153.5 Volume 6 Interlude: Utsunomiya Maika's Confusion - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

Volume 6 Interlude: Utsunomiya Maika's Confusion There are all kinds of people at university. Students and professors. Sometimes, there are even people from other universities. In such a place, it's not surprising to encounter someone unexpected. However, the probability of that happening is exceedingly low, almost impossible, and indeed, it has never happened to me before. I hadn’t even run into someone I didn't know well from my high school and become friends with them, so dramatic meetings just don’t happen often. That's why I was so taken aback. To find out that Sendai-san was at this university. I stare intently at my smartphone. Saved in there is Sendai-san's contact information, which I had just received. "Maika?" Called by Shiori, who is sitting next to me, I lift my gaze. "What is it, Shiori? What's up?" "That's what I should be asking you. You’ve been glaring at your phone for a while now; did something happen?" Something did happen. Something happened, but I can't tell Shiori about it here. I'm supposed to wait until Sendai-san comes to my house to talk about our meeting earlier and what we decided there. For now, I need to focus on the lecture that’s about to start. "I dropped my phone on the way here. I'm just worried it might be broken." Far from dropping my phone, I had tightly grasped it all the way to this lecture hall. But I couldn't tell Shiori I was thinking about Sendai-san, so I had to lie. "Eh, is it okay? Did it break?" "It seems fine. More importantly, Shiori, what are you doing tonight?" "Like I said this morning, I'd really like to stay over again." "Got it." "Sorry about this." As Shiori looks apologetic, I offer her a reassuring smile, saying, "Don't worry about it." "Thank you." I look at Shiori as she sighs with relief. I don’t mind her staying over. That's not what's bothering me. Still, I am, well, quite shocked. I tether my drifting emotions with a rope and pull them back up, swallowing a sigh. Shiori had always told me she was sharing a room with a relative. There were plenty of suspicious points in Shiori's story, so I wasn’t surprised to discover she was living with someone other than a relative. But— I never imagined that person would be Sendai-san. Shiori and I are best friends, and we were always together during high school. To say "always" might be a bit of an exaggeration, but we were together enough to make me feel that way, and yet, she hadn't told me the truth. The very fact that Shiori and Sendai-san were friends gave me a significant shock. Last year, I had a chance to speak with Sendai-san and asked if she was friends with Shiori. She had said they weren't. It was a question that I blurted out due to small inconsistencies that led to suspicion, not any concrete evidence, so I had accepted Sendai-san's answer. But I hadn’t truly believed it. Though, I hadn’t completely doubted it either. I just left it at that. And then today, finding out they were friends after all made it impossible to process what I had just heard from Sendai-san. It feels like I finished up cleaning a room, only to accidentally kick over the trash bin, forcing me to start cleaning again. Even though I'd tidied up once and convinced myself that it was fine, seeds of doubt are starting to grow in my heart, and I find myself wanting to look at everything with a suspicious eye. “...Maika. Maika!" A light tap on my shoulder pulled me back to reality. “Ah, sorry. I wasn’t listening.” I look at Shiori, who hadn’t told me anything. “That’s okay. But seriously, are you alright? You seem really out of it. Are you feeling sick?" “I’m fine, really.” “...Hey, is this maybe because of me?” Shiori says hesitantly, eyeing me. “Eh?” “I’ve just barged in suddenly and stayed over for so long.” “Oh, no, that’s not it. It's not because of you, Shiori.” I muster a smile while my mind drifts back to our high school days. The landing point is during last year’s winter break when Shiori and I studied together. That was when I had asked Shiori if she was close to Sendai-san. Her answer was the same as Sendai-san’s—'not close at all.' But the truth is, they were close even back then, and now the two of them are sharing a room. “Really?” Shiori asks, sounding anxious. I should have asked more persistently back then. I should have said, “Tell me the truth.” But even if I had asked— No. It's not good to keep thinking about this in my current state. “Being home alone is boring, so having you around, Shiori, is a big help. It’s almost like we’re roommates, you know?” “Really?” “Yeah, totally. Oh, what’s it like to actually share a room?” Trying to sound casual, I put away my phone that was still in my hand, and face Shiori. “Eh? Why are you suddenly talking about room-sharing?” “I'm just curious. I want to know what it’s like living with your relative, for my future reference.” “Do you want to share a room, Maika?” “I might, someday.” “It's just normal. Nothing out of the ordinary really.” Shiori replies calmly. I don’t expect to hear much about room-sharing from Shiori, who hasn’t said much about it during her stay, and I have no intention of pressing her. Why she didn’t tell me the truth or why she hid her friendship with Sendai-san—those are conversations for after today’s discussion, once the relationship between Shiori and Sendai-san, who are apparently fighting, had returned to normal. —I know that much, but I hope she’ll allow me to ask this much. “Since you’re living with them, you must be quite close with that relative, right?” Residual frustration at being kept in the dark as her best friend, and a fair amount of curiosity spur my questions. No matter how much I piece together the bits and pieces of information I've got, it won't form an accurate picture. If I only manage to hear part of the story, I'd inevitably fill in the gaps and come up with the wrong conclusion, so this is just for