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Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume6 Chapter3 4

2010-07-19T20:56:36Z

67.233.95.11: Apostrophe

===<noinclude>Main. </noinclude>Part 4.===

What am I doing? – Yoshino sighed as she watched the cars flow past underfoot.

When she left Minako-sama she went to a café to avoid running into anyone else she knew.

After going to the trouble and expense of getting the bus to K station, it would be a waste to return home having bought only a single paperback novel.

So she had decided she should make the most of her time here on her cherished day off.

Unlike those who were having a cheap date with only 3000 yen for the two of them, she would enjoy a luxurious experience.

The temperature was low and the wind was blowing, but the weather wasn't bad. The sun had come out.

Sitting in the café, next to a window and with the sun shining on her, she had read her recently purchased paperback and sipped her Royal Milk tea. Soon enough she started to get hungry, so she ordered the most expensive of the three set lunches from the store, which was 1500 yen. This was something that Rei-chan and the others definitely wouldn't be able to do today. If they both ordered this, once you added sales tax, they would be over 3000 yen.

But by 2 o'clock she had regrettably finished her novel. At which time Yoshino left the café. It was usually a good store but today, for some reason, the flavor seemed watered down. Maybe they had changed the head chef.

If she were to wander aimlessly around here there was a chance that she would again run into someone she knew. She hadn't liked the idea of being seen while she was on her own today. So she didn't want to go somewhere like a bookstore, or a CD shop, where people would come and go. On the other hand, she didn't feel like going back to a café, or watching a movie either.

So, what should she do?

Yoshino went to a local zoo that was a few minutes' walk from the station. But as she watched the elephants alone, and watched the deer alone, and watched the rabbits alone she gradually became more and more depressed until finally she didn't feel like watching the monkeys alone and left to avoid overstaying her welcome. There were also carnival rides in the park, but going on one of those alone is just hollow. – Plus, on Sunday, there were an annoyingly large number of families about.

Should she return to the station, or should she take the main street south from the station and browse the small shops in that area? Yoshino was absentmindedly pondering this as she stood on the pedestrian bridge.

She wasn't aware of the rate at which time was passing.

Time continued to flow along around her, with the second hand of her analogue watch ticking along and the cars driving beneath her.

What was she doing in a place like this?

For whatever reason, she was out of sorts wherever she want.

She had wanted a paperback, but she didn't have to get it at K station.

She had been hungry, but she hadn't needed a 1500 yen lunch.

She liked zoos, but she really hadn't liked being there alone.

(Who have I chatted with since I left home?)

A little bit with Minako-sama. And when she ordered and paid the bill at the café, and when she bought a ticket to enter the zoo.

(One student)

And after that, not a single word.

If Rei-chan were here now, her mood would be completely different. Yoshino felt a bit sad.

To live a bit more luxuriously, to stretch her legs a bit more than usual... she had done these things, but they had done nothing to fill the hole left by Rei-chan's absence.

If she was with Rei-chan, she would have been fine not going to K station. For lunch, she wouldn't have complained if they had toast and black tea at home. Even if it was just the two of them sitting at the table, not really talking to each other but doing their own thing, it would still have been an incredibly fulfilling way of passing the time.

(I'm an idiot)

Even if Rei-chan wasn't there, it would still be a decent way to pass the time. If she had done that, at the very least she wouldn't have this growing sense of futility.

(I'm going home)

The harvest she was bringing back from K Station was a single paperback, and she was fine with that. She took her hand off the bridge's railing and stood a little bit straighter. Just then, her eye was unintentionally drawn to a couple that were walking along the sidewalk of the main street.

(Rei-chan....!?)

They were quite a distance away, so at first she thought she was mistaken.

(No way)

She strained her eyes to see if it was actually Rei-chan. The couple, that at first glance looked like a man and woman, turned to walk down the street that ran underneath the footbridge. Because they were offset vertically, they wouldn't actually cross paths, but as they drew closer their figures grew larger and she was left in no doubt.

(… Watch out)

Yoshino squatted down. It wasn't due to shock, or dizziness. If she could see them, it meant that she was completely visible too. By squatting down, she could still keep an eye on everything by looking through the gap in the railing.

(Wh.. What's going on!)

Suddenly, the very girly Tanuma Chisato clung to Rei-chan's arm like a spoiled brat. Furthermore, Rei-chan didn't shake her off. Not only that, but she smiled as though she was enjoying it.

(Get your hands off her!)

That's being way too familiar. There are limits to how impudent you can be.

(You're only someone who won a ticket for a half-day date in a treasure hunt!)

They probably wouldn't be able to hear her from this range, but it would be bad if they did. So she opened and closed her mouth, but didn't voice her abuse.

Really, Chisato-san wasn't in the wrong.

Yoshino understood this well enough, but even still, she couldn't let go of what had just happened. For now she was down and, literally, could not get back up.

Her spirit's decline had invited her body's decline.

(And Rei-chan too. What was she doing smiling so gently)

Yoshino kept heckling them like that in her mind. She kept this up for as long as she could see their shrinking figures continuing on their way towards the train station.

Her heckling turned to grumbling, and then nonsense unrelated to the original cause, and it was only when she had run out of insults that she finally started to feel better. She would have felt even better if she were to shout out loud, but she didn't want to go to that extent.

"Well then..."

She stood up and started walking.

It wasn't like her to be disheartened.

Who strikes first wins. Better to attack than defend. Always go, go, go.

That's who she was.

After all, she was 'Rei-chan's Yoshino.'

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume6 Chapter2 6

2010-07-19T20:55:28Z

67.233.95.11: "Marinaded" should be "marinated." Marinate is the verb, while marinade is the noun. Spacing error,

===<noinclude>Hors d'oeuvre. </noinclude>Part 6.===

"Can you tell me just what you are thinking?"

Shimako finally blurted out. Until now she had refrained from asking this, time and again.

"What am I thinking, you say. Well, I'm alive. So I think all sorts of things. That's all."

With her face still pointed towards the window, Shizuka-sama gave a thin smile. Whether intentionally or subconsciously, she didn't turn to face Shimako.

– is what Shimako was thinking when she suddenly turned to her and said.

"More importantly, is there a kitchen knife in the Rose Mansion?"

"Huh?"

"A kitchen knife. Or a regular knife would probably do."

As she said this, she held up the box from the cake store. It had a whole, but incredibly small, cheesecake inside it.

"Ahh, yes, we do. A kitchen knife, and knives and forks."

And with that, it looked like Shizuka-sama really was planning on taking her to their school. She knew that if they stayed on this bus they would eventually arrive at the 'Lillian's Girls Academy' bus stop, but why would Shizuka-sama take her to school on their date? Shimako didn't have a clue.

The two of them were jolted along in the bus.

The bus departed from the north entrance of K station and looped past Lillian's Girls Academy. For lunch time on a Sunday, it was surprisingly empty. Originally intended for student's use, the route only ran for half of the time on weekdays. In contrast, the government operated bus that went to her house was incredibly crowded.

"But we couldn't really get a lot with our 3000 yen."

At their feet the plastic bags containing the food they had bought from the station building's food court were scattered around. A slice of spinach quiche, 100 grams of noodle salad, 100 grams of marinated mushrooms, things like that. The smallest amount possible of a wide variety of things.

But Shizuka-sama didn't seem to be satisfied with what they had bought.

"If we weren't going to school, we could have had lunch somewhere else …"

Soup, salad, a main dish.... With desert and a coffee, they could have done that within the 1500 yen.

"That's putting the cart before the horse."

"Huh?"

"We didn't leave K station because I wanted to come to school, I chose the school because I wanted to leave K station."

"…?"

"The peanut gallery's annoying, right? You can't have a leisurely conversation."

"Haa."

At first Shimako thought she was using the term 'peanut gallery' to refer to the overflowing crowds at the center, but as she listened further it seemed that this wasn't the case.

"It took about 3 minutes for the bus to arrive, right? During that time, the newspaper club's Minako-san and the photography club's … umm .. "

"Tsutako-san?"

Thinking quicker, Shimako answered. When speaking of the photography club, the only person that came to mind was her classmate.

"Right, Tsutako-san. They were standing in front of the station."

"Those two were in front of the station?"

"I thought, 'I knew it.'"

Shizuka-sama seemed to smile triumphantly as she said this. But, unfortunately Shimako didn't understand what she was trying to say, or why she looked the way she did.

The bus stopped at a place that wasn't a bus stop. 50 metres ahead the light was green. And yet they weren't moving, I suppose it must be congestion.

The light went yellow, then red, then green again. Shimako spent the entire time thinking, but in the end couldn't compose just the right question.

"What did you mean by 'I knew it.'"

As the bus started to lurch slowly forwards, she boldly inquired.

"Huh?"

It seems Shizuka-sama had considered that conversation finished, as she didn't seem to understand the question at first.

"You said you saw Minako-sama and Tsutako-san standing in front of the station."

As Shimako explained, Shizuka-sama said 'ahh' and responded.

"Right, the newspaper club and the photography club were getting ready."

"Okay"

The bus stopped at a bus stop where three people got off and two more got on. The inside of the bus wasn't changing much but the scenery outside was changing noticeably with each stop. Slipping away from the hustle and bustle of the shopping district, they were going to an area of increasing greenery. Around here were a lot of temples, shrines, parks and, of course, schools. The shops were small, neighborhood stores and, despite being a residential area, there weren't many apartment complexes, which gave the area a tranquil atmosphere.

"If you think about why those two were at K station, you'll understand, right?"

Shizuka-sama clearly and slowly said this, as though trying to contain her excitement.

"Why they were at K station...?"

As she repeated Shizuka-sama's words, Shimako thought about it. Why those two were at K station, and why Shizuka-sama was acting as though she was avoiding them.

Before she could reach a conclusion, Shizuka-sama opened her mouth in irritation.

"… You aren't suspicious of people? Or is this an act?"

"An act?"

Shimako didn't immediately understand what she was talking about. She only felt that lurking somewhere within those words was a barb.

"The Toudou Shimako that Yumi-san spoke about is different to my impression of you."

"But I don't know what Yumi-san has said – "

"That Shimako-san's pretty, kind, smart, popular and so level headed that it's hard to imagine she's the same age."

"That's quite an overestimation"

"I think so too."

The bus continued on smoothly. Bypassing stops where no-one was getting on or off, and not getting stuck at traffic lights.

"But I think I've understood something. You yourself are the source of most of that overestimation."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is what I said. You've gone to great effort to build this image of Toudou Shimako."

"…"

"Disagree?"

"… I won't respond to that."

"That's the honor student's response, yeah."

"Pardon me."

"It's okay. I'll stop."

Shizuka-sama shrugged her shoulders and smiled.

"I'm sorry, I said too much... I thought I'd be able to draw you out with this sort of conversation."

"Hmm"

Shimako herself didn't know whether she didn't respond because she didn't know how to accurately express herself in words, or because she lacked the energy and conviction to refute it

It seemed strange to her that it hadn't come as more of a shock.

It's just that, until now, no-one had managed to fully comprehend her heart.

For the wild and free Shimako, alone in her heart, the existence of someone who had the power to reach into and intervene in someone else's domain was much more surprising.

What should I do, if this is that person?

Huddling inside her heart, she wondered if the rapidly approaching person was coming to rescue her.

Looking outside at the tree lined avenue, she was thinking. Before she knew it, the bus was passing through familiar scenery. It had linked up with the route she took every day from M station.

Suddenly, Shimako hit upon something and asked.

"Perhaps Minako-sama and Tsutako-san were pursuing us for a story about our date. Is that what you meant?"

"Yes, that was more or less what I was expecting."

Was Shizuka-sama's response.

Their conversation resumed, as though nothing had happened.

"So K station was risky, then."

"Right. So meeting at K station was also a bit of a thrill."

"… Ahh, that's why it was the west exit."

Shizuka-sama's designated meeting point was the station building's westernmost exit, which was also the one furthest from the ticket gate. It was a meeting place that people coming by train wouldn't usually choose. Until then, she had supposed it was chosen simply because it was close to the food court.

"You were just thinking, 'in that case, we should have met at school,' weren't you, Shimako-san?"

"Huh? How did you know that?"

She'd been spot on. But then she suddenly remembered her friend's face. The oft-teased Yumi would also get agitated like this.

"You made the same face earlier. If you're watching closely, you can understand."

Appearing satisfied, Shizuka-sama smiled.

"Earlier?"

The bus slid past a shrine.

"When you were talking lunch, and so on. But, again, this time I threw you off balance. Cart before the horse, yeah?"

"Why?"

"Well, we have to have a date right? I wanted to spend time shopping, riding the bus, and all the rest with you."

Shizuka-sama pressed the push-button. By the time she had gently stood up, they were almost at Lillian's Girls Academy.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume5 Chapter4 1

2010-07-19T20:49:11Z

67.233.95.11: A footnote to explain the practice is fine, but if the words themselves have a clearly translatable meaning shouldn't you translate it?

===<noinclude>The thirteenth of February. </noinclude>Part 1.===

"-Anyways, while I know why everyone may become over-excited, but please conduct yourselves in a manner appropriate to a Lillian student. After all, classes will go on as usual."

After listening to their homeroom teacher, Yamamura-sensei, with faithful ears, the students answer, "Yes." But they weren't really paying much attention. The teachers were warning them beforehand, but that was also a bit more for show, because they weren't really holding very high expectations tomorrow, either. The students were this excited, so it was far, far too late to expect that to settle down.

Homeroom was ended quickly, too. If there were any important papers to distribute, it would be more definite if they were distributed the day after tomorrow. She's a veteran as well as a Lillian alumni, so sensei knew exactly how we felt and would act.

"That's all."

Stand, bow[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Notes#aisatsu].

After homeroom, the teacher disappeared on the other side of the door. And Yumi, who'd sprung up and hurried out, was stopped by a classmate.

"Yumi-san, we don't have to clean the music room today."

"What?"

"The contracted floor cleaners are in today, so feel free to spend time as you please."

She was in Yumi's cleaning group, so she knew why Yumi was in such a hurry.

"Thank you, gokigenyou."

She was told to "feel free to spend time as she pleased," but Yumi dashed out to the hallway anyways. After all, it wasn't a warning about her hasty departure. Rather, Yumi had always been visiting a certain place before going to the music room lately, and so she was actually being told that she didn't have to scurry to the music room after she was done.

Tomorrow awaited a joyous Valentine.

As well as a somewhat suspenseful Valentine.

Moving her legs forward, she began silently singing impromptu.

Trotting down the hallway, and then resuming her trot after going down the stairs. After entering the courtyard, she went straight to the Rose Mansion. And it didn't feel like anyone had gotten there.

"Safe."

Creak, creak, creak, creak, she climbed up the stairs, opened the biscuit-shape door, and walked straight toward the electric pot and began setting things up.

When she glanced at the sink, she noticed there were no dishes awaiting cleaning. Shimako-san had probably stopped by during lunch break and finished that. With that aside, Yumi went to open the windows for ventilation. She did a light sweeping of the floors, wiped the table, rinsed the washing rags, and was done. She didn't have cleaning duty at the music room today, so she didn't really need to hurry back to the school, but she didn't feel comfortable staying here. So she began leaving.

-And then.

