108 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

### Chapter 108 "Here you go." As soon as I step inside the entrance, she immediately hands me a five-thousand yen bill. "Thanks." I express my gratitude and grasp the edge of the bill she has extended. When I give it a tug, there's a bit of resistance. But with just a slight exertion of force, the five-thousand yen comes into my possession. I call out her name to the five-thousand yen that didn't come so easily this time, as usual. "Miyagi?" "It's nothing." I hear a voice that sounds loaded with meaning, despite her words suggesting otherwise. Miyagi's mood has been off since the moment we met. But my own mood isn't much better either. I didn’t expect to be summoned immediately after winter break ended, but I also didn't think it would take nearly a week after the new semester had started. "Isn't it a bit late for you to call me?" "It doesn't matter when I call you." "It matters, but it doesn’t." If she didn't call me at all, I might face the entrance exams without seeing Miyagi. That's how close the exams were approaching. It was a time when we both needed to focus on ourselves; I appreciated the extra time for studying granted by her lack of summons, but it wasn’t enjoyable not seeing her. And in such times, she doesn't even contact me. Honestly, Miyagi can be quite frustrating. "I was just being considerate as the exams are near, so you should be thankful." Miyagi says, pretending to be benevolent, as she enters the room. "I didn't ask for any consideration." After she gently shuts the door, I take off my blazer and undo a button on my blouse. Once I'm seated in my usual spot, Miyagi comes over to sit beside me. My eyes instinctively drift to her neck. Every button on her blouse is fastened all the way to the top. I see no marks on her neck. Of course not. It's been quite some time since then. If there were still any marks, they wouldn’t be mine; they'd be from someone else. That's why I feel I should be pleased seeing her unmarked neck. Yet, I find myself disappointed. I reach out towards Miyagi's neck. But before I can touch her, she stands up. "I'm getting a drink." "I don't need anything." "Even if Sendai-san doesn't need anything, I do." Miyagi states flatly before leaving the room. Left alone, I spread out my reference books and workbooks on the table and rest my head on them. Once I've taken a few entrance exams for university, our promised graduation ceremony will be upon us. The time left for us is fleeting. "What are you doing, Sendai-san?" I hear Miyagi's voice nearby, though I'm not sure when she returned. "Studying while sleeping." "But you're awake?" "Sleeping." I reply while still lying face down, and she dismissively calls me a nuisance. She pushes me from the side, forcing me to raise my head, and beyond the study materials sit a glass of barley tea and cider. After taking a sip of barley tea, I ask, "Think you'll get into university?" "What about you, Sendai-san?" "I think it's probably okay." I didn’t get into the high school my parents hoped for. I won't be going to the university they want either. The university I've whimsically chosen isn't my parents' preference, but it does require a certain level of academic ability. The prep school says I can make it, but saying there's no anxiety would be a lie. In this world, nothing is certain. Still, panicking now won't help, and I've done all I could. If I fail, there's always a safety school. That's the only way to approach it. "So, what about you, Miyagi?" "I'll probably pass one of them." "Isn't that too nonchalant at this point?" "I'm not that confident." Miyagi answers, sounding unsure. That's troubling. Miyagi has to get into the university. If she fails the entrance exams, she’ll have to stay here. And even if Miyagi stays here, I plan to leave. Even if I fail, I'll be attending a different prep school, leading to a future without intersections. "You've studied hard, so have a little more confidence." If she says she lacks confidence, even what she might pass could slip away. I’m not sure what university Miyagi is aiming for, but the option of entering the same university as Utsunomiya must not vanish. I want her to approach the exams with the mindset of passing all of them. "I hate studying." "If you keep saying that, you'll end up failing. Say something more positive." "Impossible. Anyway, if you're that worried, let's start studying." "Hmm, give me an order first. I’m not in the mood." It's been a while since I mentioned the word "order." "Study first. The exams are just around the corner." Uncharacteristically, Miyagi says something serious and picks up a pen. She drops her gaze onto the workbook. But I can’t bring myself to look at the workbook like Miyagi does. Too many things are weighing on my mind, making me want to reset my emotions. "If I’m going to do something, it's better to start with an order. It’ll help me calm down and focus on studying." "Then tell me the surefire way to pass." "I’d like to know that myself. Make it a more realistic order." "Then you think of what I should command, Sendai-san." Miyagi lifts her face from the workbook and says it in a tired tone. "Me?" "Yeah. Decide what you'd like me to order you to do." "It’s strange to think of an order I must follow myself, isn’t it?" I'm used to following orders, but not inventing them. Additionally, deciding on an order for me to follow feels peculiar, as if I’ve suddenly developed a particular preference, which is hard to accept. "If you find it