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Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume32 Chapter6 2

2010-07-28T12:15:09Z

Goseebananafish: /* Support and Skinship. Part 2. */ shouldn't this be Yoshino-sama instead of Shimako-sama? Shimako wouldn't repeat herself here and is not a petit souer.

===<noinclude>Support and Skinship. </noinclude>Part 2.===

The room on the first floor of the Rose Mansion was quite large, but it didn't get much sunlight. That probably explained why it was used so infrequently, and over time it had changed from a temporary storage area to something more resembling a closet.

According to Shimako-san, this was where they had previously rehearsed for their plays – although Noriko wondered if that was true. Because that story could have happened at most a year and a half ago, right?

At any rate, Noriko had only ever known it as a storeroom, one that was now packed full of all kinds of things. It could probably do with a good clean out sooner or later.

"Well then, let's decide on our areas and get started."

The room was divided into five blocks, and the search commenced. Because the number of items differed between each area, when they were finished they would help someone else out.

"You don't have to look between each sheet in the piles of cardboard."

"If something is sealed, there's no need to open it. But for those things that have the lid open, just take a quick peek inside."

"Understood"

"If you see someone's private property, you should still pick it out even if it's not Sachiko-sama or Rei-sama's."

"It'll either be ours or someone else's."

"Hahaha"

Having begun, it was surprisingly fun. It wasn't a personal item, but Noriko found some stationery from the Rose Mansion underneath a desk. Unfortunately, the tip of the felt-tip pens had dried out, so they wouldn't be able to use them.

After about twenty minutes, when everyone was getting ready to call it a day, Noriko called out in surprise. Caught between two cardboard boxes, she could see something fluttering.

"What? What?"

Everyone gathered around. It was probably a decoration, or a scrap paper used to make a note, but she wasn't really sure exactly what it was.

However.

"Ahh, that's – "

Having slid the boxes apart and pulled out the item, Shimako-san turned and looked at the Red Rose sisters, Yumi-sama and Touko.

It was a black ribbon.

It was a bit short to use for wrapping and it looked quite sturdy, so it was probably a hair ribbon.

Neither Rosa Chinensis nor Rosa Foetida used ribbons in their hair. Yoshino-sama wore her hair in braids, but this had neither the length nor the volume to deal with that. And neither Shimako-san nor, obviously, Noriko used ribbons. So the only people in the Rose Mansion that it could possibly belong to were the Red Rose sisters. The pair of them both used similar ribbons to tie their hair, one on each side of their head – although they wore different colors.

"Is it yours, onee-sama?"

Touko asked Yumi-sama. Which probably meant Touko had no recollection of it.

Yumi-sama stared fixedly at the ribbon she retrieved from Shimako-san then. And then.

"… It's mine."

She mumbled, unconvincingly.

"What took you so long?"

Yoshino-sama butted in.

"Oh, I didn't expect to find it again, so I was a bit surprised."

Well, that's true. Because they were searching for Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Foetida's belongings, it would be a bit disorienting to find something that you had thought lost.

(Huh?)

Something was nagging away at Noriko's mind. She could understand the surprise. The person herself had even said so. But why did Yumi-sama seem so absentminded?

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen you wearing those ribbons lately. I suppose it's because you lost one of them. But I don't understand how you managed to drop one of them."

Noriko watched as Yumi-sama laughed nervously in response to Yoshino-sama's words. Just as she thought, Yumi-sama still seemed somewhat absentminded.

After Yoshino-sama's question she evidently went into deep thought for about 30 seconds, before finally calling the conversation to a close with:

"Well, I think we're finished with the search, don't you?"

"Yeah"

Shimako-san agreed.

"Then, I suppose we're done for today."

It looked as though Yumi-sama had just remembered something she had to do.

"Looks that way. Don't worry about tomorrow."

"Right, right. We've already done enough preparation and practice."

Yumi-sama's behavior was incredibly easy to understand, so Shimako-san and Yoshino-sama hit her with a 'Hurry up and go do what you have to do' beam.

"Thank-you. Touko, you can go home ahead of me."

Leaving them with those words, Yumi-sama sped out of the Rose Mansion.

"I wonder what that was all about?"

Shimako-san and Yoshino-sama both shook their head. Apparently they had been supporting their friend even though they didn't know what her urgent business was. Meanwhile Touko remained silent, staring intently at the door Yumi-sama had gone through.

Because Noriko was standing diagonally behind Touko, she couldn't see what expression was on her face. If she would just turn this way, Noriko would be able to determine whether she was looking lonely or not.

Noriko thought she should talk to her, but didn't know what to say. As she was hesitating, Shimako-san called out.

"Touko-chan."

Touko seemed normal as she turned around.

"Yes?"

"Do you want to follow Yumi-san?"

Shimako-san asked her so directly that Noriko started to feel nervous. Touko too seemed a little bit surprised.

"No."

But she was smiling as she shook her head.

"I think that what my onee-sama is doing is in some way related to Rosa Chinensis."

So I would be an inconvenience if I were to follow her, seemed to be what Touko was thinking.

Noriko finally thought she understood the situation. Yumi-sama had gone off to see Rosa Chinensis. And Touko had understood this immediately.

So when they left the room Touko didn't turn towards the entry, instead following Yoshino-sama and Shimako-san up the creaky staircase. Noriko followed after her, as though charmed by her hair. That's not to say that Touko-chan didn't want to follow after Yumi-sama, it just seemed that she was containing her feelings inside herself.

"If you really want to, you shouldn't hold back, you know."

Once more, Shimako-san made a bold statement.

"You say don't hold back, … but I'm not sure I want to chase her."

As she answered, Touko seemed to be collecting her thoughts.

"It's just, I don't think I'd be able to do anything if I followed her."

"You can't do anything?"

Stopping temporarily, Shimako-san turned around. And then awaited Touko's next response.

"When your onee-sama graduates, I think that's a huge thing. If I think about it happening to me in a year's time … no, it's probably a much bigger deal for her."

Touko was probably openly explaining her feelings because Shimako-san was older than her. Or because Shimako-san was someone whose onee-sama had already graduated. Either way, Noriko felt superfluous.

She had no idea that Touko thought about such things. Not only that, but she wasn't thinking about her onee-sama's graduation, but her onee-sama's onee-sama's graduation.

"Because my onee-sama's bonds with Rosa Chinensis are so strong, it must be heart-breaking for her now that Rosa Chinensis is graduating. But she never shows those feelings, instead appearing as cheerful as ever. I know she's the only one who can bear this burden, but all I can do is watch. I want to do something to help her, but I don't know what I should do."

Shimako-san, who had been silently listening until then, resumed climbing the staircase. Noriko followed Touko up the stairs, wondering what kind of advice Shimako-san was going to offer.

Tap tap tap. When they had reached the top of the stairs, Shimako-san murmured:

"I suppose it's fine, like that."

"Huh?"

"It's fine if you can't do anything for Yumi-san, is what I meant."

Graduation was the ultimate trial and gift given by an onee-sama. She hadn't said as much, but Touko understood this. That's why she'd said that Yumi-sama was the only one who could bear the burden. But even so, that's fine. So does that mean that there are some things that a petit soeur can't do? And thinking that probably hurt her self-belief, which was why she wanted to get some advice from someone else.

"But, you know, I'm not saying that it makes no difference whether you're there or not, Touko-chan. Just being by her side probably gives Yumi-san all the strength she needs."

"Are you sure?"

Touko seemed uncertain as she looked at Shimako-san.

"Of course. Since it's Yumi-san, I think she would know that. Because she always treasured the words of the previous Rosa Chinensis."

The previous Rosa Chinensis, that would have been Rosa Chinensis' onee-sama. Which would make her Yumi-sama's 'grandmother' and Touko's 'great-grandmother.'

"The words of the previous Rosa Chinensis – "

Touko asked. Shimako-san smiled as she stood in front of the door nicknamed 'The Biscuit Door.'

"'The petit soeur supports,' is what she said."

"Supports …"

Somebody muttered. It could have been Touko, or Noriko, or maybe even Yoshino-sama. Perhaps all three of them at once.

Supports.

All of the people there were petit soeurs.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume4 Chapter3 5

2010-07-22T13:41:51Z

Goseebananafish: /* What do you think? Part 5. */ incorrect pronoun

===<noinclude>What do you think? </noinclude>Part 5.===

Shimako-san announced her candidacy after school, the day of the deadline. Apparently she turned in her registration 15 minutes before it closed.

She was so punctual that she never once forgot her homework, and always submitted her reports with plenty of time to spare, so her persevering until the very end was proof that she agonized over the decision for a long, long time.

She expressed a clear fighting will when she first heard about Rosa Canina, but she changed her mind, or perhaps more accurately dragged out making the decision until the very end, and finally fortified her resolve to run. Some criticized her for her indecisiveness (of course, the second-year wisteria-class students), but this was a result of her personal agonizing for ten days, so in a way it didn't matter whether she signed up on the first day or the last day.

"You're not running?"

During lunch on the last day, Yumi invited Shimako-san to the Rose Mansion for lunch. There were too many outsiders in the classroom, and because of the seasonal weather, eating outside wasn't an attractive option. Fortunately, no one seemed like they were on the second floor of the Rose Mansion. Yoshino-san's class after lunch was physical education, so she was probably eating lunch in her classroom. And without Yoshino-san, the probability of Rei-sama coming dropped. For the Yamayurikai staff, there were days where they gathered at the Rose Mansion for lunch and plenty of days where no one came. Of course, before school festivals, for instance, when there was a compulsory meeting, everyone would gather.

So even today, there was the chance of someone coming in later. But they could deal with that then. Yumi was prepared to persuade Shimako-san, today, for the first and last time, as her classmate.

She could drop out any time, but at least she could sign up to buy herself more time, was the only direction Yumi could think of taking the conversation. But, Shimako-san had probably delayed her decision even to this day because she didn't want to make such a careless decision, so it would be difficult to sway her.

"It's quiet."

Placing the earlier question aside, Shimako-san narrowed her eyes at the winter sunlight coming in through the window.

"… Actually, I'm perplexed."

After a minute, Shimako-san finally answered.

"May I ask why?"

"I haven't been able to sort things out, myself."

"Yes."

Even so, she urged. Shimako-san placed her empty lunchbox on the big handkerchief she was using as a luncheon mat, wrapped it, and then began speaking.

"I don't know about Yumi-san, but I didn't become Rosa Gigantea's sister because I wanted to become a student president."

"Me, too!"

Yumi was about to stand up and lean into Shimako-san, who was sitting across from her.

"Me, too. I just like Sachiko-sama-"

"… Yes. Yes. Even if onee-sama wasn't called a Rose, you would accept her rosary. And that is the proper sisterly relationship."

"Shimako-san, you like Rosa Gigantea, too, don't you?"

"Yes. And that's why I assisted the Yamayurikai, to be of some help to her. And that's why, once onee-sama graduates, I'll feel no obligation toward the Yamayurikai. I did feel like I would follow in onee-sama's footsteps, but that was because I assumed, as usual, no one else would try to step in."

"Eh-!?"

When Yumi cried, Shimako-san chuckled and said, "I'm sorry."

"To me, an "attachment" is just a burden. I simply wish that I can keep myself as carefree as possible, so that I could go anywhere whenever I want."

"Then, you dislike school?"

"I don't dislike it. … But it's not a question of dislike or like."

"Hard."

"Really. And because this is my personality, my father sends me to school, worried about me, and onee-sama probably pulled me into the Yamayurikai for that reason. I don't mind being alone, so I naturally gravitate toward isolation. That's why people that know me well always try to force me into groups."

Finally, although it was just a tiny bit, Yumi began to understand Rosa Gigantea and Shimako-san's relationship. Rosa Gigantea understood Shimako-san "well." And because Rosa Gigantea understood her well, Shimako-san accepted her rosary. Because in her sixteen years of life, not many understood her like that.

"Then, wouldn't it be better if you remained in the Yamayurikai?"

"If that is onee-sama's intent. That's what I felt, at first. As I walked in and out of the Rose Mansion, as I assisted the Yamayurikai, as I was called Rosa Gigantea en bouton by people I didn't know well. Before I knew it, my bonds to people had grown. And sometimes I think fondly of that sensation. And I became Yumi-san and Yoshino-san's friend."

"I'm also glad I became Shimako-san's friend. That's why I want to be together more. Please, why isn't that enough?"

"I never said it wasn't, did I? But, there are other things I think about."

"Like?"

"I'm not the type of person who can lead students."

"What are you talking about?"

She laughed. Shimako-san was so reliable, everyone adored her, she was kind, and was good at studying, so when someone who could be the perfect anecdote for a leadership book says something like "I'm not the type to lead students," that meant no one could try to become a Rose. As proof, Shimako-san was scouted by the Yamayurikai twice. –Rosa Gigantea and Sachiko-sama.

But Shimako-san wasn't laughing.

"That's not all."

She looked serious.

"What else?"

"Lillian, without me."

"Eh?"

"If I had not entered Lillian Girls' Academy."
"What do you mean?"

Shimako-san entered Lillian through a middle-school exam, Yumi remembered.

But still.

People like Yumi, who'd been tossed into Lillian since Kindergarten, from when they first became conscious of the people around them, those people wondering about "if" they hadn't come to Lillian made sense. But at twelve, you're certainly conscious of the world, so your own will is acting in some way, however small.

"I mean, if."

"If."

"Yes. Then Rosa Gigantea wouldn't have chosen me as her sister, correct? Even if it may have taken time, she may have chosen a second-year student, as tradition holds."

"And that would be Shizuka-sama? So Shizuka-sama is fitting to be the next Rosa Gigantea?"

That's wrong, Yumi thought. It was true Rosa Gigantea may have taken quite some time to find a little sister, after her heartbreaking separation with a dear friend. But it wasn't a question of time for choosing a student a year younger than her. It was because there was no student "capable of becoming her little sister."

"Indeed. She may have never found a sister."

Shimako-san nodded, and continued.

"Then let's imagine a scenario where she never had a sister. Then what happens?"

"What happens?"

"In the end, it becomes an election. Just like it is now."

But that didn't mean she had to give up her seat without fighting.

"But in reality, Shimako-san is here."
"That's why it's an 'if.'"

But what did she want to say, talking about an "if" scenario? It was like she was hinting that the "if" could turn out to be true.

"Shimako-san, you're not leaving, are you?"

Shimako-san curled her lips up a bit, to that question.

"I do not desire such a thing, but-"

But she never finished her sentence. Shimako-san stopped.

"Is someone there?"

"What?"

Yumi also listened carefully.

Creak, creak, creak, she could hear the stairs creaking.

"But, who?"

She was still inexperienced at figuring out whose footsteps they belonged to, but she could somewhat generalize. It was in the group of Sachiko-sama, Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Foetida. Or maybe like a hurried Yoshino-san or Rei-sama. That was about it.

Her tempo, and the way she placed her weight into her footsteps was very conscientious, or prudent. It only creaked about a third as much as Rei-sama's footsteps. Only Shimako-san walked like this, but she sat in front of Yumi.

When she finished climbing the stairs, she knocked on the biscuit-shaped door.

It was an effective staccato. A pretty sound, like a xylophone.

But, strange.

The usual members would simply open the door without knocking. It felt like she was waiting for them to respond.

"I wonder who it is?"

Yumi, sitting relatively closer to the door, answered, "Coming," stood up and placed her hand on the knob. Really, she was still thinking lightly about it, assuming it was someone from the Yamayurikai who was carrying something heavy and couldn't spare a hand for the door, or something. She didn't think hard enough to realize such a person wouldn't really be able to knock, either.

Click clat.

The door opened with a familiar, click clat sound.

"---"

She opened a jack-in-the-box. Someone unexpected stood there.

"Gokigenyou, Yumi-san."

Rosa Canina, or Kanina Shizuka-sama, stood up straight and presented a polished smile.

(What's going to happen-!?)

Yumi forced a smile as she screamed inside.

Shimako-san is in the room!

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| Return to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru|Main Page]]
| Back to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume4_Chapter3_4|Part 4]]
| Forward to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume4_Chapter3_6|Part 6]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume1 Chapter2 2

2010-07-09T23:45:05Z

Goseebananafish: /* Tuesday of Storms. Part 2. */ corrected Gounod

===<noinclude>Tuesday of Storms. </noinclude>Part 2.===

Apparently Japan was around the only country that introduced a system such as "cleaning duty" to school. In the US and Europe, schools were thoroughly ingrained as "places in which to learn." -I forget the exact details, but I vaguely remember a foreign commentator mentioning that on television.

(Certainly.)

It was a strange feeling, in that she was polishing the school's floors, but her mother cleaned her bedroom. You could put it off as being linked to home economics class, but the cleaning process for a school and an ordinary home was too different.

Perhaps it was a matter of morals. Return things you borrowed in a clean fashion.

By the way, while Yumi was quite ordinary in that she was not particularly fond of cleaning, for some reason she disliked it much less while in the music room.

Possibly as a result of soundproofing, the floor was made of a packed, felt-like material, meaning there was no need for water mopping nor the weekly waxing. Because the walls were made of a special soundproof material, they only needed to be dusted once in a while, and as the chairs and tables were built-in, there was no need to move them around.

You simply needed to move around the special vacuum cleaner, rinse the top of desks, and clean the blackboard and the scaffold around the windows. The usual portraits of Mozart and Beethoven were left up to the supervisor for the room.

"Yumi-san. Shall we leave it at that?"

Said the classmate in the same cleaning group, as she shut a window.

"Yes…"

Normally, she scurried off immediately upon finishing cleaning duties. But today she felt like taking her time.

"Everyone may go on ahead, I'll take care of the cleaning diary."

If you were to step out of the school now, you would run into the end-of-school peak. She didn't mind crowded buses, but having become the center of rumors, she did not have the courage to jump out into the open on her own. But, she had no place else to go to spend time.

"Then we shall stay with you until it is completed. It would not be suitable to leave Yumi-san alone, after all."

The kind classmates offered to help.

"But you do have club activities, do you not? All I have left to do afterward is to go home, and I did hand over diary duty yesterday, so I'll take care of it today."

When Yumi insisted, the other three discussed among themselves, "Shall we leave go, then?" and then left the music room.

"Gokigenyou."

"See you tomorrow."

Tap tap, their footsteps faded into the distance at a rapid pace.

So as to not disturb the plaits in their skirts, so as to not toss their white sailor scarves into disarray. They were actually so busy that such standards had slipped their mind.

"Ahh. I'm so bored."

Having no attachment to a club or a committee left her quite lonely at this time of day.

The class' presentation was to be an exhibit about the "path of the Cross." They intended to reproduce 14 pictures from the proclamation of Christ's execution, to his walk to Golgotha hill, to when he was buried after crucifixion, and then place captions under each of those pictures. However, as honest Lillian students should, they had already completed most of their preparations over the summer. Maybe everyone had realized that they would become busy for their respective clubs as the school festival drew closer, thus preparing for the inevitability that they would not be able to extend much of a hand to their classroom exhibit.

"I wonder how much time I should take."

It would be bone-headed to take so much time that her departure coincided this time with the club-activity students.

"Oh, I should go hand in the diary."

However, she did not yet want to move. She could hear the excited sounds of students still moving to classrooms or club houses or the gymnasium beyond the half-opened door.

Yumi absent-mindedly opened the cover to the piano. There was nothing to be afraid of, even alone in the piano room.

-Maria-sama protects this school, after all.

Because of this, there were no horror stories of midnight pianos or Beethoven's eyes at Lillian.

Mi-.

With her right index finger, she pressed down the higher Mi key. Yes, she thought everything started from that sound. Yumi drew up a chair and properly faced the piano.

It had been quite some time since she had last touched a piano. She had attended piano school once a week for the six years of elementary school, but as it never managed to become a significant part of her, she quit as she entered middle school.

Mi-.

She played the same sound once more. This time, depending on her memory of sound, she tried to reproduce that song she heard half a year ago. If it were just her right index finger, she could somewhat reproduce the melody.

Fa-.

So-ReMi-.

This was Gounod's Ave Maria.

Half a year ago, Ogasawara Sachiko-sama, introduced as Rosa Chinensis en bouton, played this piece for the freshmen during the Yamayurikai-sponsored freshmen welcoming ceremony. That was the first time Yumi had encountered Sachiko-sama.

Having been played on an organ inside a sanctuary, the sound echoed deeply and stained a part of her soul. Sachiko-sama, who was playing the piece, looked almost like Ave Maria herself.

Even after the performance, Yumi was unable to take her eyes off of Sachiko-sama. Not just her lovely appearance, but the way she carried her each and every conduct with dignity, and with her upper-classman tone of voice, she was absolutely beautiful.

She wanted to become a person like Sachiko-sama.

She wanted to get even an inch closer to a person like Sachiko-sama.

When she thought so half a year ago, she did not imagine in her wildest dreams things would end up like this. No, not even yesterday, at this same time, had she even imagined this.

Her school life just changed drastically. –Just as she leaned into the piano with such thoughts, she saw something at the edge of her vision.

"☆×■◎※△――――!?"

Before she could even begin to recognize what had appeared, an indescribable and curious sound jumped out of Yumi's vocal chords.

That was because a human hand had reached out from behind her, toward the keyboard. There could be no helping her heart leaping out of her chest.

"What a sound you make, as I were attacking you."

She jumped, once again, when she looked up at the face of that hand.

"Anyone would shriek if someone came up silently from behind, Sachiko-sama."

On top of that, if that person were the person for whom the thoughts were about, it would be further surprising.

"I was being considerate, about not intruding on your piano performance."

Sachiko-sama pressed down on the Do key with her still-stretched left hand. It's the key you first learn to press with the thumb of your right hand when you begin learning.

"Play."

"Eh!?"

"Once more, play just as you did earlier."

"Ehh?"

When she tried to scramble off the seat, Sachiko-sama held her down by the shoulder with her open right hand.

"The rhythm is… one, two, three, four, two, two, three, four."

"Ah, umm…"

[[Image:MM_v01_03.jpg|thumb]]
Sachiko-sama notched the rhythm into Yumi's right shoulder as truthfully as a metronome, and signaled, "Start," on the third count.

When humans are told, "Start," they seem to have the trait to begin doing something. Yumi had begun playing out of momentum.

Then a second sound jumped in, intertwining itself with Yumi.

DoMiSoDoDoMiSoDo.

Sachiko-sama was playing the left hand's part. Plus, she was using the pedals, so the sound had an echo.

(It's a four-handed performance.)

Her own sound, combining with the other sound, returned to her ears in a pleasant fashion.

However, the fun feeling only lasted for a short while. Soon, she remembered that Sachiko-sama was near, and the excitement turned into fear.

The song was not designed for a four-handed performance, and because it was being played with Yumi's right hand and Sachiko-sama's left, it was a case of one person closing in on the other's personal space. Sachiko-sama's breasts kept brushing with Yumi's left arm, the glossy straight hair fell on Yumi's shoulder, and the pleasant fragrance began making Yumi feel like this was all commonplace.

Even so, the performance continued. Sachiko-sama probably would not stop for as long as Yumi's right hand could keep up the melody line.

On one hand she wanted this to last forever, but part of her also wanted this to end, immediately. Deep within Yumi, those two contradicting feelings fought.

Sachiko-sama's breathing softly swayed Yumi's hair. However, that breath was almost irritatingly calm. Unlike Yumi, Sachiko-sama was not one to be thrown in disarray from just this.

The beautiful harmony was broken.

Yumi purposefully went off-key.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't keep up with Sachiko-sama, after all."

Chuckling softly, she scrambled off the chair and turned away.

"Is that so? You were playing wonderfully."

Sachiko-sama shut the cover softly. The small clunking sound felt oddly loud in the room devoid of anyone but them.

She noticed Sachiko-sama was slowly walking toward her. The soft floor absorbed most of the sound from the indoor shoes. She thought, ah, no wonder she didn't notice Sachiko-sama entering earlier.

"Well, shall we get going?"

"Huh!?"

"What do you mean, huh. Just why did you think I came all this way?"

"Ah, why DID Sachiko-sama come here?"

"Of course, to pick you up."

Sachiko-sama raised an eyebrow, adopting an "isn't that obvious?" sort of tone.

Yumi was spared the need to ask where to, as Sachiko-sama began explaining.

"Alright? From now until the school festival, you will take part in performance recitals with everyone else. That is your obligation, after all."

Sachiko-sama's reasoning was thus.

There was a degree of impossibility to Sachiko-sama persuading Yumi within the small time frame given, before the school festival. In conclusion, in order to help make things fair, Yumi, who had no after-school obligations anyways, was to take part in Yamayurikai business.

