I checked the weather forecast on my phone.

         It was supposed to be mostly sunny with some clouds, with only a ten percent chance of rain.

         So there was no reason for Miyagi to make a fuss and back out of our trip to the zoo. I’d been checking the forecast constantly since this morning, but it hadn’t changed at all. It looked like today was going to be perfect for a trip to the zoo.

         I guess you were worth making after all, I thought as I picked up the teru teru bozu hanging from the doorknob.

         The one hanging in Miyagi’s room seemed to have done its job, too. I kissed the little weather doll I’d made from tissue paper before hanging it back on the doorknob. Then I went out into the shared living space and started getting an early lunch ready.

         I took out a frying pan, heated some ham, and cracked a couple of eggs over it. After adding a little water and putting the lid on, Miyagi came out of her room.

         「Let me help you, Sendai-san.」

         「Sure. Can you toast some bread for us?」

         「Okay.」

         While Miyagi went to toast the bread, the ham and eggs finished cooking. I took out some butter and jam for us to spread on our toast and set them on the table along with our plates of ham and eggs. Miyagi followed right behind me with two glasses of orange juice, then brought over the toast, and we sat down.

         「Let’s eat.」

         We somehow managed to say in perfect unison.

         Miyagi spread butter and jam on her toast and took a bite. I did the same, and as I was eating, Miyagi called my name.

         「Sendai-san.」

         「What’s up?」

         「Is there anything you’re looking forward to seeing at the zoo?」

         「Yeah. A shoebill.」

         I said the name of the animal I hadn’t even known existed until Miyagi told me about it, then took another bite of toast. The butter and jam melted together in my mouth, creating a pleasant sweet and savory taste.

         「Besides that?」

         「What about you, Miyagi?」

         「I’m not talking about me. I’m asking what kind of animal you want to see.」

         She’d asked me the same thing before the new year, but no matter how many times she asked, my answer wouldn’t change.

         All I wanted was to see Miyagi having fun. As long as I could see her enjoying herself, I’d be happy. But that wasn’t something I could just say out loud, so I carefully tried to put my feelings into different words.

         「I just want to observe the people around me.」

         「What kind of answer is that? That’s not what I asked.」

         Miyagi said in a low voice as she poked at the white of her fried egg with her fork.

         「I mean, people are animals too, aren’t they?」

         「I guess so…」

         「So, are there any other animals you’re looking forward to seeing, Miyagi?」

         I looked at Miyagi, who seemed discontent with my answer.

         「… A tiger.」

         That was unexpected.

         Last night, when I was looking over the zoo map, I’d noticed the names of several unusual animals that I thought Miyagi would be interested in seeing, but apparently, I was completely off the mark. I never would’ve expected her to be most interested in something as ordinary as a tiger.

         「What about penguins?」

         I brought up an animal I was sure Miyagi would want to see.

         「I want to see them too.」

         She replied firmly.

         She really did like penguins a lot.

         I didn’t know if she’d smile when she saw them like she had when we went to the aquarium, but this time, I was planning on taking pictures of her with them.

         「Can I come to your room after we’re done eating?」

         「No.」

         She turned me down just as I’d expected. I took another bite of my ham and eggs before deciding to ask why.

         「Why not?」

         「Because you’re probably just going to make me wear a skirt or something.」

         「It’s okay, you don’t have to wear a skirt. It’s too cold, and you might get sick, so you should dress warmly. Anyway, I just wanted to borrow your face for a little while.」

         I would’ve been pretty happy to see Miyagi in a skirt, but I didn’t want to make her wear one when she was so sensitive to the cold. What I really wanted to do was her makeup.

         「Why do you have to mess with my face? Go mess with your own.」

         Miyagi seemed to have figured out what I was planning, and she frowned as she took a sip of her orange juice.

         「Oh, come on. I won’t put too much on. Just let me do it.」

         I watched Miyagi break the yolk of her fried egg with her fork before eating the egg white.

         She was cute even without makeup.

         But she looked cute with makeup on, too, which was why I wanted to see her like that every now and then.

         And more importantly…

         I wanted an excuse to get closer to Miyagi. I wanted to touch her hair and her cheeks, and see her frown at me in displeasure from up close. I loved how cute she looked when she closed her eyes for me whenever I asked her to, and how adorable she was when she let me put lip balm on her.

         I wanted to see all those sides of her, even if it was only for a little while.

