Looking at what was happening, I realized how bad this must have looked. Sendai-san’s head was between my legs, and my skirt was so disheveled that no one should ever see me like this. What made it worse was that I was the only one left in this embarrassing state. I felt like I could come up with a dozen, maybe twenty things to complain about, but for now, I shoved Sendai-san’s head away and quickly straightened my skirt.
「I never said you could do that.」
I had ordered her to lick my feet plenty of times in the past, but she’d never gone this far.
I glared at Sendai-san, who had the nerve to act like nothing was wrong.
「What do you mean? I only licked your foot like you told me to.」
「Yeah, but what you did just now wasn’t licking.」
「Oh, really? So what about this?」
Sendai-san lifted my skirt slightly and brushed her tongue against my knee. Caught off guard, I flinched. I felt the wet sensation creeping closer to my thigh, so I quickly shoved her away by the forehead.
「Quit it. That’s not even my foot.」
「No, but isn’t your knee part of your leg? And your foot’s part of your leg too, right?1」
「That doesn’t make it the same.」
「So where exactly does the leg begin and end, then?」
As she said this, Sendai-san slid her hand down to my calf and started tracing her fingers along it until I slapped her hand away.
「Okay, we’re done here, so stop pondering what makes a leg a leg. Now, move.」
I shoved her back again, and this time she moved away, looking a bit let down. But after only a moment, she grabbed my foot again.
「Let me help you put your socks back on.」
「I can do it myself.」
「Even though they’re way over here?」
I glanced over at the pair of indoor shoes Sendai-san had taken off, with my socks still stuffed inside them. They were right next to her, and definitely not in a spot I could easily reach from where I was sitting.
「Give them back to me.」
「I said I’d help you put them back on, so just sit still.」
With my foot still in her grasp, even if I wanted to stand up, I couldn’t. Without her letting go, I had no choice but to stay seated, unable to reach for my socks or put them on by myself.
No matter how much I disliked it, I had to let her do it.
She gently ran her fingers over the top of my foot.
Her fingers brushed my skin just enough to tickle before Sendai-san slid my socks on, so effortlessly it was clear her hands were used to doing this.
I hated how easily she could do something like this.
This wasn’t normal, yet Sendai-san accepted it as if it were, getting used to it like it was just part of her routine. The fact that I’d become a part of her daily life like this made me feel uneasy.
But Sendai-san didn’t seem to care what I was thinking.
She slipped my indoor shoes back on like it was the most ordinary thing in the world, and then pressed a kiss against my knee.
「I thought I told you not to do that.」
「I’ll keep that in mind next time.」
Sendai-san said, showing no signs of remorse or any intention of being more careful.
If I stayed seated, who knew what might happen next. I stood up, patting down my blazer even though she hadn’t touched it. Sendai-san stood up too, brushing dust off her skirt, then said,
「So, about our trade. I get to touch you now, right?」
She said, as if entitled to it.
「Fine, but you’re not allowed to kiss me or take off any part of my uniform. Not even a button.」
「Isn’t it unfair to add extra conditions now?」
「Not at all. You’re always quick to try something weird, so I need to set limits. Besides, you promised not to do anything that’d upset me, didn’t you?」
This was my way of punishing her for going too far earlier.
―― At least, that’s what I told myself. Really, it was to make sure she didn’t push the limits and turn it into something more. Even if she was only planning to touch me, I doubted it would stop there, considering her past behavior.
「That’s true. But like I said, I won’t do anything to upset you.」
Her voice was as soft as the wind rustling the leaves, and she smiled. But it was the same smile she always wore at school, which only made me trust her less.
「Seriously, don’t do anything weird.」
I said, trying to reinforce it one more time, and she responded, sounding a bit dissatisfied.
「Do you really not trust me that much?」
「You should reflect on what you did earlier.」
「I already did, don’t worry.」
「… Okay, fine then.」
I was still a little uneasy, but even though Sendai-san sometimes went too far, she always kept her promises. So, I figured I should keep mine too.
I watched her take one step, then another closer to me.
