CH 223

Sendai-san's winter vacation — 223

Translated by KaiesV

Edited by KaiesV

I hear noises coming from the common area and listen carefully.

After waiting for a while, Sendai-san, who is reasonably late for her part-time job, doesn’t come to my room.

One sigh.

I wasn’t waiting for her, but I had to pass on a message from Maika.

I think it’s going to be a hassle.

I wish Christmas would disappear, but it won’t unless the earth disappears.

I inhale and exhale slowly, then leave the room and knock twice on the next door.

「It’s fine to open it.」

I heard a voice from inside and opened the door. When I stepped into the room, I found Sendai-san, wearing the same ponytail as in the morning, sitting on the bed as if it were against her back.

「I need to talk to you, but, is it alright?」

When I asked, a cheerful voice replied,「Okay」and I sat down next to Sendai-san.

「Do you do this at Christmas too?」

I tug lightly on Sendai-san’s tail made of hair.

「What’s the story, then?」

「No, but. I was just wondering if you’re going to wear a ponytail at the 24th.」

「I’m thinking about doing it, but…」

「Don’t do it.」

I don’t mind ponytails.

I can clearly see the earrings I put on Sendai-san yesterday, and I think she is mine. No one would think that it’s a sign that she is mine, but it seems to bind her so tightly that I want to keep looking at it.

But if she wears it in a ponytail in front of Maika, where I can see her earrings clearly, it will be a hassle.

「Why not just wear a ponytail?」

A light voice comes next to me.

「It’s not good. Maika is going to say something.」

「Do you mean by “something,” are you referring to my earrings?」

「Yes. What’s wrong about that? And did you get it? And she’s going to ask me.」

Maika knows I was looking for earrings.

I didn’t tell her who those earrings belonged to, but if she saw Sendai-san wearing a different pair of earrings than at the school festival, she would surely connect with me at that time.

If Maika were to ask me why I gave the earrings to Sendai-san even though it was neither her birthday nor Christmas, it would be difficult to answer.

「If she asks, I’m going to tell her I got them from Miyagi. It’s not weird to get an earring from your roommate, right?」

「…I don’t want you to tell her.」

I reach for Sendai-san’s ear.

I touch the blue stone and put my lips on it.

I wanted a mark that anyone could see, so on my birthday I pierced Sendai-san’s ear and put an earring in it as an indelible mark, and when that wasn’t enough, I put several indelible marks on my body. And I put a blue stone on it and I still don’t think it’s enough.

Satisfaction only lasts a moment, and it’s always not enough soon enough.

I am sure that when Maika notices Sendai-san’s blue stone, I will feel even more inadequate than I do now. It makes me want to make it more and more obvious that Sendai-san is mine.

I remove my lips from the earring.

If she asks me why I gave the earrings to Sendai-san, I can’t and shouldn’t answer. Even though I think so, there is a part of me that wants to let Maika know that Sendai-san is mine, and I don’t know what to do.

So the earrings should be as inconspicuous as possible.

I hope that my inability to manage the unmanageable emotions that I have inside me, even though I have the piercing to manage Sendai-san, will not confuse me any further.

I set my teeth against her earlobe.

I chew softly and then exert a little force, Sendai-san said quietly.

「I’ll think about whether or not to put it in a ponytail.」

「What about the earrings?」

I release her body and ask the question.

「If Miyagi doesn’t want me to say it, I won’t.」

「Don’t say it.」

「Got it.」

Sendai-san’s hand reaches out and touches my earring.

She strokes the little flower and attaches her lips to it, just as I did.

Her body heat transmitted through my earlobe is pleasant.

Our lips, pledging our promise, part and touch each other’s cheeks.

Fingertips crawl along her neck, tickling and pressing against Sendai-san’s body.

「What about the talk, Miyagi?」

I hear a voice as if nothing happened and I let out a small breath.

I don’t think I want to say it.

But if I don’t, Maika will contact Sendai-san, so there’s no point in keeping quiet.

「I’m talking about Christmas… Maika said let’s exchange gifts within a budget of 2,000 yen.」

「Is that a decision?」

「If you want, I’ll let her know.」

「It’s Christmas-y, and that’s fine.」

Sendai-san said in a flat voice and stared at me.

Sendai-san, whose face was neither soft nor hard, met my gaze and pinched me between the eyes.

「Miyagi, why do you looked like you hated it?」

「The present, I don’t know what to do with them.」

「Why don’t you just give Utsunomiya what she likes?」

「Maika’s has already been decided.」

「…Well, it’s obvious. What are you going to give her?」

I hear Sendai-san’s slightly low voice and reply in a blur.

「It doesn’t matter what it’s about.」

「I do care. Tell me.」

「Aprons. She wanted it.」

「I don’t think you need to bother if you know what you’re doing.」

「I don’t know what’s okay for you, Sendai-san.」

A hundred, no, maybe a thousand steps, getting together for Christmas is fine. But I don’t want the ritual of exchanging gifts not only with Maika but also with Sendai-san. Even choosing the earrings was difficult, but I don’t think it would be so easy to decide on a Christmas present to give to Sendai-san.

「Just whatever you like, Miyagi.」

Sendai-san says irresponsibly and smiles.

「That’s the most troubling thing. Tell me what you want.」

「Anything Miyagi chooses. Is there anything Miyagi wants?」

「Nothing.」

「I see.」

Sendai-san lets out a small breath.

Then she tugged at her earlobe, which was covered with blue stones. But soon her hand leaves her ear and falls to the floor. That hand catches the platypus’s tissue cover and somehow hands it to me.

「Hey, Miyagi. I want to ask you something too.」

「What?」

「Miyagi will not work part-time during winter break, right?」

「I told you before I wouldn’t do it.」

「Right.」

「Is that what you want to ask?」

「Now that’s just a question. What I want to tell is my part-time job.」

「…Sendai-san’s?」

I squeezed the hand of the platypus that was handed to me.

「Yes. I’m thinking of working part-time at the café from last time during winter break, what do you think of it, Miyagi?」

When she said this, Sendai-san stared at me.