I pick up the black cat on the bookshelf and lay down on the bed.
Itâs almost time to go to bed, but Iâm not sleepy.
I pat the black catâs head.
Sendai-san, who has not broken her promise since she came here, broke her promise for the first time today. Therefore, I have earned the right to give orders to Sendai-san. Strictly speaking, it wasnât an order. Itâs a right that Sendai-san was forced to comply by my right to do one thing I say. It was not obtained through legitimate means.
On my chest, I place the black cat.
There are times for a punishment game.
I have one chance for her to do what I say.
Maybe, Sendai-san listens to me as long as I donât say anything too bad. Even until now, she has accepted and followed most of my orders. If I ask her to lick my feet, she will lick it, and if I ask her to kiss me, she will kiss me.
But she will only listen to me once.
And somehow, Sendai-san hasnât broken any rules since she got here, so I donât know when she will get this right next time. Given this, Iâm not sure what I should ask Sendai-san to do.
Perhaps it is because we are now roommates, but itâs not as easy to decide as it was when we were in high school. I feel like there is an order not to do it.
So what kind of punishment should I ask her to do?
Nothing comes to mind when I think about it.
I put the black cat on my chest against the wall.
The tip of its nose hits me, and I immediately release it.
The punishment game is just a game.
Itâs not something to be taken seriously.
It should be consumed more casually and appropriately.
I know, but because of Sendai-sanâs sudden talk about a part-time job I donât know about, I canât think of it casually or appropriately.
I put the black cat by the wall and turn off the light.
I roll my back and close my eyes.
If she was going to get a part-time job, I wish she had told me sooner.
When I asked Sendai-san afterwards, she said that her part-time job was tutoring and that she hadnât yet decided whether she would do it or not, but perhaps she has decided to do it.
If she starts tutoring, Sendai-san will teach someone else to study, just as she taught me to study.
With that voice, at that distance, just the two of them.
I donât expect them to do anything other than study with her, as expected, but itâs not very interesting.
Since I entered the university, the number of Sendai-san I donât know is increasing. She doesnât talk much about college, so about fifty percent of Sendai-san today is Sendai-san I donât know.
I know she will tell me most things if I ask, but I donât feel like asking if I know I wonât be able to know as vividly as I did in high school even if I did. The thought of adding a new thing to that list that I will never know, a part-time job, makes my head hurt.
I pull the black cat under the covers.
I count the black cat, because Iâve been sleeping well lately, but Iâm about to lose sleep again.
One, two, three.
Instead of sheep, a stuffed black cat flies over the fence.
Meanwhile, Sendai-san, who is working part-time, floats by.
If she starts tutoring, Iâm afraid Sendai-san will go back to breaking all the rules again. If she breaks the rules, I can order her to do it again as a punishment, but I resent the fact that she prioritizes her part-time job. Her commitment to me doesnât have to be the best, but I donât want to be forgotten.
Something that will make Sendai-san remember her promise.
Maybe thatâs the kind of thing she should be punished for.
I think about something like that as I count the cats jumping over the fence. I donât know what it is, but if I keep thinking about it, my mind gets fuzzy.
Over three hundred cats, before reaching four hundred.
I fell asleep before I could think of what to ask Sendai-san to do.
I woke up five minutes before the alarm went off.
I ate breakfast prepared by Sendai-san.
She doesnât say anything about the punishment game.
I left the house, leaving behind the ungrateful information I heard yesterday as well, that she will be late today. I also put away the dishes, get dressed and leave the house.
I wish she didnât have to settle for a part-time job.
As I ride the train, I wish Sendai-san the best of luck.
If we were roommates, I think I should tell her I hope she gets a part-time job, but I donât think I can say that. Although I was the one who told Sendai-san toăact like a roommate,ăI was disappointed that I myself was not able to act like a roommate.
I got off the train and was still in a dull mood about the university.
I enter the lecture hall, find Maika, and sit down next to her.
ăMorning.ă
When I call out to her, she replies, âGood morning.â
ăShiori, you look sleepy for the first time in a while.ă
Maikaâs appearance has changed since she entered college, but her inside is the same. She is still kind and looks at people well.
ăI was reading a book and couldnât stop.ă
I canât say I didnât slept well thinking about Sendai-san.
I lean back in my chair and look at Maika.
Today she wears her hair a little longer than mine in one bun, and I notice the little ornaments on her ears.
ăThat piercing, you opened it yourself, didnât you?ă
ăYeah.ă
ăWasnât it painful?ă
ăFor a moment.ă
ăIt did hurt then.ă
ăIt wasnât as much as I thought it would be, but maybe it depends on the person. Does Shiori want to get pierced too?ă
ăThatâs not what I meant.ă
The little ornaments are cute.
Seeing Maika becoming as pretty as her piercings makes me feel like itâs okay to be that stylish, but I donât want it to hurt, even for a moment. If there was a painless way to do it, I might be willing to get it pierced, but itâs not something Iâd go looking for such a way to do.
However, I am concerned about those small decorations.
I think itâs because Sendai-san didnât want me to wear earrings when I was in high school. Lately, my mind has been trying to connect everything to Sendai-san, and I find myself thinking about her.
ăWhy donât you do it? There are so many cute ones out there, letâs match them up.ă
When she said this, Maika tugged on my ear.
ăHmmâă
I look at Maikaâs earrings.
The small ornament is fastened to a hole in her body.
If only she could keep her promises the same way.
Such a thought comes to my mind.
But I canât pierce Sendai-sanâs ear. She has refused to get her ears pierced, even though she has obeyed most of my commands.
ăIf youâre interested, why donât you go see it with me? Itâs fun to watch whether you do or not. Are you free today?ă
If she asked me if I have time or not, I have more than enough time today. Sendai-san is meeting someone Iâve never seen before, so she wonât be home early.
ăIâm free, letâs go.ă
I enjoy being with Maika and I donât want to be home alone.
Even Sendai-san eats dinner with someone.
Not sure if I would buy the piercings or not, I decided to spend some time with Maika after college.