Instead of an “I’m home” or a “welcome back,” Sendai-san greeted us with, “Welcome in.”
It was the first time I’d ever heard her say that, and it made me feel strangely uncomfortable. The cake I’d ordered still hadn’t arrived, yet I already felt like going home. But I wasn’t alone today, so leaving before at least eating the cake wasn’t an option.
「Hey, Shiori. Sendai-san looks pretty good in her uniform, doesn’t she? Is that a waitress apron? I really like how those look.」
Sendai-san was wearing an apron that looked like part of the café’s uniform, covering the lower half of her body. It suited her—almost too well. And that was part of what made me uncomfortable.
The Sendai-san here wasn’t the Sendai-san I knew.
I’d invited Maika to come with me, thinking it would be better than staying home alone, but now I wished I hadn’t. Even if being alone was boring or lonely, I still wished I’d stayed home.
「Should I get you one for your birthday? If you still want one next year, I mean.」
I said while Maika was watching a server come by the table beside us.
「Right, my birthday already passed this year, huh.」
「… Or maybe I could get you one for Christmas instead?」
I mumbled, and Maika brightened up immediately.
「Oh, Christmas! We’ve never done it before, but want to exchange gifts this year?」
Until now, we’d only celebrated each other’s birthdays. We’d never exchanged Valentine’s chocolates or Christmas presents. I’d never cared for those kinds of things and I always thought it was tedious to make a big deal out of every occasion.
I’d thought I’d always feel that way.
But after receiving Valentine’s chocolate and a Christmas gift from Sendai-san, I felt like I wasn’t quite myself anymore. Somewhere along the way, without me even noticing, an invisible part of me had been changed by her.
「Are you okay with a waitress apron for Christmas, then?」
I asked, and Maika seemed to consider it for a moment.
「Hmm, let me think… If I’m going to wear it at home, I think an apron that covers the top half too would be better. Just so it’d help keep my clothes clean.」
「It doesn’t have to be an apron. You can tell me if there’s something else you want instead.」
「Thanks. I’ll think about it. You should think about what you want too, Shiori.」
「Okay.」
As we kept chatting about winter plans—even though it was still a ways off—I glanced around the café. It was evening right now, and it was about two-thirds full.
The café wasn’t especially big, nor was it small. The interior was stylish, but not in any unusual way. There were plenty of regulars chatting easily with the staff, giving the place a relaxed, casual feel.
I looked toward the table closest to the counter and saw Sendai-san talking to a customer who looked a little intimidating.
I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but it was obvious they were close.
She stayed at that table longer than she did at any of the others.
「Sendai-san really seems suited for customer service work, doesn’t she?」
Maika said sincerely.
「Even though she’s only been here a month, it feels like she’s been working here for a year.」
「Yeah. She really fits in.」
I smiled as I replied, then turned my gaze toward the window.
I really should’ve just stayed home after all.
I’d always been curious about what Sendai-san was like in the parts of her life I didn’t know about, but I knew even if I found out, there was nothing I could do.
In fact, right now, I was seeing her in a world I didn’t belong to, and all I could do was watch her talk to another girl I didn’t know.
I picked up a cute-looking cup on our table and took a sip of water.
As Maika started talking about a new manga she’d bought recently, I nodded along, half-listening.
After a while, Sendai-san came over to our table, and my eyes drifted toward the apron she was wearing.
「Thank you for waiting.」
She said politely.
A slice of cheesecake, a slice of shortcake, and cups of black tea and coffee.
Sendai-san had brought over what we’d ordered and set everything down on the table.
「You really feel like an actual waitress.」
Maika said cheerfully, looking at Sendai-san.
「Well, that’s because I technically am one.」
「Is the person sitting near the counter a regular?」
Maika blurted out the question I’d been wondering about myself.
「Mm. She is, but she’s also an upperclassman at my university. She’s the one who helped me get my tutoring job.」
They clearly knew each other well.
Knowing that someone like that was a regular at the café Sendai-san worked at made my stomach feel heavy before I’d even taken a bite of my cake.
「Ohh, I see.」
I couldn’t settle down. As I listened to their conversation, I glanced around the café, but no one seemed to mind the staff chatting with customers. Sendai-san didn’t look bothered either, even though she’d stayed at our table for a while.
