The three of us had gone out to eat, and I’d come back home with Miyagi.

          And now, she was confronting me.

          Utsunomiya, who’d been with us here just two hours ago, was already gone.

          Miyagi had a difficult look on her face.

          「So what did you and Maika actually talk about?」

          She asked in a stern tone I doubted she’d ever used around Utsunomiya.

          「Huh? What do you mean?」

          「You two were definitely talking about something while I was in the bathroom, weren’t you?」

          It was written all over her face that she wanted answers, and that she wasn’t in a good mood.

          Miyagi had been sitting diagonally in front of me earlier, but now she was right across from me, making her expression easy to read. The air around her felt sharp, almost prickling against my skin. I was glad the Miyagi I knew was back, but I wasn’t exactly happy about her being in such a terrible mood.

          「We weren’t talking about anything serious. Utsunomiya said that too, didn’t she?」

          That was the truth—we really hadn’t talked about anything serious.

          It was normal to ask new friends to call each other by their first names, and it wasn’t something I needed to hide. I’d decided to keep what Utsunomiya had confided in me to myself, but aside from that, our conversation had been nothing out of the ordinary. It wasn’t as if we’d agreed to keep anything secret from Miyagi either.

          Still, I had a feeling that telling her what we’d talked about would only make her mood worse.

          「That has to be a lie. You two were definitely talking about something.」

          「Are you doubting Utsunomiya?」

          「No, I’m doubting you, Sendai-san.」

          Miyagi said firmly.

          I couldn’t help but think it was unfair that I was the only one she didn’t believe.

          I knew I’d never win against Utsunomiya when it came to trust, but even so, Miyagi was treating me far too coldly.

          「All we talked about was how you picked out this platypus tissue box cover, and how I ended up helping you with your studies as a way to thank you for lending me money. I promised you I wouldn’t say anything weird to her, so I made sure not to tell her anything you wouldn’t want me to.」

          Hopefully, that was enough to dodge her question.

          Miyagi didn’t seem happy about me getting closer to Utsunomiya, so if I told her what we’d actually talked about, she’d probably think I was getting too friendly with her—or worse, that I was trying to steal her friend. I didn’t want to say anything unnecessary and risk being misunderstood.

          「Really?」

          「Yeah. Besides, what do you think I could’ve said to her anyway?」

          「Maybe you told her things I didn’t want you to.」

          「Like what?」

          「You know exactly what I’m talking about, don’t you?」

          Miyagi probably wanted to keep everything that happened between us in high school a secret from Utsunomiya. But I felt the same way. I didn’t want anyone else to know either.

          「You don’t have to worry so much. We really were just having a normal conversation. And if you’re that skeptical, you can ask Utsunomiya, too.」

          Miyagi lowered her eyes.

          I wasn’t sure what she was thinking, but she wouldn’t look at me anymore.

          I hadn’t said anything suspicious, but I could still understand why she was bothered. Maybe, to her, I was getting a little too close to Utsunomiya. I wasn’t trying to take her friend away, but it wouldn’t be strange if she felt left out, the same way Utsunomiya said she did.

          「― Look this way, Sendai-san.」

          After a long silence, Miyagi suddenly turned toward me and pulled me by the arm.

          「I already am facing you, though.」

          I’d been looking at her the entire time, but my answer didn’t please her. Her brows furrowed.

          「No, face me properly.」

          She tugged my arm again. This time, I turned not just my face, but my whole body toward her.

          「Is this alright?」

          I asked, but she didn’t respond. She didn’t let go of my arm, either.

          「Miyagi?」

          When I called her name, the hand clutching my arm tightened. Then, Miyagi leaned closer.

          She was probably going to kiss me.

          Already expecting it, I closed my eyes, then felt something soft brush against my lips. I thought it would be a simple peck, but instead, something warm and damp pressed against me.

          It was rare for Miyagi to be the one to initiate a kiss and try to slip her tongue inside my mouth.

          The room hadn’t gotten any warmer, yet heat spread through my body.

          I didn’t know why she was doing this, but my body moved before my thoughts could catch up. I parted my lips slightly, and after a moment of hesitation, Miyagi’s warmth slid into my mouth.

          Our tongues met and intertwined.

          Her gentle, uncertain movements fit naturally against mine, as if her tongue had always belonged there. The warmth of her lips, the faint tremor in her breath, all of it melted into me through every place we touched.

          When I moved my tongue, wanting more, her grip on my arm tightened.

          But then, her lips and tongue slipped away.

          Still wanting to kiss her again, I leaned forward—only for her sharp, irritated voice to cut through the moment.

          「Now tell me what you two were actually talking about.」

          Oh, right.

          How could I forget?

          Miyagi hardly ever kissed me unless she had a reason for it.

          「Was that supposed to be a trade?」

          I asked, saying the words she’d left unsaid.

