375 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

The Place Sendai-san Should Be Chapter 375 Although I made the promise, we haven't decided when the day would be. That's both a good and a bad thing. Deciding on a date would make me overly conscious of it, like during Christmas, and I would become restless. I didn't decide on a date so that I wouldn't turn into that kind of person, but now that nothing is set, the reality of having to choose the day myself and convey it to Sendai-san is overwhelming. *Sigh.* I let out a sigh and sit on the bed. It's 9:25 in the morning, after breakfast. Even though it's Saturday, I don't feel at ease. At least today isn't the promised day. It's just a day where we decided to plan our winter break schedule together, a day to spend with Sendai-san. There's no need to be on guard. Sendai-san expressly added the condition of staying up until morning today. Planning the winter break schedule isn’t something you need to pull an all-nighter for, so that condition subtly indicated that today is not a day for those kinds of activities. Hence, I arranged to meet with her this Saturday. Yet, I can't calm down. I feel somewhat gloomy. Simply put, I believe today could unexpectedly be the day, and deep down, I don’t fully trust Sendai-san. Realizing this unwanted truth has plunged me into a despondent mood. I could conclude that it's all because of Sendai-san’s bad behavior. But I know that Sendai-san would never do something I truly despise. The reason I still find it hard to trust her is solely because there's a part of me that's unwilling to try. I don't want to be betrayed. It's not that I don't trust anyone; I trust most people. For instance, I trust Maika and Ami. Friends are inherently trustworthy, and while it would sadden me to be betrayed by them, I would never regret having trusted them. But Sendai-san is different. If she were to betray me, I would definitely regret trusting her. It would lead to endless days of remembering when I was betrayed, bringing nothing but heartache. I would be never be able to forget it and would continue searching for the reason for the betrayal forever. Then, I would likely seal any thoughts of Sendai-san deep in my heart, to be hidden away. I let out another sigh as I stand up. Grabbing the black cat lounging on the bookshelf, I take a walk around the room. I stroke the small head of the stuffed animal, then sit on the bed. Imagining the future becomes unbearable because it appears so bleak. Things I don't wish to happen can be vividly imagined, yet the future I wish to pursue is hazy and unclear. Flopping onto the bed alongside the black cat, I wish we hadn’t made any promises. I want to question why I allowed myself to be swayed by Sendai-san, or rather, why I thought it was okay to be swayed. But even questioning that wouldn't change the outcome. I don’t know what I really want. It's always like this. There's so much about myself that I can't figure out, and I grow more and more frustrated. *Sigh*. Yet another sigh slips out, when a knock, knock, is heard at the door. I return the black cat to the bookshelf, and respond to the person on the other side, “Come in.” “I made iced tea. Want some?” Sendai-san opens the door, smiling, but doesn’t step inside. “I'll have some.” With that response, Sendai-san enters, tray in hand, setting a glass on the table and offering a snack as she says, “This too.” “What’s this?” Potato chips and chocolate. I haven't seen this packaging before; it features the two designs on it. “Mio said they were delicious, so I bought them.” A name I didn’t want to hear slips from Sendai-san’s lips as she sits beside me. “Oh.” It's not that I dislike Mio-san, but I can't think of a positive response right now. “Should I open it?” “I'll do it myself.” With a burst, I tear open the bag of chips, revealing chocolate-covered potato chips as the package promised. “Well, thanks for this.” After giving my thanks, I take a bite. Salty and sweet—an interesting blend that melds without any clash, leaving a delightful harmony in my mouth, reminiscent of jam and butter on toast. “Is it good?” Asked by Sendai-san, I nod and say, "Delicious." I generally don’t eat things I can’t anticipate the taste of, but spending time with Sendai-san often leads me to try new tasty things. Although Mio-san's involvement nags at me, tasty things remain tasty. “I’m glad,” Sendai-san smiles brightly, taking a chip from the bag I’m holding and popping it into her mouth. “Indeed, it is delicious.” In her animated voice, she adds, “I might just buy some more.” It’s something to be welcomed, but her next words are less so. “Wanna come with me?” I promptly say, "No," and add, "But you should buy more." “You're stingy, Miyagi.” “You’ll buy it, right?” “Well, yes.” Accompanied by that flat voice, Sendai-san munches on another chip. I place the bag I was holding on the table and sip my iced tea. “Miyagi, are you feeling unwell today?” Sendai-san mutters, looking at me. “Not really.” “Really?” “I’m fine.” To prove my words, I grab a chip and loudly crunch on it. Truthfully, I’m not unwell; just not feeling clear-minded. “If Miyagi says so, I'll take your word for it, then.” Sendai-san quietly states, following it up in a gentle voice, “So, any places you’d like to visit during winter break?” “None.” “It’s not even noon and we’re done talking already.” “It’s your fault for starting so early. We could have made plans after lunch.” “What would I do until lunch then?” “Whether you’re bored or not isn’t my problem.” “Miyagi, you can be so cold at times like these.” Sendai-san lets out a dramatic sigh. But I’m not at fault. The blame lies with Sendai-san for not giving me more breathing room. I wasn’t expecting to discuss winter break plans this early, hence I haven’t gotten my thoughts sorted out yet. Even talking about it after lunch seemed early to me. So, she should forgive being met with a curt response. “Miyagi, how about the zoo? We haven’t gone since we last talked about it. The aquarium works too.” “We don’t have to go during winter break.” My voice lowers, and I suddenly feel as though I've done something very wrong, so I ask her. "...Where would you like to go, Sendai-san?" "Hmm," she hums beside me, accompanied by the crinkling sound of the potato chip bag, then the crunch of the chocolate-covered potato chips. "I thought I’d go wherever you wanted to go, Miyagi." Sendai-san smiles at me, leaning against the bed. "You always used to say we should go to a hot spring." I pick up the bag of potato chips from the table, cradling it as I pull out another chip. "Would you go to a hot spring?" "No." I nibble on a chip, glaring at Sendai-san. "That's why I didn't suggest it. But I might want to try a trip somewhere." "... A trip? Where to?" "Anywhere really, but I’d like to spend a night." "No." "Then, two nights." With an amused tone, she snatches the bag of potato chips away. "No way, and give that back." "I'll feed you. If you don’t like that, then let's go on a trip together." "I hate both." "You can't just refuse without hesitation—that's unfair. Think about it a bit." "If you want me to consider it, at least suggest a destination." "...Is it okay if I take my time to think about it now?" "No." I firmly refuse and snatch the bag of potato chips back from Sendai-san. A trip lasting two nights is out of the question. Even a single night isn't worth considering. However, a short day trip might be fun. "Where would you be willing to go with me, Miyagi?" "I don't know, but suggest somewhere fun." "Then, how about we think about that together today?" With that, Sendai-san offers me a gentle smile.