274 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

Chapter 274 "So, Sendai-chan, did you go anywhere during spring break?" From my phone came the cheerful voice of Noto-senpai. How unusual. Senpai had called regarding a tutoring job, but even after addressing the main topic, the conversation hadn't ended. Normally, calls are brief and to the point, so it's rare for them to extend into a casual chat. When we're face-to-face, conversations can be lengthy, but over the phone, Senpai tends to end the call without unnecessary chat, which makes this unexpected. "About the only place I went was shopping for clothes." I rise from my makeshift chair—the bed—and settle on the floor. My spring break was filled with various activities, some of which I couldn't tell Senpai, but the only planned outing was shopping with Utsunomiya. "Didn't you feel like using your earnings to go on a trip?" Dinner is still a ways off, and I have time. Miyagi is in her own room, so it's fine if the chat goes long, but this topic isn't ideal. "Not really." "Do you have any travel plans coming up?" March is nearly over, and so is spring break. Even Senpai should understand that I don't have such plans, but I say, "No." "Got any plans to travel with Miyagi-chan?" I thought she'd ask. Judging from the flow of the conversation, Senpai was bound to bring Miyagi into it. Traveling with Miyagi. It's something I've occasionally hoped for. Yet, the idea of wanting to travel with her one day, be it near or far, is mine alone. I understand this, so I'd been trying not to think about it—until Senpai's suggestion started to turn my thoughts in unhelpful directions. I pull the empty crocodile tissue cover closer and give its back a soft tap. "No, I don't. I mean, why specifically Miyagi?" "You're cohabiting together, so why not travel a bit?" Senpai mentions cohabitation as if it's the most natural thing. I've mentioned multiple times that we're just roommates, but even so, she persists, so I no longer bother to correct her. "Even if I were traveling with Miyagi, do you really want to hear about our trips?" We've gone to the aquarium and the zoo together, but Miyagi isn't the type to accompany me anywhere on a whim. She has her own criteria for when and where she's willing to go, though I can't say what they are exactly. Still, it's clear that there are certain "times" and "places" that she finds acceptable. Yet, talking to Senpai, I can't help but wish with the same casual ease she has in saying we're cohabiting, that Miyagi would travel with me. "It sounds fun, so I’d love to hear. Mio mentioned she visited Sendai-chan’s place and found Miyagi-chan quite amusing. If your travel stories are as entertaining, you must tell me." "Mio just exaggerates. She's always blown things out of proportion." "True. But if you're close enough to live together, then a little trip might be nice." "I'll think about it." "Make sure to report back on any travels." "I doubt I'll have anything as entertaining as you expect, Senpai." "It'll be fun, for sure. Oh, Mio's calling. Gotta go." I have no idea where Senpai is, but just as she said, I hear Mio's distant voice. True to form, she's making a fuss, asking who Senpai is talking to and insisting on joining the chat. Amidst the commotion, Senpai hurriedly tells me to think about the tutoring job, then ends the call. With the disconnection, I release a sigh while staring at my now silent phone. The trips I cannot take are stored away in my heart as I refocus on what needs to be done. From April, I’ll continue tutoring Kikyō-chan. I had meant to tell Miyagi about this decision, which had been made quite a while ago, when Senpai invited me to expand my tutoring work. I’ve resolved to accept the offer. I need to tell her. Adding a new tutoring gig to the one I’ve been meaning to mention makes my head hurt. Knowing Miyagi would have a displeased look on her face when I talk about work, I'd been putting it off, but now it’s double the trouble. Perhaps I’ve caught Miyagi’s bad habit of procrastinating on unpleasant tasks. "If it's one or two, it’s all the same. It's all about work anyway." Encouraging myself, I stand up. Even though I’m told I don’t need permission for the job, I can't neglect mentioning it, since it will affect our meal schedules. My heart feels heavy. Mentioning it will sour her mood. Ideally, she'd take up a part-time job too, but thinking of her meeting new people and expanding her circle doesn’t sit well with me. My emotions refuse to cooperate. With a sigh, I exhale. “Time to head home.” Clutching the empty crocodile, I exit the room, stand before Miyagi’s door, and take two deep breaths. After lightly knocking three times, I hear her say, "Come in." "I'm returning this. Without the cover, it might catch a cold." Upon entering, I place the crocodile next to Miyagi, who is sprawled on the bed reading a manga. “A box of tissues can catch a cold?” Miyagi closes her manga and casts a puzzled look my way. "Yeah." "...For someone who’s an erotic demon, you actually have a feminine side. You even name plushies." "I’d say calling me an erotic demon is a bit overboard." "If I had to choose between feminine and demonic, you’d definitely be the latter." "You’re not one to talk, Miyagi. You’re just as much a perv." "I don't want to hear that from you. Also, put this back." The crocodile I had returned lands back with me. "I came to give it back." "Attach it to the tissue box." "You're such a slave driver, Miyagi." Though I complain, I attach the