340 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

**Chapter 340** Work isn't exactly fun, but I don't dislike it. Sometimes I take orders or deliver dishes, and somehow, I manage. If someone told me to go back to my high school days and run a café at the cultural festival again, I'd have no choice but to refuse. However, when it comes to this job, I think I'd be willing to do it again. But if someone were to ask me if Sendai-san could come see me at work――. I absolutely don’t want that. Under no circumstances. Bringing her here is out of the question. "Shiori-chan, can you take care of the hall?" Mio-san says, to which I shortly respond, "I'm going." Today, the café is bustling. Even Mio-san, who had irresponsibly joked in the changing room about inviting Hazuki here, is working with a serious expression. Although I'm not fond of working the hall, now is not the time to complain. I take a deep breath and release it before heading into the hall, but Mio-san adds, "Senpai is here, but you can just ignore her," stopping me in my tracks. I inhale once more, then very slowly exhale. The senpai that Mio-san is referring to is Noto-san, a person I would prefer to avoid if possible. The memory of meeting her at Maika's workplace is too terrible. My image of Noto-san has been stuck like that since then, without any updates. I clutch my chest in my uniform and step into the hall. Even though I don't want to look, I scan the restaurant, and there she is, Noto-san, waving at me from her usual spot. I offer a vague smile, then guide a customer who just entered the café to their seat. Since I started working here, I've seen Noto-san numerous times inside the restaurant, yet she's never spoken to me. That's because when I’m working the hall, it's always busy, and even if she did call out, I wouldn’t have the capacity to interact with her. Thus, sending a tentative smile her way is all I need to do. In part thanks to Mio-san’s considerations. Feeling Noto-san's gaze on me, I go about my duties in the hall. It’s uncomfortable, but realizing that I can work without incident in the hall is all thanks to Mio-san’s thoughtfulness, I can’t outright dismiss her suggestions. Perhaps I should consider inviting Sendai-san here. ――No, it's just not possible. Right now, the only one watching me is Noto-san, so it’s just a bit uncomfortable, but if Sendai-san were watching, I’d definitely be nervous. I’d surely make unnecessary mistakes. "Shiori-chan, you're all set in the hall. Thank you." After some time has passed, the manager calls to me, and I head back into the kitchen. While washing dishes, Mio-san talks to me. "Shiori-chan, you really don't like senpai, do you?" "It's not that I dislike her, it's more like..." Noto-san is close with Mio-san. Thinking about that causes me to falter. Even lying to say I'm not uncomfortable with her isn’t possible. "Shiori-chan, you’re such a kind girl. Well, there are quite a few folks who don’t quite get along with senpai, so don't worry about it. She’s not a bad person, just a bit difficult to understand." Mio-san says brightly, adding, "It's okay to find her difficult, but it’d be nice if you didn't dislike her." "I’ll try." Although it seems challenging, I feel like I have no choice but to respond that way. As new orders come in, Mio-san starts making sandwiches. With hands moving as if by magic. I don't know if she's as skilled a cook as Sendai-san, but in no time at all, she assembles the sandwiches and beautifully plates them. "Shiori-chan, could you handle the drinks?" "Got it." I prepare an iced tea. Mio-san is still someone I find a little difficult. However, since starting this job, the words "nice person" have been added to her description. Perhaps once I know her better, the term "difficult" might vanish. This job has taught me many things. If it weren’t for this job, I wouldn’t have become close enough with Mio-san to chat casually like we do now. I wouldn't have even jokingly considered the possibility of not finding her difficult one day. And. I wouldn’t have known there’d come a time when Sendai-san would say she's lonely in such a way. Because of that, I feel off balance and can't seem to return to my usual self. It’s genuinely bothersome. I absolutely don’t want to invite Sendai-san here, though. I'm really not keen on having her see me working here. I genuinely, absolutely, unquestionably refuse, yet when I remember Sendai-san saying she was lonely, those feelings waver, so I prefer not to remember. I shove thoughts of Sendai-san out of my head and focus on my work. Carrying out kitchen tasks, making appearances in the hall, and successfully not thinking of Sendai-san. Before I know it, time flies by, I leave the café, and board the train—still not thinking of Sendai-san. Whether I’m walking down streets without a sign of a calico cat, climbing stairs, or now opening the front door, I don't recall what Mio-san said to me. I close and lock the front door behind me. Seeing Sendai-san's shoes at the entrance causes a crease to form between my brows. I exhale, and with my index finger, I smooth the wrinkle away. Quietly, I walk down the hallway, entering the shared space. "Welcome back." Before I can say anything, Sendai-san’s voice greets my ears. "I'm home." I reply with a voice neither too loud nor too soft, and Sendai-san, smiling cheerfully, says, "Welcome home," again. "I've been waiting for Miyagi." Before I can repeat my greeting, Sendai-san stands up from her chair. Approaching me with the intention of an imminent kiss, I push her stomach with my hand to maintain some distance. "I can see that. Did you eat dinner?" "I made sure to eat and reported it to the ‘crocodile’." "Good." "So, what will Miyagi do now?" Today, work was busy, and I’m tired, so I want to take a bath and sleep. I want to say that, but saying that might seem too dismissive. It feels harsh not to spend time with someone who waited for