The movie ran for about two hours before the credits began to roll.

         Miyagi and I waited until the very end before getting up from our seats.

         I adjusted my skirt and started walking.

         If it had been Umina or Mariko, they would’ve stood up as soon as the movie ended, treating the credits like nothing more than a bonus. If I’d come with them, I would’ve had to follow suit, which is why I never really enjoyed watching movies with them.

         But Miyagi was the type to stay in her seat until the lights came on. She’d done the same thing when we watched a movie together during summer break. Our personalities and hobbies were completely different, yet this was one thing we had in common.

         Even with Umina and Mariko, there were differences between us, but I still had more in common with them than with Miyagi.

         And yet, for some reason, I often had more fun with Miyagi than anyone else.

         「Did you enjoy the movie?」

         Miyagi asked as we exited the theater.

         「Hmm, what did you think of the movie, Miyagi?」

         「I thought it was interesting.」

         「Same. I don’t usually watch action movies, but I liked this one.」

         Miyagi had originally said there was a movie she wanted to see, but in the end, she never mentioned which one, so we ended up watching a popular action flick instead.

         There was also a horror movie we could’ve watched, but I knew she wasn’t good with those. Honestly, I felt like I deserved some praise for not suggesting it.

         「Wanna grab something to eat?」

         I asked, adjusting my pace to match hers.

         We hadn’t made any plans beyond the movie, but there was something I needed to talk to her about. I didn’t necessarily have to eat with her—I just wanted a place where we could sit down and talk. But if I said it like that, she’d probably just try to dodge it altogether.

         「I’m going home.」

         「Huh? Already?」

         I glanced at Miyagi.

         She didn’t look like someone who was heading straight home after a movie.

         If anything, she was dressed up a little. She wasn’t wearing makeup, but her patterned skirt was cute, and her coat was one I’d never seen before.

         It was a lot different from the casual outfit she wore back during summer break.

         That’s why I’d assumed she’d at least be willing to stop by somewhere after the movie. Maybe it was selfish to feel like this wasn’t what we’d agreed on, but I didn’t want to just let her leave like this.

         「There’s nowhere you want to go, right? Are you still good on time, Sendai-san?」

         「Yeah, I am.」

         「Then come over to my place.」

         As she said that, she took my hand and started walking. Her grip was weak—unlike usual.

         She wasn’t pulling me along or being forceful. Her touch was soft.

         But more than anything, she was holding my hand.

         It was something I never would’ve imagined Miyagi doing.

         Something she absolutely wouldn’t do.

         She did it so naturally, but it felt so unnatural to me that I couldn’t help but stare at her face.

         「What?」

         She asked in her usual flat voice, right beside me.

         The people we passed didn’t pay us any mind—and that was normal. I never paid much attention to other people holding hands either.

         So I didn’t care what people thought of us.

         What I did care about was what Miyagi was thinking.

         「Why are you holding my hand?」

         I asked, gently squeezing hers in return.

         「What, do you want me to let go?」

         「No, I don’t mind. I just want to know why.」

         「We’re graduating soon, so who cares if someone sees us.」

         She said something that didn’t sound like her at all.

         Graduation was just around the corner.

         After I finish apartment hunting, it’d only be a few days until the ceremony.

         Once we graduated, the rules we’d made—like only meeting after school or not talking at school—wouldn’t matter anymore.

         If I looked at it that way, maybe it wasn’t such a big deal to break them a little early.

         Back in summer break, we picked this theater to avoid people we knew—even though Umina ended up spotting us—but what Miyagi had said now felt unlike her.

         「That sounds like something I’d say. You wouldn’t usually say things like that, Miyagi.」

         「Then I’ll just let go.」

         「Huh? W–Wait.」

         She moved to let go, but I held her hand tightly to stop her.

         Usually, she’d pull away until she got free, but this time, she gave up quickly.

         「You’re fine with coming to my place, right?」

         No.

         But even if I said that, I knew Miyagi wouldn’t listen today.

         And honestly, it didn’t really matter where we were, as long as we could talk.

         So I just replied with, “Sure.”

         Miyagi didn’t try to let go again.

         We made small talk as we walked.

         We passed through the ticket gates and rode the train together—just like we had in the summer.

         After a few stops, we got off.

         The February air was still cold, but we walked slowly side by side.

         The shop windows we passed by were already shifting to spring, and the sky was bright today.

         We were still holding hands.

         But I couldn’t bring myself to feel happy about it.

         I kept thinking: If only we’d done this before winter started… maybe I’d feel different.

         When we reached her apartment building, Miyagi let go.

         She picked up her pace and walked slightly ahead.

         Her skirt fluttered in front of me.

         I could clearly see the legs I’d run my tongue over so many times before.

         Come to think of it, it had been a while since she’d last ordered me to lick her feet.

         In fact, I couldn’t even remember when the last time was.

         It wasn’t like I wanted to do it, but I almost felt like things would be better if she went back to giving me orders like that.

         We stepped into the building and took the elevator up to the sixth floor.

         Together, we walked to the front door of her apartment, which Miyagi unlocked.

         She opened the door, and we both stepped inside.

         Miyagi was the first to take off her shoes.

         I hurried to do the same and followed her, but as we reached her room, she suddenly snatched my bag.

         「Sendai-san.」

         Miyagi said as she casually dropped my bag in the middle of the hallway like it was nothing.

         There wasn’t anything fragile in there, but I still didn’t appreciate her doing that.

         I reached over to pick it up, but before I could, she grabbed my arm.

         「What?」

         When I looked up at her, Miyagi pulled me toward her.

