I’d heard about where we were going, but I didn’t actually know the exact place.

         The only areas I really knew were around our apartment and my university, so I had no choice but to follow right behind Sendai-san, just to make sure I wouldn’t get lost.

         After we turned down a bunch of streets, we finally got on the train. I stood there, staring out the window as the unfamiliar scenery passed by. It only made me feel like I didn’t belong here at all. It reminded me how hard it was to adjust to these new surroundings, leaving me with a heavy, gloomy feeling.

         But if I kept thinking about it, I’d probably want to get off the train before we even arrived. So, instead, I shifted my gaze toward Sendai-san.

         「What is it?」

         Sendai-san asked, sensing my gaze, though she didn’t turn to look at me.

         「Nothing.」

         「Tired already?」

         「No.」

         I answered curtly, and that was the end of that.

         She kept looking out the window.

         Soon, the scenery that had been rushing by started to slow, and the doors opened with a loud noise.

         The train, already filled with chatter, grew even noisier.

         After the crowd of people leaving and boarding passed by and the doors shut again, Sendai-san spoke up in a quiet voice.

         「Hey, Miyagi. Why’d you decide to have orange juice this morning?」

         The train began to move again, picking up speed.

         I followed her lead and looked back out the window.

         「I just felt like it.」

         「Hmm. Then why’ve you been avoiding me so much?」

         Just like how the scenery outside kept changing, our conversation shifted without warning and ended up somewhere completely different.

         「Those two things don’t have anything to do with each other.」

         I frowned at how naturally she’d changed the subject.

         「Forget that. Just answer me.」

         Her voice was soft, as usual.

         When I looked away from the window and back at her, I saw that—despite how calm her voice sounded—her expression was unusually serious. It made me feel like I couldn’t just brush it off this time.

         「… I just didn’t know what else to do.」

         「I figured.」

         「I mean, you’re always there at home, Sendai-san.」

         It wasn’t something I should’ve said out loud. But I could tell this wasn’t the kind of moment where I could just dodge the question, so I had no choice but to answer honestly.

         「Of course I’m always there. We live together. It’s not like I can do anything about it, even if you tell me you don’t want me around.」

         「I never said I didn’t want you around.」

         「Then you’ll just have to get used to me. It hurts when you avoid me like that, you know.」

         「… I’m sorry.」

         I wasn’t trying to avoid her on purpose. But I knew I was in the wrong, so I apologized.

         Still, there were times when Sendai-san avoided me too.

         I didn’t think I was the only one to blame—but she wasn’t nearly as obvious about it, which made it hard for me to complain.

         「When you go out, you’re always with Utsunomiya, right?」

         She turned away from the window to look at me.

         「Yeah. Why?」

         「Where do you usually go?」

         “I’m hanging out with Maika.”

         That was the reason I’d always give Sendai-san whenever I went out, but it wasn’t easy to answer when she asked where I’d actually been.

         「Just around the area, I guess.」

         「Where exactly?」

         「I don’t know. I always just leave it up to Maika.」

         「Even if you leave it to her, you’re still going somewhere, right?」

         「Yeah, but we never really go anywhere special.」

         That wasn’t a lie. Maika and I didn’t go anywhere noteworthy whenever we met up.

         But to be honest, about half the times I told Sendai-san I was seeing Maika, I wasn’t actually meeting her. Most of the time, I was just wandering alone—killing time in bookstores or cafes. I felt like if I gave too specific of an answer, she’d catch on right away.

         「Well, whatever.」

         She didn’t sound satisfied with my answer, but she didn’t push it either. I felt relieved she let it go.

         Still, seeing her all quiet now made me wonder what it was she really wanted to know.

         Was it about Maika? About where I went? Or… was it just about me?

         As I tried to guess what Sendai-san was really after, the train swayed slightly, and the passing scenery began to slow.

         「We’re getting off here.」

         Sendai-san’s voice broke through my thoughts from behind.

         We’d taken the train together, had lunch, and finally arrived at a store that sold home appliances.

