343 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

### Chapter 343 "Hey, Hazuki, that's mean. Am I not good enough for you?" Mio continued with a cheerful voice. I have no qualms with Mio; she hasn't done anything wrong. The blame lies with me, for hoping that Miyagi would come back here once again. I glanced at the cheesecake and cold brew iced coffee that Mio had placed before me, then forced a smile at her. "No complaints at all. I'm glad it's you who brought them." "Sounds a bit fake to me." "I'm serious." I insist with a smile, to which Mio responds with a beaming grin, "Maybe I'd believe you if you praised me a little more." There's no real obligation to humor Mio's childish games, but it's true that I wasn't very gracious earlier, and I owe Mio. Without her, I wouldn't have had the chance to see Miyagi at her part-time job. Mio, you're adorable. You're beautiful today as well. I say with a smile, and she replies, "Perhaps I'll forgive you now." With my penance done, I ask her the question I've been meaning to, "So, Mio, is Miyagi busy?" "Not really. More like she's barricaded herself in the kitchen, becoming a dishwashing enthusiast." "I see." I'm sure that her coming out to take an order earlier was nothing short of a miracle, and that miracle was likely Mio's doing. I should be grateful to her, but everything I say now seems to turn out wrong. I nearly sigh but instead clench my fist tightly. Gazing into the glass, I debate whether to drink the cold brew iced coffee when Mio's bright voice breaks through. "Shiori-chan is cute, right? I understand why you'd want to be like a mom to her, Hazuki." The unexpected comment catches my attention, and I lift my eyes. "What do you mean?" Though I've heard Mio's "Shiori-chan updates" many times, I've never heard anything like this before. "Even though she’s so wary around me, she still depends on me sometimes. It’s adorable. She tackles things she’s not good at very seriously. She's like a little animal, maybe a hamster, or a squirrel... no, that's not quite right. There's just something cute and animal-like about her." I want to say "cat" but hold back. I'm the only one allowed to think of Miyagi as a cat. More than that, I'm curious about this version of Miyagi that emerges from Mio's words. Mio sees a side of Miyagi I don't know. She observes Miyagi doing things she'd never do in front of me. If it were Utsunomiya, I might accept it. Utsunomiya's known Miyagi longer than I have, and they're best friends. But Mio is different; she met Miyagi after I did, and until recently, they weren't even friends. Yet despite this— "She's a type I've never encountered before, and it's honestly fascinating. It makes me want to care for her." Mio says with a cheerful smile. To my knowledge, none of her friends are like Miyagi. Maybe that's why she finds her intriguing and cute. I take a sip of the cold brew iced coffee. Despite Miyagi's suggestion, it doesn't taste particularly good. "Thanks to you, Hazuki, I've come to know such an interesting person, and I'm grateful." Mio's voice echoes in my ears. I'm not happy. I don't want gratitude. I'm the only one who should think of Miyagi as cute and wish to care for her. I'm the only one who should be grateful for meeting her. Miyagi is important to me, but she shouldn't become important to others. So, I don’t want Mio to get to know Miyagi any more than she already does. But I can't voice these thoughts, so I drown them with the cold brew iced coffee, letting the bitterness coat my unspoken feelings. "Mio, don't you need to head back to work?" Plastering a smile on my face, I ask Mio, hoping to hear something I want. "Hello, Sendai-chan." From behind Mio, Noto-senpai appears, smiling exaggeratedly. "Hello." "Were you able to have a good time with Miyagi-chan?" Noto-senpai, with her light-hearted tone, approaches our table. "Very much." I reply with a smile, and Mio follows up earnestly, "Senpai, don't set your sights on Shiori-chan." "Don't worry, it's Sendai-chan I'm after." Noto-senpai grins at Mio, eyes narrowed. "Then that's fine. I've found someone to chat with Hazuki now, so I'll head back to work. You two get along." Leaving those casual words behind, Mio returns to the kitchen, and Noto-senpai speaks with a cheerful demeanor. "Sendai-chan, your beautiful face is looking a bit scary." I've received a job referral thanks to Noto-senpai; she's been quite helpful, and I don't think she's a bad person. Yet, I can't wholeheartedly believe she's a good person either. "You haven't been talking to Miyagi, have you?" I