"How unreasonable."

"What do you mean, unreasonable. The Roses were already quite aware of this. Also,"

Sachiko-sama placed her index finger on Yumi's jaw and looked into her eyes.

"Do think about it. You are the substitute for Cinderella. Of course you are expected to attend rehearsals."

"Substitute… But that's only if I accept the rosary-."

"Do you plan on missing rehearsals because you are confident you will not accept? If so, by that logic, I can miss out on rehearsals, too."

"But."

Sachiko-sama admonished Yumi with a faint, quiet voice.

"However, I will attend rehearsals. There are not too many things in the world where you can claim 'absolutely.' Plus, the bet with the onee-sama, aside, ignoring confidence and probability, there are only one or two results lying in the future. If the Cinderella role is down to either you or I, then I will practice. Even if it were to contradict how confident I feel, it is better than running the risk of being embarrassed during the actual performance."

Sachiko-sama chuckled, curling Yumi's straggling hair over her ear.

"Sachiko-sama…"

There was nothing she could say. Even if she were to refuse, raising hysteria, Sachiko-sama was certainly being reasonable. There was no doubt that, in her mind, right and wrong were organized neatly just like garbage and recycling.

Her heart constricted, have I disappointed her? It was the same feeling as the four-handed piano performance, a feeling totally different from the excitement or dread. Rather, it was a mysterious mental state, in that she felt that, left alone, she would have ended up in tears. Similar to the feeling of, as a child, having lost sight of her mother in the middle of a crowd.

Had Sachiko-sama not lifted her head that moment, Yumi probably would have latched onto Sachiko-sama and cried "I'm sorry."

"Of course."

Sachiko-sama blurted out, as if just thinking of something.

"You have your own way of thinking, so I will not coerce you. However, will you not at least come watch me practice?"

"… Yes."

"Then, take your bag."

Having been urged onward, Yumi took the bag she had left on a table, as well as the cleaning diary.

She wondered if she was allowing herself to be swept along into Sachiko-sama's pace in a nice way. However, as she tilted her head slightly, she admonished herself for such damning thoughts.

Despite her hysteric behavior yesterday, Sachiko-sama was supposed to be like Maria-sama: pure, right, and beautiful, like an artist's depiction of the perfect onee-sama. No, she had to remain like that in Yumi's thoughts.

"What is the matter? Yumi, come along."

Sachiko-sama called from the doorway.

"Ah, coming."

When she hurried over, Sachiko-sama informed her, "Be quiet," and fixed Yumi's tie.

It was the same as yesterday morning. For a moment, it synchronized with that moment in front of the Gingko trees.

"Ah."

Sachiko-sama blurted, stopped, and looked at Yumi.

"That photo. Was it taken yesterday morning?"

"Ehh?"

Unbelievably, Sachiko-sama had just remembered that scene.

"Could you not remember from the photo?"

"I could see it was myself, and that it was Yumi with me. But I could not remember when it happened. Because Takeshima Tsutako-san's photo had no date on it."

She thought, that's not the problem. There was no need to confirm once again that Yumi was too unmemorable.

"Then Yumi and I truly did just meet yesterday."

"Yes."

Yumi nodded as she shut the door to the music room. It had been mere hours before Sachiko-sama's sœur declaration. When they mentioned "warashibechouja," she had no retort.

"I feel so much better now that I remembered."

The two of them walked down the hallway together. She felt it was awkward to be walking together the same day the rumors spread like a wildfire, but Sachiko-sama seemed to give it no mind. Particularly as there was almost no one left in the corridor, Sachiko-sama probably would have disliked being shadowy about it.

"Sachiko-sama, do you fix underclassmen ties that frequently?"

In that case, Yumi felt there was no helping her forgetting Yumi. However, the answer Sachiko-sama imparted from her lips.

"Quite the opposite."

"Eh?"

"Seldom. … No, basically never. I wonder why I did such a thing."

As they walked down the stairs, Sachiko-sama wondered, truly fascinated. She had presumably kept thinking about it, as after descending one flight of stairs, she had an answer.

"I am not much of a morning person, so I am always in a daze in the mornings, so I might have subconsciously called out to you. That might explain why I could not recall the incident immediately."

"You do not seem the type to be weak to mornings."

"I am told that all the time. … But in reality, I have low blood pressure."

"Ah, low blood pressure."

It seemed like, more and more the character of Ogasawara Sachiko-sama became a mystery. Right next to her was definitely that person of adoration, but the image of her had changed quite a bit since three days ago.

Yet, normally, you were supposed to learn more and more about a person as time passed.

*****

When they stopped by the staff room to hand in the diary, Yamamura-sensei, who was in charge of Yumi's class, said, "Oh my."

"I thought there must have been a mistake, but what was that rumor true, after all?"

It seemed the story had spread to even the teachers.

"But, that is fascinating. I heard Ogasawara-san was rejected by Fukuzawa-san? But why are you two walking together? Or was it actually an OK?"

As expected of a former Lillian student. Her eyes twinkled and she asked with the curiosity of a young girl, shedding the 20-year differential in their ages.

"Umm, that's, that's-."

When Yumi became stuck, Sachiko-sama spoke out from her side.

"We apologize for making a fuss. I will leave what happened between us to your imagination."

She smiled, and then, "Well, excuse us." Sachiko-sama took Yumi's hand and walked away elegantly from the staff room.

Yamamura-sensei smiled bitterly, having had the opportunity to speak sealed.

"Sa, Sachiko-sama."

After they had walked a fair distance from the staff room did Sachiko-sama finally let go of Yumi's hand.

"There is no need to say more than what is necessary."

"But."

"The more you respond, the greater and wilder the rumors become. If you wish to explain, explain it at once, in great detail, to a large audience, rather than explaining little by little. When it is still a big fuss, be a willow in the wind."

But being able to silence people with just a smile like Sachiko-sama is impossible to replicate for a normal high school student. Sachiko-sama's reasoning was, well, quite reasonable, but difficult to put into practice.

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| Back to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume1_Chapter2_1|Part 1]]
| Forward to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume1_Chapter2_3|Part 3]]
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Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume1 Chapter1 5

2010-07-06T15:25:35Z

Goseebananafish: /* Monday of Uneasiness. Part 5. */ typo

===<noinclude>Monday of Uneasiness. </noinclude>Part 5.===

"Please."

A white cup was filled about seven tenths to the brim with a red, steaming liquid and placed in front of me.

This is a liquid called 'black tea.'

"Would you like sugar or milk?"

A relatively short, pony-tailed girl offered a stick-shaped item from the basket. This girl was, if I remember correctly, also a first-year. I forget her class and surname, but she was the petite sœur for Hasekura Rei-sama, the Rosa Foetida en bouton, and I think her name was Yoshino-san.

"No, thank you."

I thought in a daze after refusing. Umm, what was milk again?

Ahh, I'm so confused.

The one who was the most surprised by Sachiko-sama's declaration was none other than Yumi herself. She was frozen in place, even oblivious to the uproar around her. How many times must Sachiko-sama petrify her in one day?

Let's settle down and talk about it. Is what happened, and thus everyone moved into the room, past the door with the "meeting" plate.

Sachiko-sama, who'd made the selfish declaration in the first place, left behind her sœur, Yumi, even if the declaration was a temporary loss of mind, and angrily shouldered her way into the room. Prepared for battle, would be the most suitable way to describe her state.

"… War, with Sachiko-sama."

In reality, if you went by image, the two of them probably were more suited to being in completely separate positions.

"Oh dear, what a helpless onee-sama, leaving her little sister behind."

When Rosa Gigantea embraced Yumi by the shoulders and walked into the room, Sachiko-sama seemed to have realized her clumsiness and so she stood up, pulled out the seat next to her, and beckoned, "sit here."

Then, when everyone sat down, black tea was distributed. And that was where we were.

This room had an atmosphere unlike any other school facility. Just like the stairs and the hallway, the floor and walls were of worn, wooden boarding. Aside from the one adjacent to the hallway, the other three walls each had a wooden-framed bay window, and the clean cotton curtains for each were opened and fastened with a thin ribbon. The size was about half that of a classroom, and there was an arrangement of flowers on the elliptical table in the middle of the room that could probably seat up to eight people. Rather than a student council headquarters, it felt more like an old, western-style dining room.

Of course, the three Roses were seated at the table, as were Sachiko-sama, Yumi, Shimako-san, and Tsutako-san, who was treated as a guest. Rei-sama and Yoshino-san pulled chairs over from around the washstand by the wall.

The electric pot was making a bubbling sound, having had fresh water recently added. I had never even imagined students elegantly sitting and drinking black tea after school in a school building. At some point, even cookies were placed on top of spread tissues.

I had no idea you were treated this well when you became a Yamayurikai staff member.

"Let me start off by saying, please do not misunderstand, we put in a lot of personal effort into keeping this a pleasant space to be."

As if reading Yumi's mind, Sachiko-sama, sitting right next to her, whispered. The Yamayurikai budget was not used for tea, she seemed to be want to say. Each member brought in tea themselves, and cookies tended to be donations from classes that had cooking class.

"If you prefer, we have coffee and cocoa. They are, however, instant, so their taste is not top-notch."

Rosa Chinensis smiled.

"So come and play any time you wish. As you are Sachiko's sœur, you are a valuable friend."

Lowering my guard and then nonchalantly firing off the main question. The Roses certainly were not a normal kind of people.

(That, that's right, the crucial matter was still left unanswered.)

Sachiko-sama's bombshell of a statement had left everyone staring at each other.

While certainly not having forgotten, Yumi honestly wished she could simply forget. She could not think of a reason. In fact, having ended up as a victim of an accident, she could not grasp why she was being made to sit in such a seat. It felt more like she was being summoned as a witness for a trial or a parliament.

"Oh, Rosa Chinensis, so you accept Sachiko's assertion?"

"But Rosa Foetida, if Sachiko has made the decision, we are not in the right to pursue the matter, am I wrong? Rosa Gigantea, do you have an opinion?"

"I think whether we accept it or not should be left for later. At the very least, not while one of the protagonists is looking like her eyes might pop out in surprise."

Immediately, everyone looked at Yumi.

(Pr, protagonist, does that mean me-!?)

"Poor thing, she's struggling to grasp the circumstances."

The Roses giggled. Yumi began thinking they were simply having fun at her expense.

(Of course, that has to be the case. It must.)

She could not think this gorgeous membership would have taken that earlier joke seriously. To begin with, regardless of what condition Sachiko-sama was in, there was too much impossibility in her making Yumi her little sister.

(Wait, wait.)

Maybe it's all a joke that Sachiko-sama is a part of. Of course, that must be it. Then it all makes sense. "We apologize, our joke might have gone too far." –if they were to say that now, I could laugh, return, "I knew it was weird," and squeeze out of this in one piece.

However.

"No matter what anyone says, Yumi is my little sister."

Sachiko-sama still refused to bend with her statement. What could she be thinking?

"Personally, I would like to ask Yumi-san too, not just Sachiko."

"M, me…!?"

Yumi flinched at the sudden shift of focus. As had been evident, Yumi had not been able to grasp the circumstances. It would be easy to say "I don't know," but she could surmise from the atmosphere that such a statement would simply corner Sachiko-sama into a further predicament.

"Umm-."

If possible, she wanted to be an ally for Sachiko-sama. However, how could you fight when you didn't know who was an ally and who was an enemy? She wished Sun Tzu could teach her the art of war right there.

"If I say so, it must be so, am I wrong? There is no need to confirm with Yumi."

She stands firm. Sachiko-sama looks unwilling to crumble her firm stance.

"Ah, umm…"

"Just be silent for the time being."

Zap! Even to her ally, Yumi, she was merciless.

Of course, had they really been sœurs, onee-sama's order would be absolute, so she would remain silent. But as that wasn't the case, Yumi felt Sachiko could have been a bit kinder.

"It seems you want to continue this conversation without Yumi-san, but I won't allow that."

Rosa Gigantea's eyes sparkled.

"Sachiko. You simply dragged a passer-by into this mess for the sole purpose of escaping from the job imposed on you, right?"

(Job imposed on her…?)

The moment Yumi tilted her neck to the side, a person sitting far away raised her hand and said "wait." That was Tsutako-san, who Yumi had forgotten existed.

"What is it, Takeshima Tsutako-san?"

"I am honoured that you know of me, Rosa Gigantea."

"Yumi-san notwithstanding, there is no student that knows not of you. You are notorious, after all."

I'm sorry I don't stand out – Yumi whispered, deep inside.

"I am grateful."

Tsutako-san continued after fixing the position of her glasses.

"I do not mind if you simply wish to consider me an outsider, but may I ask one thing, having been allowed to listen in on the conversation?"

"Of course?"

"I have no idea what is going on."

Why Sachiko-sama had to declare Yumi to be her sœur. What connection that has with this "imposed job." Tsutako-san seemed to be wanting to know.

"That is true, forgive us for not explaining."

Rosa Foetida nodded. Sachiko-sama urgently stood up.

"There is nothing to explain. I chose a sœur, that is all. The meeting is over."

"How selfish. If you wish to break up the meeting, you may return home by yourself. Of course, Yumi-san will stay here with us."

Sachiko-sama had no choice but to sit back down to Rosa Chinensis' words.

"To put it shortly, Sachiko decided to reject a job for the school festival she had previously accepted, today, after all this time."

"Because you changed your story."

Sachiko-sama complained, but Rosa Chinensis continued.

"The story did not change. Even if there was not enough information presented at the time, your own role remains unchanged."

"Umm, … what is Sachiko-sama's job?"

Now Yumi asked.

"Ahh, we were short on explaining once again. Actually, for this year's school festival we are planning to hold a play."

"The Yamayurikai staff will get together and perform."

It sounded extremely extravagant. Yumi wished greatly to be allowed to watch.

"Us three Roses, being part of the executive committee for the school festival, are busy every day. Of course, that means the boutons will have to be the central figures for the play."

Rosa Foetida added that they planned to borrow members from the dance club as extras.

"Dance club, what play are you expecting to perform?"

Tsutako-san eagerly asked, it seems her blood as a cameraman was beginning to catch fire.

"Cinderella. The dance ball scene."

Wow.

"And, and the lead role?"

Forgetting her situation entirely, Yumi also became excited. This one had her 'closet Sachiko-fan blood' catching fire.

"Of course, Sachiko."

Kyaaa.

Sachiko-sama, as Cinderella.

Then Rei must be the prince!? A splendid recital contest of two boutons.

It's beautiful just imagining. Too beautiful. It was getting into [http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Notes#Takarazuka Takarazuka] territory.

I have to secure a ticket, no matter what. I wonder if they hand out numbered tickets prior to the event, or something. It was something to look into before heading home.

Wait, hold on.

They did mention Sachiko-sama rejecting the job earlier. That means she wants to stop being the lead actress-.

"This year we intend to call upon a guest from Hanadera. Sachiko seems to object."

"Guest?"

"It's customary. As both schools neighbor each other on the same hill, Lillian and Hanadera Institute help each others' student councils during the school festivals. We helped out during their school festival last month, too."

It sounded like a neighborly relationship from the countryside. Funerals, weddings, fires, moving. No matter what, people are willing to take a break from work to help out, that sort of custom.

I had a culture shock when my grandfather died in Yamanashi, and his neighbor took a break from his bank, even though it was a busy time at the end of the term, to help take condolence calls. But to see the same thing carried out so close, and by high school students, at that.

"I have no objection to the inviting of a guest. But I see no reason why the Hanadera council leader has to be the prince."

Sachiko-sama muttered.

Ah, I see. Rei-sama is not the prince.

"Then what would you have him do? Cinderella? Will Sachiko do the prince, then?"

Yumi was probably not the only one who thought, 'that might be more interesting.'

"Why does it end up like that. I was just thinking, maybe back-stage work like carrying around props-."

"How could you even insinuate making a guest do menial labour? We were the judges for their main event. Even if it might have worked, they did not request us to pour tea. Although Sachiko might not have known this, having skipped out on the appointed day?"

"What I cannot stand is that we are changing role distribution now, two weeks before the school festival."

It was a verbal dispute between Sachiko-sama and Rosa Chinensis. A duel between sisters.

"And as I said, Hanadera's council leader was intended to be the prince from the start."

"That's a lie. Rei was saying the prince's lines all the way up to yesterday."

"I was told from the onset I was just a stand-in."

Rei-sama raised her hand to fan away the electric pot's vapours.

"See, look. Aside from Sachiko, everyone knew. If you are still in disbelief, you may speak to the handicrafts' club whom are working on the costumes. The princes' costume is being tailored to suit Hanadera's council leader."

"So you decided this while I was not in attendance."

Sachiko-sama grinded her teeth, frustrated at how her position was becoming disadvantageous.

"Oh, wake up, we have no need to call secret meetings. … Ah, however, come to think of it, Sachiko did skip out on a number of meetings. We might have decided upon this then. However, in that case you brought this upon yourself, did you not? You always fled when we had a meeting with Hanadera. This is what happens when you never deal with your dislike of men."

(Dislike of men?)

I got it! Yumi clapped her hands in her mind.

To combine everything so far, Sachiko-sama accepted the leading role for the play, as decreed by the Roses. Whether it was intended or whether it was an unfortunate communications miss, only Sachiko-sama missed out on the notice that Hanadera's council leader was to play the prince's part. Having found this out today, Sachiko-sama became as furious as the raging flames, and proclaimed that she was withdrawing from the leading role. The reason is, -well, because she hated men.

(But, hating men…)

She'd never thought about it, but Sachiko-sama and the description 'hating men' seemed to fit together perfectly. There were students in Yumi's class whom admitted to having arrhenphobia or simply hating men, and she did have the same sort of aura.

(I wonder if she dislikes her father, too…)

As she absent-mindedly had such thoughts, she felt as if she was being stared at, and when she looked up, she noticed Rosa Gigantea, jaw protruding and eyes narrowed, laughing at her.

"You're amusing."

"Huh?"

"You were going through life's many phases."

"Eh!?"

Yumi rushed to suppress her face. However, it was too late. She couldn't take back the 'life's many phases,' and a great wave of red attacked her face, like it was delivering a finishing blow.

"You have an unpredictable nature, you're pretty fun."

That.

Is almost definitely not praise. Even though my grade in Japanese is rather average, I can tell that much, Rosa Gigantea.

"Hmm. However, how does Sachiko-sama disapproving of the lead role tie into her making Yumi her little sister? The plate outside says 'in a meeting,' but does that mean you were discussing a role change?"

Tsutako-san continued her my-pace questioning. However, Rosa Foetida smiled bitterly and lowered her shoulders.

"Well it was meeting, in the beginning."

The staff members who packed into the Rose Mansion after school every day for school festival preparations. Presumably, they intended to discuss a number of problems that had arisen.

They began the meeting without waiting for Shimako-san, who was going to be late because of day duties. Plus, as she was just a bouton, her attendance was not mandatory.

To explain things a bit, the Yamayurikai is the student council, as it would be called in an ordinary school. The official staff members that would be called the "staff" were the three Roses, Rosa Chinensis, Rosa Gigantea and Rosa Foetida. These three filled the student president, vice president, secretary and accounting roles, as per the management structure passed down through generations.

No one really knows when the student council roles became synonymous with the Roses. Whether the chicken or the egg came first. Anyways, when someone mentions the Yamayurikai staff, they mean the red, white and yellow Roses.

However, beginning with the student council, they are also the School Festival Executive Committee, they organize the seasonal events such as the Freshmen Welcome Party and the Graduate Farewell Party, and though not as gaudy also are the Budget Committee and hold general student meetings, and perform a vast number of other small duties, certainly too much for the three to handle alone. As such, you could almost call them apprentices, but the Roses have their sœurs lend their hands as assistants. As long as there is no stunning upset, the Yamayurikai management tends to be passed down in such a way, so that the little sisters of the Roses are called boutons. Everyone accepts them as Roses waiting to blossom.

"Most of the agenda was easy to make decisions on, so the meeting was going smoothly."

"Then Sachiko began complaining about the play appointment."

"When we teased her to silence her, she exploded. Sachiko carries herself well outside, so she's popular, but she has a rather violent temperament, so it is extremely difficult to keep a handle on her."

The Roses said plainly.

"Tease!? That was not mere teasing, you were driving a stake into my heart!"

Sachiko-sama was agitated by the reminder.

"You said I have no right to speak, as I cannot even find a petite sœur."

"I did say that, but that did not mean 'Regardless of who it is, get a petite sœur.' To grab the first first-year you see upon stepping outside, how hasty, how simplistic. You are not warashibechouja[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Notes#warashibechouja] after all."

(… Warashibechouja.)

A bead of sweat appeared on Yumi's forehead.

(So that would make me a straw.)

Well, thanks to their explanations, I can see what's going on, but this is becoming ridiculous.

"Warashibechouja, that is splendid. If I remember correctly, it had a happy ending, did it not?"

Sachiko-sama, now you're making no sense.

"So you intended to simply hold onto Yumi-san until you found a better person? I cannot accept such a relationship. As your grand sœur even my dignity would be in tatters."

Rosa Chinensis sighed, disgusted. However, Sachiko immediately responded, staring straight at onee-sama.

"I will take care of Yumi forever. I will train her and turn her into a magnificent Rose. There is no problem then, correct?"

Even if that was prompted by the way the conversation was going, was it wise to say such big talk? It would just magnify her shame when she would have to take it back.

"Stop saying things as you think of them, Sachiko."

"Why do you claim I am simply thinking as I speak?"

"You just met Yumi-san just now. How could you make such a promise?"

Invisible fireworks kept scattering.

However, it was three versus one. Plus, the three were the strongest third-years among the Lillian Girls' Academy High School students.

"If I am not mistaken, you did not even know Yumi-san's name until just earlier?"

"That…"

Sachiko-sama's tone fell. As if seizing the opportunity, Rosa Gigantea spoke softly.

"Isn't that enough? That's enough stubbornness."

That's right, Yumi thought. It was better to admit defeat in a dignified manner. If she did not want to be Cinderella, there would surely be other ways to resolve the matter. Little sisters are not there to be impulsively bought. She should think harder and find a more suitable partner.

Of course

If Sachiko-sama were to choose another first-year, it would be a shock. Even if it was arbitrary, Yumi was happy Sachiko-sama announced her to be a sœur.

"Please wait."

Just then, Shimako-san stood up.

"I think Sachiko-sama and Yumi-san did not just meet."

Until then, she had faded into the background like she didn't exist. Like Rosa Foetida en bouton and her petite sœur, it might be that boutons are not supposed to intrude unless needed. Sachiko-sama seemed to be the exception.

"And why do you think so?"

Rosa Gigantea asked her own sœur.

"Because Yumi-san came to visit Sachiko-sama."

"Eh? I thought Shimako brought them here?"

Rosa Chinensis shifted her eyes between Yumi, Tsutako-san and Shimako-san.

"It seems we did forget to ask why Yumi-san and Tsutako-san came here."

Apparently everyone simply assumed that Shimako-san had brought her personal friends, or had brought students volunteering to help with the school festival, or wanted to bring up a problem with a club or the gymnasium usage, or something of the sort. Of course, there was no helping this, as Sachiko-sama's hysteria and the collision and the sœur declaration had left everyone in a confused state.

"Is this true?"

Rosa Gigantea directly asked Yumi, not Sachiko-sama.

"… yes."

Wrangling out an almost inaudible voice, Yumi answered. Even though she had nothing to be faulted for, she disliked these situations. It felt like when her mother was asking for her reasons after a sibling fight as a child.

"I have proof, too."

Tsutako-san took the opportunity to cut in. She handed something to Rosa Chinensis.

(Ah, the photo from the morning…!)

She only got a glimpse, but there was no doubt it was the two-shot photo.

But still. The situation seemed to be settling down, but the two classmates, whatever they were thinking, complicated everything again.

"I see, so the two had already met before. Excuse my discourtesy."

The snapshot made its rounds, and finally fell before Yumi and Sachiko-sama. In this way, Sachiko-sama learnt of the existence of the photo.

Yumi lay in wait, curious as to how Sachiko-sama would react.

When Sachiko-sama took ahold of the photo, first she tilted her head to the side the slightest bit, then slowly began to look at Yumi.

She's contorting her forehead. But it wasn't a look of displeasure.

(This-, this puzzled look-.)

Sachiko-sama whispered so that no one else could hear.

"I wonder when this happened."

I knew it.

She had completely forgotten.

Even though it had occurred just that morning, the fact that she had already forgotten meant that Yumi was too bland to remember. Either that or, for Sachiko-sama, it was too trivial to bother remembering.

Either way, Yumi was disappointed. If her face wasn't remembered, then there was no need to fix her reputation.