"Are you gongitsune[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Notes#gongitsune]?"

"Gyah!?"

The person who'd been standing in the shadow of the door suddenly spoke, so Yumi almost had a heart-attack.

"- Haven't I been telling you to start using 'kya'?"

"…R- Rosa Gigantea."

Yumi'd also thought that most people can't control what they say when they're surprised.
"You didn't even notice me standing by the entrance when you flew into the Rose Mansion, so I was wondering what was going on."

Rosa Gigantea coldly said.

"So, what is this? Yumi-chan's sense of aesthetics? Coming here every day without being seen, cleaning everything up, and then leaving?"

"Umm."

She wasn't really doing this every day. Because if homeroom ended late, or if Shimako-san beat her here, she didn't come.

"Oh well, not really my place to say anything. … It would be coarse to dampen Yumi-chan's sense of self-satisfaction."

Rosa Gigantea groaned as she stretched, and then began walking down the stairs. But Yumi couldn't let those words be, and she quickly pursued.

"Umm, am I making a mistake!?"

"Hmm?"

Thump, thump, thump, thump, the stairs sounded.

"Because, self-satisfaction, dampening…"

"I said those words, yes?"

When they reached the bottom, Rosa Gigantea finally turned to Yumi.

"You know, I think Yumi-chan's just charging ahead with your emotions. Like a mother doing ohyakudo[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Notes#ohyakudo] for the success of her child."

"Ohyakudo."

She'd seen that acted out in historical plays. She couldn't remember if it was a Shinto shrine or a Buddhist temple, but people with wishes would go back and forth to pray. If she remembered correctly, sometimes they'd have conditions, like not being caught doing it.

"But you shouldn't stop someone doing ohyakudo and say 'come come, that's eerie, so stop,' either "

Said Rosa Gigantea, who was saying she shouldn't be doing so, but had already done it.

"Eerie?"

"Yep."
"How direct."

"Well you followed me because you wanted to hear me be direct, didn't you?"

"Umm."

Yumi didn't think that was her exact reason, but it wasn't wrong, either.

"Rather than a mother doing ohyakudo or cold-water ablutions, I'd prefer a mother who'd make me warm dinner every day."

"Huh?"

"Just my personal opinion. Because my mother's more like the former, so a delinquent child is too heavy a burden for her. … Umm, but that's an example, my mother doesn't actually use sorcery, so you don't have to worry there."

"Uhhh."

Wow, she was able to understand Rosa Gigantea before, but now the conversation was taking quite the detour and was going beyond her grasp.

And that's when Shimako-san came in through the door, having finished her cleaning duty, so the conversation abruptly ended. Of course, it might have been ended in Rosa Gigantea's mind anyways.

"Ah, onee-sama."

Noticing Rosa Gigantea, Shimako-san smiled like an angel. She was already like an ephemeral beauty, but her smile was on a different level. Even though they were of the same age, how could people be so different?

"I passed."

No preface. Rosa Gigantea faced Shimako-san and made a V with her hand, in a peace sign.

(Eh……? What?)

"Congratulations, onee-sama."

But Shimako-san's bouncy reply made Yumi realize what happened. Rosa Gigantea was accepted into her first-choice school.

(Oh, so that's what happened.)

Rosa Gigantea wanted to let Shimako-san know first, and that's why she'd come here.

Because the way she looked at Shimako-san was gentle and kind. It wasn't the old-man version of Rosa Gigantea that'd generally been teasing Yumi.

"Congratulations."

She felt bad for intruding on their world, but she felt compelled to say that word, being a bystander.

"Thanks, Yumi-chan."

Rosa Gigantea patted Yumi's head, then tossed her front hair and laughed.

"Gosh, it was tough. I mean I didn't plan on going to university at all, so I only started studying after the turn of the year. But whatever, I'll be a student at a women's college this spring."

She only had one university she was aiming for, so she was set. Still, she managed to get into a university after a little more than a month of studying, so Rosa Gigantea was definitely superhuman.

"Then you must feel relieved."
"But Eriko and Youko aren't done yet, so…"

Yumi didn't even think about Rosa Foetida and Rosa Chinensis there. But Rosa Gigantea didn't seem to notice she'd called her friends by their names, either.

The university exam dates differed depending on the universities, so some people had even finished last year, while others will be waiting until graduation. Of course, most schools had their exams take place during January and February.

"But, anyways, it looks like I can enjoy myself to the fullest tomorrow."

Snap, crackle. Rosa Gigantea cracked her white knuckles and let the somewhat pleasant sound echo off the ceiling.

"Then I shall have to do my best for onee-sama, too."

Shimako-san forced a smile.

Knowing Rosa Gigantea was going to participate, she may decide to change her hiding place. Placing it in an easier spot? No, probably the opposite.

Shimako-san knew Rosa Gigantea understood her. So if she hid it in an obvious spot, it'd be too easy. And Rosa Gigantea wouldn't be able to have fun.

"I'll be waiting."

She looked completely excited. Rosa Gigantea was like a child when she was like this.

Like, I won't let anyone else get Rei-sama's card! Well, it's a harsh way of putting it, but Rosa Gigantea wasn't like Yoshino-san in that regard, because Yoshino-san would use any means necessary to win. Rather, Rosa Gigantea was more the type of person to enjoy the treasure hunt, itself, so the harder the better.

Then how about herself? Yumi thought, but she didn't really know.

Thinking is hard.

She didn't know how she felt, so it was even more difficult imagining how others might feel. Or maybe she didn't know how she felt because it was herself.

That's when she noticed a person was standing on the other side of the wooden door to the courtyard, the person's shadow visible through the ornamental glassing.

Yumi quickly opened the door.

"Ah."

There stood Sachiko-sama.

"Onee-sama, gokigenyou."

"---"

But she knew onee-sama wasn't in good spirits, before the fact that a response never came, just by looking at her. She didn't know why, but Sachiko-sama looked particularly angry. Her whole body screamed "displeased."

However.

Why didn't she come into the Rose Mansion if she was standing outside? Just as Yumi was beginning to wonder, Sachiko-sama's mouth opened.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself."

Yumi didn't know how long Sachiko-sama had been standing outside, but their laughter had definitely been heard.
"Oh. Rosa Gigantea was here, and-"

She was going to relate the news of Rosa Gigantea's university acceptance, but Sachiko-sama cut her off.

"I see. If Rosa Gigantea is here, you can enjoy yourself."

"… Huh?"

"So? Since when have you hated me so much you don't want to look at me?"

"What?"

She didn't know what Sachiko-sama meant.

Because she'd never even imagined Sachiko-sama saying such words, so even if her ears could take it in, her brain wasn't able to keep up. Peoples' nervous system works better when there's a precedent.

"I… hate onee-sama?"

She repeated the words she'd heard, and immediately doubted them. Where did Sachiko-sama come up with such a thought?

"Are you saying I'm wrong? Then why are you avoiding me?"

"I haven't been avoiding…"

But Sachiko-sama didn't believe her.

"You are."

She stated clearly, and didn't budge. Yumi didn't intend it that way, but her actions and behavior might have been working against her.

"At first I tried to understand, because I am a bouton, but you've been interacting with Rei and Shimako just fine. Even when you come to the Rose Mansion you leave before I come, and when I arrive earlier than usual, you dash out like you're escaping."

"That's-"

Because she was going to be late for cleaning duty.

And she was speaking with Rei-sama because she was being taught how to make chocolate for Sachiko-sama.

"What's the matter? If you have something to say, speak it clearly."

But she couldn't.

She couldn't say it was for Sachiko-sama. Because she was the one forcing everything on her.

She'd been conceited.

As Rosa Gigantea said, self-satisfaction. No, even worse, she finally realized it.

Yumi looked at Sachiko-sama.

"Why are you silent? Why don't you throw your thoughts at me? I can't possibly understand otherwise."

Onee-sama looked extremely scary.

"I'm sorry… onee-sama."

That was all she could muster. She was ashamed of herself, for making onee-sama look like this, for forcing onee-sama to speak like this.

But no matter what, she would never hate onee-sama.

Still, all Yumi could do was watch as her vision of her most beloved person became blurred.

"Um, Sachiko-sama?"

Perhaps realizing the situation was going downhill, Shimako-san stepped toward the door and spoke, but she was powerless in this strained atmosphere.

[[Image:MM_v05_07.jpg|thumb]]
"… Shimako, come."

Rosa Gigantea held Shimako-san's shoulder and dragged her away.

"Why do you cry?"

With the foyer left to the two of them, Sachiko-sama whispered.

"Please, stop. Now it just looks like I'm picking on a kouhai. I'm the one that wants to cry. I'm being avoided by my sister, and I don't know why-"

"Ukk."

A strange sound was emitted from Yumi's throat. She tried to speak, but she couldn't formulate words, because it felt like a lump of meat was lodged in.

"Why won't you tell me? Is that all I was to you? Then why are we sisters? Why did you accept my rosary?"

She wanted to say that's not how it is, but her tears just kept flowing. She could tell her eyes were beginning to swell.

She felt incredibly stupid. Sachiko-sama was angry, she knew that, but she could only keep crying.

But, this was the first time Sachiko-sama had ever shown her such strong emotions, and it confused her.

"… Enough."

Sachiko-sama said, exasperated.

"Let's talk about this again some other time. I may be high-strung, myself, so I may have been too harsh."

"Ah…"

Sachiko-sama had turned around, and she looked so lonely that Yumi instinctively began following, and that was when Rei-sama and Minako-sama arrived at the Rose Mansion.

"W-What happened, Yumi-chan?"
Rei-sama shouted.

"Nothing. Let's just finish the final meeting."

Sachiko-sama quickly went ahead, leaving Yumi behind.

"Nothing…? Umm."

"Yes."

Minako-sama and Rei-sama looked at each other. Well, it was obvious just by looking at Yumi's face that it was clearly not "nothing." But Yumi just wanted to be left alone. It would be worse if someone acted kind to her.

"Are you two going to label me a villain, too!?"

A hysteric-sounding voice came from above.

"… eally, it's nothing."

Finally managing to wring her voice out, she ran in the complete opposite direction from Sachiko-sama, out the Mansion. She felt like she her Rei-sama and Minako-sama's voices, but she didn't turn around.

Or rather, she couldn't.

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| Return to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru|Main Page]]
| Back to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume5_Chapter3_3|Chapter 3 Part 3]]
| Forward to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume5_Chapter4_2|Part 2]]
|-
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Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume5 Chapter2 1

2010-07-19T20:45:51Z

67.233.95.11: Changed punctuation and capitalization to better reflect a prospective plan title. Also, semicolon

===<noinclude>A gift from a rare visitor. </noinclude>Part 1.===

Without ado, after school at the start of February... A rare visitor appeared at the Rose Mansion.

"Gokigenyou, is anyone there? Well, nevermind that, I showed up because I knew the boutons would be here."

"---"

Yumi had been sent to check on the visitor, and upon seeing that oh-so-distinctive fearless laugh, couldn't help but want to turn around and run back up the stairs. Why was this person here?

"Oh, my, how bent back. Like a puppy with its tail curled into its belly."

"P, puppy…"
"We had not yet exchanged greetings. Gokigenyou."

"… Gokigenyou. Welcome to the Rose Mansion."

Yumi said, as she had no other choice. Not that she really wanted to welcome her.

"I've come to speak to the boutons today, are they on the second floor?"

"Um."

"Then allow me in, please."

"Uh."

But she didn't wait for an answer as she helped herself into the building and climbed the stairs. So Yumi quickly followed.

The newspaper club captain, Tsukiyama Minako-sama, showed up very boldly today, for an astonishing change. Normally she sniffed around like a dog for scoops.

You needed to exercise extreme caution around her. Whenever you happened upon a scene, she would always, always be in the area. Was she causing everything, or do happenings call upon her? Anyway, to Yumi, she was like a "god you shouldn't wake up." Maybe she even lives on the northeastern direction from the Rose Mansion – oh, what an un-Catholic thought.

When they arrived at the biscuit-shaped door, Yumi forced herself in front.

"Umm, Tsukiyama Minako-sama."

Maybe she was too hasty as she announced it. Because Minako-sama pushed Yumi's face to the side and peered in.

"How rude. You're like a vassal announcing an enemy attack."

But it's true, Yumi wanted to interject. But the opponent was an upperclassman, and was a guest, too, so she stopped herself.

That's when.

"Indeed. Yumi, you need to calm down a bit."

Sachiko-sama, who was sipping tea while seated, placed her cup back on the saucer, stood up elegantly, and welcomed Minako-sama.

"I apologize on behalf of my sister. Welcome, Minako-san."

It was like a bourgeois wife greeting a visitor at an upper-class party, that was how ostentatious her treatment was. If it was a shoujo manga, she'd have flowers as her background, and if it was a movie, the background music would be baroque, despite there being no musicians in the vicinity.

They didn't have to act so amicable to one another, Yumi thought, as she pouted. Plus, she called her (cute) sister "not calm enough" in front of everyone.

It wasn't fun, but Yumi decided to look at it from another perspective. After all, Sachiko-sama was always strict to those around her, while being gracious to the actions of others. So Sachiko-sama, as Yumi's "onee-sama," was treating her like a close person.

Minako-sama sat down at the chair pulled out for her and crossed her legs. She seemed to have been straining to compose herself with dignity, but sadly, in contrast to the born-and-raised princess, Sachiko-sama, she looked like a monkey's imitation. But that didn't perturb Minako-sama at all.

"Sorry for your intruding upon your friendly chatter."

"No, don't worry yourself. Shall we have tea together?"

The room was filled with the usual members, excluding the Roses, whom were busy with exam studies. Sachiko-sama, Rei-sama, Shimako-san, the three boutons, plus Yoshino-san and Yumi.

The moment Sachiko-sama's glossy lips said "tea" Yoshino-san jumped up, but she then said, "Yumi," so it became Yumi's job.
At first, she thought about making super-bitter tea, but that was too immature. What was the point in exacting revenge by making her drink super-bitter tea, anyway? And Sachiko-sama didn't single her out to do something like that.

Please, she said as she placed warm black tea in front of Minako-sama, and then she wordlessly resumed sitting next to Sachiko-sama. Was she watching her the entire time? As she sat down, she locked eyes with Sachiko-sama for a moment, and she felt her heart skip, but it wasn't a throbbing heart. No, it was more that she felt her malicious intent seen through, and became a bit scared. Though, in reality, she didn't do anything to the tea.

To calm herself down, Yumi reached out to her own cup. Judging by the temperature of the cup, she could tell it was no longer hot tea, but rather more like ice-less iced tea. Nevertheless, she was about to take a sip.

"What do you have planned for Valentine's Day?"

[[Image:MM_v05_04.jpg|thumb]]
She was about to spew the tea back out because of what Minako-sama brought up.

"Valentine's Day?"

Yoshino-san and Shimako-san and Rei-sama all simultaneously turned to look at Yumi. Tsutako-san would have done the same, too, if she were here.

And of course, Sachiko-sama did not. Never taking her eyes off the guest, she merely raised an eyebrow and calmly asked.

"I seem to have heard you asking about my plans for Valentine's Day, am I right, Minako-san?"

"Y, yes."

