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Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume27 Chapter3 1

2013-09-22T03:23:54Z

Yobbin: /* Unexpected Words.Part 1 */ added a space

=== <noinclude>Unexpected Words.</noinclude>Part 1 ===

Shimako-san let out a sigh.

"What's the matter? Weren't you able to meet with something-something Ami-san?"

Yumi asked, when she saw the figure enter the Rose Mansion and slump down on a chair in exhaustion.

By the time they'd opened the box of absentee's chance entries and determined who the winner of the white card was, there hadn't been much time left in the lunch break. So they decided that Shimako-san would pay a visit to the winner after school. That much, Yumi knew. Shimako-san had departed holding the application form of the successful candidate, with her cheeks slightly flushed. Almost like the bride-to-be after an arranged marriage interview.

It had been about two and a half hours since then. Shimako-san's actions suggested something had happened.

Since Shimako-san arrived at the Rose Mansion so much later than usual, Yumi had conjectured that her conversation with the other girl must have been going really well. But judging from her appearance, that seemed unlikely.

"It's Igawa Ami-san. And I was able to meet her, however."

"However?"

" … it was a lot more trouble than I had expected."

"Trouble?"

As she parroted this word, Yumi thought, "In what way?" Was there some problem with Igawa Ami-san herself? Was there some kind of peripheral inconvenience, although nothing sprang to mind there. Or was there some incompatibility between her and Shimako-san?

"But I can't really explain what I mean all that well."

Shimako-san let out another sigh.

"Gah, you're taking so long. Just say it already."

Yoshino-san thumped the table a number of times, albeit softly.

"Just what did she do that's rubbed you the wrong way, Shimako-san?"

"I wouldn't say that she rubbed me the wrong way."

Right on cue, Shimako-san corrected Yoshino-san on this point. Beside her, Noriko-chan nodded in agreement. If Shimako-san hadn't said anything, she probably would have.

"So you were able to meet with this Igawa Ami-san then, Shimako-san?"

Yumi asked, seeking confirmation, and Shimako-san answered with, "Yeah."

"And the white card? Did you hand it over?"

"I did. She showed me her student notebook."

Just as they'd planned. Yumi didn't see how there could be any problem with things up to this point.

"Then I was going to talk to her about the schedule of things to come."

"You were going to?"

"She asked me not to come around to her classroom any more."

"Huh!?"

Nobody could believe their ears.

"Not to come around to her classroom? Then, what did she want? Is she going to see you in your classroom?"

Shimako-san shook her head.

"She proposed that we meet in a specific location at fixed intervals. Say, in front of a specific set of shelves in the library after school."

"What's up with that?"

Yoshino-san frowned. Yumi herself undoubtedly had a similar expression on her face.

"At any rate, it looks like she wants to avoid the public gaze. At least when she's with me."

However, since they had to plan the half-day date together, they had to meet. So the library, then. People at the library were generally caught up in their own affairs, so they probably wouldn't pay attention to everyone around them.

"In that case, couldn't she come to the Rose Mansion?"

Shimako-san's response was mumbled, as though she found it hard to get the words out.

"She said she didn't even want to come to tomorrow's explanatory meeting in the Rose Mansion."

"Wha!?"

Who did this first-year think she was? Anger was the appropriate response to such an arrogant attitude. But if she was supposed to be angry, why was Shimako-san so lethargic?

"Now I get it."

Yoshino-san said.

"I see why Shimako-san's so exhausted."

" … Yeah."

It was truly terrifying, the Igawa Ami-san virus. Compared to this, the contagion rate of influenza was no big deal. In the twinkling of an eye, it had spread to 100% of the population of the Rose Mansion. The symptoms were lethargy, sighing, and fatigue.

"Gokigenyou. Oh? What's wrong, everyone? You don't look well. Has the exhaustion from yesterday finally caught up with you?"

Mami-san cheerfully called out, after arriving a bit late, and seeing the lack of energy surrounding her in the Rose Mansion. But her enthusiasm was sure to be short lived. After hearing the story of Igawa Ami-san, Mami-san would surely display the same symptoms. The infection rate was 100%, after all.

However.

"I see. Not much we can do about that, then."

Even after hearing the tale, Mami-san retained her energetic state.

"We haven't printed anything about the explanatory meeting in the Lillian Kawaraban, and even though she has refused to attend, we're not going to disqualify her just for that. At a minimum, all we require is a report on the date. That's the only non-negotiable requirement."

Just what you'd expect from the head of the newspaper club. Her experience arguing with teachers and various other students probably led her to the conclusion, "It takes all sorts to make a world," and she remained unperturbed.

"So, what to do?"

"I'm sorry to bother you with this Shimako-san. But, for now, can you go along with Igawa Ami-sans's requests? If she doesn't want to stand out, we shouldn't push her into the limelight. She may well become accustomed to it, to the point where she'll be seen with you around school."

"Understood."

Shimako-san agreed.

"As for the explanatory meeting … I'll write up the details and you can give that to her. I'll make a copy for Tanuma Chisato-san and Matsudaira Touko-san too. Then we can change tomorrow's explanatory meeting to a purely optional one."

"Is that okay?"

"It's neither good nor bad. But it's about all we can do. If we try to be difficult, it'll just create more problems."

Compromise required both sides to give a little, and if this was what was required to get things done, then so be it. Everyone was busy, and there was no point sweating the small stuff.

"Which brings me to the schedule for the dates. Have the three of you come to a decision?"

"On that matter."

Yoshino-san raised her hand.

"If possible, can we have all three on the same day?"

Yumi exchanged glances with Shimako-san.

"That should be fine, but."

"Why?"

In Yumi's case, she hadn't even considered the possibility that they would be on different days. Why so? Because last year, Rei-sama and Shimako-san had had their dates on the same day, which just happened to coincide with the day that Yumi and Sachiko-sama went on a date unrelated to the treasure hunt. Consequently, she thought it only natural that they should all happen on the same day.

"Why, you ask? Isn't it obvious – to diffuse the efforts of the newspaper club in following us."

They heard the sound of someone clearing their throat, just towards the end of that statement. Turning to look, Mami-san was glaring at Yoshino-san with a frown on her face.

"This strategy meeting. Are you sure it wouldn't be better if I wasn't here?"

Indeed. As the current editor-in-chief of the Lillian Kawaraban, Mami-san could hold the title of Miss Newspaper Club.

"Ah. It doesn't matter if you hear it. Besides, it'd be more annoying if you found out about it later and there was some kind of mix-up. Watching the reaction, attempting to explain things, it would all be such a waste of time that I thought we'd just cut all of that out."

Nothing timid about Yoshino-san.

"I see."

Mami-san relented. It seemed it was hard for her to protest to the plan so boldly laid out in front of her. Last year's dates had all taken place near K Station, and the head of the newspaper club, Tsukiyama Minako-sama, had disguised herself and lurked in that area. Yoshino-san was silently saying that such behavior was not acceptable, and trying to stop it.

"Well then, how about we settle on Sunday week."

The coming Sunday would be too soon, not giving them enough time to work on the plan for the date. Just like that, the trio (Shimako-san, Yoshino-san and Yumi) decided on the day. Of course, they acknowledged that if this didn't suit their partners, then they'd have to change it.

"Mami-san, is that okay with you?"

Yoshino-san asked, and the response was an affirmative, "As you wish." Apparently, Mami-san could handle defiance as well.

"At any rate, what kind of person is this Igawa Ami?"

Noriko-chan asked, now that the conversation had reached a natural break, as she flicked the application form of the winner of the absentee's chance draw.

They were both first-years, but since they weren't in the same class or clubs, they had no point of contact. Was Noriko-chan's bad mood caused by indignation about how her beloved onee-sama was being manipulated, or because she found it hard to stomach the idea of her beloved onee-sama going on a date with someone else? It looked as though she'd been silently thinking about Igawa Ami-san during the entire time Yumi, Yoshino-san and Shimako-san had been deciding on the day of the dates.

"I wonder."

There was only one entry in the absentee's chance draw that said either, "In the car park," or, "Under a car," making Ami-san the closest entrant, by far. Despite that, she didn't want to be seen together with Shimako-san. She didn't even want to come to the Rose Mansion, because it would draw too much attention to her.

"Maybe she's a fan of Yumi-san or Yoshino-san … ?"

Mami-san offered.

"I considered that too, however."

Shimako-san continued with, "I don't think it's that," and Mami-san quickly took back her words.

"Right. Regardless of whose card she was initially aiming for, it's unlikely to be the cause of her obstinate desire to stay out of the limelight."

Suppose, purely for argument's sake, that this girl admired Yumi or Yoshino-san, and she wasn't happy with Shimako-san, then surely she would have been better off waiving her right when Shimako-san first came around and informed her of it. If she thought that going on a date with Shimako-san would bring her closer to the other Rose families, then surely she wouldn't have passed up the opportunity to come to the Rose Mansion.

"Even if she wants to stay out of the limelight, as soon as that report hits the Lillian Kawaraban, she's going to be outed."

Just what were these current first-years thinking? Mami-san, perhaps on account of being in the same second-year pine class as Yumi and Yoshino-san, also found herself grumbling about kids these days.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume31 Chapter2

2013-09-21T07:23:20Z

Yobbin: /* Debut */ added a space

==Debut==

As I furthered my education into university, I thought about changing my personality, to see what that would be like.

It wasn't as though I disliked who I was, or my life had become troublesome, or anything like that.

It wasn't really for any particular reason.

Maybe I was just getting a bit tired of it.

Upon reflection, it seemed like I'd been playing the role of the "accommodating honors student" for a very long time – from the time I first parted from my parents to join society at large in kindergarten. So my connection to that identity stretched back about 12 or 13 years. It was a good fit for me, but regrettably it just went on for too long.

People amend their personality countless times over the course of their life, and occasionally they have the opportunity to change it completely. Like when they have to change schools after moving interstate, or when they enter into university, or start a new job. Starting a new life in an environment where nobody knows who you have been up until that point provides that chance.

Yet I'd graduated from high school without being able to do that.

When I entered into primary school, I'd been so young that I hadn't considered changing my personality.

My best chance probably came when I passed the entrance exam for, and was accepted into, a private middle school, as there were hardly any of my former classmates from primary school there. But following the recommendation of Torii Eriko, who later became my dear friend, I accepted the position of class representative to the student council, and any departure from that identity was stifled. But thinking about it now, even being the "indifferent class representative" or the "mocking class representative" would have been better. I'd been under the mistaken impression that a class representative had to act as some kind of mediator in the class, so naturally I regulated my behavior. It was still a mystery to me how my personality had been so apparent to Eriko, who hadn't even been a passing acquaintance of mine at the time.

High school was a continuation of middle school, so I was constantly surrounded by people I knew. Suddenly changing my personality would result in me being told "You're acting strange today, Youko-san," and then being taken to the school infirmary.

So I decided to turn over a new leaf, and show a different me to the new friends I made at university.

But having said that, it's no simple task to create a new personality from scratch. I decided to sample the people closest to me, and start by imitating them. The idiosyncrasies of any one person would be too much, so I went with a mixture of two people.

The nonchalance of my dear friend Satou Sei, and the friendliness of my darling grand petit soeur, Fukuzawa Yumi-chan.

Still, it didn't go as well as I'd imagined.

"Umm, Mizuno-san."

At lunchtime, as I was eating Set Meal B in the cafeteria, two of my classmates approached me.

"Did you go to the first-period maths lecture?"

If there had been any vulnerable male students nearby, they may have got the mistaken impression that, "Those girls like me." But their cute wave had absolutely no effect on me.

"I did, why do you ask?"

I'd spent the six years of middle and high school at an all-girls school. I had a fair idea what these girls were going to say next.

"Sorry about this, but can I take a copy of your notes?"

See, there it is.

" … I guess that's okay."

I set down my chopsticks, took my notebook out of my largish shoulder bag and handed it over. Belatedly, I remembered to put on my smiling face. Friendly, friendly.

"Waa - you saved me. I'll copy it during the lunch break then give it back to you in class."

The two girls hastily exited the cafeteria. I looked at the clock. It was 15 minutes until the end of the lunch break.

In order to snap the half-awake students to attention, the professor had packed the first-period maths class densely with material, so my notes covered about four pages and mainly consisted of equations and graphs. There was no way those two would be able to transcribe all that in the remaining time.

(Obviously, photocopy.)

I let out a small sigh. If you're going to borrow my notebook until the next maths class, how about at least writing it in your own book? Or show up to class without makeup on, instead of spending so much time diligently applying cosmetics.

(Quit it.)

I hated my tendency to waver about these kind of things.

If it was going to annoy me, then I shouldn't lend people my notebook. If I'm going to lend people my notebook, then don't complain. I'm going to all this effort trying to change my personality. So why am I still the serious honors student?

And if I was supposed to be using Sei as my model, she probably wouldn't be the one lending the book, but the one borrowing it.

(Borrowing … ?)

No, that would be pointless. Skipping out on a class for no reason would just increase my stress. I stirred the remaining seaweed in vinegar with my chopsticks.

"Mizuno-san."

Hearing my name called, I looked up and saw a different classmate of mine seated across the table from me.

"You were in the first-period maths class, right?"

"Ah, if you want my notebook, it's currently – "

I remembered just after I'd said that. She'd been in the classroom during first period as well.

"No, I was there. So I don't need to copy your notebook."

Short, wavy hair and black glasses on a face free from makeup. Her physical appearance was completely different, but for some reason she left a similar impression to Yumi-chan.

"You're always there, Mizuno-san. At every class. Even when they're not taking attendance, first period, fifth period, a perfect attendance record."

Talking about perfect attendance when it's still only May, I thought to myself as I struggled to come up with a response.

"I'm aware of that."

She had a perfect attendance record too. From memory, her name was Kawatou-san. She smiled as she said:

[[Image:MM_v31_023.png|thumb]]

"Right. Diligence itself is admirable."

Kawatou-san counted on her fingers.

"There's also Himura-san and Tokunaga-san. Since all four of us are so diligent, why don't we become friends?"

The other two were also women. It seemed like there was also a guy with a perfect attendance record, but it seemed kind of pitiful to have four girls and only one guy, so I wasn't going to mention it.

"… Okay?"

As I answered, I remembered. The sort of people that Himura-san and Tokunaga-san were.

Right, right. Despite Himura-san's eye-catching appearance, with an artistic hairstyle that could almost be called an afro and quite extreme make-up and fashion, she spoke with a quiet, subdued voice. Tokunaga-san had a rough appearance, always wearing masculine jeans and T-shirts. She never wore any makeup, and her face looked like a boy's, but she'd never be mistaken for a man because of her long hair that she wore in a ponytail and her surprisingly large breasts for such a slender frame.

"Great. It's a bit sudden, but how about today? Third period's your last, right? After that, at a cafe out front of the train station."

Kawatou-san said the name of the shop was "Mole Cafe 2" but, sadly, I'd never heard of it.

"I'll draw you a quick map later."

"Thanks."

It probably would have been better if I walked with her to this place, but apparently we were all going to meet there.

"Since we're such a diligent group, there's no alcohol. The drinking age is 20. And since we're studying law, it wouldn't be right for us to break the law, you know. Ah, unless you've already reached the legal drinking age, Mizuno-san?"

"No, I'm still underage."

"I see. You seem so calm and collected that I thought you might be older."

Calm and collected, huh. It looked like I was a long way from becoming Satou Sei or Fukuzawa Yumi.

"I guess we should make a reservation for the cafe."

"Ah, I'll leave that up to you then, sorry."

Back in high school, I would have offered to help out in some way, but this time around I firmly resisted.

"It's okay, don't worry about it. I'm used to that kind of thing."

"That kind of thing?"

"Being an organizer or committee member. Those kind of roles always seem to fall to me."

It looked like Kawatou-san was my compatriot, in some regards.

"Well, I've got to go. I have to talk to Himura-san and Tokunaga-san too."

"If … "

If you just wait ten minutes, you'll see them in class and you won't have to go looking for them, was what I was going to say to Kawatou-san, but she'd already left. Since they were so diligent, Himura-san and Tokunaga-san wouldn't miss the next class. Probably.

The 'Mole Cafe 2' near the train station was underground. Right beside a florist there was a flight of stairs leading down to a door decorated with vines. When the quartet had fully assembled, we entered the store. However.

"Huh?"

The cafe was full. We'd arrived in time for 3 o'clock tea-time, and the cafe was full of older ladies leisurely chatting as they had tea and cake. Mole Cafe 2 had about ten tables that could seat four people.

"But I made a reservation."

Kawatou-san desperately pleaded.

"Kawatou-san, Kawatou-san … Here it is. Four people, at 5:00."

The male employee said, looking through the reservation book.

"Not 5:00, 15:00. I said 3pm."

15:00 and 5:00. It was probably hard to tell the difference over the phone. A simple mistake. If they'd bothered to repeat the time to confirm it – well, no point saying anything about that now.

"5:00 … hmm."

"I have a part-time job as a tutor in the evening."

The vibe coming from Himura-san and Tokunaga-san was to reschedule. I didn't really care either way, but Kawatou-san looked like she was about to burst into tears so, against my better judgment, I spoke up.

"But we wouldn't have to wait until 5:00, I'm sure a space will open up sooner or later. After all, this place isn't by-reservation only."

Luckily, there weren't any other customers waiting to be seated. Ten tables is ten tables, and it's hard to think that they'd all stay there for an hour, let alone two. And there were customers that had already finished their cakes.

"Since we came all the way here, why don't we wait a while? Tokunaga-san, what time did you have to leave?"

"5pm I guess... Alright, I'll stay a bit longer."

After Tokunaga-san said this, Himura-san nodded slightly and said, "Okay," too.

"Thank-you."

Then I turned to the employee from before and said:

"Excuse me, is it alright if we take a look at the menu while we wait?"

This was done to optimize the limited time we had, but it was probably overkill. Even if I hadn't asked, Kawatou-san surely would have.

My reading of the situation had been correct, and within ten minutes we were led to a table. Since we'd already looked over the menu, the ordering process went smoothly, so in the end we didn't lose much time. Also, we were given a free plate of cookies by the manager as an apology for the mix up, and at that point we all agreed we were glad we stayed.

"I wonder if I could take mine with me."

Tokunaga-san wrapped up three of the small cookies in a paper napkin.

She'd ordered a cake-set, so it didn't appear as though she disliked sweets. Besides, if she didn't like them, she'd probably offer them to everyone else instead of taking them home as a souvenir.

"To eat with your students?"

I asked. If so, I was going to offer her my share of the cookies as well.

"Students?"

Tokunaga-san repeated.

"From here, you're going to your job as a tutor, right?"

"Ah, right. Yeah. You've got a good memory, Mizuno-san."

This response didn't feel all that inviting. It was probably better not to probe into this topic too deeply – at least, that's what I thought.

"What are you tutoring? How many students do you have? Boys? Girls?"

Kawatou-san's interest had been piqued and she fired off a barrage of questions. I didn't know what she wanted to be in the future – probably an attorney or a prosecutor – but just imagining her in a courtroom was draining.

"Ah, it's not that interesting."

The accused, Tokunaga-san, gently deflected the question.

"I!"

Himura-san suddenly spoke. When she said this it was such a departure from her usual silence or subdued voice that it was hard to believe it actually came from Himura-san's mouth.

"I mispronounce words."

"Huh?"

Myself, Kawatou-san and Tokunaga-san looked at each other. Our conversation stopped and, consequently, I noticed that the cafe was playing classical music in the background.

"Mispronounce?"

But why say that now, all of a sudden. Perhaps that's why she'd only ever spoken in a barely audible voice before now.

"I think I'm speaking standard Japanese, but to locals it sounds like I'm mispronouncing things."

Hearing this relatively long sentence reminded me of something.

"You're from the Tohoku region?"

"Exactly. See, you can tell, right?"

Himura-san said she was born and raised in Akita. Her soft-spoken manner was apparently a result of her complex about the way she talked. Her grandmother had helped raise her and everyone talked with that regional accent in her house, so much so that she even stood out amongst her peers at her local high school.

"So when it came time for me to move here, I talked with my friends about how to avoid having city students look down at me. Anyway, some fashion magazine said that perms were the in thing, so I thought that would be the way to go. But when I actually got here, everyone looked surprisingly plain. Even so, it'd still seem unnatural if I suddenly changed my hairdo and my wardrobe. And I was afraid of speaking, so I couldn't make any friends, and had no-one to turn to for advice."

Himura-san gathered pace as she spoke, until she was going all out at the end. Midway through she blew her nose on a paper napkin, and I took a pack of tissues out of my bag and offered them to her.

"Ahh–, I feel so much better after getting that off my chest."

"Have you come to a decision?"

"Yeah. When I get my monthly allowance from my parents, I'm going to a hairdresser. This fashion's a bit over-the-top. As for my accent, as long as I can make myself understood, it's fine."

Exactly. It had only taken her a one month detour to arrive at this truth.

" – so thanks for your help and I hope we get along well in the future."

With her second debut over, Himura-san smiled, her face showing the relief she had spoken of. She proved to be so charming and fascinating that it was hard to believe she was the same person as the soft-spoken, introverted girl.

"I should be heading off soon."

Tokunaga-san got up from her chair.

It was still only 4:45, but our conversation had reached a natural pause. It's always hard to leave when a conversation's in full flight.

"Ahh, my part of the bill."

Scanning the bill, Tokunaga-san opened her purse. A sign saying, "One bill per table," hung beside the register.

"Hmm, I wonder if this includes tax."

I heard Tokunaga-san mumble to herself and answered, mainly by reflex.

"Ah, it says tax not included."

"Oh, where's that?"

"It's in the fine-print on the menu."

At which point the other three had a curious expression on their faces.

"… Very perceptive."

Tokunaga-san put some more money on the table, then I gave her the correct change from the coins I had in my purse.

"Geeze, Mizuno-san."

"Huh?"

"Were you a treasurer or something?"

Since you're so good at this, Himura-san was saying.

" … I used to help out with things like that, a little bit."

I left it intentionally vague. It wasn't a total lie. In my third-year of high school, I had been a president of the school council, but there had been two other people with me, and we'd all shared the jobs of treasurer and secretary. Plus we'd received help from our juniors, our petit soeurs, so it's not like I'd done the job of a treasurer all by myself.

"Well then, I'll leave you here."

Kawatou-san waved as Tokunaga-san walked away.

"Give our regards to your students."

"Uhh."

This startled Tokunaga-san just as she was opening the door, and she turned around.

"Surely it would be troubling for her students to get greetings from people they've never met."

I pinned Kawatou-san's hand down.

"Ah, right."

With my eyes I urged Tokunaga-san to pay no attention to it and go, but standing in front of the door she found it hard to leave for some reason. Just as we were all starting to wonder why, she rushed back to the table and asked us:

"How do I look to you?"

"Huh?"

The remaining three of us looked at each other.

"What's your first impression of me, what kind of person do you think I am, that kind of thing."

"How do you look?"

How can anyone answer that question so quickly (and today was a big day for sudden announcements).

"Boyish, cool, good-looking."

"Intellectual, imperturbable, I suppose."

"Someone who wouldn't lose out to the men."

Himura-san, myself and Kawatou-san said what we thought.

"Is that so? Then I guess it's a success."

"What is?"

"Ah, nothing."

Tokunaga-san said, then turned once more and headed for the exit, but there's no way that 'Ah, nothing' was a suitable answer to that question.

"Plus, a mystery."

Himura-san muttered, concealed by the noise of Tokunaga-san closing the door. I shared her sentiments.

"How we're seen, how we want to be seen, and what type of person we are. Those three things aren't always aligned."

Kawatou-san said, her eyes drooping. She used her spoon to stir the cooled coffee in her cup. Her face lowered almost to the table. She looked as though she was drunk, but she'd followed her own declaration about not breaking the law and hadn't had any alcohol. The cream in the cake had a tiny bit of liqueur in it for flavoring, but it would be quite the feat to get drunk from that.

"You might not have noticed, but I'm not very good at organizing people or involving myself with them."

"I thought you said you were used to that kind of thing?"

Like a committee member, or an organizer. She'd said something about those roles usually falling to her.

"That was taken from my friend's life. She was beautiful, but she had no interest in being trendy, and was a natural leader. I always wanted to be like her. We lived in the same neighborhood, so we went to the same schools from elementary school through to high school and I thought we'd go to the same university too, but she failed the entrance exam to our uni. It was the only one I passed. I was forlorn, it felt like the gods were saying that we had to separate. And so, I don't know what came over me, but I thought that I could become her. I'd been watching her for twelve years, so I should be able to imitate her. But it was impossible. I'm going to reset too."

Kawatou-san smiled, raising both hands in surrender. There was no doubt she had been influenced by Himura-san.

"Still."

I said.

"You shouldn't force yourself to change, but you shouldn't give up on something just because it's hard at the start, right?"

I didn't think it was necessarily bad to make an effort to change when you had a role model you wanted to be more like.

"Mizuno-san, you're like a teacher."

Himura-san smiled. Damn it. I'd switched into lecture mode.

The lights were turned down and the background music switched to jazz. The whole mood of the cafe changed. By the looks of things, it turned into a licensed venue in the evenings. I noticed that at some point the groups of old ladies had left and been replaced by young people sitting at tables alone or in twos.

Just as we were sensing that we should be leaving soon too, the door opened and a customer entered.

"Ah, you're still here."

It was Tokunaga-san, who had left the cafe not long ago, and when she spotted us she smiled and made her way over to the table.

"Ah, umm."

We were thrown into confusion. Tokunaga-san shouldn't have appeared, since she was supposed to be on her way to her tutoring job. But on her return, there was obviously something different about the woman that had departed less than an hour ago.

She was accompanied by two children, holding onto one with each hand. At a guess, I'd say the boys were three and one years old.

They were obviously too young to need a tutor. Well, there were parents that had tutors for their children right from when they were babies, but –

"Is your job babysitting?"

Kawatou-san inquired. Tokunaga-san shook her head, then lined it up beside the bigger boy's.

"I suppose I'm guilty of perjury. Or at least misrepresentation."

They looked so alike it was funny. The boy looked puzzled.

"Tokunaga-san, you're a mother!?"

"Yep. My parents live close by, so my mother looks after them on weekdays. There's my husband too, but he's a regular office worker and doesn't get home until the evening. But repeatedly explaining that to uni students five or six years younger than me was a drag, yeah? So I decided to just say I've got a part time job."

"You're really that much older, Tokunaga-san? Ah – sorry."

She'd started out speaking very informally, but then once she realized that Tokunaga-san was older she changed to be more respectful. Well, it's not like I didn't understand how she felt. Tokunaga-san really didn't look like she was 24 years old.

The younger boy looked upset, either because the dimly lit interior was scary or he was just tired, but at any rate Tokunaga-san said, "Well, see you tomorrow," and left.

No-one asked why Tokunaga-san had decided to reveal this to us.

When we left the cafe, the streets area around the train station were alive with people shopping. The florist above the "Mole Cafe 2" was quiet, but the displays in the glass windows were loaded with flowers.

"In the end, it was only Mizuno-san who left a consistent impression all the way through."

"Huh?"

I asked, curious at Kawatou-san's comment. I felt that I'd slipped up enough in Sei-mode that my original nature should have been revealed.

"You were an honors student in high school, right Mizuno-san? You're compassionate, a leader, attentive – like an older sister to everyone."

"Ah – "

I was dumbfounded.

The personality that I'd put so much effort into – the new Mizuno Youko, incorporating the irresponsibility of Satou Sei, the apathy of Satou Sei, the impetuousness of Satou Sei, plus the friendliness of Fukuzawa Yumi – had completely failed to permeate into the wider world.

"Uhh, and that's how you saw me, right from the start?"

I asked, to which both Kawatou-san and Himura-san responded with a resounding, "Yep."

"I see … "

For no particular reason, I bought a single red rose on the way home.

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Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume31 Chapter16 5

2012-02-22T09:03:51Z

Yobbin:

<center>* * *</center>

The June bride held a bouquet of hydrangea.

Although, since the color of hydrangeas change, they have the negative connotations of unfaithfulness and fickleness. Since the bride and groom both would have known this, they must have chosen them because they were confident that their love for each other was unshakeable, probably.

And, now, that bouquet is in my hands. Slightly relieved. It wasn't cracking up or anything, but it was probably a bit worn out from fulfilling its important duty as a bride's bouquet. It surely wanted to be put in a vase as quickly as possible, but it's a long way to my place in Tokyo. Both in distance and time.

I, too, was worn out. Doing Tokyo – Fukushima – (Wedding Reception) – Fukushima – Tokyo in a single day wasn't impossible, but it was exhausting.

I thought that, by all rights, I should sleep on the bullet train on the way home, but that wasn't going to happen either.

"Well then."

I fixed my makeup in the mirror of the train station restroom, then headed out. A young man, wearing formal clothes like myself, was waiting there.

"It's only one earlier, but I was able to get it changed."

Saying that, and handing me a ticket for the bullet train, was Nakamori-kun, a classmate of mine from high-school. A friend of the groom, he'd given a speech. I was a friend of the bride, and had manned the reception booth, but when he arrived I hadn't realized that it was Nakamori-kun standing before me until I saw the name on the gift envelope.

The friends of the bride and friends of the groom were seated at separate tables, so we didn't get a chance to talk at all during the reception. I passed on the after-party because I have work tomorrow, and when I headed for a taxi, Nakamori-kun came running after me, saying, "Mind if I come with you?" He said he was heading back to Tokyo too.

I said, "Go ahead," and settled into the cab. He wasn't a stranger, so it would be odd to refuse.

Just like that, we became traveling companions.

"Guess we don't have time to go to a cafe."

Nakamori-kun flipped over the hand he'd used to give me the ticket and looked at his watch. I pointed to a vending machine using the hand I hadn't received the ticket with.

"Do you want a canned coffee or something? My treat, since you paid for the taxi."

"Ah, I'll have oolong tea then. Thanks."

"Hot? Or cold?"

"Hot."

"Got it."

I raised my hand and headed off to the vending machine by myself.

Five years since graduation, his looks hadn't changed that much but, there was a different atmosphere about Nakamori-kun. During the taxi ride he'd said that his job was in sales, and maybe it was because of that that he was more outgoing, and more talkative than before. He'd been more brooding during high-school. He had a handsome face, but he always looked angry, and his reputation with the girls was not the best.

But, I knew. That it was just that Nakamori-kun was serious. And because he was serious, he would never attempt deceit. He wasn't the kind of person that smiled insincerely, or forced himself to conform with what everyone else was doing, or associated frivolously with others.

"Ah."

The vending machine didn't have hot oolong tea. It had cold oolong tea. And it had hot coffee. Which one to get? I should have asked him what his second choice was. Turning around, I saw that Nakamori-kun was a bit too far away to converse with. Should I go back? Or should I get him something random? No, this was for Nakamori-kun. He wouldn't appreciate randomness. I could buy one of each, and let him choose, but I wanted hot coffee, not his leftover.

Just as I was thinking about heading back to a place where I could talk to him, I spotted a shop just ahead. Maybe they'd have hot oolong tea there.

"Aota."

As I started to walk off, Nakamori-kun came chasing after me.

"What's the matter?"

"The vending machine didn't have hot oolong tea."

When I explained, he smiled wryly.

"Even after all these years, that part of you hasn't changed, huh."

"That part?"

"Your earnestness."

I didn't know if I should laugh, so I just nodded and kept walking.

Nakamori-kun walked with me. He wouldn't throw me away, saying, "I don't want to be with you anymore."

"Nakamori-kun."

I said, as I slowly walked.

"Way back when, the four of us used to hang out all the time, right."

Myself, Nakamori-kun, and today's leading couple. Myself and Miyo-chan were best friends, as were Nakamori-kun and Kamata-kun. The four of us would eat together at lunch, go home together, and hang out together on the weekends.

"You and I both knew that those two liked each other. Even before they confessed to each other. But we pretended we didn't, and continued to hang out together. But one day, you stopped, Nakamori-kun."