strange, study first. I'll come up with something by the time we're done." "... I'll think now." I think Miyagi's suggestion is too broad. However, it might be better than receiving an excessive demand from her. I gaze at the glass, moist with sweat, and put my mind to work. An order both satisfactory to Miyagi and simple. While pondering this, my gaze shifts from the barley tea-filled glass. The workbook. The eraser. The pencil case. The hand gripping the pen. My gaze pauses there. "I've decided." "What is it?" "Make it an order to do a charm." I smile cheerfully, but Miyagi knits her brow. She's probably contemplating what “charm” entails. Yet, like an unsolvable problem, no matter how much she considers it, an answer won’t materialize for her. "... Do a charm." After pondering for a good ten seconds, Miyagi seems to give up and issues the command. "Then, can I borrow this?" I say, taking the pen from Miyagi's hand. But since I don’t need the pen, I place it on the table. I grab Miyagi's wrist, obviously wary, and bring it close to my lips. When I softly touch her nail tip, her hand stiffens. "It's a charm to write correct answers. You asked for a way to pass, remember?" I offer a simple explanation to prevent her hand from pulling away. "I’ve never heard of such a charm." "You just didn't know about it, Miyagi." I tighten my grip on her wrist and pull it towards me. Then, I gently kiss the hand that has touched me many times before. The back of her hand. The joint at the base of her fingers. The middle of her middle finger. As I leave a trail of kisses, the tension in her hand dissipates. I don’t touch anyone else like this, with my lips on any part of their body. This act, which I only do with Miyagi, feels closer and warmer than simply touching with hands. I press my lips firmly onto the back of her hand, enough to feel the bone beneath. When I lightly suck, her hand tries to pull away, so I give her fingertips one final kiss before releasing her wrist. “…This is a charm you just made up, isn’t it, Sendai-san?” Miyagi sounds displeased as she eyes her fingertips. “Even if it’s made up, if it works, there’s no problem, right?” Honestly, if I were to kiss her, I'd prefer her neck and leave visible marks. But doing something like that would surely get me kicked out of this room. Maybe even to the point where she wouldn't speak to me again. “Doesn’t seem like it’ll work.” Her voice is curt, and I grasp her hand once more. “It will.” After uttering these baseless words, I kiss her fingertips again. Then, I take her index finger into my mouth. Letting my teeth touch her knuckle, I press my tongue against her finger’s underside. As I slowly run my tongue over it, Miyagi pulls her finger back angrily. “Stop it.” “Why? You like this kind of thing, don’t you, Miyagi?” Her voice has a sharp edge, but she doesn’t resist when I grip her hand. In the past, I’ve been ordered to lick her fingers countless times. At this point, resisting wouldn’t be allowed. I look at Miyagi. She won’t meet my eyes, but she doesn’t seem too upset. When I kiss the palm of her hand, her arm flinches. I slide my tongue between her fingers. “Sendai-san!” For once, Miyagi raises her voice, hitting my arm. Then, she digs her nails into my uniform. When I let go because of the dull pain, she pulls out a tissue from the back of a crocodile plush toy and wipes her wet fingers. I’ve seen this scene several times before and was fine with it until now. But today, it feels like she’s erasing my existence with that tissue, and it irritates me. To be more precise, it makes me angry. I reach out to touch her neck, and Miyagi pulls back slightly. Right now, even such trivial matters are unforgivable. I pull Miyagi close and press my lips to her cheek. She’ll definitely resist. That’s what I thought, but Miyagi wraps her arms around my back. Our bodies press together tighter than necessary. “…Miyagi?” Instead of an answer, I feel her breath on my ear along with something hard pressing against it. I quickly realize it’s her teeth and can guess what will happen next. But before I can pull away, she bites my ear. “Ouch!” I involuntarily cry out, but Miyagi doesn’t let go. If anything, she bites even harder, the pain so intense it feels like my ear might come off. I grip her shoulders and push her away, and she speaks, sounding displeased. “What is it, Sendai-san?” “I should be asking you that. Stop biting just because you're annoyed. It seriously hurt.” “You’re the one doing weird things.” I’m not sure if she meant the weird thing was licking her hand or hugging her, but either way, she apparently didn’t like it. “Even so, you didn’t have to bite so hard.” “This isn’t a charm.” “It is a charm. Besides, you were the one who told me to think of an order.” Tracing the roots, it’s Miyagi’s fault for not coming up with an order herself. Perhaps she realizes this too since she doesn’t retort and just pouts. “Is there something you want to say?” I ask, and Miyagi picks up the pen that had rolled away. “If I don’t pass, I’ll hold it against you. I don’t want to spend another year studying for exams.” “Shall I do the charm again?” “No need.” Miyagi doesn’t look at me, keeping her eyes on the notebook. Yet, no words appear on the blank page. “Miyagi.” “What?” “Take the exams seriously, alright?” “Even if you didn't say it, I’ll do it seriously.” Miyagi replies without lifting her head. I can’t ask her to definitely pass as a trade for a half-hearted charm—it’s too much to ask. Still, I genuinely hope Miyagi will succeed.