298 - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

Chapter 298 At the end of my gaze, there's a fry. I can't decide whether to lift or lower the corners of my mouth. Noto-san is an acquaintance of Sendai-san and is also connected to Mio-san. Just knowing that makes me feel gloomy. And because I'm stuck with someone I barely know, the atmosphere is unbearably awkward, causing my eyes to focus solely on the fries. Right now, I wish I knew the right expression for this situation. There might not be a correct answer, but I'd like to have one. "Miyagi-chan, do you like fries that much? Want me to give you mine?" A cheerful voice calls from across the table, drawing my eyes from the fries to Noto-san, who offers me a chicken nugget. “No, thank you. Actually, that’s not even a fry, is it?” “Most people would call it a chicken nugget.” Noto-san smiles warmly. There are no fries on her tray. There’s only chicken nuggets and a drink, making it blatantly clear she just wants to tease me. However, I can't glare at her the way I would at Sendai-san. The only thing I can manage is a vague smile, which brings a starkly quiet moment amid the ruckus of the cafe. The silence is quickly broken. “That was just a little joke to ease the tension, so don't worry about it.” As Noto-san speaks, she pops a nugget in her mouth, chews, swallows, and then looks at me intently. “Actually, Mio told me you’d be here, Miyagi-chan.” “Eh?” “Didn't you hear it from Sendai-chan? Sendai-chan is with Mio right now.” “I’ve heard...” It’s infuriating. Genuinely infuriating. I got a message from Sendai-san at lunch saying, “I’ll be late because I’m having dinner with Mio.” Before my afternoon class, I told Sendai-san, “I’m going to Maika’s workplace, so I’ll be late getting back.” Only Maika, Asakura-san, and Sendai-san know I’m here. Yet, for some reason, Noto-san knows, which means Sendai-san told Mio-san, and somehow she conveyed the information to Noto-san. Whether Sendai-san is close or not, she’s always up to no good, constantly saying unnecessary things. “I wanted to see you, Miyagi-chan, so I came all this way, but I'm glad you were here. This is your friend’s workplace, right?” I respond with a curt “yes” to the words likely relayed to Noto-san from Mio, who heard them from Sendai-san. Sendai-san's acquaintances are unpredictable. Previously, a student she tutored suddenly appeared and caused trouble for me. The current troubling situation feels like it could lead to something even worse, making me want to flee. “You seem a bit down. Look at your friend at the counter and try smiling.” Noto-san breaks into a bright smile that's nothing like the somewhat intimidating impression I initially had of her. But I’m more concerned about what she just said and can’t help but ask. “Did Maika serve you?” “Is your friend’s name Maika-chan? If she’s serving, she must be one of them, right? Everyone looks pretty friendly over there.” Noto-san glances towards the counter, and I realize I’ve given away unnecessary information. “...That was a bit of a trick question. You’re sly.” “It wasn’t meant as a trick. You’re cute, Miyagi-chan.” Getting caught in her tricks is my fault. I must accept that all this is my own negligence, but my resentment towards Sendai-san, who caused this situation, only grows. I stifle the sigh trying to escape and pick at a fry. It’s tasteless. I sip on the orange juice. It tastes no better. It feels like I'm chewing on clay and sipping muddy water. “Miyagi-chan, I think you’d be even cuter if you smiled like those kids over there." Noto-san looks over at the counter where Maika is as she speaks to me with a smile. This woman is more difficult to deal with than Mio-san. Though Mio-san is cheerful, talkative, and candid to the point of being annoying, she’s still more tolerable than Noto-san. I've a feeling that speaking with the woman in front of me for too long would lead to trouble. “I’m not good with cute stuff.” Unable to muster friendliness towards Noto-san, I use a partial truth to dodge her request. “I see. So, Miyagi-chan, do you not like sharing tables either?” “I’m not good at it.” Noto-san nods slightly after I indirectly confirm what’s impossible to hide. “I got bored after Sendai-chan took Mio away, so I came here hoping you’d keep me company... But if you're not a fan of sharing tables, maybe I could leave if you answer a question.” “A question?” “Yes, a question. May I?” “It depends on the question.” “Well, it’s easier if I’m direct; are Miyagi-chan and Sendai-chan dating?” Cheerfully. As if it’s no big deal. The words slip from Noto-san’s lips, and they don’t register in my mind. They fragment upon reaching my ears, scattered and disconnected. Sendai-chan. Miyagi-chan. Dating. The words are simple, but my brain refuses to process them. It results in a "Eh?” emerging in a voice I’d never use with a senior. “Oh, didn’t catch that? Shall I repeat myself?” Though her tone is light, it isn’t teasing. It's serious. I realize that her previous question was genuinely earnest. “...That's okay.” “Good to hear. So, what’s the answer?” Her voice is still light. But it's no joke, and so I piece together the fragmented words, delivering the truthful answer. “Sendai-san is my roommate.” No more. No less. Since becoming a university student, Sendai-san has been my roommate, and she will remain so until we graduate. “Miyagi-chan. You probably know this, but that’s not an answer. I asked if you were dating, not if she’s