However, with that knowledge, Sachiko-sama's actions were nothing short of bold. In her mind, she had taken a first-year she'd never met and declared her to be her sœur.

She has no right to be angry at being called warashibechouja.

"As you can see, Yumi and I, as shown in the photo, have already established an intimate relationship."

Wait a second.

Now armed with a prop, Sachiko-sama seemed to relinquish her hysteria and adopt a more logical attack.

What fast regeneration. The whisper of "I wonder when this happened" must have dried at the rate of a gas-based drying machine, such was the speed at which she recovered.

Sachiko-sama persisted.

"Plus, I feel you have no right to intrude on who I choose to be my sœur?"

It seemed she was fully intent on keeping to her lie about Yumi to the bitter end.

No, that's not the case. Sachiko-sama probably wants to convert it from a random declaration to reality. It was hard to say, but probably to get out of being Cinderella.

"Indeed. Even if you came up with it on the spot, to have qualms about you proactively choosing a petite sœur or intending to tear you two apart is not within our rights. You are first and foremost a student in this academy."

Even so, Yumi felt they had to say something. –Lest this goes in a bad direction.

Sachiko-sama was still Rosa Chinensis en bouton, and was destined to become Rosa Chinensis in half of a year. For her to call this normal, average student her sœur, even for a moment, was synonymous with creating an uproar. There was no need to even test this.

[[Image:MM_v01_02.jpg|thumb|''Sachiko-sama slammed the table with enough force to overturn cups.'']]
In that case, Tsutako-san is unique enough to be a better fit. Even so, why did I have to be the one to run into Sachiko-sama.

"Okay, I approve."

Eventually, Rosa Chinensis said that, and Sachiko-sama's expression brightened. With just that, the atmosphere in the world transformed into a glittering space. Right, just like the scene where Cinderella has magic cast upon her.

"However-."

Rosa Chinesis continued, smiling.

"This does not mean you do not have to be Cinderella. Just remember that."

"The promise!?"

Sachiko-sama slammed the table with enough force to overturn cups. Cinderella after the magic had worn off.

"Promise?"

Rosa Chinensis laughed scornfully.

"You made that up yourself, did you not? I clearly said that people without a little sister have no right to speak. Therefore, feel free to speak, from now on."

"Then please remove me from the role."

"No."

"Why."

"Hating men does not fall under 'a critical reason for which the change of roles is the only solution.' In your case, it is not like you have an allergic reaction from seeing men, or you feel like vomiting, or anything, correct? Just because you say 'I do not want to' does not mean the world will conform to your wishes. We call that self-centered. I am sure you, as the next Rosa Chinensis, are aware of that fact?"

With that, Rosa Chinensis, put her hand to her cheek and exaggerated despair.

"I am sure this comes back to my inadequacy at teaching. But I had no idea you would not understand such a basic thing."

What a pity. Sachiko-sama had no retort.

Perhaps in this way, the Roses become stronger from generation to generation. It felt like I had just experienced a dreadful dressing room scene.

"I am leaving."

Sachiko-sama abruptly stood up.

"Wait."

Rosa Chinensis remained sitting, looking up at the sœur whom she had just crushed.

"Let me confirm one thing. What is Yumi-san to Sachiko?"

"Eh?"

"Do you still feel as though Yumi-san is your sœur?"

Rosa Chinensis is probably asking whether, now that the role of Cinderella is unrelated, Sachiko still asserts Yumi as her sœur.

"Of course-."

- I retract what I said before. Of course Sachiko-sama would say that.

After all, making Yumi her sœur was a big act to extricate herself from being Cinderella. With that no longer possible, there was no reason for her to keep Yumi, whom she didn't know the face nor name of, as her little sister.

However.

"Of course, Yumi is my little sister."

Sachiko-sama said something unexpected. Yumi sat up and apprehensively searched Sachiko-sama's face for clues.

She was hysteric until just recently, and she was confused, so maybe she messed up her use of Japanese. Surely she must have meant to say 'she is not my little sister.'

"Onee-sama, are you attempting to slight me? You make it sound as if I made Yumi my sœur for the purpose of using her."

Woah, woah, but wasn't that the case? However, because the opponent was Sachiko-sama, Yumi held back on her desire to interject.

Will someone please say something, in my stead?

"Splendid."

Rosa Chinensis nodded, satisfied.

"If you were to throw away Yumi-san now, I would have had to cut our sisterly ties."

Why do things have to become so outrageous?

There was no premonition of this when I woke up. When I stepped out of my house, when I walked through the school gates, nothing was different than usual.

Only, my sailor collar was bent. From something so trivial, I was sucked into such a big incident. I felt like a person in a vortex.

However, for someone stuck in a vortex, it kind of felt like I was in the outfield.

"Did you hand her your rosary?"

"Not yet. I would not mind performing the ceremony in front of everyone, if you so desire?"

"That sounds good."

Wait a second.

Is no one going to stop Sachiko-sama? At this rate, this average person is going to become the petite sœur of Rosa Chinensis en bouton. This isn't the time to be saying "that sounds good" while smiling and sipping cooled tea!

"What's wrong? She looks like she wants to say something."

Rosa Gigantea noticed Yumi's expression.

"I wonder if she has qualms about performing the ceremony here and now."

"Oh come now. Is there any student dissatisfied with receiving a rosary to become a formal sœur?"

Quipped Rosa Foetida, as matter-of-factly as if she were repeating an equation.

"But see, some people prefer to be alone."

"Well aren't you romantic."

That's not what I mean, that's not what I mean, but-. Yumi sat speechless, unable to find the timing to butt into the Roses' musings.

As for what Sachiko-sama was doing while Yumi stuttered, she had quickly reached into her breast pocket and retrieved her rosary.

(Are you serious!?)

Once you place that over an underclassman's neck, you can no longer take it back. It might seem over-the-top, but the sanctity of the give-and-receive of a rosary is like that of a marriage registration.

Or maybe I was the one being insane. This is all a dream. The typical pattern, where the alarm rings as the rosary is placed around my neck, waking me up.

(But do you feel pain while dreaming?)

When I hit my butt in the hallway, it actually hurt. I tested this by pinching my arm, and it did hurt.

"Stay still, Yumi."

Sachiko-sama orders. The rosary in her hand was on stand-by above Yumi's head, its lace opened wide for ease of placement.

If that hung around my neck, I would become the petite sœur of Sachiko-sama, whom I adored.

Botamochi[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Notes#botamochi] from the shelf. A top from the gourd.

No, more like a horse. A spinning top from a gourd is no surprise. But if you plucked a horse out it would be like 'are you serious?'

Ahh, this isn't the time to be thinking about that. There is only one thing to think about.

Is this okay?

Is it okay to just become a sœur like this?

"Um, umm…"

"Wait."

Yumi and Shimako-san simultaneously shouted.

"Sachiko-sama and the other onee-samas, everyone forgot the most important thing."

"Important thing?"

"Yumi-san's feelings."

"Yumi-san's feelings?"

The Roses scoffed.

"Do you think she would refuse the rosary?"

"I will not presume. However, I feel it is proper to hear her feelings."

Shimako-san said this firmly. While you might not expect it from how she looks, when it comes to it, she stands up for her opinions. As expected from Rosa Gigantea en bouton. Even so, as a fellow first-year, it was an envious trait.

Anyways, the ceremony was halted, so I was thankful of Shimako-san.

"Indeed. Even if it is an offer from Rosa Chinensis en bouton, there are those like Shimako who say 'I'm sorry.'"

Rosa Chinensis lightly threw a ball to [http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Notes#check check] Shimako-san. It seems that rumour was true.

"However, Yumi-san is Sachiko-sama's devotee. Of course she wouldn't refuse?"

Tsutako-san spoke to Shimako-san, almost like idle chatter.

"I agree. She… Yumi-san, just by observing her I could tell she was a Sachiko fan almost immediately."

Rosa Gigantea nodded. I see, she saw all of my facial expressions because she was observing.

If that's the case, maybe Sachiko-sama likewise figured out in an instant, and that would explain why she had no hesitation in dragging Yumi into the mess.

And by her side, Sachiko-sama was rolling the rosary in her hand, seemingly oblivious to the outcome of the discussion. It seemed she was supremely confident that Yumi would not refuse the rosary.

"Still. There is that chance. Shall we ask, then?"

Rosa Chinensis turned to Yumi and asked.

"Sachiko wants to make you her sœur. Have you the intent of accepting?"

Asked so directly, Yumi lost her words.

Become Sachiko-sama's petite sœur was a fairy tale, like marrying a Hollywood Star. But because it was an unattainable dream, you could continue to dream, and enjoy it.

And now, a ticket for an express train to that dream was in her grasp.

It would be a lie not to say 'yes.'

But deep down, she thought, 'is that okay?'

Everyone stared at the silent Yumi. Then, Yumi solidified her resolve and spoke.

"I apologize. I cannot become Sachiko-sama's sœur."

Everyone began murmuring.

"Now it's getting interesting."

Rosa Gigantea irresponsibly laughed, Rosa Chinensis rolled her eyes, and Rosa Foetida was petrified with jaws agape.

"Do I, have the right, to ask why?"

Sachiko-sama trembled a bit.

"I was certainly a fan of Sachiko-sama, but."

"What, did you become afraid after seeing her true self?"

Rosa Chinensis cut in and asked Yumi.

"Not at all."

Although it was slightly different from her selfish image of Sachiko-sama, she was glad she could see the human side – her sulking and her being angry. Because of that, she felt she couldn't attribute it to disliking Sachiko-sama's personality.

"It's hard to explain, but. Because I'm a fan, doesn't mean I would do anything to become her little sister…"

"Hmm."

"Because as a fan, I do have a bit of pride."

"It's disgraceful to be expected to follow orders, tail wagging and all."

"Not quite, but…"

I thought it was hard formulating how I felt into words.

"Well, either way, Sachiko got rejected again."

"Poor Sachiko, two consecutive upset losses."

"The first-years this year are really something."

The Roses surrounded Sachiko-sama. Although rather than consoling, they seemed to be having fun.

"If you think I'm pitiful, will you do something about Cinderella?"

Sachiko-sama forced a smile.

"Oh dear, Sachiko, who hates being pitied, is starting to beg."

"How rare."

"You say to do something, but do you have anything in mind?"

Even though they know.

If you were to step back and look at the whole scene, you would see an interesting image. Sachiko-sama had turned into a toy for the Roses.

"Drop either me or the Hanadera council leader from the leading roles."

"Oh what are you saying, just because you were rejected by Yumi does not mean we have to feel that much pity for you."

Of course, that sort of logic wouldn't fly. However, I began to think it was a bit cruel to force her to dance with a man like this.

She was so averse to co-starring with a man that she tried to make Yumi her little sister.

"Ah, um."

Yumi suddenly shouted out.

"You were still here?"

Perhaps because she was still stung by the rejection, Sachiko-sama sounded bitter. Even though, as they stood next to each other, she clearly would have known had she left, how uncute.

"Um, would it be possible to tell the Hanadera council leader to step aside this time?"

"Are you trying to back up Sachiko now?"

Rosa Chinensis swayed her jaw-length hair happily.

"It's not about backing her."

Yumi surprised herself, noticing that she was opining to Rosa Chinensis.

For whatever reason, she felt different from usual.

"We sent a formal commission to the Hanadera council leader, so that is impossible."

"Then how about swapping Sachiko-sama's role, at the very least?"

"Swapping roles?"

"For example, swapping with Shimako-san's role. Shimako-san is just as pretty as Sachiko-sama. Plus she is also Rosa Gigantea en bouton."

Shimako-san, at having been singled out, shot a look of "how could you say that!" Yumi put her hands together and apologized, in her mind. Even though it was a supposition, maybe it was a bad idea.

"Shimako, a first-year, for the lead role?"

"I think first-year second-year is inconsequential."

"That is true."

I thought, just one more push. Rosa Chinensis stared up at the ceiling in thought.

"Since it was a communication mishap, it seemed like everyone was laying the blame solely on Sachiko-sama. But everyone also-"

And then a voice cut in.

"Silence!"

Sachiko-sama, standing next to me, suddenly shouted.

"If you say any more, I will not forgive you."

"Sachiko-sama…"

Rather than the usual hysteria, this was a more weighted tone.

"I understand you are saying this for my sake. However, please do not trouble the onee-samas over me."

Sachiko-sama laid a soft hand on Yumi's shoulder, then snapped right and lowered her head to the Roses.

"I apologize. I will scold her later."

The shoulder she was touching felt sad. Even though I'd tried to help Sachiko-sama, it might have been a complete whiff.

"True."

Rosa Gigantea mumbled.

"What Yumi-san tried to say is true. As Sachiko did just find out today, and the responsibility for that lies at least partly within us. How about we think about the role a bit more."

The other Roses immediately began countering. No matter the reason, the costume and posters were already ordered, and as it was almost time for the dress rehearsals, role re-distribution was too tough, seemed to be the strongest argument.

"However, forcing her to dance with a man is wrong, too. For Sachiko's sake, as well as ours."

"I see. People who coerce their juniors into doing things are not fit for leading the student council. Plus, 'Cinderella' is going to be our banner production."

"But it's hard changing roles now."

Rosa Gigantea happily cut into Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Foetida's worries.

"Basically, we just need to make Sachiko willing to play Cinderella."

"Even though we cannot change the Prince?"

"Yup. And without changing the cast."

Rosa Gigantea explained.

"Lets have a bet."

"Bet?"

"Unsparingly forcing her to do Cinderella is unfair. So we'll give Sachiko a chance, and if she loses, she has to undergo the penalty."

I see.

However, what is bothersome is how she seems confident that Sachiko-sama would lose.

Rosa Gigantea whispered into Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Foetida's ears, already gaining their approval. It seemed like she was using Sachiko's numerical inferiority to her advantage.

"If I win?"

Sachiko-sama asked, unperturbed.

"I'll promise this time, once and for all, you can step out of Cinderella."

"I understand. I accept the bet."

"Sachiko-sama! You're accepting the bet even without asking what it is!?"

Even though it might have been meddlesome, even Yumi burst out out this.

"It hardly matters. It makes no difference if I lose."

Sachiko-sama's rather surprisingly a gambler. Even though she was fastidious, she didn't seem to disgust bets.

"Well, as per Yumi-san's request, I'll explain the rules of the bet."

Rosa Gigantea simply stated, suppressing a laugh.

"Whether Sachiko can make Yumi-san her sœur or not. Of course, Sachiko will be betting on 'yes.'"

"Eh!?"

The one that was surprised the most was, of course, Yumi.

(I thought I was done here!?)

"You were already refused once. Getting her to accept your rosary by the school festival is almost impossible. However, the moment it happens, you're immediately off the hook. In exchange, you will participate in dress rehearsals as normal until that time comes."

"I see. If I do not want to hold hands with Hanadera's council leader, I need to seduce Yumi as soon as possible, correct?"

"That's right. We will not interfere in any way. Winning or losing is entirely up to you. I think the terms are pretty fair, would you agree?"

"Sounds better than I expected."

Sachiko-sama already looked like she was confident of winning.

"Oh, and, one more thing."

Rosa Gigantea spun around to Yumi and spoke.

"No accepting the rosary simply to be useful to Sachiko. The moment you say okay and the Cinderella role becomes vacant, you're stepping in."

"Eh, why me?"

"What are you saying? When you accept the rosary, you become Sachiko's sœur. Of course it becomes your duty to fill the vacancy left by your onee-sama."

Are they insane?

"I, I, I can't replace Sachiko-sama! That, that's impossible!"

"No worries. You won't accept the rosary. As long as you stay true to that, Sachiko is guaranteed to lose."

And if it falls to Yumi, that would be amusing in itself, says Rosa Gigantea, a dreadful thing to suppose.

"Then, then rather than a bet between the Roses and Sachiko-sama, it becomes a match between Sachiko-sama and I-."

"You can look at it that way. … Well, if you're going to regret anything, regret that you the Buddhist heart that made you think, even for an instant, of helping Sachiko."

Rosa Foetida's word choice of "Buddhist heart" felt out of place at Lillian Girls' Academy.

*********************

"Unbelievable."

Tsutako-san muttered, as they walked along the gingko tree roadside.

"Why didn't you just say 'ok'? If Yumi-san became her little sister, it would have been so easy to negotiate."

The autumn sun was falling quickly, and when Yumi was freed from the Rose Mansion, you could already call it twilight.

"Then Tsutako-san, you were worried more about the photo than me, during that whole time?"

"Of course. Who do you think I am?"

The photography club ace, Takeshima Tsutako-san, I think.

"But it's getting interesting."

Tsutako-san said the same thing as Rosa Gigantea.

"Because it's someone else's business."

"I'm at ease because it's someone else. Ah, that's right, now it's Yumi-san's turn to finally collect land tax. It's disappointing that another precious sœur-less person leaves the world, but, well, if the opponent is Sachiko-sama, it's only a matter of time, I think? It would have been more amusing to designate a deadline date, in my opinion."

"Tsutako-san, you think Sachiko-sama is going to win?"

"Because Yumi-san seems so much less energetic about this."

"……"

To be honest, I was thinking the same thing. When attacked from head-on, I can't help but wonder if I would end up shaking my head vertically, crushed by sheer power.

"But. Cinderella is on the line, so I can't just lose."

When I raised my fist with resolve, Tsutako-san corrected, "That word choice makes you sound like you want to play it."

When we arrived at Maria-sama's statue, we stopped and put our hands together. This is customary. Heading to school and leaving from school, every day one time each. Actually, any time you passed by this statue, you always greet her.

(Maria-sama, today was a terrible day. If it's possible, please return me to my peaceful days as soon as you can.)

I opened my eyes and turned around, and then.

"Wait right there."

It was déjà vu. Just as in the morning, an icy voice that seems to have come from Maria-sama.

"Sachiko-sama…"

Whether she had come running, she was panting and standing roughly 10 meters behind Yumi.

"Remember this. I will absolutely become your sœur."

Even amidst the odorous fallen gingko nuts, the figure of Sachiko-sama standing straight and proclaiming the challenge was awesome.

"Gokigenyou. Do have a safe trip home."

Having said all she wanted, Sachiko-sama smiled and vanished off to the school buildings.

"She looked pretty cool."

Tsutako-san quipped, as we watched her off.

Even Yumi, that moment, felt her resolve teeter off its base.

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| Back to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume1_Chapter1_4|Part 4]]
| Forward to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume1_Chapter2_1|Chapter 2 Part 1]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume1 Chapter1 5

2010-07-04T23:45:14Z

Goseebananafish: /* Monday of Uneasiness. Part 5. */ gingko typo

===<noinclude>Monday of Uneasiness. </noinclude>Part 5.===

"Please."

A white cup was filled about seven tenths to the brim with a red, steaming liquid and placed in front of me.

This is a liquid called 'black tea.'

"Would you like sugar or milk?"

A relatively short, pony-tailed girl offered a stick-shaped item from the basket. This girl was, if I remember correctly, also a first-year. I forget her class and surname, but she was the petite sœur for Hasekura Rei-sama, the Rosa Foetida en bouton, and I think her name was Yoshino-san.

"No, thank you."

I thought in a daze after refusing. Umm, what was milk again?

Ahh, I'm so confused.

The one who was the most surprised by Sachiko-sama's declaration was none other than Yumi herself. She was frozen in place, even oblivious to the uproar around her. How many times must Sachiko-sama petrify her in one day?

Let's settle down and talk about it. Is what happened, and thus everyone moved into the room, past the door with the "meeting" plate.

Sachiko-sama, who'd made the selfish declaration in the first place, left behind her sœur, Yumi, even if the declaration was a temporary loss of mind, and angrily shouldered her way into the room. Prepared for battle, would be the most suitable way to describe her state.

"… War, with Sachiko-sama."

In reality, if you went by image, the two of them probably were more suited to being in completely separate positions.

"Oh dear, what a helpless onee-sama, leaving her little sister behind."

When Rosa Gigantea embraced Yumi by the shoulders and walked into the room, Sachiko-sama seemed to have realized her clumsiness and so she stood up, pulled out the seat next to her, and beckoned, "sit here."

Then, when everyone sat down, black tea was distributed. And that was where we were.

This room had an atmosphere unlike any other school facility. Just like the stairs and the hallway, the floor and walls were of worn, wooden boarding. Aside from the one adjacent to the hallway, the other three walls each had a wooden-framed bay window, and the clean cotton curtains for each were opened and fastened with a thin ribbon. The size was about half that of a classroom, and there was an arrangement of flowers on the elliptical table in the middle of the room that could probably seat up to eight people. Rather than a student council headquarters, it felt more like an old, western-style dining room.

Of course, the three Roses were seated at the table, as were Sachiko-sama, Yumi, Shimako-san, and Tsutako-san, who was treated as a guest. Rei-sama and Yoshino-san pulled chairs over from around the washstand by the wall.

The electric pot was making a bubbling sound, having had fresh water recently added. I had never even imagined students elegantly sitting and drinking black tea after school in a school building. At some point, even cookies were placed on top of spread tissues.

I had no idea you were treated this well when you became a Yamayurikai staff member.

"Let me start off by saying, please do not misunderstand, we put in a lot of personal effort into keeping this a pleasant space to be."

As if reading Yumi's mind, Sachiko-sama, sitting right next to her, whispered. The Yamayurikai budget was not used for tea, she seemed to be want to say. Each member brought in tea themselves, and cookies tended to be donations from classes that had cooking class.

"If you prefer, we have coffee and cocoa. They are, however, instant, so their taste is not top-notch."

Rosa Chinensis smiled.

"So come and play any time you wish. As you are Sachiko's sœur, you are a valuable friend."

Lowering my guard and then nonchalantly firing off the main question. The Roses certainly were not a normal kind of people.

(That, that's right, the crucial matter was still left unanswered.)

Sachiko-sama's bombshell of a statement had left everyone staring at each other.

While certainly not having forgotten, Yumi honestly wished she could simply forget. She could not think of a reason. In fact, having ended up as a victim of an accident, she could not grasp why she was being made to sit in such a seat. It felt more like she was being summoned as a witness for a trial or a parliament.

"Oh, Rosa Chinensis, so you accept Sachiko's assertion?"

"But Rosa Foetida, if Sachiko has made the decision, we are not in the right to pursue the matter, am I wrong? Rosa Gigantea, do you have an opinion?"

"I think whether we accept it or not should be left for later. At the very least, not while one of the protagonists is looking like her eyes might pop out in surprise."

Immediately, everyone looked at Yumi.

(Pr, protagonist, does that mean me-!?)

"Poor thing, she's struggling to grasp the circumstances."

The Roses giggled. Yumi began thinking they were simply having fun at her expense.

(Of course, that has to be the case. It must.)

She could not think this gorgeous membership would have taken that earlier joke seriously. To begin with, regardless of what condition Sachiko-sama was in, there was too much impossibility in her making Yumi her little sister.

(Wait, wait.)

Maybe it's all a joke that Sachiko-sama is a part of. Of course, that must be it. Then it all makes sense. "We apologize, our joke might have gone too far." –if they were to say that now, I could laugh, return, "I knew it was weird," and squeeze out of this in one piece.

However.

"No matter what anyone says, Yumi is my little sister."

Sachiko-sama still refused to bend with her statement. What could she be thinking?

"Personally, I would like to ask Yumi-san too, not just Sachiko."

"M, me…!?"

Yumi flinched at the sudden shift of focus. As had been evident, Yumi had not been able to grasp the circumstances. It would be easy to say "I don't know," but she could surmise from the atmosphere that such a statement would simply corner Sachiko-sama into a further predicament.

"Umm-."

If possible, she wanted to be an ally for Sachiko-sama. However, how could you fight when you didn't know who was an ally and who was an enemy? She wished Sun Tzu could teach her the art of war right there.

"If I say so, it must be so, am I wrong? There is no need to confirm with Yumi."

She stands firm. Sachiko-sama looks unwilling to crumble her firm stance.

"Ah, umm…"

"Just be silent for the time being."

Zap! Even to her ally, Yumi, she was merciless.

Of course, had they really been sœurs, onee-sama's order would be absolute, so she would remain silent. But as that wasn't the case, Yumi felt Sachiko could have been a bit kinder.

"It seems you want to continue this conversation without Yumi-san, but I won't allow that."

Rosa Gigantea's eyes sparkled.

"Sachiko. You simply dragged a passer-by into this mess for the sole purpose of escaping from the job imposed on you, right?"

(Job imposed on her…?)

The moment Yumi tilted her neck to the side, a person sitting far away raised her hand and said "wait." That was Tsutako-san, who Yumi had forgotten existed.

