116 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

Chapter 116 Approximately two hours until the end credits. After watching until the very end, Miyagi and I stand up. I adjust my skirt and begin to walk. If it were Umina or Mariko, they'd get up as soon as the main film ends, viewing the end credits as just an extra. When I go to the movies with them, I end up doing the same, so I don't really feel like going to the movies with them. However, Miyagi stays seated until the theater lights come on. During summer break when we went to watch a movie, she stayed until the very end. Our personalities and tastes are completely different, but in such instances, we are in sync. With Umina and Mariko too, there are parts that don't match. But there are more things in common with them than with Miyagi. It's puzzling that despite the difficulty in finding similarities with Miyagi, I feel more comfortable when I'm with her. “Did you like it?” She asks as we exit the theater. “What about you, Miyagi?” “I liked it.” “Me too. I don't watch action movies that much, but this was nice.” It was Miyagi who suggested going to the movies, but she never mentioned which film exactly she wanted to see. So, we ended up seeing a somewhat popular action movie. Watching a horror movie was also an option, but I want some recognition for considering Miyagi’s aversion to horror and removing it as a candidate. “Do you want to grab something to eat?” I keep pace with Miyagi and ask her. Today’s main purpose was the movie, and nothing else has been decided. But I have something to discuss with Miyagi. I don’t particularly crave any food, I just want to sit somewhere and talk. However, if I mention I have something to talk about, she might run away. “I’m heading home.” “What? Already?” I look at Miyagi. She doesn’t look like someone who is just heading home right after watching a movie today. To put it straightforwardly, she's unusually dressed up. Though not wearing makeup, she has a cute-patterned skirt and a coat I’ve never seen before. It’s different from her casual wear when we went to the movies in summer. That's why I thought we’d at least stop by somewhere after the movie. It’s just my selfish feeling that being sent home now would be an inconvenience. “There’s nowhere else I particularly want to go. Do you still have time, Sendai-san?” “I do.” “Then, come over to my place.” Upon saying so, Miyagi grabs my hand and starts walking. The grip is clearly different from usual—gentle rather than strong; in simple terms, we're walking hand in hand. It’s unimaginable from Miyagi before. Simply unthinkable. The hand she held so naturally felt so unnatural that it compels me to look at her face intently. “What?” A flat voice comes from beside me. People passing by don’t seem to mind us holding hands. Even for me, I wouldn't notice strangers holding hands, so it’s probably the same for others. Hence, I’m not bothered by others' eyes, but I am curious about what Miyagi is thinking. “What’s with this hand?” I lightly squeeze the hand entwined with mine. “Should I let go?” “This is fine, but what’s up?” “We have graduation soon, so it doesn’t matter even if someone sees.” Miyagi says something she normally wouldn’t say. Sure, graduation is approaching. Once I settle on an apartment and return, the ceremony is just a few days away, and once graduated, our rules about not meeting except after school or not talking outside school wouldn't matter. Even breaking the rules prematurely now wouldn't be significant. Choosing this place despite Umina seeing us together after watching a movie in the summer is partly due to that, but her current words are not typical of Miyagi. “Aren't those lines supposed to be mine? Miyagi, you normally don’t say stuff like that.” “Then I’ll let go.” “Wait—” As Miyagi tries to release her hand, I grip it tighter, refusing to let it escape. Normally, she’d pull away forcefully, but this time she quickly became calm. “Is it okay if the destination is my place?” I don’t like it. But even if I tried to articulate that, Miyagi doesn’t seem like she'd heed it today. And for me, the location doesn’t matter as long as we can talk. So, the only answer is, “That’s fine.” Miyagi doesn’t let go of my hand. We continue walking, engaging in sporadic and mostly idle conversation. Passing through the ticket gate, just like in summer, we board the train together. After several stations, we get off. The streets in February are still cold, but we take our time walking. The spring-awaiting storefronts are gradually becoming more vibrant, and the sky is bright too. Miyagi’s hand remains in mine. But, my heart isn't that uplifted. It would've been nice if such a day came before winter. Perhaps then, I would have felt more cheerful. As we neared the apartment, Miyagi lets go of my hand. Her walking pace quickens, and she walks slightly ahead of me. Her skirt, not a part of any uniform, catches my eye. Her legs, upon which my tongue had often lingered, are visible. Now that I think of it, it’s been a while since she ordered me to lick her feet. I can’t recall the last day such an incident happened. It's not that I want to lick her feet, but I wish Miyagi would return to being the type to give those orders. We pass through the entrance, take the elevator to the sixth floor, and reach the front door. Miyagi unlocks it. We enter inside as the door opens. Miyagi removes her shoes first. Following her, as I start to take my shoes off, Miyagi takes my bag from me at the room’s entrance. “Sendai-san.” Nonchalantly, Miyagi drops my bag in the hallway. There’s nothing fragile inside, but it doesn’t feel good. I lean to pick up the fallen bag. However, before I