She seemed to have wilted a bit under Sachiko-sama's cold gaze, but as you'd expect from the newspaper club captain, and editor of the "Lillian Kawaraban," after a quick, deep breath, she resumed explaining herself.

Of course, she already knew what the students of the Rose Mansion thought of her. "Despite that," she came here, so she must have had her reasons. She wouldn't turn tail and run at a mere gaze.

"Valentine's Day, isn't it wonderful, to express your hidden feelings to people?"

Minako-sama suddenly stood up, intertwined her fingers in front of her heart, and looked at the wall with dreamy eyes. Not that she was interested in the structuring or materials of the wall, but rather, everyone else was seated, so there was nothing else that would be in front of her eyes, so she ended up looking like she was staring at a wall. But her heart was past the wall, in some dream land beyond.

Minako-sama spoke about the religious nature of Valentine's Day, similar to Shimako-san's explanation the day before, and then spoke passionately about how the fourteenth of February, as Valentine's Day, had become a day of confessing love. There were plenty of explanations for why this happened, but the one Minako-sama chose to use was that it was around this season that birds mated. Yumi had no idea.

"We understand Minako-san is passionate about the fourteenth of February."

Sachiko-sama coughed. She looked relaxed, but she seemed to have been straining to remain silent throughout Minako-sama's one-sided discussion. She quickly dabbed at her sweat with a laced handkerchief before continuing.

"But it is difficult to discern how your passionate Valentine's Day has any relation to us."

"My, after all this explanation?"

Minako-sama feigned surprise. She definitely stood out in this room.

"Umm, Minako-san. Please be direct."

Rei-sama cut in, like her paralysis had worn off. Yumi also nodded, deep down. Minako-sama said, "after all this explanation," but at the very least, Yumi didn't know what she wanted to say. And given everyone's puzzled faces, aside from Minako-sama, no one understood.

"Oh, really?"

Finally realizing how everyone felt, she took documents out of a brown envelope she had brought with her.

"Directly, right? Well then, please keep your February fourteenth open, on behalf of the newspaper club."

"Huh!?"

The boutons aside, Yoshino-san and Yumi both shouted. It was direct, alright, but this time it felt like she'd skipped a ton of things and ended up firing a shot from the blue.

"In other words, I'd like to request help on a Valentine's Day project. A joint effort between the Yamayurikai and the newspaper club, to make the day more exciting. Wouldn't you like the regular students to enjoy themselves for day? And judging by everyone's reactions, the Yamayurikai has nothing specific planned."

Minako-sama took it upon herself to distribute the documents among the boutons, as they'd stayed on the table, untouched.

"What do you plan to do?"

Sachiko-sama asked, as she drew the document to her.

There were only enough of the cleanly-printed A4 pages for the boutons, so Yoshino-san and Yumi both looked over their onee-sama's shoulders.

"If you'd take a look at the project plans-"

"'Treasure Hunt: Where're The Boutons' Chocolate!?' … What in the world is this?"

Rei-sama stood up and smacked Minako-sama's plans. Well, of course. Because that plan that was shoved in front of them without any warning included their participation. And not just as a "supporting cast" but as a "main personality."

"Just as it reads. The boutons hide handmade chocolate somewhere in the school. And the students that find them win."

Minako-sama, still seated, smiled up at the standing Rei-sama.

"So there would be up to three winners."

Sachiko-sama's chocolate, Rei-sama's chocolate, Shimako-san's chocolate. They would each hide chocolate, and it would be a game to find them. Minako-sama's plan slowly became understandable.

A treasure hunt. It sounded a bit exciting.

"But I don't get it. Why would the newspaper club captain bring this to the Yamayurikai?"

They'd been bothered enough, why would they end up doing most of the work this time, too? After all, the "Lillian Kawaraban" newspaper had always done things on its own, so it was rather independent from the Yamayurikai. Plus, the Yamayurikai staff labeled the newspaper club as "a bother," so they were still looking at this like there would be a trap somewhere.

"I understand, completely, Rei-san. Unfortunately, the newspaper club has no flowers."

"Flowers."

Rei-sama was still standing, so Yoshino-san said, "Would you like a seat, onee-sama?" and dragged her to a seat.

"Events are more exciting with more participants. And to get participants, the reward needs to be attractive. But we don't have much funds, so it's not like we can buy an expensive prize, right? And that's why we're requesting help from the boutons. Understand?"

So they would pool the Yamayurikai and newspaper club's resources and pay for the event, Minako-sama explained. Well, the event funding would be the ingredients for chocolate and the costs of wrapping. She'd already estimated a figure, and listed that in the plan. Minako-sama was far more level-headed than Yumi had thought.

"And, the newspaper club's merit?"

That newspaper club would never act without something to gain. Knowing that, Rei-sama asked.

"What a direct question, Rei-san."

Minako-sama tilted her head just a bit, and laughed.

"Oh well. I hate skirting the edges, personality-wise."

"Alright. Then, I'll say it 'directly,' as Rei-san wishes. If this event were to come to fruition, the 'Lillian Kawaraban' gets to monopolize the reporting."

An exclusive report on a Valentine's Day event!

"… Sounds like something the newspaper club would come up with."

Exasperated, Sachiko-sama sighed as secretively as possible. And then she placed her paper on the table.

"I appreciate the idea, but we won't cooperate. There are too many things we don't agree upon."

"Tell me them. We're open to changing things to gain your support."

"There're lots, but the definitive problem is chocolate."

"Chocolate?"

"Oh, that stuck me, too."

Rei-sama raised her hand, agreeing with Sachiko-sama.

"I understand they would be as a prize for the treasure hunt, chocolate is no good."

Chocolate is supposed to be eaten deliciously. So the "no good" might have been used by design, Yumi could tell that much. Rei-sama was trying to say that chocolate wouldn't work as the "treasure."

"I get it, because it's too bulky!"

Yumi blurted out what she was thinking. And everyone immediately turned to her. Sachiko-sama wasn't even drinking, but she looked very bitter.

"S, sorry."

But when she quickly lowered her head, her forehead slammed into the table. Now she was definitely in a corner, alone.

"… Yumi, you'll confuse everyone, please be quiet."

"Yes…"

Why does it always end like this? How wonderful would it be if she didn't have to raise her head from the table, ever again?

"Are you okay?"

Yoshino-san asked, suppressing laughter.

"… Yes."

Rubbing her forehead, and on the verge of tears, Yumi answered. Her forehead hurt quite a bit, but the damage to her heart might be greater. She'd embarrassed her onee-sama again.

"Sachiko-sama and Rei-sama are probably worried about the sanitary issues?"

Maybe she was trying to help a classmate, because Shimako-san returned to the subject.

"To be concise, yes, something like that."

"The problem is definitely the handmade part. Even with store-bought chocolate, leaving something people will eat unattended for so long is a problem."

The handsome-looking Rei-sama received plenty of chocolate from students every year, apparently. And the shy ones would leave them in her shoebox or on her desk. And most of those had no names, so even Yumi realized that would be a bit scary. Though up until then she used to think, attractive people got to eat a lot of chocolate every year.

There was nothing wrong with the boutons' handmade chocolate, but if something were to happen, it'd be terrible, and even worse, if someone found it earlier and acted maliciously, well, it was difficult to agree with using food as a "treasure."

But it was amazing they could think that far ahead. Though in a way that's to be expected of the boutons. Yumi couldn't help but respect her onee-sama even more. Yumi had now completely bounced back from her red-faced embarrassment moments earlier. –But that blessedness was a mere fleeting moment. Because the next moment, onee-sama's words seemed to hammer Yumi into pieces.

"Personally, I have doubts about the practice of bringing chocolate to school, in general."

She was saved by being seated, otherwise she may have dived out the window. Sachiko-sama continued.

"I know the teachers let it pass. But I feel sick just imagining the school smelling like chocolate on the fourteenth."

"---"

Sachiko-sama didn't seem to think fondly of Valentine's Day. And the finishing blow.

"Plus, having chocolate pressed onto you is simply a bother."

(… Umm.)

Yumi tried to remain collected as she organized her thoughts.

But no matter how hard she tried to remain cool, she became too agitated, and the answer that came up was always the same.

A bother.

(Then my plan to give her chocolate is futile-)

At first, she simply felt shock, but as time passed, she felt more and more depressed.

"Alright."

Minako-sama nodded.

"Indeed, the idea of hiding chocolate was a bit reckless. After all, with the school filled with chocolate on the fourteenth, it would also become difficult discerning what's a prize and what's not."

Yumi thought she'd give up, then, but there was no way the newspaper club captain would give up that quickly. That might be a trait Yumi could learn from.

"Give me a moment, please."

Minako-sama went into a solo planning time and, staring at her planning sheet, began mumbling to herself. And after five minutes.

"Would you cooperate if we changed the treasure?"

"Change? What are you thinking of?"

"A hand-written Valentine's Card. After all, the original fourteenth of February involved the presenting of cards, rather than chocolate."

Indeed, Minako-sama was thinking hard about this.

-However.

"Is a hand-written card that attractive?"

Shimako-san mumbled. Is it suitable for a treasure hunt prize? The prize for a long, arduous hunt was just a sheet of paper; that did sound a bit weak. But compared to handmade chocolate, it was cheaper and less of a hassle, so it might work.

Sachiko-sama and Rei-sama seemed to agree. Was their own writing valuable enough to attract students, or not? Not being modest, but through calm, cool thinking, they decided, no.

A handwritten letter was lacking in excitement. And the newspaper club, trying to use this for as reporting material, would end up whiffing.

Yumi would have gladly received a hand-written letter by Sachiko-sama, but that would be screaming "sister-obsession" so she kept silent.

"If the boutons agree, then we can move on to the next idea."

Minako-sama's eyes glittered as she spoke. When she looked like this, she was no doubt thinking of something wild, so that's when she was most dangerous.

"Then let's make it more attractive."

Minako-sama seemed to realize this was her chance to become aggressive, so she leaned over.

"Make it more attractive?"

"Like the card being a ticket to the real prize?"

"Real prize?"

What would that be, everyone asked. The card itself wasn't the prize, after all?

"Like, the prize would be a half-day date."

"Objection!!"
Before Minako-sama could even finish, Yoshino-san stood up and shouted.

"Objection, objection, absolute objection! That's wrong! Turning personal time into a reward is wrong!"

Yoshino-san, she was in such panic, that she completely shed her weak image. Even if people had gotten a glimpse of her audaciousness, Yoshino-san's myth still stood strong, so people like Minako-sama who'd only seen her from afar might be taken aback. Look, even now, she was clearly more disturbed than when the tall Rei-sama had given her a scary look.

"Yumi-san, you object, too, don't you?"

"Eh."

Well of course she'd object, too, right? Is the glare Yoshino-san shot at her. She wasn't an enemy, so she'd appreciate if she was treated more kindly.

"Uh…mm."

Yumi finally thought about it. Well, she'd been struggling to keep up, so she hadn't had time to consider it herself. To begin with, she was still trying to shake off her failure a few moments ago, and was trying to act as inconspicuously as possible.

Approve, or object.

Well, if she had to answer, she'd probably object. Because, she didn't want her own onee-sama, Sachiko-sama, to be with someone else. Yoshino-san was talking about personal time, but she was probably against the idea of her precious Rei-sama being with someone else. If this was about the Roses instead of the boutons, she probably wouldn't object this much.

(But.)

If she were to think about it as someone who was just helping out at the Rose Mansion? The Yamayurikai were trying to lose the hedge between them and the common student, to make it a friendlier student council. So that the Roses wouldn't become so deified, so they'd become more approachable.

If the next Roses, the boutons, were to interact with the students, wouldn't that be a plus for the Yamayurikai?

But despite that honor student-like thought, a part of her still burned with jealousy.

"There's school on Valentine's Day, though."

Shimako-san asked Minako-sama.

"Yes, so the treasure hunt is planned for just an hour after school. Don't worry. As long as we get enough participants, an hour should be enough to find the treasure, isn't it? If it still can't be found then, then it's hidden somewhere that would take at least half of a day to find. So we would just keep them for an hour after school, that day-"

Even as Yumi pondered, the idea was moved forward. Come to think of it, accepting or objecting was really up to the boutons. Their sisters' opinions were just an example.

"And the date would be on Sunday."

"Objection! Objection!"

Yoshino-san was forcing the issue by constantly shouting. She was completely in hysteria. So Rei-sama placed a hand over Yoshino-san's mouth to quiet her. Indeed, with that sort of "objection!" mantra, nothing would get done.

"What do you think?"

After the explanation was done, Sachiko-sama turned to the other two boutons.

"While the idea of a treasure hunt sounds interesting."

Shimako-san didn't look like she was too happy with the idea.

"The sticking point is the half-day date. I'm not as bad as Yoshino, but I don't like the idea of making humans the prize."

Rei-sama agreed with the person to her right. But Shimako-san's reason for objecting was partly the half-day date, and partly because of Valentine's Day. After all, it was supposed to be a day of commemorating Saint Valentine, rather than a day of confessing love.

"I also object. Then we unanimously turn down the proposal."

When she said that, Sachiko-sama collected the project proposals and returned them to Minako-sama.

"Wait a second."

Minako-san was becoming flustered. Placing the proposal sheets back on the table, she desperately pleaded.

"Could you at least think about it over night?"

"It would feel bad giving you false hopes."

"If you would feel bad!"

Minako-sama looked into Sachiko-sama, Rei-sama and Shimako-san's eyes. Of course, she didn't even glance at the sisters.

"Sympathy for a warrior, could you at least wait until after school tomorrow?"

Sympathy for warrior? What era was Minako-sama from?

"I walked dramatically out of the clubhouse, please don't turn me down right on the spot."

No matter how much she tried to talk her way through, since her opponents were of the same year, it seemed futile. And of course, it didn't work on Sachiko-sama at all, as she received a cold response.

"Then you may keep quiet about it now, and tell them tomorrow."

"Oh, please. The moment I walk back, I'll be questioned until I spill the beans. My little sister is quite persistent."

"That's not our problem."

The closest to a warrior in the room, Rei-sama, had no sympathy for a warrior, either. Sachiko-sama and Rei-sama were steadfast, and that somewhat pitiable Minako-sama turned to Shimako-san, her last hope, and grasped her hand.

"Shimako-san, please."

"… Even if you say please…"

"Your senpai is begging you this much, can't you do anything?"

Wow.
If she can't beg, then she threatens. If you can't push, then pull.

"Oh come on, Minako-san, don't you think trying to get a kouhai to help you by pulling the senpai trick is unfair?"

Rei-sama looked angry, as she hated such things.

"Call it what you want, as long as the answer is delayed, I don't mind."

(Eek…)

Yumi, who was listening without standing out, stepped back at Minako-sama's words.

Minako-sama was really a self-serving person. As long as it was for her newspaper, she was willing to do anything. That is one way of living, though.

"-Gosh."

After "call it what you want," there was nothing more to say. Rei-sama lowered her shoulders, exasperated, and Sachiko-sama sighed. And Shimako-san's clear voice sounded.

"Then how about this. Prolonging our answer by one day does no harm, and if that's the case, we can await our decision until tomorrow."

