265 Sendai-san Doesn't Have Enough Marks - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

Sendai-san Doesn't Have Enough Marks Chapter 265 I know I come across poorly, even to myself. Yet, I can't seem to respond smoothly or maintain a friendly demeanor. It's not that I dislike Mio-san; I just can't keep up with her vibe. Watching Sendai-san constantly chatting with Mio-san doesn't exactly put me in a cheerful mood. As I watch Mio-san happily bite into a dorayaki, I sigh inwardly. "Shiori-chan, have one too." A cheerful voice calls out from across the table. I reply with a simple "Okay," then reach for a dorayaki. Regret hits me almost instantly. If only I had added just one more word to my response. It might not have improved the atmosphere, but it could've brightened things up a bit. I open the package of the dorayaki, which apparently contains custard cream instead of the usual red bean paste, and take a bite. It's sweet and delicious. Not exactly dorayaki-like, though. "Mio, isn't this too sweet?" Sendai-san's voice rings out, prompting Mio-san to lightly reply, "Isn't it just fine? What do you think, Shiori-chan?" directing the question at me. "I think it's just right." "See? Hazuki, you lose." "Miyagi, back me up here." "Shiori-chan is on my side, right?" "Um, well, it's not really about sides..." What should I say next? I'm caught up on Mio-san's insistence that I call her by her first name and drop the formalities. It bothers me, along with the fact that Sendai-san is only talking with Mio-san, leaving my words stuck. "Hazuki, just admit you lost quietly." "Well, if we're going by majority, then I lose." Sendai-san speaks lightly and takes a bite of her dorayaki, while Mio-san drinks her soda with satisfaction. Their conversation touches on things that happened over spring break and topics related to university. Occasionally, Mio-san seeks my input, so I can't just tune out their conversation. I try to chime in at the right times, but each attempt feels more burdensome than the last. I can't respond well. It feels like I'm souring the atmosphere. It seems I have no place here. No, that's not it. The one who isn't needed is— No, that's going too far. If only Mio-san had arrived as planned. If she had come thirty minutes later as scheduled, I would have been able to "mark" Sendai-san more. Marks are like medicine—the more there are, the more I can relax. If I could remain calm like a serene sea, rather than being agitated, I could handle situations better and avoid having a regretful time like this. "So, Shiori-chan, let's go out for a meal sometime." Mio-san suggests brightly, opening a bag of potato chips after finishing her dorayaki. "Mio, 'meal' as in what?" Before I can ask, for some reason, Sendai-san interjects. "A meal is a meal. I'll invite other friends too, let's all eat together. How about it, Shiori-chan?" "Who are these friends exactly?" I'm not keen on joining for a meal, but declining straight away seems harsh, so I ask about the kind of people who would be there. "Well, it's what you'd call a meetup, you know. Aren't you interested? If you tell me your type, Shiori-chan, I'll invite that kind of person." "Mio, stop inviting people to those kinds of gatherings so freely." "Oh, come on. Shiori-chan, don't you want a boyfriend?" "I'm not really interested." I'm not interested in getting a boyfriend. My thoughts are more concerned with Sendai-san. Considering how Mio-san easily invites others, it's unlikely she wouldn't invite Sendai-san, too. I tightly grip the blue skirt that Sendai-san chose for me. Sendai-san is mine, yet there are so many things I don't know about her. If Mio-san invites her to these gatherings, and she's out enjoying herself with someone I don't know, I'd never know if she didn't tell me. Sendai-san rarely comes home late except for work, but it's not unheard of. So, it's not impossible she attends such events. "Oh, 'not really,' huh. You should at least pretend to agree with Hazuki here." I look away from Mio-san's disappointed voice and focus on Sendai-san. "Sendai-san, do you go to these gatherings?" "Not really." "Hazuki, you're really not sociable, are you? You should come sometime." Mio-san sighs as she makes her point to the straightforward response from Sendai-san. "Well, maybe when I'm free." "You say that, but Hazuki, you're never really free." "I'm quite busy." "You should make some time." Sendai-san responds to the discontented voice by promising to "look into it." I can't tell how much of this conversation is true. Yet, Sendai-san's claim of "not really" and Mio-san's assertion of "not sociable" both feel misleading. That's because neither matches the Sendai-san I know. "...Back in high school, Sendai-san, didn't you and Ibaraki-san go to those