It took a little over two hours for the credits to start rolling.

          We stayed until the very end of the movie.

          Sendai-san, who was sitting beside me, remained in her seat until it was over.

          I didn’t really connect with people who left the theater before the credits finished rolling, so I was glad that Sendai-san felt the same way. Sometimes, there were post-credits scenes, and I didn’t want to miss them.

          At first, I had trouble focusing on the movie, but as it went on, I became less conscious of Sendai-san, who sat beside me the whole time.

          When watching a movie, there was no need to engage in conversation with the person sitting beside you. All I had to do was concentrate on the screen in front of me. Because of this, I could immerse myself in the story, even if it did take me a while to fully engage with it.

          「Did you find the movie interesting, Miyagi?」

          Sendai-san asked with a smile on her face as light returned to the inside of the theater.

          「Yeah, I did.」

          I answered briefly as I got up from my seat.

          While the movie adaptation didn’t stay entirely faithful to the original story, I found it enjoyable and thought the filmmakers did a good job. However, I had no idea how Sendai-san felt about the movie. I had never asked about her favorite films before, so I wasn’t sure if the story suited her tastes or not.

          「What about you, Sendai-san?」

          I asked as we walked. Without any change in expression on her face, she replied,

          「I enjoyed it too.」

          「Really?」

          Sendai-san didn’t look bored, and it didn’t seem like she was lying. However, there was something about her demeanor that bothered me, so I couldn’t resist questioning her.

          「Yeah, really. I thought it was pretty interesting.」

          Sendai-san shared her thoughts on various scenes with enthusiasm, reiterating her interest in the movie before suddenly coming to a halt.

          「So what do you want to do now? Want to check out some other places?」

          Sendai-san asked as we stood in front of the entrance of the movie theater.

          「Like what?」

          I hadn’t decided on what to do after watching the movie.

          Since I didn’t have any ideas in mind, I passed the question right back to her.

          「We could go look at some clothes or something.」

          「I don’t think we have the same tastes in fashion.」

          「If you want to go, I don’t mind looking for clothes that you like, Miyagi.」

          「I don’t really have any clothes I want to look at.」

          For now, I could manage with the clothes in my closet.

          There weren’t any outfits I wanted to browse, and I didn’t really feel like waiting while Sendai-san shopped either.

          「Okay, in that case, want to grab something to eat?」

          Sendai-san said with a gentle smile on her face.

          「Sure, but where are we going?」

          「I guess I’d prefer something lighter on the stomach. What do you want to eat?」

          「I’ll let you decide, Sendai-san.」

          「Okay. You like sweet things, right, Miyagi?」

          I was fine with having whatever Sendai-san wanted to eat.

          That was what I was trying to express by letting her decide where to eat, but for some reason, it didn’t seem to come across. Instead, Sendai-san still seemed to be considering my preferences.

          That wasn’t a bad thing in itself.

          If I were with Maika and Ami instead, I would’ve openly told them what I wanted to eat.

          But I didn’t feel comfortable telling Sendai-san.

          I knew the reason behind my apprehension.

          It was because Sendai-san was being insufferably kind while wearing a constant smile on her face.

          The Sendai-san by my side right now was no different from the Sendai-san that I always saw at school.

          She had a perpetual grin on her face, and her voice maintained a cheerful tone.

          The way she was acting right now made it seem as though we had reverted back to the days when we first became second-year classmates, never exchanging a word, and I wasn’t even sure if she was aware of my existence. The impression I had of Sendai-san when I saw her at our meeting spot earlier was accurate.

          This was not the Sendai-san I knew.

          「Actually, sorry, I think I’m going to pass on eating.」

          I said as I changed my mind and started walking towards the train platforms.

          「Wait, Miyagi. Where are you going?」

          If we were in my room right now, her tone would likely be more dissatisfied, unlike the gentle voice that was currently calling out to me.

          It made me feel sick to the stomach.

          In fact, I was so nauseated that I felt like I was about to throw up what I ate for lunch, so I began to walk even faster.

          「Home.」

          I replied without turning back.