There didn't seem to be any other way to settle the matter. It was Minako-sama, after all, she seemed the type to keep everyone hostage in the Rose Mansion until they agreed. They agreed that they'd leave the final decision until tomorrow, and that they'd be better off with Minako-sama departing earlier.

"Fine. But Minako-san, nothing will change our decision, so please don't hold any weird hopes."

Rei-sama repeated. That tomorrow, she'd hear the exact same answer. But Minako-sama smiled, satisfied.

"I understand. Thank you. I shall return tomorrow, after school."

Before they changed their minds, seemed her purpose, as she dashed out of the room.

"Oh, take the proposals with you."

Sachiko-sama called out.

"Tomorrow, tomorrow."

Minako-sama called back, without turning around, and vanished beyond the biscuit-shaped door. Yumi heard the steps creaking to the tune of skipping.

"What was that?"

Sachiko-sama muttered, and everyone tilted their heads, "Who knows?"

She was that excited with the decision delayed a single day. What was Minako-sama thinking?

"Is it really okay?"

The first thing Yoshino-san said after being freed from Rei-sama was that.

"Okay?"

"Because they're the newspaper club."

Yoshino-san was sharp. After all she'd done, Minako-sama's inexplicable move was troubling.

"But, like Shimako said, there's nothing to trouble us by delaying it."

Rei-sama cackled.

"Indeed. I don't think anyone would change in a single day."

"Yes."

Sachiko-sama and Shimako-san nodded. They were strong-willed people, so they probably wouldn't retract their own decisions that easily.

But, they were underestimating her.

Just a single day.

Just by delaying things a single day, trouble did begin.

In a way, Minako-sama was a Yamayurikai maniac. She knew exactly how to make the boutons act.

<noinclude>
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|-
| Return to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru|Main Page]]
| Back to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume5_Chapter1_4|Chapter 1 Part 4]]
| Forward to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume5_Chapter2_2|Part 2]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume5 Chapter1 2

2010-07-19T20:43:28Z

67.233.95.11: Capitalization, fixed awkward additional word and random tense change

===<noinclude>Research. </noinclude>Part 2.===

And a few days later.

"Valentine's Day?"

Yumi didn't expect anything to begin with, and Shimako-san tilted her head, asking, "What do you mean?"

"… Umm."

Yumi thought while scracthing her non-itchy head.

How predictable. Shimako-san was clearly not the kind of person who gave chocolate to people on the fourteenth of February every year.

"Oh, Yumi-san, even I know about Valentine's Day."

She giggled politely. Oh, that's good, Yumi sighed, relieved. She didn't know what she'd do if she had to explain Valentine's Day from scratch.

"Saint Valentine, or Saint Valentinus, there're lots of pronunciations, but in Japan they call him 'Valentain' don't they."

"Vale…?"

"Valentine. The name of an Italian saint that was martyred. February fourteen is a holiday for him."

"Mmm."

Shimako-san's explanation sounded extraordinarily genuine and dignified.
Regretfully, she wasn't able to ask about this in the sanctuary. Instead, they were in the dressing room inside the gymnasium. It was the break-time before physical education, so the appearances of other students' thighs and in their underwears leapt into her eyes.

Yumi'd paused in the middle of changing for the conversation, so she hurriedly shed her petticoat and put on her knee-high, black spats. Then, she took off the three-quarter sleeved v-neck shirt that she wore instead of a one-piece or a babashirt[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Notes#babashirt], and put on a white collared gym shirt that had "1 Peach 33 Fukuzawa" sewed on to the front. And with her arms exposed, she felt goose bumps all over. Not that she could do anything about that, it was retribution for keeping herself too well cared for on a daily basis.

"I don't know when or how the holiday arrived on Japanese shores, but chocolate is very unrelated."

Having finished changing, herself, Shimako-san bundled her soft, cotton-like hair with a plain, thick black rubber band, and then tightened a hachimaki that matched our class color – peach. Shimako-san often looked soft and impossible to restrain, but in truth, she always walked around with a straight back, and no matter the weather, she carried herself without ever letting down. It is like she's always tense. She looks like such an angel, but you can never figure out what she is thinking, so in a way she is quite mysterious.

"Then, you're not giving Rosa Gigantea chocolate?"

Lowering her voice, Yumi whispered in Shimako-san's ear.

"Oh, that's what you meant."

Shimako-san smiled, finally piecing together what Yumi had meant. She'd been asked, what are you going to do for Valentine's Day? But Yumi thought, wouldn't you normally immediately think about chocolate?

"Chocolate…"

"Yup. Shimako-san became Rosa Gigantea's sister a little earlier than me, right? So I was wondering what you planned for Valentine's Day."

Would you call it research? She wanted to gather as much information as possible and come up with a masterful plan. It was the idea behind her asking around. But Yoshino-san was completely unreliable.

"… I'd not given it any thought."

"Probably."

She didn't feel disappointed at all. Because Shimako-san was a question mark from the start, so she'd given up before she'd asked.

Yumi and Shimako-san's image of Valentine's Day was too different. After all, she talked about Saint Valetine. She'd probably never done something as mundane as sending a gift of chocolate. … Probably not even to her father.

"I'm sorry I couldn't serve as a reference."

Shimako-san concluded the conversation the same way as Yoshino-san and stepped out of the dressing room.

Even with a sweatshirt and a jersey training pant, February physical education was tough. The light jogging to warm-up bodies didn't work, because cold air drifted through the space in the cloth, so it ended up being more of a war of attrition. Blowing hot air into her cupped hands, Yumi simply wanted to avoid jamming her fingers as she ran.

Because today, they were going to play basketball.

<noinclude>
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|-
| Return to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru|Main Page]]
| Back to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume5_Chapter1_1|Part 1]]
| Forward to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume5_Chapter1_3|Part 3]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume3 Chapter7 2

2010-07-19T20:39:33Z

67.233.95.11: /* Autumn Love. Part 2. */

===<noinclude>Autumn Love. </noinclude>Part 2.===

Without an answer, the season turned its page to the school festival, so I began attending the meetings at the Rose Mansion.

Despite wanting to be together, Shiori was needed by her class to work on their exhibit, so she was always stuck in her classroom until late. Even if I was willing to boycott my class for Shiori, I couldn't request the other way around. That said, I wasn't interested in helping my class with their exhibit either, so I killed time by wandering around campus, until Shiori finished. That's when Youko caught me and dragged me to the Rose Mansion.

"If you're not doing anything, come help."

The onee-sama welcomed me, not saying anything about my usual attitude. While they probably had tons they wanted to say, they made it feel like I was simply interacting with people whom I'd been with every day. Everyone at the Rose Mansion acted this way.

On one hand it made me happy, on the other hand it felt like they were being too considerate, so I had trouble accepting their feelings. Anyways, I went to the Rose Mansion on a daily basis to kill time.

Attending the meetings for the school festival preparation wasn't as boring as I expected.

That sharp, perfect Ogasawara Sachiko was actually extremely hateful of boys, and Hasekura Rei, Eriko's little sister, actually was a lot more of a girl than she looked, and I enjoyed myself interacting with the true personalities of the first-years.

That's when I thought.

In truth, it's supposed to be unacceptable that Rosa Gigantea en bouton doesn't have a sœur by this point. While I would have flat-out refused, if people'd tried to force me, no one bothered to make me act. At best, it was only Youko's meaningful stare. Onee-sama was probably fending for me, but I didn't know how to repay it.

Once, I suggested to onee-sama that she should cut ties with me and find another sister. I had no intention of making Shiori my sister, and I couldn't exchange vows with another person just for show.

"No."

Onee-sama laughed once and rejected.

"I'm not a pitiful grandmother that simply wants to see her grandchild once. I don't care who becomes Rosa Gigantea after you. But please don't break our promise. Until I graduate, you're going to be by my side."

If I became a third-year and had no sister, I'd just cross that bridge when I got to it, onee-sama said, as she played with my hair. So there's no need to fret yourself. Just walk the path you chose.

Everyone had gone home by the time we had that conversation, and onee-sama's words soaked into my heart. Once again I realized how worthy onee-sama was of the title "Rosa Gigantea." I didn't think I'd be able to say such kind words when I became a third-year.

The school festival ended peacefully, and the Yamayurikai-sponsored play received favorable opinions.

I resumed keeping my distance from the Rose Mansion when Youko grabbed me in the hallway.

"What?"
"Oh don't look at me like that, like I'm the plague or something."

You're not? I imagined asking. She must have sensed it, as Youko laughed, bitterly.

"You seem to hate me quite a bit. … Well, I don't blame you. I'm clumsy, so I can't take care of you as well as Rosa Gigantea."

"What part of you is clumsy?"

Meddlesome, mannered, honor student, beautiful. She looked like a complete mistress, and she still claimed to be clumsy with other people?

"Come with me, just this once."

Without waiting for an answer, Youko began walking. I still had time before I was to meet Shiori. So I reluctantly followed her.

"Do you remember what I said before?"

Confirming there was no one in the area, Youko invited me into the courtyard.

"Another sermon?"

I expected it, but it killed me. I didn't like other people talking to me about Shiori, and when it was Youko, for some reason, it agonized me the most.

"I said before that you should keep your distance."

"Did you."

"I still think it. No, rather, I feel stronger about it, now. You should cool your head and re-think your intimacy with Shiori-san."

It felt a bit lonely in the courtyard. The flowers that were so vibrant during spring and summer were gone, and only the wild chrysanthemum flowers were in scarce bloom.

"You don't know anything about us."

It was just meant as a short check, what I told Youko.

"Then, what do you know about Shiori-san?"

I stumbled, not expecting the counter.

"What…"

I knew. Shiori's pure soul, her clear, striking voice, her divine face. –What more did I need to know?

"It might be a bother, but listen. I don't think you should go any further."

"Yes, it is a bother. Why're you telling me this, anyways?"

"Because I don't want to see you get hurt."

Youko said something completely unexpected. I didn't understand why that would cross her mind.
Me, hurt? How?

"It looks to me like you've devoted everything to Shiori-san. Have you two even talked about the future? Shiori-san is probably strong, so it's alright for her, but Sei, have you even thought about the damage you'll take when Shiori-san is gone?"

"Future? Shiori gone?"

Youko began saying phrase after phrase, like she was a jack-in-the-box, surprising me over and over again.

Indeed, we'd never talked about the future.

But at the very least, our relationship would be unchanged during school. As long as we went to the Lillian university after high school, we could stay together. I would be able to see Shiori every day. If Shiori wanted to attend a different school, I could take the exams to go there, too.

As long as we lived like that, eventually we'd hopefully find an answer to our relationship. I was procrastinating my answer for five years.

"You really haven't been told anything, have you."

Youko's tone began shifting from sympathy to bewilderment. It was unpleasant. I didn't like being sympathized, but I hated feeling like people were speaking behind my back.

"What do you mean."

"After graduating high school, Shiori-san is to enter a convent. How do you not know this?"

"-What."

I didn't understand what Youko was saying.

"She's going to become a sister."

I felt like my blood was being drained.

"Lies."

"Why would I lie? Just to make a friend hate me?"

"But…"

I'd never heard that, not once. Shiori was a devout Christian, but not all devout Christians had to become sisters.
But at the same time, I thought it was the perfect fit for Shiori. After all, I'd first sought for help from her.

"… I need to ask Shiori."

Youko touched my shoulder, "Are you alright?" I wasn't, but I managed to nod.

I needed to go to Shiori as soon as possible.

I don't remember where and how I ran. But I realized I'd made it to the sanctuary, where we planned to meet.

Shiori wasn't here. Usually this meant she was praying inside.

This time, that simply spurred my irritation. Usually I felt awed by her chastity, but now, that faith simply felt like an enemy, tearing my beloved away.

"Shiori."

Entering, I harshly called her name. Shiori was in the same seat as she was when we first met, and she slowly stood up and turned around.

Noticing me take large strides toward her, she must have felt something, and she asked, "What happened?"

"When you graduate high school, you're becoming a sister?"

Grabbing both of Shiori's shoulders, I asked for the truth.

I wanted her to deny it. Even if it was a lie, I wanted Shiori to say that was wrong, I wanted her to become angry at the people who spread such a rumor, and I wanted her to apologize to me.

But the reality was harsh.

"Yes."

Shiori looked straight at me and answered.

"It was decided upon before I entered this school."

"Then why did you hide it from me!?"

"I wasn't hiding it. I just didn't know when to say it. And there was nothing we could do about it."

"Nothing we could do about it-"

I didn't know what else to say. No, I never had the right to intercede on it, from the start. Shiori didn't tell me because it never mattered to me. I felt ridiculous, realizing that.

"I loved Shiori, but you didn't?"

"I never-"

"You were just comfortable, knowing this was just until you graduated?"

Without knowing this all, I felt stupid, having seriously pondered over our future.

"I love Sei. You may not believe me anymore, but I'd never loved someone like this before, ever."

"Then why?"

Why are you going to somewhere I can't? If you love me, you don't have to go away from me like this.

"I love Sei."

Shiori said again.

"But…, I'm sorry, my existence just ended up hurting you."

In my stead, Shiori began crying. I didn't think I was that fragile. But I realized that Shiori's tears were enough to wound me, like Youko had guessed.

"You have to become a sister, no matter what!?"

With lingering affection, I persisted.

"If you love me, tell me you won't. Don't disappear from me."

"Sei…"

I was unsightly. But no matter how unsightly I became, I didn't want to give up.

"You're picking God over me? There are others that'll become sisters, but I only have Shiori! You're going to abandon me!?"

"It was my wish to become a sister. I decided it when my parents died."

I wasn't a good enough person to rejoice in a friend who found what she wanted to do. It was different from a friend who went to study overseas, because there was hope that she would come back. But Shiori was going to walk through the convent gates, determined to present her life to God. She would never come back to me.

"Please, don't criticize me like that."

Shiori looked away.

"Tell me you'll stop."

I sidestepped back in front of her.

"I already decided."

"Then why can't you look in my eyes and say it? Isn't it because you're still thinking!?"

"No-"

I began hating Shiori for sliding back, so I chased her and grabbed her.

"Shiori."

I love you, I said, and I kissed her.

"… Stop."

As we touched, a sharp pain ran through my face. It seemed like I'd be slapped by a resisting Shiori.

"Maria-sama is watching…!"

Right behind Shiori was a statue of Maria-sama, casting a benevolent smile upon us.

"Is that your answer…?"

Shiori didn't say anything. But she looked straight at me, breathing deeply.

"Alright."

I nodded and turned away from Shiori.

Suddenly, I understood everything. I lost to Maria-sama.

The Maria-sama that I derided for being a 2000-year-old ghost.

To a constructed statue. Me.

It was so absurd I couldn't even cry.

Deep down, I hoped Shiori would stop me, but I slowly walked away from the sanctuary.

I never heard Shiori's voice.

And I never turned around.

<noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Return to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru|Main Page]]
| Back to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume3_Chapter7_1|Part 1]]
| Forward to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume3_Chapter8_1|Chapter 8 Part 1]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume3 Chapter5 1

2010-07-19T20:37:54Z

67.233.95.11: Pronoun error

===<noinclude>Springtime Buds. </noinclude>Part 1.===

-If this is how I'm going to end up feeling, I won't desire for another person, ever again.

