Editing Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume15 Chapter4 1

===<noinclude>Casting Aside Embarrassment of One's Parents</noinclude>Part 1===

For the athletics festival, they were allowed to have their lunch wherever they wanted. 

They could eat in their team area, or return to their classroom, or venture out to the courtyard, or go to Milk Hall.

Ideally, they'd also be able to spread out and have lunch with their families, but that didn't look possible this year. The parents' supporter section was jam packed, so there didn't look to be any room to fit students in there too. Although there were some students that had found a patch of free space near the oval and were having lunch with their parents.

"Yumi."

After the club relay finished, and the announcement informing them of their hour long break, Sachiko-sama slowly made her way across the nylon sheets towards Yumi, from the front seats that the cheer squad had been occupying.

"Yes."

"Let's go … no, would you please lead me."

"Okay?"

Yumi asked back. If it had just been, "Let's go," then she would have understood. But since there was also, "Please lead me," she wasn't sure what was going on.

"You have to go to the classroom to get your lunch box… don't you?"

While they were talking, other members of the green team were leaving, saying, "We're heading out."

The newspaper club's Mami-san and the photography club's Tsutako-san also left – either because they didn't want to interrupt a conversation between soeurs, or they wanted to find a spot to eat as soon as possible, or because they thought this break time would be an opportunity to stumble upon some good material.

"… Lunch box? Ah, that's true. We can walk together, even though we're in different classes."

"Hah."

"At any rate, we should attend to that other matter first, before lunch …"

With that, it looked as though Yumi's deduction had missed the mark.

But even so, Yumi thought it would be nice if they went to get their lunch boxes and then had lunch together, despite being in different grades.

Yoshino-san had been led off somewhere by Rei-sama, who had crossed over enemy lines to get her. 

Despite being irritated with Rei-sama, Yoshino-san still looked a bit happy when she appeared. Yumi thought that might be enough to put her in a good mood, but Yoshino-san's expression quickly changed to one of displeasure. That said, Yumi didn't fail to notice that Yoshino-san's raw emotions had shown on her face, just for a moment. Yoshino-san loved Rei-sama.

"So then, where should I lead you, onee-sama?"

Something they had to do at lunch time before eating lunch – whatever could it be? They didn't have any Yamayurikai work today, but even so there was somewhere Yumi was supposed to take her onee-sama. No matter how much she thought about it, Yumi couldn't find the answer.

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Obvious?"

It was obvious, huh. Where, when, and by who was that decided? Yumi's thoughts were spinning round and round and round and round inside her head.

"I give up, onee-sama. Please tell me the answer."

"You know what I'm talking about, you're just mocking me."

Sachiko-sama's face reddened slightly.

"N-not at all."

That was preposterous. Mocking Sachiko-sama was such a reckless act that Yumi would never be able to do it – in many ways.

"You really don't know?"

"… I'm sorry."

Yumi didn't think she'd done anything wrong just yet, but she apologized anyway. She couldn't rule out the possibility that she had committed some transgression against her onee-sama for failing to find the right answer. 

"So then, you weren't planning on introducing me?"

"Introducing you … who would I be introducing you to, onee-sama?"

"To your parents."

Sachiko-sama turned around, sulking, and Yumi finally understood.

"Ah."

"Not "Ah." Really, how can you be so dense? All morning, no, since last night, I was so worried about it that I couldn't get to sleep. And yet …"

"You couldn't get to sleep, onee-sama?"

Yumi smiled, feeling a little happy. Sachiko-sama was always full of self-confidence, but the thought of meeting her petite soeur's parents had her losing sleep.

"Of course. I was thinking about if I'd be able to properly greet your mother and father when I met them, and whether or not I'd be able to make a good impression."

That sort of comment would make sense coming from her parents, but it felt a bit strange hearing it come from Sachiko-sama's mouth.

"But onee-sama, I'm sure you could handle introductions with anyone."

Even if they were foreign nobility, Sachiko-sama would hold her head high and greet them magnificently.

"Your parents are an exception."

"Huh?"

"I want them to like me."

"…"

Ahh, so that was it – Yumi suddenly understood. This wasn't the first time that Sachiko-sama had lacked confidence.

On the evening of their Valentine's Day date, when she'd admitted she was nervous about calling Yumi's house. 

At her summer holiday house, when she'd mumbled that she couldn't protect Yumi.

At Lady Saionji's birthday party, when Yumi had to put on a musical performance in lieu of a gift.

Sachiko-sama's mountain of self-confidence could easily come crashing down, whenever it was something related to Yumi.

Perhaps Yumi was Sachiko-sama's Achilles' heel.

So Sachiko-sama had built this up internally to be a much bigger deal than Yumi had thought. 

"Then I'll lead you to them."

Yumi started to walk, leading the way.

It was a little, no, quite embarrassing, but she set that aside. It was nothing compared to how hard her onee-sama's heart must be pounding.

"But my parents really aren't that impressive."

Their daughter may go to a school for ladies, but the Fukuzawas came from a long line of commoners.

Her father got carried away easily, and her mother was a bit of a scatterbrain. But they were both kind and honest people. They may not have been all that impressive, but Yumi was still proud of her parents.

So Yumi would introduce her parents that she was proud of to the onee-sama that she was proud of.

"Will I be okay?"

Now that it was about to happen, Sachiko-sama was suddenly hesitating. Yumi grasped her shivering hand and gave a huge nod.

"Of course. Because my mom and dad already love you, onee-sama."

"Really?"

Sachiko-sama asked, as though she didn't believe it. But it was the truth, not just an attempt at consolation.

"Even though you haven't met, they could tell just by watching me. That Ogasawara Sachiko-sama is an important person to me."

"Ahh … I see. In that case, I understand."

Sachiko-sama mumbled.

"Because my parents always talk about you like that too, Yumi."