I’d really thought it would suit Sendai-san at the time, but now that some time had passed, I wasn’t so sure. The necklace I’d seen that day at the mall while picking up materials for the cultural festival had somehow gotten lodged in my mind ever since, refusing to go away. And yet, I still couldn’t picture Sendai-san actually wearing it.

         Sitting alone in my room, I leaned my head against the table, where my homework lay scattered. All I wanted was to stop thinking about that necklace. For something so trivial, it was absurdly persistent, taking up space in my mind like it had a right to be there. Normally, I’d forget something like this easily, but it kept creeping back while I was studying or just before bed, like some annoying zombie I couldn’t shake off.

         ── A necklace with a small charm hanging from a silver chain.

         I’d noticed it while running errands, carrying bags of supplies through the mall. Or rather, it practically jumped out at me. It had been on display in a little store I’d usually pass without a second glance, but that day was different—I found myself stopping in front of a shop I’d normally ignore.

         I wouldn’t go as far as calling it a “fateful encounter,” but I couldn’t look away from that necklace, with its crescent moon¹ charm. It made me think of Sendai-san.

         “This would really suit her,” I’d thought, and that silly notion kept coming back to me over and over.

         Before I knew it, the school festival had come and gone, and I wasn’t even sure if the necklace was still in the store. But the image of it kept replaying in my mind, refusing to disappear.

         There was probably only one way to finally get rid of it: if I could be sure it was sold out. If it wasn’t in stock, I couldn’t buy it anyway—then maybe I’d be able to put it out of my mind for good.

         I lifted my head, closed the textbook in front of me, and picked up my phone from the table.

         It hadn’t even been an hour since I’d started my homework.

         If I go now, I can still make it.

         The shopping mall was still open.

         Since I hadn’t invited Sendai-san over today, I had some time to spare, and I’d still have enough time to finish my homework when I got back. Everything seemed to line up perfectly for me to check whether the necklace was still in stock.

         The necklace is definitely gone by now.

         It had been a while since I’d ran those errands for the cultural festival. There was no way it was still for sale. Normally, going to check would be a complete waste of time, but to me, it was important I confirmed it.

         It was better than letting my mind get consumed by thoughts of something that might not even be there anymore. I’d feel a bit more at ease knowing it was gone. And if, by some chance, it was still there, I could decide what to do then. Either way, it was better than obsessing over something I saw before the cultural festival—a thought that still lingered long after it was over.

         I opened the curtains and saw that it was already starting to get dark outside, so I put on a cardigan.

         Just in case something were to happen, I slipped my wallet into my bag before leaving the apartment.

         Even though it was rather late to head to the mall, I still walked slowly. There was no need to hurry. All I had to do was confirm it was sold out. I didn’t need to buy the necklace, and I didn’t have to give it to Sendai-san either, so there was no reason to rush.

         I walked through the dimly lit city, entered the mall as I had back when I ran errands for the cultural festival, and made my way to the store where the necklace was. Step by step, I walked at an unusually slow pace until I reached the shop.

         「… There’s no way.」

         The necklace was supposed to be sold out.

         I shouldn’t have been able to buy it, and yet, there it was.

         I was at a complete loss for words.

         What should I do?

         There was no reason for me to hesitate, and yet, I still found myself wavering. I had enough money in my wallet to buy it. If only I didn’t—then I could’ve given up peacefully. But seeing it here made me feel like it was something I could buy, and the reason for that was simple: if I went home empty-handed, I’d only end up spending my days obsessing over it again.

          Well, it’s not as if things like this happen all the time.

         This would probably be the first and last time I’d buy something for Sendai-san to wear. It wouldn’t happen again—or at least, I felt like I could let myself off the hook if I told myself that.

         Besides, even if I bought it, giving it to her was a whole different matter.

         Just because I buy something doesn’t mean I have to give it away. I could just wear it myself if I wanted.

         I reached for the necklace, then quickly drew my hand back.

         I let out a sigh.

         I wasn’t trying to buy it just because I thought it would look good on her.

         When it came to Sendai-san, anything would look good on her. She could make even the cheapest accessories seem stylish. She could even make things that looked dull on me look nice on her.

         If I were to give her anything, it wouldn’t matter what design it had.

         The only reason I wanted to buy this was to make our relationship clear.

         Sendai-san had been getting ahead of herself lately.

         She’d called me out at school and kissed me.

         She didn’t seem like she was even trying to follow the rules anymore.

         In fact, it was quite the opposite. She was acting like breaking the rules was completely normal now. What happened over summer break may have blurred our boundaries, but that was over a month ago. It was about time things got back on track already.

         With this necklace, I could bind Sendai-san and make it clear who was in control. She needed to be reminded that it cost five thousand yen to spend time together.

         A necklace was perfect for that, a physical reminder she could wear every day.

         It wouldn’t leave a lasting mark like a piercing, but it would still tie her down until graduation. And once I bought it, I could finally stop obsessing over this necklace.

         I picked up the silver chain with the small charm hanging from it.

         The shop was filled with cute, pretty trinkets, making it awkward for me to head to the register.

         I almost wished Maika or Ami were here with me, but if they saw me buying something I normally wouldn’t wear, they’d only get curious and start asking too many questions.

         It’s okay.

         As long as I paid for it, I had the right to buy it. It was no different than buying instant noodles. With that thought in mind, I forced myself to the register, clutching the necklace. I wanted to leave quickly, but I was slowed down by a trivial question, like how I wanted it wrapped. This wasn’t even supposed to be a gift, but since I was giving it to her, I had no choice but to treat it like one. I picked out a ribbon and wrapping paper, then paid for it.

         Leaving the store, I exited the mall and made my way back out into the city.

         I walked down the streets slowly.

         I hadn’t noticed how chilly it was when it was bright out, but it was definitely cold now.

         Summer was long gone, and we were in the middle of autumn.

         During the day, it felt like traces of summer remained, but by night, there was no hint of it left. The seasons kept moving—after summer came autumn, then winter, and after that, spring would arrive with graduation. Autumn couldn’t last forever.

         I slowed my pace even more.

         The item in the small box I’d bought was only meant to tie us together until graduation. Nothing more, nothing less.

         When graduation arrived, we’d go our separate ways, never to meet again.

         That was to be expected, given we’d be attending different universities. Our days wouldn’t overlap anymore, and our connection and memories together would gradually fade away.

         That was only natural, and I felt like that was how things should be.

         We were about to head off to university soon. Of course, I’d keep studying hard until then, but no amount of effort would land me at the same university as Sendai-san. Not that I’d ever expected that in the first place.

         I didn’t want to put any labels on my memories with her, nor was I going to change my future plans.

         The necklace would simply serve as a reminder for what the five-thousand-yen was for.

         That felt right for us.

         But even if I’d found a reason to buy it, I still didn’t have a reason to actually give it to her.

         Sendai-san had been coming over since July of our second year, and now, with our third-year cultural festival behind us, I still didn’t even know her birthday—something I could’ve used as an excuse to give the necklace to her.

         I walked, each step deliberate and slow. My bag felt heavy, even though there was nothing actually weighing it down.

         I shouldn’t have bought it.

         A sigh almost escaped me as I gently rocked the light yet heavy bag in my hands.

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1. Sendai’s first name, Hazuki, is written as 葉月 in Japanese. As she mentioned herself in an earlier chapter, it means “the month of leaves,” which is also August in the old Japanese calendar. The significance here is that the 月 in her name also means “moon,” as the months in Japan are all written with this character. A month on Earth is measured by the cycle of the moon, so it’s nothing unusual. ↩︎

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