326 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

Chapter 326 Working a part-time job is impossible. I don’t want to do it. Yet, if I don't, I can't buy the necklace. Heaving a sigh, I lie back on the bed. I place the black cat plushie Sendai-san whimsically named “Roro-chan” on my stomach and sigh again. It's been over a week since I declared to Sendai-san that I would get a job. Yet, not only have I not secured a place to work, I haven't even started the search. I've got the motivation, but the courage seems to have run away and hasn't come back. No—it's as if the motivation chased after the courage and disappeared somewhere, too. Today, Sendai-san, who tried to stop me from getting a job, is coming home late. She's tutoring a student, or something, for her part-time job. Unlike me, she appears to handle her self-chosen job with ease, without any struggle. "Can you teach me how to get a job?” I tug at the arm of the silent black cat. I know how to look for part-time work. I could search the bulletin board at the university, or look at job listing sites. I could also get a referral from a friend. There are many ways to go about it, but I don’t feel like doing any of them. Essentially, I’m trying to distance myself from the act of working. The necklace could probably be bought after about a month of work. Surely, if I worked for two months, that would be more than enough. Sendai-san wouldn't accept something ridiculously expensive, so it's not necessary to take a long-term job. Considering the duration, working shouldn't be that difficult. I just need to endure for a little while. Yet, I don't want to do it. Not buying the necklace is out of the question, but whenever I think about working, my mood plummets at the speed of light. I wish my replica could work on my behalf, yet that version of myself would undoubtedly be just as reluctant, insisting she doesn't want to work. I stroke the black cat's head and place it next to the pillow. Turning over, I gaze at the ceiling. How can I manage to work when neither I nor my replica can be relied upon? A big sigh escapes my lips, and the sound of a soft knock on the door echoes in my ears. I get up, climb off the bed, and open the door. “Welcome back.” I greet Sendai-san, who seems to have returned from her part-time job. She responds with “I’m home,” then asks, “Miyagi, have you had dinner?” “I have. What about you?” “I’m thinking of boiling some pasta. Want some too?” “I’d gain weight if I ate more.” “Alright. I’ll make some tea, so come join me.” “No need. Go ahead and eat, Sendai-san.” Today, I’m not in the mood to talk to Sendai-san about work. Being around her might make me dwell on the job situation, which I’d rather not think about. I had wanted her to return soon, but since I’ve seen her face and heard her voice, that’s enough. "How about some ice cream, then?" Sendai-san smiles, mentioning something we don’t have in our freezer. “There’s no ice cream here.” “But I bought some. Want any?” “...Are you trying to tell me something?” Whenever Sendai-san is this insistent, it usually means something is up. I can predict it won’t be anything enjoyable for me, so my voice instinctively lowers. “Did you change Roro-chan’s spot? She was on the bed last time too.” With that, Sendai-san points inside my room. I almost turn around but hold still. “I didn’t change it.” Caught up in thinking about the job, I forgot to move the black cat back to the bookshelf. As she pointed out, the plushie is indeed on the bed. It really infuriates me. Sendai-san notices insignificant things she doesn’t need to. “Roro-chan is usually on the bookshelf, right? If you didn’t change its spot, why is it on the bed?” “Well... I was just checking if it was dusty.” “But it’s black; it’s hard to tell even if it is dusty, right?” With Sendai-san commenting on such trivial matters and glancing around the room, I step decisively into the shared space and shut the door. “Is the conversation about the plushie, Sendai-san?” “No, come here, even if you don’t want tea.” Softly smiling, Sendai-san grabs my wrist. Tugged along, I shuffle over and slump into a chair. After she steps away, she takes a pot from the shelf. As she fills the pot with water, she speaks up. “So, about this…” “What?” “How’s the job search going?” “How’s it going?” She places the water-filled pot on the stove and lights the burner. While preparing pasta and sauce, she casually asks, “Have you decided on a job yet?” “Not yet.” “I see... Are you seriously planning to work?” Sendai-san addresses the question to the pot rather than facing me. I can’t tell what expression she's wearing, with her back turned. “Why do you ask?” “It’s just that it wouldn’t be bad if you didn’t find one... No, I was kidding. Do you want help looking for one?” Sendai-san offers quietly. “I’m fine. I’ll look for one myself.” Both working and searching are uncharted territories for me. It’s a bit disheartening to try something new. Yet, I don’t want to depend on Sendai-san. Since it’s like a plan to buy something for her, having her involved feels wrong. “Miyagi.” Sendai-san turns to face me. “What?” “Do you know you can find jobs at university?” “I do. Do you think I’m a child or something, Sendai-san?” “It’s not that, I'm just... a little concerned.” “About what?” “Various things.” “Like what?” “Whether you’d pick some weird place to work. Also, you know…” She trails off. “What else?” “...Whether you’d meet someone strange, perhaps.” “Don’t worry about it, you just focus on the boiling water, you’re making pasta, right?” “The water is still fine.” Sendai-san looks at me intently, instead of the pot. I can’t read her thoughts just by her expression, but it doesn’t seem like she’s lying about being worried. “Sendai-san. I’m going to take a bath.” Even if she's worried, my plan doesn't change, but knowing she's worried makes me want to lean on her. “All of a sudden?” “It’s about that time, and there’s nothing left to talk about.” I’ve procrastinated enough, it’s high time I start the job search. If I don’t, summer vacation will arrive with no progress at all. Turning away from Sendai-san, I return to my room. I place the black cat on the bookshelf and check my phone. I realize it’s not the best method. “—Mio-san.” Last time she came over, she talked about part-time jobs. Although the cafe job Mio mentioned seems unsuitable for me, she has an extensive network of contacts. If I tell her I’m looking for a job, she might introduce me to something. I considered asking Maika for help, but if I did, I’d probably end up selling hamburgers with her, which I didn’t want. Comparing myself to Maika, who would be working cheerfully, would only make me feel worse. "…For now, a bath." Whether or not to contact Mio-san could be decided later. I could soak in the bath and think it over leisurely. It wouldn't be too late to decide if I wanted to leave my fate in Mio-san's hands after some contemplation. With that in mind, I gathered my change of clothes and headed to the bathroom.