Sendai-san was right—we had an agreement from before winter break started.

         If she wanted to kiss me, I was supposed to let her.

         While the best time for that would’ve been right after we finished studying—and not right now—I decided to make an exception and let her kiss me anyway.

         But this was far beyond what I’d imagined.

         I didn’t mind if she went a little beyond what was agreed upon, but Sendai-san was taking things way too far.

         She kissed me once after telling me not to get mad, then kissed me several more times after that. And even then, with a look on her face that said she still wasn’t satisfied, she leaned in again.

         Before her lips could reach mine, I pressed my hand against her forehead.

         「Sendai-san.」

         I pushed her face away, adding force to my hand as she leaned closer.

         But she pulled my hand aside, and before I could say anything, she kissed me again.

         Her lips felt familiar—the same softness and warmth I’d felt before. We separated, only to press our lips together again immediately after.

         Sendai-san’s lips felt good.

         When I’d touched her earlier, my heart felt like it was going to burst.

         Now, everything seemed to be moving twice as fast as usual, leaving me no time to catch my breath.

         My hands and face burned hot, and I felt like I wasn’t myself.

         Though my heart was still racing, it wasn’t as wild as before. It gave me enough time to notice how clearly I could feel her warmth and softness.

         But this needed to stop before things went any further.

         I pushed Sendai-san away by the shoulders, creating distance between us.

         「Even if this was part of our agreement, you’re overdoing it. You’re kissing me way too much.」

         I protested, but she placed a finger against my lips.

         「Well, you never said how many kisses I was allowed to give you.」

         「Fine, then let’s set a limit right now.」

         「Sure, but it only counts starting next time.」

         Sendai-san brushed off my suggestion, her voice calm in the dim room, before pressing her lips to mine again—and again.

         She kissed me so many times that I eventually gave up on keeping track. Each kiss was quick, like a fleeting touch. Maybe she was trying to avoid doing anything “weird,” but it felt like she wasn’t being herself.

         The Sendai-san I knew was forceful and erotic—not this careful, kind version of her who kissed me so lightly. She was being unusually gentle, offering only soft, fleeting pecks. It wasn’t that I was unsatisfied, but her tenderness was throwing me off. It was making me feel like it might be okay if she pushed things a little further.

         ―― No, this isn’t right.

         If I kept letting her get away with this, we’d inevitably cross some kind of line. And besides, Sendai-san wasn’t the type to be gentle without a reason.

         「If you keep going, I’m really going to get angry.」

         I cut in during the brief moment our lips parted, stopping her before she could lean in again.

         「Come on, just a little more is fine, isn’t it?」

         「No, it’s not fine. Your idea of ‘a little’ is way too much, Sendai-san.」

         「You’re so stingy.」

         「Call it what you want, but stop.」

         I backed away, putting distance between us. Then, I reached over and turned off the night light, plunging the room into complete darkness.

         「Now, go to sleep already.」

         I said, urging her to do what the night was meant for, as I tugged the comforter over her. But with Sendai-san still in the way, it wouldn’t settle properly.

         「Fine, I’ll try to sleep. Go back to your own territory, Miyagi.」

         She muttered, a hand reaching out in the dark to nudge me away.

         「… No.」

         It wasn’t often I had someone else here at night, so I wanted to make the most of it.

         I was used to being alone, but the nights stretched on endlessly. Even if I was asleep for most of it, there were times when strange dreams crept in, leaving me disheartened. Tonight, though, knowing there was someone else here—even if that someone was Sendai-san—brought me a quiet sense of relief.

         And being closer felt better than staying apart.

         The solitude was cold, but with someone by my side, it felt just a bit warmer. For tonight, she’d do just fine as a makeshift heating pad.

         I tugged the comforter firmly to my side and slipped into the futon ahead of her.

         「Hey, why are you the one sleeping here? If you’re going to take the futon, then I’ll sleep in your bed instead.」

         Rustling sounds came from beside me, and I realized it was Sendai-san trying to get up.

         「No, the bed is my territory, so you’re not allowed to go there.」

         I said, grabbing her arm and pulling her back toward me.

         「Even though you’re not even sleeping in it?」

         「Yeah, it doesn’t matter if I’m not sleeping in it. It’s still my territory. Yours is here, Sendai-san.」

         「Well, if you want us to sleep together, I guess I don’t mind.」

         「That’s not what I meant… but anyway, go grab my pillow from the bed for me.」

         「But I can hardly see a thing…」

         The room was pitch black with the night light off, so it made sense she couldn’t see. Still, Sendai-san had been in my room so many times she should know it by heart.

         「Even if you can’t see, you should know where the bed is by now.」

         「You’re so selfish sometimes, Miyagi.」

         She replied with an exasperated sigh before leaving my side.

         Soon enough, she returned and dropped what I assumed was my pillow onto the futon.

         「Move over.」

         Sendai-san said, giving me a gentle push.

         I fumbled around, dragging the pillow closer to create space. She adjusted the comforter slightly before slipping into the futon beside me.

         「It’s so cramped.」

         She complained, her voice tinged with dissatisfaction, as she lightly kicked my calf.

         If I moved any farther toward the edge, I’d be sticking out of the covers, so instead, I turned my back to her and closed my eyes.

         「What are you trying to get out of this?」

         She asked, her voice quieter now, as she poked lightly at my back.

         「What? I can sleep wherever I want.」

         I replied, pulling more of the comforter over to my side as I curled up.

         「Hey, stop hogging it. It’s cold.」

         I heard her voice grumble softly from behind me, but I stayed silent. Instead of tugging at the comforter, I felt her fingers pulling lightly at the fabric of my sweatshirt. Her palms pressed gently against my back. Even through the layer of fabric, it felt oddly ticklish, but at the same time, it was a warm and comforting sensation.

         As her warmth spread through me, I suddenly remembered the feel of her own body beneath her sweatshirt.

         At the time, I thought that touching Sendai-san would make me trust her words and erase all my worries. But instead of easing my mind, my anxiety only intensified.

         Even though I could see the necklace on her with my own eyes, proof she was keeping her promise, I couldn’t shake the doubt that she might not keep it forever.

         Even now, with her right beside me, close enough to reach out and touch, I felt that if I turned toward her, she might disappear somewhere far away, beyond my reach.

         I curled up tighter, gripping the edge of the comforter.

         Closing my eyes firmly, the warmth against my back began to feel faint, as if it might vanish entirely. A sense of loneliness crept in, tightening my shoulders and arms.

         「Miyagi.」

         A soft voice called my name, and the hand resting against my back gave my sweatshirt another small tug.

         I had a strange feeling she was about to say my first name, so I quickly spoke up to stop her before she could.

         「If you call me “Shiori,” I’ll kick you out immediately.」

         Calling someone by their first name was an ordinary thing, nothing inherently special. Yet, when it came to Sendai-san, hearing her say mine felt different—it felt significant, so I didn’t want her to.

         「But you don’t mind me calling you “Miyagi,” do you?」

         She asked, and then, softly, she repeated it.

         “Miyagi.”

         “Miyagi, Miyagi.”

         She said it again and again, the sound of her voice slowly unraveling the tension in my body.

         「Be quiet, Sendai-san. Just go to sleep already.」

         “Okay,” she said lightly, though instead of sleeping, her hand moved to my hair.

         She gently ran her fingers through it, stroking softly, like she was combing it over and over.

         The gentle touch of her soft hands and the warmth they carried made my eyelids grow heavier little by little. My body slowly uncurled, relaxing with each passing moment. Then, with a quiet “Good night,” she withdrew her hand.

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