182 Summer Break with Miyagi - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

Summer Break with Miyagi Chapter 182 Swaying on the train bound for home, I let out a sigh. Miyagi mentioned she had plans with friends today and had left before I even went to work at my part-time job. It's not like she has to be at home, or that she can't hang out with friends. I mean, I have work today and don't plan to be home, and I too sometimes go out when friends invite me. However, when Miyagi isn't around, things just seem dull, and I find myself wondering who this friend is. Who could it possibly be? Utsunomiya is back in her hometown and hasn’t returned yet. I know that Miyagi has other friends besides Utsunomiya, but I've never heard of anyone she's close enough with to go out during summer vacation. Today is my birthday, yet here I am. I glance out the window. I received a last-minute “Happy Birthday” message around midnight, which is what reminded me of my own birthday; it’s not something I particularly care about. It’s not like the date of my birth holds any special meaning, and I don't expect Miyagi to celebrate it either. She probably doesn’t even remember my birthday. Still, thinking that Miyagi is out with someone else on this day sends an endless wave of gloom over me. Birthdays aren't really a great thing, are they? With a deep breath, I disembark from the train. While under the streetlights, I begin walking home. Miyagi had said she would have dinner with me when she left, so I assume she should be back home by now. Even though I'll see her soon, I'm worried I might ask her something mundane like "What kind of friend is it?" and end up feeling unsatisfied. I’m irritated that of all days, she chose today to hang out with a friend. Even though I know it's unreasonable, I want to complain a hundred times over. On days like these, petting Mike-chan the cat could make me feel better, but wouldn’t you know it; Mike-chan is nowhere to be found today. Well, now that I think about it, it’s rare to see Mike-chan wandering around at this hour anyway. Walking up the stairs to the third floor, I open the door to find Miyagi's shoes by the entrance. Looks like she made it back. After taking off my shoes and heading towards the shared space, I find Miyagi wandering restlessly around the dining kitchen. "I'm home. What are you doing?" I call out to Miyagi, who stands halted in front of the refrigerator. "Welcome back. Nothing really." "I'm asking because you're hanging out here doing nothing." Miyagi doesn’t hang around the shared space without a reason. She's not cooking, nor is she taking anything out of the fridge; her presence there is unusual in itself. "It's really nothing, so why don't you just go to the room?" Just as Miyagi finishes speaking, the doorbell rings, cutting her off. Instinctively, I look at the intercom monitor. "Someone's here." "I'll get it, so you go stay in the room." "It's okay, I'll get it." "No, I'll go. You stay in the room." Miyagi approaches in a rush and gently pushes my shoulder, ushering me towards her room, pushing me inside. "Wha—hey, wait..." I wasn't ready for this. When she said "the room," I assumed she meant my own room, but suddenly being thrust into Miyagi's room was completely unexpected. "Sit tight and wait for me." "Sit tight? Miyagi!" I called out to the owner of the room, but Miyagi closed the door with force and left. "Isn't this too rough?" It's my first time in Miyagi's room since moving in, and the whole setup was way too haphazard. I wasn't looking for special treatment, but being unceremoniously flung in here doesn't feel quite right. I really would have appreciated at least a moment to put my feelings in order before entering for the first time. It's so slapdash that I'm more surprised than anything. Well, maybe this is just like us. Rather than formally inviting me in, it's more like us to just somehow end up in the room like this. I pace around the room, eventually stopping in front of the bookshelf. The room's ambiance hasn't changed much from our high school days, except that the bookshelf is now slightly smaller, housing a black cat plushie. Miyagi had mentioned bringing the black cat along when we returned from the aquarium, and seeing it with my own eyes, I couldn't help but smile at the realization that the story was indeed true. I pick up the black cat, giving it a pat on the head. It's been a while since I last felt its texture, but it still feels nice to touch. "I'm happy for you." I murmur to the plushie, likely adored by a Miyagi who resembles it in some way, and plant a kiss on its nose. After giving it another gentle pat, I return the plush to its spot as I hear the door open. "Why are you standing? I told