126.5 Volume 6 SS The Complaints and Dissatisfaction of Shirakawa Ami - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

Volume 6 SS: The Complaints and Dissatisfaction of Shirakawa Ami No matter how many kilometers apart, friends remain friends. Distance doesn't change that. We're still friends. Even with that belief, sometimes the distance feels tiresome. "I have something I want to ask, is that okay?" I direct my question to Maika, one of my friends. She’s on the other side of the smartphone, in a faraway place. "Sure, go ahead." Her bright voice comes through, and I clear my throat. Then, I bring up a topic fitting for the end of April approaching. "Golden Week! It's our first extended break since entering university! Are you not coming back here for Golden Week, Maika?" "I'm not coming back, Ami." Maika replies nonchalantly. I let out a deliberately exaggerated sigh, then speak in a voice heavy enough to sink into the bed. "That's a grave situation." "What situation?" "That one! Not coming back during the holidays is boring." University life is enjoyable. I’ve made new friends. But when it comes to spending breaks, the faces of my "usual high school crew" pop into my mind. "Even if you say it's boring, Golden Week is short. I'll be back during summer vacation, so just wait until then." "Oh, come on, that's so cruel." "You knew I wasn't coming back yet you're acting like it's a surprise." "It just means I really want to see you. Shiori's not coming back either, so it's boring." There's no lie in what I said. Not being able to easily meet the "usual crew" like before is dull, and that feeling hasn’t faded since graduating high school. While I don’t mean to question the paths others have chosen, having Shiori not here too is disheartening. I told her many times about my complaints and dissatisfaction. "Oh, it's just too much," I voice out from deep within. Being so far apart is unquestionably boring. Not being able to see each other is truly, undeniably dull. "You mean you're upset Shiori and I aren't coming back for the holidays?" "That too, but it also feels like I'm the only one stuck far away." "I'm sorry." "No, I should apologize. It’s not that I want you to say sorry. It's just a rant, a complaint. Even Shiori, who said she’d stay here, ended up over there doing interesting things like room-sharing." I speak rapidly, then sit up. The word “room-share” evokes a feeling close to yearning. It might be because, even after entering university, I still live at home just like in high school. But still, for Shiori to do something like that. She mentioned her roommate was a relative, but since she’d never talked about relatives before, I was surprised. "Hey, Maika. Is Shiori really room-sharing with a relative?" "What do you mean by 'really'?" "Isn't it actually her boyfriend?" Just like with family, I haven’t heard of her having a boyfriend. Yet curiosity makes me voice such things. I strain to hear Maika’s voice through the phone. "Ami, you’re curious about that?" Her voice on the other side sparks my curiosity. "Of course I am. What’s really going on?" The story of room-sharing with a relative could just be a cover-up for a boyfriend. I imagine going to Shiori's place and an unfamiliar handsome guy shows up. Such a scenario wouldn’t be impossible. In fact, I'm thinking it’d be interesting if it were true. What I nurture in my heart is this humble wish to do things that amused us in high school, like teasing Shiori for fun. "I wonder about that. It seems fishy to say she’s living with a relative." Maika speaks in a teasing manner. If we were in a high school classroom, I’d be able to see Maika's sly grin. "So it is suspicious, after all." "Even if I say I want to visit her place, she turns me down, and she doesn't even show me pictures." "Oh, Maika, maybe Shiori just doesn’t like you." "Oof, I thought so." I hear a deliberately fake sobbing sound, and then both of us burst into laughter. "Well, joking aside, it is a bit strange. Even when I talk about her roommate, she always brushes it off. I’m curious about what kind of person her 'relative' really is." Whether I’m talking alone with Shiori or with Maika involved, nothing changes. Shiori seems to avoid words like "room-share" and "roommate," and when I ask to see pictures, she never shows them. Shiori’s roommate remains a complete mystery. "It does bother me. But pressuring her for details doesn’t feel right either." Maika quietly says, and I agree, "Yeah." It's not a matter we must push to know, so Shiori’s feelings take precedence over our curiosity. I understand that. So I change the subject. "So, Maika, aren't you coming back during the holidays at all?" "Unfortunately not, Ami. But I’ll be there all summer." "You promise? I’m counting on it." Summer vacation feels far off. But it’s better than not meeting at all. I want to meet up and do silly things together again. "Don’t worry, I’ll come back. Just wait for me." "I'll be waiting, so hurry back with Shiori." We may not be high school students anymore, but I still want to hang out like we did in the past. I emphasize, "It's a promise, okay?"