「I’m back.」

         「Welcome home.」

         Once we exchanged our usual greetings in the shared living space, I set a small bag down on the table.

         「There’s pudding in here, and there’s one for you too, Sendai-san.」

         「Are these from Utsunomiya?」

         Sendai-san, who had been eating dinner alone, asked as she lowered her bowl and looked at me.

         「No, I bought them.」

         「You did?」

         「What, is there a problem with that?」

         「… No.」

         Our plan to hang out before summer break ended happened sooner than I expected. Within a week, Maika and I had gone to see a movie and had dinner together. We also bought some highly rated pudding from a shop we passed, though it might not have been something Sendai-san wanted to eat.

         「I’ll leave them in the fridge, so you can eat yours whenever you feel like it.」

         「Thanks.」

         Usually, she would’ve said something like, “Let’s eat them together later,” but today she didn’t. It seemed like she wasn’t in a great mood right now. She’d been fine this morning before I left, so maybe something happened while I was gone.

I put the pudding cups in the fridge and started heading back to my room, but before I could open my door, Sendai-san called out to me.

         「Stay here.」

         She said flatly, and I turned around.

         「Why?」

         「I’ll be done eating in a bit.」

         My eyes drifted to the calico cat chopstick rest in front of her. The present I’d hung on her doorknob the other day was now something she used every day. Still, I couldn’t help thinking chopstick rests were kind of unnecessary, and that maybe I should’ve gotten her something else.

         「Just call me back out when you’re finished eating.」

         I said, turning away, still a little regretful about the gift—when I suddenly heard her set her chopsticks down on the rest.

         「I’m done eating now. Thanks for the meal.」

         Sendai-san said, then walked over to the sink to wash her dishes.

         The sound of running water mixed with the clatter of dishes, but Sendai-san didn’t say a word. She’d gone to such lengths to keep me here, yet now she was just washing her dishes in silence. I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should go back to my room after all.

         I leaned my back against the door, bumping into the doorknob. The words Sendai-san had said earlier—telling me to stay here—kept echoing in my head. So, still leaning against my door, I tried calling out to her.

         「If you’re going to tell me to stay, then hurry up and say something. You wanted to talk about trivial things with me, right?」

         I said, bringing up the promise we’d made on her birthday.

         「You went to see a movie, didn’t you? What did you two watch?」

         She asked in a completely flat tone.

         「Something you probably wouldn’t like.」

         「Was it good?」

         「Not really. Even Maika thought it was underwhelming.」

         「I see.」

         Her indifferent response annoyed me a little.

         She was the one who’d said she wanted us to have these ordinary conversations anyone could have, so I wanted her to at least show some interest. If she was going to brush off everything I said so easily, then I didn’t feel like talking to her at all.

         「I’m going back to my room.」

         I threw the words at Sendai-san’s back and turned to leave.

         「Sorry, I can’t really hear you over the water while I’m washing dishes. I’m almost done, so just take a seat and wait for me, okay?」

         Even though she claimed she couldn’t hear me, she answered right away, sounding slightly panicked.

         I stayed silent.

         When I didn’t say anything, she looked back and said, “Just give me five more minutes.”

         「Fine, just five more minutes.」

         Even though she’d already been washing her dishes for quite a while now, I decided to wait and took a seat without checking the time.

         Besides, even if I did time her, I knew that once five minutes passed, she’d only ask for another minute or two anyway.

         「What do you think about pudding, Sendai-san?」

         I asked, not sure how much time had passed.

         「I’ll eat it later.」

         「No, not that. I meant—do you like pudding?」

         We’d eaten pudding together before, so I doubted she disliked it, at least.

         「What about you, Miyagi?」

         Sendai-san asked as she finally came over after finishing the dishes.

         「I wouldn’t buy something I don’t like.」

         「I like pudding too.」

         She said with a smile.

         I wasn’t amused.

         I didn’t like that she was smiling at me now after acting so disinterested earlier—and after making me wait.

         I stood up and grabbed her arm with my left hand.

         Then, using my right hand, I pressed my thumb against her lips, and she called out my name.

         「Miyagi. If you’re going to bite me, do it somewhere other than my lips.」

         「I never said I was going to bite you.」

         「You didn’t, but you were planning to, weren’t you?」

         She was right, but I didn’t like her acting as if she already knew exactly what I was going to do, so I stayed silent and let go of her arm.

         「It hurts way too much when you bite my lips, so do it somewhere else. I don’t mind if you leave a faint mark either.」

         Sendai-san said, taking my hand.

