192 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

Chapter 192 Taking every precaution, I made sure to tell Miyagi yesterday to stay home. As I open the front door, I see Miyagi's shoes there. It seems she hasn’t gone out and is still at home, even now, as evening has approached. I take off my shoes and head to the shared space. I was worried that if I went out to pick up the reserved cake and came back to an empty house, it would be problematic. Thankfully, that isn’t the case. Without the guest of honor, a birthday cake loses its meaning. I put the small round cake in the fridge and knock on Miyagi’s door. Tap, tap. With two small knocks, Miyagi peeks out from her room. "I'm home." "Welcome back." "I brought the cake." "...You didn’t have to." Miyagi says flatly. "But we made a promise, remember? We'd share a whole round cake for your birthday." A promise we made on my birthday. One of those was that we'd share and finish a whole cake we could both manage to eat on Miyagi's birthday. Today, that promise would be fulfilled. Even though Miyagi didn’t let me swear it on the earrings, breaking this promise was never an option for me. I wanted to gain her trust. Beyond just that reason, this promise carried significant weight. Breaking it would strip me of my worth. Precisely because it wasn’t sworn on the earrings, I believe it’s one that cannot be broken. "I didn’t think you’d actually buy it." Her voice, smaller than the weight of my intentions, nudged me to gaze at her, only for her to avert her eyes. Her voice was slightly low, but she didn’t seem like she was in a bad mood. If anything, her expression was closer to neutral. It was as if she had left her emotions elsewhere. I wonder what birthdays mean to Miyagi. Perhaps it's a day she doesn’t want celebrated. Such thoughts fleetingly cross my mind. "I won’t break a promise with you, Miyagi. I don’t have work today, and there’s no chance of sudden calls from friends." I hold Miyagi's hand, trying to dispel her earlier suspicions. That day, it seemed like Miyagi didn’t believe in today. That’s why I decided I'd never break this promise. The part-time job Miyagi worried about was never scheduled for today. Even if my friends suddenly called, I wasn’t planning on going out. My phone was already on silent mode, ensuring it wouldn't make a sound. "What’s with that?" Miyagi's hand tries to pull away, so I tighten my grip. "You worried about what if my job didn’t finish, or what if I suddenly got called out by friends, didn’t you?" "I'm not worried, and I didn’t say anything about that." "Then be happy about the cake. It's your birthday." Miyagi’s probably just scared. She’s likely still caught up in the days she spent birthdays alone, and she’s afraid of being left alone with a leftover round cake. I’ve never seen someone so indifferent about a birthday cake, and while it makes me a bit uneasy, I assure myself that my understanding isn’t wrong. "A birthday without a cake is still a birthday." "It’s not the same. It’s better for your birthday to have a cake, and you should look like you’re having fun." "...Sendai-san didn’t seem to enjoy her birthday much either." Being gazed upon by Miyagi, I recall August 23rd. That day, she had gone out saying she would meet a friend, so it wasn’t fun. But that was before being pushed in her room, where finding out she would celebrate my birthday lightened my heavy heart. "That’s not true," I sharply counter Miyagi's words. "It is... You didn’t look happy." "I was just surprised, since I didn’t expect Miyagi to do anything for my birthday. I was really happy." Out of my nineteen birthdays, it was the happiest and most joyous. If it didn’t seem so, it was because Miyagi did things I thought impossible, and surprise overshadowed my joy. But right now, my feelings aren’t what matter. Miyagi's feelings are what truly count. "Miyagi, don’t you want your birthday celebrated?" "...I don’t know. No one's ever bought a round cake and suggested eating the whole thing." Her voice seems uncertain. "Were there times when you got gifts from friends? Did you ever have birthday parties?" "I got gifts sometimes but... I don’t like birthday parties." "Why not?" "I don’t like the way I feel after they’re over." "Like what?" There’s a reason she dislikes them, likely the same reason she dislikes whole cakes――. "Sendai-san, didn’t you ask for my help with something today? What do you want me to do? Just tell me so I can get on with it." Miyagi hurriedly changes the subject, as if to avoid voicing the answer. "Oh, I wanted your help with cooking." I relay the content of the “help” I requested before going out. I don’t mean to dredge up bad birthday memories for Miyagi. Today isn’t about talking over unpleasant things, so I gently tug her hand and lead her to the kitchen. "Cooking, as in food we’re going to eat now?" "Yes. We're not going for a full-blown party, but something like it." "Isn't it weird for me to cook with you when it's my birthday?" "It’s memorable, even if it’s weird. And it’s more fun to cook together." "I think Sendai-san's the only one having fun." Though she sounds somewhat weary, she seems willing to help, following me obediently. I want to rewrite Miyagi's birthday memories with ours. I want her to believe that it’s only natural I'm here, that next year and the years after, there’ll be birthdays we spend together. "...So what are we making?" "Karaage." "Sendai-san, you love karaage, don’t you?" "It’s a classic, and it’s tasty. And then we’ll make some bite-sized pizzas with gyoza wrappers――" While I’m not aiming for anything elaborate, I do want to create something delicious. A whole cake and a little feast. Nothing has to be extravagant. As long as today leaves a mark in Miyagi's memory, that’s enough for me. With that intent, I open the refrigerator to start preparing the meal.