By the time my prep school lessons ended, the streets were already cloaked in darkness.

         I considered heading straight home, but my feet had other plans, turning in a different direction on their own. It felt as if my will had shifted from my head to my steps, carrying me forward without a clear destination in mind.

         I weaved through the streets, turning a few corners and nearly brushing past people bundled up against the cold. I wanted to pretend I didn’t know where my feet were taking me, but as I drew closer to a familiar sign, it became obvious exactly where I was headed.

         A few dozen meters later, I arrived at the bookstore—the same place where Miyagi had once covered my purchase with a five-thousand-yen bill when I’d forgotten my wallet.

         I hesitated in front of the automatic doors.

         Should I go in? Or should I just head home?

         It wasn’t like I was in such a rush that I needed to head home right away and start studying the moment I got back.

         「Come to think of it, I still haven’t bought them yet, huh.」

         I suddenly remembered that I hadn’t picked up the latest issues of the magazines Umina liked to read—and with school starting again tomorrow, it was probably best to have them. I didn’t need them, but if I wanted to keep up with her conversations, it wouldn’t hurt to give them a read.

         Deciding that was reason enough, I stepped inside the bookstore.

         The store was spacious, and since I wasn’t in a hurry, I took my time wandering through the aisles instead of heading straight for the magazine section.

         「Right, there’s no way she’d be here.」

         It had been about a year and a half since I first met Miyagi here, back when we were still in our second year. Even now, I continued to follow her orders for the price of five-thousand yen. Lately, we’d been breaking more of our rules, but it didn’t feel like our relationship had changed much.

          That being said, it wasn’t as if our relationship had remained completely unchanged.

         A lot had happened since we first met, and some things had shifted. But at its core, it didn’t feel like much had changed.

         The same went for this winter break.

         Instead of receiving five-thousand-yen, I was now being paid with kisses. But despite this, our relationship didn’t feel all that different.

         I stopped in front of the magazine shelf and picked up one of the many issues with flashy lettering on the cover.

         Flipping through the pages, I skimmed through it before returning it to the shelf.

         Repeating this a few more times with other magazines, I eventually made my way to the register with the ones Umina bought every month.

         This time, my wallet was in my bag.

         No five-thousand-yen bill appeared from behind me, and I paid for my purchase myself before receiving a bag with the magazines inside.

         Checking my phone for the time, I saw that not much had passed.

         My feet wandered off on their own, leading me toward the manga section.

         As I strolled past the shelves, my gaze landed on a familiar figure.

         She stood with her back to me, dressed in a coat and scarf I’d never seen before.

         Even so, I knew right away—it was Miyagi.

         Even though she hadn’t been there the first two times I wandered past, Miyagi was now standing in front of the new releases, too absorbed in scanning the covers to notice me.

         Just like before I even stepped into the store, I hesitated.

         I hadn’t come here on the off chance I’d run into Miyagi. But if I called out to her now, it would seem like that was exactly why I was here.

         It was just a coincidence.

         This was all just by chance.

         It wasn’t intentional.

         I only came to buy a magazine. You just happened to be here.

         As I cycled through excuse after excuse in my head, I tightened my grip around the bag holding the magazine.

         I hadn’t come to see Miyagi.

         But I had considered the possibility that she might be here.

         I wasn’t satisfied with our relationship.

         I hated that I had to go through all these mental gymnastics just to justify calling out to her. And though I didn’t know if the things that unsettled us were the same, I had a feeling Miyagi was just as dissatisfied.

         If she wasn’t, she wouldn’t have slept beside me or asked to check whether I was wearing the pendant or not. If nothing had changed, she wouldn’t have asked me to help her study over winter break or invited me to stay the night.

         I took a quiet breath.

         「Miyagi.」

          I called out to her, keeping my voice low—just enough for someone lost in thought while picking out a book to hear.

         Miyagi didn’t turn around.

         I had a feeling she had heard me and was simply ignoring me. But at the same time, maybe my voice had been too quiet, and she really hadn’t noticed.

         For a moment, the thought of just leaving crossed my mind.

         But then I felt it—disappointment.

         Disappointment in myself for even considering walking away, and in Miyagi for not so much as glancing in my direction.

         I knew exactly what needed to be done to get rid of this dissatisfaction.

         All we had to do was bend the rules a little.

         We could decide that talking to each other at school was allowed.

         Or that meeting up on weekends was fine.

         Or we could just become friends.

         There were so many ways to change our relationship, so many possibilities within reach.

         But I didn’t have the courage to rewrite the rules.

         I only had enough to call out to her once more.

         「Miyagi.」

         I spoke a little louder this time, and Miyagi finally turned to face me.

         「Sendai-san.」

         「Are you here to buy manga?」

         I stepped closer, glancing at the book in her hands.

         「Yeah. What about you, Sendai-san?」

         「Just picking up the same magazines as always.」

         I lifted the shopping bag in my left hand as proof. Miyagi gave a short, indifferent response.

         「Oh, I see.」

         With that, the conversation came to an abrupt end. She took a few steps away, browsing through more manga, but my attention drifted toward the scarf wrapped around her neck rather than the books in her hands.

