152 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

Chapter 152 "Shiori. Are you free on Sunday? There's a movie I want to see." Across the table, Maika, having finished her chicken nanban, looks at me. Of all days, she suggests Sunday. I sigh internally. Even if I don't want to say it, I can't keep quiet either. "...Sorry. I have plans with Sendai-san. Is next week okay?" We are in a moderately crowded family restaurant, surrounded by the chatter of diners, where I slip in my response. I hesitate to mention Sendai-san, fearing it might lead to questions about visiting our house, but I don’t want to lie to Maika any longer. "That's fine, but are you going somewhere with Sendai-san?" "Shopping." I pause my hand reaching for the karaage and answer honestly. "Oh, you go shopping together?" With a grin that's hard to decipher if it’s genuine or teasing, Maika seems to find something amusing. "Yeah." "You guys don't seem to have the same taste, so what are you buying?" "Earrings. I'm counting on Sendai-san to help me pick." Sunday is the day to finally fulfill the promise I made to Sendai-san, which came about as a penalty game suggestion while on our way back from Maika's house. It’s a promise that’s been dangling unfulfilled, and it's time to settle it. Sunday is the day I've chosen. "I see. It's been over a month since you started wearing earrings. But it's interesting that you'd ask Sendai-san to help you pick them out." Maika says, glancing at my ear hidden under my hair, and then adds as if recalling something. "Speaking of which, what about that plan to hang out together?" It seems this topic is unavoidable. I swallow the sigh forming at my lips and, needing more than a breath, take a sip of oolong tea before answering. "Oh, yeah. Sendai-san's fine with it." Taking advantage of Maika not pressing the issue further, I finally give an answer to the invitation I had been vague about. "I've always wanted to see your room, so that's great. Does it matter when?" "Is next month alright?" "Isn't that quite far off?" "Would sooner be better?" I'd like a bit more time before Maika visits. Sendai-san and I are living as we always do, but that doesn’t mean everything’s back to normal. Even by next month, I doubt everything will be perfect, but perhaps we’ll seem more like typical roommates. "Next month works." Maika, not seeming in any urgent rush to visit, accepts my suggestion. "Alright then, next month. I’ll check with Sendai-san on her schedule too." "Got it. Anytime is fine for me." Relieved by Maika's light-hearted response, I bite into my last piece of karaage. Sendai-san's homemade karaage is tastier. Thinking this, I swallow the slightly over-seasoned chicken. "What are you drinking, Shiori?" With her plate and bowl empty and chopsticks down, Maika points to the glass in front of me. "Oolong tea." "Can I have a sip?" "…Sure." "Never mind." Although Maika asks for a taste of my oolong tea, she quickly retracts her request and stands up, taking her glass to the drink bar, returning with ginger ale. "You asked for it, but didn't go for the oolong tea." "It wasn't really about the oolong tea." "Then why ask for a sip earlier?" "Because I thought you'd struggle to share." Maika smirks. "It's not that I mind." "Really? Even in high school, you rarely shared drinks." Maika's observation was spot-on. I’m not fond of sharing drinks. However, realizing declining all the time makes things awkward, I try not to refuse overly often. "I don't mind if it’s difficult for you." Maika says brightly, sipping her ginger ale. "…I'm not good with it, but it’s not that I absolutely hate it, either." "And with Sendai-san?" "Huh?" "No, it just seemed like you didn't mind it with her. Remember when she visited my place, she casually took a sip from your juice, and you drank from it afterward?" Now that she mentions it, there was a time at Maika's house where Sendai-san drank from my half-finished orange juice, and I finished it after. While it wasn't an incident that required erasing from Maika's memory, I suppose it was unnecessary to display. Maika seems to have gotten the impression that Sendai-san is somehow significant to me, unlike others. Not that Sendai-san is special. Our casual sharing doesn’t bother me because there is an order between us. We've touched in more substantial ways that make such minor acts trivial. "Oh, I was just flustered with Sendai-san’s sudden visit, that's all." I can't be sure if it's a valid explanation, but I offer a plausible excuse. I didn’t want to lie, but I couldn't be entirely truthful either. "I see." Maika speaks in a tone that doesn't sound entirely convinced. "By the way, have you been in touch with Sendai-san since then?" It feels abrupt, but I change the topic, preferring it to continuing the current conversation. "She's contacted me a few times. Thanking me about you and stuff. She's surprisingly conscientious." Sendai-san never mentioned being in touch with Maika. She didn’t need to tell me everything, but I would have preferred to hear it from