386 My Room and Miyagi - Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week
My Room and Miyagi Chapter 386 My birthday has long since passed, and so has Miyagi's. Since birthdays occur only once a year, once ours are over, we won't have another until the next year. However, this year is different. "Happy Birthday, Hazuki, Shiori-chan! Happy Birthday, both of you!" "Shiori, Sendai-san, Happy Birthday!" The voices of Mio and Utsunomiya harmonize, echoing in my room as they sit politely at the table set with pizza and side dishes. A birthday party with our friends. It's not an unusual situation, but it's unfolding in my room. Essentially, this past year's birthdays have been brought back by Mio and Utsunomiya, and Miyagi and I are being celebrated for turning twenty. Although it's enjoyable, I'm not accustomed to having anyone other than Miyagi in this room under the pretext of "celebrating a birthday." "Thank you," Miyagi says in a subdued voice. I also thank our two friends. One birthday is enough. Miyagi had said that, and I also think we don't need multiple celebrations. Still, I can't disregard Mio and Utsunomiya's feelings, and it would hurt my heart to ignore them. "Congratulations on turning twenty!" Mio exclaims in a moderately loud voice, and she and Utsunomiya pop party crackers from somewhere. "Oh, these are just for the sound. They don't make a mess." Mio boasts, setting off the cracker again. Indeed, the crackers only made noise—no tape comes shooting out. Although it feels a bit lacking, I’m relieved that nothing landed on the pizza. "That's not like you, Mio. Don’t you usually like flashy things?" I remark, observing Mio being uncharacteristically reserved. "I'm an adult now at twenty, so I make considerations." "You don't seem like Mio-san," Miyagi mutters, and Mio beams with delight. "It's the side of me Shiori-chan doesn't know." "... Mio-san was just like Mio-san after all." "Guess that means Mio-san has grown up." As Mio compliments herself and nods in agreement, Utsunomiya delivers a sharp comment. "Adults don't usually call themselves 'adults,' do they?" "But I'm sure some do, right, Hazuki?" "Well then, shall we eat?" When I flash an exaggerated smile at Miyagi and Utsunomiya, Mio protests loudly and remembers to add, "But wait. Before we eat, it's gift time!" "Gift time?" Miyagi and I say in confusion. "Maika-chan, take it away." As Mio calls out, Utsunomiya retrieves a bag from a large backpack she brought. "This is a gift from Mio-san and me for both of you." "But I already received a birthday gift from Maika." Miyagi replies to Utsunomiya, and I echo, "I got one from Mio too." In sync, they both reply, "It’s okay, even if we give more," so in unison, Miyagi and I respond with "Thank you." I'm curious. Utsunomiya mentioned it's a gift for both of us, but there's only one bag. This suggests the contents must be something we can use together. "Miyagi, you take it." Imagining something like dishes or ornaments inside the bag, I say this, and Miyagi repeats, "Thanks," as she accepts the bag from Utsunomiya. "Open it up right now, Shiori-chan." Mio's excited tone reaches me. "Alright, then, I'll open it." Without hesitation, Miyagi opens the bag and takes out a thin, but not insignificant, box. She opens the box and extracts a folded cloth. "…An apron?" At Miyagi's questioning look, Mio responds. "Yep, an apron. Since you both mentioned cooking." As Mio said, Miyagi holds an apron with a chest covering. The color is beige. There are no prints or lace embellishments. It's a simple apron that fits well in this house. There are two of them. Both are in Miyagi's hands. "Does this mean they match?" Miyagi inquires, not sounding particularly amused, but not displeased either. "So there wouldn't be any arguments, we got the same ones." Utsunomiya says, laughing, "Doesn't it feel like a newlywed couple?" and Miyagi quickly retorts, "We're not newlyweds or a couple." "Here, this one's for you, Sendai-san," From across the table, an identical apron makes its way toward me. The same one as Miyagi's. It's delightful, no matter what it is. If it's something matching that Miyagi chose, I'd be thrilled enough to never let anyone else touch it, and