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Chapter 68
I can't sleep because of Sendai-san — 68
Translated by KaiesV
Edited by KaiesV
Order. Order. A bland order.
I close the textbook, wondering what it is.
If I don’t say something soon, Sendai-san will start talking about something else.
I remove my gaze from Sendai-san in front of me and look around the room. The bed, the closet, the wardrobe. A bookcase catches my eye and I decide on an order.
「Read a book.」
「Which book?」
「The boring one.」
「That’s interesting, no?」
「I’m more likely to fall asleep if the book looks boring.」
「So that’s the reason.」
Sendai-san stands up when she realizes that she is being used as a lullaby. Then she went to the bookshelf, brought a book without bothering to read it, and sat down beside the bed.
「Is this fine? It sounds like a book report assignment, and it’s a good one, and it’ll put you to sleep.」
「I mean, that’s the book we were assigned in middle school.」
A 1st year or 2nd year.
The book that Sendai-san has is an assignment book for either of those two years. I read it to write a book report, but I remember I had a hard time falling asleep when I read it.
「Read that.」
Sitting on the bed, I command Sendai-san.
「Okay.」
Her slender fingers open a novel that has been sleeping on the bookshelf.
On the side with the pillow, I see the profile of Sendai-san sitting on the floor with her legs collapsed.
I hear the sound of pages being rolled up and stories being read.
The same order has been given many times in the past, and Sendai-san reads the novel without stagnation as she has done before. Not too loud, not too quiet, the voice is just right for this room. Her soft voice is nicer to the ear than it sounds in the classroom.
Sendai-san, reading a book, is much the same as she was before the summer vacation.
I usually want to lie down right away and get sleepy because I don’t know what’s so interesting about the novel being read out loud. But today, as usual, I couldn’t seem to sleep. I couldn’t even think about lying down.
It is not Sendai-san’s fault.
Maybe this is my problem.
When I graduate, I won’t be able to hear this voice anymore.
I was suddenly concerned about such a trivial matter because it was clear that she was going to be far away from where I thought she was, even though I should have delimited it myself.
I knew, but did not understand, that we would no longer see each other by chance.
「I thought you were going to sleep?」
The boring story abruptly breaks off and turns into a story about me not lying down forever.
「I’m going to sleep, go on.」
As I lay my body on the bed without even a hint of sleep, Sendai-san’s hand reaches out to me. Her hand stroked my hair without hesitation and I pushed her hand away.
「Continue reading.」
There is no reply, but the interrupted story is heard again.
A clear voice tickles my ears.
I don’t want to sleep, so I look at Sendai-san without closing my eyes.
Her hair is hanging over her well-groomed face and I find it disturbing.
Maybe I shouldn’t have said untie her hair.
At the end of the bed, as I lean closer to Sendai-san, her voice is a little closer.
My gaze is fixed on a button that has been removed.
I can just see a little bit of her collarbone now, but I have seen beyond that.
A hotter summer vacation than now.
When I ordered her to take off her clothes, Sendai-san did so without hesitation.
It’s something that won’t happen again in the future, and I’ll never see her body again.
I reach over to Sendai-san and pull her hair.
College sounds so much more boring than the story that is being read out to me right now.
「Where were you looking?」
I thought she was going to complain about the pain, but I was told differently.
「Sendai-san is in front of me, so I was just looking at Sendai-san.」
When I mention the general facts, I hear a skeptical「Hmm.」But she says nothing more than that. She put the novel down on the bed and turned to face me, and she gave one small sigh. Then she tugged at my bangs.
「Close your eyes. You’re going to sleep, right?」
Sendai-san’s hand covers my eyes.
The brightly lit room becomes dark and I can no longer see anything.
Sendai-san is at the end of the line of sight.
I didn’t intend to match, but our eyes meet.
——Too close.
I am closer to Sendai-san than I was a moment ago.
I hurriedly let go of her hand that was holding on to me and hit the novel she had put down. A book fell out with a thud, but Sendai-san did not try to pick it up.
「Sendai-san, you need to get a little further away from me.」
「But Miyagi did approached me.」
I was the first to approach her.
I admit that.
But I don’t remember getting this close.
Somehow, Sendai-san is peering at me.
「Even if that’s the case, Sendai-san is approaching me, isn’t that right?」
「It might be?」
「That’s right, you know? And you don’t have to read this close to me.」
I tried pushing her shoulder lightly, but she wouldn’t listen to me.
Her hand touches my earlobe.
It was stroked softly, pinched and pulled.
Her fingertips crawl behind my ears, tickling me badly.
Sendai-san’s hand kept touching me gently, reminding me of a summer day, and I tapped her arm.
「Sorry.」
She looked surprised for a moment, and Sendai-san quickly apologized. Then she sat down flat on the floor.
「Pick it up.」
When I raise myself up and point to the book that fell out, Sendai-san takes it honestly in her hand. The book flipped through the pages and stopped at a page that would have contained the rest of the story.
「I’ll continue reading, right?」
Sendai-san says flatly.
「You don’t have to read it anymore.」
「You’re not gonna sleep?」
「I’m not.」
The exact words are “I can’t sleep,” but I don’t need to tell her the exact words. I take the book from Sendai-san and place it on my pillow.
I don’t get out of bed, though my homework is thrown out without being finished. Sendai-san, who had become short-handed, did not head for the table either.
And because the order was given halfway through, the room became awfully quiet. It’s not a very nice silence and I can’t sit quietly. I want to do something, and my fingertips tap the book.
Only a small thumping sound can be heard.
Sendai-san leans back against the bed.
From the bed, I can see her normally invisible whiskers. As I was thinking that I could reach out and touch them, Mr. Sendai said,「Ah, right,」as if remembering, and continued her words.
「Has Miyagi’s class decided what they will do for the festival?」
Next month, a scheduled school event rolls out of her mouth and I jump on it.
「Not yet. Sendai-san’s class?」
「We’re not going to do it at our place, so we’re going to have to fool around with displays and such.」
「That’s nice.」
The conversation that began abruptly is much better than the two of us being silent and somehow continue talking.
If we could have this kind of peaceful talk, I wish we had done it long ago. It’s much better than talking about tedious examinations. We are still a bit jerky, but we are getting closer to our usual selves.
「Isn’t that how it is in Miyagi?」
「It’s the last festival in high school, and they’re excited to do something memorable.」
I think it’s a hassle.
Half of my classmates are excited and talking about doing something. The other half of the class seems to think it’s appropriate, but no one can complain because a prominent member of the class is taking the lead in the conversation.
「Miyagi as well?」
「I’m not much. I just thought it was appropriate.」
「This way, it’s easy.」
Sendai-san turns around and laughs.
I wish we were in the same class.
I almost say this to her soft smile, but then I stop talking.
「I think it’s time we continue with the homework.」
Sendai-san glances at the table.
「I won’t do it.」
「If not then, should I read the book?」
「
I guess were doing homework.」
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「Then, come here.」
「I’ll go even if you don’t tell me to.」
I got off the bed and sat down across from Sendai-san.