391 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

Chapter 391 For dinner, I opted for ready-made curry and a salad from the convenience store. It's an improvement over cup noodles, but I'm certain Sendai-san would frown at such a menu. Today, when all I really want to eat is a hamburg steak made by Sendai-san, I can't bring myself to make and eat anything else. I finish the serviceable yet unremarkable curry, then proceed to wash the dishes. Just a single plate. Along with a glass and a spoon. The dishes, which were so few that I didn't even need to put on an apron to wash them, were done in no time, and I returned to my room. Though I didn’t get the chance to use the apron today, just like I told Maika, I hope I’ll get to use it tomorrow instead. The unease clouding my heart can't be neatly folded and put away like an apron. Yet it’s not a problem I can ignore forever. I can only believe that, by continuously using the apron, the unease inside me will eventually get compressed into something small enough to be stored away on the shelves of my heart. I release a small sigh. There's still time before Sendai-san returns. I decide to work on the report due in two days, spreading my materials across the table. At this time, Sendai-san is probably teaching her tutoring student—. I pull the tissue box shaped like a crocodile closer and hold its hand. Since entering college, I've started studying earnestly again, like I did as a child. It's because of Sendai-san that this version of me exists. Afternoons that I used to spend alone became shared moments, and solitary, endless breaks became shared with someone else, encouraging me to study, leading to this very day. I wish I could remain a university student forever. If, after the second year, I could somehow start again, being a second-year student at nineteen and twenty repeatedly, surely it would be delightful. I'd have time to leisurely think about where to go with Sendai-san. As my mind drifts to an impossible wish that can never be realized, I tighten my grip on the crocodile's hand before letting go. I then turn my gaze to my study materials, flipping the page. After a gentle pat on the crocodile's head, I dive into my report. Nearly two hours pass as I diligently work, and a soft knocking sound reaches my ears. I stand up and open the door to see Sendai-san standing there, saying "I'm home." "Welcome back. Have you eaten?" "I had dinner before heading to work. Can I come in?" She asks with a smile, and I respond with "Sure." Sendai-san enters, sitting on the floor with her back against the bed. As I settle down beside her, she inquires, "Working on a report?" "Yes." "I have something to discuss. Is now okay?" "Sure." As I respond, Sendai-san lowers her gaze to the floor. After a brief "Hmm," she looks up at me. "Do you remember the conversation we had with Utsunomiya at last year's university school festival?" "What conversation?" I vividly recall the time when Sendai-san decided to come to my university’s school festival. Maika easily took photos of us, and Sendai-san, getting carried away, captured many more. It left quite an impression on me. The “conversation with Utsunomiya” that Sendai-san is referring to must be about me and Maika attending her university’s school festival this year. Though I'm aware of this, and with the festival approaching, it seems this is what she's referring to, I find myself reluctant to confirm it. "This year, Miyagi and Utsunomiya are coming to my university's festival," she states, voicing the words I didn't want to hear. "Did we really have that talk?" "Yes, you remember, don't you?" Instead of answering with a yes, I just nod. "Great. Also, Mio wants to come along. Is that okay?" "How did Mio-san come into this?" "When I mentioned the festival at university, Mio asked if you and Utsunomiya would be attending. She already had plans with some club members, which seems to be the main event for her, but she really wants to meet you two, even if just for a little while." "...I see. Well, tell her not to push herself too hard." "She insisted I inform her once you two arrive, so I’m sure she’ll come anyway." As Sendai-san quickly voices this, leaning against the bed, she takes hold of my hand. Her hand, neither warm nor cold, presses against mine with a firm grip. When I gave a light tug to pull away, her fingers intertwined with mine, interlacing even more intimately than before. "That's all for the festival. Now, there's one more thing." Still holding my hand, Sendai-san says, pressing her shoulder to mine as she distances herself from the bed. "I'm not listening." "Just listen." She declares firmly, closing the gap between us until "close" isn't adequate to describe it; the words "pressed together" would be more appropriate, with half of my body being taken over by Sendai-san. "...What is it now?" I ask, my voice growing quieter due to the proximity. "Remember our plan to go out together? Let's set a date before deciding the destination." "Eh, Why?" "If we don’t set a date, you’ll never decide." Sendai-san said with a radiant smile still in place, and and I pull back our joined hands, loosening our intertwined fingers. "That’s not true." "But you look like you won’t figure it out." "It’s just that making a decision on the date would be a hassle while I’m still deciding." "We can just postpone if we need to. How about this weekend? Or maybe next?" "Next week is too soon." "When’s good for you?" "...Maybe in three months?" "Next Sunday it is, then." Sendai-san is pushy. Even though she asked me a question, she’s already set on the answer. Despite my hesitation and wandering within the maze of my thoughts, she bulldozes through the walls, guiding me straight to the goal. She won't allow me to stop or take a different path. And yet, there are times when she patiently waits for me as I drag my feet. Even if she starts to go on ahead, before her back can disappear from my sight, she always turns around to look at me. Thus, reluctantly, I find myself accepting her words. “If you make hamburg steak, then next week sounds good.” If she’s making me rush something that doesn't need to be rushed, I’ll at least make this small request. “Right now?” “We’ve already eaten, so not now.” Tomorrow or the day after is fine. If she makes delicious hamburg steak, I'll decide on a destination by next Sunday. Though where that will be, I don't yet know.