166 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

Chapter 166 The three of us went out for a meal, and then two of us returned home. Now, Miyagi is pressing me for answers. Utsunomiya, who was here in this room about two hours ago, is no longer present, which has left Miyagi's expression severe. "What were you really talking about with Maika?" She inquires in a hushed voice that she likely refrains from using around Utsunomiya. "What do you mean, 'what were we talking about'?" "While I was in the bathroom, you two talked about something, didn’t you?" Miyagi looks at me with an expression that practically has "I'm curious" written across her forehead. Her mood is visibly sour. Earlier, she was sitting diagonally across from me, but now, as she sits beside me, I can easily tell. The air around her is prickly and makes it uncomfortable to be close by. It's nice to have Miyagi next to me again—it's as it should be. But a discontented Miyagi is not something I welcome. "It was nothing significant, really. Utsunomiya even said so." In truth, it was just a mundane conversation. Being asked to call someone by their first name is common for people who are on the verge of becoming friends—it's nothing to hide. While it might be better not to relay Utsunomiya's more candid confessions, everything else was perfectly ordinary. I haven't made any promises to her to keep things from Miyagi. However, I feel that telling Miyagi the details might only worsen her mood. "You're definitely lying. You talked about something else." "Are you doubting Utsunomiya?" "I'm doubting you, Sendai-san." Miyagi states with certainty. It seems unfair that I'm the only one being suspected. I clearly can't compete with Utsunomiya when it comes to trustworthiness, but this treatment still feels too harsh. "We just talked about stuff like how you chose this platypus plushie, or how I was tutoring you as thanks for lending me money. I promised not to say anything weird, and I didn’t bring up anything you’d dislike." If I can evade the topic, I'll try to. Miyagi seems to harbor negative feelings about me getting too close to Utsunomiya. If I were to disclose everything we discussed, it might appear as though I'm trying to take her friend away. I want to avoid saying unnecessary things that could lead to misunderstandings. "Really?" "Really. So, what do you think I talked about?" "Things I don't want you discussing." "And what kinds of things would those be?" "You know very well what I mean." Most of what we did during high school is probably stuff Miyagi would prefer to keep hidden from Utsunomiya. But this doesn't apply solely to Miyagi; it applies to me as well. "Don't worry, we only talked about ordinary things. If you're so curious, just ask Utsunomiya." At my suggestion, Miyagi averts her gaze. She doesn't try to look at me, and I can't decipher what she's thinking. Even though we didn't talk about anything suspicious, it might look to Miyagi as if Utsunomiya and I have grown too close for comfort. While I don't intend to take Utsunomiya away from her, it wouldn't be surprising if, like Utsunomiya, she started feeling a bit like an outsider. "—Sendai-san. Look at me." Miyagi finally turns her body toward me and tugs at my arm. "I am looking." I’ve been looking at Miyagi the entire time, but she doesn’t seem satisfied, a frown settling between her brows. "Properly." With another tug on my arm, I shift to face her fully. "Is this better?" I ask. No reply comes; her hand remains attached to my arm. "Miyagi?" Upon hearing her name, Miyagi's grip tightens, and she leans in closer. She’s probably going to kiss me. Anticipating what comes next, I close my eyes, and something soft brushes against my lips. I thought it would be a fleeting kiss without a trace of warmth, but a moist touch presses against them. This is unusual. Miyagi rarely initiates kisses, much less tries to deepen them. Even though the room's temperature doesn’t change, my body feels hot. Thoughts like "why" and "how come" cross my mind, yet my body chooses to focus solely on Miyagi. My lips part slightly, and after a moment of hesitation, her warmth slowly enters me. Our tongues meet, intertwining with each other. Hesitant and gentle, her tongue feels as if it was made to fit me perfectly, bringing a sense of comfort. The heat flows from our joined lips and her exploring tongue, dissolving inside me. I crave more of Miyagi, and when I move my tongue towards hers, her grip on my arm tightens. But then her tongue and lips retreat. Even though I want to lean in for another kiss, her displeased voice interrupts. "Tell me what you two talked about." Ah, I see. I had forgotten. It's rare for Miyagi to kiss me without reason. "Is this an exchange?" I voice the words she