178 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

Chapter 178 "Did you figure out the difference between seals and sea lions?" I could hear Miyagi's voice, and I replied while glancing at my tablet. "Hmm, something about the way they swim, and whether or not they have external ear flaps. That's what it seems like." After having dinner with the bento we bought on our way back from the aquarium, Miyagi naturally came into my room and sat beside me the entire time. "What's an ear flap?" When I raised my head from the tablet to address Miyagi's curiosity, I found her gaze meeting mine despite the fact that she was supposed to be looking at the aquarium pamphlet. "It's this part that sticks out outside the ear, apparently." I traced my hand along the contour of Miyagi's ear and tugged at her earlobe. I felt the hardness of her piercing against my thumb and let go. As I moved to place my lips near her earlobe, Miyagi called my name—"Sendai-san"—in a slightly lower tone. "Which one has an ear flap, the seal or the sea lion?" "Sea lions. It says here they have something like earlobes." I handed Miyagi the tablet and then kissed her earlobe. "But my earlobes have nothing to do with the discussion right now, you know." With a dispassionate tone, Miyagi pushed me lightly on the shoulder. "Even so, there aren't any sea lions here." "So, if there were sea lions here, you'd kiss their ears instead?" "I think sea lions are cute, but not so much that I'd kiss them. But don't you want to see the difference between seals and sea lions without looking it up?" When I pointed at the tablet I had given her, she peered down, seemingly annoyed, and muttered, "I'll look." "Miyagi, why don't we confirm the differences between seals and sea lions next time?" "Weren't we planning on going to the zoo?" Miyagi murmured while still looking at the tablet. "We can visit both the zoo and the aquarium, right? Don’t you want to see the ear flaps of a sea lion?" "I do, but..." "Then it's fine. Let's go to both." "……Are you okay with that, Sendai-san? You're not a big enough fish fan that you would want to go to the aquarium multiple times, are you?" As she spoke, Miyagi lifted her gaze from the display showing sea lion ear flaps and looked at me. It seemed rare yet considerate of her to be mindful of my preferences. Miyagi had been remarkably accommodating since summer vacation began, but today she added a gentle honesty that was almost too striking. With more than half of summer left, it felt like all the highlights had been packed into today, leaving me with a sense of unfulfillment. I want to spread out these good moments so that the happiness lasts longer. I can’t help but think about that, but perhaps that’s setting too low an expectation for my future days. Making today the climax of summer vacation seems to make the days left feel dreary, so I respond to Miyagi with faith in better things yet to come. "I had fun at the aquarium today, and I'm looking forward to going again. Didn't you say you enjoyed it too, Miyagi?" Limiting my interests only to fish would be troublesome, but the aquarium has become an important place for me. Miyagi seems to have fun, and the penguins she likes are adorable. I feel like I want to go there as many times as possible. I'd be happy if Miyagi thought the same. "…Well yes, but…" "Then let's go to the aquarium again. We can visit anytime, before or after the zoo." "Alright then." Miyagi didn't explicitly say she'd go, but in accepting my words, I knew she intended to. "Sendai-san." She softly called my name while looking at me. "What is it?" I asked back, waiting for her next words. Time passed slowly. Her voice did not follow. "Miyagi?" When I spoke up because she remained silent, Miyagi shifted her gaze downward as if thinking about something. "What’s wrong?" Baffled, I asked, only for Miyagi to grasp my arm and wordlessly press her lips to mine. I don’t dislike kissing. I like kisses equally, whether given or received by Miyagi. But I didn't expect Miyagi to kiss me here and now, leaving me to ponder the significance behind it with our lips still connected. Is it a thank you for the aquarium trip? Perhaps it's that kind of kiss. As soon as I thought I'd come to an answer, our lips parted, and I met her eyes. Before she could say anything, I closed my eyes, inviting another. I can't help but feel like I'm getting ahead of myself, indulging too much in the good parts of summer vacation. This is almost too perfect for today. It's as if Miyagi and I are actually dating. Before I could deduce the meaning behind the second kiss, our lips separated, and Miyagi grabbed my arm firmly. Looking closely, I noticed a slight blush on her cheeks. "Miyagi." I called her name, wanting to say something, but unsure of what it was I wanted to express. Miyagi released her grip on my arm, let it glide to my shoulder, and gently pushed me over without resistance. I found myself lying on the cold floor, looking