Story About Buying My Classmate Once A Week

From shelves lined with books featuring idols and models on the cover, I pick up a magazine with glittering text.

I think this is what Umina was talking about.

The reason I am not confident is that I was only listening to half of what was said.

No, because, you know.

I stared at the magazine in my hand.

Aside from the “how-to” outfits, there were headlines about how to make yourself more attractive to boys and how to improve yourself, which seemed frivolous.

From every angle, it’s not my cup of tea.

I’d rather wear what I want than what makes me popular, and I don’t mind improving myself a little later. And if I’m going to read magazines anyway, I’d prefer more relaxed books to light fashion magazines.

But reading these magazines is part of friendship, and I have enough money in my pocket to have an extra allowance every month.

To get around in school, I have to be smart about it. In my current class, I need to be in good graces of Ibaraki Umina. No, this may be a bit of exaggeration. It would be more appropriate to say that I need to adapt her story appropriately.

Umina is flamboyant, slightly dimwitted friend who belongs to the upper echelon of the school caste. She is short-tempered and angry, and if you cross her, you will get into trouble, but if you are to the point and don’t upset her, you will be in a good position to have a pleasant school life.

That’s why, buying this magazine that she has started buying is, in adult terms, a necessary expense.

Some people say that I am a beauty on all sides, but I think they should be allowed to say it. Such words are like a sneer, so I let them to be heard.

I go around inside of the bookstore, since I’ve come all this way. Then I put a novel on top of a magazine and head for the cash register. I wait for my turn and take out my book, though there is not much as a line.

A thousand and a few hundred yen.

The cashier displays the numbers and I look for my wallet in my bag.

「Huh?」

Wallet. My wallet.

There is no wallet where it should be.

I remember putting my phone and wallet in my bag in the morning.

The phone is there. But no wallet.

Why don’t I have one?

Did I leave it at school or drop it?

Either way, I don’t have my wallet.

I glance at the lady cashier and I looked suspicious.

Oh no, I have to act quick.

「Ahh, umm—」

It’s not cool, but I have no choice but to return the book.

「The book—」

「I’ll pay.」

「Eh?」

Before I could say I will return the book, a hand reached out from behind me and placed a single 5,000 yen bill on the tray.

「Sendai-san. Here, use this.」

I turned around and saw one girl standing there, wearing the same uniform as me.

And it wasn’t a girl I didn’t know.

I have never spoken to her, but I see her face every day.

「…Miyagi, am I wrong?」

Maybe I was right.

As a woman of beauty in all directions, I must know at least the names of everyone in my class. As expected, I don’t even know their first names.

「Pay it with my money.」

She doesn’t say whether her name was right or wrong, but tells me the purpose for placing the 5,000 yen on the tray.

「It’s alright. I feel bad.」

「Don’t mind about it.」

No, I do mind it though.

I would not want to borrow money from a girl I am not that close to. I’ve always hated lending and borrowing money, and I hated borrowing money for magazines I buy to talk to people even more.

「No, I’ll return it.」

I take the 5,000 yen from the tray and hands it to Miyagi. Then, the 5,000 yen was placed into the tray again.

「Um, would like you to pay it here?」

The clerk looks at me with an obviously troubled face.

「Yes, please.」

Miyagi, answers, not me.

But I don’t want to borrow what I don’t want to borrow.

I try to pick up the 5,000 yen again. But before I can do so, the clerk puts the 5,000 yen away in the cash register.

In the end, I have a magazine, a novel, three 1,000 yen bills, and some coins.

「Thank you, Miyagi. I think I forgot my wallet.」

I thank her at a place away from the cash register.

My intention not to lend or borrow money was ignored, but since I had borrowed the money, I was at least willing to bow down, even if unwillingly.

Yet, she said nothing. But, I knew I was not wrong at Miyagi because the name was never corrected.

「Here is the change. I’ll pay you back at school tomorrow for what I spent.」

I tried to give Miyagi the money I had received from the clerk, but she would not accept it.

「You don’t have to pay me back. I’ll even give you some change.」

With that, she turns her back ans walks away.

「Eh, wait. I’m troubled here.」

「I really don’t want it, so I’ll give it to Sendai-san.」

「I won’t take it. I’ll give it back.」

「Then throw it away.」

「Throw it away, that’s money, you know!?」

I grab Miyagi’s shoulder as she quickly walks away.

I didn’t know this because we have never talked about it at school, but apparently Miyagi had a couple of screws loose in her head. Because, normally, people don’t think of throwing money away. In the first place, it was the company executives who do not tell highschool girls that they do not need change.

Besides, I resent the fact that people think I am the kind of person who takes change when asked for it.

「Ah—, right. Let’s say I will borrow the change, too. And I’ll pay you back tomorrow.」

I really want to be angry, but I’ll hold back.

If people tell everyone that she was yelled at by Sendai at school, it would not be good for my image.

「I won’t need that. You don’t have to return it.」

Miyagi shakes off my hand off and starts to walk away.

We walk out through the automatic door.

I follow her back and call out to her.

「I will return it. I’ll give you 5,000 in change and return it to you at school.」

「Then, work for the 5,000 yen.」

The exchange of “return” and “give” went off in an unexpected direction, and I stopped dead in my tracks.

「Eh? I’ll work?」

「First of all, come to my house.」

Miyagi, who had been walking at a brisk pace, stopped and looked at me.

「Wai—, eh? Hold on, hold on. Tomorrow, I’ll give it back to you.」

「If you don’t come, just give it me.」

Miyagi spins away.

What was that?

What the hell is wrong with that person?

I curse Miyagi in my heart.

I don’t intend to get 5,000 yen, but I don’t intend to even work for it.

But Miyagi will probably just leave if I tell her I don’t want to work, and it seems unlikely that I will ever receive the 5,000 yen again. Even if I throw the 5,000 on her desk, she will definitely return it.

What a problematic girl.

Sighing, I looked up at the sky and saw it was covered with a thick cloud formation. The rainy season had ended, and I didn’t have an umbrella. Sighing once again, Miyagi said,

「Umbrella, I have one.」

「Ah— ugh. Where’s your house? Is it close?」

I don’t want people to start rumors that I got 5,000 yen from Miyagi, and I don’t want people to start rumors that yelling at Miyagi and pushing money at her.

Let’s work for Miyagi at least for today.

I followed Miyagi, not in the mood to go.