144 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

Chapter 144 "So, what happened?" The moment I step into the room, Maika asks. Usually, before we start talking, she'd offer, "Want something to drink?" but today she clearly isn't concerned about drinks. "Can I put my bag down before I explain?" "Sure, but since you promised, tell me what happened." "Okay." I place my bag beside the table and sit at the edge of the soft rug. Though I've visited Maika's room numerous times since starting college, considering what I have to confess today makes me a little nervous. "So, spill it. Was it really a fight?" Maika sits across from me, her eyes fixed on mine. The 'it', of course, refers to why I showed up at the university with a large bag—and, more specifically, why I'm asking to stay at Maika's place. When I pleaded, "Could you let me stay over tonight?" in the lecture hall and said it was because I'd had a quarrel with my roommate, she wasn’t satisfied with just that. Yet, there's no way I can tell her I'm fleeing from Sendai-san because of what happened yesterday. I've told Maika that I live with a relative, so mentioning Sendai-san's name would complicate matters. "A lot of things happened, and... it just turned into sort of a fight," I mutter, wincing internally at how poorly I'm lying. I don't want to keep secrets from Maika, but I lack the confidence to explain the full backstory of how I became roommates with Sendai-san while concealing past events. Nor do I possess the courage to reveal everything. I'm always like this. Lacking the courage to face Sendai-san in the morning. Lacking the courage to share a meal with her at night. Because I'm missing such courage, I left the house before Sendai-san woke up in the morning. I know that running away from her won't solve anything, and it's not that I don't want to see her, but I just don't know how to face her or what to say. "That's why I want you to tell me more about these 'things,'" Maika urges with a forced smile, reminding me that since she's letting me stay in her small room, an explanation is due. Maika's room isn't particularly large—it's just a tidy one-room apartment. But maybe, because it's kept so clean, I've never really found it cramped. Having just one more person won't change much, but since I'm the guest, I have no right to complain. I should at least offer a reason. Yet, I can't muster the courage to start with "My roommate is Sendai-san" and go through to what happened yesterday. "It really was just a fight." I decide to stick to my original lie. "Shiori, you're not the type to fight." "We're relatives, and I might've said too much." "So, were you in the wrong?" "Mmm... It's not really about who's right or wrong. I just need to cool off for a bit." I'm not sure if Maika's convinced, but she responds with a simple "Hmm" while looking at me. "And how long is 'a bit'?" "Just a bit." "If you plan to stay until your head cools off, you should really tell them." Maika's using her serious voice. "...Two, three weeks, maybe?" "That's long." "Okay, a week. Three days would be fine too. Just let me stay." "You can stay for two or three weeks if you want, but the longer a fight drags on, the harder it is to make up, you know? Maybe you should go back sooner." Her voice is gentle yet solid, and the concern behind Maika's words pierces me more than any needle. It hits me fully, realizing she's genuinely worried, not reluctant about me staying over. "...I know, but." Considering what happened yesterday, even if I don't go home today, Sendai-san might just think, "That's typical of her." Going back sooner would be better. The longer I wait, the harder it will be to return. Also, I've been thinking about Sendai-san today, too. How she reacted to not seeing me in the morning. If she thought about me at university. Whether she wants to do those things again. All these thoughts swirl around, my feelings swinging wildly, keeping me here in Maika's room instead of going home. "Well, you should give it some thought. I'll bring something, so just sit tight." With that, Maika rises. As she opens the fridge, I'm tempted to ask her about handling a situation where you develop a physical relationship with your roommate. However, I suspect explaining why and with whom that occurred would take much longer than discussing solutions, so I abandon even the idea of telling it as an acquaintance's story and collapse onto the carpet. At the very least, as Maika suggested, I need to think about how to go back to getting along with Sendai-san. But as soon as I delve into thoughts of her, memories of Sunday resurface, not allowing my brain to function properly. "Would you prefer plum or orange? By the way, the plum is a new product." Maika returns and explains the contents of the glasses she's brought. "Orange juice." I hear the soft clink as a glass is placed on the table, prompting me to sit up. "...Shiori." "What?" "Could it be... the fight partner, or rather, the one you're living with, is actually your boyfriend?" Maika asks, her eyes unusually serious as she sits in her original spot. "Why would you think that?" "You didn't deny it." "I am denying it." "That's not a real denial. Suspicious." "Not suspicious." After taking a sip of the orange juice, I add, "It's not a boyfriend," receiving a flat "Oh really?" in response. It seems my words lack credibility. "And those earrings; are they for a boyfriend, perhaps?" She teases, reaching out to pinch my earlobe playfully. Laughing and pulling away because it's ticklish, I say "No," and her fingers pull back. I glance at Maika's fingers, those she used to tease me. Sendai-san touched my ears in the same way, but it felt entirely different from when Maika does it. Touching my own ears, the sensation is normal, of course, yet different from when Sendai-san did. Her touch was unlike anyone else's. On Sunday, I distinctly remember Sendai-san's hand— Caught in the thoughts of yesterday, I wash them down with the orange juice. Sendai-san seems to have penetrated deeper within me than the earrings, and if I let my guard down, the memories threaten to resurface. "Shiori, this is tasty. Want a sip?" Maika places her glass with the light-hued liquid, said to be plum-flavored, in front of me. Perhaps because she mentioned "plum," a fragrance suggesting a fresh tartness seems to waft over. "I'm good." I'm not adverse to plum, but I push the glass back toward her. "Alright then." Just as Maika's voice overlaps, my smartphone rings from within my bag. I take it out to see another message from Sendai-san: 'What happened this morning?' I find myself caught in a paradox: desperately not wanting to see her, yet wanting to see her soon. Unable to reconcile my feelings, I shove the phone back into the bag without replying. "Is that from your fight?" "Yeah, sort of." "Are you sure you don't want to go home today?" "Let me stay tonight." "Stay as long as you like, but make up soon, alright?" I can't tell if Maika truly believed my words, but she speaks to me in a gentle voice. "Okay." After a brief hesitation, I take out my smartphone. 'I'm sorry. I won't be back today,' I type. I don't want to make Sendai-san worry. I just send her the bare minimum of necessary information before tucking my phone back into my bag.