"What is it, Takeshima Tsutako-san?"

"I am honoured that you know of me, Rosa Gigantea."

"Yumi-san notwithstanding, there is no student that knows not of you. You are notorious, after all."

I'm sorry I don't stand out – Yumi whispered, deep inside.

"I am grateful."

Tsutako-san continued after fixing the position of her glasses.

"I do not mind if you simply wish to consider me an outsider, but may I ask one thing, having been allowed to listen in on the conversation?"

"Of course?"

"I have no idea what is going on."

Why Sachiko-sama had to declare Yumi to be her sœur. What connection that has with this "imposed job." Tsutako-san seemed to be wanting to know.

"That is true, forgive us for not explaining."

Rosa Foetida nodded. Sachiko-sama urgently stood up.

"There is nothing to explain. I chose a sœur, that is all. The meeting is over."

"How selfish. If you wish to break up the meeting, you may return home by yourself. Of course, Yumi-san will stay here with us."

Sachiko-sama had no choice but to sit back down to Rosa Chinensis' words.

"To put it shortly, Sachiko decided to reject a job for the school festival she had previously accepted, today, after all this time."

"Because you changed your story."

Sachiko-sama complained, but Rosa Chinensis continued.

"The story did not change. Even if there was not enough information presented at the time, your own role remains unchanged."

"Umm, … what is Sachiko-sama's job?"

Now Yumi asked.

"Ahh, we were short on explaining once again. Actually, for this year's school festival we are planning to hold a play."

"The Yamayurikai staff will get together and perform."

It sounded extremely extravagant. Yumi wished greatly to be allowed to watch.

"Us three Roses, being part of the executive committee for the school festival, are busy every day. Of course, that means the boutons will have to be the central figures for the play."

Rosa Foetida added that they planned to borrow members from the dance club as extras.

"Dance club, what play are you expecting to perform?"

Tsutako-san eagerly asked, it seems her blood as a cameraman was beginning to catch fire.

"Cinderella. The dance ball scene."

Wow.

"And, and the lead role?"

Forgetting her situation entirely, Yumi also became excited. This one had her 'closet Sachiko-fan blood' catching fire.

"Of course, Sachiko."

Kyaaa.

Sachiko-sama, as Cinderella.

Then Rei must be the prince!? A splendid recital contest of two boutons.

It's beautiful just imagining. Too beautiful. It was getting into [http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Notes#Takarazuka Takarazuka] territory.

I have to secure a ticket, no matter what. I wonder if they hand out numbered tickets prior to the event, or something. It was something to look into before heading home.

Wait, hold on.

They did mention Sachiko-sama rejecting the job earlier. That means she wants to stop being the lead actress-.

"This year we intend to call upon a guest from Hanadera. Sachiko seems to object."

"Guest?"

"It's customary. As both schools neighbor each other on the same hill, Lillian and Hanadera Institute help each others' student councils during the school festivals. We helped out during their school festival last month, too."

It sounded like a neighborly relationship from the countryside. Funerals, weddings, fires, moving. No matter what, people are willing to take a break from work to help out, that sort of custom.

I had a culture shock when my grandfather died in Yamanashi, and his neighbor took a break from his bank, even though it was a busy time at the end of the term, to help take condolence calls. But to see the same thing carried out so close, and by high school students, at that.

"I have no objection to the inviting of a guest. But I see no reason why the Hanadera council leader has to be the prince."

Sachiko-sama muttered.

Ah, I see. Rei-sama is not the prince.

"Then what would you have him do? Cinderella? Will Sachiko do the prince, then?"

Yumi was probably not the only one who thought, 'that might be more interesting.'

"Why does it end up like that. I was just thinking, maybe back-stage work like carrying around props-."

"How could you even insinuate making a guest do menial labour? We were the judges for their main event. Even if it might have worked, they did not request us to pour tea. Although Sachiko might not have known this, having skipped out on the appointed day?"

"What I cannot stand is that we are changing role distribution now, two weeks before the school festival."

It was a verbal dispute between Sachiko-sama and Rosa Chinensis. A duel between sisters.

"And as I said, Hanadera's council leader was intended to be the prince from the start."

"That's a lie. Rei was saying the prince's lines all the way up to yesterday."

"I was told from the onset I was just a stand-in."

Rei-sama raised her hand to fan away the electric pot's vapours.

"See, look. Aside from Sachiko, everyone knew. If you are still in disbelief, you may speak to the handicrafts' club whom are working on the costumes. The princes' costume is being tailored to suit Hanadera's council leader."

"So you decided this while I was not in attendance."

Sachiko-sama grinded her teeth, frustrated at how her position was becoming disadvantageous.

"Oh, wake up, we have no need to call secret meetings. … Ah, however, come to think of it, Sachiko did skip out on a number of meetings. We might have decided upon this then. However, in that case you brought this upon yourself, did you not? You always fled when we had a meeting with Hanadera. This is what happens when you never deal with your dislike of men."

(Dislike of men?)

I got it! Yumi clapped her hands in her mind.

To combine everything so far, Sachiko-sama accepted the leading role for the play, as decreed by the Roses. Whether it was intended or whether it was an unfortunate communications miss, only Sachiko-sama missed out on the notice that Hanadera's council leader was to play the prince's part. Having found this out today, Sachiko-sama became as furious as the raging flames, and proclaimed that she was withdrawing from the leading role. The reason is, -well, because she hated men.

(But, hating men…)

She'd never thought about it, but Sachiko-sama and the description 'hating men' seemed to fit together perfectly. There were students in Yumi's class whom admitted to having arrhenphobia or simply hating men, and she did have the same sort of aura.

(I wonder if she dislikes her father, too…)

As she absent-mindedly had such thoughts, she felt as if she was being stared at, and when she looked up, she noticed Rosa Gigantea, jaw protruding and eyes narrowed, laughing at her.

"You're amusing."

"Huh?"

"You were going through life's many phases."

"Eh!?"

Yumi rushed to suppress her face. However, it was too late. She couldn't take back the 'life's many phases,' and a great wave of red attacked her face, like it was delivering a finishing blow.

"You have an unpredictable nature, you're pretty fun."

That.

Is almost definitely not praise. Even though my grade in Japanese is rather average, I can tell that much, Rosa Gigantea.

"Hmm. However, how does Sachiko-sama disapproving of the lead role tie into her making Yumi her little sister? The plate outside says 'in a meeting,' but does that mean you were discussing a role change?"

Tsutako-san continued her my-pace questioning. However, Rosa Foetida smiled bitterly and lowered her shoulders.

"Well it was meeting, in the beginning."

The staff members who packed into the Rose Mansion after school every day for school festival preparations. Presumably, they intended to discuss a number of problems that had arisen.

They began the meeting without waiting for Shimako-san, who was going to be late because of day duties. Plus, as she was just a bouton, her attendance was not mandatory.

To explain things a bit, the Yamayurikai is the student council, as it would be called in an ordinary school. The official staff members that would be called the "staff" were the three Roses, Rosa Chinensis, Rosa Gigantea and Rosa Foetida. These three filled the student president, vice president, secretary and accounting roles, as per the management structure passed down through generations.

No one really knows when the student council roles became synonymous with the Roses. Whether the chicken or the egg came first. Anyways, when someone mentions the Yamayurikai staff, they mean the red, white and yellow Roses.

However, beginning with the student council, they are also the School Festival Executive Committee, they organize the seasonal events such as the Freshmen Welcome Party and the Graduate Farewell Party, and though not as gaudy also are the Budget Committee and hold general student meetings, and perform a vast number of other small duties, certainly too much for the three to handle alone. As such, you could almost call them apprentices, but the Roses have their sœurs lend their hands as assistants. As long as there is no stunning upset, the Yamayurikai management tends to be passed down in such a way, so that the little sisters of the Roses are called boutons. Everyone accepts them as Roses waiting to blossom.

"Most of the agenda was easy to make decisions on, so the meeting was going smoothly."

"Then Sachiko began complaining about the play appointment."

"When we teased her to silence her, she exploded. Sachiko carries herself well outside, so she's popular, but she has a rather violent temperament, so it is extremely difficult to keep a handle on her."

The Roses said plainly.

"Tease!? That was not mere teasing, you were driving a stake into my heart!"

Sachiko-sama was agitated by the reminder.

"You said I have no right to speak, as I cannot even find a petite sœur."

"I did say that, but that did not mean 'Regardless of who it is, get a petite sœur.' To grab the first first-year you see upon stepping outside, how hasty, how simplistic. You are not warashibechouja[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Notes#warashibechouja] after all."

(… Warashibechouja.)

A bead of sweat appeared on Yumi's forehead.

(So that would make me a straw.)

Well, thanks to their explanations, I can see what's going on, but this is becoming ridiculous.

"Warashibechouja, that is splendid. If I remember correctly, it had a happy ending, did it not?"

Sachiko-sama, now you're making no sense.

"So you intended to simply hold onto Yumi-san until you found a better person? I cannot accept such a relationship. As your grand sœur even my dignity would be in tatters."

Rosa Chinensis sighed, disgusted. However, Sachiko immediately responded, staring straight at onee-sama.

"I will take care of Yumi forever. I will train her and turn her into a magnificent Rose. There is no problem then, correct?"

Even if that was prompted by the way the conversation was going, was it wise to say such big talk? It would just magnify her shame when she would have to take it back.

"Stop saying things as you think of them, Sachiko."

"Why do you claim I am simply thinking as I speak?"

"You just met Yumi-san just now. How could you make such a promise?"

Invisible fireworks kept scattering.

However, it was three versus one. Plus, the three were the strongest third-years among the Lillian Girls' Academy High School students.

"If I am not mistaken, you did not even know Yumi-san's name until just earlier?"

"That…"

Sachiko-sama's tone fell. As if seizing the opportunity, Rosa Gigantea spoke softly.

"Isn't that enough? That's enough stubbornness."

That's right, Yumi thought. It was better to admit defeat in a dignified manner. If she did not want to be Cinderella, there would surely be other ways to resolve the matter. Little sisters are not there to be impulsively bought. She should think harder and find a more suitable partner.

Of course

If Sachiko-sama were to choose another first-year, it would be a shock. Even if it was arbitrary, Yumi was happy Sachiko-sama announced her to be a sœur.

"Please wait."

Just then, Shimako-san stood up.

"I think Sachiko-sama and Yumi-san did not just meet."

Until then, she had faded into the background like she didn't exist. Like Rosa Foetida en bouton and her petite sœur, it might be that boutons are supposed not supposed to intrude unless needed. Sachiko-sama seemed to be the exception.

"And why do you think so?"

Rosa Gigantea asked her own sœur.

"Because Yumi-san came to visit Sachiko-sama."

"Eh? I thought Shimako brought them here?"

Rosa Chinensis shifted her eyes between Yumi, Tsutako-san and Shimako-san.

"It seems we did forget to ask why Yumi-san and Tsutako-san came here."

Apparently everyone simply assumed that Shimako-san had brought her personal friends, or had brought students volunteering to help with the school festival, or wanted to bring up a problem with a club or the gymnasium usage, or something of the sort. Of course, there was no helping this, as Sachiko-sama's hysteria and the collision and the sœur declaration had left everyone in a confused state.

"Is this true?"

Rosa Gigantea directly asked Yumi, not Sachiko-sama.

"… yes."

Wrangling out an almost inaudible voice, Yumi answered. Even though she had nothing to be faulted for, she disliked these situations. It felt like when her mother was asking for her reasons after a sibling fight as a child.

"I have proof, too."

Tsutako-san took the opportunity to cut in. She handed something to Rosa Chinensis.

(Ah, the photo from the morning…!)

She only got a glimpse, but there was no doubt it was the two-shot photo.

But still. The situation seemed to be settling down, but the two classmates, whatever they were thinking, complicated everything again.

"I see, so the two had already met before. Excuse my discourtesy."

The snapshot made its rounds, and finally fell before Yumi and Sachiko-sama. In this way, Sachiko-sama learnt of the existence of the photo.

Yumi lay in wait, curious as to how Sachiko-sama would react.

When Sachiko-sama took ahold of the photo, first she tilted her head to the side the slightest bit, then slowly began to look at Yumi.

She's contorting her forehead. But it wasn't a look of displeasure.

(This-, this puzzled look-.)

Sachiko-sama whispered so that no one else could hear.

"I wonder when this happened."

I knew it.

She had completely forgotten.

Even though it had occurred just that morning, the fact that she had already forgotten meant that Yumi was too bland to remember. Either that or, for Sachiko-sama, it was too trivial to bother remembering.

Either way, Yumi was disappointed. If her face wasn't remembered, then there was no need to fix her reputation.

However, with that knowledge, Sachiko-sama's actions were nothing short of bold. In her mind, she had taken a first-year she'd never met and declared her to be her sœur.

She has no right to be angry at being called warashibechouja.

"As you can see, Yumi and I, as shown in the photo, have already established an intimate relationship."

Wait a second.

Now armed with a prop, Sachiko-sama seemed to relinquish her hysteria and adopt a more logical attack.

What fast regeneration. The whisper of "I wonder when this happened" must have dried at the rate of a gas-based drying machine, such was the speed at which she recovered.

Sachiko-sama persisted.

"Plus, I feel you have no right to intrude on who I choose to be my sœur?"

It seemed she was fully intent on keeping to her lie about Yumi to the bitter end.

No, that's not the case. Sachiko-sama probably wants to convert it from a random declaration to reality. It was hard to say, but probably to get out of being Cinderella.

"Indeed. Even if you came up with it on the spot, to have qualms about you proactively choosing a petite sœur or intending to tear you two apart is not within our rights. You are first and foremost a student in this academy."

Even so, Yumi felt they had to say something. –Lest this goes in a bad direction.

Sachiko-sama was still Rosa Chinensis en bouton, and was destined to become Rosa Chinensis in half of a year. For her to call this normal, average student her sœur, even for a moment, was synonymous with creating an uproar. There was no need to even test this.

[[Image:MM_v01_02.jpg|thumb|''Sachiko-sama slammed the table with enough force to overturn cups.'']]
In that case, Tsutako-san is unique enough to be a better fit. Even so, why did I have to be the one to run into Sachiko-sama.

"Okay, I approve."

Eventually, Rosa Chinensis said that, and Sachiko-sama's expression brightened. With just that, the atmosphere in the world transformed into a glittering space. Right, just like the scene where Cinderella has magic cast upon her.

"However-."

Rosa Chinesis continued, smiling.

"This does not mean you do not have to be Cinderella. Just remember that."

"The promise!?"

Sachiko-sama slammed the table with enough force to overturn cups. Cinderella after the magic had worn off.

"Promise?"

Rosa Chinensis laughed scornfully.

"You made that up yourself, did you not? I clearly said that people without a little sister have no right to speak. Therefore, feel free to speak, from now on."

"Then please remove me from the role."

"No."

"Why."

"Hating men does not fall under 'a critical reason for which the change of roles is the only solution.' In your case, it is not like you have an allergic reaction from seeing men, or you feel like vomiting, or anything, correct? Just because you say 'I do not want to' does not mean the world will conform to your wishes. We call that self-centered. I am sure you, as the next Rosa Chinensis, are aware of that fact?"

With that, Rosa Chinensis, put her hand to her cheek and exaggerated despair.

"I am sure this comes back to my inadequacy at teaching. But I had no idea you would not understand such a basic thing."

What a pity. Sachiko-sama had no retort.

Perhaps in this way, the Roses become stronger from generation to generation. It felt like I had just experienced a dreadful dressing room scene.

"I am leaving."

Sachiko-sama abruptly stood up.

"Wait."

Rosa Chinensis remained sitting, looking up at the sœur whom she had just crushed.

"Let me confirm one thing. What is Yumi-san to Sachiko?"

"Eh?"

"Do you still feel as though Yumi-san is your sœur?"

Rosa Chinensis is probably asking whether, now that the role of Cinderella is unrelated, Sachiko still asserts Yumi as her sœur.

"Of course-."

- I retract what I said before. Of course Sachiko-sama would say that.

After all, making Yumi her sœur was a big act to extricate herself from being Cinderella. With that no longer possible, there was no reason for her to keep Yumi, whom she didn't know the face nor name of, as her little sister.

However.

"Of course, Yumi is my little sister."

Sachiko-sama said something unexpected. Yumi sat up and apprehensively searched Sachiko-sama's face for clues.

She was hysteric until just recently, and she was confused, so maybe she messed up her use of Japanese. Surely she must have meant to say 'she is not my little sister.'

"Onee-sama, are you attempting to slight me? You make it sound as if I made Yumi my sœur for the purpose of using her."

Woah, woah, but wasn't that the case? However, because the opponent was Sachiko-sama, Yumi held back on her desire to interject.

Will someone please say something, in my stead?

"Splendid."

Rosa Chinensis nodded, satisfied.

"If you were to throw away Yumi-san now, I would have had to cut our sisterly ties."

Why do things have to become so outrageous?

There was no premonition of this when I woke up. When I stepped out of my house, when I walked through the school gates, nothing was different than usual.

Only, my sailor collar was bent. From something so trivial, I was sucked into such a big incident. I felt like a person in a vortex.

However, for someone stuck in a vortex, it kind of felt like I was in the outfield.

"Did you hand her your rosary?"

"Not yet. I would not mind performing the ceremony in front of everyone, if you so desire?"

"That sounds good."

Wait a second.

Is no one going to stop Sachiko-sama? At this rate, this average person is going to become the petite sœur of Rosa Chinensis en bouton. This isn't the time to be saying "that sounds good" while smiling and sipping cooled tea!

"What's wrong? She looks like she wants to say something."

Rosa Gigantea noticed Yumi's expression.

"I wonder if she has qualms about performing the ceremony here and now."

"Oh come now. Is there any student dissatisfied with receiving a rosary to become a formal sœur?"

Quipped Rosa Foetida, as matter-of-factly as if she were repeating an equation.

"But see, some people prefer to be alone."

"Well aren't you romantic."

That's not what I mean, that's not what I mean, but-. Yumi sat speechless, unable to find the timing to butt into the Roses' musings.

As for what Sachiko-sama was doing while Yumi stuttered, she had quickly reached into her breast pocket and retrieved her rosary.

(Are you serious!?)

Once you place that over an underclassman's neck, you can no longer take it back. It might seem over-the-top, but the sanctity of the give-and-receive of a rosary is like that of a marriage registration.

Or maybe I was the one being insane. This is all a dream. The typical pattern, where the alarm rings as the rosary is placed around my neck, waking me up.

(But do you feel pain while dreaming?)

When I hit my butt in the hallway, it actually hurt. I tested this by pinching my arm, and it did hurt.

"Stay still, Yumi."

Sachiko-sama orders. The rosary in her hand was on stand-by above Yumi's head, its lace opened wide for ease of placement.

If that hung around my neck, I would become the petite sœur of Sachiko-sama, whom I adored.

Botamochi[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Notes#botamochi] from the shelf. A top from the gourd.

No, more like a horse. A spinning top from a gourd is no surprise. But if you plucked a horse out it would be like 'are you serious?'

Ahh, this isn't the time to be thinking about that. There is only one thing to think about.

Is this okay?

Is it okay to just become a sœur like this?

"Um, umm…"

"Wait."

Yumi and Shimako-san simultaneously shouted.

"Sachiko-sama and the other onee-samas, everyone forgot the most important thing."

"Important thing?"

"Yumi-san's feelings."

"Yumi-san's feelings?"

The Roses scoffed.

"Do you think she would refuse the rosary?"

"I will not presume. However, I feel it is proper to hear her feelings."

Shimako-san said this firmly. While you might not expect it from how she looks, when it comes to it, she stands up for her opinions. As expected from Rosa Gigantea en bouton. Even so, as a fellow first-year, it was an envious trait.

Anyways, the ceremony was halted, so I was thankful of Shimako-san.

"Indeed. Even if it is an offer from Rosa Chinensis en bouton, there are those like Shimako who say 'I'm sorry.'"

Rosa Chinensis lightly threw a ball to [http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Notes#check check] Shimako-san. It seems that rumour was true.

"However, Yumi-san is Sachiko-sama's devotee. Of course she wouldn't refuse?"

Tsutako-san spoke to Shimako-san, almost like idle chatter.

"I agree. She… Yumi-san, just by observing her I could tell she was a Sachiko fan almost immediately."

Rosa Gigantea nodded. I see, she saw all of my facial expressions because she was observing.

If that's the case, maybe Sachiko-sama likewise figured out in an instant, and that would explain why she had no hesitation in dragging Yumi into the mess.

And by her side, Sachiko-sama was rolling the rosary in her hand, seemingly oblivious to the outcome of the discussion. It seemed she was supremely confident that Yumi would not refuse the rosary.

"Still. There is that chance. Shall we ask, then?"

Rosa Chinensis turned to Yumi and asked.

"Sachiko wants to make you her sœur. Have you the intent of accepting?"

Asked so directly, Yumi lost her words.

Become Sachiko-sama's petite sœur was a fairy tale, like marrying a Hollywood Star. But because it was an unattainable dream, you could continue to dream, and enjoy it.

And now, a ticket for an express train to that dream was in her grasp.

It would be a lie not to say 'yes.'

But deep down, she thought, 'is that okay?'

Everyone stared at the silent Yumi. Then, Yumi solidified her resolve and spoke.

"I apologize. I cannot become Sachiko-sama's sœur."

Everyone began murmuring.

"Now it's getting interesting."

Rosa Gigantea irresponsibly laughed, Rosa Chinensis rolled her eyes, and Rosa Foetida was petrified with jaws agape.

"Do I, have the right, to ask why?"

Sachiko-sama trembled a bit.

"I was certainly a fan of Sachiko-sama, but."

"What, did you become afraid after seeing her true self?"

Rosa Chinensis cut in and asked Yumi.

"Not at all."

Although it was slightly different from her selfish image of Sachiko-sama, she was glad she could see the human side – her sulking and her being angry. Because of that, she felt she couldn't attribute it to disliking Sachiko-sama's personality.

"It's hard to explain, but. Because I'm a fan, doesn't mean I would do anything to become her little sister…"

"Hmm."

"Because as a fan, I do have a bit of pride."

"It's disgraceful to be expected to follow orders, tail wagging and all."

"Not quite, but…"

I thought it was hard formulating how I felt into words.

"Well, either way, Sachiko got rejected again."

"Poor Sachiko, two consecutive upset losses."

"The first-years this year are really something."

The Roses surrounded Sachiko-sama. Although rather than consoling, they seemed to be having fun.

"If you think I'm pitiful, will you do something about Cinderella?"

Sachiko-sama forced a smile.

"Oh dear, Sachiko, who hates being pitied, is starting to beg."

"How rare."

"You say to do something, but do you have anything in mind?"

Even though they know.

If you were to step back and look at the whole scene, you would see an interesting image. Sachiko-sama had turned into a toy for the Roses.

"Drop either me or the Hanadera council leader from the leading roles."

"Oh what are you saying, just because you were rejected by Yumi does not mean we have to feel that much pity for you."

Of course, that sort of logic wouldn't fly. However, I began to think it was a bit cruel to force her to dance with a man like this.

She was so averse to co-starring with a man that she tried to make Yumi her little sister.

"Ah, um."

Yumi suddenly shouted out.

"You were still here?"

Perhaps because she was still stung by the rejection, Sachiko-sama sounded bitter. Even though, as they stood next to each other, she clearly would have known had she left, how uncute.

"Um, would it be possible to tell the Hanadera council leader to step aside this time?"

"Are you trying to back up Sachiko now?"

Rosa Chinensis swayed her jaw-length hair happily.

"It's not about backing her."

Yumi surprised herself, noticing that she was opining to Rosa Chinensis.

For whatever reason, she felt different from usual.

"We sent a formal commission to the Hanadera council leader, so that is impossible."

"Then how about swapping Sachiko-sama's role, at the very least?"

"Swapping roles?"

"For example, swapping with Shimako-san's role. Shimako-san is just as pretty as Sachiko-sama. Plus she is also Rosa Gigantea en bouton."

Shimako-san, at having been singled out, shot a look of "how could you say that!" Yumi put her hands together and apologized, in her mind. Even though it was a supposition, maybe it was a bad idea.

"Shimako, a first-year, for the lead role?"

"I think first-year second-year is inconsequential."

"That is true."

I thought, just one more push. Rosa Chinensis stared up at the ceiling in thought.

"Since it was a communication mishap, it seemed like everyone was laying the blame solely on Sachiko-sama. But everyone also-"

And then a voice cut in.

"Silence!"

Sachiko-sama, standing next to me, suddenly shouted.

"If you say any more, I will not forgive you."