          「Already? Isn’t it a little too soon?」

          「No, it’s not.」

          Being with Sendai-san, who was constantly trying to cater to my preferences, felt dull.

          It wasn’t fun being around her like this.

          「Can I go over to your place then? There’s still a lot of time left to hang out today.」

          Sendai-san asked as she grabbed onto my arm. When I turned around, I was met with the same old smile plastered on her face.

          「I’m okay with not entering your place, but at least let me go with you.」

          「Why?」

          「“Why?” I mean, even if I don’t go over to your place, we’d still be taking the same train back, right? Plus, we kind of live in the same direction, so we might as well walk home together, especially since we’re pretending to be “friends” today.」

          Sendai-san seemed determined to keep up the charade of being “friends” and held onto my arm tightly.

          What she said made sense.

          Our homes were relatively close to each other, so it wouldn’t be unusual if we went back together. But if that was going to be the case, then it would defeat the purpose in us meeting so far from home.

          「You’re not wrong, but it’d be a hassle if we ended up running into anyone we knew.」

          「Well, since it’s Obon, everyone’s probably away at their relatives’ houses, so I doubt we’ll run into anyone.」

          Sendai-san brushed it off casually as she tugged on my arm.

          「Just let me go with you.」

          She said as she took the lead and began walking. She dragged me along with her, so I had no choice but to walk next to her.

          I found this side of Sendai-san a lot better than the one from a moment ago, when she seemed to lack her own will.

          She was acting a bit forceful in order to get her desire across.

          While I wasn’t a fan of that sort of attitude either, it was still better than seeing Sendai-san act like a puppet. However, her smile stayed on her face, so I still felt a bit uneasy.

          Sendai-san kept talking as we walked.

          She didn’t seem to care whether I had anything to say or not. She just continued talking, even as we waited for the train, and she didn’t stop even after we got on the train.

          The train made a rhythmic clicking and clacking sound as it moved.

          The scenery outside the window flew by, gradually bringing us closer to our homes.

          The dazzling city and lush greenery gradually receded into the distance, replaced by a familiar landscape. While I had a certain fondness for Sendai-san’s voice, the train’s ambient noises drowned out her words.

          The two of us got off the train after it arrived at the platform of our station.

          When we walked out of the building, we were greeted by the sight of a familiar cityscape, surrounded by tall buildings.

          As we walked down the familiar streets together, Sendai-san, someone I never thought I’d walk with again, stayed by my side. However, there was silence between us, and I couldn’t imagine a conversation happening throughout the journey back.

          I didn’t like this kind of atmosphere.

          Both my emotions and my voice weighed me down, making it difficult to speak. When I attempted to initiate a conversation, it felt as though an invisible barrier clung to my lips, keeping me from saying anything. I couldn’t help but think that being in my company during one of my foul moods like this must have been boring for Sendai-san.

          However, she walked next to me the entire time and we never parted ways either.

          「So you ended up following me the whole way home anyway…」

          As we entered my room, I served Sendai-san a cup of barley tea out of habit and sat beside her, taking a sip of my soda.

          「You’re not about to chase a “friend” out of your house now, are you?」

          「Are we still doing this “pretending to be friends” thing?」

          「I thought it was supposed to go on for the entire day.」

          Sendai-san said with a smile on her face as she leaned her back against my bed.

          She was still trying to act like a nice person, but it felt unpleasant to me.

          Sendai-san must’ve realized that there was no point in pretending to be friends anymore. No matter how much we faked it, pretending was just pretending in the end – it would never become reality.

          「Sendai-san, did you really find the movie we just watched interesting? If you insist that we’re “friends,” then be honest with me.」

          I didn’t really care what she thought of the movie, but I didn’t want to be lied to. There was no point in continuing our fake friendship, but if that’s what she wanted to call us, then she should at least be able to answer this.

          I stared at Sendai-san.

          She had been talking up until a moment ago, but now, all she could do was let out a sigh.

          「… I knew it was supposed to be a tearjerker, so I was kind of curious about how it’d turn out, but I think the manga was a lot better.」

           Sendai-san responded in a gentle voice without making eye contact.

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