「Was your room always like this?」

         Maika asked, sounding puzzled as she spread her textbooks out on the table.

         「Yep. Welcome to my room.」

         I answered casually, but she seemed a bit skeptical—and she wasn’t wrong. My room was slightly different from the first time Maika had been here.

         I’d gotten a slightly bigger table, and there were more things lying around now.

         It was the third day of winter break, and Maika was as perceptive as ever.

         「Oh yeah. Where’s your space heater? Didn’t you say you bought one last year?」

         She was referring to something I’d been using until the start of the year but wasn’t in my room at the moment.

         Her memory sure is sharp.

         She was right though—this was something we had talked about last year.

         「Yeah, but I don’t need it right now.」

         I hadn’t used the space heater at all this season. It had been a lifesaver ever since I bought it, but this year, I decided I wouldn’t need it. Not because of Sendai-san, who constantly complained that the room was too warm, but simply because I felt the air conditioner alone would be enough to get through the winter.

         「If you’re cold, want me to turn up the temperature?」

         I asked, reaching for the air conditioner remote. But Maika, seated across from me, shook her head and replied, “No, I’m okay.”

         We were supposed to study at Maika’s place today, but our plans had suddenly changed. Apparently, her relatives had shown up unannounced, so she’d been kicked out of her house, and we ended up studying at mine instead.

         I was reluctant about letting Maika come over. This room was full of things that carried traces of Sendai-san. But if I’d refused, that would’ve been suspicious.

         「Were you always a fan of cats, Shiori?」

         Even though her homework was spread out on the table, Maika’s attention wandered to my bookshelf. Her gaze settled on the black cat plush leaning casually against a pillow.

         I’d moved it to the bookshelf before Maika arrived, making it look like it had always been there, perfectly content in its new home.

         「Well, not exactly…」

         「That’s what I thought. So, did someone give it to you, then?」

         「No, I bought it myself. I wanted to give it a friend.」

         I gestured toward the crocodile placed beside the table.

         「This thing?」

         Maika pulled the crocodile, the designated guardian of the tissue box, closer to inspect it.

         「Yep.」

         「Well, the plush is cute, so I can totally see why you’d want to buy it, but… I see. You bought it to give it a friend, huh.」

         Maika said as she patted the crocodile’s head.

         「Yeah, I didn’t want it to feel lonely all by itself.」

         I got up on my knees, grabbed the crocodile from across the table, and gently placed it back on the floor.

         「Hey, Shiori. Did something happen recently?」

         「Why do you ask?」

         「Why? Well, it feels like we haven’t really hung out much since we became third years. And then over summer break, you were so busy that I barely saw you at all.」

         Maika said, sulking slightly.

         「I mean, you were busy at cram school all of summer break, weren’t you?」

         「That’s true, but I was wondering if you had something else going on.」

         「It sounds more like you’re the one who had something going on. You mentioned you wanted to talk about something too, right? What’s up?」

         “Let’s study together.”

         That’s what Maika had written in her message last night. But she’d also added, 『There’s something I need to talk to you about』, making it seem like today was more about what she wanted to discuss than studying.

         Considering Maika said she would be busy with cram school during winter break, the fact that she went out of her way for this meant what she wanted to talk about had to be pretty important.

         「Oh, right. So, what I wanted to talk about was…」

         For some reason, she wasn’t being very direct about it.

         Seeing how hesitant Maika was now made me realize this wasn’t going to be a pleasant conversation, and I felt uneasy.

         「Can I apologize first?」

         「… Is what you’re going to say so bad that it needs an apology?」

         「I’m not sure, but I feel like I should apologize, so… I’m sorry.」

         This was a discussion she’d arranged under the pretense of a study session, and now she was starting with an apology. It didn’t feel like a conversation I wanted to have, but since things had come this far already, I told her, “Go on…”

         「Do you remember when I asked if you and Sendai-san were close?」

         「We’re not, but… is this what you wanted to talk about?」

         Maika still hadn’t gotten to the main point, but I could already tell this wasn’t going in a good direction. It made me want to hold my head in my hands.

         Sendai-san was the last person I wanted to hear about and the last thing I wanted to discuss.

         「Well, yeah. Something along those lines.」

         Maika gave a vague response and sipped her soda.

         After letting out a sigh, she began speaking softly.

         「So, remember when I told you I ran into Sendai-san on my way to the school store the other day? Actually, there’s something about that encounter that’s been bothering me, so I thought I should tell you.」

         That happened back in November—on the same day Sendai-san hugged me in the music preparation room.

         Maika had mentioned seeing Sendai-san in the hallway and chatting with her.

         I remembered that day clearly.

         I’d asked Maika what they’d talked about, and at the time, she said it wasn’t anything important. But if she was bringing it up now, that meant she’d been hiding something from me.

         I started to feel anxious.

         「Okay, so what is it?」

         「You know how I told Sendai-san about the university I’m aiming for, right? She told me her top choice, too, and we realized the schools we were aiming for are close by… And then I ended up mentioning your name.」

         「Huh? Wait, so…」

         「I’m sorry, Shiori. I accidentally told Sendai-san that you’re aiming for the same university as me. I guess I really shouldn’t have said that, huh.」

         Maika looked at me with an expression full of regret.

         「―― Oh, it’s fine. That’s not even something you need to apologize for. I’ve barely ever talked to Sendai-san, so it’s not like we’re close or anything. I wouldn’t get mad just because you brought up university stuff.」

         That was a lie.

         I wasn’t exactly mad, but it was definitely not fine.

