113 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

**Chapter 113** Spending time in this room with Sendai-san. Thinking about how limited such moments might be makes me feel gloomy. After making "nikujaga" with Sendai-san at the end of January, February has arrived. In just about a month, the dreaded graduation ceremony will arrive, whether we like it or not. "Miyagi, want to take a break?" Sendai-san nudges me after nearly two hours of scribbling next to me. "Sure." I feel pressured to study, but just because I rush it, doesn't mean I suddenly become capable; my focus doesn't hold up either. I put down the pen I was gripping and look beside me. Even though it hasn't been long since I last saw Sendai-san, it feels like a reunion. Probably because ever since February began, I haven't been going to school. Maika and Ami had also mentioned they wouldn't attend during free school days, and I didn't feel the inclination to go to school if I didn't have to. Free school days have only just started, but without attending, I wouldn’t cross paths with Sendai-san. Unless summoned like this, I wouldn’t even see her, so perhaps it naturally feels like we haven't met for a while. "What have you been doing since free school days started, Miyagi?" Sendai-san asks as if suddenly remembering. "Studying." I don't like it, but not doing it makes me restless. Hence, I study out of necessity. "Figures. School?" "Not going. Maika and Ami aren't either, so it's boring. You’re not going either, right, Sendai-san?" Today, Sendai-san is in casual wear instead of her uniform. This means she came from home rather than school, so even if I went, I wouldn't see her. "Yeah, pretty much." She replies disinterestedly. Her notes spread across the table, filled with neatly written characters. Some spill over the lines, but I think they’re well-written. Just like her appearance. Her looks are well-appointed, and even if she breaches school rules, she's neatly put together to avoid teacher's reprimands. When I’m beside her, I can't help but wish I could be like Sendai-san. Good handwriting, good at studying, pleasant appearance. If I could become that kind of person, I might have a bit more self-confidence. I quietly exhale, ensuring she doesn't hear, and move closer to the bed, using the headboard as a backrest. With my vision obscured from her notes, I tightly shut my eyes. Stretching slightly as I open my eyes, I see Sendai-san's long hair. Though she isn't in her uniform today, unlike winter break, she’s in a blouse, but her long hair hides her neck well. Her unbraided hair is beautiful, yet I can't tell if she's wearing a necklace. I extend my hand lightly tugging her hair. "What?" Sendai-san looks at me. Since I've already paid five thousand yen today as recompense for orders, I can confirm if she’s wearing a necklace. I entwine my fingers in her hair once more, and release. I assume she has it on; I haven’t known her not to wear it before. "Nothing." I reply shortly, moving away from the bed, as Sendai-san unbuttons her blouse. Before I could ask why, the necklace is pulled out. "There." She says as if it were obvious, looking at me. "I didn’t ask to see it," "You seemed like you would." "I didn’t plan to say, nor think of it." "I see." She responds flatly, tucking the necklace back, still leaving her blouse's button undone while pulling the hood of my parka. "Remember the promise to let me know if you pass?" "I remember." There's no forgetting it. Undoubtedly, because of this promise with Sendai-san, I am filled with anxiousness. If things don’t go well. I’ll have to tell Sendai-san that I didn’t pass. Since the agreement was to inform her if I passed, if I don’t speak, it’s clear I didn't pass, so silence isn’t an option. If I have to tell her anyway, I want it to be good news. "Do you think the exam will be alright?" She asks without changing her tone. "It'll be okay." "I guess that's good." It doesn’t feel comforting at all. Her words give me no sense of relief. It’s a lie that it’ll be okay, and I’m still just as insecure. She doesn't pick up on these things. I know it’s unreasonable to expect her to notice unvoiced feelings, but still, I feel she should be conscious of mine. "Can you cast a spell for me, Sendai-san?" "Is that today’s order?" "Yes." "A spell like the other day?" She asks, resting her chin on her hand at the table. "It’s supposed to work, right?" I know that what she did the other day wasn’t truly a spell. It was more of a playful trick to irritate me, devoid of any real effect. Still, having Sendai-san do it, with her ability to accomplish anything, might give me a fraction of power. "Give me your hand." She turns to face me. Offering my hand without hesitation, she softly grasps it. Once again, her lips touch my fingertips like before. It’s unfair how she manages to make it seem natural. Feeling slightly flustered, I lightly tug her bangs, and unlike before, her lips brush the second knuckle of my middle finger. This doesn’t exactly bolster my confidence, but it’s better than doing nothing. Having her touch me distracts from the urgency to force myself to study. Her lips reach my finger’s base. A warm sensation traces across the back of my hand. If it were a dog or cat licking my hand, it might be considered cute. But with Sendai-san, it feels different. There’s