296 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

Chapter 296 "I have a bone to pick with Sendai Hazuki, who, by far, is the least sociable person I know." Mio's voice, tinged with dissatisfaction, comes through the smartphone. Her voice is slightly lower than usual, but on a night walk back from my tutoring job, it carries an incongruously bright tone. Mio, ever the social butterfly, is like sunshine at any time, and even when her voice is tinged with vexation, that doesn't change. "I don't think I'm that unsociable." I refute Mio's words, bathed in the glow of the streetlights. "You are. It's a long holiday, and you won't hang out with us at all." "About that, I'm really sorry. I've been busy." Will Hazuki come when we all meet up? Join us for a shopping trip. Mio asked several times during the holiday, but, just as she said, I declined every time. For me, spending time with Miyagi is the priority, and I also had work, so it couldn't be helped. However, the truth is that I'm aware it's unfair to Mio, and saying no always pricks at my conscience. "You really have so many busy days, Hazuki. Even if I invite you to dinner right now, you'd turn me down, right?" Her exaggeratedly disappointed voice is followed by a sigh. "Is this call for that purpose?" I initially thought it was just a call out of boredom, but apparently, there was an agenda. "That's what this call is, but do you have time now?" "Sorry. Could it be another time? It's a bit too abrupt for right now." My plans for this evening are already set. I quicken my pace. A lukewarm breeze, even for a May night, brushes against my cheeks. Increasing my walking pace, I draw closer to the house where Miyagi waits. If I keep walking like this, I should see her in less than three minutes. "Invitations are always sudden. Sometimes you should accept them." "Soon, I will. But not today—Miyagi caught a cold." "Eh? Shiori-chan's sick? You should've told me sooner." "This is the right time to mention it." "Maybe, but how's Shiori-chan? Does she have a fever?" As Mio fires off a barrage of questions and I answer while walking, the house where Miyagi waits comes into view. I take bigger steps, heading from the sidewalk to the building. "I'm almost home, so—" As I climb the stairs to the third floor and the entrance comes into view, readying my farewell to end the call, Mio's voice bubbles up, as if she had a bright idea, and stops me. "Should I come visit?" Her voice carries a tone of excitement, and she even cheekily adds, "Can I come over now?" "There's no need for a visit; it's not that bad. Besides, it wouldn't be good if you caught it too." I open the entrance door, pulling out words from my head to dissuade Mio, and step inside, removing my shoes. What should I do? I lean my back against the hallway wall. I've been refusing Mio's invitations both before and during the holiday, so it's hard to just end the call. But I can't just continue talking here either. This morning, Miyagi had a fever. She might still have it. I don't know when the perfect moment to end the call will come. Deciding to keep talking with Mio as I move, I head to the shared space. There, Miyagi is at her usual seat, and I can't help but let out a sound. "Eh?" "Eh?" Mio mimics the word I just blurted out. "It's Miyagi." "Did something happen with Shiori-chan?" "She's eating ramen." "She seems fine, then." Mio's voice of relief filters through the phone, but I can't share that sentiment. "Sorry, Mio. I'll call you later." Unable to find a suitable moment to end the call, I hang up without delay and go over to Miyagi, who sits in loungewear. "Why are you eating ramen?" She's supposed to be resting. If she's not, then at most sipping a drink. That's all I could imagine for Miyagi when I wasn't around. I never expected she would be eating cup ramen. It's way too unexpected for her to eat dinner alone without waiting for me. "I was hungry. Were you talking with Mio?" "Yeah, but that's not important right now." "It's not important? Isn't she your friend?" Stopping her chopsticks mid-air, Miyagi looks at me. "She is, but right now, Miyagi eating ramen is the issue. Why ramen?" "I couldn't be bothered to cook anything." "You should've waited for me to cook. Were you that hungry, unable to wait?" I don't intend to sound accusatory, but my tone betrays me. "Not really, I just thought since Sendai-san was working, I should do what I can myself." "When you're sick, you shouldn't have to do anything yourself." Having an appetite is a good sign. I want her to eat well and get better quickly. That's how I feel. But I wish she'd waited for me. If she'd waited, I would've made something more nutritious than cup ramen for her. If Miyagi claims I'm hers, she should let me do everything for her, ordering me if need be. "My fever's already