On my sixteenth winter,

I experienced a farewell so painful it cut my body apart.

I first met Shiori during a spring day. One morning that I arrived at school far earlier than I usually did.

Why did I come to school early that day, despite not having anything planned? Frankly, it's because I thought it was time to wake up, that's all. I went through all of my morning preparations an hour early, hopped on the earliest train, and didn't realize my mistake until I noticed how much less crowded it was.

I hated keeping time, to begin with, so I don't really double-check what time it is. I'm the type that thinks I'd rather get to school late than hear the alarm clock ringing, so I've come to accept this sort of mistake happens.

When I stepped off of the circulation bus from JR's M Station in front of our school, the sunlight was blinding to my half-awake eyes.

Shielding my eyes from the sun, I walked through the high gate. The blue sky looking down on me through the thick roadway of gingko trees looked like it was etching out a soft pathway, like Milky Way.

(Milky Way…)

It had an embarrassingly romantic echo. If I were to say that during class, what kind of faces would everyone make?

-How unexpected. That twisted Satou Sei-san has a cute side to her, too?

But I had no intention of pleasing them.

Flipping my long, back-length hair, I muttered, "Idiotic."

(What is?)

But the closest word to the answer to that was "everything," as well as "myself."

Like the innocently smiling students at this school, like they were saying, I have no dissatisfaction with this world.

Like those pathetic parents that never questioned if they were raising their children properly.

Like the school that didn't bother labeling me a delinquent because I always had top-notch grades.

Like myself, living normally on a daily basis despite being annoyed by everything.

All of those, everything.

If I can't find anything to love in this world, including myself, the biggest problem probably lay in myself.

This world existed long before I did, and so it probably headed toward a better place by majority vote. People who can't conform to that world, then, bear responsibility for being unable to conform.

I'd figured that much out, so I've been lying low. But a sixteen-year-old adolescent sometimes rejects having to play out the role of a "pure maiden."

Why do I have to laugh with everyone?

Why do I have to involve myself in conversations that I don't care about?

So I keep myself silent.

Nothing I can do. Because this is the meadow of angels.

So Maria-sama, standing in the middle of the fork in the road, looked to me like Nio.

(See…)

She looks so serene, so kind, but in reality, she was dividing students walking into the school into good or bad.

I formed a pistol with my right hand and pointed it at the white Maria-sama statue. The holy maiden Maria stood in front of the small, green forest, and prayed to heaven for the sake of her students every second.

"Amen."

"Bang!" I sounded in my mind, and I ran, laughing.

Rapture.

Running down the pathway of freshly-budding trees was invigorating. I'd always wanted to do it once, when there was no one around.

I didn't mind people seeing me, but being questioned for it was a pain.

I didn't believe in Maria-sama, so I wasn't afraid of divine punishment. Jesus of Nazarene and his mother Maria were both real people that died long, long ago. After 2000 years, even ghosts must have gotten bored.

And if Maria-sama was really that close to God, she was supposed to save these bad sheep. Now, come, save my aimless soul!

-Amen!

I ran, shouting that, over and over again.

It was the middle of spring.

I'd just become a second-year in high school.

It wasn't that I had any dissatisfactions. I just had no warmth. I was wandering in the dark, in a dried, vast wilderness.

I didn't know what I should do.

I didn't even know what I wanted to do.

Panting, I leaned against the sanctuary wall. I'd somehow ended up here. My subconscious seemed to have run me the opposite direction from the school buildings.

Oh well. I'll rest here for an hour, and I entered the sanctuary.

After a few steps into the dark, silent corridor, the first thing you saw when you opened the thick, decorated door was a wooden statue of a crucified Jesus Christ. When you glanced to its left, a full-colored Maria statue. And to its right, a stained-glass window of brilliant colors. Long, wooden benches were on either side of the passage down the middle.

The morning prayer of the sisters must have ended, as there was no one inside.

I chose a seat by the wall on the second row from the back and leaned back. A picture of angels was painted on the ceiling. It was the first time I'd looked at it, relaxed, like this.

I wasn't a Christian, but the sanctuary was a beautiful place, I could say that much. I didn't dislike Buddhist temples, either, so I might simply have a liking for religion-based architecture.

I wrapped my arms around my shoulders and closed my eyes. It soothed me. It felt like I was rolled up in a ball, surrounded by a tough shell.

Don't touch me. Forget about me.

My body wanted sleep, but my mind was unusually active. But that's alright, I rolled over to my side.

How much time passed? Eventually, I lost track of time, and I didn't even know if I was awake or dreaming, when I heard something.

Like an herbivore that was at rest, my body immediately reacted, and I jumped up like a spring-powered doll. Who cares if someone saw you, a voice whispered inside my head.

And they were apparently surprised at my sudden movement, as the person who'd made the noise before spun around. –She sat in the front seat, near the middle.

Both of them had spent time not realizing they were there.

She had probably been kneeling and praying, and I gulped my own breath after watching her stand up slowly.

With the stained-glass window's light shining upon her right shoulder, she looked so white, so divine.

"… Gokigenyou."

Smiling, she walked toward me. She was wearing the Lillian Girls' Academy high school uniform, and her straight hair reached down to her waist. And her skin wasn't as pale as I'd first thought.

"… A first-year?"

I might have been looking at her like I was appraising something.

"Yes. I'd just arrived at Lillian this year."

Her bright voice sounded soothing.

"-Probably."

I didn't remember each and every face in school, but I probably wouldn't have forgotten her if I'd seen her a single time.

"Your name?"

"Kubo Shiori."

Kubo, Shiori.

I carved that name in my heart. It was just a name, but it was curious, how the fact that it belonged to her made it so much more special.

I'd never bothered with other people before, but when it came to the first-year student named Kubo Shiori, I became incredibly curious. So I smashed my feelings right at her. Not satisfied with her name, I asked about what class she was in, what middle school she attended, where she lived, I kept asking such impolite questions.

At first, Shiori looked bewildered. But because my questions were borne out of curiosity rather than being critical, she politely answered each and every one of them.

Shiori graduated from a school in Nagasaki, and she was recommended to Lillian. But her lack of an accent was because she was originally from Tokyo. Her parents died in a car accident when she was in third grade, so she was taken in by her uncle in Nagasaki, and now that her obligatory education was over, she decided to return to her home. She had no relatives in Tokyo, so she attended school from the school dormitories.

Shiori bluntly spoke of her tragic fifteen years of life. At the very least, that moved me. Her tolerance for an rude upperclassman, who she was meeting for the first time, and her willingness to accept me, it felt incredible.

She was mature, and she looked like even my twisted, thorny self could hold her hand, and she would be so divine that not a scratch would befall her.

"Will that be all?"

After a moment of silence, Shiori looked at her watch and spoke.

"I must be going now."

I was conflicted, by the desire to stay like this, and the realization that it was becoming awkward. But I nodded anyways. And after I nodded, I felt incredibly heartbroken.

"I'm sorry for having taken your time."

"No worries, I'm used to it."

Transfer students from other schools were often questioned like this, she smiled, with no hint of bitterness.

"Oh, my name is-"
"I know. Rosa Gigantea en bouton, Satou Sei-sama."

"What…?"

"During the first-year ceremony, you were introduced."

After answering thus, Shiori politely bowed her head and stepped out of the sanctuary. Having lost Shiori, the sanctuary felt like it had lost some of its luster.

<noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Return to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru|Main Page]]
| Back to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume3_Chapter4_3|Chapter 4 Part 3]]
| Forward to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume3_Chapter5_2|Part 2]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume3 Chapter5 1

2010-07-19T20:36:00Z

67.233.95.11: Unnecessary comma

===<noinclude>Springtime Buds. </noinclude>Part 1.===

-If this is how I'm going to end up feeling, I won't desire for another person, ever again.

On my sixteenth winter,

I experienced a farewell so painful it cut my body apart.

I first met Shiori during a spring day. One morning that I arrived at school far earlier than I usually did.

Why did I come to school early that day, despite not having anything planned? Frankly, it's because I thought it was time to wake up, that's all. I went through all of my morning preparations an hour early, hopped on the earliest train, and didn't realize my mistake until I noticed how much less crowded it was.

I hated keeping time, to begin with, so I don't really double-check what time it is. I'm the type that thinks I'd rather get to school late than hear the alarm clock ringing, so I've come to accept this sort of mistake happens.

When I stepped off of the circulation bus from JR's M Station in front of our school, the sunlight was blinding to my half-awake eyes.

Shielding my eyes from the sun, I walked through the high gate. The blue sky looking down on me through the thick roadway of gingko trees looked like it was etching out a soft pathway, like Milky Way.

(Milky Way…)

It had an embarrassingly romantic echo. If I were to say that during class, what kind of faces would everyone make?

-How unexpected. That twisted Satou Sei-san has a cute side to her, too?

But I had no intention of pleasing them.

Flipping her long, back-length hair, I muttered, "Idiotic."

(What is?)

But the closest word to the answer to that was "everything," as well as "myself."

Like the innocently smiling students at this school, like they were saying, I have no dissatisfaction with this world.

Like those pathetic parents that never questioned if they were raising their children properly.

Like the school that didn't bother labeling me a delinquent because I always had top-notch grades.

Like myself, living normally on a daily basis despite being annoyed by everything.

All of those, everything.

If I can't find anything to love in this world, including myself, the biggest problem probably lay in myself.

This world existed long before I did, and so it probably headed toward a better place by majority vote. People who can't conform to that world, then, bear responsibility for being unable to conform.

I'd figured that much out, so I've been lying low. But a sixteen-year-old adolescent sometimes rejects having to play out the role of a "pure maiden."

Why do I have to laugh with everyone?

Why do I have to involve myself in conversations that I don't care about?

So I keep myself silent.

Nothing I can do. Because this is the meadow of angels.

So Maria-sama, standing in the middle of the fork in the road, looked to me like Nio.

(See…)

She looks so serene, so kind, but in reality, she was dividing students walking into the school into good or bad.

I formed a pistol with my right hand and pointed it at the white Maria-sama statue. The holy maiden Maria stood in front of the small, green forest, and prayed to heaven for the sake of her students every second.

"Amen."

"Bang!" I sounded in my mind, and I ran, laughing.

Rapture.

Running down the pathway of freshly-budding trees was invigorating. I'd always wanted to do it once, when there was no one around.

I didn't mind people seeing me, but being questioned for it was a pain.

I didn't believe in Maria-sama, so I wasn't afraid of divine punishment. Jesus of Nazarene and his mother Maria were both real people that died long, long ago. After 2000 years, even ghosts must have gotten bored.

And if Maria-sama was really that close to God, she was supposed to save these bad sheep. Now, come, save my aimless soul!

-Amen!

I ran, shouting that, over and over again.

It was the middle of spring.

I'd just become a second-year in high school.

It wasn't that I had any dissatisfactions. I just had no warmth. I was wandering in the dark, in a dried, vast wilderness.

I didn't know what I should do.

I didn't even know what I wanted to do.

Panting, I leaned against the sanctuary wall. I'd somehow ended up here. My subconscious seemed to have run me the opposite direction from the school buildings.

Oh well. I'll rest here for an hour, and I entered the sanctuary.

After a few steps into the dark, silent corridor, the first thing you saw when you opened the thick, decorated door was a wooden statue of a crucified Jesus Christ. When you glanced to its left, a full-colored Maria statue. And to its right, a stained-glass window of brilliant colors. Long, wooden benches were on either side of the passage down the middle.

The morning prayer of the sisters must have ended, as there was no one inside.

I chose a seat by the wall on the second row from the back and leaned back. A picture of angels was painted on the ceiling. It was the first time I'd looked at it, relaxed, like this.

I wasn't a Christian, but the sanctuary was a beautiful place, I could say that much. I didn't dislike Buddhist temples, either, so I might simply have a liking for religion-based architecture.

I wrapped my arms around my shoulders and closed my eyes. It soothed me. It felt like I was rolled up in a ball, surrounded by a tough shell.

Don't touch me. Forget about me.

My body wanted sleep, but my mind was unusually active. But that's alright, I rolled over to my side.

How much time passed? Eventually, I lost track of time, and I didn't even know if I was awake or dreaming, when I heard something.

Like an herbivore that was at rest, my body immediately reacted, and I jumped up like a spring-powered doll. Who cares if someone saw you, a voice whispered inside my head.

And they were apparently surprised at my sudden movement, as the person who'd made the noise before spun around. –She sat in the front seat, near the middle.

Both of them had spent time not realizing they were there.

She had probably been kneeling and praying, and I gulped my own breath after watching her stand up slowly.

With the stained-glass window's light shining upon her right shoulder, she looked so white, so divine.

"… Gokigenyou."

Smiling, she walked toward me. She was wearing the Lillian Girls' Academy high school uniform, and her straight hair reached down to her waist. And her skin wasn't as pale as I'd first thought.

"… A first-year?"

I might have been looking at her like I was appraising something.

"Yes. I'd just arrived at Lillian this year."

Her bright voice sounded soothing.

"-Probably."

I didn't remember each and every face in school, but I probably wouldn't have forgotten her if I'd seen her a single time.

"Your name?"

"Kubo Shiori."

Kubo, Shiori.

I carved that name in my heart. It was just a name, but it was curious, how the fact that it belonged to her made it so much more special.

I'd never bothered with other people before, but when it came to the first-year student named Kubo Shiori, I became incredibly curious. So I smashed my feelings right at her. Not satisfied with her name, I asked about what class she was in, what middle school she attended, where she lived, I kept asking such impolite questions.

At first, Shiori looked bewildered. But because my questions were borne out of curiosity rather than being critical, she politely answered each and every one of them.

Shiori graduated from a school in Nagasaki, and she was recommended to Lillian. But her lack of an accent was because she was originally from Tokyo. Her parents died in a car accident when she was in third grade, so she was taken in by her uncle in Nagasaki, and now that her obligatory education was over, she decided to return to her home. She had no relatives in Tokyo, so she attended school from the school dormitories.

Shiori bluntly spoke of her tragic fifteen years of life. At the very least, that moved me. Her tolerance for an rude upperclassman, who she was meeting for the first time, and her willingness to accept me, it felt incredible.

She was mature, and she looked like even my twisted, thorny self could hold her hand, and she would be so divine that not a scratch would befall her.

"Will that be all?"

After a moment of silence, Shiori looked at her watch and spoke.

"I must be going now."

I was conflicted, by the desire to stay like this, and the realization that it was becoming awkward. But I nodded anyways. And after I nodded, I felt incredibly heartbroken.

"I'm sorry for having taken your time."

"No worries, I'm used to it."

Transfer students from other schools were often questioned like this, she smiled, with no hint of bitterness.

"Oh, my name is-"
"I know. Rosa Gigantea en bouton, Satou Sei-sama."

"What…?"

"During the first-year ceremony, you were introduced."

After answering thus, Shiori politely bowed her head and stepped out of the sanctuary. Having lost Shiori, the sanctuary felt like it had lost some of its luster.

<noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Return to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru|Main Page]]
| Back to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume3_Chapter4_3|Chapter 4 Part 3]]
| Forward to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume3_Chapter5_2|Part 2]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume3 Chapter2 7

2010-07-19T20:34:04Z

67.233.95.11: Changed "on" to "in"

===<noinclude>The White Rose. </noinclude>Part 7.===

"Yumi."

