153 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

Chapter 153 June, for me, is neither spring nor summer. It’s a transitional season where it feels too late to wear spring clothes, but too early for summer wear. I always find myself at a loss over what to wear, but one certainty is that the spring-colored skirt I bought after graduation doesn’t suit this time of year. In the end, I settle for the usual combination of blouse and pants. There’s no need to deliberately choose clothes that remind me of that day, so this level of attire might just be right for a Sunday. “Miyagi, have you found one you like?” In front of a line of earrings, Sendai-san asks me irresponsibly. She’s brought me to a shop specializing in imported goods, which seems to have more of everything else than it does jewelry. However, there are still quite a few earrings, and when Sendai-san said, "We'll go with whatever you like, so take a look," I looked but couldn’t make a quick decision. After all, since she said she’d choose, I figured she should just go ahead and decide. “Anything’s fine, so you pick, Sendai-san.” “Anything will do, really?” “Yes, really.” Had we been brought to a store filled with expensive items, I'd think about heading home, but most of the earrings lined up before me seemed like ones I could accept without guilt, even if they were bought for me. “How about this one, then?” Sendai-san says, as if she had it in mind from the start, handing me a pair of silver earrings. “... I'd prefer something else.” I'm sure my brow furrows as I say that. They’re neither cheap nor overly expensive. But that’s not the issue. It's the design. “Don’t you like this type?” “It’s not that I dislike it; it's just too cute.” In my hand is a pair of small flower earrings. Upon examining the spot where they were, I learn from the description that they’re “plumeria” flowers. I think they'll look cute as if a flower is blooming on the ear, but they simply don’t suit me. “Really? They’re simple, so I don't think they're too cute.” “I’d prefer something else.” “I see. Then how about these?” Sendai-san points to some large, gold earrings. Their design and price don't appeal to me. “I don't like flashy ones. You purposely chose ones you knew I'd likely dislike.” “You said anything’s fine, so other than these two, you don’t get any choice. Pick the one you like better.” Sendai-san looks at me gleefully. It’s true I said, “You pick,” and responded “Yes” when asked, “Anything will do?” If I raise a fuss and absolutely refuse, she might choose something else, but making a scene in a store isn't something I want to do as a university student. “... This one.” I hand the small flower earrings to Sendai-san. “I'll buy them, so wait around here,” she says brightly and heads to the register. Watching her back as she goes, I touch my ear. The earrings touching my fingertips are different from the ones we just picked. The ones Sendai-san put on my ears were the first pair I ever wore, so the thought of replacing them brings a tinge of sadness. I idly stare at the earrings lined up. I'm not particularly interested in earrings, so there’s nothing I really crave. Since I'm unable to find something I desire myself, what Sendai-san chose is probably what’s best. “Sorry to keep you waiting.” As I blankly watch the earrings, Sendai-san taps me on the shoulder. “What about the earrings?” Despite being seemingly in good spirits, Sendai-san doesn’t have the earrings she should have purchased. They must be in her bag, though I expected her to hand them over immediately. “I’ll give them to you when we get home. So, want to stop by anywhere else?” “No need to stop.” “Want to eat? Ah, but it’s still too early for dinner.” Normally, Sendai-san would list possible places to stop by and decide on a new destination, but today she straightforwardly says, “Then let’s head back,” and starts walking. Not taking any detours, we return home, arriving by evening. I open the fridge and pour barley tea and soda into a cup. “I'll take this to my room,” Sendai-san announces as usual, and I place the cups on a tray instead of the shared space table. “Your room, Sendai-san?” “Yes. I’ll give you the earrings there.” “Can't we do it here?” “Don’t want to come to my room?” I don’t mind, but I haven’t entered Sendai-san’s room since that Sunday. It’s linked with what happened back then, making my heartbeat slightly quicker. I don’t want to erase those memories, and I accept what happened that day, but the embarrassment remains. Yet, if I keep avoiding her room, I’ll never be able to enter it again. “... It's okay,” I reply softly, and Sendai-san smiles as she carries the tray. She opens the door and enters the room. The bed catches my eye, and I halt halfway. Sendai-san is sneaky. Since she's the one who touched me of her own accord, she shouldn’t experience any of the embarrassment