up at Miyagi as our eyes locked. I caressed her softly reddened cheek. "Close your eyes," Miyagi quietly instructed, her gaze unwaveringly fixed on mine. "I don’t want to." I presume she wants to kiss, but closing my eyes would be a waste. I may never again see Miyagi this way—pushing me over, cheeks flushed, wanting a kiss—so I want to keep looking at her. Yet, Miyagi would not grant me even this modest wish. Despite pushing someone down herself, she attempted to sit back up, so I seized her arm. "Why don't you go ahead and kiss me like this?" I wanted to inquire about her feelings, but asking would mean ending this moment, and I knew that. So, I opted for a kiss—something that wouldn't conclude this time instead. "Miyagi." When she remained still, I called her name and said, "You can kiss without closing your eyes, right?" "I can't do it unless I close them," Miyagi insisted resolutely. "Then, do something besides kissing," I teased. "What does that even mean?" "I'm okay with it." I caressed her neck with the hand that had captured her arm, my fingers tracing along her nape. As I drew her slightly closer, a dissatisfied sound escaped her lips. "What do you mean ‘okay’?" "Being pushed down without resistance means I'm open to things going further." "I'm not okay with it." "In that case, maybe you should keep the promise from before." I slid my hand down from Miyagi's waist over her shirt, grasping the fabric gently, and began to slowly lift it. I had no intention of undressing her. If I tried to strip Miyagi, she would undoubtedly flee from this moment, and I may never get such an opportunity again. I stopped as her T-shirt rode up just below her ribs, pausing when her body shifted faintly. "Sendai-san, what promise?" she demanded in an evidently peeved tone. "When you made a move, and I said I wanted to touch you as well, you said it wasn't possible at the time, right?" "That wasn't a promise to do it later, was it?" "If you said 'not now,' then it means later is okay, right?" "Well, not now either. Stop it." Miyagi started trying to grab my hand in protest, so I slipped my hand under her T-shirt. As I traced the smooth skin over her ribs, feeling their structure, I stopped my hand just beneath her chest. Slowly, and gently, I let my fingers glide along her side, wrapping around her to rest on her back. I've touched Miyagi like this before. Back then, the room was dark, so I couldn't see her face, but now I could see clearly. Her cheeks were redder than before. Her lips were slightly parted, as if she was about to say something. Even though I felt an urge to pull Miyagi close and kiss her, a part of me wanted to keep watching her instead. When I prodded just above her waist, along her spine, Miyagi's body flinched and a frown creased her brow. "I told you I don’t want to." She sounded annoyed, but she didn't try to grab my hand. Instead, she let out a stronger tone when I softly ran my hand up her back, following the line of her spine. "Sendai-san," she said, her voice firm. "Don't say no. Just let this happen." I let my hand drift lower, resting it over her bra. Feeling the clasp with my fingertips, I debated whether to undo it or not. I wanted to release it, but I also didn't want to make Miyagi angry today. "Can I unhook it?" I asked, although I already knew the answer would be a quick, "Absolutely not." —I knew it. I expected her to say that. I had asked knowing this, with no intention of forcing her into anything. Even so, I couldn't let go completely and slowly let my hand brush over her chest through the bra. That's when Miyagi grasped my hand. "Why don’t you want to do it, or let me do it?" If she says no for now, I’m willing to wait until she's okay with it, but I’d like to know the reason. Yet, Miyagi remains silent. "At least tell me the reason." "If you move your hand away, I'll answer." Her voice was genuinely displeased. "Then you let go first, Miyagi. Otherwise, I can't move my hand." When I protested, Miyagi's hand let go, so I retracted mine as well. "Is this better?" I asked, and Miyagi shifted her gaze away from me. She started speaking quietly again. "…It's just that both doing it and having it done to me feels confusing. It might jumble up today’s memory of going to the aquarium." I couldn't help but feel confused at her unexpected reply. It only sounded as though she was saying that it felt good for both of us. Furthermore, it appeared Miyagi didn't want today to become one entangled and indiscernible memory because of it. Would Miyagi really think something like that? Well, she's the one who said it, so there's no mistake. But I couldn’t quite believe it. "You're saying something pretty amazing, are you okay?" I worried she might have lost a crucial screw somewhere. "Not okay. Fix my T-shirt." Miyagi retorted bluntly, glaring at me. Indeed, it wouldn't be strange if I died today. As I lowered her T-shirt back down, Miyagi sat up, leaving me to ponder her honesty.