364 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

Miyagi's Troubling Thoughts for Me Chapter 364 While I wished the holidays could last longer, having them go on forever would be problematic. If summer vacation never ended, university wouldn’t start, and without university starting, Miyagi’s birthday wouldn’t come. So today was a much-anticipated day. “What are you planning to do after this, Hazuki?” Mio, who was sitting next to me, grabbed my arm tightly. I tried to gently pull my arm away, but Mio’s grip didn’t loosen. Since I was just about to leave after our final class of the day, I couldn’t shake off a sense of foreboding. “Going home.” That was the only plan I had. Truthfully, unless I had to tutor, my schedule would always be the same after class ended—going straight home. “Before that, though—before you head home.” “I don’t have any plans before that. I intend to go straight home.” “Want to make a detour with me?” Mio said with a bright smile. “Hmm, I’d like to get home early today.” “It’s more like you want to get home early ‘as always,’ isn’t it?” “If you already know, isn’t asking just unnecessary?” “Just in case. But if you’re heading straight home, that’s fine too. Just give me five minutes to talk.” While I was itching to go home as soon as possible, spending five minutes with Mio wouldn’t hurt. Friends should be cherished, after all. Miyagi thinks so too, and she makes sure I know. Plus, she’s told me to treat Mio well. Even though I have certain feelings about Mio getting too close to Miyagi, I know that I should be proper friends with Mio, and so I ought to hear her out at least. “Sure, what is it?” Let it be an invitation to a mixer—I can easily turn that down. If it's about a café job, that’d be slightly more bothersome. I put on a smile and looked at Mio. “It’s about the birthday party for Hazuki and Shiori. Why don’t the four of us go out for drinks?” “Utsunomiya can’t drink yet.” Mio’s unexpected proposal took a turn for the worse, and I expressed a justifiable reason to cut the conversation short. “Oh, that’s right. Then how about coming to my place? We could invite Noto-senpai too.” I know Mio means no harm. But the bad idea just got worse. I detached her hand from my arm and set it on the desk. Mio is one of those people who won’t frown if you turn down an invite, and she’s the type who'll treat you the same the next day without needing any appeasement. She’s assertive but can be categorized as a frank and pleasant person. Although sometimes a bit troublesome, spending time with her isn’t bad at all. But that’s only when it doesn’t involve Miyagi. Right now, I’m in anything but a cheerful mood. “If you’d like, why not come to my place? Miyagi will be there too.” I maintained my smile as I proposed a counteroffer. “Is that okay?” “Sure. Although, as you know, it’s not very spacious, so four people would be the limit.” It's not ideal, and even now I feel like retracting the invitation, but I keep smiling at Mio. Desperate times call for desperate measures. While I appreciate the thought of celebrating my birthday, the mention of certain names inevitably brings a frown. “Alright, that sounds good then. We should check with Shiori and Maika, decide on a day.” “I’ll ask Miyagi about her schedule.” She’ll definitely be upset and throw a tantrum saying she doesn’t want to. I understand those feelings, but she’ll have to resign herself to it. “Okay,” Mio said lightly, almost as if she could blow me away with her voice, staring at me intently. It seems I am not yet free. “There’s one more thing. I want to give Shiori a birthday present, but I have no idea what she’d like. Could you tell me what she’s into? I know she likes cute things from our last conversation, but I need more.” I find myself at a loss with that question. I could learn as much about Miyagi’s preferences as I want to. “Miyagi doesn’t talk much about things she wants.” To steer the conversation away from likes, I say something trivial and touch the necklace Miyagi gave me. A birthday present. For Miyagi, I want to give something as reciprocally thoughtful as this necklace. Of course, voicing that would anger her, so I keep it to myself, yet the thought lingers. Like Mio, I haven’t settled on a present either. “I see. Sounds tough to decide what to give.” Mio sighed deeply, wondering aloud what she should do. Then, as if recalling something, she stood up. “It’s been over five minutes already, so I’ll let you go, Hazuki.” With that, we both left the university together. After parting with her, I headed to the station. Manga and games. Penguins and cats. Cute things. I can list a few of her likes like this, but they don’t suit the present I want to give. It should be something Miyagi cherishes, something she keeps with her, constantly reminding her of me. Unfortunately, I don’t know what that is. Walking through the city, I observe the shops lining the streets. Maybe among them, there’s something Miyagi would love. But I quickly dismiss that thought. Finding something on a whim that Miyagi might like seems overwhelmingly difficult. Despite knowing her so well, there remain aspects of her that are a mystery to me. I know the softness of her lips, the smoothness of her skin. The voice only I have heard. Without a doubt, I know Miyagi better than anyone else. Yet, I know less about her than Utsunomiya. Her closest friend, Utsunomiya, knows more about Miyagi’s likes than I do. Anything she doesn’t know, she can readily find out from Miyagi. “…I should hurry home.” I whisper softly, picking up the pace. Taking the train, I head home. Miyagi is likely not back yet, but I want to return to the home where she'll eventually be. On days like today, I crave sharing a kiss with her. On the night we slept together, we kissed. She broke the promise of only talking or sleeping, initiated it herself, and kissed me multiple times. It’s infuriating. Miyagi, who whimsically maintains a rational distance, is sometimes gentle, and every moment spent together produces deeper feelings for her. To such a person, I need to give a present. Like the necklace I received from her, it should be special, filled with my affection, and bring her joy. Yet I suspect no gift could ever truly match the necklace I received. Still, not giving anything isn't an option. I want to give her something, though I don’t know what it’ll be. There’s an overwhelming abundance of things in the world that could be given as gifts. Choosing a single item from infinitely many is quite challenging. Suppressing the urge to sigh, I swallow it back. In this moment of considering a gift for Miyagi, a sigh doesn’t belong. Her birthday is approaching. There is no more time. As I swayed gently with the motion of the train, I couldn't help but continuously ponder over the undecided birthday present.