279 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

Chapter 279 I want it, but I don't really need it. That's pretty much how I feel about nail polish—it's not something I must buy today. And yet… Today, the act of going out to buy nail polish is necessary, and Miyagi must keep the promise she made with me. "Sendai-san. Have you decided which one you're going to buy?" Standing in front of the shelf lined with nail polishes, a voice more disgruntled than when she was eating French toast comes from beside me. "Not yet." I cast a glance at Miyagi, who looks bored. Nail polish is just an excuse to keep dragging her around after lunch. It could have been clothes, notebooks, or a stuffed animal—anything would have sufficed, but nail polish popped into my head at that moment. "What do you think is good, Miyagi?" I ask to prolong the time spent doing something together. If left to her own devices, she might say, "I'm going to look at something else," and disappear somewhere. "Anything's fine." "That's way too unhelpful." "Well, it's not for me anyway." Miyagi is the type of person who conforms to expectations when you want her to defy them, and defies them when you want her to conform. Today is the former, and as expected, she shows no interest in nail polish. But I'm fine with that. If choosing nail polish was the primary focus, I would have come with Mio instead of Miyagi. Mio would likely pick it more seriously. "Even if it's not for you, put a little more thought into it." "I couldn't tell even if I did." "Then, if you were to choose, which one would it be?" "I wouldn't pick because I don't use it." Yeah, makes sense. I lower my gaze to Miyagi’s fingers. Her nails are neatly trimmed, but they're bare. The day she touched me deeply, they were just as plain as today. The length hasn’t changed. They were cut just short enough to avoid being too short. Reflecting on the past isn’t good. Even though I know that, my thoughts drift back to the day Miyagi cut my nails. I can't help but wonder if her nails were cut short that day for what we did together. No good. Thinking like this, I end up interpreting Miyagi’s actions in my favor, only to conclude in an unsatisfying way that it probably wasn't the case. ―Miyagi’s nails are never long. I lift my gaze from her fingers to her face. "You should use nail polish sometimes. I'll pick one for you." "I don't use it, so you don't have to pick one." "Then, want to use mine?" "No. Mind if I go look somewhere else?" There are plenty of stores that sell nail polish, but if we go to a place with nothing but cosmetics, Miyagi will want to leave immediately. So today, I chose a general store, hoping I could keep her with me after buying nail polish. Thus, she should stick with me, and it would be troublesome if she wandered off around the store alone. "I want to look around together later, so at least stay close while I pick nail polish." At my words, Miyagi furrows her brow and glares at the shelf. She takes a bottle of nail polish and hands it to me as if pushing it away. "How about this one?" She handed over the nail polish rather forcefully. "It's fine, but why this color?" Out of all the nail polishes, Miyagi chose this color—a pale pink. I gaze steadily at her face rather than the nail polish in my hand. "You don't like it?" "I don't mind, but why?" I want a reason. It didn’t seem like she chose it with much thought, so for that very reason, I wish there were at least some reason behind it. "… You're into cute things, right?" Miyagi mumbles softly. "I do like them." "If you like it, then it's fine, isn't it? I'm going to look around elsewhere." With the matter apparently concluded, Miyagi turns her back on me. She's truly selfish. "I'm going to buy this, so come with me." Normally, I’d say, "I'll go pay, so wait here," but today is different. I grab her arm and pull her along. "Why do I have to come with you?" The voice trailing behind me sounds like something you wouldn't expect to hear on an outing. "What if you get lost?" It feels like if I let go, Miyagi might just head home, so I can't let go. "I'm not a kid; I won't get lost." "But I might, right?" "As if!" Miyagi speaks in a low voice. "There are a lot of people, and if you're not careful, you might get lost." When I say that, she doesn't seem entirely convinced, but Miyagi falls silent. We queue up at the end of the checkout line and gradually move forward. "I won’t go anywhere, so let go of my arm." A voice filled with displeasure reaches my ears, and I let go. Before I know it, it’s our turn, and I complete the transaction. As we step away from the crowd, Miyagi lightly pushes my arm. "You're annoying." "Since we're already here, I want to look at things together if there’s anything you want to see." "Your shopping is done, let's go home." "Wait. You said you were going to look at other things earlier, so isn't there something you want to see?" "Not really." "Even if there isn’t, let’s have a look." There's no response, but her calm demeanor seems to indicate she's accepted my proposal. Mugs, stuffed animals. Necklaces, earrings. This shop is full of things that can pass time just by looking. As we leisurely stroll around together, sometimes Miyagi stops to say, "Cute," or "Maika would like this," but I can’t tell if she’s enjoying herself. Though there are some unwelcome comments, being with Miyagi makes up for it. After all, Utsunomiya isn't to blame. I overlook the jealousy that isn't exactly small and trail behind Miyagi. To most people, it probably seems like nothing significant happened today. But for me, it's an important day. Strolling through the store with Miyagi. These seemingly trivial moments are so enjoyable that I find myself not wanting to go home, even if I feel a tinge of jealousy now and then. "Sendai-san, you're creeping me out." Miyagi, who was looking at aroma oils, raises her head and remarks. "Huh, why?" "Because you're trailing behind me like a stalker." "Harsh choice of words, don't you think?" "Walk in front of me." "I want to see what you’re interested in." Just as I smile at her, a cheerful voice calls my name from behind. "Sendai-sensei!" Upon hearing the familiar form of address, I turn to see a high school student I meet with every week. "Kikyo-chan." "I almost didn’t recognize you with your ponytail." I’m not sure where she came from, but it’s my tutoring student, Kikyo-chan, answering with a smile. I'd rather not have been noticed. Meeting her while Miyagi's around, considering how she holds a grudge against my tutoring job, isn't ideal. However, since I was noticed, it's not like I can just ignore her now. "I didn't expect to see you here, Kikyo-chan. I almost didn't recognize you. Did you come with your friends?" "I was with some friends, but we just parted ways." "I see." I plaster a smile on my face and turn to Kikyo-chan, but her eyes shift to the person next to me. Her gaze is filled with curiosity, and I get a sinking feeling. "Um, are you the cat pencil case roommate?" The Christmas gift I received from Miyagi is mentioned by Kikyo-chan. Her eyes, shimmering with interest, remain fixed on Miyagi. Miyagi stands there, silent. Though she doesn’t speak, a palpable discomfort emanates from her. Miyagi can be impulsive, but only with me. With others, she behaves sensibly, and I know she won't act out of line now. Still, I feel uneasy, like a tight wire is constricting my windpipe. "Yes, my roommate. We just had lunch together," I reply lightly, smiling at Kikyo-chan. Miyagi looks as if she wants to say something, but without a word, she turns to Kikyo-chan and speaks in a voice neither small nor loud. "Nice to meet you." I wasn't expecting an argument, but her polite greeting brings a sense of relief. "Nice to meet you. I'm Hanamaki." Kikyo-chan's voice is slightly higher than usual. "Miyagi." Miyagi's tone remains unchanged. When I look at her, her expression reveals neither happiness nor displeasure. I'm curious about her thoughts, but I can't ask now—and she likely won't answer later. "I'm glad to finally meet you. I've wanted to for some time," Kikyo-chan says. Miyagi gives an ambiguous smile in response.