After she'd gotten off the last stop for her bus and had climbed the stairs to M Station, she heard a familiar, resounding voice from behind.

(Sachiko-sama…?)

Taking a step back, she looked around. But no matter how hard she tried to look, forget Sachiko-sama, she couldn't even see a single other girl wearing a Lillian uniform.

(Was I hearing things?)

Maybe she heard Sachiko-sama's voice in her head because she wanted to see her so much. What a simpleton I am, Yumi thought, as she returned her attention to the stairs.

"What are you doing, Yumi, I'm over here."

This time she heard it clearly. So she turned completely around and walked back a bit. Then, on the road beside the bus terminals, she noticed a black automobile was parked, and Sachiko-sama was waving her hand from a rear-seat window.

"What, what are you doing here, onee-sama?"

When Yumi fearfully crept toward the shining, obsidian car, the window Sachiko-sama was waving out of slid shut, and this time the door popped open.

"Uwah, uwah, uwah."

[[Image:MM_v03_06.jpg|thumb]]
Yumi was excited because the door opened in fashion. –Not really, it was because Sachiko-sama was wearing a very unexpected type of clothing.

"I was waiting. Please, get in."

Sachiko-sama naturally ordered Yumi as she slid to the other end of the car. Her hair was meticulously braided, she wore a kimono, and she even had cosmetics done. She looked like an authentic princess.

"Please, hurry, it does feel cold."

She didn't have time to fret. Onee-sama's orders were absolute. Though she worried about dirtying the carpet with her shoes, Yumi boarded the car.

"Go."

When Sachiko-sama spoke that word to the man in the driver's seat, the car began gliding.

"Uh, umm…?"

"I'll take you home. When we get close, give us directions."

The driver presumably had been told the rough directions already, as he quickly began taking the shortest routes from the station. Using the underground passageways under the tracks, they left M Station. She had no idea. Different cars gave the passengers different levels of comfort.

"Why are you wearing a long-sleeved kimono? Ahh, onee-sama, you look so wonderful in a uniform, but you look astounding in a kimono, too!"

She became excited and bounced around a bit, but Sachiko-sama didn't scold her. With her back still straightened, she giggled.

"Actually, this isn't a long-sleeved kimono, but rather a visiting dress. A Japanese-style painter who's an acquaintance of my father had an exhibition today, and I was required to attend, so I had to leave Yumi behind."

But she was worried about Rosa Gigantea, so she returned after simply greeting the painter. If she was lucky, she'd be able to snag Yumi at M Station as she went home, so she was waiting. Good read.

That said, Sachiko-sama definitely was a lady in an upper-class household, she realized, yet again.

Her refined, indigo kimono with white and pink plum flower patterns was fastened with a silver obi with blue bird patterns. Even though she was 17, she exuded an aura of "I'm used to wearing kimono," so she was definitely different from normal people, who only really wore a kimono during shichi-go-san[[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Talk:Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume3_Chapter2_7#shichigosan] or New Years. Sachiko-sama probably wore a kimono often, and practiced serving tea and arranging flowers.

But a personal exhibition for Japanese paintings that required wearing a kimono? What kind of place would require that? Plus, it was a jet-black car you tended to see more on TV for the Imperial household, rather than something you often saw in town. A driver wearing a hat and white gloves. And at their feet, carpeting that she still couldn't figure out if it was dark-red or not.

"What did Rosa Gigantea want, with you two?"

Sachiko-sama asked, bluntly. So Yumi didn't skirt the edges either, reporting to Sachiko-sama everything that had happened. After all, there was nothing to hide, and Rosa Gigantea had told them they were free to tell everything to their onee-sama. Of course, if she hadn't, Yoshino-san might have had trouble restraining herself, what with how intimate she was with Rei-sama.

"I see… so Rosa Gigantea told you two."

Sachiko-sama sighed heavily, like she was the one who let out the secret, and said, "She's strong."

"I was just a first-year then, and Rosa Gigantea was an en bouton who never really came to the Rose Mansion, so I wasn't very close to her. But I knew Rosa Gigantea was very close with Shiori-san, and I could infer what happened last year, around this time."

Yes. Rosa Gigantea's Kahori was named "Shiori."

"But, I was so surprised at how much Rosa Gigantea changed her looks after Shiori-san transferred before the third semester."

"Changed her looks?"

"Yes. She'd cut most of her hair, she'd lost a great deal of weight, she was worn out, and she looked like a hollow puppet, so it was difficult to watch. Rosa Chinensis and the Rosa Gigantea then lent their hands, so she managed to stand back up on her own. And… yes. Shimako-san's had a big influence on her, too."

"But, Rosa Gigantea doesn't say anything to Shimako-san, she said. They don't interfere with each other, or something-"
"Indeed."

That's why she couldn't beat Rosa Gigantea, Sachiko-sama laughed. Come to think of it, Sachiko-sama and Rosa Gigantea had fought over Shimako-san in the past.

"It doesn't matter to them what the other is doing or thinking. They're connected on a more essential level, so they don't bother with what's on the surface, in a way. So from that perspective, they're very unique sisters. Out of place from the normal expectation of an older sister training the little sister, it's like they exist on a different dimension altogether."

"An essential level…"

Because they were so deeply intertwined with their souls, they would never waver about how much the other means to them?

"Give nothing, seek nothing. If anything, I think it means, as long as they exist, they're at peace. Of course, I've only recently begun to understand them."

After being rejected by Shimako-san, Sachiko-sama probably calmly observed the sisters. Not because she had any lingering affections, but because she genuinely wanted to understand them.

As Yumi listened to Sachiko-sama, she couldn't help but think of faith. As long as they exist, it was like peoples' love for God.

The car that had been going straight ahead smoothly turned right at the intersection.

"I'm not envious, by any means. I'll acknowledge such a relationship exists, but I can't imagine being in one, myself."

Answering Yumi's worries, Sachiko-sama turned to Yumi, said "so it's alright to be imperfect," and touched Yumi's ribbons. Yumi, too, preferred the skinship that came with having herself straightened out.

And Sachiko-sama's blunt "I'm not envious" matched precisely with Yumi's own thoughts.

Maybe that sort of overlapping emotions was vital. Because they felt the same, they could be sisters, she and Sachiko-sama.

Affinity wasn't so much about whether they were alike, but rather whether they could create an atmosphere where both could feel comfortable, she thought.

They passed the bus she usually took, which was waiting at the bus stop, and took a left at the T junction. The expensive car drove past convenience stores and little fields spotting the residential area without paying any heed.

They'd come close to her home, so she gave directions such as take a right at that light, or take a left at that intersection, and they finally ended up at her home. She liked her home, which had been designed by her father's firm, as it was homely and looked nice, but she did lose a bit confidence, showing it to a super-rich lady.

"What a wonderful home."

Sachiko-sama's home was probably not visible from outside, being surrounded by an enormous garden. It probably had a big fence, and it was a Japanese-style garden with gardeners-. Ah, no good. She was making herself feel down, again.

"Well, I'll see you again at the closing ceremony."

Sachiko-sama didn't hesitate at all to say her farewells and depart. Well, they weren't in a heterosexual romance, so leaving with a kiss would have been strange, but a handshake didn't fit, either. Plus, that sort of Sachiko-sama wasn't right.

When Yumi told her she would call her mother to give thanks for being sent home, Sachiko-sama stopped Yumi, saying, "That's alright."

"Dressed this way, your family would be surprised. And there's a car waiting behind. Next time I'll properly greet them."

"Okay."

It was almost evening. Cars would use this road to avoid the traffic at the main street at this time.

"Thank you very much for taking me home."

"You're welcome. Gokigenyou."

"… Gokigenyou."

Yumi absent-mindedly thought, as watched the car drive away.

(Is Sachiko-sama busy every day?)

She felt a bit lonely. I'll see you again at the closing ceremony, meant she had no intention of meeting during the break.

Almost a week, and Yumi had nothing to do, so if she were given a phone-call, she would jump at any opportunity to meet. And if that wasn't possible, simply being able to talk would be splendid.

But she couldn't imagine Sachiko-sama calling her. But her calling Sachiko-sama was also a dreadful thing to imagine.

And that's how a week will pass, she sighed, depressed.

Yoshino-san would probably laugh and ask, "Why don't you just call her?" if she found out.

That's the sort of siblings we are, right now.

That made her feel better.

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|-
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| Back to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume3_Chapter2_6|Part 6]]
| Forward to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume3_Chapter3_1|Chapter 3 Part 1]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume3 Chapter2 6

2010-07-19T20:33:08Z

67.233.95.11: /* The White Rose. Part 6. */

===<noinclude>The White Rose. </noinclude>Part 6.===

"Was there coffee?"

Rosa Gigantea's greeting to Yumi and Yoshino-san, who'd arrived back at the Rose Mansion, was not "welcome back" but "was there coffee?" Somewhat disappointing, because it sounded like she was more interested in the coffee than her cute juniors.

"… Yes."

Rosa Gigantea jumped out of her seat like a little child chanting "coffee, coffee," so Yumi handed her the requested coffee and the purse.

"If you wanted to drink coffee that much, you could have made instant coffee."

"I wasn't feeling like instant coffee. Actually if I had things my way I'd be ordering blue mountain coffee at a coffee shop."

She pulled back the can's pull-top, gulped down the coffee, and sighed. It was a small can, so she probably drank half of it in one gulp.

"Instant coffee < canned coffee < fresh-made coffee?"

"Yup. How about you, Yoshino-chan?"

"In my opinion, it's more about the amount of milk, rather than type. Oh, and temperature."

"The mild faction. You're the same as Yumi-chan."

"I'm not as much of sweet-tooth as Yumi-san, though."

Yoshino-san waved her can of café au lait, with scaled-back sweetness, next to her face, said "gochisousama" and laughed.

"What did Yumi-chan get-?"

After being called a sweet-tooth, it became awkward to show it. And amused by Yumi's reaction, Rosa Gigantea chased her around, "Come on, show it."

"I wonder who bought you that drink?"

Gosh, sponsors are powerful. Rosa Gigantea pinned Yumi from behind and grabbed the can.

Three, two, one.

"Bwahahahah."

As expected, after three seconds, Rosa Gigantea's hearty laugh echoed through the second floor of the Rose Mansion.

"What is this? Canned sweet red-bean soup!? These things exist!? And they're sold at a university vending machine, so there's even a demand for them!?"

"… Probably, even the reserve forces, a high school girl, just bought one."

She'd become used to this massive laughter, so Yumi turned defiant and answered. Yes, she's a sweet-tooth. What's wrong with being a sweet-tooth… that sort of attitude.

"I see. Hmm…"

Rosa Gigantea admired the can, mumbling, "I guess that's how things are." It seemed like she seriously didn't know canned sweet red-bean soup existed before, so when Yumi told her there were even canned sweet half sake, she became delighted, again.

The two of them pulled up chairs alongside the chair Rosa Gigantea was sitting in by the window, and they sat down facing each other. The sunlight shining through the glass window, while just a bit, felt warm.

The canned drinks, which were hot and thus difficult to carry back, had finally cooled and become drinkable.

"Well, I read the novel."

Rosa Gigantea jumped straight into the topic, without any preface.

"A novel in an hour."

When they praised her for her concentration, she calmly replied, "Because it was in Japanese." Yumi wondered if Rosa Gigantea was the type to read straight through original documents, but she didn't ask. If the person next to her was superhuman, she'd feel a bit down.

"When I realized Suga was Sugar, I totally laughed by myself. I mean, Satou and Sugar, that's quite a stretch isn't it? But I wonder who thought of Suga Sei being Satou Sei, first."

Tossing her graded hair, Rosa Gigantea laughed listlessly, and she seemed a bit different from usual. It was hard to explain, but the difference must have been as subtle as removing a single, thin cardigan. Of course, maybe this was closer to the real Rosa Gigantea, that sort of thought was Yumi's own convenient thought. Rosa Gigantea was always Rosa Gigantea, and there could only be one of her, of course.

After drinking the rest of the canned coffee, Rosa Gigantea properly washed the can out at the sink, then tossed in the can recycling bin. There's your student government president, never letting up even for disposing waste.

"But they had good instincts."

"Huh…?"

Who, Yoshino-san asked. Like Yumi, she was filled with question marks, not knowing how this related to Rosa Gigantea.

"The person who thought I might have written it."
Rosa Gigantea laughed, came close, grabbed Yumi's canned sweet red-bean soup, and gulped.

"Ahh!"

"Oh it's just one sip, tightwad."

The can came back considerably lighter. Well, she couldn't complain, because she was the one being treated, but Rosa Gigantea's "sip" seemed to be quite large.

"But, you didn't, right?"

After waiting for this sibling argument-like skirmish to end, Yoshino-san returned the conversation to the topic. Yoshino-san was calm, she thought.

"Of course, I didn't write it. As I said earlier. I'm not mentally strong enough to write about something that happened last year and show it to people."

"But, you said they had good instincts?"

Rosa Gigantea nodded at Yoshino-san's words.

"Because, she's similar. To me."

A fastball.

It wasn't a particularly super meaningful phrase, but it felt like she threw a fastball with impeccable timing and speed.

Nothing more, nothing less, people often say. And that answer fit perfectly, so that sort of thing does happen, after all.

Because she's similar. To me. –Rosa Gigantea's words simply meant what they said. Similar was such a vague thing to say, but the phrase simply told one truth. Is what Yumi absent-mindedly thought.

At the same time, Rosa Gigantea's words were so powerful they couldn't find anything to say.

Then, they heard her say, "You can ask." Rosa Gigantea said that to the speechless Yoshino-san and Yumi.

"Both of you were worried about it, right? Because both of you knew it wasn't just the name that made people think I wrote it."

"…"

Because it was the truth, they couldn't make a retort.

They definitely wanted to know about Rosa Gigantea's past. But at the same time, that was intruding on Rosa Gigantea's privacy, so the fact that their desire had been so blatantly obvious to Rosa Gigantea made them feel guilty. Even though they didn't intend to look so greedy.

"I didn't say that to make you two look like that…"

Rosa Gigantea sat back into her chair and raised both of their chins with her fingertips. She usually never felt anything from Rosa Gigantea's close-up, but this time she felt her heart race.

"I won't talk about what I don't want to talk about, but if that's alright, I'm willing to tell you what happened."

"Why-"

"Because, if you two are the only ones that don't know, it's a bit unfair, don't you think?"

"…"

Leaving aside whether that reasoning was flawed or not, that Rosa Gigantea could say such a thing was incredible.

"Then was borrowing 'Forest of Thorns' just a way of keeping us here?"

"Of course not. After all, I did need to read 'Forest of Thorns' as soon as possible. Even if it's not true, rumors about me are spreading, so I needed to know why that was the case."

That said, the reason why she sent everyone else home was so remove any intrusions. If Sachiko-sama were here, she would have definitely stopped Yumi from asking about Rosa Gigantea's past. Given her actions the past few days, that much was clear.

"The reason why the second and third-year students won't explain anything is because they're worried about me. Last year, I was really severe about people touching on that subject, and they know about that."