The delicate two-vs-two balance had been broken, but we didn't become a cheery bunch of three. As though trying to get me to stop hanging around, the other two finally started dating each other seriously.

"I felt I was doing the wrong thing by you, Aota. But I just couldn't take it any more. The way they were using us as an excuse for going so slowly."

I thought that Nakamori-kun had probably liked Miyo-chan. So he couldn't stomach the thought of pretending to just be friends. That's how I interpreted it.

"You were the same too."

I shook my head. I could gloss over it, but I wanted Nakamori-kun to know the truth.

"You know, it didn't really bother me. That they went slowly. Or, rather, I would have been fine with them taking it slowly forever. If it meant they kept inviting us, I wouldn't have minded if they never kissed. Or if it never went beyond that."

Nakamori-kun listened on in silence.

"And yet, they reached the goal-line. They kissed in front of us, at their wedding ceremony."

It was probably due to the passage of time, but my only response upon seeing them kiss in front of me was, "Hmm."

The shop had bottled hot oolong tea. I bought one of those, and a hot coffee for myself.

We were about to head back, when my eyes stopped on an umbrella that was leaning up against the rubbish bin. A blue hydrangea rain umbrella. The reason I stopped and picked it up was probably because it matched the bouquet of flowers I was holding. There was no-one that looked like its owner nearby. Everyone was walking about hurriedly.

My eyes fixed upon something that was written on the handle.

"What's the matter?"

Nakamori-kun came over to take a look.

"It's got 'Lillian' written here. 'Lillian's Girls Academy.' … That's a surprise."

"Lillian's Girls Academy? Ahh, that rich girl's school? But, why would you be surprised by that?"

"My father's a teacher there."

I felt the umbrella. It wasn't wet. But it hadn't been raining nearby recently either. Maybe its owner had set it down here and then forgotten about it. Well, first of all, was it really 'lost property?' Or was it 'abandoned property?' The more I thought about it, the more confused I became.

"… I wonder if I should take it."

I glanced at Nakamori-kun.

"Regardless of what I say, you've already made up your mind."

Precisely. If I'd left this umbrella here and gone home, it'd probably bother me. At the very least, I wouldn't want it to remain here. I just wanted someone to say that to.

"So, it's fine."

Nakamori-kun muttered. The proper thing was probably to take it to the nearest police box or the train station's lost property office. Even if I took it home, it may not find its way back to the original owner. Therefore, his "That's fine," referred to what was right for me. I was glad of that from Nakamori-kun.

I put my bottled coffee into my handbag, and carried my bouquet of hydrangea and matching umbrella back to the bullet train platform. Walking beside Nakamori-kun, my thoughts returned to our high-school days. Consequently, I wanted to explain to the Nakamori-kun of back then.

"Say, Nakamori-kun. There's probably something you're misunderstanding."

"What?"

"Who it was that I fancied."

"Yomi-chan, right?"

Without a moment's hesitation, he'd hit upon the correct answer and I was stunned into silence, unable to give the response that I'd prepared. But there was no need for that anyway.

"I knew, from watching you."

Even though he'd come up with that answer himself, he was confident in his knowledge.

Right. There was no way that I fancied Kamata-kun. And even though we were both girls, I loved Miyo-chan so much that it blurred the line of best friends. But Miyo-chan got herself a boyfriend, and I wanted an obstruction to stop us from drifting apart.

"And you?"

"Huh?"

"Who do you think I fancied?"

By saying that, he'd implied that it wasn't Miyo-chan.

"Don't tell me, Kamata-kun … !?"

Playing innocent, although that possibility was slightly less likely, and Nakamori-kun laughed as he refuted it.

"You."

"Huh?"

I'd never even considered that, and was honestly flustered. So much so that I unintentionally stopped walking.

"I ran away because I liked you. I didn't want to lose my best friend, but seeing you smiling in front of them became too painful."

Nakamori-kun took hold of my arm and started walking.

"Because I liked you, I knew who it was that your eyes followed."

I knew he only did that because we'd miss the bullet train if we stopped walking, but even so my heart still beat a little faster.

Even though he was talking about something from long ago.

Holding my arm as we steadily walked onwards, Nakamori-kun brooded. The unsociable teenage boy from back in high-school.

"I'm glad I met you today, Aota."

Nakamori-kun said, without turning around.

"I'm glad I summoned the courage to get in the taxi with you."

"Yeah."

I nodded. As I watched the back of his head.

"I'm glad."

There's just under two hours on the bullet train until we arrive back in Tokyo. Plenty of time to talk.

Inside my handbag, the bottle of coffee made a splashing sound.

The bouquet fluttered with laughter, the umbrella rustled in agreement.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume31 Chapter12

2012-02-18T11:50:37Z

Yobbin: /* Yumi-chan's Illustrated Diary – Future Volume 1 */

==Yumi-chan's Illustrated Diary – Future Volume 1==

''March 〇 (Monday)''

''Today, I met with Shimako-san and Yoshino-san in the Rose Mansion, and we made presents for White Day.''

''We spent a bit of time thinking about what to make, but once we started work things went smoothly and we left to go home surprisingly early. Everyone was really pleased with what we'd done.''

''On the way home, I posted an air-mail letter to Kanina Shizuka-sama using the mailbox at the north entrance of the train station. I wonder how long it will take to get to Italy.''

<center>◊ ◊ ◊</center>

After separating from Shimako-san at the M-station ticket gate, I took about three steps before I called out, "Ah, no."

My voice was unexpectedly loud, and I quickly looked around in a bit of a panic. It was the time of day when people were commuting home from school or work, so there were a lot of pedestrians around but, luckily, my voice didn't appear to have stood out amongst the chattering, sounds of footsteps, and other noises surrounding me.

Careful, careful. Just a little bit further and I'd turn into a "crazy person who talks to themselves even when no-one else is around."

Oops, if I get sidetracked with that I'll forget what I was supposed to be doing again.

The letter to Shizuka-sama that I was supposed to put in the postbox near the north entrance was still in my possession. I hadn't mailed it yet, even though I'd written it in the diary.

I turned around to go back, but then thought better of it and decided to head towards the south entrance. Either the north or south would do. Thinking about it, the diary didn't form any kind of binding contract. After all, I'd written, "things went smoothly" and "we left to go home surprisingly early" and it's hard to tell if that's what actually happened. Well, since I was directly involved in that completely subjective measure, and that's what I wrote because that's what I thought, then that's how it must have been.

Still, it was mildly amusing to write something in a diary, and then to have the outcome comply with your prediction. The reason nothing outlandish happened, like meeting an alien, or picking up a briefcase with one hundred million yen inside, was because it wasn't written about in the diary. So it was fun to think that the diary was as close to reality as possible. But the bits where it differed were also interesting.

And that's how I found myself standing in front of the red postbox at the south entrance. Just before posting it, I made one last check.

Stamp, check. Recipient's address, check. Air-mail mark, check. The seal was glued shut. Everything was in order.

Having completed the checklist, I held the letter to the silver mouth of the postbox. In my mind I wished it a safe voyage, then gave it a gentle nudge.

The topic of the letter was my petit soeur. When I met Shizuka-sama during our school trip, I promised that I'd give her a full report once I'd acknowledged a petit soeur. She'd been kept waiting for quite some time, but at long last I was finally able to post such a letter.

When I turned around, pleased with a job well done, I found a young women dressed in black standing before me.

"I thought that was you, Yumi-san."

I knew that face.

I was stumped on who it was for just a moment, but then the circuit in my memory snapped in to place and I called out, in a much louder voice than before.

"Ooowaaaaah!"

This time, my voice was loud enough to draw the attention of everyone in the vicinity. Because, to me, the person standing there was as outlandish as an alien.

"Wh - What is it, Yumi-san?"

Even the person I was pointing at had been lured into raising their voice.

"But, but."

I looked back and forth from that person to the mailbox, over and over.

"I'm allowed to be in Japan, aren't I? After all, it's my home country."

The person who laughed as she said that was Kanina Shizuka-sama, in the flesh. Who I'd just sent a letter to.

"Don't tell me you read my letter and came flying back?"

Such a coincidence, but an unbelievable conclusion. So, for starters, I tapped Shizuka-sama lightly on the arm. Yep, her arm provided the proper tactile feedback. It didn't appear as though she were an apparition.

"Letter? To me? Sorry, I haven't read it. It probably hadn't arrived by the time I left."

" … I suppose not."

I'd only just dropped it in the postbox. For it to have already arrived would have been magic. Plus, it would mean that Shizuka-sama knew how to teleport herself. That would be the only way to get from Italy to Japan instantaneously.

"There's been some misfortune in my family, so I've temporarily returned to Japan."

"Ah, my – "

condolences, was what I was about to say, but Shizuka-sama waved it away, saying, "It's fine, it's fine."

"My great-grandmother on my father's side was 101 years old. It was a peaceful death."

That probably explained why Shizuka-sama was dressed in black. They were her mourning clothes.

"Do you want to go somewhere? Well, that's what I'd like to ask, but this is the train station near school, and the cafe's kinda ordinary. Plus, you're in your school uniform."

"Sorry."

"Well then, how about I get you a can of coffee?"

Shizuka-sama pointed at a convenience store. I agreed, and followed her over.

"Here you go, Yumi-san."

As she held out the warm cafe au lait, Shizuka-sama asked, "And what do good little girls say at times like this?" I bowed my head, said, "Thank-you very much," and accepted the offered drink. This time around, I managed to avoid Shizuka-sama saying I was being improper.

We leaned against the station building's external wall and slowly sipped our cafe au laits, while calmly watching the buses and taxis proceed through the roundabout in front of us.

"The school I go to is usually strict about being absent or late, but my teacher is a bit of a Japanophile. "If it's an important funeral, then go home," they said, and gave me a week's vacation. In return, they asked me to bring back a lucky coin. Apparently they'd heard about some custom of handing out 5 yen coins as a longevity charm."

Two years ago, Shizuka-sama had been a student at Lillian's Girls Academy, but she moved to Italy to study singing. When I met her at the leaning tower of Pisa, she said she was studying for exams, but it looked like she was in school now.

"The funeral was today, and I plan on going home tomorrow, so I hadn't contacted anyone. But despite that, I just happened to run into you, Yumi-san. At first, I couldn't believe it."

Shizuka-sama said that all her relatives had gathered at her great-grandmother's house, which was in the neighborhood, and that her parents were still there. She'd left, alone, so that she could return to her parent's house and do some more preparation for tomorrow. But then she'd unexpectedly caught sight of me.

"Ah –, Shimako-san was here until just recently."

I realized, finally pinning down something that had been nagging away at me for a while. Unlike Yoshino-san, who had gone her separate way at the school gate, Shimako-san had been with me up until the train station, so if things had gone perfectly then they could have met.

"It's okay, I've sent her a letter."

"Oh."

That's right, Shizuka-sama and Shimako-san were penfriends.

"Oh, right, what about your letter? Why on earth were you writing to me?"

"Umm – "

I couldn't answer that, I'd sooner reach into the mailbox and pull out the letter I'd just sent.

"Well, it's – "

I was stopped mid-sentence.

"It's okay. I can tell you don't want to talk about it. And if you answer, it'll spoil the fun of getting home and reading your letter."

"I suppose so."

Although, it's far more likely that Shizuka-sama would arrive home before the letter.

"Then I won't ask you the other questions I'd prepared either. Since it would be bad if they were related to the letter's contents."

"I see."

Those questions were probably regarding a petit soeur. Therefore, obviously, that's what must have been written about in the letter. You're sharp, Shizuka-sama.

"It's almost time for the high-school graduation ceremony, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

I agreed with her statement.

"If I hadn't gone to Italy, then I'd be part of that ceremony with Sachiko-san, Rei-san, and everyone else, so my feelings on it are complicated. But since I'm only one person, no matter how much I desire it, I can only walk one path."

Her feelings may be complicated, but she didn't seem to be in two minds about it. She'd freed herself from that a long time ago. Since about a year ago, when she'd announced her candidacy in the student council elections.

My thoughts about my onee-sama's graduation were complicated too.

In my head, I knew that we couldn't stay in the same place forever, and that this was the start of my onee-sama's new journey, so I should be happy.

But, what, I wonder. When the day of the ceremony comes, how will I be? Maybe I'll break down in tears in front of everyone, just like my onee-sama one year earlier.

Feeling someone's eyes on me, I looked up and saw Shizuka-sama staring at me.

"It's okay to cry, but make sure you smile when you see off – "

Her lips moved to say 'Sachiko-san,' but her voice was drowned out by a car's horn.

"So that she can have peace of mind as she starts her new journey."

"Yes."

I couldn't ask how she knew this. Although given how expressive my face is, it was probably plainly obvious what I was thinking.

After draining her bottled cafe au lait, Shizuka-sama solemnly murmured.

"In a way, today was my great-grandmother's graduation ceremony."

After that, she cheerfully waved goodbye, then made her way up the stairs to the train station.

I smiled until she'd disappeared from sight.

Just in case she happened to suddenly turn around.

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</noinclude>

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume31 Chapter4

2012-02-12T13:34:52Z

Yobbin: /* A Rival is Fine */

==A Rival is Fine==

"I'm Yamanobe Aki."

The young girl, having just been prompted by her father, introduces herself clearly.

"Of the violet class at ladybug kindergarten. Six years old."

My, what a well raised young lady. And the way she speaks shows her intelligence.

"I'm Torii Eriko. Student at an arts college. Currently, I'm a first-year."

I'm about to stop there, but she told me her age, and since we're both women it wouldn't be fair to keep this from her, so I add, "Nineteen years old."

"She's my friend."

The girl's father, Yamanobe-san, explains his relationship with me.

Friend.

True, we're still friends.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Aki-chan."

We're neither more nor less than friends. We've known each other for six months now, but we've never kissed or even held hands.

Our courtship was prefaced by my marriage proposal to him, and his refusal and insistence that we should just be friends for now.

Although it's still a mystery to me as to whether or not I should be calling it a courtship.

Yamanobe-san has a daughter, and I'm busy at college, so it's unavoidable. As for dates, when we have a bit of time together midweek we go to the zoo and look at the elephants, or have tea at a cafe with an under-construction skyscraper visible through the windows. It makes me happy to see his face in profile, so I'm not particularly dissatisfied, but hearing my college classmates speaking fondly of their boyfriends or girlfriends makes me a bit uneasy about the discrepancies. Are we going to be like this for the rest of our lives?

Just as I was starting to feel that way, he jumped in with, "I'd like you to meet my daughter."

That was a step forward on the path from friends to lovers. No, with one leap I'd become a new candidate for mother. What would his daughter think of me? She'd probably be opposed to the idea.

So after a lot of worrying, sighs, outbursts of anger, and grumbling to my friends, the day has finally arrived.

It's a sunny Sunday afternoon in October, and the cafe by the train station has a decent number of customers.

"Let's get along together."

Hearing my words, Aki-chan looks down. Since I don't really know her, I can't tell if this is supposed to be a nod of agreement or if she's averting her eyes. As I puzzle over this, she continues happily eating her pudding.

"Is there anything you'd like to ask Eriko-san?"

Yamanobe-san asks his daughter. Like a husband stuck in the middle of a quarrel between his mother and his wife. He really is a clumsy individual, although that's not exactly news to me. I understand his desire to end this awkward silence, but how is his kindergarten aged daughter supposed to drive this conversation? It looks like it's up to me to provide something interesting to talk about – or so I'm thinking, but Aki-chan turns to me and asks a single question:

"Can we go home now?"

It feels like I've suddenly been punched. So that's how it is, you want to go home already. Meeting me has been a waste of time. These thoughts swirl around my head, and I'm unable to say anything in response.

"Aki, what are you saying?"

Yamanobe-san says, flustered.

"Dad, you said you wanted me to meet one of your friends, right? We've met, so that's done."

Bright kid. Her theory may be sound, except in the adult world certain phrases have a hidden meaning to them.

"That may be true for you, Aki, but I still have things to discuss with Eriko-san. And I couldn't let you go home on your own from here. So, you see."

A theory to rebut her theory. Yamanobe-san reveals his stalling tactic.

Fair enough. This is, in reality, an arranged marriage interview, and if it ends after a mere thirty minutes then I'll probably be apologetically declined.

"Couldn't she come too?"

Aki-chan glances at me.

"Huh?"

"If you want to talk to her, then couldn't she come back home with us?"

Yamanobe-san and I instinctively look at each other.

It's a mystery.

If Aki-chan was smiling, then it would be easy to understand. It was too hard to say goodbye to this wonderful older sister, so she wanted me to go home with her, that kind of thing. But, apart from her words, she isn't being very welcoming towards me.

"Aki-chan, you know, I'm delighted that you'd ask me to visit your home, but to barge in so suddenly – "

I'm not one of her friends from kindergarten, so I can't just rashly accept her offer. Adults have adult – , or so I'm thinking, until Yamanobe-san claps his hands together.

"Not at all, that would be great."

"Huh?"

"I'm not scrupulous about keeping the place clean, but if that doesn't bother you then please come along, Eriko-san."

"Hah."

To refuse the offer I'd have to say that I am bothered. About going to Yamanobe-san's house. Experiencing his everyday life. That doesn't bother me. It intensely interests me.

"Well then, just for a little bit."

I agree, catching up to Yamanobe-san as he walks to the register with the bill from our table. Aki-chan has already left the cafe.

Now, when visiting someone else's house it's imperative that you bring them a gift. While Yamanobe-san and his daughter are off buying train tickets, I purchase a box of cookies from a nearby confectionery store. There would probably be a larger selection in the food section at the bottom of the department store, but I'm in a hurry and can't do anything about that.

After arriving at the platform we don't have to wait long for an outbound train, which we board and then disembark from two stations later.

Aki-chan was quiet on the train – she didn't try to separate me from Yamanobe-san, instead sitting alone on a seat, looking at the floor.

"Are you sure it's okay for me to be imposing like this?"

I checked, just once, with Yamanobe-san, who was standing, holding on to the strap next to mine.

"Don't worry about it. Actually, I find it more interesting that Aki invited you."

I too am greatly intrigued by that.

Yamanobe-san's house is about a ten minute walk from the train station. I had expected it to be an apartment, or something similar, but it's an old, single-story bungalow.

"No running, Aki."

Just before we reach the house, Aki-chan breaks into a run. I'm conflicted by her apparent desire to get home, but am glad that I haven't been outright rejected just yet.

"Isn't it locked?"

"Aki has a key."

So that's it. The small figure turns the key with practiced ease, and the door creaks open.

"I'm home, mom."

I'm stunned when she turns into the house and shouts this out.

"I've told her to say that when she goes into the house, even if there's no-one there."

"Ah, right."

It's probably so no-one would think she was all alone in the house. Still, it caught me off guard.

"Oh, it's fine, don't make that face. She's hardly ever all alone anyway, her grandparents live about ten houses down."

So when Yamanobe-san has to leave for the day, they come around here or he takes her over to them. Apparently my distress at Aki-chan's use of the word "mom" hasn't registered on Yamanobe-san.

At any rate, it isn't appropriate for me to say, "I'm home, mom," so instead I say, "Pardon me for intruding," bow, and remove my shoes.

"Have a seat wherever you want."

I walk through to a six tatami-mat sized living room that's furnished and decorated in the traditional Japanese style. In the middle is a low tea table. Surrounding it are zabuton floor cushions. Tea cupboard, TV, …

He'd said they weren't scrupulous about tidying, but everything is neatly organized. The teapot itself is sparkling clean. Was this Yamanobe-san's handiwork, or his mother's?

Yamanobe-san boils some water in the kitchen. Even though he told me to sit wherever I liked, it looks like they probably have favorite cushions to sit on, so I hold back and kneel directly on the tatami-mats.

Just as I'm wondering where Aki-chan has disappeared to, she reappears in the living room.

"I had to wash my hands. And to pee."

– Right. For no particular reason, I'm reminded of something. Hmm, maybe.

"Aki-chan, I bought these sweets as a gift, what would you like to do with them?"

What I'd meant was, "Do you want to eat them now?" but Aki bows, says, "Thank-you very much," and accepts the candy. Instinctively, I sit up straighter and say, "You're welcome."

Now that the first stage of the formal gift giving ceremony has been completed, Aki-chan stands up, still holding the candy. As I watch on, wondering what she's doing, she looks back over her shoulder and beckons me. Since I've been ordered to follow her, I do so. Then she slides open the sliding screen and moves into the next room.

" – "

This room contains a butsudan, a household shrine. Aki-chan opens the doors of the shrine and places the candy in there as an offering. The bells tinkle as she closes her eyes and joins her hands together in prayer.

"Aki-chan, is it alright if I light an incense stick for your mother?"

I ask, after Aki-chan has moved away from the shrine. Then Aki-chan looks at me as though I was strange, and softly says:

"The candles can only be lit when there's an adult present."

"Then can you ask your father? If it's okay for Eriko-san to light the candles?"

Upon hearing this, Aki-chan nods and races off towards the kitchen. I consider myself an adult, but looking through Aki-chan's eyes, perhaps there's some confusion as to whether I'm an adult or a child.

"He said it was okay."

It isn't long before Aki-chan returns and says those words, whereupon I light one of the candles with a match. Then Aki-chan and I both light an incense stick and pray.

"You're strange, Eriko-san."

Aki-chan says as we stand up. Before I have a chance to ask, "Why so?" she provides the answer.

"All of my friends are scared of the shrine."

"Really?"

I don't let on as I extinguish the candle's flame, but I feel like I understand why she brought me over to the shrine.

After the three of us drink tea together and eat the cookies I brought, Aki-chan drags me over to her room.

"She must be overjoyed that we have a young woman in the house."

Yamanobe-san smiles optimistically as he watches us leave. Honestly, he doesn't understand a woman's heart at all.

[[Image:MM_v31_055.png|thumb]]

"This is a photo from just after I was born."

Looking through the album, I watch my reaction. The photo is of Yamanobe-san and Aki-chan's mother encircling Aki-chan and smiling. A happy family photograph.

I don't stay completely calm, but I'm not hurt by it either. It shows that, in the past, Yamanobe-san has been happy. In contrast, it seems to be more painful for Aki-chan to talk about her mother in front of me. She's emphasizing that her mother is number one. And Aki-chan instinctively fears that I might take her mother's place.

That's why she invited me here, where she held the home ground advantage, before she started the fight. In the cafe she'd been as quiet as a mouse, but now she's chatting away merrily, like a completely different person.

"Even my name, Aki, my mother gave me that name."

Aki-chan opens a sketch book, draws the characters for her name in red crayon, and shows it to me.

"Really?"

"My father wanted to call me Jurassic."

"Jurassic, like the Jurassic era?"

Ever since I met the dinosaur loving Yamanobe-san, I've become acquainted with these terms.

"My mother was against that."

Yamanobe Jurassic. There was a possibility that the little girl in front of me could have been called that. It might have been cute, but his wife was opposed to it. So Aki had been suggested as an alternate name.

"Ah, I get it."

The light-bulb flicked on inside my head.

"Aki-chan's Aki comes from the characters for Hakuaki, the Cretaceous period, right?"

"Yep."

"That's a nice name – "

Hearing this honest praise, Aki-chan's stony facade crumples for just a moment. Her face is cute, but this momentary glimpse into her soul has grabbed at my heart.

"Say, Aki-chan. If you don't want to, you don't have to see me any more. But since I'm friends with your father, I'd like to meet with him to chat from time to time."

Even if Aki-chan opposes my friendship with Yamanobe-san, I wouldn't like to sneak around and see him behind her back. Therefore, I made an open declaration. I have no intention of backing away.

"You're friends with dad?"

Aki-chan asks, curious.

"That's right."

"So then you've never kissed him?"

"I haven't."

It's the honest truth, so I look straight at Aki-chan as I answer. I'm glad, from the bottom of my heart. Perhaps the reason we haven't kissed for the entire six months is just for this very moment.

"You haven't married?"

"I'd like to, but."

I openly confess.

"I'm not sure what your father thinks."

"I don't know."

"I guess not."

I wasn't expecting her to reveal Yamanobe-san's feelings. But Aki-chan is being honest. Since she's only six, she could have got away with saying that her father didn't like me, but she didn't. Maybe she wants to prolong this conversation, since I'm being so foolishly open with her.

"Do you think you and I could become friends, Aki-chan?"

"Friends?"

Aki-chan raises her eyebrows.

"Yeah, friends. I mean, I love your father, right? And I'm sure you love him too. So you see, we have something in common."

"But doesn't that make you my rival rather than my friend?"

"Rival?"

She must have been taught this by someone. That a friend of her father's might try to become her new mother. To watch out, because they might try to steal her father. And that that person is her rival.

"You know, rival is written in kanji like this."

I borrow Aki-chan's sketch book and write the kanji for rival, 好敵手, in black crayon. Then I point at the three kanji, one at a time, as I explain.

"This might be hard to understand, but the first character is the one for love (好き). As in, love and hate, that love. This one's opponent (敵). The last character is the one for hand (手), but it can also mean person. You know the word for team member (選手), right? That's a chosen (選ばれた) person. So a rival is a beloved opponent."

"A beloved opponent?"

Aki-chan looks at me in confusion.

"Right. If there's no love, then they can't be your rival. So if you think of me as your rival, Aki-chan, that makes me very happy."

Then, when I finish speaking:

"Okay."

Aki-chan mumbles.

"You can meet with dad. From time to time."

Maybe I'm just greedy to the core. But, pleased by this approval, I just have to ask for even more.

"And some of those times, maybe all three of us could meet?"

"Mmm."

Aki-chan's response isn't one of assent, but a noncommittal rebuff. Still, at the very least, she hasn't said, "No way." In any case, it's a restrained response.

"We could all go to the zoo or the amusement park together. I could go with you when you need to go the toilet."

Aki-chan looks at me in surprise.

"Am I wrong? I thought you didn't like going into unfamiliar restrooms all alone."

In truth, it's a leading question. I have a fair bit of confidence in that inference. Back when I was in kindergarten at Lillian's, I had a classmate who was like that. She was fine at places she was familiar with, like school or at home, but she worried about going alone in unfamiliar places and hated it. So much so that her mother would come along whenever we had a school excursion. Even when she visited her friends house, she'd go home rather than using their toilet – or so I'd heard.

"You're wrong."

Aki-chan denies this, her face turning bright red. I must have hurt her pride. Since she's such a level-headed kid, she probably doesn't want anyone to know that she doesn't like going alone into unfamiliar restrooms.

"I must have been mistaken then. Please forgive my rudeness."

Apologies first, then I look through the drawings that Aki-chan has made in the sketch book. Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Stegosaurus, Archeopteryx – . Another adult version of a dinosaur whose name escapes me watching over a child dinosaur that has just hatched from an egg. I really get the impression that she's Yamanobe-san's child.

As I turn the page, Aki-chan tugs at my sleeve and says, "Hey."

"Would you really come with me?"

"Huh? Ahh – "

I quickly grasp what she's talking about, and nod.

"Of course. There's a truce during toilet time."

"What's a truce?"

I put my arm around the shoulder of my tiny, inquisitive rival.

"It's a bit like a time-out."

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Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume28 Chapter14

2011-09-22T04:35:41Z

Yobbin: /* The Greenhouse Fairy */

==The Greenhouse Fairy==

A fairy inhabits the old greenhouse.

It's a secret tale that everyone knows about it, but no-one talks about.

<center>* * *</center>

This all started in May, not long after advancing into high-school.

"You've been coming here since kindergarten, but you've never noticed that greenhouse until today?"

Satsuki's classmate, Yoriko-san, looked at her with the same kind of expression one might make upon encountering a giant salamander in the middle of the city.

It was recess. They were in the middle of an idle conversation, sitting down and facing each other with a desk between them.

"Saying that I've never noticed it is not quite right."

But if someone asked what was in that general area, nothing would come to mind. It must have registered on her retina every time she went there. But it wasn't something that she was consciously aware of.

"See, take the air as an example. Normally, you don't feel the air when you breathe, right? That's what it's like."

"So, then, you felt the unexpected sensation of air this morning, Satsuki-san? While you were strolling around the grounds after arriving at school early."

"The air was just an example."

Satsuki corrected her. As for the unexpected sensation, the truth felt a little bit different, but she couldn't quite articulate the difference and so remained silent. In reality, it felt like something had been calling to her, inviting her in.

"Pardon me. Anyway, you noticed the greenhouse. The old greenhouse. So then what happened?"

Yoriko-san emphasized the 'old' part because their school also had another, 'new,' greenhouse. All of the educational facilities had been moved over to the new greenhouse.

"Driven by curiosity, I peeked inside. I was surprised by how neat it was. It was astonishing."

Everything was arranged precisely, and the plants were all healthy.

"Oh, you thought it was a dilapidated old building?"

"Well, yeah."

Satsuki nodded her head. After all, the exterior was quite old and the glass was cracking in places. There was no doubt in her mind that the building had stood for many long years beyond its useful lifespan.

Despite that, the moment she entered into the greenhouse a dreamy world full of variously colored blooming roses had unfolded in front of her. As though they had existed without disturbance.

"Since it was my first time there, I was fooled by that juxtaposition."

Yoriko-san let out a sigh that was part amazement and part admiration.

"Still, it is an undeniably pretty spot."

She must have been there numerous times to be so unmoved by it. After all, it was a school facility. It seemed to mean about the same to Yoriko-san as the music room or the clubhouse.

"Say, you don't happen to know who looks after those roses, do you?"

Satsuki-san asked, leaning forwards. Yoriko-san responded with, "Mmmm," which could be interpreted as either, "I know," or, "I don't know."

"I've never met her directly. I don't know her name either."

"Ahh, so it's a student from the gardening club, or the environmental care committee?"

"We don't have a gardening club at our school."

"Ah, right."

"Still, the environmental care committee isn't a bad theory."

"Not bad – how?"

"The environmental care committee has a sum of money set aside in its budget for maintenance of the greenhouse."

Yoriko-san was incredibly well informed on this matter because she was currently a member of the environmental care committee.

"So … wait, huh?"

In that case it seemed strange that Yoriko-san would never have met the girl, if they were both members of the environmental care committee.

"Honestly, when we're doing our environmental care committee work we never do any maintenance on that greenhouse."

"The environmental care committee doesn't take care of it?"

"Despite its name, the environmental care committee doesn't take care of the martial arts building, or the staff room, or places like that either."

"Ahh, I see."

The martial arts building was maintained by the students from the kendo club, the judo club and the other clubs that used it. The staff room was controlled by the teachers, and the students weren't allowed to touch it.

"It's like those."

So there was someone who was akin to the owner of the old greenhouse, and everything was entrusted to them.

The bell for the start of class rang and Yoriko-san was turning her chair around to face the front when she quietly said:

"A fairy inhabits the old greenhouse."

A fairy inhabits the old greenhouse.

After hearing that, Satsuki became completely obsessed with the idea.

What was surprising was how large a portion of the school knew the legend, or rumor, of the fairy inhabiting the greenhouse.

"About the fairy? I've heard of it. And?"

Mami-san, a recent addition to the newspaper club, responded in an uninterested tone as she swept. Satsuki used the dustpan to collect the classroom's dust.

"Have you seen it, Mami-san?"

"The fairy? Yeah, right."

"And the 'Lillian Kawaraban' isn't going to investigate it?"

[[Image:MM_v28_181.png|thumb]]

Satsuki was wondering why she was asking all these questions while they were cleaning, but still couldn't stop herself from asking.

"Nope."

Mami-san responded immediately, then took the dustpan from Satsuki's hand and walked over to the rubbish bin with it.

"I see the question, "Why?" written all over your face. That's not my personal opinion, it's the consensus of the newspaper club. Of course, finding out who the fairy was would be a major scoop. But we still wouldn't make a newspaper article out of it."

"Why not?"