"Sachiko-sama…"

Rather than the usual hysteria, this was a more weighted tone.

"I understand you are saying this for my sake. However, please do not trouble the onee-samas over me."

Sachiko-sama laid a soft hand on Yumi's shoulder, then snapped right and lowered her head to the Roses.

"I apologize. I will scold her later."

The shoulder she was touching felt sad. Even though I'd tried to help Sachiko-sama, it might have been a complete whiff.

"True."

Rosa Gigantea mumbled.

"What Yumi-san tried to say is true. As Sachiko did just find out today, and the responsibility for that lies at least partly within us. How about we think about the role a bit more."

The other Roses immediately began countering. No matter the reason, the costume and posters were already ordered, and as it was almost time for the dress rehearsals, role re-distribution was too tough, seemed to be the strongest argument.

"However, forcing her to dance with a man is wrong, too. For Sachiko's sake, as well as ours."

"I see. People who coerce their juniors into doing things are not fit for leading the student council. Plus, 'Cinderella' is going to be our banner production."

"But it's hard changing roles now."

Rosa Gigantea happily cut into Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Foetida's worries.

"Basically, we just need to make Sachiko willing to play Cinderella."

"Even though we cannot change the Prince?"

"Yup. And without changing the cast."

Rosa Gigantea explained.

"Lets have a bet."

"Bet?"

"Unsparingly forcing her to do Cinderella is unfair. So we'll give Sachiko a chance, and if she loses, she has to undergo the penalty."

I see.

However, what is bothersome is how she seems confident that Sachiko-sama would lose.

Rosa Gigantea whispered into Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Foetida's ears, already gaining their approval. It seemed like she was using Sachiko's numerical inferiority to her advantage.

"If I win?"

Sachiko-sama asked, unperturbed.

"I'll promise this time, once and for all, you can step out of Cinderella."

"I understand. I accept the bet."

"Sachiko-sama! You're accepting the bet even without asking what it is!?"

Even though it might have been meddlesome, even Yumi burst out out this.

"It hardly matters. It makes no difference if I lose."

Sachiko-sama's rather surprisingly a gambler. Even though she was fastidious, she didn't seem to disgust bets.

"Well, as per Yumi-san's request, I'll explain the rules of the bet."

Rosa Gigantea simply stated, suppressing a laugh.

"Whether Sachiko can make Yumi-san her sœur or not. Of course, Sachiko will be betting on 'yes.'"

"Eh!?"

The one that was surprised the most was, of course, Yumi.

(I thought I was done here!?)

"You were already refused once. Getting her to accept your rosary by the school festival is almost impossible. However, the moment it happens, you're immediately off the hook. In exchange, you will participate in dress rehearsals as normal until that time comes."

"I see. If I do not want to hold hands with Hanadera's council leader, I need to seduce Yumi as soon as possible, correct?"

"That's right. We will not interfere in any way. Winning or losing is entirely up to you. I think the terms are pretty fair, would you agree?"

"Sounds better than I expected."

Sachiko-sama already looked like she was confident of winning.

"Oh, and, one more thing."

Rosa Gigantea spun around to Yumi and spoke.

"No accepting the rosary simply to be useful to Sachiko. The moment you say okay and the Cinderella role becomes vacant, you're stepping in."

"Eh, why me?"

"What are you saying? When you accept the rosary, you become Sachiko's sœur. Of course it becomes your duty to fill the vacancy left by your onee-sama."

Are they insane?

"I, I, I can't replace Sachiko-sama! That, that's impossible!"

"No worries. You won't accept the rosary. As long as you stay true to that, Sachiko is guaranteed to lose."

And if it falls to Yumi, that would be amusing in itself, says Rosa Gigantea, a dreadful thing to suppose.

"Then, then rather than a bet between the Roses and Sachiko-sama, it becomes a match between Sachiko-sama and I-."

"You can look at it that way. … Well, if you're going to regret anything, regret that you the Buddhist heart that made you think, even for an instant, of helping Sachiko."

Rosa Foetida's word choice of "Buddhist heart" felt out of place at Lillian Girls' Academy.

*********************

"Unbelievable."

Tsutako-san muttered, as they walked along the gingko tree roadside.

"Why didn't you just say 'ok'? If Yumi-san became her little sister, it would have been so easy to negotiate."

The autumn sun was falling quickly, and when Yumi was freed from the Rose Mansion, you could already call it twilight.

"Then Tsutako-san, you were worried more about the photo than me, during that whole time?"

"Of course. Who do you think I am?"

The photography club ace, Takeshima Tsutako-san, I think.

"But it's getting interesting."

Tsutako-san said the same thing as Rosa Gigantea.

"Because it's someone else's business."

"I'm at ease because it's someone else. Ah, that's right, now it's Yumi-san's turn to finally collect land tax. It's disappointing that another precious sœur-less person leaves the world, but, well, if the opponent is Sachiko-sama, it's only a matter of time, I think? It would have been more amusing to designate a deadline date, in my opinion."

"Tsutako-san, you think Sachiko-sama is going to win?"

"Because Yumi-san seems so much less energetic about this."

"……"

To be honest, I was thinking the same thing. When attacked from head-on, I can't help but wonder if I would end up shaking my head vertically, crushed by sheer power.

"But. Cinderella is on the line, so I can't just lose."

When I raised my fist with resolve, Tsutako-san corrected, "That word choice makes you sound like you want to play it."

When we arrived at Maria-sama's statue, we stopped and put our hands together. This is customary. Heading to school and leaving from school, every day one time each. Actually, any time you passed by this statue, you always greet her.

(Maria-sama, today was a terrible day. If it's possible, please return me to my peaceful days as soon as you can.)

I opened my eyes and turned around, and then.

"Wait right there."

It was déjà vu. Just as in the morning, an icy voice that seems to have come from Maria-sama.

"Sachiko-sama…"

Whether she had come running, she was panting and standing roughly 10 meters behind Yumi.

"Remember this. I will absolutely become your sœur."

Even amidst the odorous fallen gingko nuts, the figure of Sachiko-sama standing straight and proclaiming the challenge was awesome.

"Gokigenyou. Do have a safe trip home."

Having said all she wanted, Sachiko-sama smiled and vanished off to the school buildings.

"She looked pretty cool."

Tsutako-san quipped, as we watched her off.

Even Yumi, that moment, felt her resolve teeter off its base.

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| Back to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume1_Chapter1_4|Part 4]]
| Forward to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume1_Chapter2_1|Chapter 2 Part 1]]
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Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume20 Chapter2

2010-06-28T01:28:31Z

Goseebananafish: /* Maria-sama's Planet */ replaced Yuuko-sensei with Yuuko-sempai

== Maria-sama's Planet ==



"We will begin accepting applications to participate in the Soeur Tea Party! The rules permit --"

The words came from all around.

"The Soeur Tea Party is an experiment to create a special social setting. Your involvement in the tea party does not constitute a firm decision to obtain a soeur."

From the morning it had started, and had continued on now into lunch. Everyone was talking about the news that the Lillian Kawaraban had announced. It was not exaggerating to say that the rumors of this Soeur Tea Party circulated as rapidly as a flower bloomed.

"'In addition, Rosa Foetida en Bouton and Rosa Chinensis en Bouton are scheduled to attend.' Wow!"

Noriko wondered how many 'Wow's she had now heard throughout the day, as she dropped her gaze onto her paperback book.

If it's this loud, then how can the other book readers meet. Since Noriko had been at the school for over half a year, she had gotten used to the low hush of gossip at an all girls' school. But today was different. Because this time, the gossip dealt with her, so she could not help but react to the gossip she heard. She couldn't just dismiss it with a "Ah, Kojima's gossipping again" today.

"Hey hey, Noriko-san. We wanted to ask you about the Soeur Tea Party."

Again, classmates came to Noriko-san who believed that she would have top quality news.

"Ah, well."

She didn't want to ignore them, so instead she tried to act friendly.

"I don't know anything more than what's written in the paper about it, except that the en Boutons want anyone who meets the regulations and who is interested to apply as quickly as possible."

Noriko raised her head out of her paperback and gave her best business smile.

"Well, we want to, but."

"The regulations..."

The girls turned towards each other with sad faces. Of course, those two must be Atsuko-san and Miyuki-san. They were zealous participants in Bible Studies Club. But each of them had accepted a rosary from their sempai in the club, so they could not go to the Soeur Tea Party.

Noriko decided she would spend no more time talking about the matter and returned to her reading, but the two girls did not leave from the side of her desk.

When Noriko ws about to say something back to them, Atsuko-san asked.

"By the way, Noriko-san."

"Yes?"

"Is Touko-san invited?"

"Touko?"

When discussing the Soeur Tea Party, she had prepared answers to questions regarding certain topics. So she had prepared a set of questions beforehand, and formulated answers for them. But she had not prepared for any questions dealing with the
"Touko" topic. Why were these two soeurs of second-years the first to ask a question dealing with a proper noun, Noriko wondered, as she inclined her head, and pointed to the print that Miyuki-san held in her hand.

"You've read the Lillian Kawaraban right? So you know it said that the applicants are picked at random, right?"

"But, well."

First of all, whether Touko will apply or not, I don't know. If you want to know about someone, why don't you ask her yourself?"

After Noriko finished speaking, she realized "Well now, Touko isn't with those two". As soon as school had started "I'm Touko", "I'm Atsuko", "I'm Miyuki", they had said to each other, as if they were idols introducing themselves to each other, and somewhere along the line they had become a group.

"Touko-san ... she wouldn't apply ... would she?"

"Eh?"

Wondering what they were talking about, Noriko furrowed her eyebrows, and then dropped the matter, and let Atsuko-san and Miyuki-san go back to their conversation.

"Ah, but, if Yumi-sama comes to the Soeur Tea Party, then she really doesn't have any preferences, does she."

"Maybe the Party is just camouflage."

"But then who? Kanako-san?"

"That's exactly who. I wonder how it'll go."

So then, Kanako-san was very high on the list of potential soeur candidates, but right now, the person closest to becoming Yumi-sama's soeur was Touko. Whenever people were found talking about the Tea Party, they would keep whispering about a rumor that Yumi-sama would give someone special treatment (in other words: show attraction), as if it were true.

"Well then, good luck to Touko-san."

"Hadn't she said 'I want to become a Rose some day' in middle school?"

And then all of a sudden, they fell silent. Perhaps they wondered what would happen if Noriko would become angry. Noriko wondered would would happen if she lost her cool. She took a deep breath, and spoke again.

"Well, that's not really true --"

"But but that's something Noriko-san doesn't know about, right?"

"Eh?"

"Well, you said you don't know any more about this than what's written about it in the paper, right?"

Yes, that was what she had said.

In all innocence, in all straightforwardness, in all frankness, the Angels were interfering too much today, thought Noriko.



"Well? How many people are here?"

Yoshino-san asked, as she began drafting the plans.

"Starting at lunch today there were seven first-years and five-second years."

Mami-san was the one who answered, who did not care whether she had to stay in the Rosa Mansion through lunch or after school. For her, it was a tranfer while spritedly toiling at her life's work, the "Lillian Kawaraban". The Newspaper Club kouhai would come and go too, so the work was coming along, but for some reason, it seemed as if the place had become "Newspaper Club -- Rose Mansion Branch".

Now that the Newspaper Club personnel would come more, the third-years would come less.

"We had said that we'd let you guys handle it, so this is what happens. It's not as if we're avoiding the Rose Mansion or something. If something needs to be done, we come, and sometimes we amble over to the Rose Mansion and just eat our lunches. It's just that all the recent talk has been about the Tea Party, and we don't want to get
into that."

When the Roses put all of their reasons together, it was as if they were treating their Boutons as adults.

"I understand. It's just that, you're coming less than we thought you would."

At first Mami-san had put out the application in the Lillian Kawaraban, but now she even began collecting the applications.

"But there's twelve people here."

Even Yumi took a break from planning the layout of the invitation and looked up. Of course, there weren't any more people involved past those who were predicted to come from ethe beginning.

The day when they had decided to change it from an audition to a Tea Party, and when they decided to announce it in an Extra in the Lillian Kawaraban had been Wednesday. From that day after school they had begun receive applications, and up 'til today the first day of the month, a little more than four days had passed. If you exclude the Sundays that they had off from school, then it would be only three days.

"I don't think any of them really understand what the rules are though..."

Mami-san said, as she looked through the application posted in the Lillian Kawaraban.

"I think it would be best if we put big letters in the paper that simply say 'Submit Your Applications at the First Floor of the Rose Mansion'. That way overenthusiastic people, and people who simply misunderstood the rules would have no problems."

Noriko-chan said. There were no mistakes in the Lillian Kawaraban, after all.

For that matter, the restrictions were a bit harsh. Among the applicants who did not have petite (or grande) soeurs, nobody knew how many would actually be interviewed. Even amongst them, the amount that was thought of as willing to cooperate in the Tea Party was not really that large.

"Girls who double over in fright when they enter the Rose Mansion shall not become our soeurs!"

"Yoshino-san..."

Yumi's face wasn't the only one that said that she was wrong. Mami-san, Shimako-san, and Noriko-chan's glances added to the accusation.

"What?"

"This is about picking our soeurs, but, for now, come on."

"I see. So it's just going to be a gathering of regular people, huh. But I'll bet there will be some strong candidates in the mix."

Yoshino-san understood, as she took a seat. Right now the car was at Park, but at any time later you could restart the engine into full.

"This way, the applicants will take care of themselves."

If one were to suddenly go up the stairs, they would see the chaos. From the Rose Mansion's first floor desk, the path would lead to the filled out application forms and a ballpoint pen. Also, there was a 30 x 4 cm. box created to deposit and withdraw letters. During lunch and after school, letters would be place in the box, and beside the box there was a gathering of other materials. Right now it was the
Newspaper Club first years who were in charge.

"About twelve applicants huh. It seems there was no reason to make the box as big as it is."

"That's because the number applicants has been constantly decreasing."

Noriko-chan had said that neither the amount of applications they had prepared from the start, nor the amount of applications they will have received by lunch today would equal the number of actual applicants. But that wasn't neccessarily what would happen, and it was a bit wrong.

"There are some who filled out the form incorrectly, and had to have their forms voided. There must be some people who came once, but returned because they were unsure of whether to apply or not, right"

"I don't think there are any more than forty people who either made mistakes on their forms or an unsure of whether to enter or not."

Said Mami-san tiredly, in her retort to Noriko's crisp question. Then, as if remembering something, she searched around in a paper bag and fished out a tea bag.

"There must be some returned applications too. But since those aren't related to the regular applications, we don't really count them."

"Huh?"

Both of them rose at the same time.

"You know, requests and encouragement? Those sorts of letters."

Mami-san said, as she raised one piece of paper in the air and read from it.

"'Yumi-sama. Good luck, and pick a fantastic soeur!'"

"Oh my."

"'Yoshino-sama and Yumi-sama should know what their prospects for finding soeurs are, shouldn't they?'"

"What?!"

"'We just wanted to ask. Could two regular second-years help out? We could invite a lot of first years'"

"..."

Everyone's general requests were being mixed in with the Bouton Soeur Picking applications. If these sort of requests kept coming in, there would be no meaning in having a Tea Party any more.

"There are more, but they are all mostly the same thing, so I'll save you from having to hear more. There are about twenty in total. But maybe there is some value in looking over them, so you can skim them later."

But the problem was that there were more messages from people who were not applicants than from those who were actually applicants. Then there was no use for moving the submissions box to the second floor of the Rose Mansion. It wasn't as if she were feeling cool towards them, it's just that she wished that people who were not applicants would not spend the time to go up the stairs and deposit their message.

"But, you know."

Yumi said.

"There's no real harm this time. The ones who are applying would apply anyway, so whether the others go into the trash or are submitted here shouldn't have any effect, right?"

"This isn't a trash for everyone to put things into. This is for participants."

But they couldn't change things around because there were too few applicants. There were only two mere days until the End of Registration date. How could they change the date so close to the end?

"Something relating to the applicants must be failing to excite them. So we need to reflect on the applications, and the Tea Party itself. There is also some interesting things happening outside of the Rose Mansion."

Mami-san said.

"Interesting things?"

"Right now in the year, the number of Soeur relationships being sworn is increasing."

"Really?"

This is the sort of rumor that distant Yumi would obviously have heard for the first time, but even Yoshino-san and Shimako-san did not seem to have heard it. Noriko-chan was a Lillian first-year, so she obviously did not know what was usual for a year. Maybe Tsutako-san was the one who noticed it. She received requests for pictures, so she would probably know about the situation well.

"During First Term, around May, when new members join the club as beginners, a large mass enters and they become soeurs. The spit really flies."

Mami-san continued with her lecture.

"The next is the School Festival. After that there's Christmas, Valentine's Day, and those sorts of events, so it's easy to get together. The next big one is the School Closing Ceremony. Even if they rejected requests before, people will go on vacation from the next day, so they make different decisions."

Of course, of course, the heads nodded.

"So right now, as far as Soeur pairings go, there's a relative lull. Last year, because of someone, there were several breakups and rejoinings, but that's rare in most other years."

When she said "Someone", all gazes turned towards a person, the very person responsible. The one responsible for the Yellow Rose Revolution, Yoshino-san, looked back with a face that said "There's something wrong all of a sudden?"

"How did Mami-san come to this conclusion?"

"Maybe if you call if a last minute buyout it works. Do you have some first-year you like? Well, she obviously doesn't have an Onee-sama right. You like her, but you don't do anything definitive, so you just stay friends. But then, this year there's the Tea Party."

"Hm?"

"Maybe someone wanted to participate in the Tea Party. She probably thinks about
'Should I or shouldn't I apply'. And then, she suddenly thinks 'But if someone else gets the Rosary, that would be very unfair.'"

"Oh -- of course."

"If a second-year says 'Don't go to the Tea Party, but become my soeur instead', then a first-year will think about it -- and that's how the soeur relationship is made, and with someone who she knows. This doesn't happen to everyone, but this must happen to some."

Rather than creating participants, the Tea Party can act as cupid, and make soeur couples. But, even indirectly, if the goal that two girls who wanted to become soeurs but could not find their partner would find a meeting place, then that made Yumi happy.

"At this rate, we'll have to invite all of the applicants to the Tea Party itself. Well, the number of applicants will probably increase by the final day. But there's been a stampede of soeurs."

Mami-san laughed coldly as she finished her analysis.

"Well, it's four 'o clock, so we are finished accepting applications for today."
said the Newspaper Club first-years, as they poked their faces into the shadows of the biscuit-shaped door.

"Ah, thank you for the effort. It's been cold. Come in."

Yumi pulled out chairs, and handed out tea. The two had met in the Newspaper Club clubroom. They were two "Hopeful Rookies".

"How many came?"

"About ten people. There were about seven people who submitted application forms. Some of them had come to register, but..."

Opening the ball-shaped lock on the back, they dumped the newly submitted letters onto the table. Yoshino-san tugged with oomph, and opened the box.

"Ah, you're right. There's no Name, there's no Class, there's not even an appeal comment on it, only something on the back is written. Wha?! It's like an opposing vote 'Matsudaira Touko-san is eyeing Ogasawara Sachiko-sama.' What's this, it's kinda scar..."

Then Noriko-chan joined in with a black expession on her face.

"It really has a bad feeling on it."

"Yeah"

It wasn't just Noriko-chan, these weren't complaints that were tolerable to listen to. Everyone in the room said "Yeah, it does", and nodded, but the reason Noriko-chan had said "a bad feeling" had not been just because of the statement.

"Even in class, it like feels this bad. The girls who don't like Touko-san seem to have a sort of weird filter over their eyes when they look out. There are rumors about whether Touko-san is or is not participating this time. Ask the person directly, I'd say."

Stopping when she felt appropriate, Noriko-chan essentially had dropped a scary bomb upon the conversation, after which the conversation became dark.

"So then, what about Touko-chan?!"

Yumi-asked, and then Noriko-chan shook her head and replied "Everything."

"Maybe she hasn't noticed it, or maybe she's just ignoring it. But she should be pressured about whether she's entering or not."

"Of course. Touko-chan is a very delicate person after all."

The moment after Yumi finished talking, for some reason, the room fell quiet.

Huh. Did people not think that Touko-chan was delicate? Or is it that, words like those weren't wholely in character for her?

Yes, Shimako-san whispered, after much thought to herself.

"But why is Touko-chan so angry?"

"... Ahh."

Noriko-chan did not answer. Is it because Noriko-chan thought her answer was vague? Or maybe it was because she was confident in her answer, but was not comfortable with speaking so freely about it? Or maybe she just couldn't find the correct words to frame her answer in? Well, the reason she didn't say must be one of those.

"Well, there is also Matsudaira Touko-san, but."

Mami-san opened an application that she took from the box and read.

"Hosokawa Kanako-san still has not applied."

Then one of the newspaper club hopeful rookies, looking as if they would add something to the conversations, raised their right hands into the air and said "Yes."

"Kanako-san has declared that she will not become Yumi-sama's soeur, though."

"I have heard it. But, you know, a woman's heart is fickle. After she began coming to the Rose Mansion to help out, perhaps her opinion changed."

As Yumi heard this, she thought to herself "Maybe that's true". Even Touko-chan had said this recently, but Kanako-chan had definitely changed from before. She had taken out her sword and readied herself. She had also become a bit more open in socializing, but did she feel like she was getting closer to her or drifting away. If you roughly handle and hurt Kanako-chan, then you should move your hand back as
soon as you can.

"Huuuh. That girl."

Mami-san slapped the one page application in front of her and laughed.

"She wrote her appeal comment out straught."

Mami-san stood up, and trained the pitch in her voice, as if she were performing a play on a street, for a crowd of onlookers chanting "What, what?!".

"'From the moment I entered the Student Council, I felt as if I had become a main character amongst the cast of Roses. Whether it is Yumi-sama or it is Yoshino-sama, either one of you, won't you please make me your soeur?' and that's it."

Either one of you. Well.

"That's a frank admission, but if you look at the impression that such an admission normally gives, it makes you feel as if their true feelings are masked in silk..."

"Maybe a person with too much self confidence? Or a kid who knows no struggle? Or maybe it's the result of a fight between two soeurs..."

Yoshino-san rolled her sleeves up meaninglessly.

"First Year, Chrysanthemum Class, Naitou Shouko ... do you know her?"

Noriko-chan answered "No" to Mami-san's question.

"Isn't that, maybe it's Naitou Katsumi-sama's little sister?"

Yoshino-san said.

"The one who, in order to spend her third year in the same class as Torii Eriko-sama, pushed herself to reach Rank Two on her exams? Of course, she must have a little sister. She's using her real sister to get revenge upon the Rose Family huh."

"Isn't that reason bit weak?"

Shimako-san broke the madly rambling Yoshino-san.

"Why is Katsumi-sama becoming Yoshino-san's soeur a form of revenge?"

"Because, as soon as she would become soeurs with me, she would have all the leeway to be violent as she could want. As her Onee-sama, she would hassle me."

All the leeway to be violent. Hassling the older sister. Just who was the person who was saying all these things. But she stayed quiet, because if she voiced her thoughts, this person would start acting violently.

"Well, if that's what she's planning, then why didn't she write 'Yoshino-sama, I want to become your soeur'? She said either Yoshino-san or Yumi-san, either would be fine. That's kind of strange, isn't it?"

"Oh really. Then what is her real motive?"

She understood the point of what Shimako-san was trying to say, but Private Eye Yoshino, when she talked about this 'Naitou Shouko' whom she hadn't seen, her eyes took up a certain cast that knew she would not easily let go of her conviction.

It was one-sided, because Yumi was included too.

(Naitou Katsumi-sama, and her little sister, Shouko-san... huh.)

When she heard the two names in her head, for a moment it seemed as if she remembered something, but because her head was filled with thoughts of the Tea Party and Touko-chan and Kanako-chan and Onee-sama and other such thoughts that she could not forget, her head had no way to store any extraneous information, and she would soon forget about it.

She would remember it when, days later, she would meet with the real Naitou Shouko-san.



"Does Yumi-san have any connection with this Touko-chan thing?"

As everyone was returning, Shimako-san and Noriko nonchalantly split from the main group as they walked down the row of trees. Then Shimako-san stopped and began speaking to Noriko-chan. When Noriko-chan looked surprised, Shimako-san smiled back at her.

"And that's why you couldn't say anything."

"Woooow.... you get it all Shimako-san."

"Funny isn't it."

Yumi-sama and Yoshino-sama walked ahead, and the three Newspaper Club girls turned lightly into a curve, and disappeared from sight.

"If you don't want to talk about it, then I won't force an answer out of you. But I thought that, maybe you would want to lighten your burden by talking about your thoughts with someone."

