246 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

Chapter 246 Click, click. The sound of the shutter echoes repeatedly. It's the sound of Sendai-san taking photos, as she diligently captures images of the shoebill on her smartphone with a serious expression. "Are you getting good shots?" I ask Sendai-san, who is earnestly trying to keep her promise of "taking lots of shoebill photos to give to Miyagi." She pauses from tapping the shutter button and looks at me. "Of course. I'll give you plenty of shoebill photos later." "Thanks. Do you think the shoebill is cute, Sendai-san?" "I do. It looks intimidating, but it's kind of charming." Really? I study Sendai-san's face, but I can't tell if those words come from the heart. Her feelings seem hazy, like they're hidden behind a mist, making them hard to discern. "You like the shoebill, Miyagi?" "Yeah, it's cute." "Then that's good." She flashes me a bright smile. The ponytail that emphasizes the blue stones suits her cheerful smile well. It's a hairstyle that seems more fitting for summer than winter, yet on Sendai-san, it feels as though the season doesn't matter. The sight of her ponytail swaying in the chilly wind makes me want to capture it on my smartphone. She's like someone who can make winter her ally, and it's unfair. "Sendai-san, how many photos are you planning to take?" I can't look directly at Sendai-san, so I avert my gaze. I take one more photo of the shoebill, then slip my phone back into my pocket. "Until you're satisfied, Miyagi." "Then, that's enough. I took some myself. Don't you have anything you want to photograph, Sendai-san?" The sound of a shutter echoes as I finish speaking, and I tap her arm, saying, "Not like that," as she takes a picture of me. "Well, there's nothing else I want to photograph." "Then keep taking pictures of the shoebill." "You just said that's enough." "I take it back. Use your phone just for the shoebill." I grab Sendai-san's arm and aim her phone towards the shoebill. With a resigned expression, she takes one picture before promptly aiming her phone back at me. "Look over there." I glare at Sendai-san's phone and point at the shoebill. "I'm looking." "You're not. Your phone is aimed here." "Miyagi, you're so stingy." With an exaggerated sigh, Sendai-san finally turns towards the shoebill. I also gaze at the large bird with its back feathers standing up slightly. Ahead of us, the shoebill spreads its wings wide. Sendai-san lets out a small “ah,” confirming that we're both seeing the same thing, though it doesn't feel like we're seeing it the same way. It's a sensation as if we're viewing the same and yet different things simultaneously. Ever since arriving at the zoo, that feeling has lingered within me. "Sendai-san." "What is it?" What's your favorite animal? Are you having fun today? Asking such things seems futile. Sendai-san only ever shares generic responses. So then. Instead, tell me your true feelings. I could use my earring to make her promise and reveal the truth, but that feels wrong. Forcing her to speak her mind through the earring would be a mistake. "...The shoebill is cute." I swallow the words I wanted to say and instead voice my uninteresting impression. With a sigh, I touch my plumeria earring. Lightly stroking the small flower before deciding to hide it with my hair, Sendai-san grabs my arm. "It's cute, so leave it as it is." "It's not cute." I respond in a low voice to Sendai-san, who gazes intently at me. "I think the earring suits you. It's cute." "Sendai-san, you're being annoying." "Isn't it okay to call something cute?" Letting out a sigh at Sendai-san's cheerful grin, I find myself longing for her to share something meaningful instead of unnecessary chatter. "Let go of my hand." "Will you leave your ear like that?" "I will if you let go." "Alright." Sendai-san's hand releases mine, and my arm is free again. My unshielded ear feels cold. I shove my hands into my pockets, looking at the shoebill with a displeased expression. "...Sendai-san. Are you really enjoying the zoo?" Even though I resolve not to, I find myself asking similar questions over and over. "I've been saying it's fun all along, haven't I?" As expected, she gives the same reply, and I exhale softly. Then, as much as I exhale, I breathe in. Along with the cold air comes a rough feeling that settles within, passing through my esophagus and resting in my stomach, leaving me uneasy. "…I keep asking because it's still on my mind." I murmur in response, delving into my memory. What was it like when we went to the aquarium? That day was much like today. There were no shoebills, but Sendai-san and I watched the seals and penguins together. However, back then, I was more focused on enjoying myself rather than thinking about Sendai-san as much as I do now. Instead of asking if she was having fun, I was more interested in hearing the answer to "Do you have someone you like, Sendai-san?" that I asked when Maika came over. Ultimately, I couldn't hear Sendai-san's true feelings at the aquarium either. She brushed it off, saying her favorite was the cat, Mike-chan. Sendai-san is difficult to understand. There's so much I don't know, and it frustrates me. I clench my hand within my pocket. The tips of my fingers are extremely cold. Though the weather is clear, the wind has picked up, so I move a little closer to Sendai-san. My shoulder barely brushes against hers. The thick coat prevents me from feeling her warmth, but the scent of our shared shampoo brushes against my nose. No, maybe it's just my imagination. Still, it's reassuring to find even a small