Even though my exams were fast approaching, I couldn’t focus on studying.

          All I could do was sit at my desk and think about Sendai-san, who still hadn’t come back from her part-time job.

          When I glanced at the clock, it was already long past dinnertime.

          I left my room and went into the shared living area.

          I wasn’t particularly hungry, but I decided to make stew for tonight. I took out a knife and a cutting board, then started peeling carrots, potatoes, and onions.

          If this were last year, I would’ve just settled for a premade meal instead of going out of my way to cook something. But things were different now. Ever since I started living with Sendai-san, I’d grown more comfortable making simple dishes. Besides, it was better to spend my time cooking than overthinking unnecessary things.

          Making stew was easy. I just had to chop up the ingredients, fry them, then mix everything together with the roux. I didn’t have to worry about seasoning, and it was almost impossible to mess up the taste.

          I began cutting the vegetables into bite-sized pieces.

          I’d grown used to being by myself, but that didn’t make it any less boring. Even on days when Sendai-san came home from work, things weren’t any better. She’d always talk about a student I’d never met before, and I couldn’t bring myself to be interested in it at all.

          She was around most of the time, so when she wasn’t, everything felt slightly off. Maybe that was why I was distracted enough to nearly cut my finger while slicing the vegetables.

          I stopped cutting the potatoes for a moment.

          What if I cut my finger instead of the potato?

          What if it bled so much that it wouldn’t stop?

          — What would Sendai-san do?

          I let out a sigh.

          There was no way she’d quit her job over a small cut. I knew whatever she was doing and wherever she was had nothing to do with me. Still, ever since Maika came over, I’d been finding myself wanting to interfere in her life more than before.

          「I should’ve just settled for a premade meal today.」

          I’d started cooking to keep my mind occupied, yet all I could do was overthink things. It was too late to switch to instant food, so I kept chopping the rest of the vegetables and chicken, then tossed them into the pan.

          I added water and let it simmer, absently skimming the foam from the surface.

          After breaking the roux into pieces and stirring it in, I poured in the milk just as Sendai-san walked through the door.

          「I’m home.」

          Still standing in front of the pot, I greeted her with, “Welcome home,” as she came closer, sniffing the air like a dog.

          「That’s a nice smell you’ve got there, Miyagi.」

          「It’s not coming from me. It’s from the pot.」

          「Are you making stew?」

          Sendai-san stood right beside me.

          We were close enough that we could’ve kissed, and I found myself staring at her face.

          Usually, it was Sendai-san who would initiate kisses at times like this. But there was no rule saying I couldn’t be the one to start it. If I just leaned in a little, I could close the distance easily.

          There wasn’t any rule about who should initiate it or when it should happen. So, even without a reason, I could kiss her if I wanted to.

          「Miyagi?」

          When she called my name, I looked back down at the stew.

          If I kissed her without a reason, she’d definitely say something about it. Not that I wanted to kiss her without one anyway. It just felt like the kind of distance where we could kiss—nothing more.

          I felt like I’d been acting a bit strange ever since Maika visited us the other day.

          「You don’t have to stand so close. You can tell I’m making stew from the smell alone, can’t you?」

          I said, pressing lightly against Sendai-san’s stomach.

          「I was wondering if you made some for me too.」

          She took two steps back.

          「I wouldn’t make stew for just one person.」

          「I see. Is it almost done?」

          「Yeah, it’s done.」

          「Okay, I’ll go put this away in my room first.」

          Sendai-san said, holding up her bag, before heading to her room.

          I turned off the stove, took out two plates, and scooped rice onto them before pouring the stew on top. Before long, she came back and carried the plates and spoons to the table.

          「Let’s eat.」

          We said together, and I took a bite of the stew.

          Even though we used the same ingredients and roux, it didn’t taste as good as when Sendai-san made it. I knew it didn’t really matter as long as it filled my stomach, but if I was going to eat anyway, I wanted it to taste good.

          「You’ve gotten better at cooking, Miyagi. It’s really good.」

          「… Thanks.」

          I thanked her out of courtesy.

          But Sendai-san was the type to call everything delicious. Even if it wasn’t, she’d probably say it was anyway. And even if I messed it up completely, she’d still eat it all. I didn’t dislike that about her, but sometimes, I just wanted to hear what she really thought.

          It wasn’t that I wanted her to always speak her mind, but there were some things I didn’t want her to gloss over.

          ― Like on the day Maika came over.

          I already knew what the two of them talked about, but something still bothered me. That day, when Maika asked if she had someone she liked, Sendai-san never gave an answer. She was the only one who didn’t, and her silence stuck with me.

          It wasn’t the kind of topic we usually talked about, so I hadn’t found the chance to bring it up again. It wasn’t something I needed to know, but it still felt unfair that she was the only one who didn’t answer. I’d answered, so she should too.

          Still, maybe the reason she didn’t answer was because there really was someone she liked.

          「Sendai-san.」

          I didn’t care who it was. I just didn’t want her to have anything she’d prioritize over me—not even her part-time job.

          Still, if there really was someone else she needed, and it wasn’t me, there was nothing I could do about it. But if there was a person like that, I at least wanted to know who they were.

          「What’s up?」

          Sendai-san swallowed a mouthful of stew and looked at me.

          Talking about crushes was supposed to be simple—something everyone could talk about. I’d done it with Maika, even with Ami. But for some reason, the words caught in my throat like I was about to bring up something impossibly heavy.

          「Next time, you make the stew, Sendai-san.」

          What came out was completely different from what I’d been thinking.

          「Sure.」

          She replied casually.

          There wasn’t any real reason to ask her now.

          Everything just felt off because Maika had brought up something we normally wouldn’t talk about.

          I let out a small sigh, quiet enough so Sendai-san couldn’t hear.

---

< Previous Part | Next Part >