Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume6 Chapter3 1

Main. Part 1.

"Onee-sama, is this really okay?"

Yumi asked, tugging on the sleeve of Sachiko-sama's coat as they lined up inside the store.

"Is what 'really okay'?"

"Your seventeen year run of protecting yourself will be broken today."

"How grandiose. Please don't complain about each and every item that's in the plan."

"But …."

When Yumi agreed to this, she had no idea that it was going to be Sachiko-sama's first time.

"It'll be fine. If you teach me how to behave, I'll be fine. If I get confused, I'll just follow what you do."

"Mmm"

What kind of conversation was this, Yumi asked herself as they chatted. 'How to behave', 'follow what you do', she said. To do something as simple and easy as buy a hamburger.

That's right.

The two of them were currently in a fast food store.

The amazing thing was that today was Sachiko-sama's first time in a fast food store.

She was a natural-born princess, and if you left it at that, it was understandable, but as a high-school student living in Tokyo, it was quite the rare existence.

Her inexperience with fast food may have been due to her family's policy, or fastidiousness. In that case, she should phone home and get permission before attempting this challenge. Yumi, who did not understand the lifestyles of the rich, was reading far too much into this – Sachiko-sama had eaten hamburgers cooked by her family's chef, so it wasn't an absolute rule.

"What is it?"

"Nothing"

If the 'way of a lady' still exists in this age, Sachiko-sama shouldn't stray from the path. However, if she brought this up, she knew that Sachiko-sama would look displeased, so she didn't dare say anything.

While this was going on, the line of people waiting to place their orders was steadily advancing. Before they knew it, Sachiko-sama was next in line.

"You've got it, yeah? Two hamburgers, two oolong teas and a medium serve of fries."

Yumi handed over the envelope containing their funds, which Sachiko-sama received with some irritation.

"I got it the first time you said it. And even if they recommend something, we don't add anything to the order, right?"

"That's right. Unplanned expenses would affect our future plans."

"Yes, yes."

Their usual roles had been reversed. It was uncomfortable, but also a little bit fun.

Sachiko-sama didn't hesitate over the chicken nuggets or the apple pie, placing the order impeccably. Similarly for paying the money. However, she blundered right at the very end. She didn't take the offered tray from the shop employee, instead turning and walking off towards the seats.

"Onee-sama...!"

Hurriedly grabbing the tray, she caught up to Sachiko-sama. While chasing her, Yumi was burning with shame. Following Sachiko-sama was a difficult job, she knew all too well.

"Huh? The staff don't bring it for you?"

"…."

When Sachiko-sama asked again with a serious look on her face, Yumi realized she wasn't joking.

"In this system the customers take the food they've ordered to their tables themselves, and then eat it."

It was like she was with some foreigner who had never been to Japan before. No, these days there aren't really any countries that don't have fast food restaurants, so …. an alien, perhaps?

"But you didn't tell me that."

Sachiko-sama said quietly, as they were sitting down at a booth.

"Hmm"

Even on learning that her onee-sama was an 'alien', Yumi's common sense didn't desert her.

"But you would have learned that from watching the person in front of you, right?"

"You were going on about this and that behind me, Yumi, so I didn't have a chance to observe."

"In the end, it's always my fault, right?"

"You beg to differ?"

Sachiko-sama, the contrarian who hates to lose, smiled coolly after pinning her own blunder on her petit soeur. Her smiling face looked so happy that Yumi was prepared to let it slide.

Sachiko-sama did not fit well with failure. Yumi was much happier to see her proud, smiling face than to see her embarrassed and hanging her head in shame.

"The food's getting cold. Let's eat."

Yet, despite saying this, Sachiko-sama didn't pick up her hamburger. She had unwrapped the hamburger and was doing well, but then started looking for something on the tray.

She lifted up her hamburger, the fries, the oolong teas, and then finally flipped over the tray's place mat.

Yumi watched Sachiko-sama for a while, wondering if she should say anything. But she was hungry, so she took a bite of her hamburger first.

"Umm, onee-sama?"

"Huh?"

Sachiko-sama looked up as she answered and then, in the next instant, looked at Yumi with a curious expression that seemed to indicate she had found what she was looking for – or, more accurately, she looked from Yumi's mouth to Yumi's hands, where she held the half unwrapped hamburger.

"… No way."

The two of them spoke at the same time.

"Huh?"

Again, their responses both came in unison.

But Yumi knew that the revelation that accompanied the 'no way' was very different for the two of them.

"Onee-sama. You don't use a knife and fork with fast-food hamburgers."

"… I suppose not."

Sachiko-sama smiled bitterly, then let out a grandiose sigh of resignation.

"My mistake. It seems I should have learned from the sandwiches."

"So, then, at your house …"

Instinctively Yumi leaned forward, absorbed in the question. When Sachiko-sama saw this, she immediately put on her 'displeased' look and spoke.

"I'm sorry, but at my house we eat sandwiches with knives and forks too."

Sachiko-sama said that when she was in kindergarten, her classmates would laugh at her when she ate sandwiches with a knife and fork at lunchtime. Ever since then, whenever she ate sandwiches away from home she would always be mindful of eating them using her hands. She persevered with this, even though it was something that didn't come naturally to her.

"It seems that, unfortunately, my house is a bit different from normal."

Sachiko-sama seemed to turn serious. Perhaps reluctantly, she picked up the hamburger with her hands and took a bite.

"Kindergarten is when you start to become self-aware, right? Being teased, and trying to improve your way of life to avoid that."

"Improve your way of life?"

"Changing what you have for lunch, not getting driven to school, watching the same cartoons on television as the rest of your classmates, that sort of thing.... But, thinking about it now, it was impossible for a child in kindergarten to do all that. As proof of that, I would end up in bed with a fever as a result of overdoing it."

"Ohh."

After hearing such an incredible story, the only response Yumi could offer up was 'Ohh.'.

"Because of that, I don't really have any good memories of back then."

While talking, Sachiko-sama removed the pickles from her hamburger and placed them on top of a paper napkin. As usual, she was vehement about her tastes.

Nevertheless, Sachiko-sama has had to struggle ever since kindergarten. Incredible. Unbelievably incredible.

As for me, what did I think about when I was in kindergarten? – Yumi struggled valiantly to cast her mind back.

I was normal, living a care-free and pleasant life, I suppose. Playing games, painting and singing were all fun. Thinking about it now, it was a blessed time. The only invisible things she struggled against were from her own imagination. A peaceful life.

"I wonder what's gotten into me. It's strange, to be talking about the past like this."

Sachiko-sama picked out a single fry and ate it elegantly. Directly, with her fingers. She wasn't searching for a fork any longer.

"That's not true at all. I want to hear more of your past, onee-sama."

"Oh"

"… Ahh, not just about your past though."

Sachiko-sama smiled at Yumi's frantic follow-up.

"Well then, shall we talk about now. And then about the near future."

Yumi felt a little bit nervous hearing Sachiko-sama's words, though she didn't know why.