396 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

Chapter 396 We eat a lot of bread. We often have toast for breakfast. When we go out, we sometimes have French toast or pancakes. However, the type of bread on the table at the French cafe where Sendai-san confidently guided me is unlike anything I've had before. It was a hot sandwich covered with slightly charred cheese. Flipping the bread back, I could see ham inside. "Miyagi, are you sure you're okay with a croque-monsieur?" Hearing Sendai-san's voice from across the table, I shift my gaze from the bread to her. "You were the one who recommended it, Sendai-san." I ordered the same croque-monsieur as Sendai-san, trusting her claim that it's delicious. It's a bit too late for her to ask "Are you sure you're okay it?" now. "That's true, but it's not something you usually eat." "I was just looking at it because I've never had it before." Something I’ve seen but never eaten— that’s the croque-monsieur. I feel like this was the first time I was even consciously aware of its formal name, so I can't help but stare. "Eat it before it gets cold. It's delicious." I don’t dislike cheese, nor do I dislike ham. I certainly don't dislike bread. Since it’s a combination of things I find delicious, I can somewhat imagine the flavor. "I'm going to eat now." I briefly say as much and when I add "Let's eat," my voice perfectly aligns with Sendai-san’s. Watching her smile warmly, I cut into the croque-monsieur with a knife. The generous amount cheese melts and oozes, releasing a pleasant aroma. The knife slices through the ham, and the soft bread is easily cut through. From the cut, a hint of white sauce peeks out. I take a bite. It’s delightfully crispy, fluffy, and delicious. The cheese and sauce blend in my mouth, complementing the bread and ham perfectly. I continue cutting up the croque-monsieur with a fork and knife, taking bites in between. A salad and orange juice are also on the table, which I occasionally eat and drink. "Miyagi, is it good?" "It's delicious." I reply quickly and glance at Sendai-san, noting that her croque-monsieur remained largely untouched. "Are you not going to eat?" When I inquire, her smile broadens slightly as she cuts a piece from her own croque-monsieur. "Miyagi, do you want to eat this?" She offers me a piece speared on her fork. Before I can reply, she says, "Open wide." I quickly retort with, "No need. It's delicious, so you should eat it, Sendai-san." "I see. That's too bad." Sendai-san takes a bite of the croque-monsieur herself, declaring, "It's delicious." I take a bite of mine in sync. It is genuinely delicious. However, making it at home seems like it would be a hassle. While I don't think assembling ham between toasted bread and putting cheese on top is difficult, making the white sauce seems troublesome. "What are you thinking about, Miyagi?" Sendai-san pauses her eating and looks at me. "I'm just thinking it's delicious." "Do you want me to make it for you sometime?" "Can you make it?" "If I look up a recipe, I think it’s doable." With that, Sendai-san takes another bite of her croque-monsieur and adds, "But I think the one at the cafe is better, so we should come back and eat it together again." “...I’ll think about it.” I'm sure whatever Sendai-san makes would be delicious, but I also want to taste this cafe's croque-monsieur again. Yet, if we come here again, I have a sneaking suspicion that she'll suggest looking at clothes and it would end up with me having to try things on. I cut another piece of the croque-monsieur and take a bite. The rich cheese and creamy sauce are delicious. I'm reluctant to try things on repeatedly like I did today, but I'm glad I went out with Sendai-san. I discovered another delicious thing. I glance at Sendai-san as she's eating her croque-monsieur. Her smile has grown even wider. "Sendai-san, do you like croque-monsieur that much?" "Why do you ask?" "Because you’re smiling so much." "I'm smiling because you’re smiling, Miyagi." Her unexpected words prompt an immediate retort from me, "I am not." "Maybe I might have exaggerated. 'I'm smiling because Miyagi is eating so enthusiastically' is more accurate." Sendai-san says this cheerfully. "…That’s annoying." I mutter, and she responds with another infuriating remark, "Miyagi, you're cute," prompting me to tap her shoe with mine under the table. "I was just telling the truth." "Sendai-san, shut up." I finish off the croque-monsieur on my plate and move onto the salad. Across from me, Sendai-san continues to happily munch on her croque-monsieur. Eventually, I finished my salad, as well as my orange juice. Sendai-san’s plate is empty too, and she orders two lemon tarts. In the silence that follows, I finally voice a question that’s been lingering in my mind. "Sendai-san. Why did you choose this place to pick out clothes today? Aren't there other buildings with lots of shops?" "Did you not want to?" "It's not that I dislike it… I'm just curious why you chose this place." I sip some water to cover my uncertainty. This is the place where we came to choose clothes for Maika. It makes sense for Sendai-san to find it easier to pick clothes here given we came here before. But there are countless clothing stores out there, so I can’t help thinking that it didn’t have to be here. Even now, after finding out that the croque-monsieur at