me. "…I have something to tell Sendai-san, so stay here." I don't have anything specific in mind. But I think I should at least spend a little time with her. I retreat to my room and greet the platypus I swapped with the ‘crocodile’ on Sunday with a "I'm home." I don’t usually greet the tissue cover, but since I made Sendai-san promise to report her meals and greetings to the ‘crocodile,’ I can’t possibly skip doing so myself. I place my bag down and stroke the platypus’ head. "The staff meal was delicious." After relaying details of dinner, I return to the shared space. "I bought pudding. Want to eat together?" I hear Sendai-san's voice, and looking at the table, I see pudding and spoons already set out. "It’s not like I have a choice not to eat." "Does Miyagi not want pudding?" "…I'll have some." I sit across from Sendai-san, say "Thank you for the meal," and hear her echo my sentiment. I open the pudding lid and take a bite. It's a slightly firm baked pudding, with a subtle egg flavor that fills my mouth. "So, Miyagi. What's the matter?" Sendai-san takes a spoonful of pudding and looks at me intently. If I absolutely have to say something, there are two things I want to discuss. One is the story about the mixer, or to be more precise, the details of Sendai-san's conversation with Maika about the mixer. What did Maika ask, and what did Sendai-san talk about? I’m curious, but I also feel there’s no point in asking. It’s not polite to pry into what friends talk about, and even if I did ask, I doubt there would be anything interesting, so there’s no real point in pursuing it. That leaves only one other topic, and it's not something I’m eager to discuss. "You said you had something to talk about, right?" Perhaps noticing my silence, Sendai-san prompts me again. "I forgot." "You're lying. There's something, isn't there?" Her tone isn't particularly forceful, but there's an urgency in Sendai-san’s voice as she tries to nudge me. I scoop some pudding with my spoon and bring it to my mouth. As I bite slowly, I think it might be a tad too sweet. I take another bite and glance at Sendai-san. "Miyagi." When she calls my name, I set my spoon down. Reluctantly. Grudgingly. With no other choice, I open my tight-lipped mouth. "…Do you still want to come to the café where I'm working?" I know I should probably talk about something else, but I don't have another topic. Telling her that I didn’t see the calico cat on the way home is pointless, and a rundown of how my university classes went today is even less relevant. So, this is the topic we’re left with. "What brought this on?" "Mio-san mentioned that you said you want to visit the café." "…I see." I hear a sigh intermingled with her words. "Thanks to Mio-san, I'm stuck having to ask if you want to come to the café. Really, she’s such a meddler." I blurt this out, and Sendai-san gives a troubled smile. "Yeah, but that’s one of her good qualities." Though I brought up the topic myself, seeing Sendai-san genuinely compliment Mio-san makes me want to stand up and retreat to my room. I think it’s only natural for Sendai-san and Mio-san to get along. Yet, it doesn’t sit well with me. "Sendai-san… did you ask Mio-san to persuade me to let you come to the café?" "Why would I? Besides, I didn’t think Mio would discuss it with you." "Really?" "Really." Sendai-san says this with a serious face, then calls my name softly. "Miyagi, would it be okay if I came to see you at work?" Her voice is gentle. She doesn’t say she "wants to come." She’s patiently waiting for my response. "…Do you want to come that much?" "If you say it's okay," she answers in a strangely earnest tone. She seeks my permission. I understand this. But I don’t want to say it’s "fine." I realize I don’t want Sendai-san watching me work. It's not that I want to appear particularly competent, but if she comes to the café, she’ll inevitably see my shortcomings, which makes me hesitate. "…Please don’t come." I quietly reply, and in a light tone, Sendai-san answers. "I figured you’d say that." I thought she’d push back, but she simply resumes eating her pudding without another word. Guilt gnaws at me. It feels like I’ve done something terribly wrong. "It’s delicious." Her gentle voice reaches me. I take another bite of my pudding. Sweet. I can't discern if it's good or not. "I thought you might break your promise not to come to the café while I’m working," I murmur. Sendai-san pauses her hand with the pudding spoon. "Isn’t that harsh? …Though, to be honest, I did think about sneaking in. But last Sunday, you were so kind; it made me extremely happy, and I didn’t want to betray you." Sneaky. It's sneaky to say something like that at a time like this. "Senda-san, give me yours." I point at the pudding container in front of her. "You mean my pudding?" "Yes. The one you’re eating right now." "But it’s half-eaten." "It’s fine, just give it to me." When I glare at her, Sendai-san reluctantly slides her pudding over to me. Ignoring my own, I eat hers instead. "Miyagi, does my pudding taste good?" "It’s delicious." The two puddings on the table are the same. Yet they taste different to me. Somehow, Sendai-san’s pudding tastes better. After finishing the pudding she gave me, I call out to her. "Sendai-san." "What?" "In return for the pudding, if you really want to come, you can visit the café, just for a little while." "Eh?" She sounds surprised, her voice a tad louder. "Mio-san said I should invite you." "Mio did?" "Yes." "Even though you told me not to come, you’re listening to Mio? When did you two get so close?" "We're not exactly close, but that’s just how the conversation went." Sendai-san stares at me with furrowed brows. But that expression quickly fades, replaced by a low utterance, "I see." "If you don’t want to come, that’s fine," I try to conclude. Before I can, Sendai-san, looking flustered, put on a smile and declares in a strong voice, "I’ll definitely come."