Satsuki asked, as she followed Mami-san. Mami-san responded, seeming somewhat exasperated, with:

"The newspaper club exists solely because of our readers. We won't publish something that the majority of our readers, the students at this school, wouldn't support."

"Huh?"

"Don't you get it? The student body wants to believe in the fairy. They don't want us to expose it, and ruin the myth."

Since it's such a special endangered creature, why not arrange a peaceful environment for it? That's almost what her classmate seemed to be saying.

"Teacher. There's something I don't understand."

When Satsuki went to the staff room to return the cleaning journal, Yamamura-sensei hadn't yet left to supervise her club so Satsuki went over to her and petitioned her.

"Was it around when you were here? The legend of the fairy in the old greenhouse."

"Well, we didn't call it the 'old' greenhouse. But there was a story about a fairy living there, yes."

"I wonder why I keep thinking about it so much. It's not like I want to expose the secret."

"Hmmm, I think I understand."

Yamamura-sensei, having completed the prep work for her club, arose from her chair said:

"You're a true believer. So you'd like to get your hands on some proof, no?"

Maybe that was true. Listening to her teacher's theory, Satsuki found herself agreeing with it, somewhat.

Like a child that believes in Santa Claus. A child that earnestly wants to meet him, not considering that it might be their father playing Santa Claus.

But by pulling on the Santa Claus thread it all unravels, and the Santa Claus within them is destroyed. That's probably why no-one was willing to touch the legend of the fairy. That was, in some sense, right. A perceptive adult's way of thinking. But knowing that just made Satsuki want to meet the fairy even more. After all, that old greenhouse was a paradise. If it had been the fairy that had made it that way, then she wanted to meet it, even if it was only one time.

After that, she went to check out the greenhouse a couple of times. Right, a couple of times. It wasn't really all that many.

She may have been able to increase her chances by going there every day during lunchtime or after school, but it seemed like that would be disrespectful to the fairy, so she didn't.

It was also possible that the fairy wouldn't appear when humans were watching. In that case, the plants would be neglected and, consequently, wither and die. Which would be a tragic outcome.

Over time, she became less concerned about meeting the fairy that took care of the flowers. The greenhouse was a comforting place to be. It was probably just her imagination, but sometimes it felt like the plants greeted Satsuki with a warm welcome and an invitation to chat when she came to visit.

One morning she arrived at school a bit early because of a quick bus transfer. She entered into the greenhouse for the first time in about three days when suddenly a voice rang out.

"Water, please."

"Huh?"

Satsuki looked around, but couldn't see anyone else. In fact, she'd never seen anyone else there.

Still.

"You … want water?"

Satsuki inquired of the potted plant beside her, feeling foolish as she did so. This time she didn't actually hear anything, but she still got the impression that it said, "Yes, yes."

"Alright. Just wait."

Satsuki rushed towards the greenhouse exit. Whereupon.

"Where are you going? There's a tap in here, you know."

A girl, standing by the exit, called out to her. She was wearing the same uniform as Satsuki. Probably a senior. Satsuki didn't recognize her, but she was obviously a student of Lillian's high school.

She said, "Over here," and guided Satsuki to the tap, then set down a watering can and turned on the faucet.

The morning sun streaming through the outer glass walls brilliantly illuminated the line from her shoulder to the middle of her back. It was so dazzling that the sunlight seemed to form an optical illusion. Satsuki thought she saw a translucent pair of wings there, like those of a mayfly.

After gathering some water, the girl offered the watering can to Satsuki, saying, "Here you go."

While they were still huddled together, without saying another word, the girl suddenly smiled.

"It's okay, I understand. The water isn't for you to drink."

"Huh?"

"You made a promise, right? Therefore you should be the one to do it."

"But, who was asking for water?"

Maybe that voice from before hadn't been hers.

"I didn't say anything."

"Oh? Then … "

The girl walked over to where Satsuki had come from and gently lowered her face towards the exact same plant that Satsuki had been standing beside.

"You still don't understand? Even though she clearly asked you to bring her some water."

That was Satsuki's first encounter with Shii.

One day, during the summer holidays, Satsuki was in the old greenhouse.

"Rosa chinensis. Rosa luciae. Rosa hirtula."

She read out the names as she compared the budding flower to the color photocopies she'd made of a library reference book. She'd lost track of time, immersing herself in her task. The flower was just one of many, but she wanted to know its species.

"You don't have to force yourself to learn their names. The names are just a convenient designation for humans. They don't mean anything to the flowers."

"Shii!"

Shii was standing there, holding a plastic bottle filled with tea, and had been there for who knows how long.

"Don't tell me you come here every day?"

"Nope. Every four days or so. Why do you ask?"

"Because every time I come here, it seems like you're here, May."

"So you come every four days or so too … Should we stagger our visits?"

If they only came to water the plants, then one person would surely suffice. If they alternated visits, then they'd only have to come half as often.

"Don't worry about it. It's like I've always told you, coming here isn't some kind of obligation."

"We merely come here whenever we feel like it and water the flowers. This greenhouse and the plants here don't belong to anybody."

"Right."

"But what if neither of us came here?"

"Then we wouldn't come."

"… Okay."

"Things would be fine. When neither you nor I are able to come here, someone else will."

"Really?"

"Really. The roses will call to them. They called to you, didn't they May?"

"I suppose."

"They did."

Shii smiled.

"This time around, the roses probably called out to both of us. Because they wanted to listen to us chat."

"Is that so?"

"It is. So let's honor their request."

Shii had started calling Satsuki by the name "May" some time after she'd started regularly visiting the greenhouse. Satsuki couldn't remember when exactly, but it was probably when she'd told Shii her name. Satsuki literally meant the fifth month<ref>Satsuki's name is written as 皐月 which, as mentioned, means the fifth month.</ref>. Which was May.

Conversely, Satsuki had no idea why Shii was called "Shii" – it could be "C," "Sea," "She," "See," or something else entirely. It was also possible that it was simply a shortening of her name, but without asking there was no way to find out.

As far as they were concerned, the nicknames were the only things they needed to know about each other. They never met outside the greenhouse. The Shii in the greenhouse was the only Shii that May knew.

As Shii often said, she was merely helping out to ensure that the plants inside the greenhouse led a comfortable life.

She wanted to be a friend to the flowers.

She did what she could as a way of expressing her gratitude for being shown a lovely sight. Therefore, she didn't want it to become a job.

Satsuki found that way of thinking absolutely wonderful.

During the second term, even though it hadn't been her intention, Satsuki learned a little bit about the Shii outside the greenhouse.

During the athletics festival, Satsuki caught sight of Shii wearing a green headband and helping the green team.

In the beginning of October, at the same time that the second-years went on their school trip, Satsuki didn't see Shii for the entire week.

So Shii was probably in the second-year pine class, but knowing that didn't cause any strong reaction from Satsuki. Once she'd taken a step outside the greenhouse Shii was no longer Shii, but some student with a different name. So even if Satsuki saw her around school, she couldn't call out to her.

Once the second-years had returned from their trip, the final preparations for the school festival began. They didn't really talk about class much, but Satsuki could tell that Shii was busy.

Even if Satsuki continued to go to the greenhouse, it looked like the days when they wouldn't be able to meet stretched on.

Shii had always said that this wasn't some kind of obligation. So if she didn't show up, Satsuki couldn't really inquire as to why.

Even if Shii didn't show up, Satsuki thought she was capable of looking after the greenhouse for the ten days or so until the school festival. After all, she'd worked hard by herself when Shii was away on the school trip. Still, Satsuki felt there was something slightly different about the school trip, when Shii had been overseas, and now, when Shii was coming to school but they weren't able to meet.

Occasionally the watering can would be in a different position to where she'd left it the previous day, and when she went around to water the flowers she'd find the soil was already damp. This led Satsuki to believe that Shii was still visiting.

"Did Shii come here? Was she okay?"

As Satsuki gently brushed the flower petals, she wondered why she hadn't been able to be there when Shii visited. But she couldn't just wait there, like a spider in its web. Satsuki was a first-year student, and not only did she have lessons but she also had to stay back after school to help with her class's preparations for the school festival.

Saturday, the day before the school festival.

On that day, the plan had been to work into the evening, transforming their classroom into an exhibition hall, but after lunch Satsuki quietly slipped out and went to check on the greenhouse. A lot of her classmates had to leave in the morning, or had to help out with their club preparations as well, so they were free to come and go as they pleased.

Shii hadn't come to the greenhouse. But things would surely return to normal from next week, once the school festival was over.

The flowers would once again be surrounded by the sounds of their joyous chatting. Soon they'd probably have to start thinking about preparing for winter.

Trembling, she spun around and surveyed the greenhouse, like she was dancing.

"I'm sure you're happy too, right? Shii will – "

When she spoke, Satsuki felt that something was wrong. She hadn't sensed the overjoyed reaction she'd been expecting from the flowers.

"What's the matter?"

Satsuki made the discovery when she brought her face close to the flowers. The leaves looked different to normal. There was a whitish powder clinging to them.

"What's this?"

The white substance on the leaves wasn't just confined to that one plant. The one beside it, and the one beside that, and, looking closer, all the plants in that area were affected to one degree or another.

"They're ill," Satsuki instantly thought.

"… What should I do?"

If it were just one leaf, she could prune it off. It it were some kind of noxious insect, she could painstakingly eradicate them one by one. But with the illness so widely spread, Satsuki had no idea what to do.

Naturally, the plants wouldn't tell her what they wanted. The few times she had felt like they were talking to her had obviously been some form of delusion.

The flowers said things like "Water, please," or, "Change the facing of the pot." The words they spoke never exceeded the extent of Satsuki's knowledge.

And while she stood there, asking herself "What should I do?" over and over again, the disease was undoubtedly spreading.

"Shii!"

Satsuki flew out of the greenhouse. Shii would tell her what to do. She'd know how to treat this disease.

There was activity all throughout the school building. Lots of classrooms had their doors open, with students working out in the hallway.

Satsuki hurried to the second-year classrooms. Thoughts about the flowers were filling her head, to the point that she forgot the rule about walking in the hallway. No, she was probably incapable of walking. She ran on, frantically.

"Excuse me."

Standing outside the second-year pine group classroom, Satsuki called out loudly and a number of students looked at her as they continued to work.

"Can you call someone over for me, umm … "

She made it that far, then lost the words she was going to say next.

"Umm … "

Satsuki didn't know Shii's real name.

"Okay, who did you want to see?"

The student who had stopped what she was doing and approached Satsuki was not Shii. Nor were the other students who had quietly resumed what they were working on. Shii wasn't in the classroom.

"Umm."

Even if Satsuki said, "Shii," the student she was talking to probably wouldn't know who she meant. The custom in the high-school division of Lillian's Academy was to append the honorific 'san' to people's names. Nicknames were rarely used.

"It wasn't urgent, I'll come back later."

Satsuki turned around.

"Ah, you're leaving?"

No matter how she looked at it, it was urgent. But there was nothing else she could say that would help.

After all, how could she ask to speak to someone when she didn't know their name?

None of the people Satsuki passed in the hallway were Shii. Nor were any of the girls gathered in the courtyard.

Even though there were so many students, Shii was not among them.

There was no way Satsuki would be able to find the Shii that she met in the greenhouse, that she spent all that time alone with, hidden among the great mass of students.

Did Shii even exist in this world to begin with? Perhaps she was some kind of illusion, a vision created out of Satsuki's desire for there to be a fairy.

Having not found Shii, Satsuki returned to the greenhouse to find someone else already there.

"Shii?"

Satsuki called, thinking it was her, but the girl turned around and shook her head.

Right. It wasn't Shii. This girl was a bit shorter than Shii, and her hair was longer and styled slightly differently.

"I've sprayed them with pesticide, so they'll be fine."

"Ah, umm."

"This was your first time seeing it, so you must have been surprised. But this kind of thing happens from time to time."

"How did you know?"

The other girl slowly approached Satsuki while she stood there, uncomprehending.

"I'd say the roses called out to me."

" … Oh?"

"But that would be a lie. When I saw you desperately searching for Shii I thought something must be up, so I came to the greenhouse to see for myself."

"You know Shii?"

"Of course I know her. And I know about you too, May."

Satsuki instantly understood. That this person was like Shii and herself. So when she sensed a crisis with the roses, she came to help.

"Ah."

The strength suddenly drained from her stiff body, and Satsuki slumped to the ground.

They'll be fine. Those words penetrated deep into her heart. They'll be fine. The roses were saved.

"Thank-you very much. I couldn't hear the voices of the roses. So I had no idea what to give them."

It started off as an expression of gratitude, but midway through it turned into a soliloquy.

Satsuki thought she was a long way off being able to look after the plants by herself for ten days. As soon as something unexpected happened, there was nothing she could do. This girl must have had some kind of training in how to look after plants.

"I tried to be like Shii, but it didn't go so well."

She felt helpless, miserable and regretful.

As Satsuki remained with her hands pressed against the ground and her face looking down, the sound of laughter echoed around above her.

"When someone's sick, only a doctor knows what's wrong, no?"

"Sick?"

Satsuki raised her head.

"Right. At the moment, these children are sick. A mother will know if her baby's hungry, or needs their diaper changed, but they aren't able to judge if the child needs fever medicine or antibiotics, for instance. But if a new mother notices that her child is unwell, that's enough for a passing grade, don't you think?"

"A passing grade?"

"When you're a veteran, you'll know more. But you noticed something was wrong and went to find Shii. Well done. Ah, if the rumors are true – "

Interrupting her sentence, Shii flew into the greenhouse with tremendous speed.

"May!"

"Hi Shii. You're late."

Shii started in amazement at the girl who was cheerfully waving, and murmured:

"Fey... ? Sorry, gokigenyou, it's been a while."

After this friendly greeting, Shii turned towards Satsuki and performed an introduction.

"This is Fey. She's a third-year, one year above me. She hasn't been around much recently, so this is probably the first time you've met her, right May?"

Fey probably taught Shii all kinds of things last year. In that case, Shii probably didn't know much when she started either.

"Since you were so late Shii, I had to step in myself."

"Please do, by all means."

Shii looked around and seemed to instantly grasp what had happened and the treatment that had been applied. She said, "Things were bad, huh," then embraced Satsuki around the shoulder and helped her stand up.

"My classmates told me that May was looking for me, so I ran out here in a hurry. But I needn't have worried since you were here, Fey."

Shii folded her arms and nodded, but Satsuki shook her head and said:

"But, how did your classmates know that I was looking for you?"

"You asked for me, right?"

"I don't know your name, Shii."

"No way. Surely I've told you it."

Shii was taken aback. Apparently she hadn't been trying to hide her identity. Instead, she thought she had already told Satsuki. Such a trivial matter, that Satsuki involuntarily slumped again.

But that was the truth, and as proof of that Shii tore a page out of her school notebook, wrote her full name on it and handed it to Satsuki.

Since she'd only ever known Shii as Shii, it felt a bit weird seeing her full name for the first time.

"So then, why are you called Shii?"

Satsuki tactlessly put her question into words. Her name didn't contain the kanji character for 'sea', none of her initials were 'C,' nor did the character 'shi' appear anywhere in her name.

Shii and Fey looked at each other.

"… What was it again?"

Apparently Shii was a nickname given to her by an older student who had since graduated, and its origin and relevance had been forgotten.

With the school festival safely over with, the gentle daily school-life resumed.

Having momentarily lost her self-confidence, Satsuki was studying hard to try and catch up to Shii and Fey.

"You don't have to work so hard, you know."

Shii said.

"The roses are laughing. They've never seen such a studious fairy."

"Huh? What did you say?"

Satsuki asked, raising her head from the horticulture book she had borrowed from the library.

"I was talking about you, May. You're already a splendid fairy."

"No way."

Satsuki scoffed, then returned to concentrating on her book. Apparently they could prepare for the following year's round of disease and pests by caring for the soil during the winter.

"Well, there are all types in fairy society, so whatever pleases you should be fine."

"I'll do as I please then."

Outside, a cold wind blew.

Even though the glass walls were starting to crack, inside it was surprisingly warm.

Satsuki closed her book and slowly walked beside Shii down the central corridor.

A fairy's life-span was a scant three years, so Satsuki thought she should put her all into it. She would study more about plants, put more of what she learned into practice, and listen carefully to the words of the flowers more.

So that when Shii graduated, she'd be able to stand on her own.

And then, in due course, she'd hand over this precious old greenhouse to someone else.

"Did you hear the flowers' voices?"

The day when, unexpectedly, a young fairy with tiny wings stumbles into the greenhouse.

<noinclude>
=== Translator's Notes ===

<references/>

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| Back to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume28_Chapter13|Frame of Mind 7]]
| Forward to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume28_Chapter15|Frame of Mind 8]]
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Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume28 Chapter10 1

2011-09-22T04:21:36Z

Yobbin: added punctuation

"I'm off."

I flew out of the classroom as soon as the fourth period class had ended.

"Ah. Hiromi-san, where are you going?"

"There's some stuff I've got to do. I'll skip lunch."

"Wait, I have no idea why you're in such a hurry, but at least put your seat back in its proper position."

My classmate grumbled. I heard her, but didn't turn back. Right. Like she said, currently I was in a hurry.

The only time I slowed down was when I passed one of the older teachers. But I don't think I was able to stop my ragged breathing. This morning, when I woke up and looked out the window, I was struck by a brilliant idea. What would her expression be when I told her?

"Oh, pardon me."

Turning the corner out of the corridor, I barely managed to avoid running into Takeshima Tsutako-san from the second-year pine class.

"No, it's my fault."

Not watching where I was going while breaking the speed limit. It's quite obvious who was at fault here, but that's the standard greeting when you suddenly come to a halt. I knew Tsutako-san from back in first-year, when we'd both been in the same class.

"Oh, you're off to have lunch somewhere?"

Tsutako-san asked, noticing the lunchbox I was carrying.

"Ahh, yeah."

In return, I dropped my gaze to look at what Tsutako-san held in her hands and, as usual, she was holding a compact camera. Tsutako-san was the self-styled 'Photography Club Ace' so she carried a camera everywhere, as though it were attached to her body.

"The weather's nice today."

Thinking that things could get problematic if the conversation went on for too long, I looked towards the first-year classrooms. At that precise moment, the flash went off.

"Kya."

I instinctively looked down, but Tsutako-san said:

"Sorry. But you had a nice look on your face."

"A nice look?"

That was unusual, so I questioned it. It was the first time that anyone had ever taken a surprise photo of me like that. Naturally, I'd had my photo taken countless times before now. Most of the time, it was because I requested it. There were times when I'd unknowingly had my photo taken, but that was usually when I was chatting with a group of people – and in those cases it wouldn't matter if it was me or somebody else in the photo.

"I can bring a copy around to your classroom if you'd like … Umm."

"It's wisteria group."

"Ah, right, right, wisteria group. The same one as Shimako-san."

After that Tsutako-san continued the general flow of the conversation and inquired about how things were with Toudou Shimako-san. I wasn't particularly interested in that, so I merely responded with, "Same as ever."

"Okay. Well, sorry for keeping you. I'll bring the photos around sometime soon."

"Ah, Tsutako-san."

"Yes?"

Tsutako-san was walking away when I called out to her, and she slowly turned to face me.

"Sometime soon I may ask you to take some photos for me."

"Oh my. Something's about to happen, huh."

"Is that okay?"

"Of course. Just let me know when."

My former classmate said, then left. I waved her goodbye, then resumed jogging down the hallway.

I moved with a spring in my step.

My target was the first-year camellia class. Home of the adorable Mickey.

"Mickey."

She was surrounded by a couple of classmates so I stood at the door and called out to her directly, not bothering to get someone else in the class to fetch her for me.

"Kan … no, Hiromi-sama."

Freeing herself from her classmates and rushing out into the corridor, Mickey was as short and skinny as ever.

"It's okay, you can still call me Kan-chan."

"No. Since you're a year older, it's only proper that I call you Hiromi-sama."

"You're strict."

As I said this I reached out to touch her tie but she pulled back with her face flushed. Perhaps she was conscious about being in public.

"Things are different to before."

"Nothing's changed though."

In the past, I'd often straighten her hair after it had been messed up by boys who were teasing her. Mickey had been even smaller than now and her fingers weren't as dexterous, so she'd come crying to me for help. I was the one who'd untangle the string when she got stuck playing cat's cradle. I was the one who'd open the juice box for her when we went out. And I was the one who'd close the folding umbrella for her.

"So what brings you here today?"

Mickey was looking back inside her classroom. It felt like one of the girls she had been talking to earlier was staring at us.

"Is that your lunch?"

I pointed at the small handbag that was hanging from a strap around her shoulder.

"Huh? … Yeah."

"Perfect. Bring that and let's go."

"Let's go? Where to?"

"Just follow me. We'll eat lunch outside today."

I grabbed hold of Mickey's hand and was walking off when I saw that classmate of hers walking over.

"Hold on, Sayuri-san. We're still in the middle of our conversation."

She had a stern look on her face. I stopped momentarily, turned to face her and emphatically stated:

"I'm borrowing Mickey for a while."

As expected, Mickey's classmate wasn't about to defy someone older than her and didn't pursue the matter further. Mickey looked momentarily troubled about being caught between us, but eventually followed me. I was pleased. Taking Mickey out of that stagnant classroom and into the fresh air had been the right decision.

When we reached the courtyard, I asked Mickey a question.

"What did I do?"

"Huh?"

"Your classmate, just before. She looked like she was mad about something."

At long last, Mickey smiled.

"Masami-san? That's her normal face."

"Really?"

"Yeah. That's how she always looks. So it's kind of sad that you thought she looked mad."

This seemed to have tickled her funny bone, as Mickey started to giggle. She then went on to say that she'd been in the same class as Masami-san all throughout middle-school and they were close friends.

"Is that it. I thought you were being bullied again."

"Not at all. Anyway, why don't we eat our lunch here? If we don't hurry, the lunch break will be over."

I spread out the plastic tarp and Mickey say down and opened her lunch box.

We were soon joined on the grass by a few more groups of people, all of whom probably had the same idea, and our elegant lunchtime began. It looked like most of the other groups thought this up on the spur of the moment, because we were one of the few to have a tarp. Even so, the other girls didn't give up, spreading about old newspapers and fliers they had acquired from somewhere. I heard a distant voice joke that their white socks would be stained by the newspaper ink.

Peace.

Even without Mickey's earlier refutation, the light and carefree traditions of Lillian's Girls Academy meant that bullying seldom occurred. That was probably why Mickey, often teased at school, had eschewed taking the entrance exam for our local public middle-school in favor of this private one.

Since I had been preparing to protect her during middle-school I was a bit worried when I first heard this, but now I could see that it had been the best choice for Mickey.

Suddenly, I felt the urge to ask her.

"Hey, what did you feel when you saw me at Lillian's?"

"Why do you ask?"

Mickey stopped eating and looked up at me.

"You were so shocked, I didn't ask you at the time."

It was in April, and the cherry blossoms were fluttering down. I spotted Mickey in front of the statue of Maria-sama and called out to her. When she turned around, she looked so surprised that it made me feel ashamed. Like she'd seen a ghost or something.

"Yeah, it really was a big surprise."

Mickey smiled.

"After all, I'd heard nothing from you since my family moved away. I never imagined that you'd be at Lillian's."

And then she'd seen someone she hadn't expected to be there. So to say she'd seen a ghost wouldn't be entirely incorrect.

"Anything other than surprise?"

I asked, looking straight into her eyes. Then Mickey got a slightly troubled look on her face.

"How to put this, it wasn't a single emotion. It was like a flood of memories came back to me all at once … Sorry I can't explain it any better."

"That's okay."

Because they were her honest feelings. Of course, if she'd said, "I was so happy since I never expected to see you," then that would have felt good too. But it wasn't like her to use such sweet words anyway.

"If there's ever anything bothering you, come and see me. I'll help you."

"I couldn't. I don't want to cause you any trouble."

"Don't worry about it. I'll just take this as an advance payment."

I took the last remaining sausage piece from Mickey's lunch box and popped it into my mouth.

"There's nothing bothering me."

Mickey closed her lunchbox, put her chopsticks back in their holder and smiled.

"But when there is, talk to me."

"Yeah. When there is."

Ten minutes before the start of the fifth period, I rolled up the plastic tarp and escorted Mickey back to her first-year camellia group classroom.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume28 Chapter6

2011-09-18T04:18:30Z

Yobbin: added punctuation

==Sprouts in Dry Wood==

"Onee-chan."

It was the evening of January 10 – the week-long New Year's festivities were over and it was the day before Kagami Biraki, the traditional breaking of the rice cakes – when my little sister came to visit me in my room, holding a single photograph.

"What do you want?"

I brusquely lifted my gaze from the university textbook.

As always.

I'm not sure how people generally treat their little sisters, but I never welcomed her with a smile. It had been that way for so long that to change it now just felt wrong.

Shouko and I were the real deal, blood related sisters, but our appearance and personality, and while I'm at it even our names, were completely different. Either because of that, or the three-year age gap between us, we never really fought, but neither did our relationship develop to the point where we could talk to each other about anything and everything.

So when my little sister came to my room it was usually because she wanted to borrow the huge dictionary I owned, or something similar, and even that happened very rarely.

"Onee-chan, this is for you… "

And despite that, she was now earnestly offering me this snapshot.

"What the heck is this?"

The expression on Shouko's face said that she was still undecided about whether or not she should be showing me this photograph.

"Let's see it."

I took the photograph from my little sister's hand and looked at it. And then, immediately.

"–"

I was speechless.

From the glimpses of the scenery I got while Shouko was holding the photograph, it was obviously taken at a Shinto shrine during the New Year's celebrations.

Shouko had gone on the traditional New Year's shrine visit with a friend from school this year. Consequently, I expected it to be a photo that was taken then, but I was wrong.

The moment I got my hands on the photograph I realized it wasn't some trite New Year's shrine photograph.

"… How?"

Unable to conceal my disturbance, I asked that question looking straight at my little sister.

In the center of the photograph was a girl, smiling brilliantly, who up until last year had been my classmate at school.

<center>*</center>

That classmate always looked untroubled as she walked ahead of me.

If asked, she'd probably say it wasn't like that at all. No, she'd definitely say that. But, back then, that was the only way I thought of her. Looking untroubled as she walked ahead of me.

She looked as though she never studied, either at school or at home, but she always got near perfect scores on the tests. She always had a bored expression on her face, but was effortlessly at the center of attention.

I couldn't stand that type of person. I didn't go as far as wishing ill upon her, but I couldn't accept all the things she achieved. It just felt like her entire existence was a complete negation of my own, hard-working one.

So I stuck to my guns. I re-doubled my effort, thinking that I would overtake her and therefore retain my self-respect.

My plan was to get accepted into some super-elite university where she couldn't follow, and then bid farewell to my demeaning high-school life.

So I devoted my three years of high-school to studying, always looking towards graduation day when I would smile victoriously. I didn't make any of those special nurturing relationships while I was at Lillian's Girls Academy, acknowledging neither a petit soeur nor an onee-sama.

But when I opened the lid, what did I find? She hadn't even shown up to fight.

What did it mean? I asked myself over and over again.

I knew all about marking relative to the curve and grade inflation, but how could someone like myself who was accepted into the top course at what was generally acknowledged as the top university in the country not win? That was just idiotic.

But that idiocy was reality.

She was continuing her studies at the fine arts department of another university. What a joke.

When I first heard about her choice, I actually broke into laughter.

But with this, there was no contest.

In much the same way that you can't compare a boxer to a sumo wrestler – even though they're both contact sports, they're just too different. They're literally two different arenas.

I lost sight of my goal just as I was about to reach it. It was as though my life plan of getting good grades then getting a good job was hazing over.

What happened? I hadn't thought that I'd been studying on account of her. But after entering university, I found that studying just wasn't as fun without her untroubled visage walking ahead of me.

That state of affairs continued day after day for about eight months, until one day.

It would have been around the middle of December when I saw 'that.'

I went to my little sister's room, for the first time in a while, to retrieve the Japanese-English dictionary she had borrowed from me the night before.

Shouko wasn't there. She'd gone to school.

Since I was only looking for my book, I didn't hesitate to open the door. She'd occasionally go into my room when I was out and our mother was often entering our rooms to do the cleaning, so there was nothing wrong with it. Anything of value to her would probably be in her drawers, and I wasn't going to open those, so I thought there'd be nothing to worry about.

I first looked over her study desk. But my dictionary wasn't there. So I slowly spun around, taking in the whole room.

The items on the built-in bookshelf didn't seem to be related to studying – there were teen novels, books about sweets, teen fashion magazines and favorite stuffed animals and picture books from her childhood all arranged haphazardly. No, there probably was a method to it. A method called, "Girl's Bookshelf."

"Hmmm."

I had a bookshelf roughly identical to that one in my room, but the contents were completely different.

This was a new experience.

It wasn't quite jealousy. It was just, no, it was exactly that.

In the end, I found my dictionary on top of her bed. She probably put it there when she was making her bed, intending to return it on the way out of the house, but then forgot about it.

Now that I had achieved my goal, I fully intended to leave my little sister's room immediately. But right at that moment I caught a glimpse of a reflection that caused my slippers to do a complete 180 degree turn.

I walked over to the bookshelf.

I ran my finger along the spine of the book that seemed out of place on a "Girl's Bookshelf."

"A photography book…?"

Not a collection of photographs. But a technical reference about cameras and the techniques involved in photography.

"What would this kind of thing be doing in Shouko's room?"

When my little sister was younger she had adorable features. My parents were persuaded by some of their acquaintances and, for a while, she had been a child model. Her dislike of photographs had probably come from that stint as a model. But despite that – .

"I wonder if something happened to her… "

Come to think of it, I knew all kinds of complicated mathematical equations, vocabulary words and grammar points, but I knew very little about my little sister.

From an older sister's point-of-view, "Naitou Shouko" was a somewhat cute, well-mannered girl who hated to study but other than that was probably having an enjoyable school-life. A silly girl.

"But."

Would a girl who hated studying borrow a dictionary from an older sister she didn't get along with all that well?

"That's right."

Shouko had a Japanese-English dictionary …., no, make that two. Either of those should have sufficed for first-year high-school homework. Although it looked like they were from a different publisher. I suppose our parents were only making sure we got the same type of things as we grew.

"That reminds me."

What Shouko had borrowed was the number one ranked, most densely packed with information dictionary intended for adults. When I was in high-school, I would beg my parents to buy me these as birthday and Christmas parents.

I wanted to know more. I wanted to understand more.

Shouko and myself, at her age, both had something we craved.

"…"

I put the photography book back on the bookshelf. At which point, some of the books tilted slightly. The act of taking the book out and then putting it back seemed to have disrupted their balance.

(Disrupted?)

But it looked like the books were all lined up alongside each other without a gap between them. The fallen book, rather than being sandwiched by the books on either side, looked as though it was placed free standing beside the books on my side.

"… Right?"

With an ominous feeling, I checked the book that I inferred to be free standing and found it was actually being used to mask a gap beside it. Moving away from the doorway's line-of-sight, a gap of approximately 15cm appeared.

"Why such an elaborate setup?"

Adorning that spot, hidden away from public gaze, was a photo frame. Inside that marble patterned frame was a sepia-toned photograph of two young women wearing school uniforms.

It was myself and Shouko.

Taking great care not to disturb the books on either side, I timidly picked up the photo frame.

– No doubt about it. I felt a little bit giddy.

Why would Shouko have this? Who on earth could have taken that photograph?

But asking Shouko about the picture frame she had setup in a hidden location on her bookshelf was something that I was reluctant to do, even as her sister.

I couldn't just barge in to her private life.

But even so. That photograph was fixed in my mind forever.

I couldn't believe that I could look as beautiful as I did in that photo.

The expression I had in that picture was nowhere to be found in my own photo albums. In both the class photos and the snapshots from athletics carnivals and school festivals, I always had this tense look that seemed to ask, "Am I going to fail?"

