Editing Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume13 Chapter6 3 (section)

=== <noinclude>Search for Takuya-kun! </noinclude>Part 3. ===

The young man was about 170cm tall and his muscles made him look toned, if a bit on the thin side.

His wavy, light brown hair was neither long nor short. At first glance he looked like a fairly typical university student. He was more of the "cute" type than the "cool" type. Probably somewhat due to his baby face.

Looking at him, Mami thought he looked like someone she knew. But she couldn't remember who it was he reminded her of. Probably someone from a boy-band.

"… Is that your boyfriend?"

The old man asked.

"That's right."

They hid themselves behind the pot plants near the window and looked outside. Objectively, they looked like an incredibly suspicious pair.

"Hmm, where did you meet him?"

"We both went to the same school."

Mami replied perfunctorily since she was busy watching them, but the old man kept asking questions.

"When?"

"Why do you ask?"

Mami peeled herself away from the glass and looked straight at the old man.

"Oh, no reason. I was just a bit curious."

Oh, no reason? That wasn't the impression Mami had received. Why had he continued to dig into it, seeking confirmation with, "When?" after he'd been told that they went to school together.

"High school."

Mami answered, wary of just who this old man was. Maybe he was some kind of shady fortune teller. Sensing her suspicions, the old man looked out the window and muttered.

"But it's strange, isn't it?"

"What is?"

Mami once again concentrated on what was beyond the glass. In her mind she said, "You're what's strange," but of course this didn't come out her mouth.

"Your boyfriend and the girl he's cheating on you with. They're at point blank range, only five metres apart, but they haven't noticed each other."

Indeed. They were close enough that they should have recognized each other. Since they'd arranged to meet here, they should have been looking around too.

"They're pen-friends."

Mami hastily responded.

No good, no good. She'd made a casting mistake.

Shimako-san and Takuya-kun knew each other through Noriko-chan and had probably never met directly.

"So are they meeting for the first time today? Seems rather poorly planned. They should have both worn something conspicuous, so they could identify each other."

Even though it was none of his business, the old man seemed excited as he talked.

"But no, more than that, isn't it odd that they haven't even exchanged photos? How old-fashioned are these kids?"

How old-fashioned are they? Old-fashioned enough that they'd be called "pen-friends."

"Mm. Well, a mutual friend was supposed to introduce them. But they must have been delayed due to the accident on the JR line."

"You're quite well informed."

"… Well that was the rumor I heard. From my friend."

Even Mami thought that was a pretty lame excuse.

With the way things were now, it may have been better to be honest from the outset. But taking hidden photos wasn't really something to be proud of, which made it hard to tell the truth. Doing it because of a cheating boyfriend made it marginally acceptable so she'd gone with that.

"I see."

The old man nodded. Her improvisation may just have fooled him. Mami felt a surge of relief.

"Oh."

The guy who looked like Takuya-kun glanced at Shimako-san.

(There, that's Noriko-chan's onee-sama!!)

Mami clenched her fists, sending out all her energy.

But the young man then quickly looked away, turning his head in a different direction. Looking around restlessly. He must be waiting for someone after all. The person he was waiting for obviously hadn't arrived yet.

Next it was Shimako-san taking note of her surrounds, going on a short walk around the fountain. She passed by the traffic-light-color shirt.

(Shimako-san. That's Takuya-kun!)

But Mami's thoughts didn't reach her. Shimako-san walked past that flashy shirt without sparing it a single glance.

"Why are you so worked up about this?"

"Huh, no I'm not."

While this was happening, Shimako-san completed her circuit of the fountain and returned to her original position.

It felt almost like snakes-and-ladders, where she'd rolled the dice and moved forwards only to be sent back to her original square.

Mami took a sip of her flat apple soda.

It looked as though the status quo would persist until Noriko-chan arrived.