can touch it, Miyagi grabs my arm. “Hey—” Lifting my face to look at her, I find Miyagi pulling my arm toward her. Before I can voice a complaint, her lips meet mine. We’ve kissed many times. However, it's rare for Miyagi to initiate the kiss. Except during the summer break. After we went to the movies together that summer, when Miyagi concluded that we couldn’t be friends, she started to initiate kisses. It was only for a short time; the five thousand yen between us never truly vanished, but I believe our relationship slightly changed then. I don’t dislike being kissed by her now, either. Her lips are soft and feel nice. Yet, now that the summer and winter breaks are over, being kissed by Miyagi like this, I feel unsettled as if our roles have switched. I pull Miyagi closer to me, our distance shortening further. However, soon after, Miyagi moves away from me again. “This is the hallway.” With Miyagi being uncharacteristically un-Miyagi-like, I blurt out something trivial. “There’s nobody around.” Miyagi murmurs softly. I’ve never seen anyone other than her in this house. It’s a given that no one’s here, so hearing it doesn’t surprise me as I never assumed anyone else would be. What intrigues me is Miyagi doing something here, in this place that's not her room, that she’s seldom done since the end of summer vacation. Miyagi's hand lightly touches my cheek. Her fingertips graze my lips before she kisses me once more. A troubling notion surfaces along with those soft lips touching mine. The world is ending. No, the world isn’t ending, but perhaps our relationship is. I don't think this kiss is one Miyagi genuinely desires. It's always been me who wanted to kiss and touch, not Miyagi. Today, she's only doing what I've wished for in the past. I pull away from her face. "I haven't heard your order today." I feel an urge to restore the usual Miyagi swiftly. The hand-holding and the kisses seem like mere rites for an impending farewell. I don't want to be with a Miyagi who behaves this way. "Just stay quiet for now, and that's enough." As expected, Miyagi doesn’t tell me to lick her feet. She leans in naturally, yet the kiss feels utterly unnatural. Her lips, while as soft and warm as always when I initiate a kiss, keep me comfortable through the mingling warmth. Ideally, I'd want to stay kissing her like this forever. But part of me says I shouldn’t be kissing. Today, when we first met, she already paid me five thousand yen, and thus has the right to give orders. Simply following an order to "stay quiet" would be effortless. But right now, I don't want to comply. I push against Miyagi's shoulder. "Hey, what's up with you lately? Don't you think you're acting strange?" I pick up my bag again and look at Miyagi. “You're always the one eager to kiss.” “Yeah, but...” “Don’t you want to?” “I do. I do, but... Is this like a continuation of summer break?” Today’s Miyagi is different from the one at summer break, yet she's doing things that recall it. “Continuation of what?” “Do you want to continue our pretend friendship?” I think that, during the summer, our movie outing was to test if we could be friends. That day, Miyagi decided we wouldn’t be friends, and I accepted that. “No. I won’t become friends with you, Sendai-san.” Today as well, Miyagi denies the notion of us being friends. “Then what is it?” There's no response. Miyagi falls silent, deep in thought, and watches me closely as if observing. “If you don’t want to answer, that’s fine. But answer the next thing I’m about to ask.” I’m about to broach the subject I came here today to discuss. However, before I can speak the question I couldn’t over the phone, Miyagi preempts me with her own words. “University. I plan on going where Maika is.” Her indifferent voice provides the answer I wanted to hear. “Then—” Whatever words I was about to utter are stolen by Miyagi, taken as she kisses me to stop me from saying them. Miyagi grips my arm tightly, and the bag I had just picked up drops to the floor. What happens to the promise we made about graduation? The words I was about to say are swallowed up by Miyagi. The softness of the lips pressed against mine grows firmer. As she pushes lightly, my lips part, allowing her tongue to enter—something rare, initiated from her side. Feeling her tongue touch mine, her grip on my arm tightens. As I intertwine my tongue with hers, her grip grows even stronger. I have occasionally wished Miyagi wasn't so contrary, preferring this Miyagi instead. But that was just a thought. The Miyagi I want to meet at university isn’t this one. I push Miyagi’s tightly pressed form away. “There's no need to push yourself.” The usual Miyagi would be better. Discussing post-graduation means nothing if it isn't the usual Miyagi. “I’m not forcing myself.” Miyagi touches my neck. Her fingers gently glide along the side, grasping the chain of my pendant. Then, she slowly pulls it out. “After the graduation ceremony, we need to talk, so don’t forget to bring this here.” Saying this, she gives the pendant’s top a firm tug. It hurts. The arm she had grabbed earlier, and the chain pressing into my neck, both hurt terribly. “Go home for today.” With those words, she picks up my bag that had been left on the floor. “Here.” She thrusts it at me as if pushing it forcefully into my hands. “When’s the next time you'll call me, Miyagi?” “After graduation, not before. So don’t forget to come.” Miyagi emphasizes her words, pulling my arm. Using no restraint, she yanks me out until I find myself ejected from the entrance. The door slams shut with a bang. Usually, Miyagi would see me off downstairs, but not today. In moments like these, good things rarely happen. I sigh softly.