         All we’d planned to buy was an electric kettle, but somehow this whole trip had dragged on longer than expected. It wasn’t like we needed to rush buying one, and honestly, we could’ve just ordered one online. There had to be someplace nearby where we could’ve bought it, too. It wasn’t something we needed to hop on a train and have lunch over.

         Her hair, which she sometimes braided and sometimes didn’t since we started living together, was tied up today—braided on both sides and pinned back in a half-up style. She’d put on makeup, too, unlike how she looked earlier this morning.

         Other than not wearing her school uniform anymore, she hadn’t changed much from back when we were in high school. And yet, for some reason, she felt like a different person now.

         Or maybe, it wasn’t her that had changed—it was just how I saw her.

         It was probably because of those five-thousand-yen bills she’d saved up.

         I didn’t know what to make of it.

         Everything about this new life—about how Sendai-san was acting now—felt uncomfortable, and it made me restless. Back then, I could ease my feelings just by handing her a five-thousand-yen bill, but with that gone now, I didn’t know where to put my emotions anymore.

         If we could just go back to those days when we still had to wear school uniforms, maybe I wouldn’t have to think about things this much.

         I wouldn’t have to stress about what to wear in the morning. I wouldn’t have to worry about awkward silences between us. She wouldn’t ask me to wear a skirt, and I wouldn’t have to think about how she hadn’t brought it up today.

         We got off the escalator and moved to the next one.

         Her back, straight in front of me, looked beautiful, her hair making me want to reach out and touch it.

         Without thinking, I reached toward her and let out a breath.

         Maybe I was just tired.

         I hadn’t gotten much sleep, and my head was sluggish.

         「Miyagi. This way.」

         Instead of taking another escalator up again, Sendai-san walked ahead. I followed her, and before long, we reached the electric kettles. She picked up a few, examining them as she mumbled, “Which one should we get?”

         Some were wide, some were tall with narrow spouts. The shapes and colors varied, with extra features here and there, but honestly, as long as it could boil water, any of them would do. Still, she looked so serious as she compared them. I didn’t want to rush her, but I wished she’d just hurry up a bit.

         「Which one do you think is good, Miyagi?」

         She asked, glancing at me.

         「Anything’s fine. Did you not research any beforehand?」

         「Well, I did find a couple that seemed good.」

         「Then just get one of those.」

         「I’ve narrowed it down to two, so help me choose between them.」

         She pointed to the two kettles.

         「Either’s fine. Just pick the one you like more, Sendai-san.」

         「We’re both going to be using it, so at least help me choose the color.」

         She pointed at one of the kettles and said, “Let’s go with this one. Now, pick a color.”

         「I don’t really care about the color.」

         The color didn’t matter for boiling water.

         I didn’t care if it was white, black, or red. Honestly, I’d rather she just pick it herself instead of dragging me into it.

         「… Miyagi… Are you like this when you go shopping with Utsunomiya too?」

         She let out a small sigh as she asked.

         「Like what?」

         「Being all cold and uncooperative like this.」

         Her words stung a little.

         With Maika, I could actually be more thoughtful. If I were shopping with her instead, I’d probably ask what kind of features she wanted or even say which design or color I liked. Or rather, it wasn’t just Maika—I would’ve been like that around anyone other than Sendai-san. But for some reason, I couldn’t act naturally around Sendai-san. The only things I ever did with her were things I wouldn’t do with anyone else.

         「So, you’re really not going to pick?」

         She asked again. I looked at the kettles, sighed, then settled on something safe.

         「White. It feels like a color that suits a kettle.」

         「Suits a kettle, huh? Don’t you think that’s a color that suits most appliances?」

         「Then red.」

         「Got it. White it is, then.」

         She smiled brightly—far too brightly—and picked up the white kettle, carrying it to the register. I followed after her and we split the cost.

         「We got everything we needed, right?」

         I asked, and she answered with a simple, “Yeah.”

         I thought we’d finally be heading home, but then she suddenly said she wanted to look at something else and went up the escalator again.

         「We’re not going home yet?」

         She didn’t say where she was going, but from her pace, it was clear she had somewhere in mind.