In contrast, the classmate who looked untroubled as she walked ahead of me was always beautiful.

Her melancholic face, her convulsively laughing face, her icy smile. All of her various facial expressions were radiant like a flower.

When we were in the same frame, I would always be standing some distance apart from her, shoulders stiff like I was meeting an enemy, even going so far as to scowl at the camera lens.

Just what on earth had I been fighting?

The person I thought I had been fighting had been paying absolutely no attention to me.

For the first time in ages, I flipped through my photo album, looking at the me from high-school and shedding a few tears.

Now I understood. In reality, I was still the same person as in the photograph in Shouko's room, and I wanted a picture showing myself smiling gently and at peace with that classmate.

(But it's too late now … )

I wiped away my tears and hurriedly closed the album.

It wasn't like me to think about such things. Losing sight of my study goals had probably caused me to go soft.

If only I'd realized this before graduation. Now that we were going to different universities there was nothing much I could do about it. Even I knew that.

I went for the traditional New Year's shrine visit on January 2, this year. The shrine I visited was close to my alma mater, Lillian's Girls Academy.

Was it nostalgia?

No, I didn't go there because I wanted to return to my high-school days. I went to make an offering as repayment for the 'success in school' charm that I had bought there last year.

"Looks like no-one's going to show up, after all."

Standing in front of the shrine's torii, I looked at my phone and sighed. It was already twenty minutes past one in the afternoon.

"I wasn't really expecting much."

Still, I hadn't expected that I would be the only one who would show up, as arranged.

Can't do anything about that. Given how things had turned out, I thought I'd do what I came to do quickly and then return home. Even if I waited longer, it didn't look like anyone else was going to come. Since we'd arranged a time, they'd probably have sent an SMS if they were going to be late.

It was on this very day, last year. Four classmates came to this place for their first shrine visit of the New Year. We were high-school third-years, preparing for exams.

The organizer (not myself) had apparently invited everyone in our class who was sitting for exams but the first three days of the new year are always busy so not everyone could attend. Naturally, "that girl" had also been invited, but she just looked uninterested as she fiddled with her hair and muttered:

"I'd like to go, but my family always spends New Year's in Hawaii."

I watched that happen from a short distance away. I still remember the conflicting feelings I felt when I heard that she wasn't going to be there – part of me was relieved, but part of me was disappointed. This was at the second semester closing ceremony.

When the day arrived there were only four people, including myself, that hadn't canceled. We formed a strange bond there, perhaps because of the haphazard way the group was assembled, and promised to return and give thanks at the same place, on the same hour of the same day, the following year.

But it looked like nobody else remembered the promise that they'd made a year ago.

Maybe they forgot about it as soon as they passed their exams. Maybe they didn't have time to look back at their old friends now that they were following their new life. At any rate, a no-show is a no-show.

I walked alone, following the same path into the shrine that we had taken last year. I stopped in front of the offering box, threw some coins in, clasped my hands together in prayer and reported my success.

Thinking back on it, it's a bit strange that a group of students at a Catholic school would see no problem with going to a Shinto shrine to pray for success in their examinations. But while I was inside the garden that was Lillian's, those kind of feelings were muted. Perhaps it's one of those things that only becomes visible when you take a step back from it.

(Although it's interesting to note that the fortune papers offered at Shinto shrines were first used by the Tendai sect of Buddhists.)

Since he died on the third day of the year, he became known as Gansan Daishi.<ref>This is a reference to Ryougen, a Tendai monk. Gansan means third day of the year, and Daishi is a name for a spiritual leader. https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Ry%C5%8Dgen has a little bit more information about him.</ref> Since tomorrow would be the anniversary of his death, I took a fortune paper as a way of showing my respect.

– A blessing.

"Your wish will be granted. The person that you're waiting for will arrive … huh."

I chuckled when I read the fortune printed on the paper.

I had a blessing last year as well, but this year's seemed somewhat better.

From memory, last year's was "Your wish is beyond our power. The person that you're waiting for will not arrive. They will move away from you. Your loss will become apparent." The four of us had shared a laugh wondering what part of that was a blessing.

Still, it felt like the fortune paper had somehow sensed my feelings.

That girl I was waiting for would not arrive. Because she would not arrive, I could look at this calmly.

(Ahh, that's right.)

Back then, somehow under the influence of that fortune, I had bought another one of those 'success in school' charms. One more, beyond the one I bought for myself.

(… They will move away from you.)

Gradually, the memories returned. I lied to my classmates, telling them I forgot to buy an 'easy childbirth' charm for an older cousin, then went back and bought it.

Then on the first day of the third semester.

I left the paper bag containing that charm inside "that girl's" shoe box. Neither she nor anyone else knew that it was from me. At the time, that charm was as dangerous and terrifying to me as a bomb or a gun.

(Sheesh.)

As I laughed at how I was a year ago, I looked around for a branch to attach the fortune paper to. I guess that difference is what they call maturity. Either that or regression. Being inside the vortex, the current me couldn't say.

I looked up at the sky for a while, then lowered my gaze.

What's with that tree? At first glance it seemed to be withered, but something about it caught my eye.

The trunk seemed to be crumbling and all the leaves had fallen from the branches but there were small groups of fortune papers tied around it here and there, looking like white flowers in bloom.

I too made a single flower bloom there.

After tying the fortune to the tree, and just as I was about to start walking again, I saw someone I knew amongst the crowd.

"… That's."

I only caught a glimpse of her profile, but there was no doubt in my mind. It wasn't her face that was so memorable, it was her trademark glasses and camera that gave it away.

The first-year from the photography club, Takeshima Tsutako. No, wait, that's what she was when I was still in high-school. Since she's two years below me, she should be a second-year by now.

She took better photographs of "that girl" than anybody else. During the school festival, in the photography club's exhibition room, I forgot how to move for a while as I stood in front of the photograph of "that girl" smiling at me.

(Again … )

Why was I remembering all these things that were long past? And why was I remembering only things that I could do nothing about?

(Enough already.)

Better to lay these intractable old memories to rest with my old charm. I hurried over to the bonfire where you could burn old charms and amulets.

Right, that will be good.

While I was still vacillating about whether or not to call out to Tsutako-san, she was swallowed up by the crowd and disappeared from sight entirely.

So I decided to part ways with my charm and head home, feeling refreshed. I jogged off, forcing my way through the crowd.

There weren't any signposts pointing towards the bonfire but it was easy enough to find. The white smoke stung my eyes.

"Huh!?"

Just as I arrived at the bonfire, my heart jumped in shock.

"Oh."

One of the people waiting in line for the bonfire saw my face and smiled unguardedly at me.

"Fancy meeting you here, Katsumi-san."

– It was the person I refer to as "that girl" – Torii Eriko-san.

The youthful short pink jacket and matching brown checkered skirt she wore made her look younger than when she was wearing Lillian's uniform.

"Why?"

I was in such a state of confusion that I blurted out what I was thinking.

Why was this girl, who hadn't deviated from her family's tradition of spending the New Year's period in Hawaii even when she was preparing for university entrance exams, spending this New Year's period in-country? No, it's not even about domestic versus international. More specifically, since this was right near our alma mater, this was her 'home town.'

"Ahh. You're surprised that I came here when I wasn't a member of last year's visit, Katsumi-san?"

Eriko-san smiled as she opened one of her coat pockets and took something out, then showed it to me, saying, "Tadaaah."

"You see, I have one of these charms too."

"–"

It was, undoubtedly, the exact same charm as the one I had. A 'success in school' charm with this shrine's name printed on it.

"It was placed in my shoe box on the day of the third-semester opening ceremony. I never did find out who put it there, but I passed all my exams so it must have been a divine blessing. So I thought I'd buy one for Rei …, my little sister. She's sitting her exams this year."

"Ah, I see."

"Your group were all excited about coming back in a year's time to return the charms, right? I thought there was the possibility we'd meet, so it was only right that I should come and have a look. I didn't know the exact time, but as long as I came there was always a chance."

"Ohh."

The only way I could keep her from realizing that my voice was shaking was by making monosyllabic replies.

Even so, small fragments of what Eriko-san said, like "divine blessing," "little sister," and "only right that I should come," were bouncing around in my head like they were on a trampoline.

"I've been busy coming up with topics for submission."

"Men – what are they thinking? Hmm, maybe it's just that they look like they're thinking, but they're not really."

"We had a huge fight trying to co-ordinate our New Year's schedules."

Eriko-san talked about her university life, about the troubles she was having with the guy she was dating, and complained about the various schemes her father and brothers came up with to try and split them apart, one after the other.

In return, I talked a little bit about how recently I'd felt as though I didn't really know my little sister.

At the bonfire we both put some money into the offertory box, joined our hands in prayer, then threw our charms from last year into the fire together.

"See you later."

We exchanged goodbyes as though we were still classmates who would see each other tomorrow then went our separate ways. We only spent about 15 minutes together; Eriko-san said there were people she had arranged to meet. It was probably her petit soeur from high-school, Hasekura Rei-san. Or if the rumors just prior to graduation were true, it might be the science teacher from Hanadera Academy.

As I watched her walk away, I thought that I should have called out to Takeshima Tsutako-san when I caught that glimpse of her before. If I had, she undoubtedly would have been able to get a good photograph of us together.

Why?

Because, if only for a brief moment, we were standing together, smiling, as though we were former close friends.

Even if it did look awkward, I was smiling at somebody.

Inside that dream-like time.

In the end, I kept going over what I should have done.

Back then. Even though it's possible I only met Eriko-san because I didn't chase after Takeshima Tsutako-san.

<center>*</center>

"… How?"

Which brings us back to today. My little sister had shown me that picture. A photograph of Torii Eriko-san.

"An older girl from school happened to run into Torii Eriko-sama."

"Ah, right."

There was no need to ask where or when this took place.

That "older girl" had probably called out to Eriko-san because in the photo she was looking straight at the camera and smiling, wearing the same pink coat that I remembered. Yep, this photo was taken on the second of January this year, at that shrine. Also –

"This is you here, onee-chan."

Shouko pointed to a small figure in the background behind Eriko-san.

I'd noticed that as soon as I saw the photo. Unmistakeably, that was me.

Until it was shown to me, I'd had no idea that a photo like this existed. Because, naturally, I hadn't noticed the camera.

There had been people everywhere when I went to the shrine, with photos being taken left, right and center. You couldn't respond to each and every camera pointed in your general direction.

In the photograph, I was standing some distance behind Eriko-san, oblivious to the fact that she was there, my gaze slightly elevated and smiling.

The mystery of why I had that expression on my face was soon solved. I was looking for a branch to tie my fortune paper to. In one hand I was grasping the slender fortune paper as though I was ready to knot it.

Before I blossomed a "flower" on that tree.

"The older girl didn't notice you in the photo, onee-chan, but I saw you straight away. Then I wondered if I should say anything … but, finally, I thought I should give this to you."

"Okay."

I decided to gratefully accept my little sister's kindness.

"I see."

A year ago, I probably would have responded angrily with, "Why bother me with such a frivolous thing." I would have been angry about having my feelings seen through. But now I knew that such a response was meaningless.

The Eriko-san in the photograph smiled, as if to say, "That's right."

"And this too."

Shouko held out another photograph. It was exactly the same as the one I held in my hands.

"Huh?"

"There were two copies printed, so could you deliver this one, onee-chan?"

To Eriko-san.

"Sure."

Sure, I could do that. That's what I'll do. I nodded.

"Okay then."

Her business completed, my little sister looked relieved as she was about to leave the room when I stopped her by saying, "Shouko."

"Give my thanks to Takeshima Tsutako-san."

Shouko stopped, and turned around with a surprised look on her face.

"How did you know?"

Which meant I must have guessed right. I suppose my instincts aren't that bad after all.

"Hohoho. Don't underestimate your older sister. I've been around three years longer than you."

"Ooooh."

Shouko gave a small squeal then quickly ran away. In some ways she was still childishly cute.

"Looks like she's having a fun time at high-school."

I laughed and lined up the two photographs on my desk.

I was going to write a letter, using delivery of the photograph as a pretext. I wasn't going to write about our meeting, instead I'd write about my current life at university or about my time at Lillian's high-school. To say that we could meet up for no reason at all and talk to each other, if she felt so inclined.

No, it would be for a reason.

Because we were compatriots who had studied in the same classroom.

That by itself should be enough.

I opened my university text that was sitting beside the photographs. For some reason, I had the urge to study.

Not so that I could beat Eriko-san, but so that I could walk beside her. So we could both share the same view and smile.

Even though we were walking down different paths, at some point in time we would meet again and I wanted to be able to proudly describe how I was living my life.

It will soon be spring.

Even that withered tree I saw will soon have green sprouts, and probably bloom not long after.

<noinclude>
=== Translator's Notes===

<references/>

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| Back to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume28_Chapter5|Frame of Mind 3]]
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</noinclude>

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume28 Chapter15

2011-09-18T03:42:31Z

Yobbin: changed hair clip to hair-clip

==Frame of Mind 8==

"I'm back."

When she returned, Tsutako-san was not alone.

"Pardon me."

Shouko-chan hesitantly entered into the room on the second floor of the Rose Mansion. Almost as though she'd heard the gossip that had been said about her just before.

"I ran into her not long ago, so I dragged her along. Ah, Mami-san."

Tsutako-san noticed her classmate and said, "Gokigenyou," to her. After responding to the greeting in kind, Mami-san looked at Shouko-chan and nodded slightly to her. As though to say, "Sorry about before."

However Shouko-chan didn't notice this at all, instead she fidgeted with her fingers as her gaze darted around the room. Just like Mami-san had said, there were brand new, oversized band-aids visible on the palms of her hands.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling out of place, surrounded by second-years?"

Shimako-san asked as she pulled an empty chair out from the table, offering it to Shouko-chan, who seemed a bit taken aback.

"Ah, no. Sorry. I'm just a bit nervous being here in the Rose Mansion."

"Wha – ?"

Yumi called out instinctively. Because it was so contrary to her expectations. After all, this wasn't Shouko-chan's first time in this room, and she'd kept her cool remarkably well for a first-year the last time she'd been there.

Shouko-chan had definitely changed since last time.

"Here, have some tea."

"Ah, thank-you... Oh, it's hot."

She then placed her finger through the handle of the cup as though she were about to lift it to drink, stared idly at a spot on the table, and repeated a question again and again as though she wasn't following the conversation when someone talked to her. It could be summed up in a single word as 'absent-mindedness.'

It seemed unlikely that she had been unaware of the pain from the grazes on her hands when she had dealt with Katsura-san in a brisk, secretary-like fashion (since she had already been injured at that point). Well, Tsutako-san couldn't just leave her alone, so had to bring her along – that was understandable.

"Ah, that's right."

Yumi took the roll of film out of her pocket and handed it to Tsutako-san.

"What should we do with this?"

"What's that?"

Mami-san asked with a great deal of interest, not knowing the story.

"Earlier today I was given this by an unknown first-year. Because it's got Takeshima Tsutako written on it, see. But Tsutako-san says it's not hers."

"Well, that's interesting. A bit of a mystery. I can tell by their faces that Yoshino-san and Shimako-san have taken an interest in it too."

"Right?"

Just as she was saying this, a voice unexpectedly called out from outside the group of boisterous second-years.

"Umm, you should take it to lost property."

That was a surprise. It was Shouko-chan. A little while ago, she hadn't been participating in the conversation at all, but now she seemed to have lost her absent-mindedness. She'd spoken quite loudly too.

"Well, that was the plan."

Tsutako-san said, and Yumi, Shimako-san and Mami-san all nodded in agreement. There was only one second-year who was shaking her head.

"But if the lost property office finds the owner, we'll probably never find out who it was."

It was Yoshino-san.

"Well, that would only be if the person in question asked them not to say anything, right?"

It's not like the lost property office would refuse to give the item back if the owner didn't open themselves up to public gossip. Probably.

"Hmph. So we'd never know the truth? Isn't that awful? Even though we went to all the effort of picking it up."

"…"

Literally speaking, Yoshino-san, it was the group of three unnamed first-years that had picked it up, not you. Furthermore, you weren't even the person they entrusted it to. – Things would have taken a turn for the worse if Yumi were to poke at Yoshino-san by saying something like that, so she kept silent. Everyone else was undoubtedly thinking a similar retort too. The silence of "…" was proof of that.

"At the very least, Tsutako-san has a right to know, doesn't she? See, they're defrauding her by using her name."

"…"

So transparent, Yoshino-san. Your real intention was to secretly listen in if they did happen to tell Tsutako-san.

"A name alone doesn't make it fraud."

Was Tsutako-san's opinion. Well that was true. They didn't have any proof that there were no other students with the same name at school.

"Then, what? You're still clinging to the theory that someone else has the same first and last name as you?"

Yoshino-san laughed loudly, highlighting the fact that Takeshima Tsutako was hardly a common name.

"There are other possibilities."

Tsutako-san said, asserting that it was better to leave it to the proper authorities.

"But the lost property office aren't magicians, so they're not going to know the owner if we just hand it over. They'll be in the same boat as us. And since it has the name Takeshima Tsutako written on it, they'll match it to Takeshima Tsutako-san in the second-year pine group and won't search any further, right?"

"And if they do?"

Yumi asked. What happened to the items in lost property whose owner couldn't be found? It's not like it could be sold at the bazaar during the school festival once its custody period had elapsed. It wasn't a new sheet or towel.

"In the end, one of the teachers might take it to a photo processing shop and get it developed."

Unlike other lost items like a handkerchief or a hair-clip, a roll of film held information inside it.

"In that case, it should be fine for Tsutako-san to go ahead and do the job of developing the film, no?"

"Absolutely not."

Tsutako-san flatly rejected Yoshino-san's suggestion. Even without getting into the photographer's code of practice, the moral and ethical questions around that behavior would rule it out. It was a matter of the owner's privacy.

"I agree."

Everyone except for Yoshino-san concurred with Tsutako-san, and Yoshino-san turned away and said, "I was just putting it out there."

"Ah, I think we should hand it over to lost property quickly. It's possible that the person who lost it has already reported it as missing."

Shouko-chan said.

"Oh, I see. The longer we hold on to it, the longer it will probably take to get back to its rightful owner."

Even so, school had already finished for the day. There was no guarantee that there would be anyone in lost property.

"We'll take it first thing tomorrow morning."

"That would be best."

The decision was made by majority rule.

But still, the film remained in front of them. Thoughts about it filled Yumi's mind, perhaps exacerbated by the notion that this was a mystery they were unlikely to be able to solve by themselves.

"I wonder what kind of person dropped this."

Yumi's words were met with a unanimous, "Hmmm," and contemplation.

"It's hopeless. Whatever I imagine, Tsutako-san's face is the only one that comes to mind."

Mami-san said, then sighed and flopped down over the table. It could belong to someone from a broad range of groups: students, teachers, clerks, nuns, but it sounded like they all ended up with Tsutako-san's face in Mami-san's mind.

"Are you sure it's not Tsutako-san's?"

Yoshino-san sought confirmation once more. Apparently neither she nor Mami-san could exclude Tsutako-san from the equation that easily. Yumi was having the same problem herself.

"That's what she said."

Still, the assumption that it was Tsutako-san's was hard to dislodge.

"Give it a rest. I told you it's not mine."

The other second-years looked skeptically at Tsutako-san, who had risen from her seat. Looking at her behavior, it was easy to judge whether or not she was lying. Her eyes were trustworthy.

Still, it seemed rather farfetched to think that there was no connection between Tsutako-san and the 'Takeshima Tsutako' written on the roll of film.

And yet, Tsutako-san maintained that it was not hers. How to resolve this apparent contradiction?

"I guess there could be another Tsutako-san."

It wasn't this Tsutako-san who dropped the film, but the other one. Which was why she had no memory of it.

"Basically it's the doppelganger theory then."

"Doppelganger?"

Tsutako-san had been looking disinterested, but the moment she heard the word 'doppelganger,' her face lit up, like a switch had been thrown.

"Ah, a doppelganger is like this."

"No need to explain. I know what one is."

While she said this, Tsutako-san reached into her paper bag and rustled through the envelopes of photographs until she finally found the one she was after.

"I just remembered it when you said 'doppelganger.'"

She took a single photo out of the envelope and held it up in front of Yumi.

"Take a look at this."

– She said.

<noinclude>
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</noinclude>

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume28 Chapter4 4

2011-09-18T03:41:27Z

Yobbin: added punctuation

<center>* * * *</center>

Not long thereafter, an unlikely rumor made its way around the school.

I think it was after school on Friday when a first-year from the tennis club made her way to my classroom and said:

"Have you heard that Sakae-sama has a petit soeur?"

"Huh?"

She overlooked my momentary unrest.

"Ah, but I don't suppose you'd be interested in hearing about that, Mayu-san."

Even though she was acting polite, it was quite obvious that she was thinking, "Serves you right."

Her onee-sama wasn't someone that I'd tried to get close to. And yet she still despised me. It looked like I was an enemy to all first-years, after all.

"It all started a few days ago, on Valentine's Day, when she gave Sakae-sama chocolates."

Those kind of details were completely irrelevant.

"Who?"

I asked, irritated.

"Want me to tell you?"

The girl from the tennis club smirked.

"If you want me to tell you then you'll have to bow down before me and say, "Please tell me.""

What was she thinking?

"I refuse."

My voice was shaking from anger. My face twitched.

"I have no desire to bow down to the likes of you."

I spat out those words then walked out of the classroom and into the hallway. Aimlessly. Knowing only that I no longer wanted to be around that girl.

"Wh, what did you say – !?"

I heard her hysterical cries coming from behind me. Like hell I'd bow down to someone who came all the way over to our classroom just so she could laugh as she watched me bowing.

I walked out of the building to escape the suffocating feeling. I was still wearing my indoor shoes, but that was of no concern to me. I stamped onwards. My feet were moving before I had time to think about it. Almost as though they weren't my feet at all.

My feet stopped at the fork in the road, in front of the statue of Maria-sama.

Just what on earth was I doing? I came to my senses, found it all too ridiculous, and a laughing cough slipped out between ragged breaths.

Even though there was nothing I should be running away from. If I truly believed that what I was doing was 100% correct, then I should have been able to stand my ground regardless of what anyone else said. But since I couldn't, did that mean that there was a part of me that was feeling somewhat guilty about this, after all?

If so, what should I do?

I took no pleasure from splitting apart happy soeurs.

I only wanted to shine brightly and become a four-leaf clover. So why did things turn out the way they did?

I prayed to Maria-sama. I desperately wanted Maria-sama, who silently watches over us, to answer my question.

What should I do to find happiness?

No miracle would take place, no matter how faithfully I prayed.

I wasn't expecting to open my eyes and see my kind onee-sama standing there, waiting for me with lots of friends.

(But, what if.)

I asked myself a question. Would I really want to go back to the day when I informed Sakae-sama that I was breaking up with her and redo things?

But I couldn't answer. Because somebody called out my name.

"Mayu?"

I lowered my hands and turned around. Standing there was Sakae-sama.

"Onee … "

I started to speak, but then stopped myself. She was no longer my onee-sama.

"It's been a while. How are you?"

We were still students in the same high-school. Even after the break-up, I'd seen her around school numerous times. But never this close, and we'd never exchanged words before now.

That was because I'd gone to great lengths to ensure we didn't meet. If I spotted Sakae-sama coming towards me down a corridor, I'd turn around and head back where I was coming from, or escape via a nearby stairway. And if I found out that a second-year student I was interested in was in Sakae-sama's class, then I'd give up on talking to her.

But there was nowhere for me to hide from this sort of surprise attack. I looked up at Maria-sama bitterly.

However, the person that I had probably hurt the most didn't say a single resentful word, instead she smiled gently at me.

"What's the matter? Did something happen to you?"

Why was she being so sympathetic to the person who had hurt her?

As though everything in the past hadn't happened. The innocence of a chance reunion with a friend that you'd drifted apart from.

"Sakae-sama."

For a moment I thought that this could have been a miracle brought about by Maria-sama. That Maria-sama had taken pity on me and reset everything, giving me a chance to fix things.

"I – "

Just as I was reaching out my hand.

"Sorry I kept you waiting, onee-sama."

A student ran up to Sakae-sama from behind.

"I had left it in the classroom, just like I thought... Ah."

Memories came flooding back to me. The new arrival seemed to realize who was standing beside Sakae-sama the moment she saw me too.

"Mayu-san?"

"… Akemi-san."

After seeing the two first-years greet each other by name, Sakae-sama said:

"Huh? Oh, that's right. You've both been here since preschool. Of course you'd know each other."

"Uh …, yeah."

Even as I nodded, my chest was almost bursting from the violent thumping of my heart.

Ahh, so that's how it was. I quickly grasped the situation. So I immediately forced a smile, otherwise I wouldn't be able to deal with this at all.

"I heard you two became soeurs, right?"

Despite the shock I had just received, that piece of information hadn't been forgotten. More for the sake of a peaceful world than for my own sense of self-respect.

"Word travels fast."

The pair smiled shyly at each other.

"One of my friends from the tennis club came over to tell me about it straight away … "

I suppose my acting had been up to the challenge. Either that or the gentle, quiet Sakae-sama couldn't have conceived of me lying about such a thing.

"Oh, really. That's good. I was worried about you Mayu, since you stopped coming to club activities right after we broke up. But you're still talking to the first-years from the tennis club. That's a relief."

"Yeah."

I agreed eagerly, so as not to shatter that sense of relief. It was strange, but after that I no longer felt like I hated that tennis club girl from before.

"So, what are you doing out here, Mayu?"

"I think I dropped one of my hair-clips around here during lunch."

The explanation that came easily from my mouth was stolen straight from Chisato-san.

"Shall we search for it together?"

Akemi-san asked, bright-eyed. She didn't know that I didn't habitually wear anything like a hair-clip.

"No, it's all right."

I declined, shaking my head.

"The sun's starting to set, so I think I'll just come to school a bit early tomorrow and search for it then. Plus, it might not be here anyway."

"Really?"

"Yeah, thanks anyway."

If Akemi-san put her mind to searching for it, it seemed likely that she'd really find a hair-clip that didn't exist.

"Well then, I have to head back to the classroom."

"Okay, gokigenyou."

After confirming that they were walked away, I turned back towards the school buildings.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume28 Chapter4 1

2011-09-18T03:40:01Z

Yobbin: changed hair clip to hair-clip

<center>*</center>

"Waaaaaah"

I was idly watching the young girl as she ran away, crying, towards the school buildings when a voice suddenly called out to me from behind.

"I know I'm just repeating Akiko-san, but you're despicable."

Emerging from the bushes with a rustling sound was my classmate, Tanuma Chisato-san.

"I am?"

I laughed. I had no idea that somebody had overhead our conversation. Even if I had known, it probably wouldn't have stopped me from making her cry. What was her name? … right, Akiko-san.

"I dropped my hair-clip somewhere around here during lunch, then had to wait until after school to look for it. Then you and Akiko-san came along and started your heart-to-heart talk, so I had to stay hidden until it was over."

Chisato-san briefly explained how she happened to be there. I knew she wouldn't have been intentionally eavesdropping anyway.

"So, found your hair-clip?"

Chisato-san responded to my question by shaking her head and saying, "Not yet."

"Then I'll help you look for it."

"It's okay, you don't have to."

"Oh, do you feel the same way? That Tatsunami Mayu – "

"Is someone I have to watch out for?"

Chisato-san snorted derisively.

"I don't have an onee-sama, so there's no reason for me to watch out for you."

"Fair enough."

The rumor going around was that I meddled catastrophically in other soeurs' relationships, and was therefore someone to watch out for.

"Hey, hey, which part of me is despicable?"

Ignoring her initial refusal of my offer to help, I followed Chisato-san's lead and poked around the base of the shrubs and the grassy areas.

"The way you find someone's sore points and open up those wounds. If you keep doing that, you'll end up with no friends at all."

Beaten down by my persistent shadowing of her, Chisato-san relented and allowed me to assist her.

"You know, it's strange. I've heard that advice before, but it sounds more persuasive coming from you, Chisato-san. Because I'm not feeling any resentment. Instead, I'm feeling the love."

I placed my hand over my heart and smiled. Chisato-san looked shocked as she said:

"There's no love whatsoever."

It was only since the beginning of high-school that I had grown close to Chisato-san. Tatsunami and Tanuma in the same class. Opportunities to interact arose from sitting one row apart.

"The sun's setting, so I wonder if I should just come back and search for it tomorrow morning."

Chisato-san muttered, intermixed with sighs. Of the straight hair that hung down to her shoulders, the only part that faintly curled was where the hair-clip had been attached this morning.

"So, Chisato-san, why were you walking around here during lunch?"

It was the middle of February. Even when the weather was fine it wasn't the season to be eating lunch out in the courtyard.

"Well, you see."

Chisato-san hesitated for a moment, before answering.

"This morning, from inside the school building, I saw Hasekura Rei-sama walking around down here."

"Rei-sama … ?"

What came gushing out of Chisato-san's mouth was the name of the second-year student who was called Rosa Foetia en bouton within the high school. She enjoyed immense popularity with the first-years due to her boyish looks, and Chisato-san was one of her ardent fans.

"I thought she might have been scouting out locations for the treasure hunt."

The boutons of Rosa Chinensis, Rosa Gigantea, and Rosa Foetida had agreed to take part in a treasure hunt event to be held on the upcoming Valentine's Day. Whoever found the card that a bouton had hidden would win a half-day date with that bouton.

"Scouting? That seems wrong, don't you think?"

Chisato-san agreed with my opinion.

"I know. There's no way she'd do something so brazen."

Even though she knew this, Chisato-san couldn't help but walk over the same ground.

"Did you give Rei-sama chocolates?"

Still squatting on the ground, I turned my gaze towards the grass.

The vigor of summer had departed. There were still plenty of plants in the area, rooted firmly to the ground and untouched by the harsh winter, although most of them would probably be called weeds.

"And you, Mayu-san? It's your first Valentine's Day in high-school."

Chisato-san turned the question back on me.

"Indeed it is."

I plucked a single stem of clover that was growing near my feet, snapping it off close to the ground.

"If I gave someone else's onee-sama chocolates, I don't think it would end with them just calling me out to the courtyard after school and berating me."

"What about your initial onee-sama … Motoyama Sakae-sama?"

Chisato-san said, somewhat hesitantly.

"And what, reconcile now after having said farewell to her? It's not like I'm Yoshino-san … ah, sorry."

Seeing Chisato-san's face go stiff, I put my hand over my mouth. Yoshino-san was the petit soeur of her beloved Rei-sama.

"It's okay. I'm just fed up with the whole Yellow Rose Revolution."

Chisato-san stood up and stretched. Then, rather than condemning me, she asked me a question, as though she were only trying to find an answer.

"Mayu-san, why are you always doing that sort of thing?"

That sort of thing. – She must be referring to how I was constantly trying to get close to second-year students that already had a petit soeur.

"That's probably because I'm a three-leaf clover, I guess."

I laughed, then threw the clover I held in my hand as far away as I could.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume30 Chapter7 3

2011-08-05T11:49:33Z

Yobbin: /* Amongst the Stardust. Part 3. */

===<noinclude>Amongst the Stardust. </noinclude>Part 3.===

After they got off the merry-go-round it was almost time for the fireworks to start.

"Ahh, this is bad."

Like Cinderella hearing the clock strike 12 o'clock, the two women hastily fled. And following them were the two princes.

"Hey, where are we going?"

"I found a good spot to view the fireworks from a while back."

Yumi explained, turning her head to look back at the guys. It was away from the buildings and not brightly lit. It was also somewhat elevated and near a lake, so both the view and the scenery would be nice.

Still, they probably weren't the only ones who had this idea, so the place might be packed already. At any rate, all they could do was try. If it was full, it was full. Essentially, the sky was so vast that they'd be able to see the fireworks regardless of where they were.