her before Maika. Still, finding myself thinking this way isn’t good. The notion of wanting to know everything Sendai-san does outside of my knowledge, even wanting to somehow limit her actions, is one I've harbored since high school, but it's become more pronounced now. I sip my oolong tea, listening to Maika as she talks. Whether conscious of it or not, Maika doesn't bring up the topic of drink-sharing again. The conversation moves from Sendai-san to university. After spending some time in this casual back-and-forth, I part ways with Maika. On the train ride home, I find myself still thinking about Sendai-san, even having wished to distract myself by spending time with Maika. What sort of conversations is she having with students at work now, and what expression is she wearing while she smiles? This wasn't how it was supposed to be. I climb the stairs to the third floor, unlock the door, and kick off my shoes. Sendai-san isn't back yet. I step into my room, grabbing three manga from the shelf. All of them are familiar reads, so I finish them quickly, reaching for more. After starting my sixth manga, I hear a knock at the door. Putting the book down, I open the door to find Sendai-san standing there. "Welcome back." "I'm home. Want some tea?" "I do, but Sendai-san, have you eaten?" "I had a light meal before my shift, so I'm not planning to eat." Upon saying this, Sendai-san heads to make the tea. I prepare two mugs and take my usual seat. Soon, a mug is placed before me, and Sendai-san sits across from me. "Thanks." I express my gratitude and then share the news decided today. "Sendai-san, Maika is coming over next month." "Next month, huh. That seems a bit far off." "It's not. Next month will be here before you know it. When would work for you?" "Any time other than on my workdays is fine. You can decide, Miyagi." Without even glancing at her schedule, Sendai-san replies casually and sips her tea. Because of Maika’s remark, I'm now oddly conscious of Sendai-san’s mug. Her lips touch it, her throat moves, and then her lips part. The mug is set back on the table. If it were someone else's drink, I wouldn’t want to take a sip. But when it comes to Sendai-san, it never bothers me—never has. Even now, though I don’t quite know what I'm confirming by watching her mug, I feel a strange sensation in my chest. —Better not to delve too deeply. Sendai-san was someone I had no connection with before. If I hadn’t seen her at the bookstore or if she hadn’t forgotten her wallet, none of this would have happened. It’s just that our beginning was unusual, different from everyone else. That’s all. "What is it? Something interesting written on it?" Sendai-san twirls her mug on the table. "I just thought the tea was really good." I down the still-hot tea in one gulp and stand up. "Miyagi?" "I’m tired today, so I’m heading back to my room." "Wait." Sendai-san stands up and grabs my hand as I turn to leave. Before her lips touch my fingertips, I speak to her. "Sendai-san." "What?" I gaze steadily at Sendai-san as she looks intently at me. Her long hair is half-up, just like in high school, braided on both sides and secured at the back. During those days, her hair, which felt more brown than black, seemed out of place at school, but now in college, it seems to suit her well. Her skirts have become longer since she switched to plain clothes from the slightly shorter uniform ones she used to wear. Her blouses rarely have the top button fastened, just like in high school, yet she often wears tops that aren’t blouses anymore. Sendai-san appears the same as before but also subtly different. "Lend me your hand." I lower my gaze to my captured hand and tell her, to which Sendai-san responded with slight dissatisfaction. "You mean let go?" "I mean, let go of my hand and lend me yours." "...Okay." Sendai-san releases my hand and places hers on my outstretched palm. This willingness is something that hasn’t changed since high school. She adheres even to words that aren't orders. I bring my lips close to the back of Sendai-san's hand. At my gentle touch, her hand shakes so much that it surprises me. While I don’t think it’s out of dislike, the sensation of rejection causes me to instinctively pull away. It's not as if I was desperate to touch her. I just wanted to bridge a little more of the distance. "Sorry, it was just surprising." Sendai-san hastily insists, extending her hand again toward me. But when I hesitate to touch her, she adds, "It’s okay now." I take her hand and press my teeth lightly against her fingertips. Sendai-san remains still. As I apply more pressure, she tenses her hand. Once her stiff fingers feel like the shape of the bones beneath, I raise my eyes. "That hurts." With a faint complaint, I notice teeth marks left on her skin. As I trace the marks with a finger, Sendai-san firmly grasps my hand. "Miyagi. You haven’t forgotten about Sunday, have you?" "I haven’t forgotten. Just don’t pick any weird earrings." "I’ll choose something cute." She says, a small smile gracing her lips.