Shimako-san said the thing that she should have said, and began walking again. Shimako-san kept her hand within reach, so Noriko-chan grabbed it.

"Nope, I don't want to talk about it with Shimako-sama. It's nothing, really. Keeping it to myself is pretty tough, but I want to see the whole thing through."

When Shimako-san was just being herself, she was something. When it came to herself, she would become confused about what to do, but she would always watch over others. That was why Noriko could speak plainly with Shimako-san. Why is such an incredible person my Onee-sama, Noriko sometimes thought to herself.

"The things that Touko have said .. well, I think she said them because of everyone else's jealousy."

Noriko spoke aloud what she was thinking.

"I see."

Shimako-san nodded quietly as she smiled. The two held hands and began walking slowly down the road in front of the rows of trees, as the group that had passed them up earlier came into view again.

"It's because Yumi-sama is popular."

Inside the splendid looking face of the Rose Family, Yumi-sama was the gregarious Onee-sama of the People and the idol of the first-years. Noriko too did not want to lose to the People, but she lacked an easy sense of familiarity. She had a presence, but she just wasn't Yumi-sama.

"I don't know who started it, but everyone thinks that Touko has become Yumi-sama's number one soeur candidate."

"Number one soeur candidate?"

"I think it's because Yumi-sama had asked her earlier to help out at the Rose Mansion, but."

The idol of everyone just maybe could become the Onee-sama of only one person. Everyone had vaguely prepared themselves for the day it would eventually happen, but they didn't really want to see it. They just had an idea of what it would be like.

Then again, for the people that already have Onee-samas, how do they talk to her about so many things. If she tried to see how it would feel to involve someone else into her own affairs, Noriko could understand.

"But that's it?"

Shimako-san said after some deep thought.

"Last year, when I had come to help out the Yamayurikai and even when Yumi-san came to help during the play, there was a bit of commotion, but no-one really hated it. It was the same with you, right Noriko?" [[Talk:Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume20_Chapter1.3|*]]

"Yeah, well."

Noriko nodded.

"But Touko has said and done some things in her past that make it hard for people to like her."

"What did she do?"

"Last year, during monsoon season, remember when Rosa Chinensis and Yumi-sama started fighting or something last year, and things got dark between them? Well, everyone says that Touko was the one who caused it to happen."

Last year when Rosa Chinensis had taken off from school, a lot of students saw Touko and Yumi-san's argument in the milk hall. Then Yumi-sama tactfully asked Touko to help out at the Rose Mansion, and immersed her into it, after which the rumor sort of died down, but.

"That's true."

Shimako-san whispered nostalgically. She was thinking about the first summer right after that monsoon season.

"I know I'm being nosy, but, when Touko, who had bullied Yumi-sama, was asked to help out, wasn't it sort of interesting? Because that had happened, she inadvertently got closer to Yumi-sama when she had been targeting Rosa Chinensis."

"So then, Noriko, you don't think that Touko-chan is picking Yumi-san to be her soeur because she wants to get closer to Sachiko-sama?"

Noriko nodded easily. Touko admired Rosa Chinensis, but she would never do something like that.

"So then, what's happening with Touko-chan?"

Noriko shook her head in response to Shimako-san's question.

"I don't want to talk about it. I'm trying not to hurt Touko after all."

"Well well."

"Well, not forever, but it's like 'We have to clean that, so move it' or 'You're not using the bamboo stick, so lend it to me' or something"

"Are you trying to sew a yukata with regular cloth?" [[Talk:Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume20_Chapter1.3|*]]

"Yeah."

"You're really saying as little as possible, aren't you?"

"Ah, oh yeah. There's something else I wanted to talk about. I had brought the latest edition of the Lillian Kawaraban with me, and I laughed when I thought about whether Noriko-san had talked about this with them, But really, I shouldn't have laughed."

Her classmates were excited by it, but Touko was very angry.

In the shadows, many rumors flew around, none of them with any real hate.

To help out Touko, Noriko had tried to be the one friend who had kept a straight face about this.

But for some reason, it felt as if she was just running in circles.

Keeping everything inside of her felt bad, but first year Camellia Class, on the surface, looked as if it would keep going smoothly.

"Maybe only my thoughts are strange," Noriko thought.

Everything really seemed to be fine, but inside of Noriko, her strangeness made everything feel as if it tottered. That must be it.

"I thought Yumi-sama didn't want Touko."

And Noriko stopped abruptly. Shimako stopped walking.

"But, Touko is"

Shimako got that far, when she realized that glistening things fell from the tops of Noriko's cheeks."

"Huh? Why are you crying?"

Shimako-san took her hand out, took her handkerchief out, and wiped the bottom of Noriko's eyelashes with it. She stared directly at Noriko's face and smiled.

"Noriko, you like Touko-chan, don't you?"

"I do, a bit."

As she pointed this out, Noriko realized she liked her more than she thought.

As twilight descended, the obscuring of her surroundings was a blessing. It was a blessing that she was away from everyone else, Noriko thought.

Yumi-sama could not notice her feelings for Touko.

Noriko-chan tightly grasped Shimako-san's hand.

And to keep the traces of her tears hidden from everyone else, Noriko turned to watch a bus go by.



When she thought about it, if she introduced Naitou Shouko to Eriko-sama as her soeur, then Eriko-sama would be very surprised.

Yoshino daydreamed as she lifted her chin from the top of the paper on her desk.

She had no expectations for the Naitou sisters, but if she were just going for impact, then at this moment, Naitou Shouko was the best she could get. But you couldn't find a soeur by just filling out some documents, so she needed to meet her in person. But if she did make Naitou Shouko her soeur, she didn't think it would be as bad as it was supposed to be.

Maybe it wouldn't be that bad, but she knew she was playing with a danger that you could only shake your head at.

The paper was actually a problem set handed out in math class to take home and finish, but because it had become a nuisance for her thought process, she had not finished a single problem.

Perhaps because she was bad at math and wanted to not deal with it, or because she had been thinking about too many other things, or because her thoughts were not letting her solve the equations correctly. Either way, when she stared at the paper, her thoughts seemed to evaporate into thin air.

"Let's do it."

Now to start, she thought, and rose with determination. When she looked at her watch, it read slightly past eight. It was about time.

Yoshino trailed down the stairs, and she saw her mother in the living room, with a bag.

"I should start preparing now. You're right on time."

"Huh, what's that bag?"

"Did you come from next door? It's a pastry I bought today at the store. I wanted to share, so I gave your aunt a piece."

"Why didn't you give me any?"

"Because today you and Rei-chan came back at different times. I knew I had to meet your aunt. I had a reason, but for some reason, I would cancel each time. So I thought I'd let Yoshino do what she wanted, and if Rei-chan came back to her house, I'd give her a little souvenir."

"If I or Rei-chan doesn't get back, how does it matter?"

"It's not a fresh sweet, so it's fine. The expiration date is the last day of the month."

"Last day of the month?"

She had remembered something bad.

"But I had to go meet her so... eh? Am I wrong?"

"No, you're not."

Yoshino took the paper back and went out of the door. When she looked inside, she was a little annoyed, but it was her mother, so she let the matter drop.

"Good Evening!"

It was next door, but they were right next to each other. Their front doors were a cheerful stroll apart.

"Welcome. Could you wait a bit, I just finished peeling an apple. Did you bring that bag from your friend? Still this year? I'll fill up the bag, so just wait there."

"Ah, sure. Thank you very much."

No matter how you looked at it, her aunt and her mother seemed to have the same thoughts. Her mother had just talked about sharing a pastry, so the apple made her smile widely.

But.

"Rei-chan."

Rei-chan looked as if she was completely unprepared for a visit. She was idly staring at the newest edition of Cosmos Friend while sitting on he bed.

"Huh, Yoshino. What's wrong?"

"I came to share some pastry with you."

"Huuuuh."

"-- Well actually, I came to ask you for some help on homework."

Yoshino placed a glass platter where she had put her aunt's peeled apple and the paper she had brought from home onto the low table.

"What's it about?"

Rei had no choice but to get out of bed.

"It's not that simple. But if you just told me which formula to use, I could solve it."

"I know that. But you came here just to ask me which formula to use?"

Those were not the words of a person who taught, Yoshino thought to herself.

"There's no way you can use the wrong formula here. Open your book. Hey, wait a second. It's the second-year book, so I need to find out where it is."

Rei-chan would look over her problems, no matter how much time it took. Yoshino held the hand of the person who, in her heart, was her Onee-sama, was her sempai in a club, was her neighbor, and was her beloved cousin.

"Rei-chan, you know, today at the Rose Mansion ..."

"... Yoshino. We'll gossip later."

Rei-chan looked busily through her bookshelves. The ends of her disheveled hair had dust that resembled powdered snow. Yoshino unheedingly went on talking.

"Um, you know. When looking through the list of applicants for the Tea Party, the name of a first year kinda like Naitou Katsumi-sama's little sister was there. What should we do?"

"Huh?"

Rei-chan turned back swiftly. She had said that they would gossip later, but she fell straight into it.

"Don't you have a bad feeling about this? Because wasn't Naitou Katsumi-sama Eriko-sama's rival?"

"Aren't you changing the subject, Yoshino? If Eriko-sama or Katsumi-sama were still in school, then maybe. Now that they're at different universities, there's no reason for them to compete. Aren't you interfering a bit too much on the affairs of Katsumi-sama's real little sister?" [[Talk:Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume20_Chapter1.3|*]]

Rei-chan said, as she took out the math book she used last year. Yoshino loved Rei-chan's textbooks. If only one word could describe them, then they would be 'beautiful'. They had not the beauty of disuse, but the beauty of much use. It had important notes added into the margins, and colorful underlines. It had an unmistakable feel of a 'girl's textbook.'

"Well, the two sisters."

As if having won a competition with a small hint, Rei-chan whispered about memory.

"Last year when I fought in that Taisho's Fight with that girl Tanaka-san." [[Talk:Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume20_Chapter1.3|*]]

"Oh yeah, I should be the one who gets revenge for you Rei-chan."

Unfortunately, because she was a third year last year, Yoshino's wish to cross swords with her could not be fulfilled. Even though she didn't yet have the strength needed to play in an actual match.

"That Tanaka-san who graduated, you know this year her little sister is entering. As a high rank too."

"Hmmph. Is she highly ranked?"

"Well she's rumored to be. Tanaka-san's grandfather runs a dojo, and the four Tanaka sisters have a big reputation."

"Four sisters? From the top, which sister is this?"

From her shelf Rei-chan searched in the book and pulled out a fat volume named "Kendo 3". These were scrapbooks where Rei-chan cut out magazine and newspaper articles. There were others like "Pastries 6" and "Handicrafts 2".

"Hey look. It's in here."

Rei-chan pointed to something that seemed as if it had been copied out of an area or municipality map. There were even pictures. One picture, which looked as if it had been copied countless times, had a gruff-looking person in it who Yoshino did not recognize at all.

"But it says 'The Three Tanaka Oonakas'."

"No, I'm pretty sure that there's a fourth. A long time ago, when I was in middle school, I had seen the four lined up on a map."

"So then maybe the fourth one isn't an Oonaka?"

"I see. Maybe because she's a middle school student, she's not an Oonaka yet!"

Yoshino hit Rei-chan with her palm.

"Hey, Rei-chan. They may be sisters but, not everyone goes to same school."

"Ah."

Both the Naitou sisters and the first three Tanaka sisters went to the same High School, so not going to the same high school seemed like some illusion.

"Of course. Fufufufu."

"Haha..."

Rei-chan's laugh was for some reason androgynous. But the two laughed their guts out. After laughing, stopping, then laughing again three times, a broadly smiling Yoshino spoke while she wiped tears off her face.

"Rei-chan. You know, I'd be happy, if I had a soeur."

"Eh?"

Rei-chan looked up with a slightly surprised face.

"Whatever kind of soeur she will be, I think my relationship to her will be completely different than my relationship to you."

".... Yoshino."

Rei-chan mad a painful-looking face, and then Yoshino clapped her hands together.

"It's not like I'm going to ignore the relationship we have together, Rei-chan. Don't get me wrong there. The two of us are real cool together, we're great friends, and I'm proud to think that we get along really well. But you know, it's a very special relationship. If you look around, there aren't other soeurs like us."

"Yeah. You're right."

"Rei-chan, were you happy being Eriko-sama's soeur?"

Rei-chan nodded, but a bit guardedly.

"I'm really jealous. If Rei-chan looked at it later, she'd understand. But even now, I think you'll understand. Growing up in a different style with a person you don't know. Making new acquaintances. How should I say this, it's a very refreshing feeling. So I won't just let whatever happen to Rei-chan. Whatever happens, even if I find a soeur, I will always really love Rei-chan."

Clasping their arms together, Rei-chan giggled a bit, and flicked Yoshino's forehead.

"Well then, I wonder if soon I'll be able to enjoy both Yoshino and her soeur."

That would be nice too.



Tuesday.

During lunchtime, Hosokawa Kanako-chan came to visit the Rose Mansion.

At the time, because Yumi and Yoshino-san were in front of the first floor stairs looking through the letters, when Kanako-chan first came in, they thought that she had come to enter the Tea Party.

"I'm sorry that I came while you were in the middle of work. I wanted to speak with you, Yumi-sama, but... it looks like I can't."

Kanako-chan said as she observed the scene. But before she set foot into the Rose Mansion, it seemed as if she did not know that this was the place next to the window for the Tea Party applicants.

"It's fine. One person can handle the letters. If you need some help, just call up to the second floor, and Noriko-chan or Shimako-san will come down."

Yoshino-san replied to Kanako-chan, or perhaps to Yumi.

"Oh? Alright, then have fun talking."

Yumi rose from the seat she was sitting in, and joined Kanako-chan in walking outside.

Earlier there had been a number of first-years who had come to have fun, but none of them ended up submitting applications, so the Rose Mansion began resembling a closed store left open. If she left her waiting area now, it seemed as if everything would be okay.

She left the Rose Mansion, and began walking towards no direction in particular.

In the clear autumn day, students in the courtyard were taking walks after eating, and were having fun, but they turned around abruptly behind the school, and the figures of the others disappeared.

"A while ago, I had thought I'd try to come after school to see First-Year Camellia Class."

"Ah, yeah."

Unfortunately, neither Kanako-chan nor Touko-chan were in the classroom then. It hadn't seemed like they had gone home, but the timing had felt a bit odd.

"I'm sorry. I hadn't sought you out, even though every day after school I just plod around..."

"It's fine" Yumi said, as she patted Kanako-chan.

"I wanted to say sorry for asking you to help out during the School Festival. I also wanted a two shot picture with you, so." [[Talk:Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume20_Chapter1.3|*]]

"A picture ... ahhh"

Kanako-chan whispered as if a she had just come up to a realization. Yumi wondered what had happened to the picture, but when she thought the idea shown on her face, she added "Of course, I haven't forgotten about it."

"Maybe, if you work hard during the School Festival, then we can take a picture together, is what I had promised"

"Take a picture together? You have the gall..."

It was that, the Kanako-chan she knew directly after the Athletic Festival looked dangerous, so she used an excuse to become friends with her. Because in spite of what had happened, Kanako-chan had once been a person who hoped to have a two shot with this now un-deified Yumi-sama.

"Well, whatever you had said about the pictures, Yumi-sama thought that I worked hard with her during the School Festival, and recognized my value. Then I'm happy."

"Of course."

"Good. If I can return the favor, then."

It had been a long time since she had last talked to Kanako-chan like this, even though it hadn't really been that long since she had last talked to Kanako-chan. If Kanako-chan felt the same, Yumi wondered what she would do.

"Because during the School Festival, I put myself in a place where I have to thank everyone so."

Kanako-chan laughed.

"Eh? Huh?"

"For my Dad, and Yuuko-sempai. And Chikako."

Ah, that... she nodded and then shook her head.

"But I didn't do anything."

"No, you definitely did. That's why I have to get you something soon."

"Kanako-chan..."

Kanako-chan had really changed, Yumi observed. A lot in a very short time. But just how she had changed, Yumi could not put into a single word. It was as if she had taken off her heavy shell, and became light and nimble.

"So then, the reason I came here..."

Kanako-chan cut in.

"You said you had something to talk about."

Yumi confirmed, and then nodded.

"The talk of the Tea Party is becoming pretty lively even around me."

"Sorry. Has it been tough?"

'Even' she had said, so then it was probably the same thing that was happening to Touko-chan, but now it was happening to Kanako-chan too.

"It has. But I didn't really come here to complain. I'm pretty detached in class, so it's not much of an itch or a pain. But I wanted to talk to someone about it correctly. But I thought that Yumi-sama was the only one who I could talk about my feeling with about this."

"Feelings?"

The heavy echo that accompanied her words put Yumi on guard.

"I have no desire to participate in the Tea Party."

"Aaah."

Not only was she letting others know that she did not want to find an Onee-sama, but she was also declaring that she did not want to be Yumi's soeur.

And Yumi understood this somehow.

Kanako would not become her soeur.

It wasn't a matter of Yumi not choosing Kanako-chan, or Kanako-chan rejecting Yumi, just something vague. The two of them could not become soeurs, so.

Perhaps Kanako-chan had picked up on this before Yumi did. From much earlier, at least that was obvious.

It's somewhat vague, but if she said it outright, then it felt too harsh. It was like a balloon she let go into the wind, whose direction she would watch.

When she felt the conversation became more serious, Kanako-chan changed the subject.

"I joined a club."

"Eh? Really?"

That was like a crack of thunder in her years. [[Talk:Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume20_Chapter1.3|*]]

"Is it the Basketball Club?"

It was the only club that fit her. When Yumi asked, Kanako responded "Yes".

"Before, I had rejected an offer I had been given to enter the club, but now I wanted to join again so."

She was a beginner, so first she had to go to the gym and practice with the wall, Yumi daydreamed. It seemed fun in a way. So that's what she had meant when she had said "after school I just plod around".

"Do you think you can find an Onee-sama in your club?"

"No. The way I am now, I don't think I want to become anyone's soeur. Next year, maybe I will try to find a soeur of my own, or."

"I see."

She didn't say but, to Kanako, Yuuko-sempai was the only person in the world who she could call Onee-sama. At least, that's what Yumi thought.

"I think I had been just guessing, but I thought of Yumi-sama like I did of Yuuko-sempai."

"Yeah."

Yumi knew that for a while, Kanako-chan had been searching for someone. She knew that when Kanako-chan saw Yuuko-san from the School Festival, Kanako-chan thought "She's the one".

"When I met Yumi-sama in this school, it was the feeling I had gotten from looking at Yuuko-sempai when I was in middle school. I won't make the same mistake twice. So arrogantly I said, *I* will protect you."

This stuff really happened, Yumi thought to herself nostalgically.

"But I was mistaken."

The thing that Kanako-chan had been after was something higher, and of course she did not follow the real Yumi.

Kanako-chan nodded quietly, then laughed as if she suddenly remembered something.

"What?"

"Yumi-sama thought of a weird example, right? Something like, if one of a pair of twins goes to Mars. Remember?"

"Yeeeah."

It seemed as if she had and had not said it. Had it been before the Athletic Festival?

"I've let it go. As soon as I let it go, it was like a strange force in my shoulders was let go too. Like, it's fine to not pointlessly fight alone."

"Kanako-chan..."

"I couldn't see my adored Yumi-sama again. It was sad that I could not see her, but that person was someone who lived on Mars. If I broke off from this person whose face resembled Yumi-sama's, then I could feel like meeting with the Yumi-sama who was still on Earth. And when I tried to do just that, she turned out to have more meaning for me than I had thought. Somewhere along the way, I had become close with the one on Earth."

That was a very laudable speech, Yumi thought, as she let Kanako-chan keep speaking.

"Yumi-sama was not completely different to the image of Yumi-sama I had held on to. Back then, when you looked at me you had said that everything was a figment of your imagination, so I thought there was no way I could be saved. The phantom was my thoughts. To deny the thoughts I had held to myself for so long ... to deny my very heart, that was a very painful thing."

"... Yeah."

Of course. It must have been painful.

But now, Kanako-chan laughed.

"When I met Yuuko-sempai again, I felt down when trying to think of what I needed to do. When I met her, Yuuko-sempai too was like Yumi-sama, just one of the twins. So there was nothing I could do, I thought. Maybe. The Yuuko-sempai who long ago chased after the same basketball with me was now living in Mars."

"Eh, Mars again?"

Kanako-chan squarely nodded when Yumi asked again.

"Yes. Together with Yumi-sama's other sibling. It's Maria-sama's planet, I think."

"Well... Maria-sama's planet. Well that's."

It was a sort of quixotic thing to thing about, but now that she thought about it more, quixotic wasn't really...

"No, please don't look like that. It's a world that Yumi-sama created. And I've come to love it."

It was where the things we loved from our past lived.

Far away, in the night sky, today too it shone well.

Of course, it was so that we would not forget those things that had once existed in this world.

The things we needed to protect, in order to move forward.

"Kanako-chan."

Yumi held Kanako-chan's hand. What's this. Her chest felt heavy.

"We have to take a two shot."

"Ehh."

"Yes. We have to, right now."

She hurried fate. Without waiting for an answer, she walked on. Where would Tsutako-san be now? In her classroom? If not, maybe in the clubhouse.

"But, Yumi-sama."

"It's not because I made a promise with Kanako-chan. It's because I want to take a picture with Kanako-chan."

For a moment, Kanako-chan just blinked, but eventually she nodded and laughed.

Holding hands, they made off to a slow run.

The dead leaves crinkled and cracked in laughed.

The cold breeze, it felt wonderful.

Kanako-chan. Yumi looked up to the sky and thought.

Good luck.

We might not become soeurs but, we were friends after all.

Section 6

Wednesday, after school.

Rosa Chinensis finally arrived at First-Year Camellia Class.

"Has the cleaning been finished? Please call Touko-chan for me."

Noriko came out (or rather was forced by her frightened classmates) to intercept her, in a rare, dry panic, muttering "Well now, what sort of business do you have with me?" as if she had heard some weird things.

"Noriko-chan looks like Touko-chan's knight today."

"I'm sorry."

It was almost like, to play a prank on someone, her mother bumps into her. Noriko smoothed the pleats of her skirt with the palm of her hand, and hid searched for the pocket around her thighs. A knight, what a comparison!

"I've heard that the Tea Party has caused her a lot of difficulty. So when I come to visit, here you come out as if on watch."

"No, well that's."

At that moment, Touko, who had gone to take the cleaning log to the Staff Room, returned. But when she saw the two standing in front of the door, perhaps she thought it didn't involve her, so she simply nodded towards them and headed towards the wall.

"Touko."

Noriko called out to the figure whose back straightened suddenly.

"Rosa Chinensis has come to see you."

"Me?"

Touko-chan said slowly, as she turned.

"Well, what sort of business do you have with me?"

Maybe Rosa Chinensis found it funny that Touko's words were the exact same as the ones that Noriko used. She laughed dryly.

"I just have one thing to ask you. It'll be over soon."

"Is that so?"

So please listen to me, it seemed that Rosa Chinensis would add. The corners of Touko's face changed slightly as she waited. Noriko had become a third party whose role of mediator was finished and who could take the stairs out and leave, but she looked back and found something catch her eye. She began talking.

"Uh, whatever you want to do, can we do it somewhere else?"

At all times of the day, the entrance to a classroom which had just been cleaned was full of people.

"You're right."

Rosa Chinensis nodded, when Touko stiffly said.

"I don't mind. Please speak your mind."

Noriko-chan listened and felt her heart beat faster. Rosa Chinensis wryly smiled.

"I too do not mind. But, Touko-chan, you tell me that you do not mind even before hearing what I want to talk about. So maybe you have an idea of what I want to talk to you about."

"Touko."

Leave this to me. A mad urgency came into Noriko, and her eyes reflected it. It was as Rosa Chinensis said. Even though she did not know what Rosa Chinensis was to talk about, Touko had rashly come to her decision, so Touko herself would be the one to suffer.

"Touko-chan. You should listen to your friend's advice."

Touko gave no answer to Rosa Chinensis's remark. But it was obvious that that was Touko's obstinate sort of agreement.

"It would be better if we didn't do it at the Rose Mansion."

When Yoshino heard about what Rosa Chinensis was planning, Noriko thought to herself "Maybe what Rosa Chinensis has to say has to do with Yumi-sama."

Rosa Chinensis began walking, but she stopped once and looked back.

"Noriko-chan, won't you come with us?"

"Huh?"

Noriko was of course surprised, but Touko made a "Why?" look on her face. Because maybe Touko thought that Rosa Chinensis's news dealt only with herself.