if it’s something I chose, I'd be delighted to use it daily. But neither Miyagi nor I chose this apron. Someone else chose it for us. "We didn't have any aprons, so it's perfect. I'll take good care of it. Thank you." I put on a smile and look at Mio and Utsunomiya. I don't intend to criticize a present from our friends, but it's complicated. I can't wholeheartedly rejoice. To put it in a word, I'm just narrow-minded. Rather than the joy of matching items, the feeling of something not chosen by us intruding into our daily lives is more uncomfortable. I wish it had been something we wouldn't use regularly. Something consumable or used only occasionally. That would have been better. "Who picked the aprons?" I ask without dropping my smile. "Mio chose the style, I picked the color." "It was a joint effort." Utsunomiya says with a giggle. Friends are important. Miyagi also said that. So, we should cherish what we receive from our friends. I fold the apron and hand it to Miyagi. This is not something that will disrupt our lives. I look at Miyagi. With a rare smile not often shown in front of me, she returns the aprons to the box and engages Utsunomiya in cheerful conversation. "So you two went to look at aprons together?" "Yes, we did. We're pretty close, right?" "Surprisingly close, indeed." At times like this, I feel that Miyagi should show some displeasure. Even if it's from friends, I don't want things that intrude on our lives to be accepted so easily. I think that, but I know better. Miyagi is kind to Utsunomiya and treasures her. She wouldn’t let a gift from someone she cherishes put her in a foul mood. "Hazuki, there's one more gift. Here you go." As she says this, Mio hands me a small box. "Eh, why are there so many gifts?" "This one isn't from me, it's from Noto-senpai. She said to use it with Shiori-chan." "…Noto-senpai?" "She asked me to bring it to you yesterday. Open it, I don't know what's inside either." Caught up in the moment, I look at the box I received. —I want to touch something from Miyagi. The necklace or the mark on my wrist would suffice. But I can't touch them now. "I wonder what it is. I'll open it." With an attempt at a bright voice, I open the box and find a movie gift card inside. It's a perfect gift for something to do with Miyagi, yet the words "thank you" don't come naturally. "What was inside, Sendai-san?" I hear Miyagi's voice and automatically respond, "A movie gift card." "Nice!" Utsunomiya says enviously. "Mio-san, make sure to thank Noto-san for me," Miyagi says. "Okay," Mio replies lightly. Their exchange is light-hearted, and I feel the need to express appropriate words for the occasion. I put the gift card back into the box and, after confirming that Miyagi's attention is elsewhere, I gently touch the mark Miyagi left behind. "I'll thank her myself the next time I see her, but Mio, please pass my thanks to Noto-senpai too." "Leave it to me," Mio replies confidently. Even though I owe a debt of gratitude to Noto-senpai for introducing me to a tutoring job, her meddling with Miyagi and me is problematic. It feels like we're being pressured to go to the movies, and I can't help but feel displeased. This may not be her intention, but I simply can't accept it willingly. I caress the mark Miyagi left again, and force a smile. "The pizza's going to get cold if we leave it any longer; shall we eat?" I suggest to the three of them, and they promptly agree. We don't forget to say "Let's eat" and sink our teeth into the pizza. While it's not quite the same as when it's just Miyagi and me, it's still delicious. For now, I should forget about the presents and just enjoy today. The felt letters pinned on the wall. The star-shaped balloons on the bed. The lively presence of Mio and Utsunomiya. Today, in a room that’s different from usual, it's filled with more birthday essence than on an actual birthday. "Hey, what if we bake our own pizza for Maika-chan's birthday next time?" Mio suggests, as if struck by a brilliant idea. "Mio, isn’t that a bit too much of a hassle?" "Well, we don't have a pizza oven anyway." "That's way too professional," I chuckle. I entertain Mio's pointless conversation while biting into the cooling pizza.