"There," I said, looking up.
This shift is critical. During school, Komi reacts. After school, she acts . Meeting Komi After School
In Chapter 6 of the manga (Episode 4 in the anime), we get the first major instance of this. Tadano, having forgotten his notebook, returns to the classroom to find Komi sitting alone by the window, watching the sunset paint the soccer field gold. She isn't posing. She isn't frozen in stoic elegance. She is just there —a girl watching the day end, afraid to go home where no one is waiting, but too scared to join the afterschool crowds in the city. "There," I said, looking up
"Komi-san?"