When they reached their target destination, they found there were people there but it wasn't overly full. Since the fireworks happened at the same time as the evening parade, most people were probably watching that. This lookout was away from the parade route.

"Excuse me."

Yumi said to the patron that had arrived just before her, then proceeded to survey the area. Yumi was checking her watch, thinking it was almost time for the fireworks to start, when she felt a withering gaze coming from beside her.

"Huh?"

Yumi turned to see what it was, and there was...

"Touko!"

Her drill-like hair rolls swayed beside her ears.

"Onee-sama."

Instinctively, the pair embraced tightly. – Well, that's what Yumi expected, but the cute petit soeur ensconced in her open arms didn't respond that way at all.

"What kind of greeting is 'excuse me?' No matter how dark it is, you should still be able to recognize your petit soeur's face with just a single glance."

In reality, her petit soeur was playing it very cool.

"Ah, sorry."

"By all rights, you should even be able to identify her from behind."

On top of that, she was also very strict.

Yumi had been worried that she wouldn't see Touko today since, despite the signs that Touko was there, they hadn't run into each other yet. Now that they had met when she wasn't really expecting it, Yumi was getting excited. But only a little bit, nothing too over the top.

"Touko-san's just saying that she's very happy to see you, Yumi-sama."

As they looked at each other with somewhat conflicted expressions, these words suddenly slipped into the space between them.

"Gokigenyou, Yumi-sama."

Yumi searched for the owner of the voice and standing there smirking was Kanako-chan. She was bursting with style, wearing one of the character's caps and with a bag of popcorn hanging from her shoulder. It looked like she had been fully enjoying her time at the amusement park.

[[Image:MM_v30_p185.png|thumb]]

"Kanako-san, please don't put words in my mouth."

Touko glared at her, but Kanako-chan seemed completely unfazed.

"Translation: I'd be embarrassed if I told the truth."

"Oooh."

Thrust and parry, Kanako-chan seemed happy to provide her own translations of Touko's comments, which made Touko fall silent. Still silent, Touko leaned in close to Yumi and whispered, "I was worried we weren't going to meet." This time around, Kanako-chan didn't supply a translation.

"Did you hear someone call out 'Touko' just now?"

From some distance away Yumi heard a voice she knew well. She looked around and, sure enough, a group of people were making their way over.

"See, I told you it was Yumi-san."

Yoshino-san lead them over. Following her were Shimako-san and Noriko-chan. Just as Yumi was starting to worry that the Yellow Rose sisters were still fighting, Rei-sama appeared. It seems she had stopped to pick up a handkerchief that Yoshino-san had dropped.

They explained that they'd run into each other at the slow boat ride and had decided to come here together.

The Red Rose sisters, the Yellow Rose sisters, the White Rose sisters, and Touko and Kanako-chan, plus, as a freebie, the two guys from Hanadera. It felt like the whole gang was there.

"Now if Tsutako-san and Shouko-chan were to appear – "

They'd have a royal straight flush, the best possible hand.

"But things never work out that well."

While everyone shared a laugh, a hand slowly raised a short distance away, amongst the crowd.

"You called?"

"Tsu-Tsutako-san!?"

Was she like the devil, speak and she appears? Because there was no mistaking that it was Tsutako-san standing there.

"I noticed you a while ago, but Yoshino-san beat me there so I was just waiting for the right time to make an entrance."

"What an incredible coincidence."

As Yumi chuckled to herself, a chorus of "Nope" came from around her.

"We've been waiting here because Yumi-san and Sachiko-sama said that this was the place to go if you wanted to watch the fireworks. It's no coincidence."

Shimako-san said.

"Right. And earlier Sachiko asked if we were going to watch the fireworks, so I took that to mean that we'd meet up here."

Rei-sama too smiled in amazement.

It was then that the fireworks they'd been waiting for started.

Hyuu ––– , bang!

A section of the amusement park was decorated with a giant ethereal flower.

The fireworks came one after the other, without a break.

The surface of the lake reflected the sky, becoming a dream-like flower garden.

"Waah."

The group of friends smiled broadly watching the fireworks make their heavenly journey.

Twinkle,

twinkle.

When they went off they shone like hundreds of stars sparkling in the night sky.

Yoshino-san turned to Rei-sama, smiled and said, "Your mouth is open."

Tsutako-san and Shouko-chan were portioning off sections of the sky, using their fingers to make a frame.

Kashiwagi-san and Sachiko-sama were talking, she agreed to let him drive them home.

Shimako-san and Noriko-chan were holding hands.

And Yumi, she was looking up at the sky with the same expression as Kanako-chan, Touko, Yuuki, and probably everyone else.

Shine,

shine.

Sparkle.

At first she had been concerned about how it would turn out, but looking at the sparkling faces of her friends it felt like everyone was glad that they came today.

Shine,

shine.

Sparkle.

The firework's brilliance was just a moment in time.

But they'd never forget it.

Everyone was smiling.

All sorts of things had happened, but everyone would carry with them some happy memories.

Undoubtedly.

Eternally.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume30 Chapter7 3

2011-08-05T11:48:41Z

Yobbin: /* Amongst the Stardust. Part 3 */

===<noinclude>Amongst the Stardust. </noinclude>Part 3.===

After they got off the merry-go-round it was almost time for the fireworks to start.

"Ahh, this is bad."

Like Cinderella hearing the clock strike 12 o'clock, the two women hastily fled. And following them were the two princes.

"Hey, where are we going?"

"I found a good spot to view the fireworks from a while back."

Yumi explained, turning her head to look back at the guys. It was away from the buildings and not brightly lit. It was also somewhat elevated and near a lake, so both the view and the scenery would be nice.

Still, they probably weren't the only ones who had this idea, so the place might be packed already. At any rate, all they could do was try. If it was full, it was full. Essentially, the sky was so vast that they'd be able to see the fireworks regardless of where they were.

When they reached their target destination, they found there were people there but it wasn't overly full. Since the fireworks happened at the same time as the evening parade, most people were probably watching that. This lookout was away from the parade route.

"Excuse me."

Yumi said to the patron that had arrived just before her, then proceeded to survey the area. Yumi was checking her watch, thinking it was almost time for the fireworks to start, when she felt a withering gaze coming from beside her.

"Huh?"

Yumi turned to see what it was, and there was...

"Touko!"

Her drill-like hair rolls swayed beside her ears.

"Onee-sama."

Instinctively, the pair embraced tightly. – Well, that's what Yumi expected, but the cute petit soeur ensconced in her open arms didn't respond that way at all.

"What kind of greeting is 'excuse me?' No matter how dark it is, you should still be able to recognize your petit soeur's face with just a single glance."

In reality, her petit soeur was playing it very cool.

"Ah, sorry."

"By all rights, you should even be able to identify her from behind."

On top of that, she was also very strict.

Yumi had been worried that she wouldn't see Touko today since, despite the signs that Touko was there, they hadn't run into each other yet. Now that they had met when she wasn't really expecting it, Yumi was getting excited. But only a little bit, nothing too over the top.

"Touko-san's just saying that she's very happy to see you, Yumi-sama."

As they looked at each other with somewhat conflicted expressions, these words suddenly slipped into the space between them.

"Gokigenyou, Yumi-sama."

Yumi searched for the owner of the voice and standing there smirking was Kanako-chan. She was bursting with style, wearing one of the character's caps and with a bag of popcorn hanging from her shoulder. It looked like she had been fully enjoying her time at the amusement park.

[[Image:MM_v30_p185.png|thumb]]

"Kanako-san, please don't put words in my mouth."

Touko glared at her, but Kanako-chan seemed completely unfazed.

"Translation: I'd be embarrassed if I told the truth."

"Oooh."

Thrust and parry, Kanako-chan seemed happy to provide her own translations of Touko's comments, which made Touko fall silent. Still silent, Touko leaned in close to Yumi and whispered, "I was worried we weren't going to meet." This time around, Kanako-chan didn't supply a translation.

"Did you hear someone call out 'Touko' just now?"

From some distance away Yumi heard a voice she knew well. She looked around and, sure enough, a group of people were making their way over.

"See, I told you it was Yumi-san."

Yoshino-san lead them over. Following her were Shimako-san and Noriko-chan. Just as Yumi was starting to worry that the Yellow Rose sisters were still fighting, Rei-sama appeared. It seems she had stopped to pick up a handkerchief that Yoshino-san had dropped.

They explained that they'd run into each other at the slow boat ride and had decided to come here together.

The Red Rose sisters, the Yellow Rose sisters, the White Rose sisters, and Touko and Kanako-chan, plus, as a freebie, the two guys from Hanadera. It felt like the whole gang was there.

"Now if Tsutako-san and Shouko-chan were to appear – "

They'd have a royal straight flush, the best possible hand.

"But things never work out that well."

While everyone shared a laugh, a hand slowly raised a short distance away, amongst the crowd.

"You called?"

"Tsu-Tsutako-san!?"

Was she like the devil, speak and she appears? Because there was no mistaking that it was Tsutako-san standing there.

"I noticed you a while ago, but Yoshino-san beat me there so I was just waiting for the right time to make an entrance."

"What an incredible coincidence."

As Yumi chuckled to herself, a chorus of "Nope" came from around her.

"We've been waiting here because Yumi-san and Sachiko-sama said that this was the place to go if you wanted to watch the fireworks. It's no coincidence."

Shimako-san said.

"Right. And earlier Sachiko asked if we were going to watch the fireworks, so I took that to mean that we'd meet up here."

Rei-sama too smiled in amazement.

It was then that the fireworks they'd been waiting for started.

Hyuu ––– , bang!

A section of the amusement park was decorated with a giant ethereal flower.

The fireworks came one after the other, without a break.

The surface of the lake reflected the sky, becoming a dream-like flower garden.

"Waah"

The group of friends smiled broadly watching the fireworks make their heavenly journey.

Twinkle,

twinkle.

When they went off they shone like hundreds of stars sparkling in the night sky.

Yoshino-san turned to Rei-sama, smiled and said, "Your mouth is open."

Tsutako-san and Shouko-chan were portioning off sections of the sky, using their fingers to make a frame.

Kashiwagi-san and Sachiko-sama were talking, she agreed to let him drive them home.

Shimako-san and Noriko-chan were holding hands.

And Yumi, she was looking up at the sky with the same expression as Kanako-chan, Touko, Yuuki, and probably everyone else.

Shine,

shine.

Sparkle.

At first she had been concerned about how it would turn out, but looking at the sparkling faces of her friends it felt like everyone was glad that they came today.

Shine,

shine.

Sparkle.

The firework's brilliance was just a moment in time.

But they'd never forget it.

Everyone was smiling.

All sorts of things had happened, but everyone would carry with them some happy memories.

Undoubtedly.

Eternally.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume30 Chapter7 2

2011-08-05T11:47:58Z

Yobbin: /* Amongst the Stardust. Part 2 */

===<noinclude>Amongst the Stardust. </noinclude>Part 2.===

"I suppose this is a decent enough spot."

Tsutako-sama exhaled, then smiled.

After struggling up the hill road, they'd arrived at this lookout just in front of the artificial mountain. Since it was away from the bustle of main street, and the lights from the other rides weren't in direct line-of-sight, it was the perfect spot for watching the fireworks. It overlooked a lake, and sections of that were lit up, but complaining about it wouldn't change anything. Instead, Shouko was impressed that they had managed to find such a location.

This was probably one of those places that well informed people knew about but most people didn't. Even though they'd arrived fairly early, there was already a small crowd there.

"Oh, right, why don't we check that the chocolate we bought fits inside my uncle's camera case?"

Tsutako-sama said. There was still about 15 minutes until the fireworks started. She'd probably made this proposal thinking it would be a perfect way to kill some time. But Shouko wasn't convinced that this would be a good idea for Tsutako-sama.

"Umm, will you be alright?"

Even talking about it directly made her a bit nervous.

"Why?"

"Umm. You know…"

While Shouko floundered, Tsutako-sama guessed what she meant and said, "Ahh."

"About what my uncle said? That if I open the case I won't be able to stop myself from taking a photo? Is that what you're worried about, Shouko-chan?"

"Yeah."

With all her heart and mind. Of course, that's not to say she didn't have faith in Tsutako-sama, it's just that, to Shouko, Tsutako-sama's uncle's words sounded like a curse.

Like how a recovering alcoholic can return to their former binge-drinking ways with just a sip of alcohol. Or how a single cigarette can lead a former smoker back to their pack-a-day habit. Those kind of stories were fairly common.

"Don't worry. It's not like quitting smoking."

Tsutako-sama smiled.

"I'll just take the camera out for a second. I'll put the chocolate in the case, see how it fits, then put the camera back."

"Then let me do it."

Shouko put her hand out without thinking about it.

"You'll do it?"

"It's just taking the camera out for a second, right? Put the chocolate in the case, see if it fits, then put the camera back. If that's all there is to it, then I can do that."

Tsutako-sama said that she was just going to take the camera out and replace it with the chocolate, but the moment she touched the camera she might press the shutter, just out of habit. Surely it was better for Shouko to do this, rather than run that risk.

Since Tsutako-sama was only taking a break from photography for today it didn't really matter if she became re-addicted, except for the fact that this camera was part of the wager between her and her uncle. And she couldn't lose that.

"Well, I suppose I could always do it tomorrow."

"Huh, no way."

Having come so far, she was going to put it off?

"Well, okay then, can you do it for me, Shouko-chan?"

Enjoying Shouko's reaction, Tsutako-sama reached into her bag and retrieved a black case from near the bottom. It had been a while, they'd last seen it in Tsutako-sama's uncle's store.

"Huh?"

Tsutako-sama seemed puzzled. Even though Shouko had both her arms outstretched waiting to receive the camera case, Tsutako-sama kept hold of it and lightly shook it.

"What's the matter?"

"I'm trying to remember if I held this before."

Tsutako-sama said. By 'before' she probably meant when they were in her uncle's store.

"You didn't."

Shouko shook her head. She remembered that scene well.

"Your uncle buried it in your bag."

He'd said something smug like, "Good luck," as he put it in.

"That's what I thought."

As she was saying this, Tsutako-sama peeled apart the velcro that kept the top attached to the rest of the case.

"What are you doing?"

Panicked, Shouko lunged at her but Tsutako-sama simply smiled.

"It's okay. I'm not going to lose the bet. Or, rather, my uncle made it so the outcome was never in doubt."

"Huh?"

"He tricked us."

Tsutako-sama held out the camera case for Shouko to see and inside were two small Youkan jellies.

The wager had surely given Tsutako-sama's uncle enough amusement to cover the cost of the camera repairs.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume30 Chapter7 1

2011-08-05T11:47:22Z

Yobbin: /* Amongst the Stardust. Part 1 */

===<noinclude>Amongst the Stardust. </noinclude>Part 1.===

The shadows were growing long by the time they left the gift shop.

"There's still some time before the fireworks. Yumi, is there another ride you'd like to go on?"

Sachiko-sama asked, looking at her wristwatch.

"How about we go on the merry-go-round, onee-sama?"

"Ah … that thing?"

Despite Yumi's bold invitation, quite predictably Sachiko-sama looked back at her grimly.

"I already told you that I can't stand spinning things, didn't I?"

Sachiko-sama rejected the idea, probably because she was conflating all rotating rides and had seen Yoshino-san incapacitate herself on the teacup ride not that long ago.

"While it does rotate around, it's not a frenetic spinning. At most it's a slow twirling. Look, there's a baby riding on it."

Sachiko-sama finally relented after seeing a one-year old riding the merry-go-round with her father.

"I suppose so … "

Just as Sachiko-sama was letting her guard down, Kashiwagi-san said:

"You've been horse riding before, right Sacchan? It's about the same pace as a warm-up trot around the horse grounds. Plus, it isn't going to hurt your butt."

Minus points for the followup. Still, the 'horse riding' example was quite smooth. Yumi never would have been able to come up with that comparison herself.

"Okay. I'll take the challenge."

"Alright!"

Yumi took her onee-sama's hand and walked over to the end of the line, before she could change her mind.

"Oh, what about you two?"

The two guys hadn't followed them and when Yumi asked, "Aren't you going to go on the ride?" they both answered, "No." But they each had different reasons.

"It'd be a bit embarrassing."

Yuuki said, his eyes indicating that being put on public display riding a wooden horse that was adorned with flowers and a lavishly decorated saddle as it rose and fell while slowly circling around was more than he could bear. But he didn't dare put that in words, probably because he didn't want to say anything to deflate Sachiko-sama, given how much effort it took to get her interested.

"Would you be embarrassed too, Suguru-san?"

"Not particularly."

Kashiwagi-san said, running his fingers through his hair.

"But I'd just look so perfect riding a white horse that it would draw everyone's attention."

Yumi wondered if she was supposed to laugh but couldn't really decide, so didn't provide much of a reaction. Sachiko-sama laughed sarcastically, so that was probably the correct response. And as for Yuuki, he ignored it completely.

The sun was setting and the lights were coming on in various places around the amusement park.

In its nighttime configuration the merry-go-round too shone brilliantly, like a radiant jewelry box.

"A long time ago, in my grandmother's room, I saw a music box that looked like this."

Sachiko-sama said softly as she watched the carousel, spellbound.

"When you opened the lid, there were three horses that would slowly spin around accompanied in time to the music. Beneath that were drawers with rings or necklaces, I can't remember which, but there were all different colored gems. I used to enjoy opening the music box and the drawers, and gazing at the horses and the jewels. It was incredibly pretty."

Sachiko-sama smiled at the memory.

"It was so beautiful that my younger self wanted to enter into the music box. And here it is."

As she said this, Sachiko-sama dashingly straddled a white horse. Her movements and posture were awe-inspiring, probably due to her horse riding experience.

Yumi followed her, taking the horse diagonally behind Sachiko-sama's. Following her onee-sama's lead, she sat with her back perfectly straight.

The music flowed forth and the horses began to slowly move.

Inside the glittering jewelry box, dozens of horses gracefully twirled.

From time to time, Yumi's onee-sama would look back over her shoulder at her. Yumi would wave, by way of response.

It was closer to twirling than spinning. No matter how many times they went around, they never drew any closer.

They didn't draw closer. But they didn't get further away either.

That's fine. That's fine.

Yumi felt as though she had found her answer.

Her onee-sama twirled.

Smiling radiantly, calling out to her, "Yumi."

Commit it to memory, this sight.

This scene that shone so brilliantly it almost stung her eyes.

Undoubtedly, there still remained plenty of wonderful things in store for Yumi. But this moment was a once in a lifetime experience.

She would stow it safely in her jewelry box, as her most prized possession.

It made opals look like pretty candies, figuratively speaking.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume30 Chapter5 5

2011-08-05T11:46:24Z

Yobbin: /* What Kind of Groups? Part 5 */

===<noinclude>What Kind of Groups? </noinclude>Part 5.===

When Yumi returned from the roller-coaster, Yuuki told her:

"I saw Touko-chan."

"Touko-chan? You mean Touko?"

He responded somewhat sulkily to this question with, "Who else would it be?"

"So, where is she now?"

The only other people gathered at the makeshift waiting area they had established around a bench beside the teacups ride were Sachiko-sama, Rei-sama and Yoshino-san.

"I dunno."

Yuuki spat the words out.

"You don't know?"

"That's what you say when you don't know."

That hardly seemed pertinent. It was the kind of thing a little child would say. Fairly irritating when you were trying to better understand the situation. Perhaps Yuuki's foul mood was contagious.

"If you saw her, how come you didn't call out to her?"

Then, just before she was about to add, "Are you an idiot?"

"Yumi."

Sachiko-sama intervened.

"Yuuki-kun went to a lot of effort. So don't blame him."

"Huh?"

"It was our fault that he lost sight of Touko-chan."

Yoshino-san chimed in on Yuuki's behalf. What on earth had been going on at ground-level while Yumi was screaming her lungs out on the roller-coaster?

For some reason everyone was fussing over Yuuki, who looked suitably depressed.

But, her onee-sama had said, "Don't blame him," so Yumi ceased her interrogation of Yuuki (she could always force a confession after they'd returned home) and changed the topic by asking a different question.

"So, was Touko by herself?"

"No, she was with Kanako-chan."

So Yuuki had noticed who Touko was with. And since she was with Kanako-chan, it meant he probably hadn't mistaken someone else for her.

"And she called out to Rei-chan too."

Yoshino-san said, standing and pointing her finger.

"Called out to you?"

Rei-sama nodded.

"I heard someone call out, "Rosa Foetidaaaaa," but when I turned around I couldn't see anyone I knew. I couldn't say definitively, but I thought it sounded like Touko-chan's voice."

"Did you hear it too, onee-sama?"

Yumi asked Sachiko-sama. If two or more people had heard it, they could be reasonably sure about who it was.

"I didn't. I was with Yoshino-chan at the time."

With Yoshino-san? Just the two of them?

"Yeah. I'd gone off to buy some soup, right?"

Rei-sama said smoothly.

Still, the way Rei-sama said that made it sound like she was asking for confirmation, which raised more questions than it answered for Yumi, who was hearing this for the first time.

Now that she mentioned it, Yoshino-san had been nursing something in a Styrofoam cup for a while now. That was probably the soup Rei-sama had just mentioned.

A number of nagging questions were piling up in her mind, but if she got sidetracked here then the conversation wouldn't progress at all, so Yumi decided to plow on ahead.

"So, where were you, Yuuki?"

Yumi glanced at her brother, who was looking down, unwilling to say anything. She couldn't tell why, but it looked as though he had been off on his own at that time.

"Just what kind of groups were you walking around in?"

Kashiwagi-san muttered, standing beside her. Yumi shared the exact same opinion.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume30 Chapter6 4

2011-08-04T04:51:45Z

Yobbin: /* Distant Desire. Part 4 */

===<noinclude>Distant Desire. </noinclude>Part 4.===

There were a number of interlinked shops selling souvenirs and character figures clustered around the main entrance.

"Oh, Yumi-san."

Tsutako-san just happened to be browsing inside the store Yumi had innocently wandered into. Naturally, Shouko-chan was with her as well.

"Are you buying a souvenir for your family, Tsutako-san?"

She was holding a cookie tin in her right hand and a box of chocolates in her left hand, apparently trying to decide between the two.

"Not for my family. These are for my uncle."

"Your uncle … ?"

Why would she be buying something for her uncle, but not for her family? Was he someone who had never stopped loving the park's characters, or a figurine collector? It seemed unlikely, but maybe he was constantly on the lookout for new sweets? Guessing Yumi's questions, Tsutako-san supplied the answer:

"He's repairing my camera, so this is just a thank-you gift."

"Oh? Did you break your camera, Tsutako-san?"

"Yeah. Just before I came here. So I haven't had my camera all day."

"Ah, really!?"

As Yumi's voice rose, Shouko-chan mysteriously convulsed with laughter. It was unclear what was tickling her funny-bone, but she was laughing so hard she grasped her stomach. Shouko-chan desperately tried to stifle her laughter, probably considering it to be rude, but that just seemed to set off another burst.

"Excuse me."

Shouko-chan left the store, still laughing.

"What happened to Shouko-chan?"

"Who knows?"

Tsutako-san said, then returned to choosing a gift for her uncle. Even though she probably did know what caused Shouko-chan to start laughing.

"Yumi."

Sachiko-sama appeared. They had become separated as they browsed the spacious store. Kashiwagi-san and Yuuki were somewhere in the shop too. Since Kashiwagi-san was so tall and conspicuous, he was easy to spot inside the store and served as a convenient landmark. Obviously finding something funny, the two guys were pointing and guffawing.

"What do you think about these?"

Sachiko-sama was holding two key-chains featuring the bear mascots, one in each hand. In her right hand was the older bear, in her left hand the younger one. Twin bears.

"There's a cute little bag over there too. I could get the purple one and you could get the pink one. What do you think about that, Yumi?"

Her onee-sama was going to buy them a matching pair of items from the amusement park's gift-shop. It was a promise that had been carried over from their autumn visit.

"Either one is good."

Her onee-sama was buying her something, and on top of that they'd both have a matching set, so Yumi was delighted no matter what it was.

"Saying either one is good doesn't help me. I asked because I was having trouble deciding."

Indeed, that seemed to be the case. So Yumi said the first thing that popped into her head:

"Then how about buying some candy?"

"Candy?"

Sachiko-sama stared back at Yumi, as though she'd just been bitten by a fox.

"It's okay to get something that disappears after you've eaten it."

"You don't want something to commemorate today?"

"Even when there's nothing left, we'll still remember it. The delicious memory will always remain, don't you agree?"

Yumi reflected on how her onee-sama might react to the impertinent suggestion she had just made. Perhaps something along the lines of, "Even though I went to all the effort of finding matching items, and tried my hardest to come to a decision. You'd throw all that effort away and ask for sweets."

What was her onee-sama thinking about? Worried about the response she would receive, Yumi cast her eyes downward, as though she were looking at some of the merchandise.

The shop was fairly busy, now that the day was turning to evening.

"That's true."

Sachiko-sama eventually said.

"Even though I hadn't considered it until now, it's a good idea."

Tsutako-san had apparently been straining hard to listen and quietly said, "Is that really okay?" which was kind of odd.

"Tsutako-sama. How about this?"

Her fit of laughter apparently over, Shouko-chan had returned. When she realized that Sachiko-sama was also present she bowed slightly and greeted her with, "Gokigenyou," before turning back to Tsutako-san and showing her what she had brought.

"Don't you think it's perfect for your uncle?"

Yumi made her way over to Tsutako-san so she could sneak a peak at what was there too. At first glance it looked like a disposable camera. But then the word "Chocolate" printed on the packaging jumped out at her.

Tsutako-san's shoulders started to shake.

"When I return the camera he loaned me for today, how about I put this in the case instead?"

"You could. He'll be surprised."

Tsutako-san and Shouko-chan giggled together, like a pair of naughty schoolboys contemplating a prank. It didn't seem like they were buying this as a gift to thank Tsutako-san's uncle for repairing her camera. And what was that about a camera he had apparently loaned Tsutako-san?

"Say."

There was another person looking at the photography club duo with the same faintly puzzled expression. However, she hadn't heard the key phrases, 'camera repairs' or 'thank-you gift.'

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation Tsutako-san. If you had a camera with you today, why didn't you take any photographs?"

Sachiko-sama's innocent question seemed to tickle Shouko-chan's funny-bone once more.

"Excuse me."

Pushing the chocolate disposable camera lookalike into Tsutako-san's hands, Shouko-chan once more made for the exit.

"What happened to Shouko-chan? Did I say something strange?"

Unable to get away with just saying, "Who knows?" this time, Tsutako-san followed that up with the equally incomprehensible, "She seems to be quite sensitive today."

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume30 Chapter6 3

2011-08-04T04:46:45Z

Yobbin: /* Distant Desire. Part 3 */

===<noinclude>Distant Desire. </noinclude>Part 3.===

Yumi-san's group were browsing in the gift-shop.

"Why don't we go and have a look too?"

Rei-chan started to walk forwards, but Yoshino grabbed the hem of her coat, stopping her.

"What's wrong?"

Yoshino thought, "I'm supposed to be the one saying that." For Rei-chan, Yoshino's drunken retching after the teacup ride seemed to have defined some kind of boundary, blowing away their earlier disagreement. She had reverted back to the usual, kind Rei-chan, as though nothing had happened.

Yoshino thought it would be better for her to apologize while she still wasn't feeling well, and away from the others. If Rei-chan had been anticipating this, then she would have responded smoothly. But Rei-chan had been reset back to normal and seemed to have completely forgotten about making up. Consequently, Yoshino hadn't yet found the right time to make the apology that she had told Sachiko-sama she would, since it was hard for her to broach the topic.

"I want to go on that ride."

Having said that much, Yoshino wondered what she should do next. There wasn't really any ride she wanted to go on. She was just using that as a pretext for spending some time alone with Rei-chan.

"Which one?"

Rei-chan frowned.

"You can't go on anything too fast."

"I know."

Now all she had to do was think of some docile ride. As soon as possible.

"You know, that one, that one."

As she struggled to think of one, Yoshino desperately tried to give the impression that she knew, but just couldn't remember its name. The roller-coaster was no good, the teacup ride was preposterous, the haunted house wasn't the kind of place you'd go twice in one day, and the arcade wasn't really what you'd call a ride.

"Ummm... that slow boat-ride around the world."

At her wit's end, she couldn't even name the ride. How the mighty had fallen.

"That should be fine. But didn't you say that you weren't going to go on that?"

That was true. Yesterday, on the way home, Yoshino had smiled as she completely dismissed Rei-chan's very feminine interest in the boat ride that sailed past displays of dolls from various countries. "I'm not some little child," was what she'd said.

"I changed my mind."

Just one more push and she'd be fine. Even now, Yoshino didn't really want to go on that boat ride, but if she pulled out at this point things would only get more complicated.

"Sachiko. We're heading off on our own."

Rei-chan raised her voice so that Sachiko-sama, about 50 metres ahead of them, could hear.

"Understood. Are you going to watch the fireworks?"

Sachiko-sama turned around and fired back, in an equally loud voice.

"Yeah, that's the plan."

So, see you then. They waved farewell, then Yoshino and Rei-chan headed off towards that slow boat ride.

As they held hands, Yoshino thought, "Just hold on a bit longer, Rei-chan.".

As we ride on the boat past those dolls from various countries that you like, I'll tell you properly.

About Nana.

Afterward, I'll say the 'Sorry,' that I should have said earlier.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume30 Chapter6 2

2011-08-04T04:43:43Z

Yobbin: /* Distant Desire. Part 2 */

===<noinclude>Distant Desire. </noinclude>Part 2.===

On-board the steamship, the wind washed over them pleasantly.

As she brushed the stray curls of hair from her face, Shouko heard the person standing beside her say, "Click."

It wasn't the sound of a shutter, it was a voice.

Shouko turned her head and there was Tsutako-sama, smiling at her through a rectangular frame she had made with the thumb and forefinger of both her hands.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking a photo."

"Huh?"

"Even though no physical copy will ever exist, the photo I just took of you will remain in my memory."

At some point Tsutako-sama had stopped searching for, and being disappointed when she didn't find, the camera that wasn't there. Rather than forgetting about the camera, Tsutako-sama seemed to be strangely reveling in the fact that she couldn't use one.

"At first it was a pain. But once I got over the withdrawal symptoms, it was surprisingly comfortable."

Tsutako-sama said, suddenly and lightly. Even without her camera, she was just as interesting as ever.

"And Yumi-san and the others didn't say anything, right? About me not bringing a camera. That meant a lot."

Tsutako-sama said, turning her finger-frame towards the land. Although she probably wasn't going to find Rosa Chinensis en bouton, no matter which direction she pointed at.

"It meant a lot that they didn't say anything?"

Shouko asked. She knew how something that was said could stay with you, but couldn't understand the opposite. Then Tsutako-sama lowered her hands and looked at her.

"Well, outside of photography, I don't really have a lot of self-confidence."

"Huh?"

"At school, I like taking photos of other students. So whenever there's some kind of event and they invite me, I'm happy. And everyone really enjoys the pictures I take. To a degree, I've increased my value by playing the role of a photographer, and it's usually how I communicate with other students. Basically, by taking photos I've made my school life run smoother. That's why I touch my camera whenever I have a spare moment. Having it by my side gives me peace of mind. So for me, the camera is like Linus' blanket."

As she listened to this, Shouko was filled with disbelief. Tsutako-sama always looked so magnificent and full of confidence, and that was how Shouko saw her.

"So my uncle may have made that bet with me because he was more worried than I was."

"He was worried?"

"About whether or not I'd be alright without a camera."

Suffering the consequences of relying too heavily on her camera, Tsutako-sama smiled. Now that her camera had been taken away from her, she could be herself. What did she think about that?

"You didn't bring your camera with you, right Shouko-chan? When I heard that, a part of me was so envious. I thought, 'Ahh, Shouko-chan's so strong.'"