I'm probably still not completely over it, said Rosa Gigantea. She understood how people were worried about her.

"I had a really good friend. More important than parents or siblings, and I liked her enough that I didn't need anything else."

Yumi remembered Sei and Kahori from "Forest of Thorns." The image fit perfectly with Rosa Gigantea, who mentioned they were similar.

"She was pure-hearted girl who intended to become a sister in the future. But she vanished last Christmas."

"Eh!?"

Yumi and Yoshino-san shouted at once.

"But that's the exact same!"

Having the same name was already astonishing, but the fact that the other person was also a sister, and vanished during Christmas. Was it possible to have this much overlap? Because not everyone experienced the same thing as Sei did.

But Rosa Gigantea did have a similar experience as "Forest of Thorns," after all. That was dreadful. Yumi understood why Sachiko-sama and others didn't want to touch on the subject.

"Not exactly. That's why it'd be troublesome if you took everything from that book and called it my truth. I never went on a journey with that friend, and there was no romantic experience like taking sleeping pills together."

And "Forest of Thorns" implied that Kahori didn't pass away, either, but Rosa Gigantea's friend ended up transferring.

"Then she's alive? Kahori-san."

"What, are you disappointed she's alive?"

Rosa Gigantea flicked Yumi's forehead with her index finger. Well, it was a good thing to find out she was still alive, but for a person who ended up crying over "Forest of Thorns," it was a bit of a let-down. –And that was because she hadn't fully gotten over the knowledge that Rosa Gigantea wasn't the writer or main character of "Forest of Thorns."

"And Yumi-chan, she's not Kahori. Her name was Kubo Shiori."

That sort of revision was another nail-in-the-coffin for the Rosa Gigantea being Sei theory.

But Yoshino-san was sharp.

"Rosa Gigantea, do you think someone used you as a model and wrote the novel?"

Yumi was so surprised she wasn't even thinking of that sort of possibility, but in retrospect, that sort of thing did seem possible.

"I don't know."

Rosa Gigantea laughed.

"Some places are drastically different, but some places frighteningly overlap."

But because it was a autobiographical novel, rather than an autobiography, it was possible the author employed some fictional aspects.

"Autobiographical novel."

That's a complex thing. "Autobiography" meant it was the writer's own life story, and "ical" made it "based on." And "novel" implied more of a "fictional" story. Autobiography, plus fictional, but that wasn't any more clear.

"But, wait a second. This is supposed to be an autobiographical novel, so that would be wrong."

Yoshino-san realized something, and drew closer to Rosa Gigantea.

"Wha, what?"

Yumi interjected, trying to keep up.

"If someone used Rosa Gigantea as a model, it wouldn't be an autobiography anymore."

"Oh, yeah."
If "Forest of Thorns" were written with Sei as Rosa Gigantea, then Suga Sei had to be Rosa Gigantea. But Rosa Gigantea completely refuted that. Then… then… then what?

"Well, a similar thing could have happened by chance."

Rosa Gigantea mumbled. But Yoshino-san pressed on.

"It could have been a lie, though."

"A lie."
And they began talking back and forth, like a ping pong rally. Yumi couldn't slide herself into the conversation, so she just looked left and right and followed Yoshino-san and Rosa Gigantea.

"For a chance occurrence, the school was far too similar to Lillian Girls' Academy. One of our students had to have written it."

"But Yoshino-chan, publishers don't lie."

"But if the author said they wrote about themselves, the publisher would have to believe it, wouldn't they? This is Suga Sei's debut work, and she has no profiling, so she might simply be thinking there's no way she'd be caught."

"I see."

"I see, aren't you frustrated? That someone wrote about you, then you got mistaken for the author, and then got called to the guidance office?"
"Not really, it wasn't the first time I went there."

"That's not what I'm saying."

Yoshino-san was getting angry in Rosa Gigantea's stead. Well, Yumi could sympathize. Rosa Gigantea was acting very apathetic.

"Even if someone were to, as Yoshino-chan said, have used me as a model and wrote a novel, it doesn't mean anything."

"What?"

"Do you want to sell the story to the newspaper club after catching Suga Sei? Or are you going to ask for royalties on the book as a reference fee?"

That's true, Yumi thought. It was already published, so there was no way to erase it from everyone's memory. Plus, if Rosa Gigantea acted, it'd just become an even bigger deal.

"I just can't stand the thought of Rosa Gigantea being hurt by this."

"But I'm not hurt at all? I mean, I was called to the guidance office, but they just asked me about it, and that was that. No problems."

"But-"

Yoshino-san stopped, at a loss for words.

Yumi could understand the speechless Yoshino-san's feelings. Yoshino-san was about to say Rosa Gigantea was clearly being hurt. Even if it were proven that there was no basis for the rumors, the past she'd buried had been dug up. To say she'd taken no damage would be a lie.

But she couldn't say that, Yoshino-san thought, so she stopped.

Rosa Gigantea's pride was the stance of "I don't care if you found out about my past."

"You know. I don't need everyone in the world to understand me. As long as people precious to me understand, that's enough. Understand?"

Rosa Gigantea slacked in her chair and spoke. Her legs, poking out from the pleats, were straight and white and cool.

"That's why I wanted Yumi-chan and Yoshino-chan to hear me. Because I didn't want you two to have the wrong idea."

"Rosa Gigantea…"

Her heart skipped. Because Rosa Gigantea just called them precious to her.

Rosa Gigantea said she didn't care about the outfield, but Yumi wondered if she simply wanted to drop the topic.

Of course.

A tragic past wasn't something you wanted to dwell on. Bereavement or transfer, Rosa Gigantea was hurt by the person vanishing to a place where they would never see each other again, so there was no difference there.

Other people have no way of understanding the weight in other peoples' hearts. After all, Rosa Gigantea probably needed that person more than anyone else.

She asked if anyone had questions, so Yumi raised her hand. If the question was taboo, she was confident Rosa Gigantea would simply say so.

"Your friend, what's she doing now?"

"I don't know… I wonder what she's doing."

Rosa Gigantea looked out the window. They hadn't met after splitting up, she mumbled.

"Do you want to see her?"

This time Yoshino-san asked. But the answer wasn't "I want to see her" or "I don't want to see her."

"I don't think we ought to meet."

Peoples' relationships weren't quite that simple, after all.

She didn't know what happened between Rosa Gigantea and that person, but it was clear Rosa Gigantea still liked her. She liked her, but she mustn't be with her. Yumi found out for the first time that such a relationship existed.

Rosa Gigantea's true character might be as violent as flames. Is what Yumi thought, all of a sudden. So she distanced herself from the person she loved, to spare her from being burnt.

Being able to see the person you like as much as you want was actually incredibly good fortune.

Yumi suddenly wanted to see Sachiko-sama.

<noinclude>
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|-
| Return to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru|Main Page]]
| Back to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume3_Chapter2_5|Part 5]]
| Forward to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume3_Chapter2_7|Part 7]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume3 Chapter2 4

2010-07-19T20:32:19Z

67.233.95.11: Changed "rise" to "rinse"

===<noinclude>The White Rose. </noinclude>Part 4.===

"Sachiko-, let me borrow Yumi-chan."

As the tea party came to an end, Rosa Gigantea wrapped an arm around Yumi's neck and shouted.

"Well, I don't mind, but-"

"Don't worry, don't worry, I won't strip her down and play with her."

"… If you keep making such jokes, I may refuse."

Sachiko-sama seemed to be getting used to it, as she side-stepped Rosa Gigantea's teasing.

"Umm, could you also prohibit kissing?"

The captive Yumi interjected into the conversation. Rosa Gigantea was the type to spontaneously hug and kiss someone else's sister, so she couldn't drop her guard.

"Ok. That's disappointing, but I'll promise. So, I'm borrowing her."

Turning about, Rosa Gigantea dragged Yumi with her and this time went to Rei-sama, this time requesting to borrow Yoshino-san.

"As long as Yoshino is fine with it."

Rather than give an order, like Sachiko-sama, Rei-sama cheerfully consented.

"Why Rei doesn't say anything? That's simple. Because she knows I won't do anything to Yoshino-chan."

Rosa Gigantea cackled.

"Eh!? … wait, why just me?"

Why was she bait for an evil senior?

"I guess it's because your reaction is awesome. Also, Sachiko's reaction is great, too. Two delicious sœur with one grain of rice. –Thank you, with respect."

"…"

She could find no words of retort. Because it was a reply with such clarity. But "with respect"? Lillian's a Catholic school, not a Buddhist one…

"- anyways. The three of us will finish cleaning, so everyone may go ahead."

While she spoke in polite terms, Rosa Gigantea was clearly meaning to simply shoo people out of the room. What was she trying to start, kicking everyone out? Well, Yoshino-san was with her, so she assumed she wouldn't be attacked or anything.

Then, farewell. –said they, as "everyone" filed out of the second-floor room. Sachiko-sama still had a dubious look, but she had business to deal with in the afternoon, so she reluctantly followed Rei-sama down the stairs.

"Shall I lend a hand?"

Shimako-san asked, last. Well, Yumi and Yoshino-san were remaining, so as a fellow first-year student, it wasn't surprising she would wonder if she should stay to help, too. And it was also strange that she would be left out, being the little sister of Rosa Gigantea.

"Nope, not especially."

Rosa Gigantea's words had no hidden meaning behind them. It's hard to explain, but between sisters, words often have meanings like, "Actually I want you to stay," or "I have something to do with Yoshino-chan and Yumi-chan, sorry," but it was a bit unbelievable that Rosa Gigantea meant nothing. She didn't even look sorry about leaving Shimako-san out.

"Is that so. Well, farewell, then."

Hey, wait, you're just going to back down? But when she looked at Shimako-san, she simply smiled, and even said, "I'm sorry you have to put up with onee-sama."

"Gokigenyou."

As always, Shimako-san left an angelic smile and left. The afterimage of the soft, curled hair stayed in Yumi's mind.

"Is it bad if Shimako-san stays?"

Yoshino-san probably felt the same as Yumi, and so she asked Rosa Gigantea.

"Why? If Shimako wanted to stay, I wouldn't have minded."

"But the way you said it, I don't think she'd be able to stay even if she wanted, right, Yumi-san?"

Yoshino-san, excited by the response, looked for agreement from Yumi.

"Really? Yumi-chan."

Rosa Gigantea looked like she wanted to say "I really don't understand," as she looked at Yumi.

"If I were Shimako-san, I think I would have felt like I needed to be gone."

"Hmm."

What did she mean, hmm. If she understood, she should go chase down Shimako-san. Rosa Gigantea stayed put in her seat, without any hint of wanting to move.

"If you want, I could go-"

When Yumi started toward the biscuit-shaped door, she was stopped.

"Ah, don't worry about it."

"Why?"

"Even if Shimako were told not to stay, if she wanted to stay, she would stay on her own accord."

"What?"

"That's how it is. So don't worry about it."

She felt like she'd just been thrown a smoke screen, but Rosa Gigantea sounded confident, so she left it at that.

"Is that how it is."

Yumi and Yoshino-san tilted their head to the side and were forced to simple accept it as fact. In that case, what was Shimako-san to Rosa Gigantea?

"Yumi-chan, Yoshino-chan, I don't care who, do one of you have 'Forest of Thorns' with you?"

"Ah, yes."

Both of them simultaneously reached into their bags. Yumi found hers first, and Rosa Gigantea pointed to it.

"May I borrow it?"

"Sure. What are you going to do?"

"If someone says they want to borrow a book, it means they're going to read it. Did you think I was going to make stew with it?"

"No, autograph, or something."

"Suga Sei? … that's not even funny, Yumi-chan."

But she was laughing, anyways. But if she was going to read "Forest of Thorns" now, it definitely meant she wasn't the author.

"Well, shall we start cleaning?"

"… Yeah."

The person who brought them together had pushed a chair to the window sill and begun reading, so Yumi and Yoshino-san began carrying the teacups from the table and gathering the leftovers of the cookies.

"Secret skill, instantaneous teakettle technique!"

Yoshino-san poured the hot water from the kettle into the washing tub, filled it with water, and then dunked the cups, spoons and sponge into it.

"We can just wash it in here, and then use the faucet to rinse. Right?"

"That's a good idea, but… Yoshino-san, you've been reading ninja stories instead of just fencer stories as of late, haven't you?"

"I've been had."

The sink water had become colder, and it reminded Yumi that by the time they went deeper into winter, it would freeze.

(… cold water.)

Cold air.

A misty, deep, green forest. Sealed away by thorny tendrils, the forest where Sei's feelings were asleep.

The sense of cold re-awakened the scene in "Forest of Thorns" in Yumi's mind. Sei and Kahori held each other's hands, and wandered through the forest, finding a place to rest, that sort of scene.

She could feel herself tearing up just by remembering it.

Worn out from walking, the two of them took turns drinking sleeping pills along with the cooled tea. When they ran out of pills, they intertwined their fingers so they wouldn't be separated, and kissed, for the first and last time.

"Wow, thanks for your hard work."

Like she was parading into that world of illusions wearing shoes, Rosa Gigantea crept up behind them with her usual old-man-like methods.

"You already finished?"

Yoshino-san, who was wiping the table with a rag, glanced at her wristwatch.

"Of course not. You can't read a novel in ten, fifteen minutes."

True. Plus she'd never heard about Rosa Gigantea having incredible fast-reading skills.

"Both of you worked hard, so I paused to give you two a reward. Of course, I'll go back to reading in a bit."

"What do you think of it so far?"

Is what Yoshino-san asked, but Yumi's question of, "Reward?" overlapped. Rosa Gigantea glanced at Yumi, then, in an effort to stop herself from bursting into laughter, turned back to Yoshino-san. She had to have, no, she must be laughing. But that aside, why was Yumi so straight-forward like this?

"Well I'm not that far into it so I can't say much, but it's interesting. … I can see why some people would think I wrote it."

As she spoke, Rosa Gigantea reached into her pocket, took our two slips of paper and waved them in front of Yumi's face.

"Here, the reward you were so eagerly awaiting."

"What is this?"

They were slips of colored paper that had been marked with a rubber stamp. When she looked closely, she noticed it read, "Pasta." They were meal tickets for pasta, used by university students.

"I forget when, but I stayed late to help my homeroom teacher, and she gave me those two tickets as thanks. Eat some ramen with a friend and go home. But I didn't have any friends that stay that late into the evening, and the food courts close at four, anyways."

I see. On the back of the tickets was the third-year wisteria-class homeroom teacher's name. Generally speaking, middle-school and high-school students weren't able to use the university food court, but if they received teacher permission, it was okay, but they'd have to receive their teacher's signature on the back of the tickets.

"And, I just kept them. Because two is not an easy number to find."

They were lacking one, if the Roses wanted to go together. And it would be awkward for her to go alone to the university food court, with her outstanding uniform, twice.

"Then, you could have gone with Shimako-san."

Yoshino-san said, exasperated. For Yoshino-san, two seemed to shout out sisters. Like, if Rei-sama received two meal tickets, Yoshino-san was supposed to be invited.

"With Shimako? And while eating ramen sitting across from each other, what do we talk about?"

Rosa Gigantea asked. She'd never even given it any thought, before.

"Anything. What you two talk about normally."

"We don't really talk much."

