CH 47

Surely, a one-day-at-a-time schedule is not the way to go.

I can afford to think about what I did yesterday and what I am doing today.

When I think about it repeatedly, it stays strong in my memory. It is the same as studying. On the way from home to the prep school, from the prep school to home, while taking a bath, on the bed before falling asleep. There were plenty of gaps for Miyagi to get into. So today, which is now Friday, I am still wondering what Miyagi did yesterday.

There’s only so much a high school student can do during summer vacation, so I can only anticipate where she went.

Karaoke, shopping, watching movies, going to amusement parks, etc.

That’s about it, and there should be no indication that she went to a particularly unusual place.

Where did you go yesterday?

I could ask her now, but I don’t expect her to answer today what she didn’t answer when I asked her on Wednesday.

「Sendai-san, I don’t get it here.」

Miyagi, sitting next to me, points to the top of the unfolded problem book with a pen.

「Ahh, this is——」

It is not so difficult to pull what I need from memory and say it. I know that this kind of thing is not tutoring and not worth getting paid for. But I couldn’t come to Miyagi’s house during the vacations without any reason, so I made up a reason.

I think Miyagi is aware of that.

Even the kiss on the neck that I gave her for doing her homework, Miyagi had every right to be angry. She don’t have to follow my argument that I am not working for 5,000 yen.

Then why didn’t she get really angry after kissing her?

I would like to ask, but I don’t think they would answer this either if I asked. As the number of unmentionables increases in this way, I fear that one day I will choke.

「…Yesterday, where did you go?」

Of the two words I had swallowed, I uttered the easier one to hear.

「I’ll answer if you do my homework.」

Miyagi simply answers and places the problem book in front of me.

Well, this is how it goes, isn’t it?

She probably doesn’t intend to answer, because she probably thinks I won’t do her homework.

「I think we should call this a night.」

I closed Miyagi’s problem book and lean back on the bed.

「Isn’t it early?」

It’s only been an hour since we started studying, so if you ask me if it’s early or late, it’s early. This is not the time to say it’s over, so I’ll make one suggestion.

「It’s early. You can order me around.」

「What’s that?」

「It’s not the kind of time to finish studying, and I’m not teaching Monday, so that means you can order me around for that.」

In the first place, I would not utter the words that this is not tutoring.

「Stop making up new rules on your own like that.」

「There’s a handy word in the world called resourcefulness, and that’s okay.」

「It’s not okay.」

「Then, Miyagi can decide. Suggest something other than orders.」

Anything I do instead of leaving tutoring early is fine. I tossed everything to Miyagi because I was not sticking to the order, and Miyagi changed his opinion, as if she had no other ideas.

「… I’ll command you.」

「Alright. What do you want me to do?」

「Now Sendai-san will take me to her house.」

「Hah?」

「It’s always been my house, and it’s fine to go to Sendai-san’s house once in a while.」

Why did you decide to give such an order?

I would like to smash Miyagi’s head and crack it open to see what’s inside.

I have never invited friends over to my house since I started high school until now. I have been asked several times to go visit, but I have turned them all down. It is not likely that my parents will come out of the house just because my friends are here, but there is a possibility that they will bump into each other.

If that happened, it would surely be a hassle. I didn’t want to go out of my way to let people know that I was not on good terms with my family, and I didn’t want to let people into my territory.

「I’m just kidding.」

Miyagi looks bored and opens the problem book I closed.

「I haven’t said anything about this yet.」

「I know you’re going to say no.」

「I don’t know that, you know?」

Saying so, I lightly slapped Miyagi’s thigh, who was wearing shorts like I was the day before yesterday, and she shook my hand off.

Perhaps this is a bad mood.

I suck in a breath and stand up vigorously.

「Let’s go, Miyagi.」

「Eh?」

「Eh, that’s not it. You told me to take you to my house. Right, Miyagi?」

「That’s right.」

「If you won’t go, sit down.」

I’m not inclined to do so, but I’m willing to let Miyagi into my room. But if the person who said it was not willing to go, there is no need to force her to go to my house.

「I’m going, but are you going with me?」

Before I could sit down, Miyagi got up and said something ridiculous.

「You won’t understand unless we go together. Miyagi, do you know where I live?」

「I don’t know.」

Of course.

She have never asked me where I lived, nor have I ever told her. I can’t go alone to places I don’t understand, so I have to go with them. But Miyagi stood up and would not move.

「If you have something to say, say it.」

「…Are you sure you don’t want to be seen walking alone with me?」

I don’t talk to anyone about what happened after school, and I don’t talk to anyone at school.

Because of that promise, no one knows that I am meeting with Miyagi. It has always been our secret and will remain our secret. So she might want to say that I don’t walk together, but I might at least meet a former classmate by chance and walk together, and it would be a hassle to go separately to the same place.

「It’s fine, I won’t mind.」

Miyagi bites back with a short answer.

「Tell me and we’ll go separately. It’s better that way.」

I don’t know if she is concerned about me or if she just doesn’t want to see hee own friends, but she spoiled me by not wanting to go with them.

「It’s a hassle, and you should just go with me. I don’t want Miyagi to get lost.」

「With a map, I won’t get lost. And I’m not directionally challenged.」

「Even if you do, you’ll go with me. It’s not that far from here, and we won’t run into anyone if we walk together.」

The only acquaintance I’ve ever bumped into near my home is Miyagi. She wouldn’t even meet her friends.

I clear the table and grab Miyagi’s wrist. Then I left the room, dragging her with me.

「We’re going to walk for about 20 minutes.」

I said as I put on my shoes at the door.

「That’s far.」

「It’s just near.」

If we walk quickly, we can get there in fifteen minutes, so it’s not that far.

We take the elevator to the entrance. I walk slowly out of the apartment and Miyagi follows a little behind me. I stop and wait for her.

「Can we stop at a convenience store on the way?」

I ask Miyagi, who has come up next to me.

「It’s fine.」

「Then, let’s go.」

I paced and headed home, trying not to leave Miyagi behind.