"You're Touko-chan's knight, aren't you?"

"What does Rosa Chinensis intend to do with Touko?"

Rosa Chinensis laughed.

"I already told you. I have something I want to ask her about."

It was the laugh of an evil bad guy. Whether Noriko would play the role of knight or not, she wound up having to come along.

"Why aren't you applying to participate in the Tea Party?"

Rosa Chinensis asked Touko as soon as she began walking.

"Why? If I wanted to apply, then shouldn't I have a reason to apply?"

"It seems to me as if you do."

While she was looking for a place to talk, it seemed like the talk was already nearly finished. Or maybe she had chosen to ask that question while walking because of the other people who were around them. Either way, the two began talking. Noriko, who walked behind them, tried her utmost to pick up leaked words from the conversation.

"I wanted to say this so no misunderstanding would come between us. I care not who becomes Yumi's soeur. Except I do not think it best that she choose you."

"So then why are you trying to push me into applying?"

"I didn't come here to tell you to apply. I only came here to find out what your reasons for not applying were."

This was what Rosa Chinensis had said. With words like those, Touko could not help but feel instigated.

"Why do you want to know it? I want to ask you something. If I tell you, what will you do?"

"I won't do anything. I've been watching you lately and getting a bit irritated. I want to find out a reason that will let me find out why you've been acting like this."

What selfishness. What high-handedness. But this was Rosa Chinesis's cunning, this was the part of her which was her strength. [[Talk:Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume20_Chapter1.3|*]]

"Of course our little chat must be troubling for you. I've come here just to fulfill my own selfish desire after all."

'Ah. She noticed it herself,' Noriko thought.

"Looking at Touko-chan is like a painful look at my past self. To live frankly is a very courageous thing, but there are several shades of that."

Touko said nothing. She held her head down, became expressionless, and stayed silent. Whether she was listening or not I did not know. But she (E:Noriko) felt that she was very carefully, very acutely hearing each word.

"That was all I had wanted to say. Take some time will you."

Even though they were only part of the way down the corridor, Rosa Chinensis made a hand signal that showed that this was the end. She exited and left the two alone.

"Rosa Chinensis probably made a mistake. That's what I really think."

Noriko told Touko. They were weren't meant for Touko, rather than to follow up what Rosa Chinensis had said.

"But I think Touko-chan is thinking 'No more' right now, so it'll be better if I leave."

Touko had no need to do what any old person told her to do. If she believed the advice in her heart, then she would follow the person's advice and do exactly what they said.

"That's why, I'm probably interfering way too much but, just stop."

Noriko took out the application addressed "First-Year Camellia Class Matsudaira Touko" out of her pocket, and ripped it into pieces. She had predicted that Touko would not come to the application registrar for the Tea Party until the last moment, so just in case, she had one application prepared. The issue wasn't whether she would use it or not, but more that it would be used as insurance.

"That's ..."

Touko opened her mouth slowly.

"I've already ripped it apart, so I'll go home and throw it away."

She took the pieces and made them into a ball, and put the ball into her pocket.

"Noriko-san."

"Well then. Let's go back to class."

Nothing had happened yet.

Let the pebble that Rosa Chinensis had thrown grow and ripple in her heart, and spur its own action.

That was all Noriko could do.

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Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume20 Chapter2

2010-06-27T12:49:57Z

Goseebananafish: /* Maria-sama's Planet */ typo

== Maria-sama's Planet ==



"We will begin accepting applications to participate in the Soeur Tea Party! The rules permit --"

The words came from all around.

"The Soeur Tea Party is an experiment to create a special social setting. Your involvement in the tea party does not constitute a firm decision to obtain a soeur."

From the morning it had started, and had continued on now into lunch. Everyone was talking about the news that the Lillian Kawaraban had announced. It was not exaggerating to say that the rumors of this Soeur Tea Party circulated as rapidly as a flower bloomed.

"'In addition, Rosa Foetida en Bouton and Rosa Chinensis en Bouton are scheduled to attend.' Wow!"

Noriko wondered how many 'Wow's she had now heard throughout the day, as she dropped her gaze onto her paperback book.

If it's this loud, then how can the other book readers meet. Since Noriko had been at the school for over half a year, she had gotten used to the low hush of gossip at an all girls' school. But today was different. Because this time, the gossip dealt with her, so she could not help but react to the gossip she heard. She couldn't just dismiss it with a "Ah, Kojima's gossipping again" today.

"Hey hey, Noriko-san. We wanted to ask you about the Soeur Tea Party."

Again, classmates came to Noriko-san who believed that she would have top quality news.

"Ah, well."

She didn't want to ignore them, so instead she tried to act friendly.

"I don't know anything more than what's written in the paper about it, except that the en Boutons want anyone who meets the regulations and who is interested to apply as quickly as possible."

Noriko raised her head out of her paperback and gave her best business smile.

"Well, we want to, but."

"The regulations..."

The girls turned towards each other with sad faces. Of course, those two must be Atsuko-san and Miyuki-san. They were zealous participants in Bible Studies Club. But each of them had accepted a rosary from their sempai in the club, so they could not go to the Soeur Tea Party.

Noriko decided she would spend no more time talking about the matter and returned to her reading, but the two girls did not leave from the side of her desk.

When Noriko ws about to say something back to them, Atsuko-san asked.

"By the way, Noriko-san."

"Yes?"

"Is Touko-san invited?"

"Touko?"

When discussing the Soeur Tea Party, she had prepared answers to questions regarding certain topics. So she had prepared a set of questions beforehand, and formulated answers for them. But she had not prepared for any questions dealing with the
"Touko" topic. Why were these two soeurs of second-years the first to ask a question dealing with a proper noun, Noriko wondered, as she inclined her head, and pointed to the print that Miyuki-san held in her hand.

"You've read the Lillian Kawaraban right? So you know it said that the applicants are picked at random, right?"

"But, well."

First of all, whether Touko will apply or not, I don't know. If you want to know about someone, why don't you ask her yourself?"

After Noriko finished speaking, she realized "Well now, Touko isn't with those two". As soon as school had started "I'm Touko", "I'm Atsuko", "I'm Miyuki", they had said to each other, as if they were idols introducing themselves to each other, and somewhere along the line they had become a group.

"Touko-san ... she wouldn't apply ... would she?"

"Eh?"

Wondering what they were talking about, Noriko furrowed her eyebrows, and then dropped the matter, and let Atsuko-san and Miyuki-san go back to their conversation.

"Ah, but, if Yumi-sama comes to the Soeur Tea Party, then she really doesn't have any preferences, does she."

"Maybe the Party is just camouflage."

"But then who? Kanako-san?"

"That's exactly who. I wonder how it'll go."

So then, Kanako-san was very high on the list of potential soeur candidates, but right now, the person closest to becoming Yumi-sama's soeur was Touko. Whenever people were found talking about the Tea Party, they would keep whispering about a rumor that Yumi-sama would give someone special treatment (in other words: show attraction), as if it were true.

"Well then, good luck to Touko-san."

"Hadn't she said 'I want to become a Rose some day' in middle school?"

And then all of a sudden, they fell silent. Perhaps they wondered what would happen if Noriko would become angry. Noriko wondered would would happen if she lost her cool. She took a deep breath, and spoke again.

"Well, that's not really true --"

"But but that's something Noriko-san doesn't know about, right?"

"Eh?"

"Well, you said you don't know any more about this than what's written about it in the paper, right?"

Yes, that was what she had said.

In all innocence, in all straightforwardness, in all frankness, the Angels were interfering too much today, thought Noriko.



"Well? How many people are here?"

Yoshino-san asked, as she began drafting the plans.

"Starting at lunch today there were seven first-years and five-second years."

Mami-san was the one who answered, who did not care whether she had to stay in the Rosa Mansion through lunch or after school. For her, it was a tranfer while spritedly toiling at her life's work, the "Lillian Kawaraban". The Newspaper Club kouhai would come and go too, so the work was coming along, but for some reason, it seemed as if the place had become "Newspaper Club -- Rose Mansion Branch".

Now that the Newspaper Club personnel would come more, the third-years would come less.

"We had said that we'd let you guys handle it, so this is what happens. It's not as if we're avoiding the Rose Mansion or something. If something needs to be done, we come, and sometimes we amble over to the Rose Mansion and just eat our lunches. It's just that all the recent talk has been about the Tea Party, and we don't want to get
into that."

When the Roses put all of their reasons together, it was as if they were treating their Boutons as adults.

"I understand. It's just that, you're coming less than we thought you would."

At first Mami-san had put out the application in the Lillian Kawaraban, but now she even began collecting the applications.

"But there's twelve people here."

Even Yumi took a break from planning the layout of the invitation and looked up. Of course, there weren't any more people involved past those who were predicted to come from ethe beginning.

The day when they had decided to change it from an audition to a Tea Party, and when they decided to announce it in an Extra in the Lillian Kawaraban had been Wednesday. From that day after school they had begun receive applications, and up 'til today the first day of the month, a little more than four days had passed. If you exclude the Sundays that they had off from school, then it would be only three days.

"I don't think any of them really understand what the rules are though..."

Mami-san said, as she looked through the application posted in the Lillian Kawaraban.

"I think it would be best if we put big letters in the paper that simply say 'Submit Your Applications at the First Floor of the Rose Mansion'. That way overenthusiastic people, and people who simply misunderstood the rules would have no problems."

Noriko-chan said. There were no mistakes in the Lillian Kawaraban, after all.

For that matter, the restrictions were a bit harsh. Among the applicants who did not have petite (or grande) soeurs, nobody knew how many would actually be interviewed. Even amongst them, the amount that was thought of as willing to cooperate in the Tea Party was not really that large.

"Girls who double over in fright when they enter the Rose Mansion shall not become our soeurs!"

"Yoshino-san..."

Yumi's face wasn't the only one that said that she was wrong. Mami-san, Shimako-san, and Noriko-chan's glances added to the accusation.

"What?"

"This is about picking our soeurs, but, for now, come on."

"I see. So it's just going to be a gathering of regular people, huh. But I'll bet there will be some strong candidates in the mix."

Yoshino-san understood, as she took a seat. Right now the car was at Park, but at any time later you could restart the engine into full.

"This way, the applicants will take care of themselves."

If one were to suddenly go up the stairs, they would see the chaos. From the Rose Mansion's first floor desk, the path would lead to the filled out application forms and a ballpoint pen. Also, there was a 30 x 4 cm. box created to deposit and withdraw letters. During lunch and after school, letters would be place in the box, and beside the box there was a gathering of other materials. Right now it was the
Newspaper Club first years who were in charge.

"About twelve applicants huh. It seems there was no reason to make the box as big as it is."

"That's because the number applicants has been constantly decreasing."

Noriko-chan had said that neither the amount of applications they had prepared from the start, nor the amount of applications they will have received by lunch today would equal the number of actual applicants. But that wasn't neccessarily what would happen, and it was a bit wrong.

"There are some who filled out the form incorrectly, and had to have their forms voided. There must be some people who came once, but returned because they were unsure of whether to apply or not, right"

"I don't think there are any more than forty people who either made mistakes on their forms or an unsure of whether to enter or not."

Said Mami-san tiredly, in her retort to Noriko's crisp question. Then, as if remembering something, she searched around in a paper bag and fished out a tea bag.

"There must be some returned applications too. But since those aren't related to the regular applications, we don't really count them."

"Huh?"

Both of them rose at the same time.

"You know, requests and encouragement? Those sorts of letters."

Mami-san said, as she raised one piece of paper in the air and read from it.

"'Yumi-sama. Good luck, and pick a fantastic soeur!'"

"Oh my."

"'Yoshino-sama and Yumi-sama should know what their prospects for finding soeurs are, shouldn't they?'"

"What?!"

"'We just wanted to ask. Could two regular second-years help out? We could invite a lot of first years'"

"..."

Everyone's general requests were being mixed in with the Bouton Soeur Picking applications. If these sort of requests kept coming in, there would be no meaning in having a Tea Party any more.

"There are more, but they are all mostly the same thing, so I'll save you from having to hear more. There are about twenty in total. But maybe there is some value in looking over them, so you can skim them later."

But the problem was that there were more messages from people who were not applicants than from those who were actually applicants. Then there was no use for moving the submissions box to the second floor of the Rose Mansion. It wasn't as if she were feeling cool towards them, it's just that she wished that people who were not applicants would not spend the time to go up the stairs and deposit their message.

"But, you know."

Yumi said.

"There's no real harm this time. The ones who are applying would apply anyway, so whether the others go into the trash or are submitted here shouldn't have any effect, right?"

"This isn't a trash for everyone to put things into. This is for participants."

But they couldn't change things around because there were too few applicants. There were only two mere days until the End of Registration date. How could they change the date so close to the end?

"Something relating to the applicants must be failing to excite them. So we need to reflect on the applications, and the Tea Party itself. There is also some interesting things happening outside of the Rose Mansion."

Mami-san said.

"Interesting things?"

"Right now in the year, the number of Soeur relationships being sworn is increasing."

"Really?"

This is the sort of rumor that distant Yumi would obviously have heard for the first time, but even Yoshino-san and Shimako-san did not seem to have heard it. Noriko-chan was a Lillian first-year, so she obviously did not know what was usual for a year. Maybe Tsutako-san was the one who noticed it. She received requests for pictures, so she would probably know about the situation well.

"During First Term, around May, when new members join the club as beginners, a large mass enters and they become soeurs. The spit really flies."

Mami-san continued with her lecture.

"The next is the School Festival. After that there's Christmas, Valentine's Day, and those sorts of events, so it's easy to get together. The next big one is the School Closing Ceremony. Even if they rejected requests before, people will go on vacation from the next day, so they make different decisions."

Of course, of course, the heads nodded.

"So right now, as far as Soeur pairings go, there's a relative lull. Last year, because of someone, there were several breakups and rejoinings, but that's rare in most other years."

When she said "Someone", all gazes turned towards a person, the very person responsible. The one responsible for the Yellow Rose Revolution, Yoshino-san, looked back with a face that said "There's something wrong all of a sudden?"

"How did Mami-san come to this conclusion?"

"Maybe if you call if a last minute buyout it works. Do you have some first-year you like? Well, she obviously doesn't have an Onee-sama right. You like her, but you don't do anything definitive, so you just stay friends. But then, this year there's the Tea Party."

"Hm?"

"Maybe someone wanted to participate in the Tea Party. She probably thinks about
'Should I or shouldn't I apply'. And then, she suddenly thinks 'But if someone else gets the Rosary, that would be very unfair.'"

"Oh -- of course."

"If a second-year says 'Don't go to the Tea Party, but become my soeur instead', then a first-year will think about it -- and that's how the soeur relationship is made, and with someone who she knows. This doesn't happen to everyone, but this must happen to some."

Rather than creating participants, the Tea Party can act as cupid, and make soeur couples. But, even indirectly, if the goal that two girls who wanted to become soeurs but could not find their partner would find a meeting place, then that made Yumi happy.

"At this rate, we'll have to invite all of the applicants to the Tea Party itself. Well, the number of applicants will probably increase by the final day. But there's been a stampede of soeurs."

Mami-san laughed coldly as she finished her analysis.

"Well, it's four 'o clock, so we are finished accepting applications for today."
said the Newspaper Club first-years, as they poked their faces into the shadows of the biscuit-shaped door.

"Ah, thank you for the effort. It's been cold. Come in."

Yumi pulled out chairs, and handed out tea. The two had met in the Newspaper Club clubroom. They were two "Hopeful Rookies".

"How many came?"

"About ten people. There were about seven people who submitted application forms. Some of them had come to register, but..."

Opening the ball-shaped lock on the back, they dumped the newly submitted letters onto the table. Yoshino-san tugged with oomph, and opened the box.

"Ah, you're right. There's no Name, there's no Class, there's not even an appeal comment on it, only something on the back is written. Wha?! It's like an opposing vote 'Matsudaira Touko-san is eyeing Ogasawara Sachiko-sama.' What's this, it's kinda scar..."

Then Noriko-chan joined in with a black expession on her face.

"It really has a bad feeling on it."

"Yeah"

It wasn't just Noriko-chan, these weren't complaints that were tolerable to listen to. Everyone in the room said "Yeah, it does", and nodded, but the reason Noriko-chan had said "a bad feeling" had not been just because of the statement.

"Even in class, it like feels this bad. The girls who don't like Touko-san seem to have a sort of weird filter over their eyes when they look out. There are rumors about whether Touko-san is or is not participating this time. Ask the person directly, I'd say."

Stopping when she felt appropriate, Noriko-chan essentially had dropped a scary bomb upon the conversation, after which the conversation became dark.

"So then, what about Touko-chan?!"

Yumi-asked, and then Noriko-chan shook her head and replied "Everything."

"Maybe she hasn't noticed it, or maybe she's just ignoring it. But she should be pressured about whether she's entering or not."

"Of course. Touko-chan is a very delicate person after all."

The moment after Yumi finished talking, for some reason, the room fell quiet.

Huh. Did people not think that Touko-chan was delicate? Or is it that, words like those weren't wholely in character for her?

Yes, Shimako-san whispered, after much thought to herself.

"But why is Touko-chan so angry?"

"... Ahh."

Noriko-chan did not answer. Is it because Noriko-chan thought her answer was vague? Or maybe it was because she was confident in her answer, but was not comfortable with speaking so freely about it? Or maybe she just couldn't find the correct words to frame her answer in? Well, the reason she didn't say must be one of those.

"Well, there is also Matsudaira Touko-san, but."

Mami-san opened an application that she took from the box and read.

"Hosokawa Kanako-san still has not applied."

Then one of the newspaper club hopeful rookies, looking as if they would add something to the conversations, raised their right hands into the air and said "Yes."

"Kanako-san has declared that she will not become Yumi-sama's soeur, though."

"I have heard it. But, you know, a woman's heart is fickle. After she began coming to the Rose Mansion to help out, perhaps her opinion changed."

As Yumi heard this, she thought to herself "Maybe that's true". Even Touko-chan had said this recently, but Kanako-chan had definitely changed from before. She had taken out her sword and readied herself. She had also become a bit more open in socializing, but did she feel like she was getting closer to her or drifting away. If you roughly handle and hurt Kanako-chan, then you should move your hand back as
soon as you can.

"Huuuh. That girl."

Mami-san slapped the one page application in front of her and laughed.

"She wrote her appeal comment out straught."

Mami-san stood up, and trained the pitch in her voice, as if she were performing a play on a street, for a crowd of onlookers chanting "What, what?!".

"'From the moment I entered the Student Council, I felt as if I had become a main character amongst the cast of Roses. Whether it is Yumi-sama or it is Yoshino-sama, either one of you, won't you please make me your soeur?' and that's it."

Either one of you. Well.

"That's a frank admission, but if you look at the impression that such an admission normally gives, it makes you feel as if their true feelings are masked in silk..."

"Maybe a person with too much self confidence? Or a kid who knows no struggle? Or maybe it's the result of a fight between two soeurs..."

Yoshino-san rolled her sleeves up meaninglessly.

"First Year, Chrysanthemum Class, Naitou Shouko ... do you know her?"

Noriko-chan answered "No" to Mami-san's question.

"Isn't that, maybe it's Naitou Katsumi-sama's little sister?"

Yoshino-san said.

"The one who, in order to spend her third year in the same class as Torii Eriko-sama, pushed herself to reach Rank Two on her exams? Of course, she must have a little sister. She's using her real sister to get revenge upon the Rose Family huh."

"Isn't that reason bit weak?"

Shimako-san broke the madly rambling Yoshino-san.

"Why is Katsumi-sama becoming Yoshino-san's soeur a form of revenge?"

"Because, as soon as she would become soeurs with me, she would have all the leeway to be violent as she could want. As her Onee-sama, she would hassle me."

All the leeway to be violent. Hassling the older sister. Just who was the person who was saying all these things. But she stayed quiet, because if she voiced her thoughts, this person would start acting violently.

"Well, if that's what she's planning, then why didn't she write 'Yoshino-sama, I want to become your soeur'? She said either Yoshino-san or Yumi-san, either would be fine. That's kind of strange, isn't it?"

"Oh really. Then what is her real motive?"

She understood the point of what Shimako-san was trying to say, but Private Eye Yoshino, when she talked about this 'Naitou Shouko' whom she hadn't seen, her eyes took up a certain cast that knew she would not easily let go of her conviction.

It was one-sided, because Yumi was included too.

(Naitou Katsumi-sama, and her little sister, Shouko-san... huh.)

When she heard the two names in her head, for a moment it seemed as if she remembered something, but because her head was filled with thoughts of the Tea Party and Touko-chan and Kanako-chan and Onee-sama and other such thoughts that she could not forget, her head had no way to store any extraneous information, and she would soon forget about it.

She would remember it when, days later, she would meet with the real Naitou Shouko-san.



"Does Yumi-san have any connection with this Touko-chan thing?"

As everyone was returning, Shimako-san and Noriko nonchalantly split from the main group as they walked down the row of trees. Then Shimako-san stopped and began speaking to Noriko-chan. When Noriko-chan looked surprised, Shimako-san smiled back at her.

"And that's why you couldn't say anything."

"Woooow.... you get it all Shimako-san."

"Funny isn't it."

Yumi-sama and Yoshino-sama walked ahead, and the three Newspaper Club girls turned lightly into a curve, and disappeared from sight.

"If you don't want to talk about it, then I won't force an answer out of you. But I thought that, maybe you would want to lighten your burden by talking about your thoughts with someone."

Shimako-san said the thing that she should have said, and began walking again. Shimako-san kept her hand within reach, so Noriko-chan grabbed it.

"Nope, I don't want to talk about it with Shimako-sama. It's nothing, really. Keeping it to myself is pretty tough, but I want to see the whole thing through."

When Shimako-san was just being herself, she was something. When it came to herself, she would become confused about what to do, but she would always watch over others. That was why Noriko could speak plainly with Shimako-san. Why is such an incredible person my Onee-sama, Noriko sometimes thought to herself.

"The things that Touko have said .. well, I think she said them because of everyone else's jealousy."

Noriko spoke aloud what she was thinking.

"I see."

Shimako-san nodded quietly as she smiled. The two held hands and began walking slowly down the road in front of the rows of trees, as the group that had passed them up earlier came into view again.

"It's because Yumi-sama is popular."

Inside the splendid looking face of the Rose Family, Yumi-sama was the gregarious Onee-sama of the People and the idol of the first-years. Noriko too did not want to lose to the People, but she lacked an easy sense of familiarity. She had a presence, but she just wasn't Yumi-sama.

"I don't know who started it, but everyone thinks that Touko has become Yumi-sama's number one soeur candidate."

"Number one soeur candidate?"

"I think it's because Yumi-sama had asked her earlier to help out at the Rose Mansion, but."

The idol of everyone just maybe could become the Onee-sama of only one person. Everyone had vaguely prepared themselves for the day it would eventually happen, but they didn't really want to see it. They just had an idea of what it would be like.

Then again, for the people that already have Onee-samas, how do they talk to her about so many things. If she tried to see how it would feel to involve someone else into her own affairs, Noriko could understand.

"But that's it?"

Shimako-san said after some deep thought.

"Last year, when I had come to help out the Yamayurikai and even when Yumi-san came to help during the play, there was a bit of commotion, but no-one really hated it. It was the same with you, right Noriko?" [[Talk:Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume20_Chapter1.3|*]]

"Yeah, well."

Noriko nodded.

"But Touko has said and done some things in her past that make it hard for people to like her."

"What did she do?"

"Last year, during monsoon season, remember when Rosa Chinensis and Yumi-sama started fighting or something last year, and things got dark between them? Well, everyone says that Touko was the one who caused it to happen."

Last year when Rosa Chinensis had taken off from school, a lot of students saw Touko and Yumi-san's argument in the milk hall. Then Yumi-sama tactfully asked Touko to help out at the Rose Mansion, and immersed her into it, after which the rumor sort of died down, but.

"That's true."

Shimako-san whispered nostalgically. She was thinking about the first summer right after that monsoon season.

"I know I'm being nosy, but, when Touko, who had bullied Yumi-sama, was asked to help out, wasn't it sort of interesting? Because that had happened, she inadvertently got closer to Yumi-sama when she had been targeting Rosa Chinensis."

"So then, Noriko, you don't think that Touko-chan is picking Yumi-san to be her soeur because she wants to get closer to Sachiko-sama?"

Noriko nodded easily. Touko admired Rosa Chinensis, but she would never do something like that.

"So then, what's happening with Touko-chan?"

Noriko shook her head in response to Shimako-san's question.

