In a class where hardly anyone pays attention anymore, I seriously pondered.
What could possibly please Sara?
Honestly, I don’t think I know Sara well at all. I’ve read her memories and feel what she feels in different situations, but in truth, it all feels somewhat superficial.
Even if I read her memories and feel her emotions, they’re not mine. I see Sara’s memories from my perspective, like watching an ultra-realistic drama or movie.
Most importantly, Sara was the type who rarely talked to herself.
You might wonder what that has to do with anything, but as I said, I view Sara’s memories from my point of view. The memories created through her perspective and thoughts are never entirely accurate. Human brains work differently from computers in terms of storage.
Based on the facts experienced, I look at the world reconstructed according to Sara’s thoughts, but from my own view.
Of course, if Sara doesn’t open up, I can’t know what she’s thinking at all.
She doesn’t say much even while eating, nor does she engage in conversation with anyone.
In Sara’s past, the only person she was obsessed with was Choi Na-kyung.
So, it’s no wonder that even after reading so many memories and feeling Sara’s emotions in real-time, I still feel it’s “superficial.”
Look, in this very moment, Sara was feeling joy.
If you were to ask what joy she felt while attending this extremely boring class, Sara wouldn’t bother to answer, as if daring you to guess.
Boo!
Or maybe she’d just laugh and tease like that.
Thus, my dilemma only deepened.
What on Earth does Sara like?
And of course, there are kids who are feeling an even higher level of difficulty than I am.
Right next to me, Sohee and Ha Neul were both deep in some serious thought.
…They’re probably thinking of gifts for me, not for Sara… If that’s the case, I wouldn’t care at all.
I don’t even have memories of giving or receiving birthday gifts among friends. We just meet up for a meal when possible, or if not, chat on Kakao to wish each other happy birthday.
It’s not that I don’t have memories of exchanging birthday gifts, but those were typically before middle school. My parents still gave me birthday gifts until college, but…
Well, usually it was just money. I’d receive cash and buy what I needed.
But no matter what, exchanging envelopes of cash between friends feels a bit off.
What are we, receiving gifts like it’s for our parents?
Most importantly, in this school those kinds of gifts are everywhere, so if I did that, I’d feel like I’d become just another person like everyone else.
So, I wouldn’t care about anything.
I had faith that no matter how strange the gifts were, they wouldn’t be burdensome.
“……”
Oh, but…
If I were to receive a gift… wouldn’t I also have to give birthday gifts back to these guys?
Not just birthdays, but probably for anniversaries, like gifts for Christmas as well.
…That’s tough.
But thankfully, I was the first one to receive gifts.
I could think of what to give to the others over the next few months.
…Tsk.
Sara seemed to sulk suddenly.
Is it because her emotions fluctuate so much since she’s still in her teens?
Feeling the displeasure slowly rising from the depths of my consciousness, I pondered like that.
*
“By the way, you have a birthday coming up soon.”
In the middle of having lunch as usual, Son Ah-reum casually brought it up.
Naturally, I was taken aback.
Not just me, but Ha Neul, Sua, and Sohee were all surprised too. Until just yesterday, these three didn’t even know Sara’s birthday.
“Uh, y-yeah… it is my birthday. How did you know?”
“Well…”
In response to my question, Son Ah-reum looked down gloomily as she answered.
“I checked the student information because I wanted to give you a disciplinary action.”
“Oh…”
But is it even okay for a student to check that?
Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter much, even if the student council at this school feels invisible. In this genre, it’s common for the student council’s power to be on par with that of a small government within the school.
I nodded and thought, whatever.
“So I want to give you a gift…”
Son Ah-reum looked up cautiously and observed me, her eyes slightly lifted as she spoke.
“Is that okay?”
Should you really be asking that?
…I didn’t think so.
It’s natural among close friends to exchange gifts for birthdays, but a gift from someone you’re ‘not very close’ to can feel eerie.
Even if I were a guy, wouldn’t it be a bit scary if a girl I’ve never exchanged a word with at school handed me a giant teddy bear?
That would be downright creepy. No matter how pretty she is.
Isn’t that just stalking?
“It’s fine.”
So, I answered her trembling hands.
“Yay!”
Son Ah-reum nodded excitedly, her antennae shaking vigorously up and down, which was a bit funny.
I shrugged at her and was about to continue eating when—
I realized the atmosphere around us had suddenly gone eerily quiet.
Now, nobody ignores me in this school. Whether they are teachers or students, most of those who used to disregard me have at least acknowledged me with a glance as they passed by, and the scholarship students who had received money from me waved cheerfully.
And all the jittery teachers or students hurriedly left the school. It seemed about half the students in our classroom, which was already half empty, had rushed off for some reason. Likely some rich kids found a vacant house nearby.
Anyway, because of that, the spots that used to be empty around us were now filled tightly. It wasn’t that they were trying to look good; rather, they seemed scared of being treated the same way as those who had to awkwardly leave if they acted like before.
So nowadays, our surroundings had become quite lively…
“Hmm?”
Feeling the strangely quiet atmosphere and looking around, everyone started fearfully eating their meals.
No, acting like that only makes it look weirder.
…Well, maybe it doesn’t really matter.
Even if I’ve escaped from group bullying, I’m still a person who needs to be careful at school, and they might just want to collect information about what someone like that says.
If I were to meticulously catch those actions one by one, it would only give me a headache.
So, I just ignored the surrounding circumstances and continued eating.
I’ve been feeling much healthier lately. My weight has increased, and I’ve been eating more than when I first entered this body.
That’s a good thing.
“Um, but…”
In the middle of eating, Son Ah-reum hesitated and started speaking again.
“Hmm?”
“Do you, by any chance, have a gift you want?”
To her stumbling words, I shrugged and replied.
“I don’t really care. A gift is what the giver feels.”
“Eh.”
At my response, Son Ah-reum looked like she might gag a bit.
Did something get stuck in her throat?
*
That was quite important information.
In this school, there are many ways to pass bribes to someone while avoiding the “law.”
There were intentionally some places without CCTV, and people exchanged gifts pretending to give something valuable back and forth to give or receive money.
Like putting a check in between books, or hiding cash in a juice box.
Many people had all sorts of bizarre methods for giving and receiving money, even if these methods aren’t common.
The problem was, though, that the recipient was ‘Ye Sara.’
Yes, the heir of the wealthiest family in this country.
Moreover, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say the company was practically rolling into Ye Sara’s hands since even the chairwoman was currently pregnant.
Of course, she wasn’t even thinking about that, but the students at this school wouldn’t know about such circumstances.
So during lunch break, right after Ye Sara hinted at her birthday, the kids who heard it started to ponder deeply.
They wanted to make a good impression on Ye Sara.
It wouldn’t do any harm to be in her good graces, right?
Most of the students still remaining at this school either couldn’t change schools or wanted to hold on to the name value that had yet to fade or preserve the human relationships they’d already built.
Clearly, they’d be seeing Ye Sara until graduation, so it makes sense to be on her good side, they thought.
However, I certainly had no thoughts about such things. But the other students wouldn’t know that at all.
But thinking about it again, the recipient was ‘Ye Sara.’
That is to say, one of the wealthiest people in the country, Ye Sara.
…Then it’s clear that ordinary bribes would not work.
What in the world should one offer?
The surrounding eyes shifted towards the kids sitting near Ye Sara. They glanced and scrutinized their expressions and actions.
Perhaps those kids who were always around her might be able to help.
A few people had made some serious mistakes in thinking so.
