210 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

Chapter 210 I left the house in a hurry, walking down the path where I occasionally meet Mike-chan, heading toward the station. I was walking at Miyagi's pace, which was quite fast. "Hurry up, Sendai-san," she urged. "We don't have to rush." I had changed my clothes and touched up my makeup to hide the marks Miyagi left on me. While doing that, I lightly put some makeup on Miyagi too. Because of all that, we left the house later than planned. "It might not be okay, you know." Though the delay was mostly Miyagi's fault, she took the lead, visibly displeased. Even though there was no need to rush to make our appointment, Miyagi distanced herself while walking. I probably did something that upset her. Was it the makeup, calling her cute, or maybe our last kiss? No, it was likely all of the above. Miyagi marched ahead without looking back. I gently touched the red mark on my neck through my sweater. Autumn was nearing its end, and the wind was starting to get chilly. But today was warm and sunny, so I wanted to wear something other than a turtleneck. If it weren't for the mark Miyagi left, I wouldn't need to hide my neck. Yet, even though I should find the new mark undesirable, I'm secretly pleased by its presence, a mark that should have been something of the past. I pressed down on the mark through my sweater, then let go. My gaze shifted between Miyagi's swaying skirt and her feet moving consistently at the same pace—right, left, right—never slowing. Looking up, I noticed the thin clouds trailing across the blue sky, reminding me of the penguins I once saw flying at the aquarium with Miyagi. Come to think of it, we still hadn't visited the zoo we talked about going to in the fall. The sky stretched further and higher than in summer. If we didn't hurry, winter would be upon us. Miyagi, who often shivers from the cold, might not want to go to the zoo once winter arrives. I quickened my pace and caught up to her. "Miyagi, remember our promise to go to the zoo?" I asked, prompting her to abruptly stop and turn to face me. "...You're a liar, Sendai-san," she said. "Eh?" "Winter's almost here," she accused. "But it's still a little while off. Besides, I'm glad you remembered our promise to go in the fall." Since I never heard Miyagi mention the zoo, I began to worry she had forgotten. I was so happy I wanted to hop with joy right there and skip all the way to the station. But Miyagi still seemed irritable. "You forgot, didn't you?" she spoke in a low tone. "Forgot? Of course not." I remembered, but my birthday came up before I could suggest going, then Miyagi's birthday followed. On top of that, a new part-time job began, and my free time filled up quickly. As tasks for university piled on, scheduling a visit to the zoo became increasingly unlikely, and autumn seemed to slip by faster than I realized. "Well, you were busy with work," Miyagi remarked, advancing a step or two ahead, prompting me to hurry after her. "I know that was bad on my part. I'm sorry." "It's not something you need to apologize for," she replied curtly. "Is that promise still valid?" "Do you want to go, Sendai-san?" "I do. What about you, Miyagi?" "Spring," came her brief response, but it was preferable to her rejecting the idea outright. In the past, she would have surely refused. "Alright, let's make it spring then." We can aim for spring break. If possible, I'd love to visit the aquarium again too. Without encountering Mike-chan, we reached the station and passed through the ticket gate. As we followed the crowd to the platform, Miyagi softly called my name, "Sendai-san." "What is it?" "Is spring really okay for the zoo?" "If you'd prefer winter, we can do that. Fewer people, more time to relax, right?" "I don't want to relax in the cold." "So, if we're not relaxing, winter's fine?" "...A warm day would be better," she whispered. Before she could change her mind, I replied swiftly, "Then, on a warm winter's day." She didn't respond. She neither agreed nor disagreed, but knowing Miyagi, she would voice discontent if she were truly against it. Her silence meant she accepted the "warm winter's day" plan. We could visit over winter break, before, or even after. I'd bundle Miyagi, who dreads the cold, in scarves and warm layers, and we'd go to the zoo. If we weren't at a station, I'd swear by her earring. I wanted to kiss her ear and make a vow, hoping she'd kiss mine in return, promising we would keep this promise for each other. "Promise." Instead of a kiss, I gently nudged the back of my hand against hers. Miyagi said nothing, but her lack of refusal was confirmation enough. Just as we reached the platform, the train arrived, and we boarded. Though our conversation wasn't lively, we chatted about the school festival. The train stopped occasionally, our words sometimes coming to a halt along with it, time passing in a relaxed manner as our destination loomed closer. Outside the window, the scenery Miyagi often saw slid past, a scene I'd glimpsed before when she fled from home. But back then, I was so overwhelmed I hardly noticed my surroundings. I really don't want to feel like that again. I prefer Miyagi by my side. As we alighted and walked along