connection with her amidst today's absence of mutual interests. "It's truly fun, so don't worry." Sendai-san smiles, suggesting, "Shall we go see the crocodiles?" "Why crocodiles?" "Why not? Your tissue box cover at home looks like a crocodile." "The tissue cover being a crocodile is just a coincidence." "Then, should we skip it?" "...Let's go see." "Since we're here, let's see the okapis first, then the crocodiles. The okapis are just over there." Saying so, Sendai-san begins to walk, and I pull my hand out of my pocket to grab hers. “Do you want to see the okapis?” Physical proximity might not mean anything, but right now, being closer is better than being far. It might help melt the anxiety lingering in a corner of my heart. "Let's see them." I tighten my grip on the hand I grasped and step forward. One step, two steps. I stride forward as if dragging along Sendai-san, who looks puzzled. The hand I hold is cold, but if I keep holding it, warmth should return soon enough. I hope it warms quickly as usual. I need something akin to a pocket warmer, and there's no substitute except for Sendai-san. Of course, she isn't disposable like a pocket warmer, but I need to warm my chilled hands. Gloves aren't enough to warm my hands. We watch the okapis and head to the building with crocodiles. It's not as cold as outside, perhaps because it's a greenhouse, but I continue holding Sendai-san's hand. "Sendai-san, out of everything we saw today, tell me your favorite animal." I tug on her hand, knowing full well that she won't answer, and ask a question I already know is futile. Yet today, I can’t seem to resist asking. "What about you, Miyagi?" "You first, Sendai-san." "You go first." "You start, Sendai-san." "Hmm... isn't it hard to pick just one favorite?" "It's not hard at all, so tell me your number one." I squeeze Sendai-san's indecisive hand tightly. Though I don't have the strength to actually cause pain, I apply enough pressure so that she might protest, prompting her to speak quietly. "Even if you say that, you know, it's not something to be so particular about. What’s the big deal about choosing a favorite animal, anyway?" "Sendai-san." As I move to relinquish my firm grip, she hastily interjects, "Okay, okay, I'll answer." Looking at her, I see Sendai-san furrow her brow in rare concentration. Observing her like this makes me feel as though I'm being cruel, prompting me to change my question. "If you can't say your favorite animal, then tell me one animal from today that you'd like to see again." "An animal I'd like to see again?" "Yeah." "Hmm, well... if I had to pick one, I guess it would be the shoebill." "That sounds like a lie. Answer honestly." "Then, how about Miyagi watching the shoebill?" "What is that? Answer seriously." In front of the indifferent-looking crocodile, I glare at Sendai-san. "I'm being serious. I want to see Miyagi watching the shoebill again. You don't go out with me much, right? So, when we do go out, I want to see what you want to see, Miyagi, and I want to watch you see it." Her words, which feel like excuses, wash over me, and I suppress the urge to kick Sendai-san's leg. She seems to have neither favorite things nor things she wants to see. The things I like. The places I want to visit. I thought Sendai-san was merely being considerate of me, focusing on such things. But it feels like there's more to it than that. A program to accommodate me. It seems like something ingrained in her. "I'm not something to watch." I voice my dissatisfaction quietly, and Sendai-san replies in a gentle tone. "I know, but I still want to watch. Show me Miyagi watching the shoebill again." "You're dodging the question." "I'm not." "...I'll ask you about your favorite animal or the one you want to see again sometime, so answer properly then." There's little point in continuing to banter back and forth. The issue isn't whether she's evading the question or not, but it serves as a pending assignment. "I'll think about it." "There's nothing to think about." Sendai-san is mistaken. You don't need to deliberate on what you like or prepare an answer. We exit the building housing the crocodiles and head outside. The wind whips around us sharply, making my shoulders shiver. "Miyagi, you look cold." With that, Sendai-san releases my hand and gently brushes over my earring. She returns my hair over my ear to hide the earring, rewrapping my scarf snugly around my neck without a word. "The wind is picking up, should we head back soon? The exit is close. We can double back to see the animals we haven't yet, though." "No, let's go home. We'll come back to the zoo another time." I clutch the end of the rewrapped scarf. "You don't mind coming back to the zoo?" "I said earlier that I'll ask about your favorite animal or the one you want to see again." "So that's why you wanted to come to the zoo again." "If you don't want to, we don't have to." "I don't mind. There's also the aquarium, so I wondered if it was okay. Are you sure?" "...We have time until we graduate from university." Next time, I want to know something she genuinely likes, other than Mike-chan the cat. Since we'll be living together for a while longer, it would be nice to learn at least one more thing that she likes. "Does that mean we'll visit both?" "You decide, Sendai-san." "Then let's agree to do both, and head home today." I'm not certain she's really interested, but Sendai-san smiles softly and clasps my hand. Her hand feels cold, but not so cold that I want to let go. I return her gentle squeeze. Sendai-san begins to walk slowly, and we leave the zoo behind.