373 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

The shared space is enveloped in silence. That's because Miyagi isn't speaking. She's not saying a word, merely staring at the pudding and not looking at me. If she were to say anything within the bounds of reason, I would comply. But as the silence stretches, anxiety creeps in about what she might say. The exchange for the request, "taking care of a drunk," shouldn’t be such a grave burden. "What should I do?" I inquire, looking at Miyagi. "I'll tell you now." A low voice reaches me, but no further words follow. When I call "Miyagi," I hear a faint "Sendai-san." Miyagi inhales deeply, exhales, and fixes her gaze on me. She opens her mouth to speak but then drops her gaze. Following instructions is something I've done countless times, so it’s not something that causes hesitation. The same goes for Miyagi. In the past, she had guided me with firm orders, and even in college, she’s naturally voiced what she wanted me to do. Hence, I'm curious about what exactly has Miyagi hesitating now. "Miyagi, what should I do?" As I ask once more from my side, Miyagi finally speaks. "…Can you do something about the birthday party Mio-san wants to organize?" I see. So that's what it is. I understand why it was hard to say. "I'd like to do something about it, but I think it’s probably impossible." Celebrating a friend's birthday. It's a natural thing to do, not something strange. Also, Mio loves such events. She’s been reaching out several times during summer break, expressing her desire to celebrate my birthday. I've been declining with various excuses, but this time I've been told that they plan to include Utsunomiya and celebrate Miyagi’s birthday together with mine. "I know it's impossible, but…" Miyagi murmurs in a dry, crumbly voice, as she stares at the pudding hard enough to bore a hole in it. Even I am not exactly enthused about the birthday party. However, Mio means no harm—quite the opposite. She only has pure intentions. Her invitations come from a genuine desire to have fun with everyone. Utsunomiya, who is Miyagi’s friend and genuinely nice, is also looking forward to the birthday party. Even as someone who can’t be said to be great with social interactions in college, I can't bring myself to brush off the commitment as if it never existed. "Hmm, I get how you feel, Miyagi, but Mio and Utsunomiya seem to be looking forward to it." I'll do something about it. Miyagi looks at me, who is unable to utter even that simple phrase. "…Once is enough for a birthday." "Eh?" "It's nothing." Miyagi’s words swallow my own, and the shared space is once again enveloped in silence. I reflect on the world without words from three seconds ago. Once is enough for a birthday. The words that I reflexively replied to were such that it seemed okay to only have a birthday celebration with me, causing my heart to leap. Miyagi, saying such a thing, is adorable. Miyagi, saying these things to me, is incredibly cute. She's so cute, so cute that it makes me extremely happy. I think one celebration is enough as well. But thinking of Mio and Utsunomiya makes my heart ache. I am surprised to realize that even someone like me, who needs no one but Miyagi, could feel this kind of heartache over neglecting promises with them. "…It’s a bit unfair to Maika and Mio-san, but." Miyagi speaks softly. "Instead of thinking of it as a birthday party, what if you just thought of it as a normal gathering to hang out?" "I only said that casually. ...It's not something I really want you to consider." We both understand. There are commitments in this world that cannot be refused, things that can’t be changed despite understanding them. Yet, the feeling of wanting to do something about them persists. "Miyagi." Calling her softly, I stand up. I walk over to where Miyagi sits, and our eyes meet as I take her hand. I lean forward and gently press my lips against the back of her hand. "Don’t just do whatever you want." I hear her flat voice as I kiss her fingertips, then she pulls her hand away from mine. Chasing after that hand is futile. I kneel on the floor and remove one of Miyagi's socks. The view of her denim-clad leg offers a scene different from what I knew in high school. "Sendai-san, put my sock back on." "After a little while." Touching Miyagi's heel, I lift her foot. As I have done many times before, I press my lips against the arch of her foot, slowly rolling my tongue across the warm, firm skin, warmer and firmer than any pudding. Her foot trembles slightly and withdraws from my tongue. I draw her foot back, lightly pressing my lips and softly sucking. "Sendai-san, what’s going on?" Her low voice descends as I answer with nonsensical words, "If you're going to do this, a skirt would be better." "There's no need to lick my feet now." “Does that mean it’s okay if it’s not now?” I trace her toes, softly caressing the sole. Miyagi murmurs, "Even if it's not now, I don't want it," and tries to pull her foot away. I kiss the top of her foot and look up at her. "Are you not giving those kinds of orders anymore?" "We don’t have that kind of relationship." "Just do it, Shiori." "I never said you could call me 'Shiori.'" "Shiori." When I call her clearly, Miyagi lightly kicks my shoulder, saying in a monotonous voice. "I'm not going to call you Hazuki now." Her voice isn't gentle. But since Miyagi doesn’t run away and stays here with me, I don’t think she minds being addressed by that name. Without orders, I kiss the tips of her feet and trace my teeth over her toe joints. I strongly suck on the tensed arch, letting my tongue travel up her ankle. I kiss the knee through her jeans, sliding my hand inside the cuff. "Sendai-san, stop." Catching the hand that attempts to push my forehead away, I place a kiss on her palm. "No." Miyagi's voice echoes in my ears. Even back when we wore uniforms, we had commitments that couldn’t be refused. Wanting to be seen as a sociable person, I often acted in accordance with invitations from Umika and her group. Miyagi prioritized her friends over me. Moreover, the times we managed to meet, bound by these unrefusable commitments, were significantly shorter than the times apart. But now, it’s different. But even if it's different, it's still not enough. "Miyagi." Holding her hand tightly, I bring my lips to her fingertips. We are not friends or roommates; without an order between us, I believe we should close the distance. "...Shall we make the next promise?" I whisper softly. I understand that my words are insufficient. But Miyagi, who seems to grasp my intent, glares at me. "Why does it lead to that kind of conversation?" Something often done in this house, something not done in a long while. Something we promised not to do since high school. Whether it's in Miyagi's bed or mine, I want to do that kind of thing. In those moments, Miyagi takes the initiative to come closer. Because of that, I'm able to embrace what is most important me. To make a once-in-a-lifetime birthday feel like it can happen twice. I want to hold her so tightly that the number of times doesn't matter anymore. "I want to cherish you more than any birthday," I say. As I kiss her hand, she kicks my knee and says, "That's not fair."