New reminiscences with Sendai-san — 193

Translated by KaiesV

Edited by KaiesV

A spherical cake with a candle.

Looking by outdated reminiscences, I discover a related scene.

On my birthday within the distant previous, my father was away for work, however I nonetheless have an image that my mom took of me.

Candles and smiles on my face.

Images that complement my dim reminiscences are sealed within the album.

That is Sendai-san’s room, and my mom is just not right here.

What do I seem like now?

I see Sendai-san holding up 5 candles on a white cake with strawberries on prime.

She didn’t inform me to look blissful after we have been consuming the meals we had ready collectively, nor when she introduced the cake to my room. So maybe, simply possibly, I’m certain I don’t look so grumpy.

「I suppose, I ought to have purchased a quantity candle.」

On the opposite aspect of the cake, Sendai-san, who appears to be in an excellent temper, says in a critical voice.

「That is high quality.」

「Actually? Nineteen is a candle, don’t you need to stand it within the center?」

「You don’t have to face it up.」

The 5 candles that got here with the cake are high quality, and there’s no want for her to exit of her method to purchase numbered candles.

「I see. Okay, I’ll gentle a hearth.」

Sendai-san lit one candle after which one other.

All 5 candles have been lit, and the flame wavered.

Sendai-san had promised me that she wouldn’t make plans for my birthday, however I couldn’t consider her phrases about consuming a complete cake collectively. I used to be nonetheless suspicious when Sendai-san left the home saying she was going to select up the cake she had reserved.

Perhaps she wouldn’t come again.

I couldn’t relax as a result of I used to be serious about that.

However now the entire cake is in entrance of me and the candle is lit.

「I’ll flip off the lights.」

I hear a vivid voice and I cease Sendai-san from reaching for the distant management.

「You don’t have to show it off.」

「Why? I used to be considering of singing a tune too.」

「You don’t must sing, and also you don’t have to show off the lights.」

「I used to be going to point out you my lovely voice.」

「I don’t want that type of factor. I’m going to blow it out now.」

It’s all too excessive and I’m now not the type of child who enjoys being sung to. In addition to, the extra Sendai-san tries to make my birthday appear to be a birthday, the extra I need to open the album I haven’t opened for a very long time. It makes me need to add Sendai-san to a web page of the album and create a brand new birthday web page.

「Right here you go.」

Sendai-san says quietly, and I take a breath and blow out the candle to blow out outdated reminiscences.

The flames on the 5 candles exit, and the odor of wax makes the again of my nostril harm. I didn’t need to cry, however I felt my imaginative and prescient blurring and I squeezed my eyes open as soon as.

「Pleased birthday.」

「Thanks.」

Sendai-san places away the candles on the cake in a small reply to the cheerful voice.

「Miyagi, what number of items of cake would you like me to chop?」

「I’ll depart that matter to Sendai-san.」

「We’re going to eat the entire thing, so I might lower it in half, however that’s simply too wild.」

Sendai-san groans「Nhn—」and begins to wonder if she ought to select 4 or six. Then, mumbling and muttering, she leaves the room, saying she’s going to get the knife.

I rub my eyes and have a look at the cat chopstick relaxation within the nook of the desk. The three cats have been positioned elsewhere each time I got here to the room, however not too long ago the desk prime appears to be their place.

Simply because the tortoiseshell and black cat who watch over the meals we eat within the widespread house have grown accustomed to chopsticks, the three cats seem to have grown accustomed to Sendai-san’s room. It’s a reduction to really feel that this is without doubt one of the evidences that my reward is well-liked.

I stroke the beehive cat’s head with my fingertips.

It’s laborious and easy, in contrast to the stuffed black cat.

Three cats, aspect by aspect, turned the wrong way up.

Whereas I used to be doing this, Sendai-san returned and I hurriedly put the chopstick relaxation the place it had initially been.

「Plainly in the event you heat up the knife, it cuts cleanly, so I warmed it up. It stated to maintain the cake chilly, nevertheless it’s been a short time since I served it… I ponder if it’ll lower properly.」

Sendai-san sits throughout from me and appears on the cake with critical eyes. Then she took a chocolate message plate with『Pleased Birthday』written on prime of the cake and positioned it on my plate.

「That’s for you, Miyagi.」

When she stated that, she didn’t hesitate to stay the knife into the center of the cake.

「Eh, from the center?」

「That’s what it stated.」

Whereas answering my voice, Sendai-san doesn’t take her eyes off the cake, however pulls the knife from the middle towards the skin. The identical factor is repeated 4 occasions, and the cake is split into 4 equal parts, two on every plate.

「Nicely, I suppose that’s so far as I’m allowed to go.」

Sendai-san says with satisfaction.

It’s not as lovely in cross-section because the muffins offered in shops, however it’s far more superbly lower than the cake I lower as a toddler.

「Itadakimasu.」

Our voices overlap and we each put our forks within the cake and take a chunk.

The whipped cream and fluffy sponge combine and soften in your mouth. The tartness of the strawberries accentuates the style and makes you need one other chunk instantly.

「Is it scrumptious?」

Sendai-san’s voice replies,「It’s scrumptious.」

I take a second chunk and drink my iced tea.

「I see. I’m glad.」

I shifted my gaze from the cake to Sendai and our eyes met, despite the fact that we had no intention of assembly.

「What’s it?」

I ask Sendai-san, who appears to have been watching me, and he or she smiles at me.