another complex feeling inside me—likely because I don’t regard her with the pure innocence one would have towards a pet. I strongly wish for her not to do this with anyone else. I want to be the only one feeling such warmth from Sendai-san. Her tongue retreats, and a kiss lands on my palm. But it’s only once before she lifts her head. "Is that it?" When I ask, she tightly grips my hand. I don’t reciprocate the hold, but neither do I pull away—staying as I am while she simply says, "Not yet." Without warning, she rolls up the sleeve of my parka to my elbow. As I watch her intently, she presses her lips firmly against the inside of my arm, sucking strongly. It feels like a needle piercing. Right where her lips touch, it’s as if countless tiny needles begin infiltrating my body, a pain that should be minor yet it ravages like an intense storm. The needles travel with my blood, converging at my heart, relentlessly pricking away. Her lips detach and shift to another spot, pressing firmly once more. I definitely feel more pain than necessary. With two marks left by Sendai-san, she raises her head. "Is this part of the spell too?" I knew it wasn’t a charm, but as soon as I ask, she replies, "Yes, it is." The spots where the marks are heat up. Sendai-san kisses one of the marks she made and pulls the sleeve back down. "Does this charm really work?" "It does. Trust me." "I can't trust you just because it's you, Sendai-san." It's hard to believe the temporary marks could turn into a charm. If the marks lasted until the announcement of the exam results, I might be more inclined to believe, but they won’t stay visible for that long. "It'll be alright. You should trust once in a while," said Sendai-san irresponsibly. "If I don't pass, will you take responsibility?" "Sure." "How?" "You decide, Miyagi." Sendai-san never decides for herself. She always leaves it up to me. But, since that was just a joke and not serious, it would be silly to come up with an actual way for her to take responsibility. There's no use taking it seriously, so I decide to end the break and grab my pen. However, Sendai-san snatches it away from me. "What? The charm's finished, right?" "It's not over. There's more." As she says this, her fingertips glide over my lips. "What you’re about to do isn’t a charm, is it? Absolutely not." I grab her wrist and push her hand away. "It is a charm." "It’s just that you want to kiss me, isn't it?" "…" Sendai-san neither confirms nor denies my words. Silently, she reaches to touch my lips, and I push her back. "Miyagi." Though I hadn't approved of her continuing the spell, she draws closer, causing me to match her movement and bump my forehead against hers. A dull thud echoes inside my head. "Ouch." Sendai-san cries out, holding her forehead. Of course, I end up holding my forehead too. "You're such an idiot. That hurt." "It's your fault, Sendai-san, and it hurt me too." I hadn’t meant to hit hard, but it's more painful than expected. "Don’t blame me if you forget everything you've learned from that shock." "It's fine; I’ll just study again. Also, I won't see you until my exams are over." "What? Really? Is this some sort of punishment?" "It's not." I doubt that not calling her would be considered punishment, but I had decided on not seeing her until after all my exams are finished, a thought I’d been contemplating since yesterday. "It'll be quite a while until all the exams are over, right?" "Yes, but I'll study." "Won’t you study with me?" Sendai-san asks in a slightly lower voice. "I'll study alone. You’ve got your exams too, Sendai-san." Studying with Sendai-san doesn’t mean distractions. She's helpful and makes it more enjoyable than solitude. But for now, I want to see what I can accomplish on my own. "Alright. We both have to be diligent." She seems a tad displeased, closing the textbook I had spread on the table. She closes her notebook too, putting away the pens and erasers into the pencil case. "Sendai-san, I'm about to continue." I open the closed textbook and notebook, but Sendai-san promptly closes them again. "Hey, Miyagi." I remain silent. I don’t want to answer someone who’s being a nuisance. "Order me to kiss you instead of this charm nonsense." She grabs my hand. "No." "We won’t see each other for a while, right?" "So what?" "Don't you want to do it, Miyagi?" "Not doing it is fine." "I see." She says disinterestedly, releases my hand, and leans back against the bed. There’s nothing more from her. Usually, Sendai-san would corner me until I had no choice but to comply with her requests, but today she retreats quickly, leaving an uneasy feeling. This leads me to say: "If you want to that much, go ahead." "Is that an order?" "Sendai-san, you want me to order you, don’t you?" There's no reply. Instead, Sendai-san moves away from the headboard and brings her face closer to mine. Before our lips meet, her hand touches my cheek, gently caressing. Our eyes meet. Her gaze holds mine, and when I close my eyes, her lips softly touch mine. It feels like it’s been a while since our last kiss. Softer than the hand on my cheek, her lips feel comfortable. As she pulls away to kiss me again, I press my hand to her shoulder. "Miyagi." "That’s enough." I declare briefly, clutching my own arms tightly. Then I reopen the textbook and notebook that Sendai-san had closed.