kind of events?" The words I had been pondering slip out unexpectedly. I never witnessed Sendai-san interacting with boys, but I've seen her discussing such topics in class with Ibaraki-san. So, I shouldn't be wrong. "What, Hazuki was sociable in high school?" Mio-san's voice, tinged with surprise, echoes in the room. From that voice, I understand that her earlier words about Sendai-san were not lies. But it doesn't make me happy. I didn't want to know that they are close enough that they can maintain a friendship without such gatherings or sociability. "It wasn't really that I was sociable; it was just that I had no reason to refuse." As I expected, Sendai-san doesn't deny the past. "So I'm someone you can easily refuse?" "That's not it, but I am busy." "Alright, I'll work hard to raise my priority ranking with you, Hazuki. I’ll beat Ibaraki somehow." I wish Mio-san were more like Ibaraki-san to Sendai-san. Right now, the Sendai-san I see is closer to the one when she's with me. This kind of Sendai-san is not the real her. The Sendai-san with others was always so amiable and kind, almost to the point of being a people-pleaser. Yet, the Sendai-san with Mio-san seems more honest, albeit not as freely outspoken as with me. I don’t want to see this side of Sendai-san. "Don't worry, Mio. Your priority ranking is quite high." My Sendai-san says something I’d rather not hear, smiling softly. Sendai-san shouldn't create any rankings. She belongs to me, and I believe there shouldn’t be space for anyone else. "Quite high? That's pretty harsh, you know." "It's not harsh. Don’t worry." "Alright then, let's definitely go out for that meal. Shiori-chan, you’re in, right?" Mio-san, who was joking with Sendai-san, now turns a cheerful smile on me. "Mio. Like I said, I'm not interested in meeting new people." Before I could answer, Sendai-san responds. I feel like she's been taking the words right out of my mouth all day. It's not that I have an overwhelming desire to talk with Mio-san, but it's frustrating that Sendai-san keeps interrupting and trying to engage in conversation with her. Even though it saves me from having to answer awkward questions, it makes me want to complain. To put it bluntly, I don't want them to carry on a conversation without me. I know exactly what this feeling is. ―Jealousy. Once I became aware of this emotion, it seems there's no weighing it down. Even when I try to sink it to the depths of my heart, it floats back up, reminding me of how I'm really feeling. It forces me to recognize that I'm overwhelmed by petty emotions, despite not wanting to acknowledge it. "We're three people, so it's fine. Shiori-chan, you’re okay with it if it’s the three of us, right?" Mio-san directs her words at me. "Yeah." I answer briefly. Imagining the three of us having a meal together irritates me. I hate imagining Sendai-san and Mio-san enjoying a lively conversation. I’m irritated. So irritated. I find myself jealous of Mio-san, who is chatting happily with my Sendai-san, both now and in any future scenario. I'm also frustrated with myself for feeling this way. But there's no place to offload these emotions. All I can do is stare at the floating word "jealousy" in my heart, and it’s painful. I wish I could just discard this feeling somewhere. Like a cat coughing up a furball, if only I could expel it and then cocoon myself in my room. If I can't do that, I have half an urge to shove a plush penguin into Mio-san's mouth to seal it shut. I look at the blue earrings on Sendai-san. It's not enough just to be on her ears. The red marks I made before Mio-san arrived aren't enough, either. I should have made more. I should have placed them where Mio-san could see them, too. The spots I marked in red are my territory; they don't belong to Mio-san. Had I stuck to that silly notion, I wouldn't find myself wanting to shove plush toys into someone’s mouth. "Shiori-chan," Mio-san calls out, chasing away the foolish thoughts that had filled my head. But I have no idea what they've been talking about. I hadn't been listening. "Do you tend to furrow your brow?" "Eh?" I instinctively touch my brow with my fingers. I hadn't been aware of it, but I might have been frowning due to the less-than-pleasant thoughts running through my mind. If so, I must have looked displeased, and that wouldn't be fair to Mio-san. "You were making such a serious face, like you were thinking hard about something," Mio-san says brightly, playfully tapping her own brow. "Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about what to make for dinner," I say, trying to force a smile. "Is that so? Well, since we're here, why don't the three of us have dinner together?" Even though time can't be turned back, I can't help but regret what I've just said.