Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume10 Chapter1 2

Peppermint Candy. Part 2

After school, a single White Rose blossomed in front of the first-year camellia classroom.

Some time had elapsed since the completion of cleaning duties so there were only a few students in the corridors.

Even so, the motionless figure caught the attention of those who happened to walk past the first-year camellia classroom, and they sighed either nonchalantly or openly as they observed her. – After all, it was undiluted Rosa Gigantea.

Shimako was unaware of these glances, as she was looking out the hallway window to the scenery beyond. Day by day, the greenery on the trees was increasing.

Perhaps the clouds had darkened a bit. Maybe a shower was coming.

Rain wouldn't be out of place during this season. Shimako had a folding umbrella inside her school bag.

"Shimako-san?"

Hearing her name called, she turned around and there was the person she'd been waiting for.

Underneath the evenly cut bangs reminiscent of traditional Japanese dolls, Noriko's eyes looked somewhat surprised.

"What's the matter?"

"There's nothing wrong. I just thought we might go home together, if that's okay with you, Noriko."

However, when Shimako had arrived at the first-year camellia class, she discovered that she'd just missed Noriko. Upon learning that Noriko's bag was still in the classroom, Shimako decided to wait out in the hallway until she returned.

"Sure, I'll go. Oooh, I'm so happy."

Hearing this unrestrained delight, Shimako smiled slightly.

"And your errand? Have you finished it?"

"Huh? Errand?"

Noriko stopped for a moment, as though in thought, and then:

"No, it's nothing. Touko's just been stubbornly forcing me to run from one place to another."

Noriko said, waving her hand as she returned to her classroom.

"Take your time."

Remaining in the corridor, Shimako called out to the retreating figure of the bob-haired girl. Seeing Noriko so full of energy always put her in a good mood.

Shimako had initially been a bit worried, but it looked like Noriko had adapted well to life at Lillian's.

Indeed. Unlike herself a year ago, Noriko was building her own bridges. By finding a friend that she could openly communicate with, she seemed to be opening herself up to the world at large.

Shimako was honestly relieved for that.

Nonetheless, as she was breathing a sigh of relief, there remained a speck of loneliness in a corner of her heart. A feeling both sweet and cold, like holding a peppermint candy in her mouth, swept through her body.

" … She said 'Touko.'"

Shimako said unintentionally, talking to herself.

"You called?"

A voice responded, and Shimako instinctively clutched her chest.

"Gokigenyou, Rosa Gigantea. Oh, my, I seem to have startled you."

Sure enough, when Shimako turned around, the owner of that name, Touko-chan, was standing there smiling, her trademark hair rolls bouncing.

"I'm sorry, I was just thinking about something … Gokigenyou, Touko-chan."

Shimako quickly recovered from her slight disturbance and returned the greeting. Matsudaira Touko was Noriko's classmate, and a distant relative of Sachiko-sama's, so she was a proper young lady.

Even as she faced Touko-chan, Shimako found it strange that she didn't really feel anything negative towards her. Despite the pain Shimako had felt when she heard Noriko speak Touko-chan's name, it didn't seem to have given rise to any feelings of jealousy.

Unaware that Shimako was thinking these thoughts, Touko-chan continued on.

"Listen to me, Rosa Gigantea. Noriko-san's being absolutely awful. No matter how much I encourage her, she absolutely refuses to come and watch our club activities. Whenever I offer to take her, she just runs off somewhere. Could you please say something to her to get her to stop this behavior, Rosa Gigantea."

"Your club?"

Just as Shimako said this:

"Who's the one being absolutely awful?"

Noriko asked, having returned from her classroom with her bag.

"Quit it, Touko. Getting Shimako-san involved in this, really?"

As she made this comment, Noriko gently pushed Touko-chan's head out of the way. Watching this unfold, Shimako's chest tightened slightly.

Again. Again, that peppermint wind was blowing somewhere inside her.

"Noriko, have you joined a club?"

Shimako asked, and Noriko shook her head in rejection of the idea.

"I have no intention of that at all. I've only been invited, is all. I think it's just that everyone's so eager to see me integrate into this school. Although I don't really mind. How can I put this, there's people who make a hobby out of meddling everywhere."

Then without a moments delay, the chief meddler Touko-chan butted in with:

"Touko invited her to the drama club, but then the literature club, the tennis club, and the bible scripture club all asked Noriko-san to join too."

"The bible scripture club?"

Unintentionally, laughter leaked out of Shimako. It would take an incredible classmate to capture the Buddhist sculpture loving Noriko and get her to recite bible verses.

"I know, right."

Noriko too laughed as she shrugged her shoulders.

A devout Catholic daughter of a Buddhist priest, and a Buddhist statue loving reluctant attendant at Lillian's.

They were like complete opposites of each other. At first glance they appeared to be far apart, but they were actually tightly joined at a deeper level.

Just what was their connection? Shimako had thought about it from time to time. While it seemed to be separate from the connection that she shared with her onee-sama, Satou Sei-sama, there were also many places where it felt like it overlapped too.

"While high-school may seem long, it's actually quite short. Don't you think it's a good idea to devote yourself to something other than studying? And yet Noriko-san won't hear a word of it, saying that it would be a huge bother or something. It doesn't even have to be the drama club, she could join the koto music club, or the table tennis club, or the calligraphy club, or the handicraft club, any one she wants, it doesn't matter."

Touko-chan balled her hand into a fist as she made this fervent speech.

"Wouldn't you agree, Rosa Gigantea?"

The conversation having turned to her, Shimako smiled wanly.

"Since I'm not a member of any clubs, my words wouldn't be very persuasive."

"Oh, but I'm sure you're busy with the Yamayurikai, Rosa Gigantea. On top of that, you have your committee work as well."

Touko-chan linked her fingers in front of her chest, then cocked her head to the side, as though doubtful about something.

"Or is it, perhaps, that you're passing on these clubs because you've reserved your time for some other planned activities, Noriko-san?"

"Huh – "

Shimako and Noriko were left speechless by Touko-chan's words. For a moment, their eyes met. But then they looked away, as though seeing something they didn't want to see, and decided to not hear the words that were falling upon their ears. – Silently closing the lid on the Pandora's box that had just been opened.

Whether she was aware of the situation or not, Touko-chan lifted her arms up, still with her fingers linked, as though stretching her back vigorously.

"Well then, it must be time for Touko to go to her club activities~. If I don't hurry, I'll miss the vocal training~."

Having willfully disrupted the atmosphere in that location, the self-styled actress left the stage alone. Shimako and Noriko were left standing there, without a comeback.

"Shall we go home?"

"Yeah."

In that uncomfortable atmosphere, all they could do was head towards the exit in silence.

First they had to escape the gallery that watched on with bated breath from the hallway and the classrooms.