256 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

Chapter 256 "I want to make some tea, so wait a bit." That's what Sendai-san said, so I couldn't bring the truffles right away. I waited for the electric kettle to boil the water, then watched as the tea was poured into the mug before carrying the truffles to the room. Once the plates and mugs were arranged on the table, Sendai-san said once again, "Wait." "I want to take a picture of the truffles before eating." "No." I curtly respond to Sendai-san, who is kneeling next to me. But she doesn't give up. "Since we went through all the trouble of making them, just one picture." Before I could open my mouth, she had already taken a picture with her smartphone. "...What are you going to do with a picture of truffles?" "A memory of Valentine's." Seated on the floor with crossed legs, Sendai-san replied succinctly. She loves creating "memories." She takes photos commemorating school festivals, the New Year, and anything of significance. Even her piercings were justified by a significant memory—she suggested wearing them when something memorable happened and gave me a piercing gun to pierce her ears on my birthday. Being with Sendai-san means accumulating all sorts of nonsensical "memories." Even things that wouldn't mean much to me alone somehow turn into memories. It's an act of creating memories, and it weighs my heart down somewhat. Happiness and sadness are proportional. The more joyful memories accumulate, the deeper the sorrow when they are lost. I reach out and touch Sendai-san's earring. "What?" The day I pierced her ear, Sendai-san promised we'd eat a whole cake together on this year's birthday, and she intends to keep that promise. She might even take a photo this year. With more anniversaries, come more memories, and with that, more of Sendai-san fills my life. Though this year will end, next year will come, but I have no intention of letting go of Sendai-san. Yet, she might come to dislike being mine. I've lost count how many times I've thought about this, but I can't stop pondering it. "What about Valentine's Day next year?" As I ask, she grabs my hand, prompting me to let go of the earring. "Just like this year. Even if not truffles, we'll make something together." Her lips touch my fingertip and kiss the earring too. Though I never asked for a promise, she whispers "promise" in my ear. She doesn't promise for the year after next, nor the one after that. I don't exactly want those promises, but I am dissatisfied. Yet, I fear being promised too. I wouldn't want to face the pain of broken expectations. A promise, much like a memory, leaves a slight weight on my heart. "Well, before that is White Day though. How about we make cookies together?" Sendai-san says with a cheerful voice and smiles brightly. "We don't have to do anything for White Day." "Why not?" "It's tedious." "Let's make cookies together. I'll bring dog or cat cookie shapes for you, Miyagi." "...Sendai-san, do you think I'm a child?" "Not like that, I just thought you might like to make animal-shaped cookies." "I don't have to make them." When baking treats, I don't necessarily need animal shapes. Cookies have dough similar to clay, so I made them like animals by chance, and the rolled chocolate felt like clay, so I added ears for no particular reason. There isn't any deeper reason than that. Besides, unlike Sendai-san, I don't particularly enjoy cooking and don't feel like baking treats just for a holiday. "Don't frown, try some. It's delicious." Her bright voice draws my eyes back to Sendai-san who brings a round truffle to my lips. Even though I didn't ask her to feed me, the truffle is pushed into my mouth. Sweet. I reach for another truffle, but Sendai-san does the same. She picks an irregular one from the plate and pops it into her mouth. My brow furrows involuntarily. "Eat the ones you made." As I nudge her shoulder, I pick up one of the misshapen truffles. But before I can bring it to my mouth, my wrist is grabbed, redirecting the truffle towards her. She bites into the truffle along with my fingers. Her teeth touch my nail, prompting me to pull my hand away. The truffle that should have been there is gone. I pull a tissue from the crocodile nearby and wipe my fingers. "Delicious." Her cheerful voice reaches me. "Annoying. Don't take my truffles." "Because you were going to eat mine." With that, Sendai-san tries to take another oddly shaped truffle, so I tap her shoulder. "I told you, eat your own. I'll eat what I made, you eat what you made." "No way. I'll eat the ones you made, and you'll eat the ones I made. Plus, isn't it more Valentine-like to eat something someone else made?" Sendai-san smiles brightly, seeking my agreement, but I can't comply. "I'll feed you, so open wide, Miyagi." As if it's only natural, Sendai-san picks up a perfectly round truffle and brings it to my mouth. So, just as she did, I bite into it, taking her fingers along with the truffle. After wiping her bite-marked fingers with a tissue, I ask, "Then, for White Day? Are you going to eat what I make again?" "Of course." As expected, she answers, making me rise to my feet. I walk over to the bookshelf, retrieve a box hidden behind a black cat plush and some mangas, and hand it to Sendai-san. "Here, for you." "Huh? What's this?" "It's your Valentine’s return gift. So we won’t do anything for White Day." I sit back down beside her and sip my tea. "This seems like a Valentine's day gift, doesn't it?" "Who cares, let it be for White Day." The box I handed her contains chocolates, but there's no rule saying you can't give chocolates for White Day. "It's not right. I'll give you a proper return gift on White Day. After we make cookies, I'll make whatever you want to eat." "Sendai-san, you always seem eager to cook, do you like it that much?" "Not particularly." "But you're good at cooking, why?" She claims no particular fondness for cooking, yet she eagerly makes food and excels in it, showing good skill and efficiency. "Since entering high school, I've mostly cooked my own meals." "...What about your