given crocodile back to the tissue box it belongs with. Sitting on the bed as usual, Miyagi sprang up with a start. "I’m returning the penguin." With a terse tone, the plush that was asleep on her bed lands on my thigh. "You can keep it a bit longer." Though I try to give the penguin back to Miyagi, she insists, "It’s fine. I'm returning it," in a sullen voice. "Alright, I’ll take care of the penguin for now." The penguin plush is shared between Miyagi and myself, something that belongs in either of our rooms. Accepting it seems fair. Now the crocodile is back with Miyagi, and the penguin is back with me, but the real topic I need to discuss isn’t about plushies. They’re merely side matters. "Miyagi. You know..." I couldn’t find the words I needed to continue. As I absentmindedly stroke the penguin’s head and exhale, Miyagi sat beside me. “Sendai-san?” As if piecing my broken sentence together, she calls for me. Her mood isn’t terrible at the moment. But knowing it will likely sour soon causes a slight throb in my temple. “Well, um, about the tutoring job..." Dropping my gaze, I focus intently on the penguin’s head. Miyagi remains silent. So I attempt to muster the words. "I'll be continuing to teach Kikyō-chan from April." "... But didn't you say she passed her high school entrance exams?" Miyagi murmured. "She did, but they've asked me to keep coming. And I'm thinking of taking on another student." "... I see." Her flat response brought not just a throb to my temple but also a pang in my stomach. As I exhaled, the penguin seemed to be enveloped in a gray haze, and I slowly lifted my face. "Is that okay?" When I looked at Miyagi and asked, she looked away. "You don’t have to ask me. Like I said before, just decide on your own if you want to." I’ll continue working, regardless of her wishes. Her words about not needing permission are appreciated, given that my decision is set. But it wasn't satisfying. I’ll keep working, and I don’t plan to stop. Still, a part of me wishes Miyagi would tell me not to or say she wants me by her side. Contradictory as it may be, I wish Miyagi would direct stronger feelings towards me. "I can do the job then?" I asked softly. "... Sure, but it's annoying." Miyagi said in a low voice, giving my foot a light kick. "Annoying? Why?" "It's annoying that you ask me for permission even though I told you to do as you please. It's annoying that you suddenly mention continuing with a student who's already passed her entrance exams, as if it's an afterthought. —My opinion doesn’t matter, anyway." As she openly expressed her displeasure, she stomped on my foot again. "It's not like that." "Whatever. Just make your own decisions about work. Maika’s starting a job in April, too." "Utsunomiya is working too?" "She's going to sell hamburgers." It sounds like Utsunomiya plans to hand-make hamburgers and sell them at the university or somewhere, but she’s likely just taking a job at a fast-food joint. "Utsunomiya seems suited for customer service, so it's probably a good fit." "Maika's bubbly and cheerful." Miyagi replied without looking at me. Her voice was still low, indicating her mood hadn’t improved. Perhaps Miyagi didn’t like the idea of her close friend taking a job. After all, it would mean less time spent with her, making it hard to feel cheerful. Seeing Miyagi like this didn’t leave me in a joyful mood either. "Utsunomiya might get confessed to by a customer," I said, hugging the penguin plush tightly to suppress the darkness creeping into my thoughts. "Does that really happen?" "It does. Mio sometimes gets confessed to." I tried keeping my tone light, prompting Miyagi to say, "Really?" as if talking to herself, while thumping her foot on the floor. Without glancing my way, she directed her voice at the penguin. "... What about you, Sendai-san?" "Not really." Well, mostly not. My stint working in a café was brief, and customers rarely approached staff in that way. Still, it’s not like it never happened at all. But since they were light-hearted pickup attempts rather than serious confessions, I didn’t feel the need to share them. "Does Mio-san date such people?" Miyagi looked up from the penguin to meet my eyes. "I've never seen her giving a positive response to any of them." "Why? She invites people to mixers, so you'd think she wants a boyfriend, right?" "Wanting a boyfriend doesn't mean she'll settle for just anyone. Besides, Mio doesn't seem to attend mixers just to find a boyfriend." "What do you mean?" "I think she enjoys the mixer atmosphere. She loves gathering everyone to have fun together. Probably more of a 'get lucky if someone nice comes along' kind of thing." "Ah, I see." Miyagi said, feigning disinterest, before unexpectedly suggesting, "... Maybe I should get a job too." "A job? Where? You’re serious?" She couldn’t be serious. I thought she was speaking without much intent, yet my incredulity scattered my thoughts, causing fragmented words to spill out. "Maika is working, so I'll have more free time." Miyagi muttered. "Are you seriously considering getting a job?" "Sendai-san, let's play rock-paper-scissors." "That's not an answer to my question. Why the sudden challenge?" "If you win, I'll get a job." I couldn't gauge her seriousness. But I couldn't believe Miyagi actually wanted a part-time job. So I suggested a method to ensure I wouldn't win. "... Miyagi, I'll throw scissors. You throw rock." "That’s not even a real game." Saying that, Miyagi gently bopped the penguin plushy with her fist in a mock punch.