         Before I could say anything, she leaned in and kissed me.

         We’d kissed plenty of times before.

         But Miyagi almost never initiated them.

         … Except during summer break.

         After we had watched a movie together, Miyagi—deciding she couldn’t be friends with me—had kissed me on her own.

         It hadn’t been that long ago, and the five-thousand-yen was still a part of our relationship, but I felt like things had changed a little since then.

         Even now, I didn’t mind being kissed by Miyagi.

         Her lips were soft, and I liked how they felt.

         But now that both summer and winter break had passed, Miyagi being the one to kiss me made me feel unsettled—like our roles had suddenly reversed.

         I pulled her in closer, narrowing the distance between us.

         But she quickly pulled away.

         「Um, we’re still in the hallway.」

         She was acting so unlike herself, I didn’t know what to say—so I ended up saying something a little awkward.

         「No one’s home today anyway.」

         She muttered.

         I’d never seen anyone else in this apartment besides Miyagi.

         It was normal for no one else to be here, so I hadn’t expected anyone even before she said that. I wasn’t worried about that.

         What worried me more was the fact that Miyagi was doing something she hadn’t done much since the end of summer break—especially not in a place like this, outside her room.

         Miyagi brushed her hand lightly against my cheek.

         Her fingertips traced over my lips, and then she kissed me again.

         As her soft lips touched mine, I found myself thinking again that maybe the world was ending.

         No, not the world—

         It felt more like our relationship might be.

         It didn’t seem like Miyagi was kissing me because she wanted to.

         I was always the one who wanted to kiss her, to touch her. Today, Miyagi was just doing what I wanted.

         I pulled away.

         「You still haven’t given me today’s order.」

         I wanted Miyagi to go back to normal as soon as possible.

         When she held my hand or kissed me first, it only made me feel like something was about to come to an end. And if that was true, I didn’t want to be doing this with her.

         「Just stay still and don’t do anything.」

         As expected, Miyagi didn’t tell me to lick her feet.

         Instead, she leaned in again and kissed me, like it was the most natural thing in the world—and somehow it just felt completely unnatural.

         Her lips were just as soft and warm as always when I was the one kissing her. The warmth between us felt good.

         If I could, I would’ve wanted to keep kissing her like this forever.

         But something told me I shouldn’t.

         Miyagi had given me a five-thousand-yen bill as soon as we met today, so she had the right to give me orders. And the one she gave me this time was easy enough to follow.

         But I didn’t want to follow it.

         I pushed her away by the shoulders.

         「Um, hey. Don’t you think you’ve been acting a little weird lately?」

         I glanced at Miyagi as I picked up my bag from the floor.

         「You’re always the one trying to kiss me, aren’t you?」

         「Yeah, but…」

         「You don’t want to?」

         「I do. I do, but… is this supposed to be a continuation of summer break?」

         Miyagi was acting differently from how she had back then, yet she was doing the same kinds of things.

         「A continuation?」

         「You know, like, when we were pretending to be friends.」

         Back then, when we watched a movie together, it had felt like we were testing whether or not we could become friends. Miyagi had decided we couldn’t, and I had accepted it.

         「No, I don’t want to be friends with you, Sendai-san.」

         It seemed that hadn’t changed.

         「Okay, then what’s going on?」

         I asked, but she didn’t answer.

         Miyagi fell silent, her gaze fixed on me like she was trying to observe me.

         「Fine, you don’t have to answer that. But I want you to answer my next question.」

         I decided to bring up the thing I’d wanted to ask today. But before I could speak, Miyagi cut in like she was trying to beat me to it.

         「I’m planning to go to the same university as Maika.」

         Her cold voice gave me the answer I had wanted to ask—and the answer I’d hoped for.

         「Okay, then—」

         Before I could finish, Miyagi stole the words from my mouth.

         To be blunt, she kissed me.

         She grabbed my arm, and I dropped the bag I’d just picked up.

         What are we going to do about our arrangement after graduation?

         I couldn’t get the words out. It felt like Miyagi had swallowed them.

         Something soft and a little firm pressed against my lips. When she pushed it gently against them, I opened my mouth.

         It was unlike her, but Miyagi slipped her tongue in.

         The tip of her tongue touched mine, and her grip on my arm tightened.

         When I moved my tongue against hers, her hand tightened again.

         I used to think that a Miyagi who wasn’t so cynical would be better. But that was just a thought.

         This wasn’t the Miyagi I wanted to keep seeing during our years at university.

         I pushed her away from me.

         「You don’t have to force yourself to do this.」

         I wanted the usual Miyagi.

         There was no point in talking about our future if she wasn’t being herself.

         「I’m not forcing myself to do anything.」

         She said, her hand brushing lightly against my neck.

         Her fingers traced up until they found the chain of my pendant, then tugged it out.

         「I’ve got something I want to tell you after the graduation ceremony, so make sure you come. And don’t forget to bring this.」

         She gave the chain a hard yank.

         It hurt.

         Both my arm from earlier and my neck where the chain had dug in ached.

         「Go home for today.」

         Miyagi said as she picked up the bag I had dropped.

         「Here.」

         She shoved it into my hands.

         「Miyagi, when’s the next time you’re planning on calling me over?」

         「After the graduation ceremony. I’m not calling you before that, so don’t forget to come.」

         She said, stressing the last part, before grabbing my arm and pulling me toward the door.

         Then, she shoved me out.

         The door slammed shut in my face.

         Normally, she’d see me off downstairs, but today she didn’t.

         Nothing good ever happened when things were like this.

         I couldn’t help but let out a small sigh.

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