The three of us went out to eat and came home together.
I am now stuffed with Miyagi.
Miyagiâs face is grim because Utsunomiya, who was in this room about two hours ago, is no longer here.
ăWhat were you really talking about with Maika, is it true?ă
She asks in a low voice that she would hardly ever utter in front of Utsunomiya.
ăWhat do you mean, what were we talking about?ă
ăWhile I was in the bathroom, you two were talking about something.ă
Miyagi looks at me with a look that seems to say on her forehead that sheâs curious.
Her mood is as bad as it looks.
Earlier I was sitting diagonally in front of her, but now I can tell because she is sitting next to me. The air she wear is spiky and prickly when I was around her. I am happy to have Miyagi next to me again, but I am not happy to see her in a bad mood.
ăItâs not a big deal. You know what Utsunomiya said.ă
In fact, we are talking about a commonplace story.
Calling them by their first names is a common story among people who are on the verge of becoming friends, and it is not something to be hidden. It would be better not to tell them the true feelings that Utsunomiya revealed, but other than that, it is a very normal story. Nor did she promise not to tell Miyagi.
But I have a feeling that if I told Miyagi, she would be in an even worse mood.
ăYouâre absolutely lying. You were talking about something else.ă
ăDo you doubt Utsunomiya?ă
ăI have my doubts about you, Sendai-san.ă
Miyagi says once and for all.
I think it is unreasonable that I am the only one suspected.
I know there is no way I can compete with Utsunomiya for credibility and win, but she treats me too badly.
ăWe only talked about how Miyagi had chosen this platypus, or how I was teaching you how to study as a thank you for lending me money. I promised not to say anything weird, and I didnât talk about anything that Miyagi wouldnât like.ă
If I can fool her here, I want to fool her.
Miyagi does not seem to think well of my closeness to Utsunomiya, so if I told her everything we had talked about, she would think I was getting too close to Utsunomiya, and if I didnât do well, she would think I was trying to win her friendship. We donât want to be misunderstood by going out of our way to talk about things we donât need to talk about.
ăReally?ă
ăReally. What does Miyagi think I told her?ă
ăThings I donât want you to talk about.ă
ăWhat does that mean?ă
ăYou know what Iâm talking about.ă
Most of what we did in high school is what Miyagi wants to keep hidden from Utsunomiya. But thatâs not just true for Miyagi, itâs true for me too.
ăDonât worry, weâre only talking about normal things. If it bothers you so much, ask Utsunomiya.ă
Miyagiâs eyes go down at my words.
I donât know what she is thinking, but she doesnât want to look at me.
I have not said anything that would arouse suspicion, but I think Miyagi might be concerned that Utsunomiya and I seem to be getting too close to each other. I do not mean to take Utsunomiya away from Miyagi, but it is not surprising that Utsunomiya felt as she did, âI felt like I was left out.â
ăââSendai-san. Turn around here.ă
Miyagi, who had been silent, turns her body toward me and pulls my arm.
ăI already did though.ă
I have been looking at Miyagi for a while now.
But she didnât like it and wrinkled her brow.
ăMore properly.ă
She tugs on my arm again, and I turn my body as well as my face toward Miyagi and ask,ăIs this okay?ăBut there is no answer, no hand leaves my arm.
ăMiyagi?ă
I call her name, and her hand, which had remained attached to my arm, gets stronger. Then Miyagi brings her face close to mine.
Probably, she kisses me.
I closed my eyes, immediately anticipating what was about to be done to me, and something soft touched my lips. Just when I thought the kiss was going to be a pause to feel the body heat, something wet is pressed against my lips.
This is rare.
Miyagi would kiss me or try to put her tongue in me.
The temperature in the room is the same, but my body is hot.
Why, or why not, comes to my mind, but my body chooses to feel Miyagi on its own. There is a momentary pause of hesitation as I open my lips thinly, and then slowly Miyagiâs body heat enters me.
The tips of our tongues touch and mingle.
It was soft and moist, moving with reserve, and feels comfortable with me, as if it were made for me. The heat from our overlapping lips, from the tongue exploring my mouth, from all the overlapping parts, melts into me.
I wanted more Miyagi, so I moved my tongue from my side and the hand that was holding my arm tightened. And then both tongue and lips escape me. Still wanting to kiss her again, I try to bring my face close to hers, and I hear her grumbling.
ăTell me what the two of you were talking about.ă
Ahh, I see now.
I forgot.
Miyagi rarely kisses me for no reason.
ăIs this a term of exchange?ă
I say the words that she intentionally left out.
ăI donât mind if you think so.ă
Kissing has been the price in the past. And this is not the first time these kisses have happened, and even more than that. I would be happy if Miyagi kissed me, even if it was in exchange.
So the kiss doesnât have to be anything special.
But this kiss now seems special.