「Miyagi, I assumed you gave the impression to be having enjoyable.」

「Sendai-san appears to be having extra enjoyable, although.」

「Nicely, that’s as a result of birthdays are alleged to be enjoyable.」

Sendai-san smiles and eats a strawberry on prime of the cake. The fork scrapes the cake as soon as, then twice, and one of many two items disappears into Sendai-san’s abdomen. After I had one in my abdomen, I broke the chocolate message plate in half and bit into one.

「…Sendai-san, did you actually get pleasure from your birthday the opposite day?」

「Like I stated once I got here again earlier, due to Miyagi, I had a good time.」

「Is it true?」

「It’s true?」

「Did your folks have fun it with you?」

「Nicely, sure. However that’s the identical for Miyagi, isn’t it?」

Yesterday, Maika gave me a present together with the phrases「a day-early.」Ami referred to as me and my school mates additionally celebrated my birthday. However I believe Sendai-san celebrated twice as a lot as I did.

「Identical right here… however… did they congratulate you… or have been they school mates or one thing?」

「Sure, they do. And a few mates from highschool.」

「Ibaraki-san?」

「Sure.」

「Are you continue to in contact along with her?」

「With Umina?」

「Yeah.」

「I do. She desires to satisfy me within the winter.」

I had by no means heard of it earlier than.

Sendai-san had by no means stated a phrase about such a factor earlier than.

There isn’t any want or obligation to trouble to inform me that she was in touch with Ibaraki-san. And I’ve no proper to intrude with Sendai-san’s friendships.

I do know they’re mates, and I do know it’s not loopy for Ibaraki-san to need to see Sendai-san, however I really feel as if I’m being pushed off a cliff into the ocean.

「You’re not going residence, proper?」

I ask as I crumble the second piece of cake with my fork.

「I’m not going again. If we are able to’t see one another and the connection is damaged, then that’s the top of it.」

Sendai-san says merely and with out hesitation.

I don’t need her to decide on to go away to see Ibaraki-san, however there may be so little hesitation in her voice that I really feel virtually pity for her.

Sendai-san and Ibaraki-san appeared to get alongside very effectively in school. However when Sendai-san began coming to my home, I spotted that it was just for present.

There isn’t any doubt that the 2 of them are mates, however I don’t assume they’d the identical depth as mates do.

Sendai-san used to carry magazines to my room that Ibaraki-san favored, however she didn’t learn them avidly. Now, she doesn’t even purchase these magazines.

「Sendai-san.」

「What’s it?」

「After we have been in highschool, you used to purchase magazines that Ibaraki-san favored. Don’t you purchase magazines like that anymore?」

「I don’t purchase it as a result of I now not want it.」

Sendai-san says as a matter in fact.

She will be able to lower the world into items with out hesitation, like a cake, apparently. Certainly she will separate what she lower up into needed and not-so-necessary items, simply as we separate rubbish. She should be keen to vary the form, like reducing up a spherical cake into triangles.

On the aquarium, Sendai-san lower the otter face on a pancake with out hesitation. After we made cookies, she simply rolled the dough into one within the form of a cat.

She is going to break the earlier kind with out resistance if needed.

Seeing Sendai-san like that makes me surprise how lengthy she will keep in her present kind, and I concern that the day will come once I shall be deserted.

I set free a small breath after which carry the cake to my mouth.

White cream, yellow sponge, purple strawberries, it was scrumptious.

On my birthday, which comes solely every year, I don’t want to consider trivial issues. I crush the shadows that slowly eat my thoughts with this candy and comfortable cake.

「If Miyagi desires to learn it, I’ll purchase the journal once more.」

Sendai-san asks in a comfortable voice.

「It’s high quality. I’m not studying it.」

With a fork, I introduced the cake to my mouth.

I eat it slowly, savoring it, and lock half of the spherical cake and the message plate inside my physique. I checked out Sendai-san and noticed that the cake was gone from her plate as effectively.

The promise is saved and the spherical cake isn’t put away within the fridge.

It disappears into our stomachs and not using a piece.

A desk filled with scorching meals and a complete cake.

I believe I’m happier on my birthday than I’ve been on birthdays up till final yr, once I ate the whole lot and nothing was left over.

It’s alright.

Sendai-san lower the cake, I didn’t do it myself.

It was additionally not me who disappeared from the desk.

That’s why, it’s alright.

「Miyagi, what sort of cake would you like on your birthday subsequent yr?」

「No matter you need.」

「Okay, similar measurement entire cake as right now.」

Sendai-san chuckles.

Subsequent yr is simply too far-off to consider in guarantees.

Nonetheless, I want to assume that subsequent yr would be the similar as this yr.

「So, right here’s my current for you.」

Sendai-san says in a light-weight voice and takes a not-so-large bag from below the mattress and palms it to me.

「Thanks.」

Unusually for Sendai-san, who appears to be specific about such issues, I obtained a easy bag with no ribbon connected.

「Open it now.」

I did as I wad advised and take out a small box-like object from the bag. However what I maintain in my hand isn’t a present in any respect, and I discover myself gazing Sendai-san significantly in shock.

「What is that this?」

「Don’t you acknowledge it?」

「I do know what that is, however I don’t know what this implies.」

What got here out of the bag.

It’s one thing I’ve seen up to now.

I purchased it and gave it to Sendai-san, which may be very memorable.

One thing I might always remember.

However Sendai-san doesn’t want it.

She didn’t need to use this.

「I’ll provide you with my ears, Miyagi.」

Her nice voice places the gadgets out of the bag on the desk.

The identical piercer that pierced my ear.

It was Sendai-san’s birthday current to me.