I do. We should have done this in the shared space. “Have a seat,” Sendai-san says, tapping my shoulder after setting down the glasses on the table, but I don’t want to sit. “What about the earrings?” “I’ll put them on for you.” Sendai-san pulls me over to the table and pushes me into a seat before sitting down beside me. “I can put them on myself.” “You could at least grant the person who bought them the right to put them on. Any particular reason you don't want me to?” “It’s just... unsettling.” Thinking about that Sunday, I don’t want my ears touched. That’s the only reason. But if I were to say it, it would make it seem as if I’m obsessing over that Sunday, so I don’t want to say it. “If that’s your only reason, let me put them on,” Sendai-san says as anticipated, reaching out. I brush her hand away. “Then I’ll take off my own earrings,” I say, removing them before she can reach out again and place them on the table. Without the adornment, my earlobes feel a bit forlorn. “May I?” Sendai-san takes out a small bag from her bag and looks at me. “Sure.” “Want to take them out of the bag yourself?” “You take care of it, Sendai-san.” “Got it,” she replies lightly, taking out the earrings and hooking my hair behind my ear. Her gaze pierces my earlobe free of jewelry. Although I’ve seen my bare pierced ear countless times, showing it to Sendai-san for the first time makes me feel uneasy. Showing nothing more than a small hole shouldn’t be a big deal, but it feels like something special. Her hand that touched my hair now gently caresses my ear. Feeling her touch where the earring catch used to be, I grip her arm. “Aren’t you putting the earrings on?” “I am, but I’m just marveling at how the hole I made feels now that there’s no earring.” Saying this with evident fondness, Sendai-san removes her hand from my ear. “It’s not like it’s the first time you’ve seen one.” Back in high school, Ibaraki-san and others wore earrings too, so for Sendai-san, earring holes shouldn’t be such a novelty. "Sure, but it's the first time I've seen yours, Miyagi." "Enough looking, just put them on already." "Okay, okay." Sendai-san carefully picks up the earrings and gently attaches them to my ears. The light touch on my cheek and fingers brushing the back of my ear tickle, making me fidget a bit. After a moment of enduring, I hear two clicks as the earrings fasten, and her hands pull away. “They’re on.” She hands me a mirror, and as I look, a small flower blooms on my ear. The silver design is less conspicuous than I expected, bringing some relief. I still think it's a bit too cute for me, but it's an acceptable level of cuteness. “They really suit you.” Sendai-san softly says as she brushes the earrings. I don’t respond to that, instead voicing what I had left unsaid. “… Thanks for the earrings.” “You’re welcome.” “Why don’t you wear earrings, Sendai-san?” I push away Sendai-san’s arm as she continues to touch my ear and finally ask what’s been on my mind. Back in high school, she couldn’t pierce her ears due to the rules, but those rules no longer apply. “It’s not that I have a particular reason. Maybe if something memorable happens, I might get them.” Unlike before, Sendai-san directly gazes at me as she speaks. “Is it okay if I get a little closer?” Without waiting for a reply, Sendai-san moves slightly closer. “Let me see the earrings better.” Her hand touches my ear again without waiting for my response, fingers brushing the earrings, gently tugging my earlobe. The area where she touches feels warm. A shiver runs down my spine, and my neck and shoulders stiffen. As I pull back slightly, she closes the distance even more and presses her lips to my ear. “Miyagi,” she whispers. When I don’t answer, she calls me again, this time nearer. Hearing my name called so softly and gently tickles. Another kiss on my ear draws my mind back to that Sunday. She grabs my left hand, entwining our fingers. Her teeth lightly graze my earlobe, gently biting. She draws even closer, whispering my name again amidst the warm breath. “Sendai-san, wait a moment.” I try to push her shoulder gently. Yet, she doesn’t pull away. Fingers trail down my neck, lips following as if chasing. The warmth moving slowly over my skin feels incredibly pleasant, nearly making my breathing hitch. Licking at the base of my neck, I finally push her shoulder more firmly. “Did you dislike it?” Sendai-san asks quietly. “You’re getting too carried away.” I disentangle our intertwined fingers and press my hand against my neck. “Miyagi.” “What?” “The earrings suit you so much; wear them all the time.” Her fingers linger as if yearning, causing me to instinctively lean back. This time, the gap remains, easing the tension building within me. “I don’t have other earrings I want to wear, so I was planning to keep them on anyway.” I touch my own ear before taking a sip of soda.