          「You can think of it like that.」

          She’d used kisses as bargaining chips before. It wasn’t the first time we’d kissed like this, and we’d even gone further before. Even if it was part of a deal, I was still happy that Miyagi kissed me.

          It didn’t have to mean anything special.

          And yet, this kiss felt different.

          Maybe it was because—even though there was someone else she could’ve made a deal with—Miyagi had chosen me.

          「Is there a reason why you’re asking me and not Utsunomiya?」

          I asked, and Miyagi’s gaze dropped to the floor.

          I wanted to know the reason if there was one, but she didn’t reply.

          「You could’ve asked Utsunomiya what we talked about and offered to buy her a meal or something. Actually, I bet she’d tell you even if you didn’t give her anything in return.」

          「You don’t know that. Maika might not tell me anything.」

          Miyagi mumbled, looking up at me.

          That didn’t sound convincing.

          Knowing Utsunomiya, she definitely would’ve told Miyagi if she really wanted to know. If there was something she wouldn’t say, then Miyagi could’ve asked me afterward.

          There was no need for her to come to me first.

          I wanted to believe she’d chosen to ask me because she wanted to kiss me. Maybe I was just twisting things to suit my own wishful thinking, but I couldn’t help believing it anyway.

          I kept searching for meaning in the fact that she’d chosen me instead of Utsunomiya to talk to first.

          Even if she didn’t feel the same way I did, I wanted to believe Miyagi felt at least something close to it.

          「Now tell me, Sendai-san.」

          I didn’t want to tell her.

          Not yet, at least—not until she could explain clearly and convincingly why she’d chosen me.

          But if I said that, Miyagi would probably drop it altogether.

          「I’ll tell you if you kiss me again.」

          I didn’t mind if she used a kiss as a trade.

          I just wanted her to be the one to initiate it again.

          「Fine, I’ll do it. But only if you swear on my earrings that you’ll tell me everything after.」

          「Okay.」

          I reached out and traced the plumeria-shaped earring with my thumb, promising Miyagi that I’d tell her everything if she kissed me.

          「Is this enough?」

          I asked, sliding my hand from her earlobe to her cheek. Miyagi leaned in.

          As soon as I closed my eyes, our lips met.

          I hadn’t added any conditions, but something soft slipped into my mouth anyway.

          All I’d done was swear on her earrings, and Miyagi had kissed me again.

          I wished she could always be this straightforward.

          Though I knew that was asking for too much.

          I wanted to be able to kiss Miyagi whenever I wanted, however I wanted.

          Her hand brushed against my side.

          She leaned in closer, pressing her lips more firmly against mine—but pulled away sooner than the last time.

          「There. I kissed you.」

          Miyagi said flatly.

          The only things I hadn’t told her were what Utsunomiya had confided in me, and that I’d asked her to call me by my first name.

          Utsunomiya hadn’t made me promise not to tell Miyagi anything, but I didn’t feel right about spilling someone else’s secrets. That left me no choice but to tell Miyagi the other thing instead.

          Still, I hesitated.

          I didn’t want Miyagi to misunderstand.

          If she thought I was trying to take Utsunomiya away from her, she’d probably distance herself from me, and I didn’t want that. Not even for a little while.

          I didn’t need her to like me, but I didn’t want her to hate me either.

          「Sendai-san.」

          Miyagi called my name firmly.

          「You know, today, when I went to pick Maika up at the station, I finally saw that calico cat you were talking about. That made me realize you’d been telling the truth all along, and I felt like I could trust you a bit more. So I want you to show you can keep this promise, too.」

          Her voice was unusually serious, and I let out a small sigh.

          I didn’t want to lose what little trust I’d gained.

          「We were talking about what to call each other.」

          「What do you mean?」

          「I told her she could call me by my first name if she wanted to.」

          「… And did she?」

          Miyagi asked, looking straight at me.

          「Did you hear her call me by my first name today?」

          「No, I didn’t.」

          「Well, there you go. She said that until you start calling me by my first name, she’ll hold off on it.」

          Miyagi fell silent.

          She glanced at the floor, then back up at me.

          「… So, are you going to call her by her first name too, Sendai-san?」

          「You’ve heard me calling her “Utsunomiya” all day, haven’t you? I also told her that until she starts calling me “Hazuki,” I’d hold off too. Anyway, that was the part you wanted to know. Everything else really was just us talking about high school stuff.」

          I said, wrapping up the topic before Miyagi’s thoughts could wander further.

          If we kept talking, I might end up saying something that didn’t seem like a big deal to me, but would to her.

          「Hey, Miyagi.」

          I leaned back against the bed.

          「What?」

          「You should call me “Hazuki” too.」

          I knew she’d refuse, but I wanted to try anyway.

          「If I called you “Hazuki,” Maika would start doing it too, wouldn’t she?」

          「Well, yeah. She did say that.」

          Miyagi thought for a moment, then quietly said,

          「… Then I’ll stick to calling you “Sendai-san.”」

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