"…"

Tsutako-sama had been thinking these thoughts while Shouko had been depressed about being a photography club member who forgot her camera. It was unimaginable.

"But Yumi-san didn't say anything. Or, rather, she probably didn't even notice that I didn't have my camera. She can be a bit of an airhead."

"And being an airhead's a good thing?"

"Yep, it is. At least for me, right now. Because, after all, it's proof that my doubts were baseless, right? To Yumi-san, I was still myself whether or not I had my camera with me. So she had invited me not as a photographer, but as a friend."

"Why were you using Rosa Chinensis en bouton as your reference point?"

Shouko looked puzzled.

Certainly, Tsutako-sama and Rosa Chinensis en bouton were classmates, so they would know each other well. But she was also classmates with Rosa Foetida en bouton, and had been in the same class as Rosa Gigantea in first-year. So what made Rosa Chinensis en bouton special? There was a certain amount of jealousy in the question.

"Well, the Yellow and White Rose sisters were wrapped up in their own affairs all morning, right? They wouldn't have noticed anything going on with anyone else."

"Huh, what happened with the Yellow and White Rose sisters?"

Tsutako-sama spoke as though it were common knowledge, but this was the first Shouko had heard of it.

"I don't know the details, but I'm fairly sure something was going on. Couldn't you tell just by looking at them?"

Now that she had been asked, Shouko reviewed her memory of what had happened earlier this morning but couldn't find anything unusual. However.

"… I was caught up in my own affairs too."

"I thought as much."

Tsutako-sama grinned at her. While Shouko had been nervously looking at Tsutako-sama, Tsutako-sama had been looking right through her.

"It looks like Rosa Chinensis was the only one who noticed, and she didn't presume to say anything. But she's the exact opposite of Yumi-san, so she would have decided not to say anything only after carefully thinking it through."

Tsutako-sama closed her eyes, finding pleasure in the wind blowing against her.

"Why do you think that?"

The response to Shouko's question was, "That's just how she is."

Tsutako-sama seemed to think that Shouko was inquiring about Rosa Chinensis, when really she was asking about Tsutako-sama herself.

"So, rather than being disappointed, maybe it's a good thing that my camera broke."

Their boat ride would soon be coming to an end.

"If I had my camera with me, I'd be constantly swinging it around, taking photos, so don't think I'd be able to enjoy myself as fully as I have."

Tsutako-sama looked over at Shouko.

"The teacup ride with Rei-sama was fun, wasn't it."

"Yeah."

Her smile had burst free as they spun around. Certainly, if Tsutako-sama had had her camera with her then Shouko probably wouldn't have seen that unguarded smiling face.

Which was why Shouko believed the words of Tsutako-sama's uncle, that this was a decree from the gods.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume30 Chapter6 1

2011-08-04T03:59:46Z

Yobbin: /* Distant Desire. Part 1 */

===<noinclude>Distant Desire. </noinclude>Part 1.===

Let's go on the Ferris wheel.

That's what Shimako-san had said.

She hadn't said, "Would you like to." She'd said, "Let's." Then Shimako-san took hold of Noriko's hand and they joined the end of the queue.

"Are you okay with heights, Noriko?"

"… Usually."

"Right. You're strong."

"Usually I'm scared, was what I was going to say."

"Oh, you."

Noriko thought that she should have been the one delivering that last line. It didn't seem like Shimako-san had a love of heights, based on the way she was talking, so why had she deliberately chosen the Ferris wheel?

"Is this some sort of challenge you've set for yourself, Shimako-san?"

They'd been on the roller-coaster just before the Ferris wheel. And the go-carts before that.

In terms of speed and acceleration it wasn't like those other two. Shimako-san's shrieks, whether they were of joy or terror, had come to an end. Noriko thought she may have been the first person ever to hear Shimako-san's voice raised so loud.

Despite all that, and for reasons that she didn't fully comprehend, Noriko still had the same gloomy expression on her face. She let out a sigh. Shimako-san herself had said, "It's not that big a deal," so it was foolish of Noriko to let it drag her down.

"It could be."

Shimako-san looked up into the clear blue sky, then returned her gaze to Noriko.

"Perhaps it's because I'm with you, Noriko."

"But this isn't the sort of challenge I'd set for myself."

"That's not what I meant. Because I'm with you, I feel like I can do these things. So we should try and conquer all sorts of things."

"And by all sorts of things, you mean things you're not good at?"

"I can't really say whether or not I'm good at them. I haven't been to an amusement park before."

"Not even when you were young?"

"Not even then. I never asked my parents to take me to an amusement park, because I never felt enough of a desire to come to one."

Shimako-san laughed softly.

"So that's how it was?"

"How about you Noriko? Did you come here often?"

"Well, it's not like we were here all the time. It was mainly because of my older sister."

In Noriko's case, she didn't have to be assertive because her older sister would badger their parents about going, so occasionally they'd go to the amusement park. The days that her public servant father and school teacher mother had off lined up exactly, so on Sunday they would all go somewhere together as a family.

"Ah. I suppose that happens when you have two siblings about the same age. In contrast, my older brother left home when I was young and, since my father's the chief priest at our temple, Sundays aren't really days off. So a daughter like myself fitted in perfectly."

Even after their heart-to-heart talk earlier, Shimako-san still talked about her family with the same tone of voice as always. It really was "not a big deal."

"Ah."

Shimako-san's gaze had absently wandered forwards, and then she suddenly hung her head in shame. Noriko was about to turn forward to see what had happened when Shimako-san grabbed her hand, stopping her.

"…"

But, she hadn't made it in time and Noriko had seen. The couple standing in line in front of them were kissing, unconcerned about the fact that they were out in public.

Noriko didn't think that she had done anything wrong, so didn't see the necessity to avert her eyes. She considered staring at the couple until they stopped what they were doing out of embarrassment, but relented out of deference to the way Shimako-san let her innocent gaze drop.

At any rate, standing right behind Noriko and Shimako-san were three grade school boys, and the exhibition came to an end surprisingly quickly due to them pointing at the couple and calling out, "They're kissing," and "Kissy-kissy."

The boys were probably brothers. They were different heights, but their faces all looked similar.

"That's what our mom said."

"Aunty didn't say that at all."

Listening in to their conversation, it became apparent that two of the boys were brothers, and the third was a cousin.

Lined up behind the boys was an elderly man and woman. Were they husband and wife? Or companions? It seemed unlikely, but they could be siblings. The surprisingly energetic seventy-year old gentleman was expertly escorting the cane-carrying lady.

So then, what kind of relationship would the people around them think they had? Noriko suddenly found herself wondering this.

Friends? Sisters? Relatives? People that got along well together? Or two girls that were part of a large group that came here today and had decided to go on the Ferris wheel together even though they didn't really like each other?

They weren't quarreling, but people could definitely get that impression from Noriko's glum expression. Still, Noriko thought it was better than a forced, meaningless smile. And they were holding hands, after Shimako-san had clasped Noriko's hand.

After boarding the Ferris wheel and sitting down facing each other they both looked out the window. As they ascended, the figures of the people on the ground became corresponding smaller.

"The people, they're so small."

Shimako-san said what Noriko was thinking, before Noriko had the chance to say it.

"As the daughter of a temple priest, it was always tough on me when it came to keeping secrets."

The amusement park looked like a miniature garden. The mountain, the lake, the castle and the roofs of the various buildings were all visible. The people down below looked like tiny insects, although they would each be laughing, or crying, or angry, etc.

All of that in such a tiny container. Pondering this, Noriko thought that perhaps people's problems were also that tiny, after all.

"And now?"

Noriko asked. Shimako-san responded immediately with, "I'm happy."

"Because I have my darling Noriko by my side."

At that moment, the capsule they shared reached its highest point.

For the first time, Noriko felt that the words Shimako-san had said, that "It's not that big a deal," weren't some kind of justification, but her true feelings.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume30 Chapter5 4

2011-08-04T03:40:57Z

Yobbin:

===<noinclude>What Kind of Groups? </noinclude>Part 4.===

She wasn't quite sure how it ended up this way, but Touko and Kanako-san boarded the steam train for a trip around the amusement park. They timed it well and were able to embark without having to wait long.

The haunted house and pirate cove were both enclosed adventures so it felt good to be journeying outside, in something well ventilated. Blowing in the wind, her vertical hair rolls would collapse, but Touko was enjoying herself so she didn't really mind. Kanako-san tied her hair with a hair-tie shortly into the voyage, worried that her long hair would become get tangled by the wind.

At any rate, they still hadn't met anybody.

Touko was gradually becoming more and more concerned about whether or not they had actually planned to come to the amusement park today. For instance, maybe they actually meant next Sunday. No, Sachiko-sama had definitely said, "Tomorrow." And surely she wasn't mistaken about the name of the amusement park.

Touko wanted to confirm this, but there was no point asking Kanako-san since she hadn't actually been there at the time.

"Ah!"

Kanako-san suddenly cried out.

"What is it?"

"What do you think that is? A deer? A cow?"

It was the same sort of thing that the primary school student seated in front of them was saying.

"Hey, look at that person. Oooh, that's a puppet, right? Or just someone in makeup?"

She kept pointing left and right, urging Touko to look at various sights. Kanako-san seemed to have an unexpected fondness for this sort of thing. Who knew.

"Ah!"

"What is it this time?"

"Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Foetida en bouton."

"Rosa Chinensis?"

For a moment, Touko thought that it was the name of some character. That moment's hesitation was enough.

"Where!?"

"Ah – they've disappeared behind that rock."

The train was in motion. It wasn't possible to get off midway through. Just as Touko was ruing the fact that she hadn't seen them, Rosa Foetida suddenly popped into her field of vision.

"Rosa Foetida!"

Touko shouted out, without thinking about it. It probably wouldn't have reached her anyway. Not just because of the distance, but also because the sound of the steam engine and the clatter of the wheels would have drowned it out.

"Huh, where, where?"

This time it was Kanako-san that had missed out.

"The others could be there too."

They strained their eyes but couldn't find anyone else they knew.

The steam train returned to the station it had departed from. They were both puzzled as they disembarked.

"What was that all about?"

"Yeah."

It wasn't as though they doubted what the other said they saw. But still.

"On the one hand, there was Rosa Chinensis with Rosa Foetida en bouton."

"And on the other, there was Rosa Foetida by herself."

The impression they got from on board the train was that the two parties were some distance apart from each other.

"Just what kind of groups are they walking around in?"

– Without knowing about the drama that had unfolded earlier, it certainly looked like an inexplicable situation.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume30 Chapter5 3

2011-08-04T03:29:34Z

Yobbin: /* What Kind of Groups? Part 3 */

===<noinclude>What Kind of Groups? </noinclude>Part 3.===

"Why did things sour between you two?"

Sachiko-sama asked as they walked.

"…"

Yoshino-san's silence elicited a small smile.

"I don't mean to interfere in someone else's affairs, but I can't stop worrying about it. Maybe it's because graduation is getting closer and I'm starting to get nervous."

Yoshino thought that it was Rei-chan and herself, not Sachiko-sama, who were acting nervous.

"I won't bother you with what sparked it, since it was completely trivial. But neither of us were willing to back down. In other words, how to put this … it was stupidity."

"From Rei?"

"From both of us."

"I see."

It wasn't in her nature to be docile, but Yoshino understood the situation. After hearing that, Sachiko-sama would say nothing further. If Yoshino had stubbornly replied that it was Rei-chan's fault, then she would have received a lecture from Sachiko-sama about it.

"Still, that's not like Rei."

Sachiko-sama said, after thinking for a while.

"That's for sure."

Yoshino-san agreed, walking beside Sachiko-sama. Rei-chan was, fundamentally, a patient and tolerant person. Knowing this, Yoshino believed she could do whatever she wanted and Rei-chan would still forgive her. So, for Rei-chan, going on ahead after waiting for five minutes and trying to force an apology from Yoshino was not like her at all.

"I don't know what you think sparked all this, Yoshino-chan, but perhaps there's something more to it than you think."

"Something more?"

"The root cause of all this … It may be that Rei's displeased with something, but you haven't noticed it."

"Displeased, huh?"

About how she was acting like a spoiled brat right before Rei-chan's graduation? Or how she needed to be more self reliant? Nonetheless, Yoshino was fairly confident it wasn't something so abstract.

Sachiko-sama probably thought so too, for she offered the following example:

"Perhaps there's something she wants to talk to you about."

"You mean, like an apology?"

"I think it would be something else, don't you?"

Even without Sachiko-sama's response, Yoshino knew that her answer was wrong. After all, the apology came after the act. It's not like Rei-chan's heart had hardened because Yoshino rarely apologized.

(There's nothing Rei-chan wants to say to me, right?)

"Ah."

Suddenly, Rei-chan's words came back to her.

"Did you just remember something?"

"Yeah. But it's a bit, umm … "

It was a bit faint, but she'd caught it. Perhaps Rei-chan hadn't been looking for an apology on the bus. But something else. There was probably something else that Rei-chan had wanted to hear.

"By the way, what happened with Nana-chan?"

Nana.

Hearing that keyword, the penny dropped.

"… That's it."

Sachiko-sama's eyes widened at Yoshino's utterance.

"Yoshino-chan. Are you saying that you didn't even tell Rei about what happened with Nana-chan?"

The 'didn't even tell Rei' part stung her ears.

"Yeah. I forgot."

It wasn't just Rei-chan – she hadn't said anything to Yumi-san or Shimako-san either. She'd just forgotten.

"And how about the phone call to Nana-chan? You did call her, right?"

"Yeah, of course."

Yoshino had taken care of that last night. That part she hadn't forgotten.

"But Nana had some things she had to do, so she said she wouldn't be able to make it. Of course it's possible she was just being polite … she's a bright kid, after all."

"Indeed."

"Whereas I'm really quite dim. It wasn't like I was intentionally keeping it from Rei-chan, but it still probably made her feel like she was being excluded."

Yoshino had been somewhat relieved that Nana-chan wasn't coming and, after a night's sleep, had forgotten all about it. Much like chickens that forget what they're doing after three steps. And then Yoshino got carried away with thinking about how she would hide under her bed covers and surprise Rei-chan.

"As long as you understand, you can change things."

"I'm going to talk to Rei-chan. Then I'm going to apologize."

"That's how a bright kid would handle it."

Sachiko-sama put her arm around Yoshino's shoulder as they walked along. When Sachiko-sama said, "Shall we return?" and altered their course, they happened across a rather unusual scene.

"Oh … Isn't that Yuuki-kun?"

"… Yeah."

The sight of a teenaged boy running at full pace while carrying three bags – one over each shoulder and one held in his left hand – and holding a jacket in his right hand was drawing considerable attention.

And not just from Yoshino and Sachiko-sama, other people walking along the path were turning to stare at him too.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume30 Chapter5 2

2011-08-04T03:23:50Z

Yobbin: /* What Kind of Groups? Part 2 */

===<noinclude>What Kind of Groups? </noinclude>Part 2.===

Yuuki's body had more or less recovered by the time Rei-san and Yoshino-san returned.

"Sachiko-sama, I'm deeply sorry for making you worry."

Yoshino-san faced Sachiko-san as she apologized. Yuuki could hardly believe his eyes. Incredibly, she had skipped over to meet them, twirling the jacket she was no longer wearing around in her hands.

What kind of magic had been used to bring about a full recovery in Yoshino-san? From listening to her conversation with Sachiko-san, it became apparent that she had spewed. Although Yoshino-san hadn't phrased it quite that crudely.

"And you too, Yuuki-kun."

Yoshino-san said, turning towards him.

"I'm sorry. For lots of things."

The predatory look she had had in her eyes when she grabbed Yuuki by the arm right before he was about to go on the teacup ride and the possessed look she had had about her as she continuously spun the teacup's wheel had both completely disappeared. Yoshino-san smiled sweetly, looking like a completely different person.

"It's okay. It looked like you were going through some tough times yourself, Yoshino-san."

Yuuki was relieved to see that the stormy atmosphere between Rei-san and Yoshino-san had dissipated.

The foundations were strengthened by adversity, or, rather, their petty squabbles vanished when something important came up.

After all, they hadn't actually been fighting, but there had been a cloud over them. And everyone else had been dragged into it. A certain amount of collateral damage was to be expected.

"Where's Yumi-san?"

Yoshino-san asked Sachiko-san, as though she had just noticed that Yumi wasn't around.

"She went to the roller-coaster with Suguru-san."

"Oh, really? That's good."

Upon hearing Yoshino-san say, "That's good," Yuuki also thought, "That's good." If Yumi were still here then it would have meant that the meaning of Yoshino-san's message had been lost.

After sitting down on the bench in the gap between Yuuki and Sachiko-san, Yoshino-san said:

"I'm feeling kind of hungry."

(Huh?)

"I want to get something to eat."

(Huh!?)

Was it normal for someone who had just vomited up the entire contents of their stomach to want to fill that space so quickly? Wouldn't it be better to give the stomach a rest for a little while? At any rate, she had recovered quickly. Too quickly.

"Wait here, I'll go find you something easy to digest."

Rei-san said, then walked off. Were there any limits to her tolerance? Yuuki watched Rei-san's shrinking figure with respect.

"Yuuki-san. Is it alright if I ask you to watch over our bags?"

Hearing his name called, Yuuki spun around. He was being asked to watch over their bags, which meant –

"Yoshino-chan and I are going to go for a short walk. We won't be long."

"… Okay."

Judging by the puzzled look on Yoshino-san's face, this was something that Sachiko-san had decided on her own, not something that they had discussed.

"Well then, I'll leave these to you. Let's go, Yoshino-chan."

Regardless, it was a request from a senior. Yoshino-san followed along, even though she looked unsure.

"Wait. Wouldn't it have been easier for me to leave instead?"

By the time he'd realized what had happened, Sachiko-san and Yoshino-san had already left their bags with him and started walking. Left behind, the teenaged boy evaluated his situation objectively and slumped his shoulders.

Alone, sitting on a bench, looking after three women's bags and one women's jacket. If there were just one person's worth then it would look like he was watching over his girlfriend's belongings, but there were three bags. There was no easy explanation.

So then, would it be better to be embarrassed by the situation (as seemed proper), or to act defiant and adopt a, "Yes I'm looking after three women's bags. So what," attitude? If Kashiwagi-sempai were in his position then he'd probably respond with, "It's tough being popular," but there was no way Yuuki would be able to pull that off, so it was useless as a point of reference.

Yuuki slowly surveyed the area of the park around him. Everyone was so wrapped up in their own enjoyment that they didn't spare a single thought for the teenaged boy sitting alone on the bench. Much less what he was looking after – .

"Ah!"

Yuuki called out. Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he had seen the fleeting likeness of someone he knew.

"Uh, uh, uh."

It was just for an instant. And then they'd disappeared behind one of the buildings. But he was fairly certain it was them.

"Wait!"

Yuuki stood up, ready to give chase. If he were to dash off now, he was certain he'd catch up to them. After all, his quarry was a girl who was simply walking along.

"Ah."

But three bags and a jacket were literally weighing Yuuki down.

"Ah – geeze."

Sachiko-san had told him to mind their bags, so there was no way he could just leave them behind.

What to do, Yuuki. How will you weather this crisis!?

"No choice."

Fukuzawa Yuuki made his decision and started running.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume30 Chapter5 1

2011-08-04T03:14:16Z

Yobbin: /* Some Kind of Combination. Part 1 */

===<noinclude>Some Kind of Combination. </noinclude>Part 1.===

Yoshino-san emerged from the exit of the teacup ride and was almost carried by Rei-sama over to where Yumi and the rest were waiting.

"Don't worry about her. She's just woozy."

Rei-sama informed them, then escorted Yoshino-san away. Judging by the direction they were heading, they were probably going to the restroom.

"Let's leave this to Rei."

Sachiko-sama said.

Indeed, they wouldn't accomplish anything by all following after Yoshino-san, asking "Are you okay?" And that's probably the last thing the sick person wanted too. Yumi was incredibly worried about Yoshino-san, but chose to resist the temptation to chase after her.

"Rei-sama really was keeping a close eye on her, wasn't she."

Neither Tsutako-san nor Shouko-chan had noticed anything strange happening with Yoshino-san. It was only as they were leaving the ride, when they noticed Rei-sama wasn't with them, and they heard Yumi saying, "I wonder if she's okay," that they realized something was happening.

"A message."

Yuuki returned, a bit unsteady on his feet. His mind and body looked like they had taken severe damage from the double-punch of being spun to exhaustion on the teacups followed by Yoshino-san collapsing right in front of him.

"It is as follows: I won't be going on the roller-coaster today, so you should go ahead without me."

"Huh?"

"A message for you, from Yoshino-san."

"Ah, okay."

It wasn't really like they'd promised to go on the rides together, but apparently Yoshino-san's earlier invitation of, "Why don't we go on one of the rides? Come on, Yumi-san," was equivalent, in her mind, to a promise.

"Sounds good. Why don't you go and do that now, Yumi. Given how she was looking, Yoshino-chan probably won't be back for a while. The same applies to you too, Tsutako-san and Shouko-chan. I'll wait here, so if there's any other rides you want to go on, you might as well do that now."

The two photography club members excused themselves and left. Since they were heading towards the lake, it seemed unlikely that they were planning on riding the roller-coaster. As she watched them walk away, Yumi idly thought that Tsutako-san looked somehow different to normal. Although there probably wasn't anything wrong with her health, since she seemed to be enjoying herself immensely on the teacups with Shouko-chan and Rei-sama.

"Come on, you too Yumi. I'll look after your bags."

"But."

Yumi was still worried about Yoshino-san, and didn't want to leave her onee-sama either. However.

"That's an order."

Based on Sachiko-sama's tone of voice, Yumi knew she wouldn't tolerate any dissent.

"Okay."

Yumi left her bag with her onee-sama, taking only her handkerchief and her all-day pass.

"Well, shall we go?"

Kashiwagi-san lightheartedly offered his arm to her but Yumi chose not to acknowledge it, instead turning her back on him.

"Yuuki... I suppose this would be a bit too much for you."

"Sorry."

Earlier, her brother had been enthusiastic about going on the roller-coaster this time around, but now he remained seated on a nearby bench, looking on with a listless expression. Given how things had turned out with Yoshino-san and the teacup ride, it was fairly obvious that he was willing to call it a day at this point. It would be unfair to make him go on the roller-coaster after all of that.

"I'm heading off."

Yumi bid her onee-sama farewell, then turned towards the roller-coaster entrance. Kashiwagi-san once more offered her his arm, which Yumi completely ignored.

"You don't have to be shy."

"I'm not shy. It's just embarrassing, doing something so pretentious."

The amusement park was a dream country, a fairy-tale country, but it was still unmistakeably a part of Japan. It wasn't like a formal dance, where it was customary to link arms. There were some couples who had reluctantly given in to holding hands, but she and Kashiwagi-san were not a couple.

Kashiwagi-san didn't appear even slightly discouraged by Yumi's response, or her labeling of it as pretentious.

"I can't help it. I've been raised since birth to be a prince."

"Of the ginkgo-tree country," Yumi thought to herself.

A child looked at Kashiwagi-san, as though he were something unusual. Well, that was true. A gentleman walking along, leaning slightly, with his elbow jutting out.

"Yumi-chan, you've grown so much."

Kashiwagi-san said, maintaining his odd pose.

"The way you said that, it seems somehow wrong."

Yumi coldly rejected him.

She was under no illusion that Kashiwagi-san was especially interested in her, but it was uncomfortably similar to how Hikaru Genji saw the young Murasaki in 'The Tale of Genji.' Not understanding the subtle nuance, the person in question smiled and said, "Wrong, huh." In this way, his breeding and his looks made him incorrigible. Yumi increased her pace, leaving the prince behind. She didn't really care if she wasn't with Kashiwagi-san on the ride. She could ride the roller-coaster by herself.

Still, stride length counted for a lot, and Kashiwagi-san soon caught up and was walking alongside Yumi. He wasn't making that odd pose, so perhaps he'd given up on that.

"Is there something, specifically, you're trying to say?"

But it looked like he was still continuing on with their earlier conversation.

"Like before. Really, you wanted to stay with Sacchan and wait for Yoshino-san to return. But you put yourself in her position and decided to go on the roller-coaster."

"Sachiko-sama's position?"

Yumi had intended to ignore his remarks, but was unable to do so once her onee-sama's name had been brought up.

"Yoshino-chan was probably worried that you would forgo the attractions and just wait there for her. That's why she gave that message to Yuuki, to prevent that from happening."

"…"

"Last time around, Sacchan fell ill midway through your amusement park date, and had to retire. Robbing you of your fun time. This time around, the same thing happened to Yoshino-chan. And you responded in a way that would please Sacchan. Of course, that's how Yoshino-chan wanted you to act too."

Yumi hadn't actually thought about it all that deeply. She'd just been following her onee-sama's orders, which seemed the correct thing to do. But maybe that had been part of her motivation, and she hadn't tried to self-analyze.

"Not really. I just wanted to go on the roller-coaster."

Yumi lengthened her stride, trying to get away from Kashiwagi-san. If it was true, then it was annoying that Kashiwagi-san was able to articulate it.

"Ahh but I find that petulant, childish side of you so cute, Yumi-chan."

"Give me a break."

Was there something he wanted to say?

Could he be flirting? No, Kashiwagi-san was supposed to be gay. Wait, was it that, or did they say he was bi?

Either way, if that was supposed to be flirting, then Yumi thought it seemed rather forced.

"But there's no way of stopping you from maturing, Yumi-chan. It's sad, but I have to recognize that there's also some good things to come of it."

"Huh?"

Yumi was completely lost. She was fairly certain that he wasn't flirting, but it seemed awfully close. Seeing her confusion, Kashiwagi-san smirked slightly.

"Basically, you asked me if there was anything I wanted to say, and I want to express my gratitude to you, Yumi-chan."

"Gratitude?"

"About Touko."

Touko.

So that's it. It was easy to forget, but Kashiwagi-san was actually Touko's cousin.

"But I didn't – "

Do anything deserving of gratitude. They had become soeurs, but only because they both wanted it. So it wasn't something that Kashiwagi-san should be thanking her for.

"You did. I wasn't able to save her. But you subdued her wild spirit, and melted her stubborn heart."

When Kashiwagi-san was talking seriously about someone he cherished, his face looked like a rough sketch of a stone statue. The stone statue and the smug look, they both belonged to the same person but they seemed like different people, leaving Yumi confused about how to deal with him.

"Since she's become your petit soeur, Touko's heart seems to have settled. And I put that down to you having a steady heart, Yumi-chan, and holding onto her tightly."

"Settled?"

Yumi tilted her head in confusion. For some reason, that phrase got stuck in her head.

"… Ah."

That was it. It was the true shape of the 'solidness' that Sachiko-sama and Shimako-san had both mentioned a few days ago.

Settled.

Yumi wasn't too sure about this 'steady heart' business, so much as it could just have been that she wasn't on-edge recently. Which may have been why Sachiko-sama pushed against her behind the gymnasium.

"Did I, by chance, hit upon something with that phrase?"

Kashiwagi-san peered at her, smiling, the stone statue now completely hidden.

"That's a secret."

"Well then, why don't you take my hand as thanks."

"No way."

The line for the roller-coaster had just come into view, so Yumi ran off ahead, knowing full well that Kashiwagi-san would soon catch up to her.

As thanks, Yumi decided to allow him to sit next to her on the roller-coaster, and to scream really loudly.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume30 Chapter4 3

2011-08-03T05:59:40Z

Yobbin: /* Star Up Teacup. Part 3 */

===<noinclude>Star Up Teacup. </noinclude>Part 3.===

Yuuki pondered what he should do.

"Umm, Yoshino-san?"

She had been spinning the wheel like a woman possessed while the teacups were in motion. They had been spinning so fast that he had to grab on to the sides of the teacup, although it's not like they would have been flung out.

And then this. The moment the teacups stopped spinning, Yoshino-san went limp, like a toy that had run down its batteries. Still gripping the wheel, she lowered her head onto her hands and remained there. Like she'd stopped dead.

His only guidepost was that she'd muttered, "I feel woozy," just before she shut down. Yuuki had heard that Yoshino-san used to have a weak heart and it would be no laughing matter if the rapidly spinning teacup had brought on a heart-attack.

Anyway.

"What should I do?"

Frankly, he had no experience with this kind of situation. If he was with a guy, he'd just say, "Pull yourself together," and then drag the other guy out of there. But this time he was with a girl. If he touched her in the wrong place then he would probably be branded a molester.

Just as Yuuki remembered that the ride attendant was also a woman, he was tapped on the shoulder from behind.

"Sorry, I'll take it from here."

It was Rei-san.

"Rei-san..."

Even though she had been treated so poorly, Rei-san was still the first one to rush to Yoshino-san's aid when she was in a bind. She was truly a big-hearted person.

Yuuki had heard that Rei-san was talented enough at kendo to embarrass most men, but he hadn't seen anything manly (in a good way) about Rei-san until now. She looked so dashing that he started mentally singing an improvised supporter's song.

(Go! Go! Rei-san. Etc.)

"Yoshino. Can you walk?"

Rei-san called out, having entered the teacup. Yoshino-san responded with something that sounded like gibberish, but Rei-san seemed to understand her.

"Alright, let's get you up."

Clinging to Rei-san, Yoshino-san got out of the teacup. Yuuki felt a bit superfluous, since he could only watch on.

"Rei-san, is there anything I can do?"

He called out, in case there was any way he could help.

"Well, you can take Yoshino's bag."

At the same time she said this, Rei-san threw the bag to him with a basketball pass, which he gladly received.

"I'll look after it."

He'd do whatever the dependable older-brother (sorry) Rei-san asked of him.

"Anything else?"

That was when the limp Yoshino-san lifted her head, turned towards him and said, "A message."

"Huh?"

Yuuki asked.

"A message for Yumi-san. Tell her that I won't be going on the roller-coaster today, so she should go ahead without me."

Leaving him with those words, Yoshino-san was led off somewhere by Rei-san.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume30 Chapter4 2

2011-08-03T05:51:38Z

Yobbin: /* Star Up Teacup. Part 2 */

===<noinclude>Star Up Teacup. </noinclude>Part 2.===

"Ah, you went in there, huh?"

They bumped into Yoshino-san's group just as they were leaving the restaurant.

"What did you have for lunch, Yumi-san?"

Based on that, Yumi inferred that Yoshino-san's group had eaten lunch at some other restaurant. Humans seemed to have a strange fascination with where and what other people eat. Hoping to satisfy that appetite, Yumi answered.

"Curry."

"I had a rice bowl."

"An onigiri rice ball?"

"That's what you'd think. But you're wrong, it was a donburi rice bowl."

Yoshino-san laughed. 'Bowl' not 'ball.'

"Say, why don't we go on one of the rides? Come on, Yumi-san. You know, earlier I was thinking that I should have a light lunch. About that time I saw some people coming out of one of the shops talking about how the rice balls were great, so, without thinking about it too deeply I decided to have that and went inside. By the time I'd realized it was rice bowls not rice balls it was my turn to order, and I figured it'd be okay. After all, the lines will be pretty long so there's plenty of time for it to settle. The rice bowl itself was fairly ordinary."

Yoshino-san was chatting away. This was proof that she still hadn't made up with Rei-sama. All her pent-up conversation from lunch time was gushing out over Yumi.

Furthermore, if Yoshino-san wanted to reconcile then she probably would have asked Rei-sama where she wanted to have lunch and they would have talked it over. Instead, Yoshino-san had overheard some random stranger's conversation as she was walking along and used that to decide where to eat. Still, it was good to see that she had loosened up in some respects. Usually, Yoshino-san wouldn't give in so easily if the store didn't have the food she expected. If there was something she wanted to eat, she'd complain loudly as she moved to a different store. Basically, there were many aspects of Yoshino-san's lunch with Rei-sama that defied Yumi's expectations.

Yumi snuck a glance at Rei-sama. She looked shell-shocked, like someone you would offer condolences to.

