258 Miyagi is Always in a Bad Mood - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

Miyagi is Always in a Bad Mood Chapter 258 "It looks great, doesn't it? So cute." The curtain of the fitting room opens, and I call out to Utsunomiya, who is wearing the skirt I chose. "Which do you think is better, this or the earlier one?" "Hmm, let's see. The earlier one was good too, but... if I had to pick one, I think this one suits you better, Utsunomiya." "Shiori, what do you think?" "I think the skirt you're wearing now is better, but which one do you like, Maika?" "That's the thing, I like both. The skirts Sendai-san picked out are both so cute. Ah, I wish I were an oil baron." Utsunomiya spins around to see herself in the fitting room mirror and sighs, and Miyagi giggles, saying, "If you become an oil baron, buy me something too." It's peaceful. Under the guise of choosing clothes for Utsunomiya, we've gathered and spent about three hours now. Two tops have been chosen, and we're currently selecting a skirt. The protagonist of the day, Utsunomiya, doesn't show a hint of displeasure despite visiting multiple stores and remains in high spirits, eagerly trying on clothes multiple times. Truly, it's peaceful. If only Miyagi's good mood extended to me. "Then I'll go with this one." Utsunomiya, who had been chatting cheerfully with Miyagi, said that while glancing at her reflection in the mirror. Then she adds, "Wait a moment," and closes the fitting room curtain. Today, Miyagi is in a good mood. She's been all smiles in front of Utsunomiya. Yesterday, she graciously allowed me to braid her hair a little, and even let me do her makeup. While she didn't permit her ears to be visible, the braid resting on one side suited her, and the lip balm she let me apply, which I bought, looked good on her too. She even wore a skirt. So, the always cute Miyagi is exceptionally adorable today. Yet the girl standing in front of the fitting room won't look at me. She's only in a good mood with Utsunomiya. "Sorry to keep you waiting." Utsunomiya emerges from the fitting room. After returning one of the two skirts to where it originally hung, she heads to the register with the chosen one. There are a fair number of people in the store, and the queue at the register is no exception. Utsunomiya doesn’t seem to be coming back any time soon. As I gaze at the clothing overflowing the bustling store, I raise my voice toward Miyagi, who stands in that perfect spot, not quite near but not too far away. "What's up with you today?" "Nothing's wrong." A curt voice, absent the warm tone reserved for Utsunomiya, replies. Today, the otherwise cheerful Miyagi is only in bad spirits with me. While waiting in front of the fitting room for Utsunomiya, she hasn’t spoken to me once. Despite Utsunomiya trying on clothes multiple times, not a word from her. As we moved from store to store, she didn't walk beside me. Utsunomiya was always between us, which isn't inherently a problem, but the cheerful Miyagi felt distant. There’s no way a Miyagi like this has “nothing wrong.” Did she not really want to braid her hair or wear makeup? Not actually want to wear a skirt? Was everything the issue? I ponder these questions but find no answers. Today, Miyagi didn’t object to any of it. Could it perhaps be that my ponytail is the problem? But before we left the house, she voiced no complaints. "Miyagi." No response. Voices discussing things like “This is cute, do they have it in my size?" echo around us, but Miyagi's voice is nowhere to be heard. The noise exists solely within the store. I fiddle with my earrings and tug at my earlobe. At a loss for words, I fall silent until Utsunomiya returns. "Sorry for the wait." A cheerful voice fills the silence between us. "You bought quite a lot." I comment while glancing at the increased number of bags, and Utsunomiya responds with a smile. "It’s a big splurge from my New Year's gift money. Looks like I’ll be living frugally for a while. This year, I'm thinking of getting a part-time job." "Maika, are you going to work part-time?" "Once spring break's over, I'm thinking I’ll seriously consider it." "I see." "Does Asakura-san know any good part-time jobs?" "She goes to a lot of events, so she works a lot, right? Asakura-san." Hearing snippets of university life that are unknown to me, I learn that Asakura-san, whom we met at the school festival, and Miyagi continue to stay in touch. New information brings both joy and irritation. Knowing who Miyagi is friends with at university and what they talk about is a good thing, but once I know, that information turns into jealousy. I can’t help but be envious of Utsunomiya, who knows things I cannot acquire, and Asakura-san, who is associated with Miyagi. "How about it, Shiori? Want to join me in working part-time?" Hearing a shocking suggestion, I think that, ideally, it should be me, not Utsunomiya or Asakura-san, working part-time alongside Miyagi. Well, there's no way Miyagi would say she'll get a part-time job. "No way. Part-time jobs are a hassle." As expected, comes her predictable reply. "Then how about trying something on? This skirt here is cute." "There's no point in trying on clothes right now." "Since we’re here, why not just try it on?" "I'm not interested." "Why not? What do you think, Sendai-san?" Unexpectedly hearing such words, I gaze intently at Miyagi before surveying the skirts lined up in the store. White, yellow, black. Plaid, polka dots, and floral patterns. There are many colors and patterns to choose from. If I decided, I could select any skirt, but it’s