Miyagi and I watch movies and read manga in our room.
These few days of the holiday weekend were consumed by such trivial but important things for me.
And today.
Across to me is not Miyagi, but Hanamaki KikyÅ-chan.
I donât intend to miss my part-time job, and I have no complaints about working part-time.
I think the act of teaching learning is for me and I enjoy it.
But I also want to go home.
Because Miyagi acted in a way that put me in a good mood.
I know itâs probably not true. I know that Miyagi would never get me in a good mood, but the fact that she acted like she did makes me want to get back to my normal, uneventful life with Miyagi, even though I am still working part-time.
Students are important and should not be treated carelessly, but there is a part of me that wants to give up everything and stay by Miyagiâs side.
ââThese things are not good.
I look at KikyÅ-chan, squeezing her painted nails, the color Miyagi said would look good on her. Being a good student, she is doing exactly what I told her to do.
She never fails to do the homeworks I assign her, and she never tries to skip class while Iâm teaching her. Sheâs not slacking off just because it is the holidays, and sheâs sitting in front of me diligently.
This is not the same Miyagi where I imitated the tutor.
Well, Miyagi is different from everyone else.
I answered some of KikyÅ-chanâs questions and asked some new ones. Time passed as it had in the past during Golden Week, and before I knew it, the end of the allotted time was approaching.
ãIâm about to wrap this up, do you have any questions?ã
When I asked KikyÅ-chan, who was running a pen in her notebook, she thought for a moment before opening her mouth.
ãDo you have any plans for the holidays?ã
ãMy schedule, huh? I guess only teaching.ã
I smiled and replied that I had other âtutoring plansâ.
ãOther than that.ã
ãOther than teaching, I just stay home and donât really have any plans.ã
I have plans to go see the penguins, but I wonât bother to tell my student, so Iâll keep quiet.
ãYour roommate, â¦donât you and Miyagi-san go out and have fun?ã
KikyÅ-chan puts down her pen and stares at me.
She has been saying the word âroommateâ a lot since she met Miyagi. Or maybe even before we met.
ãI donât know if I plan on going.ã
I smiled and uttered a lie.
Itâs painful, but I have a feeling that telling the truth will get me into trouble.
ãEven though itâs your day off. Are you fighting with Miyagi-san?ã
ãWeâre not, weâre not. Weâre getting along well.ã
ãMiyagi-san said she doesnât have a part-time job, but maybe you have a part-time job and are busy?ã
ãWell, something like that.ã
I donât feel so good about lying about Miyagi, but I figure itâs better than telling the truth. In a situation like this, it is better to pass it off as a safe reason.
Thatâs what Iâve been doing all my life and Iâm used to it.
But itâs also something I havenât done much of lately, and Iâm starting to feel guilty about it.
ãBeing a college student sounds like a lot of work.ã
KikyÅ-chan says sincerely.
ãFair enough.ã
ãIf I had a roommate, I would love to hang out with them on my days off!ã
ãThen I hope you can be roommates with someone like that.ã
Does she have a yearning for a roommate?
Or is it for another reason, I donât know, but I can only speak in bland terms.
ãRight.ã
KikyÅ-chan said in a voice that did not really mean it, and added,ãSensei, itâs time.ãI looked at my watch and sure enough, the allotted time had passed.
ãWell, thatâs all for today.ã
ãOkay.ã
After hearing KikyÅ-chanâs reply, I put away the reference books and pen case on the table. As I leave the room with my bag, KikyÅ-chan walks me to the entrance as usual.
ãSee you again.ã
In my voice, KikyÅ-chan bowed her head and said, âThank you very much.â
As soon as I stepped out the front door, I immediately thought of Miyagi.
I canât wait to go home.
The steps I take become bigger to reflect our feelings. The scenery flows faster than when I arrived here. I walk and ride the train as if running through the city at night.
Miyagi is home today.
She said we were all working part-time and wonât be going anywhere during the holidays. So she will be home tomorrow and the day after.
When I was in high school, my place was Miyagiâs room, but now that house where I share a room with Miyagi is my place and also Miyagiâs place.
Eternity is not something I believe in, but if I could, I would like to be a college student who could live in that house as Miyagiâs roommate forever.
Thus, I work part-time, take the train, and go back to the house where Miyagi is.
I want to repeat those days.
I turn away from the reality that I canât keep repeating and think about what I canât do, and then the station I need to get off at arrives and I get off at the platform.
After leaving the ticket gate, I walk down the street where I often meet Mike-chan. But Mike-chan doesnât often show her face at night, so I reach home without seeing her.
I unlocked the door and went inside to find Miyagiâs shoes in place. When I entered the common space, I saw Miyagi struggling with a frying pan and called out to her.
ãIâm home.ã
ãWelcome home.ã
Without looking at me, Miyagi says,ãDo you want some food?ã
ãIâll eat⦠is this mapo tofu?ã
Anticipate the dinner menu from the aromas wafting through the common space.
ãYeah, maybe.ã
ãMaybe?ã
The voice I heard sounded so unsure that I moved closer to her. Then I looked at the frying pan and there was what looked like bean curd without any trace of tofu.
ãItâs the same when itâs in your stomach.ã
Miyagi says it like an excuse.
ãLooks good, doesnât it? Iâll leave my bag. Wait for me.ã
The tofu should not be so crumbly that it makes the bean curd less tasty. And even if it is not good, I would not complain about what Miyagi has made.
I go back to my room and put my bag down.
I quickly return to the common area and help prepare dinner.
I prepare rice and bean-curd soup on the table.
Spoon to plate.
Chopsticks become chopstick rests for cats.
And Miyagi is on the opposite side.
Everything is in place and I sit in my chair.
ãItadakimasu.ã
Our voices come together and we both bring the bean-curd soup to our mouths.
I canât wait to sit next to her.
With this thought in mind, I took a bite of the bean curd, which looked like tofu playing hide-and-seek.