"Can't you call a truce, at least while we're at the amusement park?"

Yumi quietly suggested to Yoshino-san, who responded coldly with, "What for?" She seemed stubbornly unwilling to admit they were fighting.

"I don't know what you're trying to imply, Yumi-san. If she apologizes to me, then I'll consider it. Since she's in the wrong."

So, to Yoshino-san, this wasn't a fight but "something Rei-chan did wrong." Unilaterally. However, that seemed kind of suspicious. Rei-sama wasn't the sort of person who would unilaterally do something wrong; she was a pacifist who would apologize over the slightest matter. Things had soured to the point that a reconciliation would be difficult without an apology from Yoshino-san. Nonetheless, the fact that they were still walking around together was a testament to their perseverance.

"Yoshino-chan, what did you want to ride on?"

Kashiwagi-san inquired.

"… I hadn't decided."

Yoshino-san glanced at Rei-sama. But she still didn't seem to want to talk to her.

"Since we ran into each other again, I thought we might stick together for a while. Is that okay with you, Rei-san?"

"Ah, yeah, of course."

Kashiwagi-san had apparently noticed the turbulent atmosphere between the Yellow Rose sisters and was attempting to intervene. His plan was probably to use the excitement of their friends to get the Yellow Rose sisters to gradually reconcile.

"Then let's start with that."

Kashiwagi-san said cheerfully, pointing. The teacups ride had just come into view, and that was probably what caused him to interject.

Still, not everyone hurried towards the ride.

"I'm not going on that."

Sachiko-sama said.

"Huh?"

"I said, I'm not going on that. The teacups spin round and round, right? Riding on that would make me feel sick."

So the list of rides Sachiko-sama wouldn't go on wasn't limited to just the roller-coaster. From memory, they hadn't gone on the teacups ride last time either. And there's no way they were going to force someone onto the ride who had just announced that it would make them feel sick.

"Will you be alright just watching us, Sacchan?"

"I should be able to do that."

"Ah – "

Before Yumi had a chance to say, "Then I'll watch too," Kashiwagi-san whispered to her:

"Sacchan's going to stand outside and wave to you while you're on the ride, Yumi-chan. How sweet. Kind of like a family, right?"

"See," he said, pointing towards a woman who was holding a baby, watching the teacups ride and waving. She was looking straight at a man and a primary-school aged girl who were happily waving back. So that's the kind of sentiment she was looking for.

"I see."

Yumi nodded, and thumped her chest. Yuuki laughed at her simple-mindedness, but she wasn't going on the ride just because of Kashiwagi-san's invitation. If Yumi was there, then Yoshino-san would chatter. And Rei-sama's expression would be slightly more gentle. If it were just the two guys, it seemed unlikely that they would be able to make a good connection.

Now, in order to pull off this plan to reconcile the Yellow Rose sisters, it was imperative that they both be in the same teacup. They may have eaten lunch together in silence, but there was no way they'd be able to maintain that for the duration of the spinning teacup ride. The ride was designed to get people giddy and excited.

With that in mind, Kashiwagi-san, Yumi and Yuuki lined up ahead of Yoshino-san and Rei-sama. Their plan was as follows: When it was time to get on the ride, Yumi, Yuuki and Kashiwagi-san would all dash towards one of the teacups, leaving Yoshino-san and Rei-sama with no option but to ride together. No matter how awkward they found it being around each other, it was incredibly unlikely that they'd sit alone in separate teacups.

After they'd been standing in line for a short while, Tsutako-san and Shouko-chan joined the end of the line, about two groups back. They didn't call Tsutako-san's group over, out of consideration for the people lined up between them, but they did wave to let them know they were there. It looked like this attraction was everyone's first stop after lunch.

Soon the line started to move and eventually the attendant asked them, "How many people are in your party?" They answered with, "Three people," and the attendant moved on to Yoshino-san's group.

"I'm sorry, but this is the limit for how many we can have on at a time."

In other words, Yumi's group would be on the teacup ride the next time around, and Yoshino-san's group the time after that. Along with Tsutako-san and Shouko-chan.

Yoshino-san clicked her tongue softly. The amusement park was supposed to be a fun place, but due to her fight with Rei-sama it was quite the opposite. Usually she'd have more patience but currently she wanted to rush through everything. That much was plain to see.

"Yoshino."

Still, Rei-sama wasn't going to allow that.

"There's nothing we can do about it. We have to wait our turn."

Having just been cautioned, Yoshino-san's dissatisfied expression turned to outright displeasure.

"Um, we can get on the next ride, if you'd like to go instead of us."

Yuuki offered, either because he was unable to watch any longer or because he was unwilling to stand idly by.

"You're better off not indulging her, Yuuki-kun."

"Hmph, I never said anything about wanting to go ahead of you."

"There's no need to lash out at Yuuki-kun."

"He started talking to me and I merely answered."

Yuuki thought he was acting like a gentleman but got shot down. He would have been better off acting unconcerned, but, having grown up attending an all-boys school, Yuuki couldn't understand a woman's delicate emotions.

In general, it's better to let sleeping dogs lie. Then the ride came to a stop, the passengers got off and the attendant did a quick check of the insides of the teacups before giving them the go-ahead signal. Kashiwagi-san called out, "That red cup!" and Yumi dashed after him.

Yoshino-san and Rei-sama were left behind and what happened between them was up to God. It would be nice if they could cheer up as they spun around together, but things probably wouldn't work out that easily. Still, a little bit of improvement would go a long way.

Due to his quick decision about which teacup to aim for, Kashiwagi-san was able to claim the red teacup while everyone else was still deciding. Yumi caught up with him and plopped down on the chair inside the cup.

"Huh?"

Yuuki still wasn't there, even though he should have been a faster runner than Yumi. Maybe he hadn't heard the call of red teacup and was wandering around lost. Yumi looked around restlessly, but there was no sign of him amongst the multicolored teacups. Then the attendant started making her rounds, checking that the doors on the teacups were securely closed.

"Yukichi's blown it."

Kashiwagi-san muttered. Yumi turned around, wondering what he was talking about, and saw Yuuki standing at the front of the line, looking towards them with a miserable expression. His arm was being held tightly so that he couldn't escape. By Yoshino-san.

"I didn't know Yoshino-san liked Yuuki."

"Neither did I."

In other words, it must have been something else.

"She was probably planning on grabbing you, Yumi-chan. But you got such a good start that she had to quickly switch to the slow-starting Yukichi."

"… I've been had."

The bell that signaled the start of the ride rang and then a cheerful melody washed over them. The red teacup that Yumi and Kashiwagi-san were sitting in slowly started to move.

"Now that Yoshino-san's caught Yuuki, what do you think she'll do with him?"

"Who knows. They'll either go together as a group of three, or she'll use him to squeeze Rei-san out."

Kashiwagi-san spun the wheel in the center of the teacup. Then he called out, "Look, it's Sacchan."

Remembering, Yumi hurriedly looked for Sachiko-sama. However, not only was the teacup spinning but so was the tray that it rested upon, which made it quite difficult for Yumi to get her bearings.

"Yumi – "

Spin, spin. Yumi caught a glimpse of Sachiko-sama out of the corner of her eye and frantically turned and waved at her.

"Onee-sama – "

But by then it was already too late, and Yumi was looking straight at some unknown smiling family.

"Hahahaha."

Kashiwagi-san laughed as he spun the wheel.

"Hahahaha."

His laughter was infectious, and Yumi joined in.

Outside, Sachiko-sama laughed too. Yumi couldn't see clearly, but she definitely seemed to be clutching her stomach and laughing.

Yumi's twin tails whipped against her face. Something green occasionally danced in front of her eyes, as though one of her ribbons had come untied.

Soon it became hard for Yumi to tell whether she was spinning or the outside world was spinning.

The music was coming from somewhere, but she couldn't tell where. Was it coming from somewhere outside? Or somewhere within her?

Spinning around, Yumi knew what the tigers in 'Little Black Sambo' felt when they turned into butter from chasing each other around. The teacups slowly came to a stop while she was contemplating this.

Stepping out of the teacup, Yumi's legs turned to jelly.

"Are you okay?"

Kashiwagi-san offered his arm to her, like a prince. Normally, Yumi would have spurned him by saying, "I'm fine." But she hadn't returned to normal after the temporary high of the ride.

"Hahahaha."

Yumi clung to his arm, grateful for the support. More like an old lady than a princess. Yumi started to laugh, seeing the lighter side of clinging to Kashiwagi-san. She was the spitting image of a happy drunk, although, since she was underage, she'd never been drunk.

Since she was intoxicated from the ride and not from alcohol, Yumi sobered up after about five steps. She thanked Kashiwagi-san and then let go of his arm.

"It was my pleasure."

Kashiwagi-san grinned, then turned to look at the teacup they had just left.

"Oh, right, Yuuki."

Yumi had been having so much fun that she'd completely forgotten about him. How would the problematic Yellow Rose sisters and their prisoner Yuuki arrange themselves in the teacups.

Still standing at the entrance, Yoshino-san didn't look as though she had let go of Yuuki's arm since she first grabbed it. They looked nothing like a pair of lovers, despite having the same outline, due to the militant look in Yoshino-san's eyes and the cowering look in Yuuki's.

"I think they should take Yuuki with them and go as a group of three."

"Agreed."

"If it's just a trivial fight, they'll probably do a complete 360 and blow it off. Like how I ended up having fun even though it was just us, Kashiwagi-san."

"Right?" Yumi added, seeking his agreement, but Kashiwagi-san had a slack-jawed expression on his face.

"What's the matter?"

"Yumi-chan, sometimes you say things that cut right to the bone."

He must have been offended by the 'even though it was just us' part. Talk about delicate.

"Then excuse me."

Leaving him with that, Yumi rushed over to where Sachiko-sama had been waiting for her.

"Did you see me waving to you?"

"Yeah."

"Could you tell I was your onee-sama?"

"Of course."

While they were happily absorbed in their own private world, a still moping Kashiwagi-san joined them, pointed towards the ride and said, "Watch." They saw that the rope had just been removed, allowing Yoshino-san's group to enter the ride.

They all waited to see how Yoshino-san would use her trump card, Yuuki.

"Ah."

What was that all about? Right from the start, Yoshino-san grabbed Yuuki's hand and took off running. Grabbed only Yuuki's hand.

Rei-sama didn't seem to know what to do after being left behind, but took off after Yoshino-san. She arrived at their teacup just as Yoshino-san was shutting the door. Naturally, Yoshino-san had remembered to push Yuuki into the teacup first before embarking.

Rei-sama seemed dumbfounded by Yoshino-san's appalling behavior. Rather than standing her ground, she walked off to try and find another free teacup.

However, there probably wasn't going to be a spare teacup, as they had most likely told the line attendant that the three of them were one group, and she would have let on as many groups as there were teacups.

Cruel. Too cruel, Yoshino-san. Even the line attendant was apologizing profusely, thinking that she had made a miscalculation. Her voice didn't carry to where they were standing, but she looked as though she was asking Rei-sama if she wouldn't mind waiting for the next ride.

Unable to just watch, Yuuki was standing up and trying to open the door, but then a lifeboat came from another direction.

"Rei-sama, you could join us for this ride, if you'd like."

It was Tsutako-san. In a teacup with just herself and Shouko-chan, Tsutako-san called out and waved Rei-sama over.

Tsutako-san was always reliable, but Yumi couldn't remember ever asking something like this of her.

(Go! Go! Tsutako-san. Our hero (not heroine) Tsutako-san. I love, you love Tsutako-san. T S U T A K O. Our hero! Tsutako! Yay!)

She was so wonderful that Yumi mentally burst into an improvised cheer. Tsutako-san.

Naturally, Rei-sama gratefully accepted the request. After saying her thanks, she climbed into their teacup.

And what was the villain, Yoshino-san, doing? She seemed relieved when Rei-sama escaped from her position as the center of attention. Apparently Yoshino-san had shut Rei-sama out without thinking about the consequences. Really, that was just too much.

The teacups started to spin.

Yoshino-san completely ignored Yuuki, instead she kept her eyes fixed on Rei-sama's teacup. For her part, Rei-sama didn't so much as glance towards Yoshino-san. Rei-sama laughed as she spun and chatted with Tsutako-san and Shouko-chan.

This may just have been Yumi's imagination as she watched on from outside, but it looked as though Yoshino-san became angrier and angrier. About their fight, about her inability to say "I'm sorry," about her malicious behavior, about Rei-sama's enjoyment, about everything.

And then she turned that emotion into action.

Yoshino-san gently took hold of the wheel but then began to spin it with tremendous force. The teacup, which had been spinning fairly quickly to begin with, responded and gained incredible speed.

"It makes me feel sick just watching it."

Sachiko-sama turned her back on the scene. That was the proper course of action. But Yumi couldn't tear her eyes away. She was convinced that deep down Yoshino-san was crying, as she single-mindedly continued spinning that wheel.

"I wonder if Yukichi's going to be okay."

Kashiwagi-san too was worried. It was even drawing the attention of some of the passengers in the other teacups.

Then the music ended and the teacups slowly came to a halt. The passengers shuffled out of their teacups. But Yoshino-san didn't move at all.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume30 Chapter4 1

2011-08-03T05:21:00Z

Yobbin: /* Star Up Teacup. Part 1 */

===<noinclude>Star Up Teacup. </noinclude>Part 1.===

The 'revenge group' of Sachiko-sama, Kashiwagi-san, Yuuki and Yumi walked into the same restaurant they went to back in autumn. Unfortunately, there were no free tables, but after waiting about five minutes a group of four left and they were able to slot right in.

The amusement park's restaurant was quite interesting. There was a completely exhausted father, a group of middle school students who were hurriedly stuffing down their food so they could move on to the next ride, a child crying on the floor after what had started out as a brotherly quarrel and a couple who had finished eating but were still completely absorbed in their own private world. Even though they shared this fairy-tale space, they were all lead characters in their own dramas.

So how would Yumi's group's drama unfold? Just like last time, they all went to the counter and ordered their own meals then split the bill. And, as expected, when they got back to the table they saw that everyone had ordered three-colored curry.

"Everyone must really like their curry."

Sachiko-sama muttered, to which the three others responded, "That's not it."

"You've been going on and on about your revenge, Sacchan, so there was this pressure to order the same thing as last time."

The Fukuzawa siblings nodded in agreement to Kashiwagi-san's explanation.

"But I didn't say you had to do that."

Despite her statement, Sachiko-sama had also ordered the same curry, so she may have unwittingly cast the spell on herself too.

"Anyway, the curry here's good so it doesn't matter."

Almost immediately, Yuuki started to soak up the curry with his extra-large naan bread. He must have been hungry after all. Sachiko-sama and Yumi, sitting next to each other, had a whispered conversation and then broke one of their naan bread pieces in two. The other, untouched piece, they offered to the guys. The portions here were a bit too large for high-school girls, but not quite enough for guys in their late teens, so they always expected to share some of their food. This way was much better than letting the guys have the left-over naan bread after they had finished eating. This was one of the many ways in which they could make the revenge, or revision, better than the original.

"That reminds me, Yumi. We haven't done the roller-coaster yet."

"Don't tell me you're going on that too, onee-sama?"

Maybe she'd been secretly practicing riding roller-coasters, like she's been practicing driving for her license.

"I won't go on the roller-coaster. I've told you that before, haven't I?"

Indeed she had.

"Then I'll pass on it too."

If it would keep her onee-sama waiting, then Yumi had no desire to ride the roller-coaster. And if things went like last time, then she'd be riding it alongside Kashiwagi-san. She didn't really want that.

"Don't hold back on account of me. Just because I won't be riding it is no reason for you to abstain."

"I'm not holding back."

Then Kashiwagi-san, who had been listening to their conversation, chimed in:

"If you don't want to go on the roller-coaster with me, we can search for Rei-san's group and you can go with her."

Bulls-eye.

Was Yumi's face betraying her thoughts yet again? If she were to hastily bring both her hands to her cheeks then it would just confirm his suspicions. Therefore, she calmly and quietly smiled back at him.

"That's a rather over-inflated sense of self you have."

"Really? Well then, anytime you need an escort, I'll be there for you."

While Yumi was thinking about how odious his smugness was, she realized she had a long way to go if she wanted to spar with Kashiwagi-san like this.

Aim for a higher stage, he said. On that autumn day. Was she still fumbling around in the same place as back then?

"Yumi."

Unexpectedly, Yuuki spoke.

"I'll ride the roller-coaster with you, if we don't find Yoshino-san's group."

"You don't have to force yourself."

"I'm not."

It looked like he was using the roller-coaster to cover over his earlier cowardly behavior at the haunted house.

Like a piece of naan bread soaking up chicken curry. Still, it seemed kind of sad.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume30 Chapter3 4

2011-08-03T05:16:44Z

Yobbin: /* Those two, on the other hand. Part 4 */

===<noinclude>Those two, on the other hand. </noinclude>Part 4.===

On the other hand.

Touko and Kanako had made it to the amusement park.

Winding back the clock a little while.

Their loss of time due to an unexpected problem when they were supposed to meet (they were both waiting on opposite sides of the ticket gate!) could only be described as unfortunate. Consequently, when they arrived at the amusement park ten minutes after opening time they had no way of knowing they were the first ones to arrive, so they hastily bought their tickets and entered the park. Since they hadn't told anyone whether or not they were going, they simply assumed that the others had gone into the park ahead of them.

Anyway, they were at most ten minutes late. Touko joked that with a bit of searching they should be able to find the others straight away.

Sachiko-sama and Touko's onee-sama would definitely be there, as would Rei-sama and Yoshino-sama. In their discussion yesterday, Rosa Gigantea and Noriko had been leaning towards going. Oh, right, Suguru onii-sama and Yuuki-san would be there as well, making it a fairly large group. They would stand out when they were all walking around together, and it would be easy enough to find the group by spotting any one of them lined up for a ride.

Looking back on it later, their hypothesis had seemed reasonable enough but their search had failed to find any sign of the group.

"You want to stop somewhere and get a drink?"

Touko had grown weary of their futile effort and made the suggestion hoping to have a bit of a rest. Kanako-san's response was:

"Mind if I get something to eat?"

"Huh? You want to have lunch already?"

"I didn't have anything to eat for breakfast, so it's more like brunch."

"… I guess that's okay."

Which was how they ended up going to a cafe that also served light meals.

"You should have come with Yumi-sama, since you're her petit soeur."

Kanako-san remarked as she ate her sandwich. "At least that way you wouldn't currently be moping, Touko-san."

"I told you yesterday on the phone, didn't I? They'd initially planned to go to the amusement park together as a date. Since we're just along for the ride, we have to be quiet and not intrude.

Touko sipped her tea. She had a fruit tart in front of her. This was all the concession to Kanako-san's brunch that she could make, since she ate breakfast before she came. Incidentally, Kanako-san was drinking coffee.

"You did say that on the phone, but I wonder if it still applies. After all, Rosa Chinensis invited everyone to come along."

"Well, apparently she said that we should all go together back during the Christmas party. Which led to this, right?"

"How thoughtful of her."

"Really."

There were hardly any customers in the cafe, probably because the park had only just opened. It should get incredibly busy around noon with people looking to satisfy their hunger, much like they were doing now.

"But you still came, even though you said you didn't want to intrude on them. You couldn't stand the thought of something fun happening when you weren't around, right?"

"Pretty much."

There was no need to put up a front for Kanako-san. Touko knew how alike they were.

"You didn't think about hanging out with the Yellow or White Rose sisters?"

"And be a third-wheel?"

Touko shook her head as she responded.

"Well, how convenient for you that I just happened to be invited."

"Indeed. Thanks for coming along."

If Kanako-san hadn't come along, Touko might have been sitting there alone sipping her tea. Of course if she had come alone then there wouldn't have been that delay when they met, so chances are she would have got here on time, before the amusement park opened.

"Because I evened out the numbers?"

"Exactly."

The pair looked at each other and giggled softly. Then they slowly resumed eating the food they had ordered.

After eating in silence for a little while, Kanako-san suddenly raised her head.

"Even so, I'm really glad you invited me."

Touko quickly corrected Kanako-san's expression of gratitude.

"It was my onee-sama who told me to invite you."

Then:

"….Hmmm...."

"What?"

In the odd gap of time before Touko's question, Kanako rested her chin on her hands. Her cool response was:

"You've become quite used to calling her 'onee-sama.'"

"Thankfully."

Then they both sipped the last of their beverages.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume30 Chapter3 3

2011-08-03T04:34:00Z

Yobbin: /* Those two, on the other hand. Part 3 */

===<noinclude>Those two, on the other hand. </noinclude>Part 3.===

The amusement park's haunted house started out with an area for on-foot free exploration, but part way through it turned into a ride with small, three-person buggies. People who weren't familiar with the haunted house, or weren't paying close attention, would invariably become separated from their companions.

"What should we do?"

Yumi asked, at the exit.

"Let's see."

Responding to her was, of course, her onee-sama. They'd been holding hands the entire time they explored the haunted house, then both went in the same buggy. There was no way they were going to get lost.

"I did see Rei-san and some of the others get in a buggy ahead of us."

Kashiwagi-san said, adopting a contemplative pose.

"Sorry, I didn't have time to see where anyone went."

Yuuki muttered. Although the ghosts and monsters were designed to scare little children, it looked as though he had been completely terrified.

Even so, it was admirable that the two guys had stuck together all the way through the gloomy, disorienting haunted house, much like Yumi had with her onee-sama. It's not like they were holding hands the entire way, right? Realizing her train of thought wasn't heading in a good direction, Yumi stopped that line of questioning.

Alright then. Standing here, now, in the vicinity of the haunted house's exit were four people: Yumi, Sachiko-sama, Kashiwagi-san and Yuuki. So Yumi's question of, "What should we do?" was really asking whether they should wait there a little longer to see if anyone else joined them, or whether they should move on and go somewhere else.

If they waited around, they may meet some more of their companions. But they didn't know whether or not there was anyone behind them, so it was a bit of a puzzle. Kashiwagi-san had just stated that he saw Rei-sama and some others (probably Yoshino-san) ahead of them, so at the very least they knew they weren't the first out of the haunted house. But the question of whether the White Rose sisters and the photography club duo were behind them or not still remained – .

"Let's go."

Sachiko-sama had decided.

"The original idea was that everyone was free to come and go as they pleased. And since Rei's group has gone on ahead, there's no need for us to wait for the others, right?"

Rei-sama's group had probably moved on because they didn't know whether or not anyone else was still in the haunted house. The White Rose sisters and the photography club duo would probably go their own way too if they didn't find everyone waiting when they exited the haunted house.

Having said that, it's not like Yumi and Sachiko-sama were about to bid farewell to the Kashiwagi/Yuuki pair. The four people standing here formed a single group. The 'Autumn Amusement Park Revenge' group.

[[Image:MM_v30_p103.png|thumb]]

Sachiko-sama still held the keys to the car she had driven here, so Kashiwagi-san was probably quite anxious to make sure he was in the passenger's seat on the way home. In other words, the two couples were in the same boat.

"What time is it?"

Hearing Sachiko-sama's question, Yumi looked at her wristwatch.

"Ah, it's just after one."

"I'm feeling a bit hungry."

"Shall we go and eat?"

They walked off, hand in hand, the two guys trailing after them.

"Don't go deciding these things without asking us."

Yumi completely ignored Yuuki's complaint. There was no way he wasn't hungry, despite his protest. Yumi had distinctly heard his stomach rumbling not that long ago.

Hearing the screams coming from the roller coaster, Yumi looked up at the sky.

It was nice weather.

Had Touko really made it to the amusement park?

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume30 Chapter3 2

2011-08-03T04:30:23Z

Yobbin: Added punctuation

===<noinclude>Those two, on the other hand. </noinclude>Part 2.===

She hadn't imagined that things would turn out the way they had. Last night, she'd received an unexpected phone call from Tsutako-sama.

"I don't really understand, but …"

Was how Tsutako-sama prefaced their telephone conversation. And the contents of that conversation were appropriately baffling.

Apparently Rosa Chinensis had announced that they were going to the amusement park tomorrow and that other people could come along if they liked. But it wasn't really an invitation as such, since they weren't arranging to meet, instead people could come and go as they pleased.

"When you said an amusement park, umm, you meant that place with the roller coasters and a merry-go-round?"

Shouko moved as far away from the phone's usual position in the foyer as the cord would let her, making it to the staircase. Still carrying the handset, she sat down. Since she ended up here, she would have been better off putting Tsutako-sama on hold and getting the handset from the second floor. But Shouko didn't want to keep Tsutako-sama waiting, and above all else was too intrigued to interrupt this conversation. She'd been excited ever since she heard her mother call out, "Phone call from someone called Takeshima-san," and had leapt at the telephone receiver.

"Yep, that's it. That amusement park. I got a call from Yumi-san not that long ago. It sounded like she was calling from a public phone, and I didn't really catch all the details."

"A phone call from Rosa Chinensis en bouton…"

So that would make this third-hand information. It would probably be impossible for Shouko to understand the full picture. Like in the game 'Chinese Whispers,' the further away from the source you were, the stranger the message you received.

"I was planning on going and I thought you might be interested, so I gave you a call. Even if we can't get any good photos, we can still have fun at the amusement park."

Shouko cherry-picked the phrases she wanted to hear, ending up with, "Going to the amusement park together would be fun." Yep, it definitely would be fun. Shouko was elated, because that made it sound something like a date!

"I'll have … !"

Shouko shouted into the handset.

"Huh?"

On the other end of the phone, Tsutako-sama seemed surprised by the volume of her voice.

On Shouko's side, her older sister, Katsumi, walked out of the living room and asked, "What's going on?" Shouko responded with a look that said nothing was happening, and Katsumi gave a bored "Hmmph," before heading up the stairs. In other words, not only was Shouko's telephone conversation an annoyance but so too was her location on the stairs.

"… Pardon me. I'll have to ask my parents."

Speaking in a quieter voice, Shouko corrected herself.

Shouko was, by and large, an honest person. Asking her parents meant they might forbid her from going, but she didn't have the nerve to go without asking for permission.

"I guess so. Since it's tomorrow it's quite sudden, so you'll have to talk it over with them."

Then Shouko realized she would also have to consult the contents of her purse.

(Let's see.)

Having fun usually costs money. Shouko tried to remember what the entrance fee was for the amusement park, but couldn't. Until now, she'd only been with her parents.

(I wonder if there's enough left from this month's allowance.)

Suddenly, she pictured the contents of her purse. Her New Year's money had been spent on a camera and a book on photography.

(I'll have to dip into my bank account.)

After thinking this, she realized something else.

(Tomorrow's Sunday, the bank won't be open.)

Shouko considered asking her parents for an advance on her allowance, but discarded the idea. It seemed more likely that they would just forbid her from going to the amusement park in that case. Her position was stronger if she could say she was using her own money.

"Shouko-chan? Do you want me to call you back?"

"Ah, okay. No, wait, I'll call you."

Then someone prodded her in the back.

"Huh?"

Turning around, Shouko saw that her older sister had reappeared. Sitting two stairs further up, looking like she wanted to talk.

"Umm, Tsutako-sama. Could you excuse me for just a minute."

Shouko pressed the 'hold' button. Her older sister had a strong personality, but was generally straightforward. She wasn't the type of person to try and childishly disrupt someone else's phone call, so the conversation would probably be pretty quick.

"What is it?"

"Here."

Shouko's sister was offering her a thin envelope.

"You can have it."

"Huh?"

Initially Shouko thought it might have been money, but in that case surely her sister would have said 'borrow' rather than 'have.'

Still wondering what was inside the unmarked envelope, Shouko opened it and withdrew two slips of paper.

"How did you get these!?"

Shouko cried out, loudly. She could tell what they were from a single glance. The words 'All-day Pass' were printed over a picture of the amusement park's mascots laughing. The thing that Shouko most desired at this moment. Her sister must be a magician, or an ESPer.

"I won it in a contest about six months ago, but then forgot about it. I was really aiming for the next prize down – a pre-paid card for a bookstore – so it was still a loss for me."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. I wouldn't go anyway. It expires at the end of March, so you're only just in time."

"Thank-you, Katsumi."

Shouko impulsively hugged her sister, who smiled awkwardly and said, "You shouldn't keep Tsutako-san waiting," before disappearing once more into the living room.

"I'll go! I should be able to go!"

After pushing the 'hold' button, Shouko spoke cheerfully into the handset.

"Your parents are fine with it?"

"Ah."

Persuading them would be her next task.

In the end, Shouko's parents agreed to let her go to the amusement park fairly easily, especially after her older sister had, unusually, put in a good word for her. It seems the fact that she was going with older students from her school counted in her favor too. Since the friends of her straight-laced graduating older sister were themselves mostly straight-laced and studious, her parents had apparently decided that 'Lillian's student = serious and diligent'. Even in this, her sister had played a role.

Of course, that's not to say that Tsutako-sama wasn't serious or studious. But a 'camera freak' wasn't quite the same as an 'honors student.'

Shouko arrived at the JR station where she was to meet Tsutako-sama about twenty minutes before their agreed time, which was five minutes earlier than Tsutako-sama.

"Shouko-chan."

When she turned around, she heard the sound of a shutter clicking and was dazzled by the flash. She'd had no time to compose herself for this surprise attack.

"Hehehe. Gokigenyou."

Shouko hated to be photographed, so this was Tsutako-sama's signature method for getting 'nice photos' of her.

"Go-gokigenyou."

"You're looking very grown-up today."

"Oh?"

It wasn't an outright compliment like saying she was pretty or cute, but it still made Shouko's heart flutter. Actually, it was a bit embarrassing. Since she hadn't been out with Tsutako-sama in quite a while, Shouko had borrowed her older, taller sister's spring coat. When viewed dispassionately, that slight over-extension, combined with the over-eager way she had shown up so early, were actually quite amusing.

The clothes that Tsutako-sama wore effortlessly – the jeans, T-shirt and jacket that looked like a jersey, seemed far more stylish. At the very least, they were better suited to the amusement park.

Just as she was starting to feel depressed, the shutter clicked once more.

"But that doesn't really suit you."

That single phrase was enough to bring her back from the depths. Simple, but effective. It was such a pointless thing for Shouko to beat herself up about.

"So, shall we go?"

Tsutako-sama put the small camera in her pocket then pointed towards the staircase. Since they met by the entrance gate, they wouldn't have a chance to buy a ticket here. Shouko had used her commuter pass when she entered, intending to pay any excess when they arrived at the amusement park.

Even though it was Sunday, the station was still incredibly busy. A train had probably just arrived, as the people coming up the stairs from the platform spilled out across the line that demarcated the ascending and descending sides of the staircase. They found a gap at the edge of the wall of humanity and carefully descended the staircase.

"It's been a while since we last went out together."

"Yeah."

The last time was for New Year's. Shouko had worried about inconsequential matters, such as where they should go or if they should meet at school on a Sunday. However, she'd since realized that when they met up at odd times it was usually because Tsutako-sama wanted to take someone's photo. Today was probably no exception, despite what Rosa Chinensis had said, and Shouko was fine with that. Because she liked the camera-toting Tsutako-sama, and wanted to spend time with her. And if she was satisfied with that, then what would it be called if not a date.

" – Right. So I have to be upbeat," Shouko thought to herself. However, her introspection made her oblivious to what was happening right in front of her.

"Watch out!"

Tsutako-sama, walking right behind her, shouted. By the time Shouko had noticed, a suitcase-sized sports bag was directly in front of her eyes.

Shouko couldn't think of any way to escape. And by the time she would think of one, it'd be too late. She'd have to rely on instinct, and even then it would be close.

So, idiotically, Shouko closed her eyes, unable to do anything else. And then, a miracle happened. Shouko didn't do anything, but some outside force moved her body, just a little.

Opening her eyes after the light impact, Shouko saw Tsutako-sama standing right beside her. Well, it was probably more accurate to say that Tsutako-sama was the meat in a Shouko and wall sandwich.