reference. “Well, yeah.” “I never knew you had a relative you’re close enough to have a fight with. You never told me about that, Shiori.” “There never a chance to talk about it, I guess.” “I see. Does that person look like you?” “Why do you think they’d look like me?” “Because you’re related, so maybe you look alike?” “I don’t think so.” Shiori replies firmly. “So, what kind of person are they?” “Hmm, let me see... They’re kind, and have long hair.” “That’s like, a really vague description.” “Because that’s how it is.” “Wow. I’d like to meet them.” “If there’s ever a chance.” Shiori says with a bit of reluctance. "Oh, right. About the assignment that was given today..." she quickly and obviously changes the subject. I suppress the urge to probe Shiori further and ask, "What about the assignment?" “There’s something I’d like to ask.” Her voice lacks confidence. Seems like the conversation about her relative is over. We've spent a lot of time together and had many conversations, but that doesn't mean we know everything about each other. Everyone has things they don't want to share, and I don't feel the need to expose what someone wishes to keep hidden. Everything has its "reasons." Reasons why someone can't say something. Reasons why someone doesn't want to say something. Precisely because Shiori is my best friend, I should respect her "reasons." Shiori isn't the kind of person to tell a lie that would hurt people. That's why I think I should wait. "Oh, the professor's here." I'd been replying mechanically, but when I heard Shiori's voice, I answered, "Let's continue later," and turn to face the front. Nearly two months have passed since I became a university student, and May is drawing to a close. I've grown accustomed to the environment full of new things, but today's ninety-minute lecture feels long. It feels like it will never end. I glance at Shiori who says almost nothing about the person she's sharing a room with. Unlike during high school, she’s diligently taking notes for the lecture. That's not the only thing that has changed since then. There are also the earrings now hidden under her hair. In high school, she didn’t wear any. Back then, when I hadn’t worn earrings either, she didn’t give me a favorable response when I suggested we wear matching ones. So, I once wondered whether her sudden decision to wear earrings was influenced by a boyfriend, but now I wonder if it’s actually because of Sendai-san. Perhaps Sendai-san also had earrings— I was so surprised to see her on campus that I don't remember. Thinking back to high school, it wouldn't be strange if she had earrings, but I can't even clearly recall what clothes she was wearing today. I turn my gaze away from Shiori and face forward. This is no good. The more I try not to think about it, the more I think about Shiori and Sendai-san. In the first place, these two have so little in common, making their room-sharing a mystery that prompts me to look back on the past. But I can't find anything that connects the past and the present Sendai-san said she’s living with Shiori because they’re friends, but why she lied about their friendship in high school and what exactly led to them becoming close enough to live together remained unresolved and we just ended up talking about Shiori. There are several other points that nag at me. If I truly wish to resolve them all, questioning Shiori, who’s sitting next to me, would be faster than questioning Sendai-san. —Not that I intend to do such a thing. I let out a sigh and stop myself from slumping over my desk. The lecture was still in progress. I straighten my back and glare at the professor. No matter how much I ponder it all, I'm just going around in circles without making any progress. Before I mentally exhaust myself from dizziness, I separate my thoughts from Shiori and Sendai-san, and focus on the lecture. The length of time doesn’t change. But to avoid any more unnecessary thoughts, I listen closely to the professor’s voice. * * * After a long, long day at university, Shiori and I grab a meal at a family restaurant before heading home together. As I open the front door and call out, “I’m home,” Shiori’s voice follows behind me with her own, “I’m home.” I think I like this. Having never experienced room-sharing myself, I don’t know exactly what it’s like, but having someone else in the same space feels enjoyable. Naturally, it’s because that someone is Shiori, and it makes me think I wouldn’t mind room-sharing with her. That's how much I value Shiori as a dear friend. Because of that, I wish she hadn’t kept it a secret that she was sharing a room with Sendai-san. “Shiori, want something to drink?” When I look at Shiori sitting on the rug, she replies, “I’d like some orange juice.” “I’ll get it for you, just sit tight.” I fetch some orange juice from the fridge, pour it into a glass, and place it on the table. “Thanks.” Shiori gives me a bright smile. As we sit across from each other, chatting about trivial things, my phone buzzes. Checking the screen, I see a message from Sendai-san: 'I’ll be there soon, is that okay?' Today, I had invited Sendai-san over after her part-time work. It was a suggestion made with the aim of helping Shiori and Sendai-san reconcile, which is my principal mission for today. Both of them have been running away. Shiori has been staying at my place without returning to the home she shares with Sendai-san, and Sendai-san, saying that she had her tutoring job, told me to tell Shiori "come home soon," instead of coming to my place herself. There’s a big list of things I want to ask and say to both Shiori and Sendai-san, but it’s probably best to prioritize bringing them together and sending them back home. I reply to Sendai-san, 'It’s alright. Waiting for you,' and shift my gaze from my phone to Shiori. “Shiori, are you really sure you don’t want to go back home?” “Yeah.” “I think the person you’re fighting with is really worried about you.” I say this while picturing Sendai-san’s face.