249 Sendai-san Doesn't Resist - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

Sendai-san Doesn't Resist Chapter 249 "Where was that delicious cake shop that Asakura-san mentioned the other day?" I ask Maika, sitting next to me, as I pack away my pencil case. "Are you going to buy cake?" "Yes." The lecturer is no longer in the lecture hall. We've attended all the lectures we were supposed to today, so Maika and I only have to head home. But I'm not in a rush to get back. Today is one of those days when Sendai-san will be late coming home from her part-time job. I wish the student she's tutoring would pass their high school entrance exam soon, so she wouldn't need to work as a tutor anymore. "Did something good happen?" Maika says in an upbeat voice. "Not really, I just felt like having something sweet." "Sweet things, huh?" Though the lecture hall should be noisy without the lecturer around, Maika's voice rings particularly loud in my ears. A thank-you to Sendai-san for getting me the lip balm. That's part of it, but I also genuinely want something sweet. The words I said to Maika are true, so I just need to be my usual self. I know that, but still, I feel a tingling down my spine. "Can I come with you? I feel like having some cake too, and I remember the place so I can show you the way. Oh, and I want to stop by the bookstore." I respond with a simple "Sure" to Maika's cheerful voice, and we leave the lecture hall together. Complaining about the upcoming exams, we head to the first destination, the bookstore. "It's cold. What’s up with this wind?" Not even five minutes after leaving the university, Maika complains about the headwind, shoving her hands into her coat pockets. Meanwhile, she notices me minimizing my exposure to the biting wind with a scarf and gloves and murmurs, "I should get a scarf." "It's warm." I tightly grasp the scarf—which I told Maika I bought myself. It’s indispensable, shielding me from both the morning’s biting wind and the strong gusts of the evening. "I bet it is. Looks like you’re prepared for the cold. Ah, I can't wait for spring break. It's freezing outside; I just want to laze around at home." "Maika, you're not going home for spring break, right?" "Yeah, I’ll be around. Wanna hang out?" "Didn't you just say you wanted to laze around at home?" "Hanging out and lounging are different. Let’s invite Sendai-san and go somewhere." Hearing Maika mention a name she shouldn’t mix into the conversation, it doesn’t feel right to just say "sounds good." But I can’t say "no" either, so I reply casually with an "okay." "By the way, did you go to the zoo with Sendai-san?" Where we’ll go during spring break. Grateful that the conversation didn’t head in that direction, I share the fact. "We saw a shoebill." "Oh, cute. I want to see it too." "How about we go together next time?" "Sounds good." Maika effortlessly says the "sounds good" that I couldn't utter earlier. Sendai-san burdens my words. But unlike in high school, it’s different now. Back then, the five thousand yen between us was a weight. We would not tell anyone about what happened after school. That kind of rule weighed on me, and I didn't talk about anything related to her. Now as a university student, there are no such rules. Maika knows that Sendai-san and I live together. If I wanted to, I could say anything. Yet, there are so many things I can’t say. Nor do I want to. I want to keep everything about Sendai-san as my own secret, just for me. I know it doesn’t make me a very good person. "Maika, what do you want to see at the zoo?" I try to blow away thoughts of Sendai-san from my mind by speaking brightly. "Uh, let’s see... the shoebill, and maybe tigers or lions?" "Tigers and lions, that sounds pretty ordinary." "Clichés are the best." "So, what’s your favorite animal?" "Hmm, maybe squirrels. I used to have one." After a moment of contemplation, Maika confidently answers my question. Unlike Sendai-san. She has a favorite animal and can answer without hesitation. It's nothing extraordinary. Anyone, even Maika, can answer such a question. It's not supposed to be difficult. Anyone can say what they like. The strange one is— As I pull on the end of my scarf, I push the image of Sendai-san, who came back to my mind uninvited, to the corner and force my feet to keep moving. We enter the bookstore, where Maika buys two manga volumes. Taking the opportunity, I also purchase one manga and one novel before we head out for cakes. "This should be the place Asakura-san mentioned." In front of a store that looks more like it sells jewels than cakes, Maika speaks and steps inside. I follow, thinking that if I had been alone, I would have turned around and left. The store's chic exterior and interior make me hesitant to enter. I'm thankful Maika is with me as I gaze at the cake display, filled with desserts resembling jewels. "Everything looks delicious. I can't decide." Maika's excited voice reaches me. Indeed, every cake looks delectable, and while the choice is tough, I am set on buying two rare cheesecakes. "Shiori, what are you buying?" "Cheesecake... Oh, Maika, what kind of cake do you think someone who likes cheesecake wouldn’t like?" "What’s with that complicated scenario? Couldn’t you just ask what kind of cake someone who likes cheesecake would like?" "That works too." It's not that I want to spite Sendai-san. I just hope she'll enjoy something delicious, and even if it's not her favorite, a rare cheesecake should be something she likes. Yet a foolish part of me wonders if presenting her with something she dislikes might coax her into confessing something she truly enjoys. "Instead of guessing, why don’t you just ask her what cakes she likes? That’d be faster than avoiding the ones she might dislike." "Ask her directly?" "You mean Sendai-san. ...Isn’t that who you're talking about?" "…Yes, but still." Even if it is true, asking her won’t yield much. Sendai-san claims to like everything. When I once asked if she liked rare or baked cheesecake more, she had said both. She doesn’t divulge her true preferences. "Two rare cheesecakes and two shortcakes," I decide, skipping the pointless step of asking her. "Then I’ll get a fruit tart and a lemon pie." Maika buys two. I get four. We buy the cakes and leave the overly chic store. Though Sendai-san likely hasn’t returned home yet, I part ways with Maika and head back. I get on the train, walk along the path where Sendai-san's favorite cat, Mike-chan, often appears, and arrive at an empty home. After putting the cakes in the refrigerator, I quickly finish a meal and start working on my report in my room when there's a knock on the door. "You can come in." I spoke a bit louder, and the door immediately opened, revealing Sendai-san entering the room. "I'm home." "Welcome back. There's cake in the fridge, so feel free to have some." "That's unusual for you to buy cake, Miyagi. What's up?" "Nothing really. I just felt like having something sweet." "Have you already had some?" "Not yet." "Then let me brew some tea, and we can have it together." Sendai-san said with a cheerful smile. "Sure, but have you had dinner?" "I ate before heading to my part-time job." "Alright, let's have cake together then." I followed Sendai-san to the common area. As announced, she began preparing tea, filling the white electric kettle with water and switching it on. "Where did you get the cake from?" "Check the fridge." Following my suggestion, Sendai-san opened the refrigerator. "Oh, this place. I've heard it's quite a reputable shop." "Have you been there before?" "No, but Mio mentioned they were delicious, so I was thinking of buying some after exams." I don't dislike Komatsu-san, but she's not someone I find agreeable. Knowing that someone with whom I don't enjoy agreeing with recommended this shop to Sendai-san dampens my mood. Still, I'm pleased that I could buy a cake from a place she was interested in, as a thank-you to Sendai-san. That's how I should feel, yet my emotions refuse to align as I wish. "What did Komatsu-san say she tried?" Sendai-san, now closing the fridge and taking out mugs and plates, responds to my question. "Shortcake and Mont Blanc, I think." "...Sendai-san, after we have the cake, I'll give you an order." "An order? You mean from New Year's?" The morning after we slept in Sendai-san's bed, we made a promise: if I stayed by her side, she would obey my order. That promise remains unfulfilled. "Yes." I answered briefly, touching my earring shaped like a flower.