school, I became a little more interested in him.

After returning home, I was idly thinking about today’s events.

…That’s right, a thank-you…

That being said, I’m troubled about what to do.

Since I made a promise that it would be「something simple.」

In the first place, I have absolutely never given a gift to a boy before.

Sweets don’t really click… and even if I gave him some small accessory that I don’t even know if he needs…

To see if I can find some kind of hint, let’s try remembering the usual Takanashi-san at the flower beds.

First, he comes to the flower beds and eats his meal…

I noticed that Takanashi-san always eats nothing but onigiri.

A bento… since it won’t do to overlap with onigiri, maybe just the side dishes…

If only I knew what kind of side dishes Takanashi-san likes…

I ended up thinking of it quite easily.

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