174 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

Chapter 174 Hot. No matter how much I dislike the cold, summer is unbearably hot. It's not like the approaching evening brings any cool relief, and I'd much rather stay home than venture out in this heat to get ice cream. But it seems Sendai-san doesn't feel the same way. "Miyagi, could you walk a little faster?" Sendai-san, walking a few steps ahead, stops and looks back at me. Despite being easily bothered by heat, she seems to be enjoying this little outing to the convenience store for ice cream, her voice bright and cheerful. "If we hurry, it gets even hotter," I reply. "But if you dawdle, we'll spend more time walking and it might feel even hotter," she counters. Without waiting for more debate, Sendai-san pulls my arm, urging me to pick up the pace. Reluctantly, I follow her footsteps, though my own refuse to quicken. I can only manage a slow, leisurely pace, while Sendai-san, not intending to stroll leisurely, firmly grasps my hand. Thus, we end up holding hands as we walk. As we continue like this, Maika's words echo in my mind: "Anything becomes a date if the two of you living together go out." Technically, what Maika referred to as two people living together are "cohabiting" rather than just "roommates," yet as we walk hand in hand like this, I can't help but feel as though we're on a date. "Sendai-san, I'll walk properly, so let go of my hand." It's not that I'm bothered by Maika's words. And I know very well this isn't a date. But for some reason, I just don't want to hold hands, so I try to swing our connected hands apart. "Oh, come on. We don't have to let go," she insists. As we continue down the path to the convenience store, the cicadas sing a summer chorus, and the breeze, when it comes, feels tepid. The shadows cast by the street trees offer scant relief from the blazing sun, and the sky has yet to take on its evening hue. Hot. My hand and my body. Desperate to free my hand, I swing it once more, but it still doesn't break free. Instead, Sendai-san tightens her grip, just as she suddenly exclaims, "Ah, there's Mike-chan!" and stops. "Mike?" "The calico cat I told you about before. Look, it's coming over." Following Sendai-san's gaze, I spot the calico cat we once failed to find together, the one Maika and I had seen. "Is that cat named Mike?" "It's a calico, so I call it Mike. It's just a name I made up." With that explanation, Sendai-san finally releases my hand and crouches by the edge of the sidewalk. "Come here, Mike-chan." The calico cat pauses, fixing us with its gaze before cautiously approaching Sendai-san and letting out a short "meow." The cat takes no notice of me. Nor does Sendai-san. As she squats down, her voice gentle, "It's been a while," she speaks to the cat, petting it softly. Having been home more often during the summer break, she hadn't encountered the calico cat she often saw on her way back from university. "You're as cute as ever today." A soft purring fills the air, answering Sendai-san's gentle voice. The calico is far more approachable than when Maika and I spotted it. Or perhaps it's just fond of Sendai-san. Almost immediately, it flops onto the sidewalk, inviting belly rubs. Sendai-san's hand travels up and down the cat's body, her focus entirely on the feline, as if oblivious to my presence. The calico cat seems utterly content, as though it wishes for Sendai-san's gentle touch forever. However, since Sendai-san is spending most of her summer vacation with me, the cat might not encounter her as frequently during the break. "How long are you going to pet that cat?" I can't help but interject. I harbor no ill will towards the cat, but I can't shake the discomfort of being cast aside. Seeing her attention so wholly captured by something else stirs unease in me. The unease that once dissolved in Sendai-san's touch now feels more solid, rising anew. Concentrating all my unfocused anxiety onto her, making me hyperaware of her every move, amplifying my discomfort. "Why not pet it yourself, Miyagi?" The truth is, it's not the cat I want to touch. But I can't voice such things, so I crouch down, reaching out slightly only to see the calico's ear twitch. I stop, not wanting it to run, and gingerly attempt to pet it. But before I can, the cat darts away. "Sendai-san," I call, a hint of reproach in my voice despite knowing she isn't at fault. "It's like kindred spirits, perhaps." "I'm not a cat." "I've said it before; I think you resemble one." "I disagree." Standing up, I pull on Sendai-san’s arm. "It’s hot. Let's get going." "Okay, okay." Sendai-san stands, and I let go of her hand. The cat has already disappeared. With nothing left to capture her gaze, my unsettled feelings begin to calm. By touching Sendai-san, letting her touch me, and repeating these actions over and over, will this ensure that my anxiety stays away for good? "Miyagi, if you space out, that's dangerous," she gently taps my shoulder, bringing my focus back to walking. This time, there's no hand to hold. We cut through the stagnant, lukewarm air with brisk steps, quickly arriving at the convenience store. We buy three days' worth of ice cream and head back home. Despite walking faster on the return trip, by the time we reach the refrigerator, the ice cream, scorched by the relentless sun, appears sweat-laden and ready to melt. "Sendai-san, I'm putting all the ice cream in the freezer." Without waiting for a response, I place the ice creams from the bag into the freezer. Yet