your roommate. The answer should be either you’re dating or you're not. So let's try again.” Noto-san speaks like a university lecturer, clears her throat, and takes a sip from her cup—its contents unknown. Then she speaks clearly for me to hear. “Is Sendai-chan your girlfriend? Answer with a yes or no.” Noto-san’s eyes look straight into mine. They aren’t menacing, but they’re slightly intimidating. Compared to Sendai-san, she carries a cool aura demanding clarity, unlike the ambiguity I can slip through when talking to Sendai-san. Left without the option to say “roommate,” I’m forced to choose between “yes” or “no,” and the answer is clear. Yet, my mouth refuses to move. Why. Why do I have to endure this? Before I even need to think, it becomes clear that the absent Sendai-san is responsible for my predicament. I take a light breath in and out, releasing the tension from my shoulders. Instead of choosing "yes" or "no," I respond with another question. "Did you ask Sendai-san that question too?" "Do you think I did?" "Replying to a question with another question is unfair." "But aren't you doing the same, Miyagi-chan?" "…" Noto-san is right, and I can't argue back because she's correct and I'm not. Feeling stuck, I lower my gaze to the fries, but her voice softens even further. "I'm not mean, you know. I can answer your question in return. I did ask Sendai-chan, and she said you’re her girlfriend." The answer, which doesn’t sound like something Sendai-san would say, reaches my ears, prompting me to look up. "That's a lie, isn't it?" "Got caught, huh? As an apology for lying, shall we change the question? Would your answer—being ‘roommates’—change?" "It won't change." "How formal of you both. Isn't Sendai-chan a friend?" "She's my roommate." "So, you two aren't that close, then?" Noto-san's tone becomes increasingly lighter, a smile forming at her lips, as if enjoying herself. As for me, my voice drops lower, and it feels like weights have been attached to the corners of my mouth. This isn’t fun; it’s just dull and the worst. "Not answering means you two aren’t close, right?" "We're normal." We aren't on bad terms. Therefore, it's necessary to correct her misconception. "But you’re not friends, then?" "Do we have to be friends?" "When you’re close, you’d refer to someone as a friend or best friend, right?" It’s bothersome. Annoying. I wish her presence would blend into the background noise of the bustling cafe. But I can’t say that. So, I let it be. I drink the now warm orange juice, hoping Noto-san will refrain from asking any more vexing questions. "It’s okay if you don’t want to answer, but how about I change the topic? Does Sendai-chan have a girlfriend or boyfriend, besides you?" My wish doesn’t reach Noto-san. She uses the dicey word “girlfriend” again, looking straight at me. "—Why ask such a thing?" The words wrapped in her question roll across my mind without finding a place, continuously in motion. “Girlfriend, girlfriend, girlfriend” echoes in my head, refusing to form meaningful sentences. "Maybe because I'm curious about the secretive beauty's schedule. Sendai-chan keeps giving excuses to decline her friends’ invitations—mainly Mio's, and isn’t swamped with enough part-time work to justify it. It’s not unreasonable to suspect she has a lover, right? Mio seems curious about Sendai-chan too, so wouldn't it be good to clarify here?" Even as she asks, I can’t agree with Noto-san. I’m not concerned if Sendai-san has a lover because, whether or not she does, she belongs to me. That’s the promise, and regardless of who's around her, she has to remain mine. Sendai-san must certainly keep the promise we made. Breaking it is unacceptable. "Miyagi-chan, are you not the least bit curious about Sendai-chan?" Noto-san directs the question to me in response to my silence. I think she talks too much. I hadn’t expected her to be so chatty. “...I'm not curious.” Reluctantly, I answer, sipping the warm orange juice, growing increasingly annoyed by the surrounding chatter. It’s noisy. This place is too loud. But it gets even noisier because Noto-san starts talking again. “Well, it's not like I'm planning to do anything with this information. I’m just concerned that the perfectly innocent Sendai-chan might be taken advantage of by the wrong people. It’d be bad news if she’s being financially exploited by a bad guy or girl.” I can’t understand her words. It’s like they get lost amidst the clatter coming from left and right, leaving only fragments lodged in my mind. "Mio really likes her, so it’d be troubling if she went down a bad path." Saying this, Noto-san bites into a chicken nugget, halting this unwanted conversation. "I don’t think I can answer anything about Sendai-san." "And why’s that?" "I don’t know as much about Sendai-san as you might think." "Even if you don’t know her well, when you live together, you’d know if she has a lover, right?" "……" I don't understand why I have to answer such a question. I dislike Noto-san. I wish she would leave soon. "Miyagi-chan is truly cute." I am not cute. The only ones allowed to say such things are my friends and Sendai-san. "As per our little agreement, I should take my leave soon. Thank you for the enjoyable time, Miyagi-chan. Let’s have a meal together next time; it’s on me.” I reply curtly to her cheerful tone. “I’ll pass.” “No need to be so reserved.” Noto-san, who said she would leave if I answered her question, steps away, leaving me behind at the table.