"Phew... That was delicious."
Man, I was satisfied.
The new bento box was larger than the one I’d been using, and I really appreciated that Sara-senpai had been a bit more generous with the portions.
"It was no trouble at all. I was worried I might have packed a bit too much, but it seems you didn't have any trouble finishing it?"
"If it’s your cooking, Senpai, I could eat twice this much without a second thought."
"You certainly ate with gusto," Natsumi remarked. "I suppose any cook would be happy to see someone enjoy their food that much."
"Yes, it makes the effort feel well worth it. I'm quite happy," Sara-senpai added.
Naturally, I was happy too.
"Hmm, I'm getting curious about what kind of reaction I'd get if I made something... Hey, Takanashi-kun, maybe next time I could make you a ben—"
"I believe we already discussed that I would be the one preparing Takanashi-san's bento, did we not?"
"Sorry! Never mind, ignore me!"
Hmm... another peaceful lunchtime.
Now then, time for the watering.
Fifth period was Home Economics—specifically, a sewing class.
I consider myself reasonably proficient at sewing, whether by hand or with a sewing machine. I’ve put in the effort to study it on my own, after all.
Since we were given a free assignment, I decided to try my hand at making a sashiko drawstring bag. My grandmother had taught me the technique once before, and since it’s quite a challenging project, I thought I would give it a go. It’s time-consuming, but I find it very enjoyable.
Beside me, Natsumi appeared to be working on a pillowcase.
"Man, Sara, you're really going all out. I knew you were good with your hands, but what are you even going to use that for after putting in all that work?"
"I intend to use it for storage, of course. I haven't decided exactly what for yet, though."
"Between the cooking and the sewing, your Home Economics skills are flawless. You're a literal bundle of femininity, Sara."
"No kidding. Is there actually anything you’re bad at, Satsukawa-san?"
The other girls in my group chimed in, joining the conversation. I can handle this much social interaction well enough.
"Of course there are. In particular, my social skills are—"
"That’s the fatal part for you, Sara," Natsumi interrupted. "Well, maybe that’ll improve a little from now on. I guess we can look forward to the future."
"What do you mean by that?"
She was saying things I didn't quite understand again.
"Is that so? But with your level of femininity, Satsukawa-san, you could probably take down any guy in school in a heartbeat if you felt like it."
"I have no intention of involving myself with men I have no interest in. If I am to do something for someone, it will be for Taka... ah..."
That’s right—Takanashi-san.
I shall make this bag for Takanashi-san.
If I modify the design slightly, I can make it the perfect size to hold Takanashi-san's bento box. The moment the idea took hold, my motivation reached an all-time high.
"That’s definitely the look of a girl who just had a revelation about Takanashi-kun..."
"Natsumi-chan, who’s Takanashi-kun?"
Oops. Slipped up and said it out loud.
Well, it’s not like they’re completely in the dark, so a little bit of info shouldn't hurt.
"Ah, remember? I mentioned it in the Class Community RAIN the other day—how we shouldn't carelessly gossip about that certain first-year boy."
"Oh! So that Takanashi-kun is the boy from the rumors."
"Did something happen regarding Takanashi-san?"
Oh, looks like she’s finally finished rebooting. Her reaction time is as terrifyingly sharp as ever when it comes to him.
"N-No, I was just saying it looked like you’d thought of something regarding Takanashi-kun. I just gave them a brief explanation while I was at it."
"Yeah, we'd heard about him, but we didn't know his name until now."
"I see. Well, it is nothing of the sort. I simply realized what the purpose of this drawstring bag should be."
Phew... managed to avoid any further prying.
"Is that so? You going to use it as it is?"
"No, it will require a few adjustments. Now, if you'll excuse me, I shall get to work immediately."
It looked like once she decided on a purpose for it, her motivation skyrocketed.
"So, what kind of relationship does he actually have with Satsukawa-san?"
It seemed like the other girls had realized that just saying his name was enough to get a reaction out of her.
"He's her only male friend," I explained. "Sara still isn't used to guys in general, so she tends to overreact a bit."
"I see. But Satsukawa-san having a guy friend at all... that’s kind of hard to believe."
Well, if you've seen the old Sara, it’s only natural to feel that way. I couldn't believe it at first, either.
"Wait! Was the guy whose shirt she was wiping in the classroom that same boy? ...And they’re just friends?"
"Friends. When Sara got angry in class the other day, she said he was her friend, didn't she?"
"Now that you mention it, I guess she did. Friends, huh..."
They still seemed a bit unconvinced. Well, Sara’s behavior is definitely a bit too intense to be called "just friends."
...By the way, her attitude toward everyone else today was a lot milder than usual.
I wondered if getting close to Takanashi-kun was finally starting to soften the edges of the woman everyone knew as the Empress?