         「I’m not going to do anything, so let go of me.」

         「You’re not?」

         「No.」

         I answered firmly, looking straight into her eyes.

         But she didn’t release my hand.

         Instead, she leaned in and kissed me.

         It was just a quick peck, and then she pulled away—only to immediately come in for another kiss, so I gently bit her lip.

         「Ouch.」

         Sendai-san exaggerated her complaint, staring at me as I pulled away.

         「I didn’t bite you hard enough for it to hurt.」

         「Well, it did hurt.」

         She said, going out of her way to brush her lips with her fingertips, so I lowered my mouth to her neck and bit down—hard enough to leave a mark this time.

         「That actually hurts, Miyagi.」

         I ignored her and kept biting down hard. Sendai-san grabbed my arm, but I sank my teeth even deeper into her soft skin, as if trying to tear it off. My lips stayed pressed against her neck, and I could feel her warmth against my mouth. The harder I bit, the tighter her grip on my arm became.

         She was holding on so hard it started to hurt.

         I slowly pulled my mouth away, and without letting go of me, Sendai-san said,

         「I never said you could bite me that hard.」

         「You’re the one who said it was fine if I left a mark on you, weren’t you?」

         「Well, there’s still limits to these kinds of things.」

         「If there were limits, you should’ve said that from the beginning.」

         Sendai-san let out a small sigh. Then she released my arm and stroked her neck, her fingers tracing over the fresh bite marks.

         Watching her fingertips move slowly back and forth made me want to bite her again, but before I could, Sendai-san spoke once more.

         「Miyagi, summer break’s almost over. Did you have a good time this year?」

         「… Why are you asking all of a sudden?」

         「You told me you’d say something if you had fun, remember?」

         It was true. I had said something like that on our way back from the aquarium.

         I sighed quietly and decided to follow through on the promise I made.

         「… I guess it was pretty fun.」

         This year’s summer vacation wasn’t like the ones before.

         Until now, I’d always spent long breaks mostly by myself, but this time, I’d been with Sendai-san so often that I barely had any time alone.

         I’d spent time with her last year too, but only three days a week—we weren’t living together like we were now.

         I doubted I could ever spend this much time with anyone except her, but having someone beside me all summer wasn’t so bad after all.

         「Well, in that case, let’s have a sleepover today.」

         Sendai-san smiled as she suddenly said something completely out of nowhere. I had no idea how our conversation ended up turning into a sleepover plan. Plus, there was no reason for us to have a sleepover anyway.

         「Even though we already live together?」

         「Just because we live together doesn’t mean we sleep in the same room.」

         「I mean, I guess that’s true.」

         「So let’s do something fun to wrap up our summer break, like talking about trivial things and getting to know each other better—in your room.」

         「Wait, why does it have to be in my room?」

         I glared at Sendai-san, who said it like it was the most natural thing in the world.

         I’d let her into my room a few times after her birthday, and I didn’t mind her being there normally, but having a sleepover there was a different matter. Besides, I hadn’t even agreed to a sleepover yet.

         「You slept over in my room before, so now it’s my turn to sleep in yours.」

         「No.」

         「Come on, let’s have a sleepover.」

         「You’re definitely planning on doing something weird, aren’t you, Sendai-san?」

         「I said I’d wait, remember? I won’t go any further than kissing you until you tell me you’re ready.」

         「I don’t believe you.」

         「I’ll even swear on your earrings.」

         Without waiting for my permission, Sendai-san reached out and touched my ear, then pressed her lips to my earring.

         「I’ll wait until you tell me you’re ready, Miyagi.」

         I knew she always kept her promises when she swore on my earrings, but that didn’t mean I trusted her self-control.

         「If you’re that worried, why not just stay up all night?」

         「You want me to stay up?」

         「If you watch movies until morning, you won’t have to get into bed. And if you don’t get into bed, nothing will happen, right?」

         「… Sendai-san, were you planning to sleep in my bed?」

         「You slept in my bed last time, didn’t you?」

         「It’ll be too cramped if we do that. If you’re sleeping in my room, bring your own futon.」

         「That’s too much trouble. Let’s just share the bed. Or you can stay up—either way works. Anyway, that settles it, then.」

         She said while putting her hands together as if to end the discussion.

         I glanced toward my bedroom door.

         I wasn’t tired.

         I could handle one night without sleep.

         So I decided to accept her suggestion.

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