         「Just making a quick detour.」

         「Was there something else you wanted to buy?」

         「Not really, but we’ve still got plenty of time, right?」

         She grinned.

         Her smile looked gentle, but her eyes weren’t asking for my opinion at all. Rather than wasting my energy arguing, I just followed her quietly.

         We’d eaten lunch, shopped together, and now we were wandering around aimlessly. Spending Sunday this way felt much better than avoiding her altogether.

         I wasn’t afraid of making more memories with her anymore.

         But I still wasn’t sure if this was the “right” distance for us as roommates.

         「Over here, Miyagi.」

         She tugged on my arm lightly as we got off the escalator, and right in front of us was a pile of stuffed animals.

         「You like these kinds of things, right?」

         I wasn’t sure how exactly she saw me.

         I didn’t collect stuffed animals, nor did I have that many in my room. Sure, there were other things here too—accessories, toys—but the way she assumed I’d like stuffed animals made me wonder what kind of person she thought I was.

         … Though I didn’t mind looking at them.

         She seemed to be having fun too, and we had time to spare. I picked up a few, looked them over, and put them back.

         Deeper in the shop were more soft things, and my eyes were drawn to one in particular—a simple, flat object.

         It was a tissue box cover.

         Now that I thought about it, the tissue box in our kitchen was just sitting out, uncovered.

         I picked up a dark brown one.

         「What’s that supposed to be?」

         Sendai-san peered over.

         「A platypus.」

         「Doesn’t it kind of look like a crocodile?」

         「Not even close.」

         「Is it a mammal?」

         「I think so.」

         If I remembered correctly, platypuses laid eggs, but they were still considered mammals.

         「So, this is the kind of stuff you like, huh, Miyagi.」

         「It’s not like I like it or anything.」

         「Well, either way, this thing’s quite cute, isn’t it?」

         She said, stroking the platypus’s head as she took it from me.

         「I’ll go pay for it, so hand it back for a bit.」

         I said, tugging lightly on its beak.

         「Don’t worry about it. I’ll pay.」

         「Why?」

         「It’s for the tissue box in the kitchen, right? That means we’ll both be using it, so I’ll just pay for it with the money meant to cover our shared expenses.」

         Sendai-san said it like it was only natural as she fiddled with the platypus’s little hands.

         「I never said it was for the kitchen.」

         「Oh, it’s not?」

         「… Well, it is…」

         「Then that settles it.」

         Without waiting for me to reply, she walked off to pay.

         I ended up following her again, watching her buy it with the money meant for our shared expenses.

         This was something I didn’t like about her.

         She was always trying to guess what I wanted.

         And she never listened to me whenever I had something to say about it.

         「Alright, let’s head home.」

         She said, clearly signaling we were done for today, and started walking back the way we came.

         The way back took just as long as the trip here. We didn’t take any more detours, and we didn’t chat along the way either.

         But the silence didn’t bother me that much.

         We took the train back, then walked home together.

         Once we were back, Sendai-san immediately opened the kettle and started making tea.

         We sat facing each other at the table, and she handed me the bag with the tissue cover.

         「Here.」

         「You put it on, Sendai-san.」

         I pushed the bag back to her. Without a word, she took out the platypus, then pointed at the tissue box next to me.

         「Pass that over.」

         I handed it to her—but instead of taking the box, she grabbed my hand.

         My heart jumped, and her grip tightened.

         She held my hand so tightly, it was starting to hurt.

         But she stayed quiet.

         If this had been before, she probably would’ve kissed me by now, even if I said no. But today, she didn’t.

         Of course she didn’t.

         We were just roommates now. There was no rule saying we could kiss anymore. But then again, there wasn’t a rule saying we couldn’t, either.

         「… Sorry.」

         She muttered, letting go of my hand.

         I passed her the tissue box again, and she quietly put the cover over it.

         We didn’t have any rules about kissing—but even if we did, Sendai-san was the type to break them without hesitation if she felt like it. And yet, for some reason, she was holding herself back today, like she was bound by some invisible rule.

         That was something else I didn’t like about her.

         「Done.」

         She said as she placed the platypus-covered tissue box down on the table.

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