112 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

### Chapter 112 I moved the black cat from beside my pillow to the bookshelf. As I was responding to messages from Maika and Ami, the doorbell rang. I had messaged Sendai-san to come over after getting back from school, as we had agreed five days earlier, so it must be her. Checking the intercom, I saw Sendai-san on the monitor. She arrived later than I expected. When I said "come now," I meant immediately—signifying urgency. A considerable amount of time had passed since I sent the message. I expressed dissatisfaction through the intercom and unlocked the entrance. A short while later, the doorbell rang again. When I opened the door, Sendai-san entered, voicing her displeasure. "I got here fast as I could, you know." "You were late." Even if I'm hesitant to meet, when I say come, I want her to come right away. "If I were to come any faster, I'd have to fly." "If you can fly, then fly over here." "If Miyagi flies, then I'll fly over next time." Sendai-san remarked irritably as she took off her shoes. I attempted to hand her five thousand yen, letting out a small sigh. This five thousand yen is meant to buy Sendai-san's time. I don't regret it. But I'm curious about what might happen if I didn't hand it over. Would she still come to this house without the five thousand yen? Lately, I've been longing to ask this. Sendai-san once asked, "What if I said I don't need it?" Perhaps I should've inquired about the significance of those words back then. I want to know what might have happened if I hadn't given her the five thousand yen on that day. "Sendai-san." An existence without any compensation. I contemplate a future slightly beyond the present and hesitate on whether to hand over the five thousand yen I hold. But soon enough, I extended the money to Sendai-san. "This." As usual, the edge of the bill was tugged at, causing my fingers to reflexively tighten. However, I hastily released my grip before she could say anything. "Thanks." Sendai-san tucked the five thousand yen away. I can't see any value in myself if I don't hand over the five thousand yen. Without paying compensation, I can't buy Sendai-san's time, and she won't follow commands. Not following commands means there's no need for her to come to this house. "I'll bring some drinks." I turned my back to Sendai-san. "Okay, I'll wait." I heard the gentle sound of the door closing. I walked down the hallway to the kitchen. I prepared two glasses and opened the refrigerator. Inside were two nearly finished bottles from yesterday and a new barley tea I’d bought. I took out a cider and the new barley tea, poured them into the glasses, and placed them on a tray to return to the room. As expected, Sendai-san was sitting in her usual place. "Make dinner today." I placed the glasses on the table and sat beside Sendai-san. "Is that today's order?" Something equivalent to the five thousand yen. A promise that can't be broken. If I could purchase something like that, I might trust Sendai-san. Even if we go to different universities, as she said, it'd be fine to occasionally eat together or go somewhere together. But I can't articulate such desires, and I can't enforce a command that would bind her for life with just five thousand yen. Moreover, it's not a command I should utter, having once tried to distance myself from her. "Yes. Just make something." I issued a command worth the five thousand yen and looked at Sendai-san. "Anything? You're not going to have an empty fridge, right?" "No, it’s not empty." "Can I take a look inside first?" "Sure, but I'll go with you." With this exchange, Sendai-san got up, leaving her reference books spread out on the table. I accompanied her to the kitchen. As we turned on the lights in the living and kitchen areas, Sendai-san opened the refrigerator. After inspecting the interior, she checked the freezer and vegetable compartment, then turned back to me. "Do you like potatoes and carrots?" "I'm indifferent. Why do you ask?" "They're always there, so I thought you liked them." "Not always. I just buy them because I don't know what else to buy." "Why not buy things you want to eat?" "I don’t even know what I want to eat." Meals are chosen randomly. I've continued with such eating habits, making it hard to know what I want someone to cook, much less what I want to eat myself. And because I’ve never been interested in cooking, I've reached high school without knowing what ingredients to buy to make something. "Then why not go shopping together? It's easier to decide on a dish and then buy the ingredients, rather than buying ingredients and deciding the dish afterward." Sendai-san suggested brightly, not boasting, but with insight. Going shopping together, splitting the heavy bags on the way back. It was something I had considered yesterday, and I didn't expect her to propose something similar. Hearing her voice made it seem possible that we'd stand together in the kitchen even after graduation. Yet, that’s an impossible future. "If you're going to say all that, how about you buy the groceries? I'll give you money." "No option of going together?" "No." Being with Sendai-san, loneliness feels terrifying. Technically, I’m not alone even without her; I have friends, and I'll likely make more at university. Yet, I'm leaning heavily towards Sendai-san, feeling like I’d be completely alone if she disappears. If I rely on her to stand, I won’t be able to stand alone once she's gone. That's why I must do things alone if I can. "Then, keep doing as you've done, Miyagi." With a feigned sigh, Sendai-san returned to the living room and sat in the chair by the counter table, though we weren't eating. "To be honest, employing a housekeeper would probably get you tastier meals than paying me to cook." Reluctantly, I stood beside her, realizing she had no intention of returning to the room. "I don't like having strangers in the house." After my mother left, there was a period when people would come to prepare meals and clean. I’m not sure if they were housekeepers, but having strangers in the house disturbed my peace. "But I'm a stranger, too." "Sendai-san is—" I halted just before finishing, “special.” It wasn’t the right word. "What am I?" She smiled warmly. "You’re a stranger, but you were in the same class, so it's okay." "So, it doesn't have to be me, then?" "Does it really matter? More importantly, have you decided what to make?" I shifted the topic, escaping her inquisitive gaze. "Not yet." "Decide quickly." Today's menu doesn't actually matter that much to me. If I'm going to spend time on something, it might as well be on studying instead. However, Sendai-san seemed more preoccupied with dinner plans than studying, and she was deep in thought beside me, wearing a serious expression. "Even if you say 'hurry up,' I've made curry and stew so many times... Hmm, maybe nikujaga? Oh, but we’re out of onions." Amidst Sendai-san's mutterings, I found something that sparked an interest. "You can make nikujaga?" "Do you want to eat it?" "If you can make it." "I don't really know the recipe, so I'll have to look it up. Without onions, it might not be very good, though." "Even without onions, try to make it tasty." The lack of ingredients doesn't concern me. Nevertheless, a dish would be better if it turned out delicious despite missing components. "I'll do my best, but no guarantees." Sendai-san stood up and headed back to the kitchen. After checking the ingredients and seasonings, she mentioned that she would return to the room.