186 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

Chapter 186 "I'm home" and "welcome back". After the usual exchange in the shared space, I place a modestly sized bag on the table. "Here's some pudding. There's a portion for you too, Sendai-san." "From Utsunomiya?" Sendai-san, who'd been eating dinner alone, sets her bowl aside and looks at me. "No, I bought it." "You did, Miyagi?" "Is that bad?" "It's not bad, but..." The plans Maika and I had made to hang out during the break quickly arrived, and not even a week later, we went to a movie and had a meal together today. I bought some highly recommended pudding from a store we visited, but perhaps Sendai-san wasn't a fan of it. "I'll put it in the fridge, so eat it when you feel like it." "Thanks." Usually, she'd say something like "Let's eat it together later," but today she remains silent. I get the feeling she's not in the best mood. She was her usual self this morning, but something might have happened while I was out. I stash the pudding in the refrigerator and start heading back to my room. But before I can open the door, she calls out to me. "Stay here." I turn at the sound of her flat voice and ask, "Why?" "I'm almost done eating." I glance at the calico cat chopstick rest placed in front of her. I left it hanging on her doorknob the day after her birthday, and she uses it every day. Even so, a chopstick rest isn't a necessity; perhaps I should've gotten something else. "Okay, call me when you're finished." I begin to turn away with a slight hint of regret, but the chopsticks are placed with a clatter on the rest. "I’m done. Thanks for the meal." With that, Sendai-san starts washing the dishes. The sound of running water and clattering dishes fills the air. Amidst the mingling noises, her voice is absent. Having been asked to stay, yet being met with silence, I hesitate on whether to return to my room. I lean against the door, fingertips brushing the doorknob. Her earlier words, "Stay here," linger in my mind. Ultimately, I call out to her from where I stand. "If you told me to stay, then talk to me. Weren’t we going to have some silly conversations?" When I mention the promise we made on her birthday, her voice devoid of emotion reaches me. "You said you were going to a movie. What did you see?" "Something I figured you wouldn't watch." "Was it good?" "Not really. Even Maika said it was disappointing." "I see." Her disinterested reply frustrates me. It was Sendai-san who said she wanted to have ordinary conversations like anyone else, so she should show a bit more interest in me. If she's going to be dismissive, I don't want to talk. "I'm heading back to my room." I throw my voice at her back and start to walk away. "Sorry. When I'm washing dishes, the sound of the water makes it hard to hear. I'll be done soon, so just sit and wait for me." Despite her saying she couldn't hear, her voice comes hurriedly. I don’t respond. When I remain silent, she turns to reassure me, "Just five more minutes," imposing a time limit. "Fine, five minutes then." I declare, without checking the clock, and sit in a chair, wondering how long she's been washing dishes. If I actually timed it, she'd just extend it by another minute or two. "Sendai-san, what about the pudding?" I call out, not sure how much time has passed. "I'll eat it later." "No, do you like it or not?" We've had pudding together in the past, so I figure she doesn't dislike it. "What about you, Miyagi?" Sendai-san approaches, having finished washing the dishes. "I don't buy things I don't like." "I like pudding too." She smiles warmly. I don’t like it. Not her lack of apparent interest in me, nor making me wait for five minutes, nor the way her smile tries to brush it all aside as if it never happened. I get up and grab her arm with my left hand. Pressing my right thumb to the corner of her lips, she calls my name. "If you're going to bite, don't do it on the lips." "I never said I was going to bite." "You didn’t say it, but you're going to, right?" While she’s correct, I don’t want to admit it when she assumes. I release her arm without answering. "Lips hurt too much, so do it somewhere else instead. I don’t mind a little mark." As she says that, Sendai-san wraps her hand around mine. "I'm not going to do anything, let me go." "Really?" "Really." I look her in the eyes and state it clearly. Yet she doesn’t release my hand. Instead, she closes the distance and kisses my lips. Her lips brush mine lightly and retreat just as quickly. Then they touch again, and I give her lip a gentle bite. "Ouch." When I let go, she exclaims dramatically, looking at me. "I didn't bite hard enough for it to hurt." "It did." Feigning drama, she rubs her lips, and I bring my face closer to her neck, pressing my teeth against her skin. This time, I bite hard enough to leave a mark. "Miyagi, that really hurts." Ignoring her voice, I continue pressing my teeth firmly into her neck until she grips my arm hard. Digging my teeth into her skin as if tearing into soft flesh, my lips cling to her neck, feeling the warmth. Just as I apply pressure with my jaw, her grasp on my arm tightens in sync. When her hold on my arm becomes painful and I pull away from her neck, Sendai-san doesn't let go. "I didn't say you could bite that hard." "But you said it's okay to leave a mark." "There should be a limit to that." "If there's a limit, tell me from the start." She exhales softly, and while releasing my arm, she caresses her neck where my mark is. Watching her fingers trace what I've done over and over again, I feel the urge to bite her neck once more. But before I can, she begins to speak. "Miyagi, have you enjoyed the rest of your summer break?" "Why the sudden question?" "Do you remember when I asked you to tell me about your fun times?" A memory of our conversation on the way back from the aquarium flashes in my mind. I exhale softly and fulfill the promise we made. "…It's been kind of fun." This summer break was different from any other summer break I've had before. Previously, long breaks were times spent mostly alone, but this year, with Sendai-san around, I wasn't alone much at all. Even last summer, we met, but that wasn’t more than three times a week. We weren’t living together like we are now. Though I can't imagine spending time like this with anyone else, living with someone during a long break is turning out to be not so bad. "Then Miyagi, why don't we have a sleepover right now?" Sendai-san suggests abruptly with a cheerful smile, yet the leap from "then" to "sleepover" makes no sense to me. Besides, a sleepover hardly seems necessary for us. "Even though we live in the same house?" "We do live in the same house, but not in the same room." "True, but..." "Let's end this summer break on a fun note. Let's talk about silly things and strengthen our bond. In your room, Miyagi." "Wait, why my room?" I glare at Sendai-san, who looks as if this is the most obvious thing in the world. I've let her into my room a few times since her birthday, and though that's not the issue, the thought of a sleepover changes things. Besides, I haven't even agreed to the sleepover. "You've already stayed in my room, haven't you? It's time for you to host me." "No way." "Come on, let's have a sleepover." "Sendai-san, you're definitely planning something weird, aren't you?" "Don’t you remember when I said I would wait? I won’t do anything more than kiss until you say it’s okay." "I don't trust you." "I swear on the earrings." I didn’t ask her to swear, but she reaches out and touches my ear, planting a kiss on the earring. "I'll wait until you say it's okay." The promise made upon my earring is meant to be kept. I understand that, but I still waver on whether to trust her restraint. "Miyagi, if you're so worried, just stay up all night." "Stay up?" "If we watch some movies until morning, there won't be a need to go to bed, and nothing will happen, right?" "…Were you planning to sleep in my bed, Sendai-san?" "You stayed in my bed too, didn't you?" "It's cramped. If you're staying over, bring your own futon." "That's a hassle. We can just sleep together, or you can stay up if you don't want to sleep. So, it's settled." Sendai-san claps her hands, signaling the end of the discussion. I glance at the door to my room. I'm not particularly sleepy at the moment. One sleepless night shouldn’t be a problem. I decide to pull an all-nighter, accepting Sendai-san's suggestion.