this cafe is delicious, that feeling still lingers in my heart. "Hmm, let's see." Sendai-san touches her necklace, looking at me. After thinking for a bit, she speaks slowly. "Because there were a lot of clothes I wanted to see you wear back then. And... maybe because you and Utsunomiya were getting along when we were picking clothes for her." "Because we were getting along? What do you mean?" I hear Sendai-san clearly, and her words register clearly in my head. Still, I can't figure out what my closeness with Maika has to do with choosing this place for my clothes today. “It’s a good thing that you get along with Utsunomiya, and of course it makes sense that she’d come to mind when you think about picking out clothes together. But when you talk about choosing clothes here, I just… want you to think of me first.” Sendai-san says this quietly, sipping some water, and adds, "I wonder if the lemon tarts are ready yet." "…Does it matter who I think of first?" As I say this in a voice neither loud nor quiet, the lemon tart was brought out, bringing the conversation to a halt We weren't done talking, yet it feels inappropriate to continue. So, we finish the lemon tarts without a crumb left and leave the cafe. "What about the tops? If you're tired, we can head home." As we stroll without a particular destination, Sendai-san says this. "I'm not tired." Even though I answered without hesitation, I was met with a doubting "Really?" from Sendai-san, prompting me to reaffirm with a firm "Really." Yet, for some reason, Sendai-san doesn't believe me. Watching me closely, she softly adds, "You don't have to push yourself." "Sendai-san, you're persistent." I lightly nudge her arm. "…I just don’t want to make you push yourself like at the festival." Her voice betrays a hint of concern, and I recall the summer festival we attended in yukata. At that time, I ended up with blisters from the unfamiliar geta sandals. Apparently, she hasn't forgotten about that incident. Therefore, I attempt to explain my feelings to Sendai-san in simpler terms. "If it doesn't involve a ton of trying things on like with the skirts, I want you you to help choose my tops too." "Got it." Sendai-san smiles and says, "Then let's go to the shop I have in mind." Her voice is lively. She takes me around to several shops. Just two fittings. I ended up buying a single, reasonably priced knit top. I hold the bags with the skirts in my hand, while Sendai-san snatches the bag with the top, insisting on carrying it. As the evening descends, and with our shopping finished, we head home. Although October is still clinging onto the remnants of summer, autumn is unmistakably here, making it cooler than last month. We take the train, disembark, and stop by a convenience store. After buying some boxed dinners and pudding, we walk home along a path devoid of the usual appearance of the stray calico cat. Sendai-san comments about how the skirt suited me well and how she wished I’d tried on more. As we eat our boxed meals, she talks about these trivial things, prompting me to lightly kick her under the table. Quickly finishing our meal, we clean up. While I could head straight to my room, Sendai-san tugs my arm, and we go into her room. When I sit with my back against her bed, she murmurs from beside me, “Thanks for today.” “Thanks to you too.” I mumble, to which Sendai-san responds with a smile, “I want to pick out clothes for Miyagi again." "Sendai-san, you really love picking out clothes, don't you? You looked like you were having so much fun today." "Yeah. It was fun enough that I want to choose a lifetime’s worth of clothes for you." “No need to choose that many.” “Let me keep picking them in the future.” “No. It's tiring.” "You’re stingy, Miyagi." "Sendai-san, you're just too greedy." I lightly tap her knee, studying her intently. Today, Sendai-san has been in a good mood the entire day. Exceptionally good. She's rarely in a bad mood, but today she’s been particularly cheerful. "…Sendai-san, is there anything else you like?" I look into her eyes and ask. "Anything else?" "I told you before, didn't I? To tell me if you find anything you like or dislike. Did you forget?" I told her once before that I wanted her to inform me about such things, to report everything properly. But she still hasn’t clearly told me about her likes and dislikes. As for the other request I made, "Get along with Mio-san," I'm irritated, but she's mostly fulfilled it. That’s why I’m more concerned about her reluctance to share her likes and dislikes with me. “I remember. Clearly.” Her voice is gentle. “Then tell me what you like besides picking out clothes. Or tell me if you’ve found something you dislike.” “Something other than picking out clothes for Miyagi? I like Miyagi wearing the clothes I picked out. So, how about wearing the clothes we bought today right now?" The conversation shifts suddenly, and I grab the platypus tissue box cover from the floor, pressing it against Sendai-san. "I’ll wear them to the movies, so there's no need to wear them today." "I want to see you wear it today too, not just to the movies." Sendai-san says something ridiculous, setting the platypus back on the floor. "I'm not wearing them." “Then, let me keep picking out clothes for you, Miyagi. All your clothes, even the ones you wear to university.” With that, Sendai-san firmly grips my hand.