180 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

Chapter 180 It's not inherently bad to always be within arm's reach of someone. If Sendai-san stays quiet, I don't mind if she's close enough for us to be touching. But if she has no intention of staying still, it's a different story, and so I left the room, leaving behind the one who always finds something extra to do. I retrieved a soda and orange juice from the fridge and poured them into glasses. After taking a deep breath, I returned to the room to find Sendai-san sitting with her back against the bed. "Since you're here, let's watch the rest of the drama." I placed the two glasses on the table and sat next to her. "Sure." I expected her to complain about not getting enough rest or demand a kiss, but she simply accepted my offer and took a sip of the orange juice. Then, she clasped my hand. Her grip was firm enough to feel warm, maybe too warm for summer, yet comforting. I reached for the tablet to resume the drama. However, before I could touch it, my phone chimed, redirecting my reach to pick it up. On the screen was a message from Ami: "Is Sendai-san there today?" I had a bad feeling about this. Ami, like Maika, has been a friend since high school. After telling Maika about my room-sharing with Sendai-san, there was no way I could keep the secret from Ami, so I told her as much as I could. Though reluctant, I knew it wouldn't feel good for them to know something I didn't, so keeping it a secret wasn't an option. I hesitated with my response and glanced at Sendai-san. Ami had been eager to talk to Sendai-san since learning about our living arrangement, so I could easily imagine what would happen if I answered "yes." What should I do? I typed "no" and then erased it. It's best to avoid lying whenever possible. Even if I got through today, the same thing would surely come up again soon. Resolving myself, I sent "yes" back and promptly received a new message. Several exchanges later, it became clear that Ami was with Maika, and they were both excitedly talking about Sendai-san. Seeing the last message made me let out a big sigh. "Something happen?" Sendai-san squeezed my hand tightly and looked at me. "...Is it okay if we do a video call? My friends want to talk to you." With Ami and Maika around, Sendai-san wouldn't discuss our relationship more than necessary, so nothing strange should happen. I knew that. Still, I was nervous. Ideally, I'd prefer if she said she didn't want to talk, but she rarely refused my requests. "It's fine, but we're not talking about Utsunomiya, right?" Sendai-san released my hand. Predicting her guess, I replied, "Someone else," and sent Ami a message. The phone rang almost immediately, and pressing the call button, a lively voice came through. "Is Sendai-san really there?" "Yes, here she is." I pointed the phone's camera at Sendai-san. "The real deal!" "There’s no fake, you know," she chuckled softly. "Ah, sorry for the sudden call. I heard about you from Shiori and really wanted to talk to you. Should I introduce myself?" Hearing the word introduction, I realized I hadn't explained Ami to Sendai-san. Yet she casually replied, "No need. You're Shirakawa, right? Shirakawa Ami." "Huh? Shiori told you about me?" "Yeah, she did. And I’ve seen you with Miyagi at school many times." Having declared this as if it were obvious, Sendai-san took the phone and graciously answered Ami's barrage of questions. Why does she handle everything so smoothly? She quickly befriended Maika and spoke with Ami as if they were old friends, despite never having shared a class. I can't believe this person is the same as me. Occasionally, Maika's cheerful voice chimed in from the phone. Despite having just been all over me, Sendai-san was now conversing cheerfully with them. Meanwhile, I could only react mechanically whenever my name was called. I had no idea how long we talked. Maybe a few minutes, perhaps longer. The video call ended without me realizing it, and the phone returned to my possession. "You all get along well." Sendai-san said in a slightly lower voice than usual. "They're my friends." "...And what about me?" Though her tone barely changed, she listened seriously for an answer that was predetermined. "We're roommates, right?" This sentiment was what Sendai-san shared with me on our high school graduation day. Words meant to define us living together for four years until university graduation, and for now, nothing else can describe our relationship. "And besides that?" "Former classmates." "And?" "Former schoolmates." "And?" "Is there something you want me to say?" "No, just felt like asking." Brightly, as if reflecting the tone from when she spoke with Ami, she grasped my hand tight. "Ouch, Sendai-san." She gripped hard enough to feel as though she intended to crush my bones, and I tried to pull my hand away. Although she eased up, she didn’t let go. Instead, she leaned closer and kissed my cheek as if it were her right. Her fingers traced my lips, and my phone rang briefly, but ignoring the sound, she aimed to cover my lips again. I pressed against her shoulder. "Hold on. The phone." "Later." With a slightly petulant tone, she silenced me with her lips. The kiss was brief, ending as soon as it started, but when I reached for the phone, she kissed me again. Though there was no urgent need to look at the phone, the interruptions made me curious. "Wait a moment." Fully pushing her shoulder away, I grabbed the phone. A message from Ami read, "Thanks for earlier. Tell Sendai-san too," to which I quickly replied before looking at Sendai-san. "Ami said thanks for earlier." "Tell her it was fun." "I'll pass that along, but why stop me from checking my phone?" "Because I wanted to kiss Miyagi." She answered without hesitation, her fingertips delicately caressing my lips. As soon as they withdrew, her lips ensnared mine again. This kiss lingered longer than the last, followed by one on my hand. In moments like these, she becomes almost a different person from when she was speaking with Ami and Maika—this face of hers I wish for no one else but me to see. "We could do that later, you know." I freed my hand and gave her arm a soft pat. "You didn't kiss me earlier, so it's fine now." "Earlier... during the call with Ami?" "Exactly." "Sendai-san, you're such an idiot. If you did something like that, I'd be eternally asked, 'What is Sendai-san to you, Shiori?'" "Just tell them we're roommates," she said with a smile. It really ticked me off. Her tone had a slight edge to it. In protest, I bit down hard on her neck. Despite the sharpness of my teeth against her soft skin, Sendai-san didn't complain or tell me to stop. Her arms wrapped around my back, holding me so tightly that escape was impossible. With my face still buried in her neck, I pulled back, but she didn't release me. "Sendai-san!" As I called her name firmly, the tension in the arms around my back loosened. "You could bite harder, if you'd like." "That's enough." I took a little distance from her and leaned back against the bed. "If you're going to bite, you might as well leave marks that last all summer." She made such a ridiculous comment without a hint of anger. No matter how hard I bite, tie her up with towels, touch any part of her, or do whatever, she never truly gets angry. She may dislike it, but she always allows me to do as I please. She can handle anything effortlessly and could easily choose not to be with me, yet she stays by my side no matter the circumstance. "Sendai-san, you're such a pervert." Even if she's not a pervert, she's definitely peculiar. No matter what, she's always kind to me. I find myself merely consuming her kindness, unable to do anything in return. "I think so too," she exhaled softly. "Miyagi." "What?" "Keep me as your only roommate." "As if I could live with anyone else," I replied without hesitation. "It's a promise." With that, she gently took hold of my pinky finger.