Not knowing what she was about to do, my body tensed up.
Sendai-san came as close as she usually did when we kissed, and I instinctively stepped back, bumping my foot into the chair.
A loud clang echoed as she grabbed my arm and pulled me into an embrace.
「What’s this supposed to be?」
I muttered, confused. We were even closer than when we kissed.
「I think most people would call this a “hug.”」
「I know that much.」
I understood what it was, but with how close we were, I couldn’t help but ask. It was my first time being held like this, and in this cold room, my body felt strangely warm and light.
My heart started racing too.
It thudded so loudly that I was sure even Sendai-san could hear it.
「Please stop telling me to “stay here.”」
She suddenly said something I hadn’t expected.
「What are you talking about?」
I had a vague idea of what she meant, but I asked anyway. Her arms tightened around me.
「I’m saying I want to be able to have meals with you even when we’re in university.」
I wondered what kind of face she was making right now.
With both arms around me, I couldn’t move to see her expression.
All I could rely on was her voice next to my ear, but it was flat, making it hard to gauge her emotions. I couldn’t even imagine what she looked like.
「You don’t get to decide my future for me, Sendai-san.」
I answered softly, and she quietly replied,
「Even now, we eat together at your house, right? Don’t you think it’d be nice to share a meal together now and then, even after we graduate?」
Without acknowledging my attempt to reject her, she kept talking about what she wanted after graduation.
I didn’t know how to respond to her like this.
The future she mentioned did sound nice, though.
Eating with Sendai-san always made the food taste better than when I ate alone, and just having her beside me, even in silence, felt comforting. I couldn’t help but think it’d be dull not seeing her anymore after we graduated.
But still, I didn’t have the confidence to fully trust what Sendai-san was saying. Even now, I couldn’t see her face, and her voice gave no clues about her feelings. How could I possibly believe she truly wanted to keep sharing meals with me after we graduated?
「Miyagi?」
Her voice echoed softly in my ear.
「We’re done here.」
I tried to pull away from her embrace before any daydreams about a future together could form, but her arms stayed tightly wrapped around my back.
「Can’t we stay like this a little longer?」
「No.」
「Come on, it’s fine, isn’t it?」
「No, it’s not.」
「Just say it’s okay… Shiori.」
Her whisper was accompanied by something soft brushing against my ear.
Her lips.
I felt them press firmly, tickling me, so I pushed her away with all my strength.
「Don’t call me by my name.」
Like tape slowly peeling from paper, she pulled herself off me, and I wiped my ear.
「Considering what you made me do, don’t you think that was too short?」
Sendai-san asked, sounding disgruntled as she looked at me.
「No, that’s enough.」
She should’ve known the extra conditions left her with very few options, so there was no reason for her to complain. Plus, kissing my ear was already pushing the “no kissing” boundary.
Besides, being in her arms like that had felt just like――
I sighed, as if to let the thought slip away, and reached for my bag.
「If I keep following your orders, will you let me touch you again?」
「No.」
The more time I spent with Sendai-san, the more natural it felt to have her by my side. Sharing meals, staying together after graduation—it all felt like a routine that could continue, with me giving her orders as always.
But deep down, I couldn’t see it happening.
「You say that, but you’ll still come to this room if I ask, right?」
「I won’t, so don’t even bother asking.」
「Okay, okay.」
Her response was so casual that I doubted she even heard me. Then, she grabbed my hand.
「What are you doing?」
「We’re going home together, right?」
「While holding hands like this?」
「Come on, I’m obviously joking.」
Sendai-san smiled as she let go of my hand.
「How long should I wait?」
「Ten minutes.」
「What about five?」
「I have a feeling you’d come running after me, so, no.」
I doubted she’d actually run after me.
But I just needed a little time alone. Too much had happened in such a short time, and my already jumbled thoughts were only getting worse.
I turned my back to Sendai-san as I left the music preparation room.
Walking down the hall, my footsteps echoed, and I glanced back.
As expected, her silhouette wasn’t there.
Ave Lilium Translations 