175 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

Chapter 175 I board the train, ride, and disembark. Now I'm walking next to Sendai-san. The reason is that even on the morning of the day itself, the outing's destination remains a "surprise". After leaving home, the "surprise" continues. Only Sendai-san knows where we're heading. Of course, I voiced my complaints. I asked Sendai-san, who was in a good mood since morning, where we were going. I also mentioned I couldn't decide on my outfit without knowing the destination. But she still didn't reveal it and instead, handed me a skirt. "Change and come to my room." As if it were the most natural thing, she decided my outfit. I ended up with light makeup on, fulfilling the promise of going out together without knowing the destination since morning. "Are we there yet?" I inquire to Sendai-san who walks beside me, and she replies, "Almost there." "How much longer is 'almost'?" Whether it really is 'almost' or not, I can't tell, but Sendai-san walks without hesitation. She's wearing a camisole paired with a blouse, and a cool-colored skirt. Whatever outfit she wears seems to suit her, but today she looks more beautiful than usual. It might just be my imagination, or perhaps it's because we're walking somewhere different than usual. Either way, she looks slightly different from usual, and it makes me feel a bit nervous. "Miyagi, once we take this, we'll be there." Sendai-san announces in front of the elevator. "Our destination is an aquarium?" "Correct. You guessed well." As she answers spiritedly, the elevator arrives, and we step into the small box. "Once we got here, it was obvious. The sign said 'aquarium'. Why did you keep it a secret?" Inside the blue-painted elevator, Sendai-san lets out a small "Hmm" and falls silent. In her silence, children's voices echo. Probably due to summer vacation, the elevator heading to the aquarium is packed to its limit with people, creating a decent level of noise. Yet, she remains quiet. After a while, the elevator stops, and we step outside. "I thought you'd refuse if I told you." As we get swept along by the human tide and walk through the aquarium's entrance, Sendai-san says as if she just remembered. Smart and accomplished at everything, she seems dauntless. The idea that she couldn't tell me the destination because she worried about my response seems unbelievable. But her voice didn't sound as if she were lying. She could've just casually invited me to the aquarium. I had no intention of breaking our promise to go out, so I wouldn't have declined even if she'd said we were going to the aquarium. "Why the aquarium?" I ask while we queue to buy tickets. I've never heard Sendai-san mention liking aquariums or fish. Generally, when deciding to go somewhere with friends, aquariums hardly come to mind. That's why I'm curious about why she chose an aquarium. In my mind, going to an aquarium feels like something you do with family, on a trip, or perhaps on a date. No, I'm probably overthinking. It's just because Maika said something weird that now I'm overly conscious of it. "Miyagi, you like animals." Just as Maika's words begin to fill my mind, Sendai-san utters something nonsensical, prompting me to look at her intently. "...An aquarium is for seeing fish, though." Regardless of whether I like animals, the destination choice seems off. "Great, we agree on this. I was wondering what to do if you said it's where you see giraffes." "That's not what I meant. Normally, if someone likes animals, you'd take them to a zoo." "If we're broad about it, fish are animals too, similar to giraffes, so there's no problem with an aquarium, right? Besides, walking around a zoo in the sweltering heat isn't appealing, is it? The aquarium is cooler and more comfortable, don't you think?" With a bright voice, she looks at me, seeking agreement. "True." I, too, prefer cooler places over hot ones. Yet, classifying fish and giraffes under the same category and choosing an aquarium based on that felt overly simplistic on Sendai-san's part. "Did you want to go to a zoo instead?" "The aquarium is fine." "Then, let's settle for the aquarium this time. We'll visit the zoo when it gets cooler." With plans for a distant future about to be set, I quickly respond. "We don't have to go." "Come on, let's go. You like animals, don't you?" "Not that much." "You can learn to like them." The line of people standing to buy tickets is endless, creating a crowded atmosphere. I'm not so irrational to make a scene or kick someone in such a public place. So, I quietly accept Sendai-san's words. "...If you insist that much, we can go." I'm not particularly fond of animals, nor do I dislike them. So, having a day to see them isn't bad. "Alright, it's settled then." Somehow, we've half-heartedly planned for after summer. Sendai-san buys the tickets with the 5,000 yen I had given her. I had my grievances over using that money, but she insisted since morning, leaving me no choice. Even so, I swallow the complaints that rose to my throat as we enter the building, where a blue space akin to the ocean depths unfolds. Though there's as many people as there are fish and a constant buzz, the serene blue diminishes the noise, making voices less bothersome. "Shall we follow the route?" To Sendai-san's question, I reply, "Sure," and we continue walking. We pass by tanks where vividly colored fish swim, witness schools of sardines and oddly-shaped sharks. The aquarium is crowded with many people, including parents happily accompanying their kids. Yet, I don't feel the need to compare my past to them. I find more enjoyment from exploring with Sendai-san rather than dwelling on the past. However, there is something on my mind. I can't help but notice the people walking hand in hand or arm in arm, affirming the notion that aquariums are indeed date destinations. Seeing them stirs memories of Maika's visit. Back then, Maika had asked, "Doesn't Sendai-san have someone she likes?" and I still don't know Sendai-san's answer. I stop in front of a tank where large rays and sharks gracefully swim. "Hey, Sendai-san, why don't you have a boyfriend?" Though phrased a bit indirectly, in a place frequented by couples, it seems like a natural topic to bring up while observing the rays gliding as if flying. "I don't plan to have one, and I don't think it's something you intentionally look for." Sendai-san answers without hesitation. "Why not?" "A romantic partner isn't something you make forcefully; it happens naturally if the time comes." "That sounds like something a popular person would say." "I'm not popular." She dismisses my words outright, and then points to a yellow fish, "Isn't that one cute?" I reject, "Not particularly," and continue the conversation. "But you were confessed to in high school." "Well, it's not like it never happens, but if it's not from someone you like, does it even matter?" Gazing intently at the tank, as if a slice of the sea were contained within it, Sendai-san speaks in an unusually earnest tone before looking at me. "What about you, Miyagi? Do you want a boyfriend?" "I don't." "I see." Sendai-san's eyes shift from me back to the fish within the tank. Even without an oath sworn on earrings, I can tell she's being truthful about not intending to get a boyfriend. But whether she has someone she likes remains a mystery. That's something I can't know without asking outright, and it feels like now is my only chance. I quietly inhale, slowly exhale, and let my voice carry the question that's been in my mind. "…Do you have someone you like? You didn't answer when Maika asked you, did you?" "Isn't this unusual? You bringing up this kind of topic." "Even if it's unusual, it's okay. Just answer." "Someone I like, huh. Let's see." A quiet voice trails off. Amidst the deep blue, Sendai-san shifts her expression to an unnaturally bright smile and looks at me. "—I do." "Eh?" The word slips out involuntarily, and I feel the urge to cover my ears. I don't want to hear any names, familiar or not, and I falter on whether to ask who it is. I know it would seem odd to just stay silent, but my voice refuses to come out. While I deliberate, Sendai-san starts speaking. "Mike-chan. It was cute, right?" "…That's not a person, that's a cat." Whether she's being serious or joking, I can't tell, but the tension in my shoulders unknowingly relaxes upon hearing that name, and I find myself playfully tapping Sendai-san's arm as she chuckles softly. Mike-chan is a calico cat Sendai-san often encounters on her way back from university and dotes on dearly. I wasn't aiming to discuss favorite cats. "Right now, cats are the only ones like that." With that, Sendai-san adds, "Shall we move on?" and starts walking ahead.