         「I’m going to the register now.」

         Miyagi announced as if signaling she was heading out first, then started walking. I followed behind her in silence.

         「… Sendai-san, I’m going straight home after this, you know.」

         She stopped in her tracks.

         「I know.」

         「Then why are you following me?」

         「Because you didn’t say goodbye.」

         She wanted to leave me behind and go home, but she hadn’t given me a proper farewell yet.

         「Goodbye, then.」

         Miyagi said before walking off again, but I trailed after her once more. This time, she didn’t protest.

         Instead, she paid for her books, took her bag, and walked straight out of the store without glancing back. I followed her outside, and as I did, she spoke in a cold tone.

         「Stop following me.」

         「Why?」

         I asked, watching her back.

         「I don’t want people seeing us together.」

         「The chances of running into someone we know aren’t that high.」

         「There’s always a possibility. You always say things so irresponsibly, Sendai-san.」

         「Come on, isn’t it fine to just walk together for a little while?」

         「Just a little while?」

         Miyagi asked, turning around at last.

         「Yeah, just for a bit.」

         「… Fine. I suppose a little while wouldn’t hurt.」

         She didn’t sound particularly happy about it, but she didn’t seem to hate it either.

         「Alright, then. Let’s walk there together.」

         I took three steps to stand beside her.

         「Where exactly is ‘there’?」

         「Just somewhere along the way.」

         I hadn’t even thought about where we’d part ways, so I didn’t have an answer to her question.

         Miyagi didn’t push for one either.

         As we walked side by side, my eyes drifted to her scarf—the same one that had caught my attention back at the bookstore. I gave it a small tug.

         「It’s unusual seeing you wear a scarf.」

         「There’s nothing unusual about it. It was just cold today.」

         It was definitely colder than usual, cold enough that our breaths hung in the air. But Miyagi was never the type to wear a scarf, even on days when it felt like it might snow. As far as I could remember, she usually just wore a warm-looking coat, never anything around her neck. Even when she shivered from the cold, she never put one on.

         So her excuse—”it was just cold today”—didn’t feel like the real reason.

         I tugged at her scarf again.

         「Let me get a closer look.」

         「No.」

         「Come on, it’s fine, isn’t it?」

         「You’re choking me by pulling on it.」

         She sounded annoyed as she pushed against my shoulders, but I didn’t let go. Miyagi sighed, her breath almost thick enough to turn the entire city white.

         「Fine, I’ll take it off. Just let go.」

         I obediently let go, and she unwrapped the scarf from her neck, handing it over to me.

         I stared at the turtleneck sweater that had been hidden underneath.

         「… So, why were you wearing a scarf again?」

         「I told you, it’s because it’s cold today.」

         「Here I thought you were trying to hide something.」

         She was being unfair.

         I already knew why Miyagi had worn a scarf today.

         It was to cover the marks I’d left on her a few days ago. And if she took it off, I thought I’d be able to see if they were still there.

         「Well, they disappeared already.」

         She didn’t say what had disappeared, just like I hadn’t said what she was trying to hide.

         「Really?」

         「Yes, really.」

         「Let me see, then.」

         「No.」

         Her voice was colder than the winter wind, and before I knew it, the scarf in my hands was snatched away. Miyagi shoved her bag of manga books at me, quickly wrapped the scarf back around her neck, then took the bag back and started walking again.

         I followed behind her, tracing the same path we’d walked as second-year students.

         Back then, Miyagi had been silent. And now, she was just as quiet. But unlike before, the silence no longer bothered me. Instead, I felt glad about my decision not to go straight home today.

         「Sendai-san, how far do you plan on following me? Your house isn’t even this way.」

         A voice laced with irritation made me realize Miyagi didn’t share my sentiment.

         「I told you—just somewhere along the way.」

         「Well, this should be far enough. Bye. See you later.」

         She exhaled along with her words, white breath fading into the cold air.

         「Wait.」

         Before she could slip away, I grabbed her arm.

         「I don’t want to. Let go of me.」

         「If you want me to let go, then show me your neck.」

         「I already said no.」

         「Come on, just let me see it.」

         If the hickeys had disappeared, then I’d just have to leave new ones.

         Next time, I’d make sure they lasted longer.

         Long enough to be seen at school.

         「Absolutely not.」

         Miyagi smacked my hand away.

         「You’re so stingy. It’s not like I’m asking you to take off your clothes or anything. What’s the harm?」

         I reluctantly let go of her arm but still couldn’t accept her answer, so I complained anyway.

         「If you were asking me to take off my clothes right here, you’d be worse than a pervert—you’d be getting yourself arrested. Actually, I should just report you now and have you locked up.」

         「You’re so cruel, Miyagi.」

         Whether the hickeys remained or not, our relationship stayed the same. I knew leaving a mark wouldn’t change anything between us—but I still wished it would. Otherwise, even if Miyagi ended up going to the same university as Utsunomiya, she might still not want to see me.

         「Sendai-san, I’m actually going home now, so don’t follow me.」

         「Okay. I’ll see you later, then.」

         There were so many things I should have said. But those were the only words I managed to get out.

         「Bye.」

         Miyagi waved, never saying that we’d see each other again.

         I waved back anyway, and she walked off toward her home.

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