115 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

Chapter 115 Tomorrow, the world will end. If such news were announced, I would believe it without the slightest doubt. Such is the strange behavior of Miyagi. After exchanging chocolates, she called me a few times, but she neither got angry nor gave bizarre orders. While not exactly cheerful, she was quite talkative and even permitted me to kiss her. It's hard to believe this kind of Miyagi even exists. But upon closer thought, not getting angry or speaking to someone are just basic human interactions. Even among mere acquaintances, we treat each other with kindness, so perhaps this Miyagi is merely behaving normally. Maybe the Miyagi I've seen recently is how she acts with Utsunomiya and others. It might be strange that seeing this side of Miyagi makes me uneasy. I lean against the bed and gaze at the piggy bank on the chest. Inside, it's stuffed with five thousand yen notes. I don't know how many are in there, but for an instant, I think, what if they weren't? Without the exchange of those notes, I would never have grown close to Miyagi or pondered over her like this. I could have just awaited spring break, thinking only of myself. Everything is a hassle. Miyagi, myself, everything. I wish I could have just enjoyed chatting with Miyagi or been relieved not to receive weird orders without any cynical thoughts clouding my mind. Now, the kinder Miyagi is to me, the more I fear the eventual outcome won't be good. Looking back, I have no fond memories of a different Miyagi. That’s why I want to doubt her actions; it feels like there's an ulterior motive behind everything. If I were Utsunomiya, I could accept the current Miyagi without question. I would have been thrilled, thinking she'd nullify the graduation ceremony agreement. But it's impossible for me. I don't believe Miyagi dislikes me. If she did, she wouldn't let me kiss her or touch her. Yet, while it seems like Miyagi is accepting of me, it feels like she isn’t. Her gentle demeanor, though I don’t understand her intentions, makes me suspect she’d provide a different answer if I strongly wished to retract our deal. Despite the exam results already being announced, Miyagi hasn't contacted me. I've told her I've passed. She even congratulated me. But even though she promised to inform me of her results, there's been no contact. There are ways to find out if Miyagi passed, but since I'm waiting patiently, she should hurry up and inform me. Passed. Failed. Even a brief message like that would suffice. "Hurry up and let me know," I mutter internally, before standing up. I dive onto the bed and shut my eyes. Since it’s just past nine, it’s early to sleep. I haven't even bathed. Still, I don't want to get up. With a sigh, my phone buzzes in my ear, and I check the screen. "...Miyagi." I almost verbally confirm the name displayed on the screen, given the impeccable timing, as if she could hear my thoughts. “You didn’t fail your entrance exam, did you?” I inhale deeply and then exhale slowly. Despite the guilt of initially expecting the worst, it's understandable since I haven’t been clearly informed about her exam performance. Even if I want to believe in a good outcome, I can't. "Hello?" I called out, my voice neither cheerful nor despondent, and instead of the ringing, Miyagi's voice comes through. "I passed." "What?" "I got into the same university as Maika. That’s all." "Oh, I see, you passed. So..." After making me wait so long, her report is straightforward, leaving me stumbling for words. Will she attend the same university as Utsunomiya or not? Though I hadn’t been promised this information, I still want to know. However, before I can voice the question, Miyagi speaks. "There's a movie I want to watch." "A movie?" Thrown off by the unexpected shift away from the university topic, my intended words morph into something else. It dawned on me that I forgot to congratulate her when I heard Miyagi's "Yeah." I can't align my feelings with the conversation's unexpected pivot. Even though Miyagi is silent now, she doesn’t sound particularly excited despite having passed. As a result, I can't even manage to say the congratulations I forgot earlier. Miyagi is always like this. She says what she wants without considering others and lapses into silence. As for me, I’m caught in her emotional wake, yet I can’t help but be concerned for her. It feels like a thankless role, but I can’t abandon it. Even now, I’m contemplating how to address her. "That's all," Miyagi murmurs. But I know there's more to it. Beyond this, it’s my cue to speak. "Are you possibly inviting me to the movie?" "If you'd rather not be invited, that's fine." "When are you planning to go?" Miyagi hesitantly mentions a date she likely decided in advance. It’s an inconvenient time. "I’d like to go, but I have plans that day. Could we do it a bit sooner or later?" Miyagi contemplates with a hum from the other end. Although our conversation about the university turned into a movie outing, it’s obvious that reverting would erase the mention of the movie. Consequently, seeing the movie takes precedence. Talking about the university should wait until we're face-to-face. It’d be troubling to hear something unpleasant in a rush now. "Then, how about sooner? Tomorrow?" When I agree, Miyagi specifies a time and place, one from when we watched a movie during summer break, which stirs unsettled feelings. It's unlike Miyagi to suggest watching a movie, let alone specifically choose the same time and place as before. I feel uneasy, and as I’m about to inquire why, Miyagi says, "Sendai-san." "What?" "You said you’ve got plans." "Since I've decided on a university, I’m going to look at an apartment." I plan to live alone there. Once I got accepted into my desired university, it was decided that I’d search for an apartment. Though there's an option to do so during spring break, the prep school advised that the sooner, the better. "What about you, Miyagi?" "What about me?" "If you're going to the university there, don't you need to find a place to stay?" I casually bring up the university as though on a whim. This much should be okay to ask. "I might stay here." "So, if you were to go..." "I’d stay in a dorm." "Isn’t it going to be tough living with others?" "My dad’s busy, so there’s no time to go apartment hunting together. If the dorm doesn’t work out, I'll figure it out then." Miyagi speaks as if everything is already settled. From her seamless responses, it's clear her mind is nearly made up. I'm sure she's going to attend the same university as Utsunomiya and actually move into the dormitory. But if I press too hard, she'll definitely claim she won't go. "You're really casual about this. Whatever. So, what movie are we watching?" "What do you want to watch, Sendai-san?" "You’re the one who mentioned wanting to see a movie." I insist on pursuing this. Miyagi’s words don’t match what she said earlier. "I was just asking. Don’t forget tomorrow. Goodnight." With those curt words, she hangs up before I can respond. Just saying what she wants to and ending the call. Miyagi is still Miyagi after all. It's true she's been acting strangely lately, and today was no exception. But her self-centeredness remains unchanged. I'm filled with a blend of unease from the strange Miyagi and a hopeful feeling from hearing her talk about moving into a dormitory. I place my phone by the pillow. I close my eyes and ponder about tomorrow. After we watch the movie, I’ll ask her about her plans for university and what will become of us after the graduation ceremony. I don’t know if she'll say the words I hope for, and I can't be confident. But I must ask. I open my eyes and exhale deeply.