Sendai-san opens it almost immediately after I close it. "Why? Let's eat some." Without waiting, she pulls out a soda-flavored and a strawberry-flavored popsicle. "It looks a bit melted; shouldn't we chill it once first?" "Nah, it's not that melted." Intent on enjoying her popsicle right away, Sendai-san makes no move to return it to the freezer. Begrudgingly, I accompany her to her room. We settle down, using the bed as a backrest, and she hands me the soda-flavored popsicle. Tearing open the wrapper, I bite into the light blue treat. "It would've been better if we chilled them first," I grumble after the second bite. Though delicious, the popsicle is slightly too soft for my liking. "It's fine. What's a little melting?" "It's not fine. It feels like it might slip off the stick." "Then hurry and eat it." Sendai-san takes a large bite of her popsicle in response. I have much to say, but instead, I quietly continue eating mine. Outside was scorching hot, but eating ice cream like this makes it feel worthwhile. I glance at Sendai-san, her expression one of contentment, prompting me to gaze at her intently. "Want a bite?" she offers. I hadn't meant to prompt her, but the strawberry-scented popsicle was offered right in front of me. I glanced at the partially eaten red ice before returning my gaze to Sendai-san. "Miyagi?" She called my name, so I took hold of Sendai-san's arm. Instead of biting into the popsicle, I leaned in to taste her lips. Sweet. But the flavor was indiscernible. To confirm if the popsicle really was strawberry-flavored, I licked her lips again. "Sendai-san, that's cold." In the end, I still couldn't be sure if it was strawberry flavor or not. "...Well, you did just eat ice cream. But I meant for you to take a bite of the popsicle, not me," she clarified. "Doesn't matter, the taste is the same whether I try the popsicle or your lips, right?" "There's definitely a difference. Besides, it was you who said no more kisses. Have you forgotten?" "It wasn't a kiss, just a taste test." Exactly, since it was just a taste test, it’s fine for me to touch Sendai-san's lips. Even if it were a kiss, the one who I said no more from was Sendai-san—those rules don't apply to me. "In that case, I'd like a taste too," she teased. "No way." Resolute, I pressed the partially eaten popsicle against Sendai-san’s neck. "Oh, that's cold!" Sendai-san exclaimed louder than expected and tried to escape. But the popsicle had nowhere to go, so I bit her neck gently before she could slip further away. Having bitten her neck many times before, it was effortless to sink my teeth into her skin. I carefully gauged the pressure so as not to hurt her, pressing my tongue against her neck. The cooled neck felt impossibly sweet, almost as though it wasn't human flesh beneath my tongue. But upon mixing the soda-flavored ice—now mingled with her scent and sweat—it transformed into a different, unrecognizable flavor. "Miyagi." A light tap on my shoulder urged me to pull back my lips, but I soon resumed, trailing my tongue leisurely along her neck. Sendai-san wasn’t sweet anymore. Regardless, I softly nipped, pressing my lips repeatedly down toward her collarbone. Today, unlike that day, she wouldn’t laugh or tease me with her voice. The memories of touching Sendai-san that day remain vivid and unshakable. The recollection of her voice, body warmth, the sensation dampening my fingers—all return with startling clarity. I wanted to see that Sendai-san once more, the one who looked only at me, who sought only me. I also craved to touch her just as deeply. But such urges could lead us astray, driving us to a place we shouldn't frequently venture. "Miyagi, cut it out." Sendai-san tapped my shoulder more firmly. In response, I bit her shoulder with corresponding strength, ignoring the popsicle melting onto my hand. "Miyagi, the popsicle. It's going to fall," she warned. I heard her, but feigned ignorance, continuing to plant my teeth into her shoulder. Only when she confiscated my popsicle and called my name did I regretfully pull back to meet her gaze. "Open your mouth." In a quiet voice, she instructed me, and I obediently opened my mouth to have the melting popsicle pushed inside. Resigned, I finished the half-melted treat, wiping my sticky hand with a tissue. "It's sticky." The tissue wasn't wet enough to fully cleanse the residual popsicle from my hand. "Of course, isn't it?" Sendai-san quipped, her usual exasperation apparent. "Miyagi, your antics left me sticky too." "I’m a cat, so it's okay to lick, right?" "Cat, huh?" "You mentioned kindred spirits on our way to the store." "I did mention that, but why do this now, of all times?" "These things aren't controlled by reason, right? Besides, I acted before you could because it seemed like you might make a move." "Miyagi, you're such an idiot. If there has to be licking, do it when we're not eating." And with that, Sendai-san pressed her lips against my neck. The warmth of her breath made me feel ticklish, yet comfortable. Despite the pleasure, the permission for kisses from Sendai-san had already been revoked, and allowing this one might lead to more than just kissing. So, I gently pushed her away. "Miyagi, are you free the day after tomorrow?" Instead of scolding me, she asked about my schedule. "I'm free." "Then can we go out as we planned the other day? The day after tomorrow?" "Sure, but where are we going?" "That's a surprise for the day." With those words, Sendai-san laughed, her expression filled with excitement.