         「… No.」

         「It’s fine if you don’t want me to, but can I at least come to your room?」

         「You don’t have to ask me every time you want to come into my room.」

         「I don’t have to, but I can, right?」

         「Do whatever you want.」

         Miyagi said, sounding a little annoyed as she took a big bite of her toast. I did the same with mine. After munching away on the rest of my ham and eggs, we finished our meals and said, “Thank you for the meal,” before clearing the dishes.

         We hadn’t been eating particularly slowly, but quite a bit of time had gone by, so I hurried back to my room to change and do my makeup.

         I put on the skirt I’d told Miyagi she didn’t need to wear earlier. After hesitating for a moment, I tied my hair into a ponytail and headed to Miyagi’s room with the makeup she’d said she didn’t want. After two knocks, the door opened, revealing Miyagi dressed warmly in a sweater and jeans and a clearly displeased look on her face.

         「Come on, it’s just a little makeup. It’s fine, isn’t it?」

         I said to Miyagi, who was staring intently at my makeup case.

         「Fine. Come in.」

         She stepped aside, and I entered the room. I placed the makeup case on the table and sat down in my usual spot beside the bed. Miyagi, however, sat farther away from me.

         「Can I move closer to you?」

         I decided to ask anyway.

         「No.」

         「Then come sit over here.」

         I patted the spot beside me and looked at Miyagi. After hesitating for a full thirty seconds, she crawled over on all fours like a cat. Once she reached me, she sat down beside me and stroked the nape of my neck.

         「It’s already gone.」

         I said.

         The spot she was caressing was where she’d left a hickey on me the day before yesterday, in a place I could barely hide with my hair. Since I had my hair tied up in a ponytail today, she could obviously tell it was gone without me having to say anything, but I mentioned it anyway.

         「I can see that.」

         Miyagi traced her fingers over the spot where the mark had been.

         It had been very faint, and it had disappeared sooner than I’d expected.

         「Don’t put one that’s somewhere noticeable today.」

         I grabbed Miyagi’s hand as she stroked my neck.

         The mark she’d left on me yesterday before I went to work had been in a much more inconspicuous place. I’d be fine with her leaving one somewhere similar today, but it’d be troublesome if she put one somewhere my clothes couldn’t hide. It wouldn’t stop me from going to the zoo, but since it was a hickey, I’d have to find some way to cover it if she left it somewhere visible, which would take time and make us leave home even later.

         「So it’s fine as long as I leave it somewhere that’s not noticeable?」

         It wasn’t fine.

         We should’ve been getting ready to leave as soon as possible, and I didn’t even have work today. So even though it wasn’t fine, I still wanted Miyagi to leave a mark on me anyway. What’s more, there was even a part of me that wouldn’t mind if it were somewhere noticeable.

         I felt the same way the day before yesterday, too.

         The mark, although it couldn’t be covered by my turtleneck sweater, wasn’t particularly noticeable. I’d hidden it with my hair, but it was still visible enough that someone could’ve noticed it. I could’ve covered it with foundation if I’d wanted to, though. But instead, I chose to go to work without really hiding it.

         I probably wanted someone to notice the mark.

         Or, more precisely, I think I wanted Mio to point out that it was a hickey and ask who had left it there. Even though I knew it would only cause trouble for me if Mio found out how I felt about Miyagi, there was still a part of me that wanted her to notice.

         But in the end, she never noticed the faint mark.

         「I didn’t say that, and I’m here to do your makeup, so sit still and don’t move.」

         I said, letting go of Miyagi’s hand. She frowned as though she didn’t like the idea, but she didn’t say anything.

         After I finished doing her makeup, I gave her a kiss.

         「You always do such unnecessary things, Sendai-san.」

         Miyagi said in a low voice as she pushed me away by the shoulder.

         「Come on, it was just a kiss. It’s fine, isn’t it?」

         「No, it isn’t. Let’s hurry up and get going.」

         Miyagi stood up and put on her coat. She showed no sign of wanting to leave a mark on me as she picked up her scarf and gloves.

         「Sendai-san.」

         She called, urging me to hurry.

         「Wait for me by the front door.」

         I said to Miyagi before heading back to my room to grab my coat. When I went to the front door, Miyagi was already waiting for me. We put on our shoes and stepped outside.

         I went down the stairs first, then turned around to look at Miyagi.

         The scarf she was wearing was the same color as my earrings.

         It fits so perfectly with my sapphires and the blue sky, I thought to myself.

         We were on our way to the zoo.

         I was probably the only one thinking of this as a date, even though it was something perfectly normal for friends to do together. But regardless, I hoped we’d have a fun day.

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Chapter debt: 80

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