didn't mean it, but my voice drops. "Right out of the blue with that?" "Please, let me know." "What does Miyagi-chan say?" Noto-senpai sits across from me without asking for permission, and without me offering. "She says she hasn't spoken to you." "Then that's that." "Is it?" "Don't you trust Miyagi-chan?" Despite her tease, I trust Miyagi, even if at times it's hard to believe. I want to trust her. But I don't trust Noto-senpai. As I silently gaze at her, she reassures me, "It's okay." "I really haven’t talked to her, so don't worry. Mio’s told me not to talk to the newbie." "I remember asking you not to get involved with Miyagi too." "It's about prioritizing Mio, you see." "Prioritizing Mio—" Before I can finish my sentence, Noto-senpai cuts in, pointing towards the kitchen. "Sendai-chan, look over there." "Miyagi..." A name slips out, belonging to the one who looks like a cat only to me. Miyagi, who didn't bring the cold brew iced coffee and cheesecake earlier, is heading over with something in hand. But she's moving unusually slow. It's as if she's at a speed where stopping wouldn't be strange. "Sendai-chan is scary, so I'll head back to my seat." Saying that, Noto-senpai stands up. Smiling, she mentions, "See you at university," and walks back to her original seat, seemingly avoiding any interaction with Miyagi. It seems she truly is refraining from speaking to Miyagi after all. I feel bad for doubting her. I should probably chase after her to apologize, but I can't bring myself to stand because Miyagi is in my line of sight. As I continue to watch, she slowly approaches my table. "Mio-san said, 'Bring some water.'... But, it looks like you don't need any, Sendai-san." Miyagi stands in the same spot she was when she took my order, glancing at the glass of water. It's completely untouched, not a millimeter of water has been sipped. "I'll drink it now." I take a gulp, reducing the volume in the glass slightly. Miyagi fills the glass back to where it was before. Mio can be meddlesome, but the more you get to know her, the better a person she is. Without her, Miyagi wouldn't have come back to my table again. While I find her tendency to drag others into group outings somewhat questionable, I do believe she's someone I should get along with, even without Miyagi's suggestion. She shouldn't be categorized with my high school friends. That's what I think, yet there are moments when I just want to distance myself from Mio, who is getting to know sides of Miyagi I haven't seen. "You don't need any more, right?" I hear Miyagi’s voice—neither bright nor dull. "I do." I drink another third of the water and place the glass back down. Miyagi refills it and looks at me. No matter what Miyagi says, I doubt I'll grow any closer to Mio than I am now. I've gotten used to superficial interactions and can't bring myself to delve into Mio's heart. When my family dynamics changed, I shifted the distance with my friends. I draw lines to separate. I don't go beyond them. The world, divided by lines I've drawn, is a bit barren, but once accustomed to it, it's easy to live in. By marking my territory as a restricted zone, I can prevent deep connections and maintain peace of mind. It’s simpler to maintain relationships at a distance, just far enough to keep smiling but not close enough to remember names without being called. It allows me to savor only the enjoyable parts of school life. Even if friendships fade, it's something I'm resigned to. I take a sip of the water Miyagi poured. "Too much of that, and it'll upset your stomach," Miyagi remarks with mild exasperation. "I'm thinking of drinking it until it’s empty." Pointing at the water pitcher, I receive a response, "You're such an idiot." Miyagi is the only one who calls me an idiot like that. She quietly entered the space I’d marked as off-limits and made it her own. What was once barren has been suffused with Miyagi's presence, and now it cannot do without her. Like this glass that Miyagi keeps filling with water, I'm constantly replenished by her presence at all times. I take another sip of water. Miyagi refills the glass, even though barely any water has been reduced. "Well then, I'm heading back to the kitchen." With a curt remark, Miyagi turns to leave. "Wait. Miyagi, your shift is almost over, right? Do you want to walk home together?" "I don't." Miyagi replies, looking straight at me. "I'll wait outside." "...Outside, the whole time?" "I'll kill time nearby and come back around when you’re done." "You don’t have to wait." With those words, Miyagi turned her back on me.