We walk without haste.
I stop at a convenience store five minutes from home to buy bottled tea and cider.
The reason for the detour is simple.
I donât want my family to know that I brought someone with me.
I donât want to be seen holding a glass for two.
But after walking in the city, where there is little shade, I canât afford not to serve anything.
For that reason alone, I carry a convenience store bag.
ãHere.ã
I stop in front of the house, feeling uncomfortable with my sweat-soaked T-shirt sticking to my back. When I saw Miyagi, she looked at the nondescript house as if she were looking at something unusual without saying anything.
I take the key out of my bag.
But before I can use the key, the door opens.
Bad timing.
Bad luck.
Bad day.
I donât know which one is right, but my unfriendly mother comes out the front door.
ãHello.ã
Miyagi made a strangerâs voice that showed she was nervous and bowed her head.
In such a situation, a normal mother would say hello back, take her time, and so on. But she says nothing, just bows her head in form and walks past us.
I feel bad for Miyagi who said hello to me, but there is nothing I can do.
ãSorry. Donât worry about it.ã
When I apologized after looking away from my motherâs back, Miyagi nodded with a troubled look on her face.
She may bump into my parents.
I had thought about that possibility but never really expected to bump into them, which makes me want to complain to Miyagi who said she wanted to come here. But thatâs just taking it out on me, and Iâm the one who decided to bring her here.
ãCome in.ã
I open the front door before the air gets too heavy and a little voice follows me.
ãSorry for intruding.ã
We both take off our shoes, go up the stairs, and stop in front of one of the two doors that line the hallway.
ãHold on a sec. Iâll clean up my room.ã
ãAre you the type to have a messy room?ã
ãNo, but just in case.ã
I donât like cleaning that much, but my room is never cluttered. Still, I wanted to check it out because I was putting Miyagi in a room that was not intended for people to come.
I let Miyagi wait and go into the room.
I looked around and saw the piggy bank on the chest.
Inside that box was the 5,000 yen that Miyagi had given me. Itâs not that I donât want to be seen, but considering whatâs in it, I donât think I want to show it.
At any rate, I turn on the air conditioner.
After taking a plastic bottle from the bag and placing it on the table, I put the piggy bank away in the closet and welcomed Miyagi.
ãJust sit down and take it easy.ã
ãItâs spacious.ã
I told Miyagi to check the room, then sat down on the bed.
ãEven Miyagiâs room is huge.ã
My room is larger, but probably Miyagiâs room is larger.
ãIs that your mother I just saw?ã
ãYes.ã
ãSo thereâs no one left then?ã
What a hassle.
This and that associated with letting people into my territory.
Although I invited Miyagi because I knew it was bothersome, I still found it bothersome and thought, âI would never ask Miyagi such a thing.â
Thatâs why, I donât like it.
This kind of myself is also troublesome, so I let Miyagiâs voice go and reach for the table. I took the plastic bottle containing the cider and handed it to Miyagi, then sat down with the bed against her. As she opened the lid of the plastic bottle of tea, Miyagi called outãSendai-sanãas if urging me to do so.
ãMaybe they are there.ã
ãWho you mean was there?ã
She is sitting on my bed as if she was in her own room, but Miyagi, perhaps uncomfortable, is swaying her legs.
ãI have one very good sister.ã
She is a college student and came home right after summer vacation. I havenât seen her today, but I am sure she is in her room.
ãThe next room?ã
ãYes.ã
ãHow far apart were you?ã
I know that Miyagi has no bad intentions.
Rather than wanting to listen, she is just trying to fill the silence by saying whatever comes to mind. But that was not a very good question.
ãShut up, Miyagi.ã
After taking a sip of tea, I put the plastic bottle back on the table and caught her shaking right leg. Her legs stretched out through her shorts, showing her knees, and I put my lips there. Then I let my tongue crawl on it.
ãI didnât tell you to do that.ã
I pretend not to hear it and take off her socks.
The air conditioner I just put in is still not working.
Maybe itâs the heat, but I can do things Iâm not ordered to do with impunity.
I put my tongue on the back of her foot and licked it down to her ankle, the soft skin was more moist than usual and tasted of sweat.
ãStop it.ã
Miyagi says in a strong tone and pushes my head with a plastic bottle. I take the cool bottle and put it on the floor. As I stroked her calf and put my lips softly on her shin, the complaints rained down again.
ãI didnât order you to lick my feet.ã
ãYouâre going to right now, arenât you?ã
ãI wonât. My legs, release them.ã
ãI will not.ã
She could have added that it was an order, but Miyagi did not say it was an order. Words that were only to beg are not enough to stop me, I grab her ankle tightly and bite her thumb.
ãSendai-san, it hurts.ã
Miyagi is noisy in a different way, but she never asks me what she donât want. And she never orders me to stop.
When I do things like this, it seems to me that both Miyagi and I want to do this.