mother?" I can guess the answer. Sendai-san didn’t have a great relationship with her family and often joined me for meals during our high school days. Considering that, I suspected whether she never had someone cook for her or whether she simply didn't want anyone to. "They told me I didn’t have to make anything. But my family isn't very close, so I didn’t feel like eating with them. Plus, after graduating high school, regardless of whether I got into college or not, I planned to live alone, so I thought I should learn to cook for myself." Sendai-san supplemented the answer that was in my head with additional details. Her revelations painted a clearer picture of who Sendai Hazuki is, enriching my understanding of her. Yet, I had nothing to offer her in return. In moments like these, I never know what to say. Saying "That must have been tough" feels off, just as "I hope you get along someday" does. Simply leaving it at "I see" doesn't sit right either. So, what do I say? Various words swirl around my head, yet I can't find the right ones. Eventually, I remain silent, gripping the small hand of the crocodile until Sendai-san shows the box I handed her and asks, "Thanks for this. Can I open it?" "No, open it in your room." "Okay, but... did you buy it with with Utsunomiya?" Sendai-san asks flatly. "I bought it by myself." "Did you give the same thing to Utsunomiya?" "I already told you I wouldn’t give Maika any chocolates." "You didn’t say that. You only mentioned you didn't have plans to meet her." "You're so meticulous, Sendai-san. Since I'm not meeting her on Valentine's Day, I won’t be giving her anything, and I'm different from you." "What do you mean 'different'?" "You give friend chocolates, don’t you? You always did." Both when we were in our second and third year. In high school, Sendai-san gave chocolates to her friends. "I said I wouldn’t earlier. Since it’s a holiday, I’m not meeting any friends. I’m only seeing you, Miyagi." With that, Sendai-san sips her tea and eats a truffle with ears. "You are going to work, though, aren’t you?" "Work is different. You gave me a kiss mark, isn't that enough?" I know without being told. Work is something she prioritizes over me. I’m not fond of the word "work" because it means my Sendai-san won’t listen to me, but I tolerate it. Yet, being told to be satisfied with just a mark becomes unbearable. I reach out to the mark I had just left. I gently rub the red mark with my fingertip and press slightly, but then my shoulder is grabbed. "Sendai-san. What’s with this hand?" I ask but receive no reply. Instead, the grip on my shoulder tightens. I’m pushed backward, and I reflexively place my hand on the floor. "I’m asking what you’re doing." "You seemed unsatisfied, so I thought maybe I should let you make more marks." "If that's what you thought, move your hand." It's apparent that Sendai-san is trying to push me down. For leaving marks on her neck, there's no need for anyone to be pushed down. In fact, it's easier for me to push Sendai-san down than the other way around. "Don’t you think I should get something nice too, not just Miyagi?" "I don’t." I declare clearly, but Sendai-san’s weight presses harder on my shoulder. I don’t want to make friends with the floor, yet my back meets it. "I won’t do anything you don’t want, so it’s fine." Sendai-san grips my hand. Instinctively, I attempt to pull my arm back, only to be drawn in; my hand guided inside the loose sweater she wears, encountering the smoothness of her side beneath the fabric. "If I did this to you, you’d be upset, so you do it." "...Won't you get angry, Sendai-san?" "No reason to. I'm okay with marks too." Her soft voice beckons me. When I call her name softly, the distance between us shortens and I press my lips to her neck. I suck deeply, leaving more red marks. Sendai-san doesn't get upset. I let my hand slide up from her sides, stopping under her chest. I lightly press, feeling the hardness of bone, softness, and warmth. Just touching her feels pleasant. Since she is mine, as long as she doesn’t go to work, I can do what I want. Leave marks, touch without her getting angry. I could even undress her. Even her underwear— I let my hand slide over her bra, feeling the soft curve beneath. Knowing she won’t resist only amplifies my sense of possession over her. "Do it properly." Her words prompt me to encircle her back and trace my fingers over her bra clasp. But today is Valentine's Day. If something were to happen, today could easily come back to us. It sticks in memory well, like Christmas, and remains with the date. "Miyagi?" Hearing her voice, I find myself unsure of what’s right, so I place my hand flat against her back. I know accuracy doesn't matter in situations like this, but I can't bring myself to move my hands further. "Keep going; I like being touched by you." Her voice, as sweet as chocolate, makes my heart thud. Continuing, as she suggests, tempts me as the right move. Even so, I pull my hand from inside her sweater and touch her lips with my fingertips. As she gazes intently at me, I lick her lips. Sweet. I want to confirm if that sweetness matches the truffles, so I press my lips to hers. Sendai-san's tongue enters, and it’s a kiss even sweeter and more dizzying than the one we shared in the shared space earlier. It feels like we've become something more than just roommates, and I push Sendai-san's shoulder. "Miyagi." Her dissatisfied voice reaches me. "...Not today." "When is okay?" "I don’t know, but not today." I tug at Sendai-san’s ear. I avoid making a promise because once made, I will always be worried about the day. But it’s not that I don't want to touch her. Just that today would remain thoroughly in my memory, down to the date, and the sweetness of chocolates we made together would blur, and I dislike that. "Get off." Hearing my voice, Sendai-san’s face darkens. Yet, it only lasts a moment before she returns to her usual self. But still, she doesn’t move. "...I won't promise now, but I might someday, so get off." When I say that and push on her shoulder, she complies with my words.