Chapter 63: I can do this kind of thing with Sendai-san — 63
Translated by KaiesV
Edited by KaiesV
I don’t have anything in particular.
There is no place I should go, no place I want to go, but Maika invited because it was the last Sunday of the sumr vacation.
We wander around and look at stores and argue about this and that, and have silly chats at the cafes we’ve been to many tis since we started high school.
It was a Sunday with nothing of note.
Maika is cutting pancakes in front of , and I am relieved to see that sumr vacation is not so different from last year. When I was alone, all I could think about was Sendai-san, so I was glad Maika invited .
「Ah—ah, tomorrow is the end of sumr vacation…」
Maika lants and tucks into her pancake.
「Shiori, did you finish your howork?」
「I finished it.」
「Did you change your mind when you took the exam or sothing like that? As I recall, last year you did your howork until the last minute, right?」
「Now that I’m in my third year, I thought I’d take it a little more seriously.」
It was because Sendai-san was there.
I can’t say that, so I speak my public thoughts and pour maple syrup on my French toast.
Taking a bite, the surface is crunchy but the inside is fluffy and soft like pudding. When swallowed, the taste of maple syrup, which is not too sweet, lingers in the mouth.
「Co to think of it, this is the first ti I’ve seen Shiori order French toast. If you do anything too unusual, you’ll destroy the planet.」
「You’re overreacting. Sotis my howork gets done early, and I can at least eat French toast. Anybody does.」
「That’s true, but you know what? Didn’t you say before that you didn’t like it much?」
「I noticed how delicious it was.」
French toast, which I had never had but sohow thought I wouldn’t like, was a food that tasted to my liking.
I don’t want to say it is thanks to Sendai-san, but this is the kind of thing I can ask for at a restaurant. But the mories that accompanied the French toast also ca flooding back, and I thrust my fork into the browned bread.
Egg-dipped bread and Sendai-san’s lips.
Which would have been softer is unimportant in my mind. I feel as if the French toast, which is supposed to be sweet, is laced with the taste of blood, which I am not supposed to feel.
My lips are soft against my teeth, and there is more blood than I thought there would be.
The red liquid was slimy to the touch of my finger, and Sendai-san glared at as I pressed hard on the wound.
The mories tied to the French toast are so vivid that it even feels like Sendai-san is nearby.
「I knew it, I guess I should have gone with pancakes.」
I look at the plate placed across from and bring the French toast to my mouth.
「You want to trade half? I’d love so French toast.」
「Yeah.」
I nod at Maika’s suggestion and pass her half of the French toast, and half of the pancakes co to .
「Oh, right. Do you want to et up tomorrow? It’s the last day of sumr vacation, the last day of high school, so let’s do sothing!」
Maika says, as if rembering, and takes a mouthful of French toast.
「Nhn– I have a prior engagent.」
「Ami said it was a date, too, and everyone is not socializing well, are they?」
「If you put it that way, even Maika was in cram school most of this year, and didn’t she socialize less than she did last year?」
「That can’t be helped, can it? Speaking of which, what was Shiori doing? You seed busy this year.」
「I wasn’t busy, but things were going on at ho.」
The breakdown of the various items is mainly Sendai-san, so I don’t want them to pursue it. But Maika looks at as if to ask,「Many things?」and looks at as if urging to go on.
「Yeah, a lot of things.」
「That’s a little fishy— And this year, you don’t talk about sumr vacation at all.」
「It’s not suspicious.」
I take a bite of the pancake, which is deceptively different in texture and taste from French toast, even though they are the sa fluffy.
If I try to find a mory of soone being by my side during a long vacation, whether it was sumr or winter vacation, I have to dive very deep. I don’t rember anyone being around that much.
But this year, I spent about half of my sumr vacation with Sendai-san.
It was who was with her more than her family or friends. That said, most of the ti is spent studying and not fumbling.
It was supposed to happen.
Neither of us would have intended to engage in the usual after-school, impersonal behavior.
——Our relationship is rapidly breaking down.
「Eh— Isn’t there sothing you’re not telling ?」
「Nothing’s going on.」
With assurances, I think back to a few days ago.
Perhaps that was the most impersonal part of my sumr vacation.
A violation of the rules.
I didn’t intend it to be that way, but that’s what happened, apparently.
I touched her because I wanted to, not because I had an ulterior motive. There should have been no such thing. I just did what I couldn’t do because of the way she looked at . It was just that I touched her a little longer than usual, but I know I may have overdone it.
Not necessarily because of that, but I didn’t take a break the next day, Friday, when Sendai-san ca to visit.
「Ah– I need at least another week off.」
I hear Maika’s despairing voice and I look at her.
「A week goes by, and you say another week.」
「Of course. 」
「I don’t need any more sumr vacation.」
「Uwah, you sound like an honors student replying.」
Maika says teasingly.
I really don’t need any more sumr vacation.
Tomorrow.
When tomorrow ends, school will begin.
If the sumr vacation continues, it is obvious that I will be breaking a rule that I should never break. If that happens, I am sure things will not go well with Sendai-san.
One more ti.
One more ti, and if it goes off without a hitch, that’s all that matters.
I am not dexterous enough to successfully nd rules I have broken, so I should try not to break them.
「No more sumr vacation, and what do we do now today?」
Maika asks as she sticks a fork in her French toast.
「Nhn—」
I’d like to put Sendai-san out of my mind and make a few suggestions.
Then we did a few things as suggested and a few things not as suggested before parting ways.
I returned ho and have dinner.
After taking a bath, I dive right into bed. I closed my eyes and before I knew it, I had let go of my consciousness and woke up before my alarm went off. I didn’t sleep well, but I wasn’t sleepless either, so my mind was reasonably clear.
I would not do anything differently than usual.
I wear the sa clothes as before and eat lunch at the sa ti. While reading the book I just bought, I wait for a ssage from Sendai-san. Within an hour, the ssage arrives and the person in question cos to .
When I handed her the last 5,000 yen from the sumr vacation at the entrance, Sendai-san complained that 5,000 yen was too much for just one tutoring session today, but I forced her to go to my room.
Bringing cider and barley tea from the kitchen and putting them on the table is the sa as usual. It is the sa for to put my textbooks and problem books open. It is the sa for Sendai-san to sit next to .
I feel a little sad when I think that once today is over, we won’t have to spend all our ti together like this from mid-afternoon onward.
I look at Sendai-san sitting next to .
I think her hair is in the way.
Today Sendai-san’s hair is not braided or tied up, so I don’t know what she looks like on her last day of sumr vacation. All she can tell is that I need to take my textbooks seriously.
I want to see her face, so I reach for it. But before I could touch the hair in my way, Sendai-san turned a dubious look at .
「Don’t look at , take this seriously.」
Then Sendai-san poked between the eyes with a pen.
My forehead area gets all mushy, and I reflexively push her hand back with the pen.
I paid 5,000 yen.
But I didn’t pay 5,000 yen for what I have now decided I want to do. So I shouldn’t do that and I should be done with it.
I know, but I touched Sendai-san and put my face close to hers. But before I can get close enough for our lips to touch, she taps on the forehead with a pen.
「Miyagi. I know it’s too early for a break, but are you going to take a break?」
The voice asking the question was quiet and flat.
No emotion could be read from her facial expression.
「…」
There’s no break.
I don’t think we should.
I couldn’t answer that I don’t, even though I think I do.
Reviews
All reviews (0)