It is better than being pursued for something stupid.
I bite her thumb harder, as if the act that was just that would be replaced by a different one.
ãI told you it hurts!ã
ãDonât make too much noise. The next room will hear you.ã
The walls arenât very thin, and itâs not the kind of voice that can be heard next door, but itâs the kind of content you donât want to be heard, so I nailed it.
ãItâs Sendai-sanâs fault, right? I wonât make a fuss if you stop.ã
ãThen, order me something to do.ã
Then I look at Miyagi and she looks back at me with grim eyes. But she doesnât say anything, so I crawl my tongue over the bite mark and press my lips against the back of her leg a few times. After licking from ankle to bone and kissing below the knee, Miyagi stepped back.
ãCome here.ã
A small voice is heard.
ãWas that an order?ã
ãYes.ã
I sat next to her as she told me to and looked at Miyagi, and her fingertips touched my lips. But when she stroke it, tracing its contours, my fingers catch it as it quickly tries to move away.
Iâm not sure why she hesitates to touch it, but Miyagi does this sort of thing from time to time. I donât like that.
ãYou have something else you want me to order to do. Say it right.ã
ãIâll tell you if you take your hands off me.ã
ãAlright.ã
Miyagi pulls back her arm as she releases her grip. Then, after some hesitation, slowly her index finger touched my lips again.
ãâ¦Lick it.ã
Surely not what she really wanted to command. But without asking any questions, I put my tongue on Miyagiâs fingertips and she pushed her fingers into my mouth. Her fingertips touches my tongue and lightly sets my teeth around the second joint. The tongue twists around the finger trying to explore the mouth and stops the movement. When I softly pressed my tongue against it, the finger was withdrawn.
I licked the tip of the finger to chase it, then crawled to the base of the finger to press my tongue against it. I put my lips on the back of the hand and gently and softly lick Miyagiâs arm from the wrist to the top of it.
ãThat way of licking is disgusting.ã
Miyagi tries to pull away, but I put my lips on hers and pressed the tip of my tongue hard against the area between her wrist and elbow.
ãSendai-san!ã
With a voice, her arm is forcefully pulled away.
ãRemember when I told you not to make a fuss?ã
When I ask, Miyagi replies in frustration,ãIâm not making a fuss,ãand tries to stand up, and I grab her arm.
If I am not careful, Miyagi will try to escape from me.
And it is my role to catch her.
Today is no different.
I push Miyagi down on the bed so that she canât go anywhere.
ãGet out of the way.ã
Of course, Miyagi says angrily.
ãWhy donât you shut up for a second?ã
The silly idea of sealing her lips with a kiss comes to mind and I quickly dismiss it.
I am too poisoned by the manga Miyagi reads.
But itâs a testament to how many times Iâve gone to her house and read her books over and over again, sigh.
A year ago I would never have thought of this and I would never have pushed Miyagi over the edge. Generally, itâs always Miyagi who pushes people down, not me.
ãI thought these things were against the rules?ã
Miyagi is being picky again.
I silently bite her neck before she starts complaining about the mess.
When I set my teeth hard, Miyagi is silent for a moment.
But itâs really short-lived, and soon she starts to make a fuss.
ãIt hurts, Sendai-san.ã
Miyagi pushes my shoulder and protests.
But I didnât stop her.
ãHey, I told you it hurts. Stop it.ã
She truly donât like it.
The more I could tell, the more force was put into the hand that was pressing on my shoulder.
ãYouâd do this kind of thing yourself.ã
I looked up and sees Miyagiâs neck.
I feel bad that the place where I bit her is red, but Miyagi is bad too.
She have done similar things many times in the past, although in different places. Iâve done it too, but Miyagi doesnât take it easy on me, so sheâs worse.
Every time I get more pain and marks, I spend more time thinking about Miyagi.
I wish Miyagi could understand my feelings a little.
ãâ¦Thatâs right.ã
She said crisply, and Miyagi held her neck.
She was moving her hand as if rubbing it, as if it still hurt.
I lie down next to her.
Miyagi and I on the bed.
That had happened before, but that was at Miyagiâs house. It feels strange to have Miyagi on my bed.
ãSendai-san, itâs narrow.ã
Miyagi pushes me hard with a voice full of complaints.
ãThis is my bed. Donât push me. It hurts.ã
ãIâm the one whoâs hurt.ã
Then Miyagi got up and kicked me in the leg.
ãI know.ã
Iâve been marked and bitten by Miyagi many times. I know best how much it hurts.
In case she was wondering, I regret it.
I didnât put Miyagi in the room to do this, and yet this is what happened. I am sure that down the road, if I were to remember that Miyagi was on this bed, I would curse myself for what I am doing now.
ãLetâs start studying seriously next week.ã
When I told her to mend her feelings, which were taking an unexpected turn, Miyagi quietly replied,ãI think itâs better that way.ã