         Of course, I couldn’t say that aloud.

         But I was so shaken, my temples throbbed.

         No one knew about the relationship Sendai-san and I had—not even Maika.

         So there was no reason to feel so anxious, and no reason to panic. As long as I brushed this off like it was nothing, the conversation would naturally come to an end.

         But the speed of my words betrayed me, making my excuse sound forced. Maybe because of that, Maika was now eyeing me with doubt.

         「Anyway, why are you bringing this up now after staying quiet for so long?」

         「At first, I didn’t think it was necessary to mention, but Sendai-san seemed unusually curious about you, and honestly, you’ve been acting strange lately too. After piecing things together in my head, I thought it’d be better to talk to you about it. Besides, I’ve got this feeling you and Sendai-san are actually pretty close.」

         She claimed it was just a “feeling,” but her tone suggested she didn’t believe what I’d said.

         Her doubt made the guilt of lying weigh heavily on me, and my throat felt like it was closing. I could hardly breathe.

         「I’ve told you before, Sendai-san and I aren’t close. Don’t you think she was just asking about me because she couldn’t think of anything else to say?」

         I looked at Maika, silently pleading for calm to return to me.

         「Well, that might be true, but are you two really not――」

         Maika began to speak but abruptly cut herself off.

         Perhaps feeling guilty for hiding this until now, she swallowed her words and instead said, “Actually, no, I’m sorry.”

         「Okay, let’s just get to studying now. Can you help me with this question, Maika?」

         Usually, I’d press her to finish what she started to say or point out how odd it was to stop midway, but today, I didn’t bother. Instead, I pretended not to notice and slid my workbook across the table toward her. Maika hesitated, as if she still wanted to ask something, but she held back. Perhaps sensing I didn’t want to continue the conversation, she glanced at the workbook and asked, “Which one?”

         Maika was always so kind.

         I relied on that kindness constantly, and today, it saved me from having to explain myself. Yet, even as I sat here with Maika, my thoughts were consumed by Sendai-san.

         I knew it wasn’t right to think this way, especially since we were supposed to be studying together, but I couldn’t get what I’d just heard out of my head.

         Sendai-san found out what university I was going for.

         There was no way I could stay calm after hearing that.

         I had kept it a secret all this time.

         I had never mentioned it to her, not even once.

         And yet, she knew.

         She’d known even on that day she hugged me in the music preparation room.

         Maika’s voice started to feel distant. I could hear her talking, but her words were hard to make out.

         I’d considered the possibility that Sendai-san knew, but I reassured myself that it was something she couldn’t be certain of.

         And yet…

         We continued studying, though my mind was elsewhere, and Maika ended up leaving earlier than planned.

         I remembered walking her to the elevator, seeing her off at the entrance to the apartment building, but I couldn’t recall what we’d talked about.

         Now, I was alone in my room again, sitting on my bed.

         Before I realized it, it was already past eight in the evening, but it wasn’t too late to make a phone call.

         After a long moment of hesitation, I picked up my phone and called Sendai-san.

         After just two rings, her surprised voice came through on the other end.

         「Wow, it’s pretty unusual getting a call from you, Miyagi.」

         There were things I wanted to ask. That was why I called her.

         Why had she pushed me so hard to tell her what university I wanted to go to when she already knew?

         Why had she been trying to nudge me toward the same university as her or one nearby, knowing full well which school I was aiming for?

         Those were the things I wanted to know.

         Right now, I couldn’t help but think she had done all of that just to see how I’d react, and the idea irritated me. But if she had another reason, I wanted her to tell me. I wanted her to deny that she’d done it just to tease me.

         Even so, for some reason, I felt like I couldn’t ask her those questions over the phone.

         「Sendai-san, come over and help me study. Right now.」

         「Right now? I’m already home, so I really can’t.」

         Of course, I already knew that.

         It wasn’t too late for a phone call, but it was late for a high school student to leave the house.

         Still, I wanted her to come over now, so we could talk face-to-face.

         「Even if you can’t, come over anyway.」

         「Can I not just come over tomorrow?」

         「No. If that’s the case, then don’t bother coming over at all.」

         「Well, I can go right now as long as you’ll let me stay over.」

         「That’s enough. I’m going to hang up now.」

         「I always make that joke though. What’s gotten into you today?」

         She had probably caught on to the tension in my tone and was just trying to ease it with a joke. I understood what she was doing, but I couldn’t bring myself to laugh or reply.

         「… Sendai-san. Don’t you have anything you want to say to me?」

         「Uh, not really? Why? Did I do something?」

         Sendai-san responded in her usual tone, oblivious to what I was referring to. It was only natural that she wouldn’t know how to respond, yet I couldn’t help but feel irritated with her.

         「Fine. If you don’t have anything to say, then forget it. Don’t bother showing up during the break at all.」

         I vented my frustration at her, and Sendai-san responded with a troubled tone.

         「Alright, can you wait a bit? I’ll head over now.」

         I knew I shouldn’t be this upset with her. I was extremely irritated—but at the same time, I just really wanted to see her. And I was angry at myself for feeling that way.

         「… Never mind. Just come over tomorrow.」

         「Seriously, is something wrong?」

         「Nothing’s wrong. If you’ve got prep school, then come after that. Just make sure you’re here tomorrow. No matter what.」

         「Well, I said I’d head over now, so just wait for me.」

         Her voice was much gentler than I’d expected.

         「No, really. Tomorrow’s fine.」

         I tried to keep my tone as calm as possible, and she replied with, “Okay, tomorrow then. I promise.”

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