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Chapter 79
What I want to do with Miyagi and what Miyagi wants to do with me — 79
Translated by KaiesV
Edited by KaiesV
It’s been about a week since the festival ended, time-wise.
It is neither long nor short.
But I thought it was a long time to say soon.
Miyagi’s message arrived only after the aftermath of the festival had faded and the school was now in full color for the midterm tests. I think it was just as well, because I wouldn’t have known what to do if she had called me right after that.
I can sit next to her without losing my cool, thanks to a period of time that I imagine Miyagi had a hard time seeing me too.
It was hard to come by because we kept passing each other, but the coziness of this room was as good as ever.
「The midterms, are they going to go well?」
I turn to a page in my textbook and ask about the upcoming exam.
「I don’t know.」
「I taught you how to study during the summer vacation.」
「That’s right but… It’s not like I’ll always do well on the test because I’ve been taught.」
「I’m sure you’ll get better grades.」
She did some things during summer vacation that she can’t tell people about, but she also studied a lot more. So it would be strange if the grades didn’t go up, and troubling if they did. But Miyagi doesn’t say「it’s going to go up」or「it’s going to work.」
「The midterms, show me the results when you’re done.」
I poke Miyagi’s arm with a pen as if urging her on.
「Why do I have to show it to Sendai-san?」
「I tutored during the summer vacation. I want to know the result of that, don’t I?」
「That’s true, but…」
「I’ll show you mine.」
「You don’t have to show me.」
「Okay, I won’t show you mine, so Miyagi will show me.」
「It doesn’t matter. My grades don’t matter.」
Miyagi throws down the gauntlet, but I wouldn’t ask him to show me something if I didn’t care about it.
If I know exactly what her grades are, I can find out which universities she is likely to be accepted to. More importantly, it will tell me if she have a chance of going to the same college. I have no right to make Miyagi change her school of choice, nor will I force her to do so. But I would like to know the results of the test.
「It’s not fine. I’m going to get a part-time tutoring job when I get to college, and I’ll use that as a reference.」
「That’s contriving.」
「I’m telling the truth.」
I was going to get some kind of part-time job when I got to college, but I hadn’t decided on tutoring. But it may be an option, so it’s not entirely false.
「Let me see.」
Once again, Miyagi replied in a voice that sounded sincerely disgusted.
「…If you show it and don’t say anything, I’ll show it.」
「With what?」
「Things like low scores, mistakes in these areas, things like that.」
「You wouldn’t say that.」
「Then, I can show it to you.」
Miyagi says, with a look of not wanting to show it.
It sounded doubtful that she would really show it to us, but I had no choice but to believe her words. If I add “promise” or ask her if it is true, she will turn around what she said she would show even if she don’t want to and say she will never show it.
I tell her again that I will just look and not say anything, and then look at the textbook. After solving a few problems, I looked next to her and saw that Miyagi was looking down but not at her textbook or problem sets.
The quiet room was filled with the rhythmic tapping of fingertips on the table. That is the sound Miyagi is making, which is not loud, but it bothers me and I can’t concentrate. Of course, the person making the noise does not seem to be concentrating either.
What on earth is this?
Recently, though it goes back to before the school festival, Miyagi had been studying diligently. Today, however, she seems unmotivated.
Midterm tests are coming up.
I need to study diligently or I will be in trouble.
I was about to call out to Miyagi, who kept tapping the table with his fingertips, but she called out to me first.
「Sendai-san?」
「What?」
The thumping sound stops.
And Miyagi becomes quiet.
She does not speak, even though I have called her.
「Miyagi?」
I look at Miyagi, who is not supposed to call me without any topic. Then, after a short pause, I hear a small voice.
「…Sendai-san’s birthday, when was it?」
「My birthday? Why all of a sudden?」
The unexpected words made me listen to them back.
「For whatever reason.」
「When was Miyagi’s?」
「September. I’m done. Forget about me. Tell me your birthday, Sendai-san.」
She don’t want to say it, or I’m the one who’s listening.
I thought I would get such a complaint back, but the answer came easily. That’s an attitude that I don’t even seem to have time to complain about, and I’ll answer honestly.
「Hazuki.」
「That, that’s your name.」
「Not that. Satsuki, Minazuki, Fumizuki.」
As the names of the months of the lunar calendar are said in order, starting with May, Miyagi realizes that “Hazuki” has a meaning other than its name.
「—August?」
「Yes, I was born in August, so I was born in Hazuki. Simple, isn’t it?」
In Japanese-style month names, August is the month of leaves.
Therefore, I was born in August and named Hazuki. I like the sound of Hazuki, although I don’t think it’s a very particular way of naming it.
「So, what is it?」
I ask Miyagi, unsure of the meaning of the birthday question asked so abruptly. However, she did not comment on the relationship between the birth month and the name, nor did she ask me the date of my birth, but remained silent. I think that’s a pale response for asking me to tell her my birthday.