「Miyagi.」
Hearing my name, I stared down at my cheesecake and answered without looking up.
「What?」
「I meant to tell you earlier, but that lip balm really does look good on you.」
「… You’re only saying that because you’re the one who picked it out.」
I’d agonized over it before leaving the apartment, but I’d ended up using the lip balm Sendai-san had given me for my birthday. It wasn’t for her, though. It was because I was hanging out with Maika. I wore it to university all the time, so I thought it’d seem weird if I didn’t wear it on my days off too. That was all. I didn’t need Sendai-san to compliment me for it.
「You got me there.」
Sendai-san gave a soft chuckle.
She didn’t seem any different despite what had happened yesterday. She’d been acting the same as always since this morning.
What I’d done to her was terrible—something I shouldn’t have done to someone who was only my roommate. When I thought about it, Sendai-san had every right to be angry with me, but instead she seemed to be in a good mood. It was probably just her way of teasing me, but she still seemed comfortable enough with me to compliment my lip balm.
But unlike her, I couldn’t bring myself to look at her at all. Every time I caught even a glimpse of her face, my thoughts drifted back to yesterday.
Her body—and the countless red marks I’d left on it—were etched deeply into my mind.
And I’d realized I’d said things I shouldn’t have, too.
I suppressed the sigh that threatened to escape.
I wished Sendai-san would just leave already, but she didn’t.
「Oh right, Utsunomiya. I was thinking about going to your school’s cultural festival. Think you can show me around?」
While I was staring down at the cheesecake, Sendai-san said something unexpected, and I found myself looking up at her, seeing her face again after what felt like a long while.
「Oh, perfect timing. We were just talking about asking you to come to our school’s cultural festival. Right, Shiori?」
Maika said happily.
She wasn’t wrong. She had been talking about wanting to invite Sendai-san to our school’s festival, but I’d never actually agreed to anything.
— Though I hadn’t said no either.
「Really? Then I’ll definitely come. Will you be able to show me around?」
Sendai-san said, sounding excited. She could be so unfair sometimes.
Sendai-san had never mentioned wanting to visit our school’s festival before. That was probably because she knew if she asked me, I’d tell her not to come. And she knew that if she asked Maika instead, she’d be all for it.
Sendai-san really was so unfair.
「Sure, leave it to us. Right, Shiori?」
Maika answered without hesitation and looked over at me.
「Huh? Oh, yeah.」
No.
Don’t come.
There was no way I could say those things in front of Maika.
「That settles that, then.」
Sendai-san said with a smile before heading off to another table.
Once she was gone, I took a bite of the cheesecake and let out a big sigh.
「You’re sighing like the world’s about to end. What’s wrong?」
「… I wish I knew how to erase people’s memories.」
「Whoa, that’s kind of scary. Did something happen? You even messaged me out of the blue asking if I wanted to come here today.」
「No, nothing happened.」
「That makes it even scarier. Talking about wanting to erase memories when nothing even happened.」
「I guess.」
What I wanted to erase were Sendai-san’s memories of yesterday, but that wasn’t something I could tell Maika.
I let out another sigh.
Sendai-san was acting as if nothing had happened, but I knew she remembered what I’d done and said. Setting my actions aside, what I’d told her yesterday had been completely unnecessary.
And while I was at it, I wanted her to forget about the conversation we’d just had regarding our school’s cultural festival, too.
「Oh, I know. You got into another fight with Sendai-san, didn’t you? … Well, maybe not. You wouldn’t come see her at work if you were really fighting.」
「Yeah.」
I watched Sendai-san from behind as she took another table’s order.
She looked good in her uniform, and her voice sounded nice when she spoke so formally too.
Seeing her like that—so different from how she usually was—cast a dull gray cloud over my heart.
I wanted to erase Sendai-san’s memories. But I didn’t want to erase the marks I’d left on her yesterday.
If anything, it felt like I hadn’t left enough.
Right now, she was covered in red marks beneath her uniform.
If I’d left enough to cover her whole body, maybe the cloud in my heart would have felt smaller.
I cut off a large bite of cheesecake and poked at it with my fork.
I really shouldn’t have come today.
I put the cheesecake in my mouth and let out another sigh.
Ave Lilium Translations 