Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume6 Chapter3 3

Main. Part 3.

"… Damn it."

Tsutako muttered as she stood in front of the cinema.

It was a debacle.

It was rare that she would make such a careless mistake. What a blunder.

"The next session doesn't start immediately after the previous session ends."

"So it appears. I humbly apologize."

"It's okay. You've exceeded my expectations with what you've done."

Minako-sama patted Tsutako on the shoulder as she consoled her.

Perhaps due to warming herself with canned green tea and filling her stomach, Minako-sama was feeling generous.

"You took some photos of Rei-san and Chisato-san before they went into the movie theater, right? That should be enough."

"Hmm"

They had been having a leisurely lunch inside the train station building. So they just made it to the front of the cinema at the time she had memorized. But that time was for the beginning of the next session, so there weren't any patrons exiting from the cinema.

The shock was worse than the time she took an out-of-focus photograph of Rosa Canina. Because this time there was no chance of recovery.

"At any rate, locating Shimako-san should be our top priority. If you really did see her in the food court, then it stands to reason that they would have eaten at a bench, like us."

"Hmm. Stands to reason, I guess."

Even as she responded in the affirmative, the image of Toudou Shimako and Kanina Shizuka eating side-dishes together on a bench didn't really take hold in her imagination. Eating on a bench required you to put the food on your lap, which would lead to them hunching over to eat. But that image didn't fit those two at all. But, on the other hand, why not? That was exactly what Minako-sama and herself had done, shamefully hunching over to eat the sautéed thistle root. Throw-away wooden chopsticks would accompany that perfectly.

"And at the same time as we're doing that, we can also look for Sachiko-san's group."

"Huh, why do you think that...!"

She hadn't said anything herself. She supposed that Yumi-san and Sachiko-sama were currently enjoying their first date somewhere around here.

She had a sinking feeling. If the conversation looked like turning towards her, she would have to take care to redirect it. Otherwise all her effort so far would be in vain.

Minako-sama was done with the movie theater already, and turned and walked off towards the station. Consequently, Tsutako chased after her. There was no way they were going to use this ambush plan again, right? At least spare her from that.

"That's right. Together with Miss Shimazu Yoshino."

Minako-sama made this bizarre statement as they walked along beside each other.

"Huh? Together, you say?"

"Together, I said. With Sachiko-san's group. Hmm, I wonder if together is actually correct? When I met her, she had strayed by herself and was looking lonely."

"Sachiko-sama and Yumi-san … and Yoshino-san?"

"Right. Oh, wait, did I say Yumi-san's name?"

"Huh? Ahh, yeah, you said it just before, Minako-sama."

Danger, danger. She had to take care, otherwise she would leak the gossip about Yumi-san.

"Really? I wonder. Anyway, it's not important. What do you think about that grouping?"

"Well...."

I want to hear more about this, she thought. How did Yoshino-san get mixed in with Yumi-san's first date? When they had met at the ticket gate, she hadn't heard a peep about Yoshino-san.

"Yumi-san and the others don't have anything to do with the treasure hunt prize, so we should keep that quiet..."

"You're being naive, Tsutako-san. A reporter must never turn away from a story. Everything you gather becomes material. If we can pin down Sachiko-san's group, that becomes insurance in case we can't find Shimako-san."

"Ohh, insurance."

Even if they did find Shimako-san's group, the collected material would probably all be used in a story. That was how Minako-sama worked.

"Eye-witness account of the Rosa Chinensis en bouton sisters day off!" sprung to mind.

Good grief, she shrugged her shoulders. She wasn't a newspaper reporter but she was a photographer. If good material rolled her way, she wouldn't hesitate to pick it up. No, she understood quite well.

A bus was stopped at the bus-stop in front of the station.

Tsutako idly thought 'If I got on this, it would take me to school,' as she was reading the destination display. Right now, a young woman was being sucked into the entrance.

(Hmm?)

Again, she got the feeling that it was a face that she knew. Unfortunately, it wasn't either Shimako-san or Shizuka-sama.

(But, just now it was... No, it couldn't be)

She had her commuter pass on her so she could get on the bus to confirm it, if she was so inclined. But if she did that and the bus left with her on board, she'd have to get off at the next stop and walk back.

"Tsutako-san? We're going."

"Ahh, okay"

Minako-sama called out to her as she was lagging behind and, on that note, she forgot about her plan. If it wasn't Shimako-san or Shizuka-sama and just someone she knew, there was no reason to chase after them.

"So which way are we going?"

When she caught up and asked her question, Minako-sama's eyes sparkled.

"We'll start by going over all the benches in the station building with a fine-tooth comb. How's that grab you?"

"… I'll accompany you."

She was hanging on to this boat for the ride. Now that they were inside the station building, if she lost sight of Minako-sama she would become just another young woman shopping in the crowd. This way, she might be able to act as a chaperone.

Later, when she thought about it, she realized that this had also been a careless miss. If she had boarded that bus, she probably would have been able to meet Shimako-san.