Thatâs because Miyagi chose me as her partner, despite the fact that there were two other people with whom she could make an exchange.
ăWhy did you choose me instead of Utsunomiya as the person to talk to?ă
When I asked, Miyagiâs gaze fell to the floor.
If there was a reason, I would want to know, but she wouldnât say anything.
ăYou could even ask Utsunomiya in exchange for buying dinner or whatever. I mean, Iâm sure Utsunomiya would be willing to talk to you without an exchange clause.ă
ăYou donât know that. Maika, she might not talk to me.ă
Miyagi looks at me and blurts it out like she is talking to herself.
Excuses are not excuses.
If it were Utsunomiya, Miyagi would have told me if she insisted. If there is something that Utsunomiya wonât tell her, she can simply ask me only then, and didnât bother to choose me first.
I wanted to kiss her.
Still, I am tempted to think that is why she chose me as the first person to ask. I think this story is too convenient for me, but I am inclined to think so.
I am trying to find a deeper meaning in the fact that they chose me and not Utsunomiya as the exchange partner. I would like to think that Miyagi has feelings similar to, if not the same as mine.
ăSendai-san, tell me about it.ă
I donât want to tell her.
I donât want to tell her unless she tells me more clearly, properly, and convincingly why she chose me.
But if I said such a thing, Miyagi would surely say,ăThatâs enough.ă
ăThen, kiss me once more.ă
I donât care if itâs for a price.
I would like her to do it again, starting with Miyagi.
ăIâll kiss you and swear on my earring that youâll never talk to her.ă
ăOkay.ă
I reach out and touch Miyagiâs earring. I stroked the plumeria flower with my thumb and declares,ăIf Miyagi kisses me again, Iâll tell you about it properly.ă
ăIs this okay?ă
I ask, stroking her cheek from earlobe to earlobe, and Miyagi pulls a face.
She closed her eyes from me, and our lips immediately overlap.
I didnât add it as a condition, but it was soft in my mouth.
Just swear on the earrings and Miyagi will kiss me like a grown adult.
I hope Miyagi will always be this kind of honest Miyagi.
I know it is a difficult task.
But I want to kiss Miyagi whenever I want, however I want.
Miyagiâs hands touch my waist.
A little closer, her lips press hard against mine.
But our lips part faster than the kiss we just had.
ăSendai-san, we kissed.ă
Miyagi says clerically.
The two things I have talked about with Utsunomiya that I have not told Miyagi are Utsunomiyaâs real intention and her request that I call her by her first name. I have not promised not to talk about it, but I shouldnât talk about Utsunomiyaâs true intentions without permission, and I am not going to talk about it, so I will talk about the other one.
But I donât want to tell Miyagi because she might misunderstand me.
I think Iâd like to mislead her appropriately.
I donât want Miyagi to think Iâm going to take Utsunomiya, and I donât want Miyagi to keep me away, even if only temporarily. I donât need to be liked, but I donât want to be hated.
ăSendai-san.ă
Miyagi calls my name strongly.
ăToday, when I went to pick up Maika and we were walking together, I saw the tortoiseshell cat that you, Sendai-san mentioned. I now know that what Sendai-san said is true, and Iâm willing to trust you a little more, so youâd better keep your promise now.ă
I let out a small gasp when I hear a very serious voice.
I donât want to lose the trust, even if itâs only for a little while.
ăI was just talking about what to call each other.ă
ăTo call each other?ă
ăYes. She was talking about calling me Hazuki.ă
ăâŠMaika, did she call you like that?ă
Miyagi looks straight at me and says.
ăToday, since then, Utsunomiya, did she call me Hazuki?ă
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Unmute
ăShe didnât call you like that.ă
ăThatâs what I meant. Miyagi didnât call me Hazuki, so she told me to call me Sendai-san until Miyagi calls me Hazuki.ă
When I say this, Miyagi falls silent.
I wondered what he was thinking about, her gaze falling once to the floor and then back to me again. Then he quietly said,
ăâŠIs that what Sendai-san calls Maika?ă
ăI called her Utsunomiya the whole day. When we talked, I said I would call her Utsunomiya until sheâll call me Hazuki. ââAnyway, thatâs all Miyagi wanted to know. The rest is really just high school and stuff.ă
I conclude my story before Miyagi thinks of anything else.
If I talk too long, I may say something that may not be a big deal to me, but will be a big deal to Miyagi.
ăHey, Miyagi.ă
I lean back against my bed.
ăWhat?ă
ăYou can call me Hazuki.ă
She wonât call me like that, but Iâll say something.
ăIf I call you Hazuki, Maika will call you Hazuki too, right?ă
ăThatâs what the talk is about.ă
ăâŠIâll call you Sendai-san.ă
After thinking about it for a moment, Miyagi clarified.