doubtful Miyagi would try them on repeatedly like Utsunomiya does, or even just once, since this is a conversation progressing while disregarding her will. Nevertheless, from among the numerous skirts, I pick a blue long skirt. "What about this? It seems to go well with the usual hoodie-type clothes that Miyagi wears. Give it a try." Today, she wore the blue scarf I gave her as a Christmas present around her neck until we came here, but its season is ending. So, I want her to wear a blue skirt instead. Even if it isn’t the exact blue of my earrings, having the color blue in common would still make me happy. "I'm not buying anything, so there's no point in trying it on." A curt voice replies, though not as cold as before due to Utsunomiya's presence. "Shiori, come on. It’s just trying it on." "It’s a hassle." "You say that too easily. Isn’t it okay to try just once?" Exactly. Don't be stingy, just try it on. I swallow the words rising in my throat. If I were to say “try it on,” Miyagi would absolutely refuse. "Fine, just once." Miyagi reluctantly says, taking the blue skirt from me and disappearing into the fitting room. It seems she’s willing to listen to Utsunomiya. "Sendai-san. I didn't mention it because Shiori might dislike it, but..." In front of the closed fitting room curtain, Utsunomiya gives me a smile. "Shiori looks super cute today. I really wanted to say it more when we met at the meeting point, but she stopped me, saying it was enough." I laughed at Utsunomiya's words with an "Ahaha". Miyagi had indeed been stopping Utsunomiya, who kept exclaiming how cute she looked at the meeting point. The whole scene was so endearing that I couldn't help but boast about how I had styled her hair, done her makeup, and picked out her skirt. Today's Miyagi could be said to be a creation of my own making. It's delightful to hear her being complimented. While I have a desire to keep her to myself, I also want everyone to know just how cute Miyagi truly is. "Sendai-san, you're like Shiori's personal stylist. She looked really cute during the school festival too." "Thanks. Maybe I'll live as Miyagi's personal stylist after graduating college. Not that I'm expecting to get paid." "Then you'd need a side job." "In that case, maybe I'll keep tutoring." "Continuing with tutoring instead of working at a café?" "Being a tutor seems like it would give me more time to work as a stylist." Utsunomiya laughed and agreed, "True enough," as we shared a conversation not meant for Miyagi's ears, when the fitting room curtain opened. "...I tried it on." Miyagi, looking somewhat dissatisfied, turned her gaze to Utsunomiya. "Shiori, you look cute. It suits you." "Cute is unnecessary. Does it really suit me?" "It does suit you. Right, Sendai-san?" "Yeah. It looks nice. Really cute." Trying not to raise my voice too much, I conveyed a concentrated burst of "cute" as if speaking it a hundred times. "Shiori, is there anything else you’d like to try on? Or maybe you'd like to visit another store?" "I'm fine. I'll buy this." "Eh?" I voiced my surprise at Miyagi's revelation to Utsunomiya, as I hadn't expected her to mention buying it. "What?" "Nothing." "I'll get changed, so wait for me." The fitting room curtain closed and shortly afterward, Miyagi emerged and purchased the blue skirt. "I don't have to wear a hoodie with this, so make sure to pair it properly." Though not entirely friendly, Miyagi quietly said this only to me upon returning from the register. "Leave it to me." "Where to next?" Utsunomiya asked, and Miyagi replied, "Anywhere is fine." "Sendai-san, aren’t you going to buy anything?" "No, I shopped quite a bit last month." "I see." I couldn't discern why Miyagi chose to buy the skirt I had picked out. Today, Miyagi only seems to be in high spirits with Utsunomiya, not coming to stand next to me. With Utsunomiya in the center, she seems to keep her distance from me, so it's hard to believe she'd purchase something I chose. Yet, I'm happy. Miyagi hadn’t once called me Sendai-san today, but that's a minor detail. Maika, Maika, Maika—it was always Utsunomiya's name being called, but since Miyagi tried on the skirt I chose, purchased it, and asked me to coordinate it, that makes up for everything. Though thoughts of having been alone with Miyagi today and jealousy toward Utsunomiya receiving Miyagi's smiles played in my mind, I'm glad Utsunomiya was here. "Shiori, is there something you’d like to see?" "Not really." If it were just the two of us, it seemed like she'd suggest going home already, but she doesn’t quite say it outright. Nonetheless, she appears to want to leave. However, it feels too early to part ways after going through the effort of gathering the three of us. "Come to think of it, there is something I'd like to see. Is that okay?" "What is it you want to see?" Utsunomiya looks at me. "A pencil case. One of my tutoring students just got into high school, so it's a celebratory gift. Can we stop to look for one?" The student mentioned wanting to use it in high school. Kikyo-chan had admired the cat pencil case Miyagi gave me, so it might have piqued her interest as a congratulatory gift. "Of course," answered Utsunomiya energetically. It’s fine to wander aimlessly in the mall, visiting various stores, but that might not sit well with Miyagi. A stationary shop selling pencil cases could also provide something enjoyable for Miyagi to pass the time. "Then, let’s head to the stationary store next." Miyagi didn’t say a word. With Utsunomiya taking the lead, we walked with her in the center towards the stationary store.