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I finish my makeup and stare at my ears in the mirror.
The ones I gave Miyagi for her birthday.
But they are also the ones I wanted.
A pair of commemorative piercings opened by Miyagi on her birthday.
It has one on the right and one on the left.
The high school days seem a long way off when we said it was against the rules to create scars that would stay on our body forever.
Two days after the piercing was made.
The little ornament that Miyagi put on me is much more at home with me than I thought it would be. It made my feelings for Miyagi stronger and more certain, and I never get tired of seeing it again and again.
I touch the piercing.
It feels not so different from when I ran my fingers over Miyagi’s ear, and I let out a small breath.
「Just in case, we two have the same.」
If I told Miyagi, she would not like it, but my earrings are the same as the ones Miyagi wore in the past. These days she only wears earrings in the shape of plumeria flowers that I gave her, but it’s heartening to know that she once wore the same ones I did.
What did Miyagi do with the first piercing I put in her ear?
Is it tucked away somewhere or did she throw it away?
I want to ask, but I can’t because I don’t want to be told that she have thrown it away.
I wouldn’t throw away these earrings. I could wear it all the time. But since I’ve gone through the trouble of getting pierced, I’d also like to wear other piercings.
For example, the earrings Miyagi chose to wear.
「I guess it’s impossible.」
I let out one sigh.
It’s hard enough just to make an opportunity for the two of us to go out together, but to make her choose a pair of earrings seems as difficult as teaching a stray cat how to “play house.” By the time a month or so passes, when the piercing hole is stable and the day comes when Miyagi can chew on my ear, I doubt that the stray cat will have turned into an obedient dog, so if she wants to buy a new piercing, she’ll have to choose one herself.
Well, it’s only been two days since I got my piercings.
If she does buy new earrings, I won’t rush her to buy them.
For now, I’ll just be happy to have my new treasures. We can think about what will happen in a month’s time. Maybe a miracle will happen, and by then Miyagi will be a stray cat playing with her hands.
I tug at my earlobes, decorated with pierced ears, then look at my watch.
It’s too early to go to college.
I decide to leave the house after having something to drink and open the door to my room. When I go to the common area, Miyagi is there.
「You’re already going?」
When I called out to her, Miyagi looked at me.
I have felt Miyagi’s gaze in my ear ever since I had my earrings pierced, as well as when we were eating. Miyagi has been watching me for not a few hours since the night of my birthday.
「Yeah.」
They don’t look out of place.
Miyagi stares unreservedly at my earrings.
I didn’t realize there was such an option for piercing.
Punching holes in the ears.
That’s all it takes to take the eye of Miyagi.
I don’t just want the eyes, I want something else as well. If I can draw Miyagi to me by offering any part of my body, I will offer as much as I can. I would give anything if Miyagi wants it.
If I ask her what she wants, will Miyagi give me an answer?
Trapped in thoughts that are not healthy, I am brought back to reality by the sound of Miyagi’s voice.
「Sendai-san, are you still not going?」
I exhale a small breath, dismayed at myself for thinking that there was nothing else I could offer.
I am too encroached upon by Miyagi. Miyagi is taking up too much of my life, and I think everything is about to be painted over with Miyagi. If Miyagi covered everything that was left over of who I am, I would be a little afraid of where I would be inside of me.
「Sendai-san?」
Miyagi calls me in silence.
I can’t go on forever without answering a question that could be answered immediately. I look at Miyagi and smile.
「I’m not going yet. I’m going to coat you the lipstick, Miyagi.」
Her lips are not used to the lipstick I gave her.
「You don’t have to coat. I’m going to go now.」
Miyagi, perhaps not liking my answer, makes a blatantly disgusted face.
「You won’t use the lipstick?」
「It doesn’t have to be now for me to use it. Besides, I used it once the day I got it.」
「Use it everyday.」
I am glad that Miyagi is using what I gave her.
I hope she will use the lipstick just as the stuffed black cat is always in her room.
「I don’t want to.」
「Well, if I say, “I’ll do anything for you, Miyagi,” will you let me apply your lipstick?」
It’s a better opinion than trying to figure out what part of the body to offer up, and I hope she actually use the lip I gave her.
「
What do you mean by “anything”?」
「Anything within the bounds of common sense.」
Miyagi looks at me with a difficult face.
There is no need to think about it, because applying lipstick is not a big deal. There is a discrepancy between my common sense and Miyagi’s, but there is no way I wouldn’t follow Miyagi’s, so the word “common sense” shouldn’t be a problem. And yet, Miyagi thought about it for a full minute before answering.
「Sendai-san, you better keep that promise.」
「I’ll take good care of that, bring me the lipstick.」
When I say this, Miyagi looks twice as disgusted as before and pulls out a lip from the bag she was carrying and hands it to me.
It’s not left in the room.
I swallow the words that almost come out of my mouth.
Maybe if I said that, Miyagi would take lipstick away from me and go to college.
「So what does Miyagi want me to do?」
「I haven’t decided yet. Can it wait until later?」
「Okay. Then, close your eyes.」
I say quietly, and Miyagi closes her eyes without defying me.
She doesn’t have to close her eyes to apply lipstick, but she wants me to close them. I still wanted to taste the tip of her lips, so I tried to kiss her more deeply, but she kicked me in the leg. I had no choice but to pull away, and Miyagi kicked my leg again.
「I thought you’re just going to coat the lipstick.」
「I forgot.」
I smiled and removed the cap from the lipstick. Then, Miyagi closes her eyes once more as I brought it closer with its sweet aroma.
Slowly and carefully.
I color her soft lips.
「Okay. It’s done.」
A delicious scent was coming from Miyagi.
I want to kiss her again, but I didn’t, because if I do, she won’t let me apply the lipstick anymore.
「
Thank you. I should go now.」
When I said that, Miyagi took the lipstick from my hand and put it in her bag. Then, as she was about to leave the house without me, I grabbed Miyagi’s arm.
「Wait a minute. I’ll come with you.」
「I don’t want to. Go after me.」
「Eh, wait for me.」
「I’m not waiting.」
Miyagi shakes off my hand and leaves the common space, and I rush back to my room. I grab my bag and make a short run to the front door. When I put on my shoes and open the door, I see Miyagi and involuntarily let out a “wah” sound.
「You waited for me?」
「I didn’t.」
Miyagi looked me in the ear and then started to walk away. I lock the door and then follow Miyagi.