the platform, nothing unusual appeared in the view from the train nor at the station itself. All were mundane sights, ones I encountered on the way to university, yet I found myself wishing to see Miyagi's scenery every day. Attending the same university, sharing the same classes. Spending far more time together than we do now. How wonderful those four years could be. Holding my neck, a future I couldn't grasp crossed my mind. Though unseen, Miyagi remained with me. Roots planted, deepening within me, are the red, burning marks of her affection. There are enduring imprints from Miyagi on my body, but they're not enough. I want more than just residual marks—I crave her warmth. Searing, soothing warmth, the kind that melts to the core from Miyagi. As we moved from the station, I reached for the hand I'd playfully nudged earlier and felt her fingers slip from mine with ease. "What are you doing, Sendai-san?" she asked, her tone dipping slightly. "I want to hold hands." "We're almost at the meeting spot." "I know." We were meeting Utsunomiya at the nearby bookstore. "No way I'm holding your hand." I agreed that maybe we shouldn't hold hands, but even then, I wanted to grasp hers, even if only for the brief walk to our destination. "There are plenty of people holding hands," I protested. "Even so, I don’t want to." It wasn’t uncommon for people to hold hands in public. Even if Utsunomiya saw us, she wouldn’t suspect anything particular about our relationship. Even if she found it odd, it would still be unlikely for her to figure out the nature of my and Miyagi’s relationship. Besides, officially, we're nothing more than roommates. We weren’t friends, lovers, or anything else –merely roommates. Miyagi would allow nothing more. "Miyagi." I passed through the ticket gate and reached for her hand once more. But soon after, she slipped out of my grasp. "Sendai-san, let go," she said, firmly pushing my arm with enough force that I stumbled. I was about to protest when a cheerful voice rang out. "Got a picture of the moment!" I turned toward the voice and saw Utsunomiya holding up her phone. "M-Maika? Our meeting place is the bookstore.” Miyagi’s surprised voice was a far cry from the irritation she'd shown earlier. But it made sense for her to be caught off-guard, given Utsunomiya had appeared in a place other than our meeting spot. "I figured it was about the time you two would show up here, so I came along. Then I saw you two act all lively together and got curious." "We weren’t doing anything. Did you take a picture of that 'decisive moment'?" Utsunomiya flashed a playful grin at Miyagi's question. "Sure did. I've got a photo that's just begging for the title 'Miyagi Shiori's Secret Side'. So, what were you two arguing about?" "We weren’t arguing. Sendai-san was just being difficult," Miyagi muttered with a hint of dissatisfaction as she tapped my arm. An electronic shutter sound followed. "And now it's two," Utsunomiya added. "Should I send the one of Miyagi Shiori smacking Sendai Hazuki over to Ami?" She held her phone screen toward us to show the captured photos. It was me and Miyagi. And a slice of the scenery Miyagi always saw. The images were a first for us, as we had never taken pictures together before. "That would definitely be a hassle. I’ll hold grudges if you send it," Miyagi warned, while I chastised myself for the past. Why hadn’t I taken photos of Miyagi before? How could I have overlooked such an easy way to capture part of Miyagi? Anyone could have taken a photo of Miyagi with something as simple as the smartphone Utsunomiya held. I regret not doing it. I wished I could go back and snap photos of Miyagi laughing at the aquarium, or her birthday, or a hundred other memories. "Hmm, what should I do?" Utsunomiya chuckled playfully. I exhaled softly. As if it were nothing, as casually as asking about tomorrow's plans, I paired my words with a smile to obtain what I desired. "Hey, Utsunomiya. Could you send me those photos later?" "Sure, I'll send them now. I'll send them to Shiori too," she replied, promptly sending them. Looking at my phone, two pictures captured slices of our moment—the disgruntled yet familiar Miyagi pushing me away and another with her unusually lively as she tapped my arm. "Thanks." I smiled, and though reluctantly, Miyagi echoed my gratitude. "By the way, do you two have any pictures together? I'd love to see them." I glanced at Miyagi, whose silence prompted me to answer instead. "We’ve never taken a picture together." "What? Why not?" "Well, there wasn’t any particular reason." During our high school days, taking pictures together wasn't something we did. As university students, it never occurred to us to take photos because spending time together meant everything. "Let’s stop the picture talk and go." Miyagi urged, grabbing Utsunomiya’s hand and pulling her along, even though she hadn’t held mine. "Shiori, you don't have to rush," Utsunomiya remarked, being dragged along, and I couldn’t help but feel it was unfair. "Sendai-san, hurry up." Called by Miyagi, I let out a breath. Though I missed the chance to hold her hand, I gained a treasure. I tucked my phone, now containing a piece of our time, into my bag and hurried to catch up with the two.