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After returning home from the prep school, I ate lunch and sent a message to Miyagi. I head from home to Miyagi’s house, where I usually go from school.
The afternoon city is too hot for me, so I choose to walk in the shade.
The sun was shining brightly overhead, hard to believe that this was the same sky that had been dropping rain during the rainy season.
It’s about a fifteen or twenty minute walk.
The distance is so long that it feels like a long walk.
A year ago I would have wanted to turn back, but today I arrive in front of the apartment building where Miyagi lives with enough time to complain about the sky. I had the auto-lock open, took the elevator and got off at the sixth floor. I pressed the intercom in front of the front door, and the door opened immediately.
「I’ve never seen this before.」
During the vacation, the first time I saw Miyagi in her house, which I entered for the first time, my first impression of her was unintentional.
「What is?」
「Your clothes.」
Jeans and T-shirt.
Miyagi, who just welcomes me, is not dressed up, though not in loungewear. Rough clothing suitable for spending time at home was the norm, but it was not a uniform.
Miyagi, in her unfamiliar plain clothes, looked different from the girl I knew, and I took a small breath in and let it out.
「Even Sendai-san wears plain clothes, right?」
「Yeah, but
」
The only thing I have planned for today is to go to a prep school and teach Miyagi how to study, nothing special to worry about. There was no reason to get into the spirit of the event, so I was dressed in shorts and a blouse, a very normal outfit.
「Your legs, it’s long.」
Miyagi looks at me intently.
「Complimenting me won’t produce anything.」
「I wasn’t complimenting you, I was just telling you like I saw it.」
Miyagi says casually and heads for his room. I follow her as usual, which is not always the case, and enter the room. Then Miyagi hands me 5,000 yen.
「Here, this is for Wednesday and Friday.」
「Just wait until after the third time.」
「Three times is hard to figure out, and you can just use the 5,000 yen at the beginning of the week. So now that’s for this week.」
Tutoring her three times a week.
If I get compensation, I prefer to be paid later.
I would feel better if she had three tutoring sessions before I got them.
But Miyagi wants to pay in advance. Moreover, she disagree because this was separated by weeks instead of three times.
「For this week, Monday wasn’t included, so having 5,000 yen is a lot.」
「It’s a hassle, I’ll only have to pay you 5,000 yen.」
Miyagi said sullenly that she was not interested in what she had given me, sat down in front of the table, and opened her textbook.
「Alright. Thanks.」
I have learned that eating into her stubbornness will do me no good but consume my energy in vain. I honestly put 5,000 yen in my wallet and sit down next to Miyagi.
The textbook she opens is an English textbook, and next to it are the handouts and problem books that are assigned as homework.
「So, Sensei. What are we going to do now today?」
When I looked at her in her formal tone of voice, she clearly looked unmotivated.
She’s put down a subject she’s not good at, and she’s going to make me do her homework.
Homework is the same in different classes, and it would be faster for me to just clean up the piles of printouts and problem books. But that is meaningless. She don’t really want me to tutor her, but I should teach what Miyagi doesn’t know and let her do it herself.
「Of course you’re going to study. And stop calling me Sensei.」
「That’s fine. Sendai-sensei says so.」
「You don’t think of me as a teacher. You don’t really want to study, am I right?」
「Because nobody wants to study willingly.」
Then why did you accept the tutoring offer?
I was about to say, and swallowed my words.
I was curious, but I don’t think these are words that should be spoken. If I told her, Miyagi would likely change her mind, and I wouldn’t want her to ask me why I suggested that I tutor her.
「For now, we’ll start with your homework.」
I pick up one of the prints and place it in front of Miyagi.
「I know Sendai-san will do it for me, right?」
「Wrong. Miyagi’s the one doing it. I’ll teach you what you don’t understand.」
「Okay, okay.」
Miyagi said the line I always say to her in a tedious manner and looked down at the printouts. I also spread out my own homework and write the answers on the printouts.
The room is quiet, I look next door.
Miyagi, who had complained, took the problem seriously. Looking at the printout, there are a few things that are wrong, but I will summarize and teach her later and proceed with my own homework.
This is the first time I have come to this room on a day when there is no school, but it is much the same as before. Miyagi has given me 5,000 yen, just as she does on days when there is school, and she is right next to me.
But seeing her during long vacations makes me more involved with this person Miyagi than ever before.
Spring came, I graduated, and I came to her house, even though there was no reason for me to get any closer to Miyagi, whom I would never see again. I sometimes feel uneasy because I don’t know where I am headed, although I have my reasons, such as liking Miyagi or feeling comfortable in this room.
Yet, I continue to choose to come to this room.
I don’t really like myself like this.
It’s like I keep solving unsolvable problems and it makes my head hurt.
「Miyagi. Tomorrow, what will you do?」
I ask, trying to escape the gloom and doom that is not appropriate for summer vacation.
「What exactly?」
「Your schedule for tomorrow」
「Do I have to tell Sendai-san about that?」
Miyagi looks up from her print and sees me.
「It’s not like that, but you could at least chat with me.」
「
 I’m meeting with Maika and others.」
It’s must be Utsunomiya and someone else. “They” must be the ones who have been hanging out with Miyagi since the third year.
「Where are you going?」
「It doesn’t matter where I am going. Sendai-san, you sound like a nagging parent.」
「I don’t think I am as loud as my parents.」
Miyagi don’t really want to clarify her schedule.