you to sit." "Sorry. I was looking at the black cat." "Sit over here." Miyagi points to a spot opposite the bed and places two glasses of orange juice on the table. "Juice? What about dinner?" I ask, sitting in the indicated spot. "We're eating here today. I'll bring it in now." "Here?" It’s unusual. Miyagi, who never let me in this room before, suddenly inviting me here for a meal isn't normal. It seems like she hit her head or has been brainwashed. "Do you not like it?" She asks in an irritable tone, staring straight at me. "No, it’s fine." "If it’s fine, then stay put and enjoy." She responds curtly, making me squirm with unease. With everything that's happening, I pull Miyagi back just before she leaves the room. "Oh, Miyagi. Would you like to have a cookie later?" "Cookie?" "From Kikyo-chan as a birthday present." Hanamaki Kikyo, one of my tutoring students, with whom I’ve become close enough to call by her first name, had prepared handmade cookies as a birthday gift. “...No thanks. It’s a present for you, so you should enjoy it.” Miyagi states coldly and exits the room, but she quickly returns with a large pizza and chicken nuggets, placing them on the small table before sitting across from me. "...Why pizza?" The question bubbles over from my mind to my lips. "You mentioned it just now." "What did I say?" "Birthday." "Birthday?" "It's your birthday, isn't it? So, I ordered pizza." "Eh—what?" Miyagi says something I never expected, leaving me speechless. "...Happy birthday." Miyagi mumbles, and I find myself also responding absentmindedly. "...Thank you." The room suddenly falls silent, and after a moment, both of us murmur a quiet "Let's eat" before reaching for the pizza. Why, why exactly? Why did Miyagi prepare pizza for my birthday and wish me a happy birthday? I have no idea what's going on. I had mentioned my birthday to her before, so it's not surprising that she'd do something like this. Yet, for Miyagi to surprise me by celebrating my birthday like this, it makes everything feel unbelievable and leaves me truly flustered. I don’t know what kind of face I should make; I’m happy, but I just can't smile. I take a bite of the pizza, generously topped with cheese. It's delicious—or at least it feels like it should be. With so many unexpected things happening all at once, I can't quite discern the taste. "There’s cake, too." Miyagi says something else that was completely off my radar. The summer version of Miyagi isn’t just benevolent; it’s like she’s on something that makes her overly kind. "You bought it?" With everything happening in quick succession, my mind and emotions are all over the place, leading me to ask what should have been an obvious question. "It’s your birthday." "...So when you went out earlier, it was to buy the cake?" "...That’s right." "You could have just said so." "I didn’t want to say." "Why not?" "I just wanted to keep it a surprise. But then, you didn’t leave the house, and your job started late in the afternoon." Miyagi bites into her pizza, sounding a bit accusatory. "So, the whole friend thing was just a cover?" "I just needed a reason to leave, so I said I was meeting a friend. I went by myself." Relieved to learn she wasn’t actually out with some unknown friend, I feel at ease. "...You went to all that trouble just for me?" "...Isn't it normal to celebrate a roommate's birthday?" "Yeah, but I’m surprised." "We’re roommates, so it’s not strange." "Aren't you mentioning ‘roommate’ a bit too much?" I understand why Miyagi needs to use the term “roommate,” but when she emphasizes it so much, it makes the part of me that wants to move past just being roommates peek through. "Stop worrying about that and eat." Miyagi says in her usual flat tone, picking up another slice of pizza and biting into it. Her expression is still close to displeasure; she doesn’t smile. I'm not a penguin, and maybe I’m not as entertaining for Miyagi as she might like, but since she's going through the trouble of celebrating my birthday, I wish she'd show a softer expression. "I’ll eat, but if possible, I’d like to see a bit of a happier face." I voice this small request, and Miyagi knits her brows. "Impossible. If I could do that on command, I would’ve already." "Yeah, true." I observe Miyagi, who remains as devoid of charm as ever. In moments like this, a smiling Miyagi wishing me a happy birthday would seem out of character, so this might just be perfectly fitting. Remembering my birthday, ordering pizza, buying a cake, and celebrating it for me is already more than I could have asked for. There will be many more birthdays to come. It's okay to save some fun for later. With a gaze full of admiration at Miyagi’s unsmiling face, I take another bite of the pizza.