"But, you're sisters!?"

"Shimako is precious. An irreplaceable little sister. But we prefer not to interfere with one another. That's more comfortable for both of us."

"That's…"

Yoshino-san gave it serious thought. It was probably incomprehensible for her, because she was always together, and her relationship was so intimate. But Yumi could understand, a bit. Rosa Gigantea simply preferred "that kind" of relationship.

If Rosa Gigantea and Yoshino-san were at the opposite ends of the spectrum, Yumi and Sachiko-sama were slightly more toward Rosa Gigantea's side than the middle. Actually, it was far more than just slightly.

"But if we both have one ticket, there's nothing left for Rosa Gigantea."

"Oh, I don't need any. You two go ahead."

"But. We could split two ramen with three people."

Yumi was already preparing to have a meal. Just cookies weren't enough to satisfy her, so she'd completely forgotten about discretion.

"More important, I want to read. So, I'd actually prefer it if you two took your time."

"So we're an intrusion?"

"Frankly."

"… I could let you borrow the book without any interest for a week."

Yumi didn't think Rosa Gigantea needed to read the book now, to the point of treating her juniors to a meal (though in reality she received the meal tickets, herself).

"If I go home, I'll lose interest. Sorry, could you just let me read it, here?"

I guess that's how it is. –Yumi helplessly accepted the meal tickets and dragged Yoshino-san off to the pasta cafeteria.

"Hey- you forgot something."

Just as they stepped out of the Rose Mansion, they heard Rosa Gigantea's voice from above.

"What?"

When they stepped out toward the middle of the courtyard, they saw Rosa Gigantea leaning out of the window.

"Sorry, could you get canned coffee from the vending machine by the cafeteria on the way back? The small, hot, black one."

And she was unprepared for the small purse flying at her.
"Gyah."

The reason she was able to catch it anyways was not because of the catcher's skill, but because the pitcher's control was incredibly good.

"Instead of a tip, you two can buy a can for yourself, too. Well, have fun."

Without waiting for a response, the second-floor window was shut. The two on the ground looked at the tasteful purse in Yumi's hand, then at the window that was shut, then sighed.

"Rosa Gigantea…"

"… is unfathomable."

"Let's go."

"… yeah."

It wasn't because they were hungry, but they suddenly felt exhausted. And they walked wordlessly to the pasta cafeteria.

Rosa Gigantea was alright as an "acquaintance senior," but she was probably extremely difficult if they were close. Well, not because she gave them meal tickets or threw purses at them.

Sachiko-sama was unreadable sometimes, too. But she was straight-forward, so once you figured out her pattern, she wasn't that difficult. Rosa Gigantea was a lot more twisted, so her real self seemed to be hidden behind layers and layers.

So Shimako-san, being the little sister to this Rosa Gigantea, was incredible, Yumi concluded, as she huddled and walked through the windy, university grounds.

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Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume2 Chapter3 3

2010-07-19T20:29:27Z

67.233.95.11: Change "to be" to "be to"

===<noinclude>Unexpected Consequences. </noinclude>Part 3.===

"They're pretending to be Yoshino-san."

Tsutako-san said with distaste, as they walked down the hallway after school.

"Pretending to be Yoshino-san-"

[[Image:MM_v02_07.jpg|thumb]]
It was such a blunt but fitting explanation that Yumi momentarily lost her words. Miyuki-san during the afternoon was very much like Yoshino-san, or at least like the Yoshino-san image carried by the girls surrounding her. Weak, loveable, cute… Right, just like the image Yumi herself carried until recently.

"Just you watch. There'll be more."

"No way."

"I'm willing to bet on it."

Yumi didn't know what Tsutako-san intended to bet, but it couldn't have been much of a deal, so she ignored that statement and kept moving the discussion along.

"So how do you pretend to be Yoshino-san?"

"They call out their onee-sama in front of Maria-sama with a tragic face, then return the rosaries."

Yumi screamed inside when she heard that.

"Th, then, Miyuki-san wasn't the rejected, she's the one that started everything? And even though she's the one that rejected, she was crying like that?"

"Right."

Tsutako-san replied simply. On top of that, she was raising her camera and clicking the shutter every so often, so she was clearly disinterested. The topic was so disinteresting to her that even she took a "how stupid" stance.

"Yumi-san, okay? In life, even if two people like each other a great deal, sometimes it becomes necessary to split up for a bit. Can you imagine Yoshino-san returning the rosary with a smile?"

"I don't…"

"If anything, you'd imagine her silently crying, right?"

That was true. She could easily imagine Yoshino-san returning the rosary while suppressing her tears. But she couldn't imagine her laughing or even being angry while doing it. But Tsutako-san said Yoshino-san had brought up the topic of the split in a fit of anger.

"The repercussion of printing is strong. Because when you read the article, you feel like you were there."

That's right. That extra.

It was written to imply that Yoshino-san was a tragic heroine. Unable to stand her own dependence on Rei-sama. That she thought Rei-sama, the future Rosa Foetida, needed a stronger, more dependable little sister. Her fit of anger was a cover for her own insecurity.

"A tragic borne out of her elder sister being Rosa Foetida en bouton. An artistic piece."

Boutons basically are converted to being a Rose as soon as the upperclassmen graduate. That's why Roses and Bouton are often directed to choose little sisters both for their affinity as well as their character.

"…"

She suddenly felt ill. She'd never given it much thought yet, but Yumi realized that meant next year she would be Rosa Chinensis en bouton. She worried if she was capable of living up to that title, having seen Sachiko-sama and Rei-sama.

"Yumi-san, you're over thinking things. Shimako-san is Rosa Gigantea en bouton this year, so she'll be Rosa Gigantea next year."

Even though it was someone else's problem, Yumi couldn't help but feel horrified by the prospect of being in that position. It could be quite stressful for Shimako-san.

"Well, even if you're the sister of an en bouton, it doesn't mean there's no way for you to not be a Rose in the future."

Tsutako-san patted Yumi's shoulder, but she didn't know if those words were praise or extra pressure.

But. Even though the prospect of becoming a Rose in the future was enough to shiver her, the idea of not living up to Sachiko-sama was even worse. That being said, there would be pressure following her all the way until graduation for being Sachiko-sama's sœur, so she suddenly felt worried about her heart.

"Tsutako-san, you said they were pretending to be Yoshino-san, so would they have been acting?"

She asked her sudden curiosity out loud. Then, Tsutako-san looked at the tall window at the stair's landing and groaned, "Hmmm." It was well into autumn, so the afternoon sky was heavy and cold. Even so, the leaves that stubbornly stuck to the trees looked like warmth to the eyes, with their dark-colored, round forms.

"Hard to say. They're probably doing it out of seriousness, but…"

"What do you mean?"

"They're obviously just being influenced, but they probably feel like they come up with everything on their own. I mean, the matter of Rei-sama and Yoshino-san must be clearly etched into their minds. But they probably look at it is just an impetus. Even though they probably only really bothered to think about it in the past two days, they imagine that they always felt anxious about not being a fit for their onee-sama. And so this is the right time to distance themselves."

Maybe because the people in question weren't in hearing range, Tsutako-san relentlessly plowed on, criticizing the following break-up girls.

But, what if the girls had actually been anxious about it all along? Right. Just like Yumi, they always wondered, "Am I worthy of her?" and then with lack of confidence, while they mulled around in melancholy, Yoshino-san popped up, and they felt she had beaten them to the punch?

When she said that, Tsutako-san cackled and said, "If it's just chance like that, would there be three pairs in just lunch-break alone?" In that case, it did seem like things were going too neatly. Tsutako-san's insightfulness was admirable.

"You sound like you actually watched it."

"Truth be told, I did. Miyuki-san, who could line up alongside Yumi-san in a competition for 'Most Stereotypical Girl,' returning her rosary with watery eyes."

Tsutako-san lifted her camera, appealing that she, of course, captured that moment on film. When Yumi looked a bit angry, Tsutako-san justified herself, saying she had simply been passing by, emphasizing that she'd happened upon the scene while taking a walk during lunch break. But along the way, she'd also snapped photos of the other two pairs. –What a troublesome friend.

"But, why are they pretending to be Yoshino-san? Is there anything to be gained?"

As they went down the last step, Yumi asked. They were to split up here, with Tsutako-san going to her club house, and Yumi going to the Rose Mansion, but she didn't want to leave in the middle of the conversation.

"It must feel pleasant? Being a tragic heroine."

"A tragic heroine…"

Yoshino-san did have the image of a tragic heroine, and Yumi was a girl, too, so she'd imagined herself being the main character of a sad story once or twice, but-.

"I guess they're that bored of life? They wanted excitement."

Of course, that wasn't part of their calculations, Tsutako-san pointed out.

"Lillian students are fundamentally quite blessed, after all."

Students that attend from kindergarten can study all the way through university as long as they have a bit of academic skill and as long as their household assets remain in place. Of course, there're some that transfer into the academy in the middle, or some that leave to take exams for other schools, but it's the type of school atmosphere where the term "Examination War" is wholly out of place. Without examinations, the school has a rather laid-back atmosphere. Being laid-back is a lovely thing borne from surplus, but sometimes it can bring boredom.

"If days were more thrilling, this kind of disease wouldn't be so contagious."

"Disease."

"Yes, it's a disease. They're so bored and desperate that they can't find anything to do, and just when their souls are so paralyzed that they don't even know what they're looking for-"

Yoshino-san did something completely unexpected.

"It had such an impact that they had a spell cast on them without them realizing it."

"I get it, that makes sense."

Yumi finally felt like she got on the same page as Tsutako-san. If every day were dynamic, there would be no time to be bored, but not everyone lives like that. Had she not become Sachiko-sama's sœur, Yumi might have been rather bored, too. She didn't have a club she was devoted to, like Tsutako-san.

"Then would that mean the reason for the rise in popularity for the 'Lillian Kawaraban' is because it caters to the desires of the bored girls? Like they're peeking in on the daily lives of the Yamayurikai staff – something they can't do on their own?"

"That's probably a part of it. That's why as long as they report properly, they're allowed to do those things. But suddenly interviewing people without immunity, like before with Yumi-san, or printing an article without checking with the people in question is detestable."

This indignation came from Tsutako-san, who made it a habit to secretly take photos of girls in their gymnastics uniforms. Although Tsutako-san always checked with the people before using any of them, so she wasn't as bad.

"It's not right to place all the blame on the newspaper club, but Yoshino-san's actions should have been condemned, but instead it became justified, and then fashionable, and that's where the problem is."

Tsutako-san predicted, "It won't end with three pairs," and left for the clubhouse in a different courtyard.

Things were going out of hand. And she was already overwhelmed with thoughts of how to rectify Rei-sama and Yoshino-san's situation. If things were to continue to spread to other students, it was feasible that everyone would stop being sisters, and that would lead to the Lillian tradition crumbling.

(What can I do…)

Although she was heading straight to the Rose Mansion, she stopped and turned around. She thought, the number one medicine would be to settle things between Yoshino-san and Rei-sama, then report it to everyone. Impersonation crimes tend to stop when the original is solved, after all. … Even if this wasn't quite the same.

She thought the best course of action was to convince Yoshino-san to re-accept the rosary. But she was absent today, too. Rei-sama was probably at her club, but discussing it with the one who was rejected would be futile.

So her next thought was the line that connected everyone. Rosa Foetida. She didn't know why Rosa Foetida was in an ill mood, but her cute sisters were in a crisis. She thought Rosa Foetida should be willing to help. Everyone said it was hard talking to her because she wasn't herself, but in all sincerity, if Yumi explained things, she might come up with a way to solve things. And if Rosa Foetida came up with a plan, Yumi was willing to make it happen.

She was conveniently at the first floor, so she went to peek at the shoe boxes. Rosa Foetida was in third-year chrysanthemum class. Come to think of it, even though they were all in different grades, Rei-sama and Yoshino-san were both chrysanthemum, Yumi mused, as she looked through the small lockers.

(… Rosa Foetida's real name.)

She'd heard it before, but she couldn't remember. Not only Rosa Foetida, but Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Gigantea were almost never called by their real names, so she couldn't recall any of their full names, either.

[[Image:MM_v02_08.jpg|thumb]]
She had no choice but to go through attendance numbers, confirm their names, and then guess which locker belonged to Rosa Foetida.

(I'm really a fool.)

After feeling down for a moment, she pumped herself back up and began working. Just then, she noticed the figure of a student in front of her. When she stepped aside to allow her to retrieve her shoes, she noticed it was Rosa Foetida herself.

"Rosa Foetida!"

Yumi ran over, overjoyed. But she listlessly turned around, and on top of her teary eyes, one of her cheeks was quite red.

"Wh, what-"

What happened, she wanted to ask, but couldn't.

Rosa Foetida turned her face to the side again and covered her red cheek with her left hand, as if she wanted to hide it from Yumi's sight.

(- No.)

It was because the sight of Rosa Foetida covering her cheek doubled up with the Hanadera student council president. When he was slapped by Sachiko-sama, he, too, held a hand to his cheek. So Yumi immediately understood. Rosa Foetida had been hit by someone.

She only saw it for a moment, but Rosa Foetida's face looked extremely painful. She thought that such a powerful slap wasn't justifiable, no matter who the person was.

"What?"

Rosa Foetida calmed herself and asked. But asking for help from someone looking to the side was difficult. Plus, at that moment, she felt Rosa Foetida was in a bigger bind than Rei-sama and Yoshino-san.

"I'm sorry, I'm actually in a bit of a hurry. So if you want something, make it quick."

Rosa Foetida seemed to sigh.

"No, in that case it's alright. I'm sorry for stopping you."

There was no way she could make it quick, and Rosa Foetida seemed to be in a terrible situation, too, so she decided not to consult with her today.

"Yumi-chan."

Rosa Foetida turned around, remembering something, after she'd started walking away. She was still covering her left cheek.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry, but could you-"

"I won't tell anyone."

Yumi quickly shook her head. Rosa Foetida might have chosen to leave at this time, when there were fewer students walking about, because she didn't want people to see her face.

"It's not like I'm hiding it, but it is a bit uncool."

"No, it's not…"

Yumi didn't really know what she wanted to say with "no, it's not," but she saw Rosa Foetida walk off to the main entrance.

"Gokigenyou."

Yumi watched her form grow smaller in the distance.

Where, when and who slapped her? There aren't very many people in the school who can hit Rosa Foetida.

(I wonder if she's alright…)

She wasn't the newspaper club, but she was definitely curious.

When Rosa Foetida vanished into the campus woods, Yumi went back into the school facilities and sighed. With Rosa Foetida looking like that, the future looked grim. She remembered what Katsura-san had said, earlier. "Rosa Foetida is peaceful and secured with a 3rd-year, 2nd-year and 1st-year." There were no definite in the world, she felt.

Yumi realized Rosa Foetida had gone home without changing her shoes when she was just about to reach the Rose Mansion. She thought about going back, but enough time had passed that it would have been futile to chase Rosa Foetida, and Yumi was already quite tired as it was.

But perhaps it was a blessing amidst all the misfortune.

The way she looked, Rosa Foetida wouldn't notice she was still wearing her indoor shoes until she made it home. After all, she seemed to be completely oblivious to her sisters' crisis.

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