Miyagi, who seemed bored before the vacation, had plans, and I was curious what they were. It’s just that, a little small talk. It’s not fun to be called a nag about such things. I rather feel that Miyagi is the one who is nagging me to complain without answering even such a small question. But Miyagi said to me to keep my mouth shut.
「I think you’re too loud.」
「Why don’t we just talk a little bit?」
I poke Miyagi’s arm with my pen.
「I’ll do my homework. Don’t interrupt me.」
Miyagi then runs her pen over the printout. But within a few minutes, she throws the pen away.
「I still don’t want to study. Here, Sendai-san, do this.」
「I don’t want to do this myself. It hasn’t even been an hour.」
「I’ll work harder next time.」
「Then, fix what’s wrong and you’ll continue.」
「What’s the wrong part?」
「For now, here and here. There’s more.」
When I pointed to the wrong part with the tip of my pen, Miyagi counted the number and made a blatantly disgusted face. Still, she erased the wrong answers with an eraser, whether the exchange was attractive or not. I give a little hint to get the right answer and all the mistakes are corrected.
「I’ll do the rest, and Miyagi can do what she’s good at until it’s done. You can take a picture when I’m done.」
「
In the end, you did my homework.」
「Of course.」
I don’t even let her copy the prints I’m planning to fill in. I’m not going to talk about it now, but I will let Miyagi unravel it to some extent.
She didn’t think I was really going to imitate a tutor, and with a reluctant look on her face, she is solving a newly pulled out problem book.
A reasonable amount of homework cannot be completed in a single day.
I spent quite a lot of time steadily and diligently filling in the blanks in the printouts and problem books.
「Do you want to have dinner?」
Miyagi says as she looks over some printouts she has finished.
I was a little surprised because I didn’t expect her to serve dinner during summer vacation the same way she do on weekdays.
I can predict what will be served.
I bet it’s a prepared meal or a retort pouch.
It may not be the same as usual, but eating here is much better than eating at home.
「I’ll have dinner.」
After uttering the obvious answer, Miyagi heads for the kitchen. I follow her out of the room and sit in a chair at the counter table. As I watched Miyagi standing silently in the kitchen, a silver bag was thrown into the hot water and brought out as a curry.
We both join hands in saying “Itadakimasu,” and then take a bite of the curry.
「Retort pouch is fine, but sometimes you have to make it once in a while.」
I drop the curry, which tastes expensive for a retort pouch, into my stomach and then tell Miyagi.
「Why don’t you just use retort pouch for curry? It’s too much trouble to make it.」
「You’re wrong about not being able to make it.」
「If you insist so much, Sendai-san should make it.」
「Well, go ahead and prepare the ingredients.」
It’s bad enough that we have to feast all the time, so I don’t mind at least offering my labor. Whether Miyagi thinks it is delicious or not, if it is simple, it can be made quickly. However, the person who asked me to make it would say something appropriate.
「If I’m in the mood.」
Materials, I don’t think they’re going to be prepared.
Sighing inside at Miyagi’s unenthusiastic reply, I took a mouthful of curry.
Learn more
Dinner is over in a blink of an eye if you just shut up and eat.
I help clean up, drink my tea, and look out the window.
Because I came to Miyagi’s house earlier because we didn’t have school, we ate dinner earlier than usual. Still, the sky behind the lace curtains was dark, and the lights of the street lamps shone like a beacon.
「I’d better get home.」
No one says anything when I arrive home late, but I can’t stay here forever.
I grab my bag from Miyagi’s room and head for the front door.
As I put on my shoes, I hear Miyagi’s voice.
「Sendai-san, are you still in prep school tomorrow?」
「Not just tomorrow, though.」
While I am at prep school, Miyagi is playing with her friends.
Just because I am a student for an entrance exam does not mean I have to study every day. So it’s kind of annoying that Miyagi should have been playing with hers.
I almost open the front door and stop.
I turn and grab Miyagi’s wrist.
「What?」
I pull her in and puts my lips on her neck as she looks at me suspiciously.
I’ve kissed her before, but my heart beats a little faster.
Miyagi pushes my shoulder.
But I can’t stop myself.
I didn’t intend to do this kind of thing, but I pressed my lips hard against it and sucked on it just enough to not leave a mark.
The feel of soft skin on my lips.
The smell of shampoo mixed with Miyagi’s sweat tickles my nose.
I part my lips and touch them lightly again, then slowly look up and let out a small breath at myself for doing such a meaningless thing.
It was hot in the doorway without air conditioning, and my hand was damp as I grabbed Miyagi’s wrist.
「Don’t do anything crazy.」
With a strong voice, the hand that had been gripping me is shaken loose.
「It’s just a little touch, and there’s no mark on it, so it’s not that weird.」
「That’s not what I’m talking about.」
「Today, I not only taught you to study, but I did your homework for you.」
I make up an appropriate reason and tell Miyagi.
「
You never told me that was the system.」
「I didn’t tell you. 」
「The rules, don’t put me on the back burner. I mean, you pretty much did the rest of the printing yourself.」
「But you copied some parts of it.」
I open the front door, uttering words that solidify the reason I made up. When I go out into the hallway of the apartment, Miyagi follow me, complaining, and we ride the elevator together.
We get off at the ground floor and walk together to the entrance.
Before walking out of the apartment, I said, “See you later,” to which Miyagi replied, “Bye-bye,” in a grumpy tone.
Unlike before, I can see what’s next in the goodbye speech.
“See you” on Friday, and no need to contact me, from Miyagi.
I have no promises on the way home, but I do have plans for the day after tomorrow.