gone; I'm not sick." "Are you sure?" I place my palm on Miyagi's forehead. I can't really tell, but it doesn't seem overly warm. However, just using my hand isn't conclusive. "Finish that, then take your temperature." No matter how much I complain about the cup ramen, it won't suffice, and I don't intend to snatch food from her, acting immature. The ramen isn't to blame. Maybe it'd be better to make a simple dish for her now, or provide a proper meal starting tomorrow. Of course, that's only if Miyagi has room in her stomach. "…I don't need to take it." "You have to. If you don't take care of your cold, Mio will come." "Mio has nothing to do with my cold." "She does. She wanted to come visit you." "For my cold?" Miyagi looks puzzled. "Yes, yours. If you don't want Mio visiting, get well soon." "Did you tell Mio I was sick, Sendai-san?" "I didn't mean to, but she wanted to meet up." "…Are you meeting her now?" Miyagi furrows her brow and steps on my foot. "I refused, so I'm here." As if satisfied with my answer, Miyagi removes her foot. However, her gaze drops to the floor and doesn't return. "Was Mio's call about hanging out now?" "She asked if we could have dinner together." "Hmm." Miyagi murmurs, still looking at the floor, and then quietly continues. "…If you'd caught a cold, Mio would've come to see you, right?" "No, she wouldn't." "Why not?" Miyagi lifts her face to look at me. "Because with Miyagi here, I won't let her. ...Would you call Utsunomiya?" As long as I have Miyagi, I don't need anything else, and even if she says she can't stay by my side, I need no one else but her. But when it comes to Miyagi, I can't be certain. Today, even if Utsunomiya had come over to visit while I wasn't around, I wouldn't be surprised. Considering the depth of Miyagi and Utsunomiya's friendship, such an occurrence seems only natural, and I doubt I could interfere if it did. However, acknowledging their relationship and accepting it are two different matters. If Utsunomiya had been here today, I wouldn't be able to help feeling something negative towards her. I should be the only one to see Miyagi when she’s vulnerable. Not just Utsunomiya—I don't want anyone else to see Miyagi like that. "I wouldn't go out of my way to call her. Maika seems busy with work," Miyagi responds in a nonchalant voice. It's a hint that Utsunomiya hasn't come today, but it's not exactly a satisfying response. But what if she wasn't busy with work? If that basic assumption changed, perhaps a different answer might emerge. "Did Utsunomiya ever visit you in high school when you were sick?" "I didn't catch colds in high school." "Well, if you had, would you have called her?" "What about you, Sendai-san? Did you call Ibaraki-san over when you had a cold?" "I'm the one asking the question." Returning a question with a question is unfair. Though sometimes I let it slide, today I won't. I want her to answer my question first. "...I wouldn't go out of my way to call Maika," Miyagi says in a low, disgruntled voice. "What about now?" "You're here now, aren't you?" "Does that mean you can't call her because I'm here?" "That's annoying. I didn't say that." With considerable force, Miyagi kicks my leg, then asks, "Now it's your turn. What about Ibaraki-san?" "I didn't call her. Miyagi was the only one who came to visit. I didn't want to invite anyone to my house." In high school, I caught a cold and missed school several times, but I never called any friends over. Some people offered to visit me, but I refused because I didn't want them to know about that house, which was my house but not really my house. Miyagi was the only one who came unannounced. "Sendai-san," Miyagi calls quietly, lightly stepping on my foot. "What?" "Are Ibaraki-san and Mio-san the same kind of friends?" "What do you mean by 'the same kind of friends'?" "Never mind if you don't get it." Without explaining her cryptic question, she abruptly changes the subject and calls out, louder this time, "Sendai-san." "What?" "Are you not going to university if you catch a cold?" Another question with unclear intent. "I guess if I have a fever, I shouldn’t," I respond with an obvious answer to her puzzling question. Suddenly, Miyagi stands up and grabs my clothing. "Are you done with the ramen?" As I glance at the half-eaten cup of ramen she left behind, Miyagi steps closer. She tugs on my clothes. Her eyes, which were on the ramen, meet mine. She moves even closer and our lips touch. The kiss is brief, only lasting a moment. "Is this your way of saying you want me to skip university?" I doubt such a short kiss could actually pass on a cold, but the timing seems suspiciously like she wants to make me catch it. "I don't know," Miyagi says, releasing my clothes. She then sits back down and takes a sip of the barley tea beside the cup ramen.