leaves unsaid. "Think of it that way if you like." In the past, kisses have served as a form of exchange. This isn't the first time something like this has happened, and we've even gone further than just that. Even if it’s a term of exchange, a kiss from Miyagi makes me happy. So, it doesn’t have to be something special. But this kiss feels special. She chose to ask me and not Utsunomiya, even though she could have gone to someone else. "Why did you choose to ask me and not Utsunomiya?" When I question her, Miyagi's gaze falls to the floor. If there’s a reason, I’d like to know, yet she remains silent. "Couldn’t you have just offered to treat Utsunomiya to dinner or something to get her to talk? I mean, Utsunomiya might’ve shared without any condition if you just asked." "You can’t be sure of that. Maika might not tell me." Miyagi, now looking at me, mumbles as if to herself. Her excuse hardly holds water. If it were Utsunomiya, she would likely disclose it if Miyagi insisted. If Utsunomiya refused to talk, Miyagi could have then come to me, so there was no need to pick me first. She simply wanted to kiss me. Even if that’s too convenient a conclusion for me to assume, I want to think that was her intention. I hope Miyagi's feelings align with, or at least mirror something close to mine. "Sendai-san, just tell me." I don’t want to. Unless Miyagi explains why she chose me clearly and convincingly, I won’t say a word. But if I were to say something like that, Miyagi would undoubtedly retort, "Forget it, then." "How about you kiss me one more time?" Even if it’s a transaction, that's fine. I wish for her to kiss me once more. "I will, so promise on the earring that you'll definitely tell me." "Alright." I reach out and touch Miyagi's earring, gently stroking the plumeria flower with my thumb. "If Miyagi kisses me again, I'll tell you," I declare. "Is that enough for you?" As I ask while brushing her earlobe and cheek, Miyagi leans in closer. The moment I close my eyes, our lips meet. I didn't specify it as part of the deal, but the softness of her lips soon invades my mouth. With just a promise on her earring, Miyagi kisses me without resistance. I wish she could always be this straightforward. Though I know it's asking for too much. I want to kiss Miyagi whenever I want, however I want. Miyagi's hand touches my waist. She draws closer, pressing her lips harder against mine. But this time, they separate quicker than before. "Sendai-san, I kissed you," Miyagi states, business-like. The things I haven't told Miyagi about my conversation with Utsunomiya are about Utsunomiya's genuine feelings and her request to call each other by our first names. While I haven't made any promises to keep these to myself, I shouldn't talk about Utsunomiya's private thoughts, nor do I intend to, so that leaves the name-calling discussion. But I don't want to say it, fearing it will lead to misunderstandings. I wish to brush it off somehow. If Miyagi thinks I’m trying to take Utsunomiya away and consequently distances herself from me—even temporarily—I’d hate it. I don't mind if she doesn't like me more, but I don’t want her to dislike me. "Sendai-san," Miyagi calls my name strongly. "When I was walking with Maika after picking her up earlier, we saw that calico cat you mentioned. It made me realize what you told me was true, and I decided I could trust you a little more. So, honor your promise." Hearing the oddly earnest tone in her voice, I let out a small sigh. I don't want to lose the bit of trust I’ve managed to earn. "We were just talking about how to address each other." "How to address each other?" "Right. We were discussing her calling me Hazuki." "...Did Maika do that?" Miyagi looks straight at me and asks. "Has Utsunomiya been calling me Hazuki since then?" "No, she hasn’t." "Exactly. She said she’ll call me Sendai-san until you call me Hazuki." Upon hearing this, Miyagi goes silent, her gaze dropping to the floor before returning to meet mine. She speaks quietly. "...So, are you calling her Maika?" "You heard earlier, I was calling her Utsunomiya the whole time. During our chat, I told her I’d call her Utsunomiya until she calls me Hazuki. Anyway, that’s all you wanted to know, right? The rest is just talk about our high school days." I wrap up the conversation before Miyagi starts turning over unnecessary thoughts. If we keep talking, I might inadvertently say something trivial to me but significant to Miyagi. "Hey, Miyagi." I lean back against the bed as support. "What?" "Call me Hazuki." She likely won't, but I decide to ask anyway. "If I call you Hazuki, Maika will start calling you Hazuki too, right?" "That's the deal." "...I'll call you Sendai-san." After a moment's consideration, Miyagi states clearly.