350 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

**Chapter 350** "Ah." Sendai-san came to a sudden stop in front of the bookshelf. Then she murmured "Roro-chan" while gently stroking the head of a black cat plush. She had been in a good mood since she arrived at my room after lunch, claiming she had some errands to run. Now, her mood seemed even lighter. "Sendai-san, is something wrong with the stuffed toy?" "Not at all. It's just adorable," she replied, lifting the black cat and giving it a small kiss on the nose. Her fingertips brushed against the necklace hanging from the cat's neck, trailing the chain as she caressed the moon pendant. The cat remained silent. I merely watched from where I sat on the bed, refraining from speaking. Her fingers continued to trace over the plush cat's tiny paw, giving it a gentle shake. I anticipated that Sendai-san would notice the cat's accessory. Yet, I hadn't expected her to look so delighted over it. She gazed at the black cat like it was a cherished treasure and spoke to it. "It suits you." A tender voice directed at the stuffed animal reached my ears. I couldn't fathom what the cat might be thinking. Perhaps it was enjoying being touched by Sendai-san, or perhaps it wasn't. Draped in Hazuki's moon, the black cat kept an expressionless face as it endured her touch and was set back on the shelf. "Sendai-san, you really like cats, don't you?" "Well, yeah," she said with a chuckle, turning to the black cat again and smiling. "Take care, Roro-chan." "...Hazuki." I called out to Sendai-san. Though my voice was barely above a whisper, she quickly took a seat beside me. "Shio—" I silenced her by gently nudging her with my foot and reaching towards her chest. I didn’t kiss her on the nose, but like she had with the black cat, I touched her necklace. Following the chain, I traced over the four-leaf clover pendant. She said nothing, and I lightly pressed my lips to the clover, avoiding her hand. Her fingers combed through my hair as she softly called my name, "Miyagi." Something warm pressed briefly against the crown of my head, then released. When I looked up, Sendai-san brushed a kiss against my cheek. "Let go," I said, gently pushing against her shoulder. Her lips parted, but her fingertips traced over my lips. I swatted her hand away, and with a longing touch, her fingers brushed over the plumeria earrings before resting on my lap. "Miyagi, how about we have dinner outside today?" Sendai-san nudged me playfully with her shoulder. "No." "Why not? We never go out for meals together." "The festival is coming up." "The festival is still a ways off. C'mon, let's step out for a bit." "It's hot, and I don't want to." With a light nudge from my leg, I moved the hand on my knee to rest on the bed. Sendai-san frowned and grumbled "stingy" under her breath before adding, "Oh, how about we go look at yukatas together sometime soon?" "Sendai-san, I don't wear yukatas." "There's no harm in just looking." "No." "Then, lend me the tablet for a bit. There's something I want to see." "What do you want to look at?" "Just hand it over for now," she said with a smile, and though I hesitated, I brought her the tablet. Hiding the screen from me, she displayed something and asked, "Is there anything you'd like?" White and blue. Peach, purple, yellow. The screen displayed an array of colorful flowers. More precisely, they bloomed across yukatas in cool shades. "No. Aren't they all basically the same?" "Not at all. The flowers and designs are all different." "True, but I'm not interested." I understood that the yukatas on display were different—morning glories, sunflowers, and ones with flowers even I could recognize were there. But when asked if there's a yukata I'd want to wear, they all seemed the same to me. I've never been one for these things, and they don’t suit me. Perhaps because of these feelings, when I consider wearing them, the differences between the yukatas become indistinguishable, like looking at chocolate bars with their wrappers removed. "If you’re not into flowers, there are fireworks or goldfish designs too. Want to see?" "Sendai-san, look at them on your own." "These kinds of things are more fun together. I promise I won't force you into one. Just indulge me a little, call it a birthday present option." "...If it's just looking, then it's okay." I wasn’t planning on adding options to her gift, but I didn’t want to completely shut her down either. Summer vacation still stretched on with plenty of time, so a bit of compromise wouldn’t hurt. I took hold of one side of the tablet. Sendai-san brought up various yukata designs on the screen, commenting along the way. "This color is nice. The flowers are cute. The obi design is intricate." With each of her thoughts, more yukatas appeared, passing by my eyes. Every now and then, one that would suit Sendai-san perfectly popped up, making me almost speak out. Glancing at her, I saw her enjoying the yukatas without looking my way. It's slightly annoying, but seeing her take an interest in something is also enjoyable. "Miyagi, this one would look good on you," she pointed to a yukata. "Why don’t you wear it, Sendai-san," I calmly replied, flipping the page. She frowned, asking if I didn't find it cute. "...It is cute." Precisely because it's cute, I don't want to wear it. "Regardless of wearing it or not, which one does Miyagi like?" "I never think about wanting to wear a yukata." I don’t dislike them. However, I can't put one on by myself, and they seem cumbersome. Wearing something I can't put on alone and going somewhere feels unsettling. If it got disheveled from moving around, it’d be a hassle. "I see," she responded, her voice neither bright nor dark, fixing her gaze on me. Lowering her eyes to the floor, she gave the bed a pat before looking back at me and hesitantly opening her mouth to speak. "Um, Miyagi... Is it okay to ask about looking through your old album?" "...Why do you want to see the album?" "I’d like to see Miyagi in a yukata." The album doesn't contain the current me, but the past me resides there along with my mother, which makes me reluctant to open it. "The album isn't easily accessible." "I see." "Did you wear a yukata as a child, Sendai-san?" With a deliberately neutral tone, I asked. "I did." "What kind?" "...The same as my sister’s. Back when we got along." She replied, a hint of a smaller voice. I realized I had asked something I shouldn't have. Unfortunately, that's what I thought, but Sendai-san forced a smile that almost dispelled the thought. Then, in a notably over-bright voice, she continued: "When I was a kid, I wore matching outfits with my sister and we did everything together. But as we grew older, we stopped being able to do the same things, including wearing matching clothes." With a sigh, Sendai-san exhaled. I gave the floor a soft kick, directing my gaze to the tips of my feet. "...You don’t have to say anything you don’t want to." As much as I want to know more about Sendai-san, I'm not about to force her to disclose what she wishes to keep to herself. Everyone has things they'd rather not say or want kept hidden. There are things one wishes to keep tucked safely in the depths of their heart, and exposing them is like tearing at the tender parts of the soul, causing pain. No matter how much I want to know about Sendai-san, I don't want to go about it that way. "Don't worry. I shared it because I wanted you to know," came a gentle voice that drew my eyes upward. I met Sendai-san's gaze. She smiled warmly and reached for my hair. "Miyagi, can I braid this part of your hair?" Before I could give my consent, the hair hiding my ear was gently pulled and woven into a braid. "I didn't say you could." "Oh, come on. It'll look cute with a braid here. Shall I tie a ribbon for you as well?" "There's no need for a braid or a ribbon. Why do you want to braid my hair all of a sudden?" "An early celebration for my birthday." She said it so cheerfully that I couldn't bring myself to stop her. Consequently, my hair was styled into a braid, secured with a hair tie she used for her own hair. "Sendai-san, when are we going to the festival?" I snatched the finished braid from Sendai-san, who was about to put a ribbon on it, and asked her a question. "It’ll probably be after my birthday. This year, even after my birthday passes, there's still something fun to look forward to, so it feels like a bonus." "How do you know it'll be fun?" "It definitely will be. Thank you, Miyagi." "I haven't done anything yet." "I'm happy even if you haven't done anything." With that, Sendai-san began crafting another braid.