What is it about situations where only the month of the birthday is needed?
Miyagi looked down after saying August, so I don’t know why she asked me about my birthday even more.
「If what you’ve heard doesn’t particularly mean anything to you, just study.」
Miyagi says things that don’t make sense, but she doesn’t say many nonsensical words. So I don’t think there is any point in asking her about her birthday, but since she won’t answer when I ask, I don’t have a choice.
I look down at my textbook.
But instead of studying, Miyagi suddenly stood up. She then brought a small box from her desk drawer.
「Here, I’ll give you this.」
With an emotionless voice, Miyagi places that box on top of my textbook.
「What do you mean, giving it to me?」
I look at the long, narrow box placed in front of me.
「…What’s that? There’s something in there for you.」
「I understand that, but it’s not that. Why all of a sudden something like a gift?」
「It’s fine, nothing to worry about. I said I’ll give it to you, so take it.」
I didn’t really have to ask, I knew what the box was for. I just wanted to answer in Miyagi’s own words.
「Are you sure this is a birthday present?」
I don’t think Miyagi will give me the right answer when I pursue it, so I’m going to utter the answer myself.
「If Sendai-san thinks so, then it’s a birthday present.」
It’s really not straightforward.
The little box is nicely wrapped and claims to have been prepared on purpose. If someone asks me when my birthday is and something like this comes up, I know it’s a birthday present even if they don’t tell me. I don’t understand why Miyagi doesn’t approve. Furthermore, I don’t know what Miyagi meant by my birthday present.
It seems odd that she would prepare a gift for a birthday she did not even know about, and we are not on the same birthday gift-sending relationship.
「What were you going to do if my birthday hadn’t come and gone?」
「I don’t care. Even if this was a birthday present, there is no rule that says I have to give it on the same day.」
「There must be a reason you went to such lengths to give me a birthday present.」
「If you don’t want it, return it.」
Miyagi says roughly. Then, without waiting for my reply, she tries to take the box on top of the textbook, so I quickly grab her hand.
「Wait. What happens if I return this?」
「Throw it away.」
「You say things like that right away. You don’t have to throw it away.」
「It’s something I don’t use, and I don’t have anyone else to give it to.」
The mystery of the birthday present that was not supposed to be prepared for no reason is still unsolved. But it seems I don’t have time to solve the mystery leisurely. If I hesitate to take it, Miyagi will really trash the box with its contents.
「I’ll take it for now, so give it to me.」
I rescue the little box from Miyagi’s hands.
「Can I open it?」
「If you don’t open it, there’s no point in giving it to you.」
Miyagi says as if throwing words out. She seems not to be in a very good mood, judging from the way she is poking at me at every turn.
Miyagi looks at the beautifully wrapped box with a mouth full of 99% cacao chocolate. I’ve never seen anyone hand me a birthday present with such a grumpy face. Miyagi must be the first and the last.
It’s hard to open.
I let out a small breath at the piercing stare. I carefully peel off the wrapping with peripatetic care and open the box. Then, inside, a silver necklace—— If I had to classify it, I would probably call it a pendant, but it contained an accessory anyway.
With a small moon motif dangling from it, it seemed too cute to me. I pick it up and look at the ornaments and chains, thinking that Miyagi might suit it better. I checked the brand to see if it was expensive, but she said it was not like that.
I have already received 5,000 yen from Miyagi. Whether this accessory is a birthday present or not, I am not so thick-skinned as to be okay with receiving more stuff.
「I’ll give you something in return. What would you like?」
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I ask as I put the pendant back in the box.
「I don’t need anything.」
「You mean anything?」
「You don’t have to give me a gift or anything.」
Miyagi says in an unexpectedly strong tone.
「It’s a pretty hurtful thing to say. That…」
It is common to give or receive a small gift in return for a piece of candy or a borrowed notebook. It is even polite to return a birthday gift when you receive it, and Miyagi, who strongly refuses to accept it, is not a person who’s feeling the atmosphere. No, I think she might have gotten it if it wasn’t from me.
For example, from Utsunomiya.
This is something I’d prefer not to think about too much, and I close the lid of the box.
「I’m the only one who can give you something. That doesn’t matter. Put it on now. That’s an order.」
After saying this, Miyagi opened the box that I had just closed.
「Fine, but. I thought these things were supposed to be put on by the person who gave them to you.」
「Put it on yourself.」
「Usually, you’d say you put it on for you.」
「I’m not saying it.」
Miyagi says softly, though it was to be expected.
This part is not cute.
「Oh, really?」
She don’t want to wear it to me, but I don’t think it’s funny the way Miyagi says it. But it’s useless to say anything to her now. If I say something trivial, it is bound to come back as an order, and it is an order that will not be good.
I take the pendant out of the box.
Then I remove the clasp and slowly put it on.