"I don't want to talk about it. I'm trying not to hurt Touko after all."

"Well well."

"Well, not forever, but it's like 'We have to clean that, so move it' or 'You're not using the bamboo stick, so lend it to me' or something"

"Are you trying to sew a yukata with regular cloth?" [[Talk:Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume20_Chapter1.3|*]]

"Yeah."

"You're really saying as little as possible, aren't you?"

"Ah, oh yeah. There's something else I wanted to talk about. I had brought the latest edition of the Lillian Kawaraban with me, and I laughed when I thought about whether Noriko-san had talked about this with them, But really, I shouldn't have laughed."

Her classmates were excited by it, but Touko was very angry.

In the shadows, many rumors flew around, none of them with any real hate.

To help out Touko, Noriko had tried to be the one friend who had kept a straight face about this.

But for some reason, it felt as if she was just running in circles.

Keeping everything inside of her felt bad, but first year Camellia Class, on the surface, looked as if it would keep going smoothly.

"Maybe only my thoughts are strange," Noriko thought.

Everything really seemed to be fine, but inside of Noriko, her strangeness made everything feel as if it tottered. That must be it.

"I thought Yumi-sama didn't want Touko."

And Noriko stopped abruptly. Shimako stopped walking.

"But, Touko is"

Shimako got that far, when she realized that glistening things fell from the tops of Noriko's cheeks."

"Huh? Why are you crying?"

Shimako-san took her hand out, took her handkerchief out, and wiped the bottom of Noriko's eyelashes with it. She stared directly at Noriko's face and smiled.

"Noriko, you like Touko-chan, don't you?"

"I do, a bit."

As she pointed this out, Noriko realized she liked her more than she thought.

As twilight descended, the obscuring of her surroundings was a blessing. It was a blessing that she was away from everyone else, Noriko thought.

Yumi-sama could not notice her feelings for Touko.

Noriko-chan tightly grasped Shimako-san's hand.

And to keep the traces of her tears hidden from everyone else, Noriko turned to watch a bus go by.



When she thought about it, if she introduced Naitou Shouko to Eriko-sama as her soeur, then Eriko-sama would be very surprised.

Yoshino daydreamed as she lifted her chin from the top of the paper on her desk.

She had no expectations for the Naitou sisters, but if she were just going for impact, then at this moment, Naitou Shouko was the best she could get. But you couldn't find a soeur by just filling out some documents, so she needed to meet her in person. But if she did make Naitou Shouko her soeur, she didn't think it would be as bad as it was supposed to be.

Maybe it wouldn't be that bad, but she knew she was playing with a danger that you could only shake your head at.

The paper was actually a problem set handed out in math class to take home and finish, but because it had become a nuisance for her thought process, she had not finished a single problem.

Perhaps because she was bad at math and wanted to not deal with it, or because she had been thinking about too many other things, or because her thoughts were not letting her solve the equations correctly. Either way, when she stared at the paper, her thoughts seemed to evaporate into thin air.

"Let's do it."

Now to start, she thought, and rose with determination. When she looked at her watch, it read slightly past eight. It was about time.

Yoshino trailed down the stairs, and she saw her mother in the living room, with a bag.

"I should start preparing now. You're right on time."

"Huh, what's that bag?"

"Did you come from next door? It's a pastry I bought today at the store. I wanted to share, so I gave your aunt a piece."

"Why didn't you give me any?"

"Because today you and Rei-chan came back at different times. I knew I had to meet your aunt. I had a reason, but for some reason, I would cancel each time. So I thought I'd let Yoshino do what she wanted, and if Rei-chan came back to her house, I'd give her a little souvenir."

"If I or Rei-chan doesn't get back, how does it matter?"

"It's not a fresh sweet, so it's fine. The expiration date is the last day of the month."

"Last day of the month?"

She had remembered something bad.

"But I had to go meet her so... eh? Am I wrong?"

"No, you're not."

Yoshino took the paper back and went out of the door. When she looked inside, she was a little annoyed, but it was her mother, so she let the matter drop.

"Good Evening!"

It was next door, but they were right next to each other. Their front doors were a cheerful stroll apart.

"Welcome. Could you wait a bit, I just finished peeling an apple. Did you bring that bag from your friend? Still this year? I'll fill up the bag, so just wait there."

"Ah, sure. Thank you very much."

No matter how you looked at it, her aunt and her mother seemed to have the same thoughts. Her mother had just talked about sharing a pastry, so the apple made her smile widely.

But.

"Rei-chan."

Rei-chan looked as if she was completely unprepared for a visit. She was idly staring at the newest edition of Cosmos Friend while sitting on he bed.

"Huh, Yoshino. What's wrong?"

"I came to share some pastry with you."

"Huuuuh."

"-- Well actually, I came to ask you for some help on homework."

Yoshino placed a glass platter where she had put her aunt's peeled apple and the paper she had brought from home onto the low table.

"What's it about?"

Rei had no choice but to get out of bed.

"It's not that simple. But if you just told me which formula to use, I could solve it."

"I know that. But you came here just to ask me which formula to use?"

Those were not the words of a person who taught, Yoshino thought to herself.

"There's no way you can use the wrong formula here. Open your book. Hey, wait a second. It's the second-year book, so I need to find out where it is."

Rei-chan would look over her problems, no matter how much time it took. Yoshino held the hand of the person who, in her heart, was her Onee-sama, was her sempai in a club, was her neighbor, and was her beloved cousin.

"Rei-chan, you know, today at the Rose Mansion ..."

"... Yoshino. We'll gossip later."

Rei-chan looked busily through her bookshelves. The ends of her disheveled hair had dust that resembled powdered snow. Yoshino unheedingly went on talking.

"Um, you know. When looking through the list of applicants for the Tea Party, the name of a first year kinda like Naitou Katsumi-sama's little sister was there. What should we do?"

"Huh?"

Rei-chan turned back swiftly. She had said that they would gossip later, but she fell straight into it.

"Don't you have a bad feeling about this? Because wasn't Naitou Katsumi-sama Eriko-sama's rival?"

"Aren't you changing the subject, Yoshino? If Eriko-sama or Katsumi-sama were still in school, then maybe. Now that they're at different universities, there's no reason for them to compete. Aren't you interfering a bit too much on the affairs of Katsumi-sama's real little sister?" [[Talk:Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume20_Chapter1.3|*]]

Rei-chan said, as she took out the math book she used last year. Yoshino loved Rei-chan's textbooks. If only one word could describe them, then they would be 'beautiful'. They had not the beauty of disuse, but the beauty of much use. It had important notes added into the margins, and colorful underlines. It had an unmistakable feel of a 'girl's textbook.'

"Well, the two sisters."

As if having won a competition with a small hint, Rei-chan whispered about memory.

"Last year when I fought in that Taisho's Fight with that girl Tanaka-san." [[Talk:Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume20_Chapter1.3|*]]

"Oh yeah, I should be the one who gets revenge for you Rei-chan."

Unfortunately, because she was a third year last year, Yoshino's wish to cross swords with her could not be fulfilled. Even though she didn't yet have the strength needed to play in an actual match.

"That Tanaka-san who graduated, you know this year her little sister is entering. As a high rank too."

"Hmmph. Is she highly ranked?"

"Well she's rumored to be. Tanaka-san's grandfather runs a dojo, and the four Tanaka sisters have a big reputation."

"Four sisters? From the top, which sister is this?"

From her shelf Rei-chan searched in the book and pulled out a fat volume named "Kendo 3". These were scrapbooks where Rei-chan cut out magazine and newspaper articles. There were others like "Pastries 6" and "Handicrafts 2".

"Hey look. It's in here."

Rei-chan pointed to something that seemed as if it had been copied out of an area or municipality map. There were even pictures. One picture, which looked as if it had been copied countless times, had a gruff-looking person in it who Yoshino did not recognize at all.

"But it says 'The Three Tanaka Oonakas'."

"No, I'm pretty sure that there's a fourth. A long time ago, when I was in middle school, I had seen the four lined up on a map."

"So then maybe the fourth one isn't an Oonaka?"

"I see. Maybe because she's a middle school student, she's not an Oonaka yet!"

Yoshino hit Rei-chan with her palm.

"Hey, Rei-chan. They may be sisters but, not everyone goes to same school."

"Ah."

Both the Naitou sisters and the first three Tanaka sisters went to the same High School, so not going to the same high school seemed like some illusion.

"Of course. Fufufufu."

"Haha..."

Rei-chan's laugh was for some reason androgynous. But the two laughed their guts out. After laughing, stopping, then laughing again three times, a broadly smiling Yoshino spoke while she wiped tears off her face.

"Rei-chan. You know, I'd be happy, if I had a soeur."

"Eh?"

Rei-chan looked up with a slightly surprised face.

"Whatever kind of soeur she will be, I think my relationship to her will be completely different than my relationship to you."

".... Yoshino."

Rei-chan mad a painful-looking face, and then Yoshino clapped her hands together.

"It's not like I'm going to ignore the relationship we have together, Rei-chan. Don't get me wrong there. The two of us are real cool together, we're great friends, and I'm proud to think that we get along really well. But you know, it's a very special relationship. If you look around, there aren't other soeurs like us."

"Yeah. You're right."

"Rei-chan, were you happy being Eriko-sama's soeur?"

Rei-chan nodded, but a bit guardedly.

"I'm really jealous. If Rei-chan looked at it later, she'd understand. But even now, I think you'll understand. Growing up in a different style with a person you don't know. Making new acquaintances. How should I say this, it's a very refreshing feeling. So I won't just let whatever happen to Rei-chan. Whatever happens, even if I find a soeur, I will always really love Rei-chan."

Clasping their arms together, Rei-chan giggled a bit, and flicked Yoshino's forehead.

"Well then, I wonder if soon I'll be able to enjoy both Yoshino and her soeur."

That would be nice too.



Tuesday.

During lunchtime, Hosokawa Kanako-chan came to visit the Rose Mansion.

At the time, because Yumi and Yoshino-san were in front of the first floor stairs looking through the letters, when Kanako-chan first came in, they thought that she had come to enter the Tea Party.

"I'm sorry that I came while you were in the middle of work. I wanted to speak with you, Yumi-sama, but... it looks like I can't."

Kanako-chan said as she observed the scene. But before she set foot into the Rose Mansion, it seemed as if she did not know that this was the place next to the window for the Tea Party applicants.

"It's fine. One person can handle the letters. If you need some help, just call up to the second floor, and Noriko-chan or Shimako-san will come down."

Yoshino-san replied to Kanako-chan, or perhaps to Yumi.

"Oh? Alright, then have fun talking."

Yumi rose from the seat she was sitting in, and joined Kanako-chan in walking outside.

Earlier there had been a number of first-years who had come to have fun, but none of them ended up submitting applications, so the Rose Mansion began resembling a closed store left open. If she left her waiting area now, it seemed as if everything would be okay.

She left the Rose Mansion, and began walking towards no direction in particular.

In the clear autumn day, students in the courtyard were taking walks after eating, and were having fun, but they turned around abruptly behind the school, and the figures of the others disappeared.

"A while ago, I had thought I'd try to come after school to see First-Year Camellia Class."

"Ah, yeah."

Unfortunately, neither Kanako-chan nor Touko-chan were in the classroom then. It hadn't seemed like they had gone home, but the timing had felt a bit odd.

"I'm sorry. I hadn't sought you out, even though every day after school I just plod around..."

"It's fine" Yumi said, as she patted Kanako-chan.

"I wanted to say sorry for asking you to help out during the School Festival. I also wanted a two shot picture with you, so." [[Talk:Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume20_Chapter1.3|*]]

"A picture ... ahhh"

Kanako-chan whispered as if a she had just come up to a realization. Yumi wondered what had happened to the picture, but when she thought the idea shown on her face, she added "Of course, I haven't forgotten about it."

"Maybe, if you work hard during the School Festival, then we can take a picture together, is what I had promised"

"Take a picture together? You have the gall..."

It was that, the Kanako-chan she knew directly after the Athletic Festival looked dangerous, so she used an excuse to become friends with her. Because in spite of what had happened, Kanako-chan had once been a person who hoped to have a two shot with this now un-deified Yumi-sama.

"Well, whatever you had said about the pictures, Yumi-sama thought that I worked hard with her during the School Festival, and recognized my value. Then I'm happy."

"Of course."

"Good. If I can return the favor, then."

It had been a long time since she had last talked to Kanako-chan like this, even though it hadn't really been that long since she had last talked to Kanako-chan. If Kanako-chan felt the same, Yumi wondered what she would do.

"Because during the School Festival, I put myself in a place where I have to thank everyone so."

Kanako-chan laughed.

"Eh? Huh?"

"For my Dad, and Yuuko-sensei. And Chikako."

Ah, that... she nodded and then shook her head.

"But I didn't do anything."

"No, you definitely did. That's why I have to get you something soon."

"Kanako-chan..."

Kanako-chan had really changed, Yumi observed. A lot in a very short time. But just how she had changed, Yumi could not put into a single word. It was as if she had taken off her heavy shell, and became light and nimble.

"So then, the reason I came here..."

Kanako-chan cut in.

"You said you had something to talk about."

Yumi confirmed, and then nodded.

"The talk of the Tea Party is becoming pretty lively even around me."

"Sorry. Has it been tough?"

'Even' she had said, so then it was probably the same thing that was happening to Touko-chan, but now it was happening to Kanako-chan too.

"It has. But I didn't really come here to complain. I'm pretty detached in class, so it's not much of an itch or a pain. But I wanted to talk to someone about it correctly. But I thought that Yumi-sama was the only one who I could talk about my feeling with about this."

"Feelings?"

The heavy echo that accompanied her words put Yumi on guard.

"I have no desire to participate in the Tea Party."

"Aaah."

Not only was she letting others know that she did not want to find an Onee-sama, but she was also declaring that she did not want to be Yumi's soeur.

And Yumi understood this somehow.

Kanako would not become her soeur.

It wasn't a matter of Yumi not choosing Kanako-chan, or Kanako-chan rejecting Yumi, just something vague. The two of them could not become soeurs, so.

Perhaps Kanako-chan had picked up on this before Yumi did. From much earlier, at least that was obvious.

It's somewhat vague, but if she said it outright, then it felt too harsh. It was like a balloon she let go into the wind, whose direction she would watch.

When she felt the conversation became more serious, Kanako-chan changed the subject.

"I joined a club."

"Eh? Really?"

That was like a crack of thunder in her years. [[Talk:Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume20_Chapter1.3|*]]

"Is it the Basketball Club?"

It was the only club that fit her. When Yumi asked, Kanako responded "Yes".

"Before, I had rejected an offer I had been given to enter the club, but now I wanted to join again so."

She was a beginner, so first she had to go to the gym and practice with the wall, Yumi daydreamed. It seemed fun in a way. So that's what she had meant when she had said "after school I just plod around".

"Do you think you can find an Onee-sama in your club?"

"No. The way I am now, I don't think I want to become anyone's soeur. Next year, maybe I will try to find a soeur of my own, or."

"I see."

She didn't say but, to Kanako, Yuuko-sempai was the only person in the world who she could call Onee-sama. At least, that's what Yumi thought.

"I think I had been just guessing, but I thought of Yumi-sama like I did of Yuuko-sempai."

"Yeah."

Yumi knew that for a while, Kanako-chan had been searching for someone. She knew that when Kanako-chan saw Yuuko-san from the School Festival, Kanako-chan thought "She's the one".

"When I met Yumi-sama in this school, it was the feeling I had gotten from looking at Yuuko-sempai when I was in middle school. I won't make the same mistake twice. So arrogantly I said, *I* will protect you."

This stuff really happened, Yumi thought to herself nostalgically.

"But I was mistaken."

The thing that Kanako-chan had been after was something higher, and of course she did not follow the real Yumi.

Kanako-chan nodded quietly, then laughed as if she suddenly remembered something.

"What?"

"Yumi-sama thought of a weird example, right? Something like, if one of a pair of twins goes to Mars. Remember?"

"Yeeeah."

It seemed as if she had and had not said it. Had it been before the Athletic Festival?

"I've let it go. As soon as I let it go, it was like a strange force in my shoulders was let go too. Like, it's fine to not pointlessly fight alone."

"Kanako-chan..."

"I couldn't see my adored Yumi-sama again. It was sad that I could not see her, but that person was someone who lived on Mars. If I broke off from this person whose face resembled Yumi-sama's, then I could feel like meeting with the Yumi-sama who was still on Earth. And when I tried to do just that, she turned out to have more meaning for me than I had thought. Somewhere along the way, I had become close with the one on Earth."

That was a very laudable speech, Yumi thought, as she let Kanako-chan keep speaking.

"Yumi-sama was not completely different to the image of Yumi-sama I had held on to. Back then, when you looked at me you had said that everything was a figment of your imagination, so I thought there was no way I could be saved. The phantom was my thoughts. To deny the thoughts I had held to myself for so long ... to deny my very heart, that was a very painful thing."

"... Yeah."

Of course. It must have been painful.

But now, Kanako-chan laughed.

"When I met Yuuko-sempai again, I felt down when trying to think of what I needed to do. When I met her, Yuuko-sempai too was like Yumi-sama, just one of the twins. So there was nothing I could do, I thought. Maybe. The Yuuko-sempai who long ago chased after the same basketball with me was now living in Mars."

"Eh, Mars again?"

Kanako-chan squarely nodded when Yumi asked again.

"Yes. Together with Yumi-sama's other sibling. It's Maria-sama's planet, I think."

"Well... Maria-sama's planet. Well that's."

It was a sort of quixotic thing to thing about, but now that she thought about it more, quixotic wasn't really...

"No, please don't look like that. It's a world that Yumi-sama created. And I've come to love it."

It was where the things we loved from our past lived.

Far away, in the night sky, today too it shone well.

Of course, it was so that we would not forget those things that had once existed in this world.

The things we needed to protect, in order to move forward.

"Kanako-chan."

Yumi held Kanako-chan's hand. What's this. Her chest felt heavy.

"We have to take a two shot."

"Ehh."

"Yes. We have to, right now."

She hurried fate. Without waiting for an answer, she walked on. Where would Tsutako-san be now? In her classroom? If not, maybe in the clubhouse.

"But, Yumi-sama."

"It's not because I made a promise with Kanako-chan. It's because I want to take a picture with Kanako-chan."

For a moment, Kanako-chan just blinked, but eventually she nodded and laughed.

Holding hands, they made off to a slow run.

The dead leaves crinkled and cracked in laughed.

The cold breeze, it felt wonderful.

Kanako-chan. Yumi looked up to the sky and thought.

Good luck.

We might not become soeurs but, we were friends after all.

Section 6

Wednesday, after school.

Rosa Chinensis finally arrived at First-Year Camellia Class.

"Has the cleaning been finished? Please call Touko-chan for me."

Noriko came out (or rather was forced by her frightened classmates) to intercept her, in a rare, dry panic, muttering "Well now, what sort of business do you have with me?" as if she had heard some weird things.

"Noriko-chan looks like Touko-chan's knight today."

"I'm sorry."

It was almost like, to play a prank on someone, her mother bumps into her. Noriko smoothed the pleats of her skirt with the palm of her hand, and hid searched for the pocket around her thighs. A knight, what a comparison!

"I've heard that the Tea Party has caused her a lot of difficulty. So when I come to visit, here you come out as if on watch."

"No, well that's."

At that moment, Touko, who had gone to take the cleaning log to the Staff Room, returned. But when she saw the two standing in front of the door, perhaps she thought it didn't involve her, so she simply nodded towards them and headed towards the wall.

"Touko."

Noriko called out to the figure whose back straightened suddenly.

"Rosa Chinensis has come to see you."

"Me?"

Touko-chan said slowly, as she turned.

"Well, what sort of business do you have with me?"

Maybe Rosa Chinensis found it funny that Touko's words were the exact same as the ones that Noriko used. She laughed dryly.

"I just have one thing to ask you. It'll be over soon."

"Is that so?"

So please listen to me, it seemed that Rosa Chinensis would add. The corners of Touko's face changed slightly as she waited. Noriko had become a third party whose role of mediator was finished and who could take the stairs out and leave, but she looked back and found something catch her eye. She began talking.

"Uh, whatever you want to do, can we do it somewhere else?"

At all times of the day, the entrance to a classroom which had just been cleaned was full of people.

"You're right."

Rosa Chinensis nodded, when Touko stiffly said.

"I don't mind. Please speak your mind."

Noriko-chan listened and felt her heart beat faster. Rosa Chinensis wryly smiled.

"I too do not mind. But, Touko-chan, you tell me that you do not mind even before hearing what I want to talk about. So maybe you have an idea of what I want to talk to you about."

"Touko."

Leave this to me. A mad urgency came into Noriko, and her eyes reflected it. It was as Rosa Chinensis said. Even though she did not know what Rosa Chinensis was to talk about, Touko had rashly come to her decision, so Touko herself would be the one to suffer.

"Touko-chan. You should listen to your friend's advice."

Touko gave no answer to Rosa Chinensis's remark. But it was obvious that that was Touko's obstinate sort of agreement.

"It would be better if we didn't do it at the Rose Mansion."

When Yoshino heard about what Rosa Chinensis was planning, Noriko thought to herself "Maybe what Rosa Chinensis has to say has to do with Yumi-sama."

Rosa Chinensis began walking, but she stopped once and looked back.

"Noriko-chan, won't you come with us?"

"Huh?"

Noriko was of course surprised, but Touko made a "Why?" look on her face. Because maybe Touko thought that Rosa Chinensis's news dealt only with herself.

"You're Touko-chan's knight, aren't you?"

"What does Rosa Chinensis intend to do with Touko?"

Rosa Chinensis laughed.

"I already told you. I have something I want to ask her about."

It was the laugh of an evil bad guy. Whether Noriko would play the role of knight or not, she wound up having to come along.

"Why aren't you applying to participate in the Tea Party?"

Rosa Chinensis asked Touko as soon as she began walking.

"Why? If I wanted to apply, then shouldn't I have a reason to apply?"

"It seems to me as if you do."

While she was looking for a place to talk, it seemed like the talk was already nearly finished. Or maybe she had chosen to ask that question while walking because of the other people who were around them. Either way, the two began talking. Noriko, who walked behind them, tried her utmost to pick up leaked words from the conversation.

"I wanted to say this so no misunderstanding would come between us. I care not who becomes Yumi's soeur. Except I do not think it best that she choose you."

"So then why are you trying to push me into applying?"

"I didn't come here to tell you to apply. I only came here to find out what your reasons for not applying were."

This was what Rosa Chinensis had said. With words like those, Touko could not help but feel instigated.

"Why do you want to know it? I want to ask you something. If I tell you, what will you do?"

"I won't do anything. I've been watching you lately and getting a bit irritated. I want to find out a reason that will let me find out why you've been acting like this."

What selfishness. What high-handedness. But this was Rosa Chinesis's cunning, this was the part of her which was her strength. [[Talk:Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume20_Chapter1.3|*]]

"Of course our little chat must be troubling for you. I've come here just to fulfill my own selfish desire after all."

'Ah. She noticed it herself,' Noriko thought.

"Looking at Touko-chan is like a painful look at my past self. To live frankly is a very courageous thing, but there are several shades of that."

Touko said nothing. She held her head down, became expressionless, and stayed silent. Whether she was listening or not I did not know. But she (E:Noriko) felt that she was very carefully, very acutely hearing each word.

"That was all I had wanted to say. Take some time will you."

Even though they were only part of the way down the corridor, Rosa Chinensis made a hand signal that showed that this was the end. She exited and left the two alone.

"Rosa Chinensis probably made a mistake. That's what I really think."

Noriko told Touko. They were weren't meant for Touko, rather than to follow up what Rosa Chinensis had said.

"But I think Touko-chan is thinking 'No more' right now, so it'll be better if I leave."

Touko had no need to do what any old person told her to do. If she believed the advice in her heart, then she would follow the person's advice and do exactly what they said.

"That's why, I'm probably interfering way too much but, just stop."

Noriko took out the application addressed "First-Year Camellia Class Matsudaira Touko" out of her pocket, and ripped it into pieces. She had predicted that Touko would not come to the application registrar for the Tea Party until the last moment, so just in case, she had one application prepared. The issue wasn't whether she would use it or not, but more that it would be used as insurance.

"That's ..."

Touko opened her mouth slowly.

"I've already ripped it apart, so I'll go home and throw it away."

She took the pieces and made them into a ball, and put the ball into her pocket.

"Noriko-san."

"Well then. Let's go back to class."

Nothing had happened yet.

Let the pebble that Rosa Chinensis had thrown grow and ripple in her heart, and spur its own action.

That was all Noriko could do.

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