"Sorry."

The sports bag apologized. Ah, no, it was the tall guy with the sports bag hanging over his shoulder. He'd been looking the other way as he flew up the stairs, right until the point of impact with Shouko.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

The guy with the sports bag asked, looking at Shouko and Tsutako-sama.

"I'm fine, but – "

Shouko looked at Tsutako-sama. Tsutako-sama had probably taken the impact with the wall in order to save Shouko. If anyone was injured, it would be her.

"I'm fine too."

Tsutako-sama shook her right arm, which had made contact with the wall, as she said this. Shouko let out a sigh of relief. If Tsutako-sama had been injured trying to save her, all the apologies in the world wouldn't be enough to express the regret Shouko would have felt.

"I'm really, really sorry about it."

The guy with the sports bag bowed to them a couple of times, then walked off.

"Thank-you."

Shouko formally thanked Tsutako-sama after they'd made their way through the crowd on the staircase and down onto the platform. She shivered when she thought about how things could have turned out if she'd taken a direct hit to the face. Ending up with a nosebleed may have been getting off lightly. If she had been really unlucky, it may have required some stitches to her face.

"Don't mention it."

Tsutako-sama smiled. Then, as though she'd just remembered something important, Tsutako-sama started fidgeting.

The answer came before Shouko had a chance to inquire.

"I'm sorry, Shouko-chan. Do you mind if we take a detour on the way to the amusement park?"

"Huh?"

"It seems something's not okay after all."

"Oh."

So she's injured after all!? That was the conclusion that Shouko jumped to.

"No, it's not me."

Tsutako-sama held out the precious camera that had been in her pocket.

They stopped at a station about halfway to the amusement park – geographically it was still in the city and the station building was impressive. However, after leaving the main road in front of the train station and walking for about five minutes, they came to an area full of narrow alleyways and old buildings.

Tsutako-sama's goal was a camera shop somewhere in this area. Shouko had been told that she could wait at the platform, but she pressured Tsutako-sama to let her tag along since she didn't have a fixed-destination ticket. Even if she did have such a ticket, she probably would have followed Tsutako-sama out through the gate anyway. Since the camera had been sacrificed for her sake, it would have been inexcusable to stand idly by.

"I'm so sorry."

Shouko repeatedly apologized while they walked.

"I told you not to worry about it. It wasn't your fault."

Shouko stubbornly persisted, even though she knew Tsutako-sama was probably finding it annoying. She couldn't think of anything else to say as they walked down the road, and it was less frightening than silence.

"But that camera's more important to you than life itself."

At which point Tsutako-sama burst out laughing.

"My life is waaaaay more important to me than a camera. And so are you, Shouko-chan."

Shouko should have been happy hearing this, but she wasn't.

"Those kind words are tough for me to accept right now."

It would have been better if Tsutako-sama had voiced her displeasure, saying something like, "You should have been watching where you were going," or, "That camera was expensive." However, it was precisely because Tsutako-sama would never think of saying those things that Shouko loved her. Probably.

"Then I'm in the wrong, for putting you in that position."

"Not at all."

"Let's stop this. Why don't we say this makes us even for the amusement park ticket you gave me earlier? Look, we've arrived."

Tsutako-sama stopped in front of a small building.

"What is this place?"

It looked somewhat like an old house, but its street frontage was unlike that of a normal house. The sliding door made it look like one of those old-time candy stores shown on TV, although without a glass inset. The upper half of the door, which should have been glass, looked like it had been filled in. Finally, the street frontage was very narrow.

"This is my uncle's store. He runs this place as a hobby."

Tsutako-sama opened the door, which made a loud rattling noise. Upon closer inspection, Shouko saw the words "Takeshima Cameras" written on the door. A casual glance revealed nothing, as the lettering was largely the same color as the door.

"Uncle."

Shouko followed Tsutako-sama into a room that was, for a store, unbelievably poorly lit.

"Uncle."

There was no response.

"He might be out."

"If he were out, he would have locked the door. And since he knows I'm his customer, he's probably taking his time. If it were someone he didn't know, he would have been out right away. Regardless of what he was doing, even if he was on the toilet."

"Ah."

Just as Tsutako-sama had said, about five minutes later a middle-aged man appeared in front of them.

"Sorry about leaving you in the dark like that."

The middle-aged man flipped the light switch as he was speaking. The gloominess must have been an energy-saving mode for when he wasn't there.

"Oooh."

Looking around the brightened store interior, Shouko saw that both walls of the narrow corridor-like space were lined with shelves full of cameras. Antique cameras, that she had only recently read about, were lined up alongside strange looking objects that Shouko could only assume were also cameras.

While Shouko was admiring the items in the glass case, the store owner asked Tsutako-sama:

"Who's this young lady?"

"A junior from the photography club. Shouko-chan."

"Ah, I'm Naitou Shouko. A pleasure to meet you."

Shouko hurriedly turned around and bowed. She had been so engrossed, she'd forgotten to greet Tsutako-sama's uncle.

"Welcome to my store."

He smiled at Shouko beneath his beard before turning to Tsutako-sama and asking, "What happened?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I can tell just by looking at you that you're here because something happened."

"That's what I'd expect from my uncle. Actually, it's about this."

Tsutako-sama held up her camera towards her uncle.

"Ah. Well, I can see that it's obviously broken."

He took the camera and shook it lightly, the strange sound coming from within apparently confirming his suspicions.

"Can you fix it?"

"Hold on a minute."

Tsutako-sama's uncle said, before withdrawing deeper into the store with the camera. No matter how big stores were, they always had deeper areas.

"This place looks like a museum."

Shouko said to Tsutako-sama.

"Pretty much. He only stocks rare cameras, so there's not a lot of turnover. Well, it's not like he never sells anything."

"So it's a hobby?"

"From time to time he'll do some repair work on old cameras as well, but that's about it. He has another job that he does for a living, which is why he can do this."

Tsutako-sama's uncle returned soon after.

"Nothing I've got back there will work. I'll have to order a part in. It'll take about a week to fix it."

"I see."

Tsutako-sama looked down in resignation.

"It's a shame. Well, since you came all the way here, the least I can do is offer you some tea. I've got some Youkan jellies to go with it too."

Tsutako-sama's uncle pointed behind him with his thumb, but Tsutako-sama declined by shaking her head.

"We're on our way somewhere."

"Is that so? And I suppose you were planning on using your camera when you got there."

"Well, yeah."

Tsutako-sama owned a number of cameras, but that was the only one she had brought along today. She lived too far away to return home and get a new one, and they'd already spent enough time on the train today.

"I'll lend you one of these if you'd like."

"That's a joke, right?"

"Are they a bit big for you?"

"… The price-tag is."

Listening to their conversation, Shouko thought to herself:

(Now would be the time, if I'd brought along my reasonably priced camera.)

It was about then that Shouko's confidence began to falter.

(Why didn't I bring my camera today!?)

She was in the photography club. Tsutako-sama had probably invited her with the intention that they would go and take photos together.

(Idiot, idiot, idiot!)

Why had she only realized now, when it was too late.

"So, where are you going?"

Uncle Takeshima asked.

"The amusement park."

"Oh, the amusement park."

He smiled to say, 'That's nice,' before continuing his soliloquy.

"Still. The amusement park's not really a place you go to take photos, it's a place you go to have fun, right?"

Then, suddenly, he turned to Shouko.

"The photography club – there's no rule that says its members have to carry a camera with them everywhere they go, is there young lady?"

"Ah, no."

Shouko answered promptly, but then thought it through.

" – but how did you know?"

Both uncle and niece responded at the same time.

"Because I'm camera mad."

"Huh?"

"I love cameras so much, that I have this sense that goes 'beep beep beep' whenever a camera's nearby – like a fishfinder or a wiretap detector."

Shouko doubted this was true, but decided to humor him.

"So is it hereditary? Do you have it too Tsutako-sama?"

"As if. You have to take my uncle's stories with a grain of salt. He just has good intuition."

"Ah."

Still, it was amazing that he hit upon the fact that Shouko hadn't brought a camera with her, despite being in the photography club. Although it was equally amazing that Shouko hadn't brought a camera with her, given that she was in the photography club.

"What do you say, Tsutako? It looks like the gods have decreed that today is a camera-free day. Are you up to the challenge of going the entire day at the amusement park without taking a photo?"

"That's impossible."

Was Tsutako-sama's immediate response. She would probably know herself better than anyone else. Shouko rated the possibility that Tsutako-sama wouldn't be able to make it through the day at 80, although she was less sure about what total that 80 was out of.

"Well, how about playing a game with your uncle then?"

"A game?"

"Right, a game," uncle Takeshima reiterated, nodding his head.

"If you're able to do it, then I'll cover the cost to repair your camera, including the parts."

"And if I can't?"

"Then you'll have to pay for the repairs."

Well that was a strange development. Shouko decided to keep her mouth shut and watch how this played out.

"I can see how I would gain from winning, but you don't get anything out of it, uncle. How odd to have a game where only one side benefits from winning."

"Quite the contrary – this game isn't going to cause me any pain. I'll be sitting here in my store laughing while you're out there suffering."

"… What are the rules?"

Tsutako-sama seemed quite interested. Was the cost to repair her camera really going to be that high? Or was her personality such that she wouldn't back down from a challenge? Shouko thought that if it was the former, she'd feel bad if she didn't pay part of the cost. If it was the latter –
well, all she could do was cheer Tsutako-sama on.

Tsutako-sama's uncle said, "Hold on a minute," then rifled through several desk drawers before finding what it was he was searching for. It obviously wasn't an antique camera like the ones lining the walls, but instead a small camera, about five or six years old.

"Will you be able to walk around with this, without using it?"

Having received the camera, the first thing Tsutako-sama did was start pressing buttons, including the shutter button. But it looked like there was no film in the camera so, obviously, it didn't take a picture.

"If the cravings get too bad, then you can use it. I'll even let you borrow some film and the camera case."

Basically, Tsutako-sama would lose the game if, when she returned the camera, she'd taken a single photograph.

"Did you consider that I could just use up all the film and replace it with another roll of the same brand? Or I could just leave it alone and buy a disposable camera from a convenience store?"

"You're not that kind of a girl."

With that level of trust shown by her uncle, there was no way Tsutako-sama could cheat now. Well, there was some truth to what uncle Takeshima had said – Tsutako-sama was the kind of person who felt a greater sense of defeat from cheating than they did from actually losing the game.

"I'll take you up on that challenge."

Tsutako-sama grinned. Uncle Takeshima took back the camera and put a roll of film in it. He slowly turned towards Tsutako-sama and Shouko, then quickly pressed the shutter button.

"There, now you'd better not break it."

Clever. By the time Shouko had noticed the lens, the photo had already been taken.

"Umm."

Shouko called out to Tsutako-sama's uncle, who was wandering off to find the camera's case.

"That photo you just took. If Tsutako-sama wins the game, can I have it?"

"Huh?"

"… Umm. I don't have a photo of the two of us together."

Uncle Takeshima responded with a bright smile and said, "Ahh, I see," to Shouko's hesitant request. The photography club were usually out taking photos together, but it was rare that they would be the subject of a photograph. And, since he was her uncle, he probably knew that Tsutako-sama didn't like having her photo taken.

"No matter who wins, I'll give you a print of it, young lady. As a chaperone's fee."

"Thank-you."

Shouko bowed deeply for a full ten seconds, during which time uncle Takeshima returned with the camera case. Apparently he'd found it almost immediately. He'd already put the camera into the black synthetic-leather case.

"Don't just carry it around in your pocket."

Tsutako-sama hadn't said anything about how her camera came to be broken, but her uncle seemed to have figured it out anyway.

"I'll put it right at the bottom of my bag, then there's no chance I'll take it out."

"Good idea. If you open the case, you'll have no chance of stopping your fingers from pressing down on that shutter."

Tsutako-sama opened her shoulder bag, and uncle Takeshima forced the camera case down to the bottom.

"Good luck."

After that, they retraced their steps back to the train station.

Putting an end to their stopover, they again boarded the train. It eventually arrived at the amusement park, 30 minutes after they had originally intended.

Tsutako-sama said that she'd be fine, since she didn't usually have her camera with her during class or on the way to school, but Shouko saw through that.

Occasionally, Tsutako-sama's fingers would drift into her pocket, searching for her camera. Then she would become aware of what she was doing and jerk her hands back.

Shouko was reminded of when her older cousin would come to visit. He was forbidden from smoking at their place, but his restless fingers would occasionally search for a cigarette. And then he'd look either slightly irritated or depressed.

Tsutako-sama was showing the same symptoms.

It was probably easier for Tsutako-sama to accept defeat when her camera was broken, because there was nothing she could do about it. But it was much harder for her now, consciously restraining herself from using the camera that she had.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume30 Chapter3 1

2011-08-03T04:18:33Z

Yobbin: /* Those two, on the other hand. Part 1 */

===<noinclude>Those two, on the other hand. </noinclude>Part 1.===

Since it was a fairly popular attraction, the haunted house was quite busy.

The line of people waiting to get in turned back on itself numerous times, and the lady on duty told them it would be a thirty to forty minute wait.

(...Let's do it)

In a spot where she couldn't be seen by Tsutako-sama, Shouko psyched herself up. She was determined that this was where she would liven things up. Shouko wanted to avoid her esteemed photography club senior becoming bored – well, as much as possible anyway, given her usual emotional detachment.

"Tsutako-sama, did you see that bunny rabbit do a back-flip during the parade?"

"Huh?"

Perhaps this conversation was a bit too sudden. Tsutako-sama's eyes were wide from surprise. However, having started with this topic, Shouko had no choice but to plunge onwards.

"It had to be a man inside that costume. It must have been tough with those tights and bloomers, and that ribbon attached to its head."

"Sorry, I didn't see it."

Tsutako-sama said. And with that, the conversation came to a grinding halt.

"Ah, okay."

Still, Shouko couldn't let such a trifling setback stop her. On to the next topic.

"So what did you think the differences between the twin piglets were?"

The amusement park had a pair of identical twin piglets as two of their mascot characters. Every day, there would be five differences between the two piglets. The park guests could then amuse themselves by finding those differences.

"I saw that the position of their buttons and the colors of their socks were different, but couldn't find the other three. Then Rosa Gigantea told me that the brims of their caps had different shapes."

Shouko turned her head around, trying to find Rosa Gigantea in the line behind her. But Rosa Gigantea wasn't looking her way, instead engaged in conversation with her petit soeur, Noriko-san. Even though the group of ten had decided to have fun together, they naturally split into their own little groups.

"Add to that the shape of their tails and the fruits they were carrying."

Tsutako-sama said.

"Their tails?"

"The older twin's was curly while the younger one's was straight."

Ho ho. So she hadn't been watching the bunny rabbit, but she had been paying attention to the pigs.

"And the fruit?"

"The older twin had a green apple, the younger one a pear."

"Incredible."

If it had been a red apple then it would have been easier, but the difference between a green apple and a pear was just too small. Shouko hadn't thought that someone with such thick lenses in her glasses would be able to spot those differences so easily. Those must be the eyes of a photographer, able to capture everything in an instant. Very impressive.

(Just what you'd expect from the photography club's ace.)

– Danger. Danger. She had relinquished that role for today.

Shouko continued to chat with Tsutako-sama in a lively, perhaps even frantic, manner and before she knew it twenty minutes had passed. The line had been moving steadily and they had almost reached the entrance.

A sign by the door listed the rules for the haunted house, one of which was "No flash photography."

"I wonder if anyone still takes photos in there, even without a flash."

Tsutako-sama smiled, probably thinking she should have brought a specialized camera. Although if they were concerned about that, the rules could just say that photography was forbidden inside.

"I don't know. Although if they did ban it outright, people might be tempted to take photos just for the thrill of it. Then you'd end up with a situation like at concerts, where you have to hand over your camera on the way in."

"That'd be a pain, if it came to that."

Tsutako-sama thrust her hand into her pocket.

"Ah."

Immediately after her little cry, Shouko concealed her "Ah."

Her realization came too late as well.

They'd both forgotten, just for a moment, that the camera Tsutako-sama was searching for wasn't in her pocket.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume30 Chapter2 3

2011-08-03T04:17:16Z

Yobbin: /* Frivolity and Self-loathing. Part 3 */

===<noinclude>Frivolity and Self-loathing. </noinclude>Part 3.===

They began their time at the amusement park with everyone riding the steam train together. When they disembarked, Noriko thought that it had been a splendid idea from Yoshino-sama.

At the very least, it had been for the White Rose sisters. Squeezed into that single carriage with the rest of the passengers, they felt the vibrations of the train track as they were quickly whisked around the grounds. The gentle caress of the wind coming through the open windows upon Noriko's face had relaxed her. If it had just been the two of them, the situation would have seemed more serious, so much so that she would have been conscious of how she was breathing.

So when Yumi-sama had enthusiastically asked, "Who wants to go to the haunted house?" Noriko raised her hand without hesitation. She loved Shimako-san, and they really needed to have a proper talk soon, but for now she just wanted to spend a bit more time with her friends.

Shimako-san said, "I wonder if we should go too," perhaps because she understood Noriko's feelings. As usual, Noriko's chest tightened when she saw Shimako-san smile.

Shimako-san had said that, "It's not that big a deal," but Noriko couldn't set it aside that easily. But, while still not knowing what she should do, Noriko realized that there had been nothing she could have done all along. All she could do was take the hit, but she was running away to try and avoid that.

What had been her state of mind when she first discovered that Shimako-san was the daughter of a Buddhist priest? No matter how hard Noriko tried to remember, she couldn't. Shimako-san's secret had been announced to the whole school, making it no longer a secret, then they had become soeurs, and the quiet, peaceful days had piled up one on top of the other.

Certainly, there were still many things she didn't know about Shimako-san. But Noriko had never considered that this would be one of them.

Some lively music intruded on Noriko's thoughts. It looked as though a parade had started on Main Street. The group of friends she was walking with had paused to watch as well.

The characters in their brilliant costumes sang, danced and paraded. The spectating children waved at the bears and squealed with delight. Everyone seemed to be having fun.

Still, as the parade became more and more cheerful, Noriko became more and more depressed. Or perhaps her mood hadn't changed from five minutes ago, it just seemed more or less pronounced depending on the excitement level of her surroundings. Like if someone had been walking along a flat road for a long time and suddenly there were mountains towering over them on each side, they'd think they were in a valley. That kind of thing. Probably.

(Was it a heavy burden for you?)

Even now, the words Shimako-san said to her about an hour ago lingered in her mind.

Shimako-san, standing right beside her and smiling as she shook the bear's hand, seemed incredibly mysterious.

Noriko had arranged to meet with Shimako-san at the subway's ticket gate.

They would both be taking the same JR train-line to get there, but they had delayed their meeting because it was too hard to organize a rendezvous on-board a train.

Noriko disembarked from the JR train just after 9:10am. They had arranged to meet at 9:20am, so it was perfect timing. She looked around as she walked to their meeting place, thinking they both may have caught the same train, but when she got there Shimako-san was already waiting for her.

Since Shimako-san lived further away, she had probably left earlier to make sure she arrived on time. She might seem light and fluffy, but she was actually very diligent and earnest.

"Gokigenyou."

After exchanging greetings, they walked towards the platform. From time to time they would go on outings to churches, temples and statues of Buddha together, but this was their first time going to an amusement park. Consequently, Noriko was a bit giddy with delight, although she wasn't aware of it.

"We're only changing trains once but it all looks so complicated."

Shimako-san said, as she unfolded a map of the train lines in Tokyo's outskirts.

"It's alright. I know my way around here really well, so leave it to me."

Noriko smiled, saying that, obviously, the reason she knew her way around here wasn't because she was always going to the amusement park. One of her relatives used to live in this area and they would often come and visit, and, as a child, she had often traveled to Tokyo alone to view various statues of Buddha.

"Alright, I'll follow you."

Shimako-san said, quickly putting the map back in her bag. Noriko was gladdened by that small gesture, which said, "I have faith in you."

There weren't as many people on the platform as during rush hour on a weekday, but there were more than Noriko had expected. She thought there was no way that all these people would be going to the amusement park, but predicted that about two-thirds of them would get on the same train as her and Shimako-san. Since people usually faced in the direction that the train they wanted to catch was coming from.

The train arrived not that long after, and the number of people getting on the train was roughly what Noriko had predicted. A lot of people got off the train as well, so it wasn't too crowded. They could stand normally, without brushing up against other people.

They stood opposite the door they had used to board, beside the closed door. They'd have to take care when their door was open not to obstruct the people getting on or off, but while it was closed they could have a leisurely conversation.

"I wonder if everyone's coming."

Shimako-san said softly as she looked out the window.

"It seems like Yoshino-san and Rei-sama will definitely be there."

"I'm not sure about Touko and Kanako-san. I wanted to ring them and find out, but since it was supposed to be entirely optional I didn't feel like I should."

Over the telephone it would be easy to mistake a simple question of whether or not they were going for an imposition.

"That's true. And the amusement park costs money too... Noriko, are you okay?"

Shimako-san's sudden inquiry implied that she had only just considered this. She was probably worried because Noriko lived away from her parents.

"I have money set aside for unexpected expenses, plus I still have some left over from my New Year's gift."

She curled her index finger around to meet her thumb, making the OK sign. Her hobby of viewing Buddha statues didn't usually require much money, but there were the occasional massive spikes. Like when there was an exhibition of a Buddha statue that was only shown once every few years, at a place that was too far away for a day-trip, and she had to pay for travel and lodging. Consequently, Noriko was used to budgeting and keeping some spare cash on hand.

"In my case, I thought I'd be able to pay for it myself, but."

Shimako-san smiled ruefully.

"But?"

It seemed like someone else was footing the bill for Shimako-san's fun today.

"My father gave me a special allowance."

"Your father?"

Shimako-san's father was the chief priest of the fairly large Buddhist temple called Shouguuji, and friend of Noriko's boyfriend / partner-in-Buddhist-statue-admiration, Takuya-kun. He was a cheerful and funny guy, whether he was wearing his monk's robes or not.

"Strange, isn't it? If any normal girl were in my place, she'd be delighted."

"…"

Somehow or other, Noriko felt like she understood.

Shimako-san's father would feel more at ease with a daughter tainted by the world, rather than one who stubbornly brooded over becoming a nun. And, understanding that, Shimako-san had decided to gratefully accept his money and go out and have some fun.

"I guess you never pester them for things you want, Shimako-san."

Looking at her, you wouldn't think she had any worldly desires.

"You do, Noriko?"

"I do. For Christmas, I pestered them for a 10,000 yen photobook of statues of Buddha."

"For Christmas you wanted a photobook of – "

"Statues of Buddha. It's odd, right?"

"Perhaps. A little."

While they were both giggling, the train stopped and the door they were standing next to opened. The two of them stood back and watched as the train seemed to breathe, exhaling old passengers and inhaling new ones. Then the train's mouth closed, and it resumed its rattling journey. At that point, Noriko resumed their conversation.

"I want to talk to you about Touko."

"Touko-chan?"

Shimako-san cocked her head. That name had only been mentioned in passing in their earlier conversation. Noriko's classmate, the girl who may or may not be going to the amusement park. Someone who probably considered Noriko her friend.

"I asked Touko to tell me the details about her date with Yumi-sama. This was after the report had been published in the Lillian Kawaraban. I asked her casually, without thinking about it too hard, since they were now safely soeurs."

"Ohh."

"I thought the report was just an excerpt, but I was wrong. The places they went were all in there. Then I started wondering, did that mean that anybody could follow the same trail as them and have the same date. I can't explain it all that well, but the things that weren't written in the report – their conversations and emotions – those would probably be completely different."

Noriko asked herself, "What am I trying to say?" Certainly, when she started this conversation there had been something she wanted to say to Shimako-san. But the more she talked, the further it seemed she was getting from that, to the point where she had become trapped in a maze of her own words.

But Shimako-san didn't hurry her, instead listening to Noriko's words with a calm expression. Not dragging her forwards, just waiting nonchalantly by the exit. That kind of feeling.

"When she was a baby, Touko's real parents both died in a car accident. She went to visit the location of that accident with Yumi."

"Hold on a moment."

Shimako-san interrupted her.

"Is this something you should be telling me?"

What Noriko had just blurted out may have been something she was told by Touko in confidence. It was therefore only natural that Shimako-san would want to confirm that it was okay.

"Yeah."

Noriko nodded.

"Touko said it was okay if I told you. That she knew it was painful to keep things from your onee-sama."

Actually, Touko had laughed. She said that Rosa Chinensis and Yumi-sama already knew, so there was no need to hide it anymore.

It seemed that, for Touko, the main question had been whether or not Yumi-sama knew about this. Since she had broken through that barrier and was able to speak openly with Yumi-sama, it was of no concern if the rest of her friends knew as well. If anything, she seemed revitalized by it, although that was a poor way of putting it.

"I see."

Shimako-san nodded slightly, then her expression changed to one of understanding.

"If I had known that during the Christmas party, I could have had a different conversation with her."

"Christmas party?"

Again, an old conversation was mentioned. About three months old, now.

"Back then, she asked if I would succeed my father in the family business."

"Ahh – "

That explains it. This time it was Noriko with the expression of understanding.

Touko had told her that her grandfather owned a hospital near the accident site and that her father had no plans to succeed him. Apparently she was thinking about shouldering the burden of the hospital in her father's place. Shimako-san's family ran a temple, so perhaps Touko asked because she thought it could serve as a reference.

"So, what was your response, Shimako-san?"

"I said I wasn't sure, but thought it would be better if my older brother succeeded my father."

"I see."

Shimako-san had a much older brother. He was an enigma of a man, who at one point was a Buddhist monk but now occasionally made sweets (apparently).

"But even if I had known about the accident, I still wouldn't have been able to offer any pertinent advice. Everybody is different, so my experience wouldn't necessarily apply."

At that point, Noriko equivocally said, "I guess so," and let the matter drop. People who had lived long lives had all kinds of experiences so could more easily place themselves in the other person's position, whereas someone who was only a little bit older wouldn't be able to offer much advice. Noriko knew that was the prevailing view amongst the general population.

So Noriko returned to their earlier conversation. There was something she wanted to hear Shimako-san's opinion on.

"I was useless. I'd blundered into this heavy conversation in a light, thoughtless manner. I didn't know what I should have said to Touko – "

Noriko was just as useless in this current conversation, although she hadn't yet realized it.

She believed that Shimako would smile and warn her to show more discretion in the future.

Instead, what awaited her was Shimako-san's serious face.

"When Touko-chan told you this, was it a heavy burden for you?"

"Huh?"

"Did you regret that you heard it, Noriko?"

Why was Shimako-san throwing these questions at her?

"I'm not sure. Why do you ask?"

Noriko really wasn't sure of her true feelings, but what would Shimako-san's reaction have been if she had said that it was a heavy burden and that she did regret hearing it?

Shimako-san wasn't Touko. So why was she fixated on this?

[[Image:MM_v30_p069.png|thumb]]

Suddenly, Noriko's heart started hammering in her chest.

(What was it that Shimako-san had said about the Christmas party?)

She said, "If I had known that during the Christmas party, I could have had a different conversation with her."

("If I had known that" – what was the 'that'?)

That Touko wasn't really her parent's child.

(No way.)

Noriko looked at Shimako-san.

"It looks like I'm the useless one again."

Shimako-san silently turned and looked straight at her.

"To me, it's not that big a deal. So I was going to bring it up as a casual conversation, without thinking that it might be a difficult thing to hear."

Wait, don't just keep the conversation flowing. At least, not until she'd had some time to mentally prepare herself. Just as she was thinking this, Noriko realized she already had some inkling of where this conversation was headed.

"On top of that, I haven't found a way to tactfully broach the subject."

Noriko wanted to avert her gaze. To close her ears. But she couldn't. Shimako-san had already noticed.

"But I see you've already figured it out, Noriko."

"Shimako-san."

Noriko wanted to cry, not knowing what else to do. But that was the one thing she couldn't do. Noriko desperately repeated this to herself like a mantra. Shimako-san still hadn't said anything.

"Right."

Shimako-san smiled.

"I'm not the child of my two parents."

Noriko thought that it would have kept gnawing away at her mind if she had managed to evade this conversation. Therefore, Shimako-san's choice was definitely the correct one.

Still, even if she had managed to deduce it, it was still a shock to hear the truth coming directly from Shimako-san's mouth.

She was also shocked at the fact that she was currently shocked.

Noriko was thrown into confusion, questioning why she was shocked.

Regardless of whose child Shimako-san was, Shimako-san was Shimako-san and Noriko's feelings for her shouldn't change.

So then, why was she so upset?

Was it a feeling of pity that Shimako-san didn't know her parents? Was it the shock momentarily overwhelming her sense of compassion?

A family didn't have to be bonded by blood. There were plenty of parents lovingly raising non-blood-related children. Conversely, there were also blood-related families that were miserable.

"We'll discuss this properly. Let's get off the train."

Shimako-san took hold of Noriko's hand.

"Huh?"

"This is where we change trains, right?"

When the doors opened, the two of them were caught in the crowd of passengers getting off the train. Noriko looked up and saw the name of the station and, sure enough, this was the place where they had to get off.

Even so, they both remained motionless for a while. After watching the other passengers get sucked into the stairway, they sat down on an empty bench.

"I know you've met my older brother. But, the truth is, … there was another brother, older than Masafumi."

Shimako-san spoke in past tense – 'There was another brother.'

"He was my real father."

"So then..."

The chief priest at Shouguuji was Shimako-san's –

"My grandfather. Although they're now listed as my parents in the family register."

"What happened to your real mother and father?"

"They died. Much like Touko-chan, it happened when I was just a baby."

"When did you find out about it?"

"I've always known about it – my parents explained it to me when I was very young. Perhaps they would have tried to hide it from me if my real parents had been strangers, but since their son was my father, it was bound to come out sooner or later."

Traces of their dead son's life undoubtedly remained in various places around the house. It would be hard to remove them all so that Shimako-san never saw them. It would probably be equally difficult to tell Shimako-san that he was her elder brother. And it would be nigh-impossible to keep that a secret in a place like their temple, with so many people coming and going. As the eldest son of the head priest, he would have been known to everyone in the community.

"So that's why it's not something that I find particularly worth mentioning."

Like pointing at fresh leaves and teaching her that they were the color green. Or like teaching her that a priest was a job, much like a fishmonger or chauffeur. She had been taught that she had dead parents, and living parents. That was how Shimako-san spoke about it.

"Since it was all so natural to me, I never realized that it was such a serious topic. If I had known, I would have told you earlier. I'm sorry, Noriko."

Noriko looked down and shook her head numerous times.

The reason it had never come up in conversation wasn't because Shimako-san was hiding it, but because she wasn't aware that it was special.

Even now, Shimako-san probably didn't think of it that way. Despite that, she had adopted a serious expression and spoke about the matter as though it were of importance. Noriko felt like she was the one who should apologize.

But if she apologized here, Shimako-san would be even more conscious of her feelings. Therefore, she mustn't appear gloomy.

"Noriko?"

Shimako-san was inquiring if she was alright, so Noriko smiled.

"I'm fine. It just took me by surprise is all."

Noriko rose from the bench, indicating it was about time they left. If they waited around here too long then the next train would arrive and the platform would once more be full of people.

"Okay. Lead the way, please."

"Leave it to me."

Noriko nodded, took hold of Shimako-san's hand and cheerfully headed towards the staircase.

Looking back on it, her cheerfulness has probably been a front to hide her confusion, a false bravado, as she hadn't yet regained her presence of mind.

Even though Noriko knew the area quite well, and even though they got on the right train line, they caught the in-bound train rather than the out-bound train they were supposed to catch.

As a result, when they finally arrived at the amusement park thirty minutes late, Noriko was feeling doubly depressed. No longer able to squeeze out any more bravado, she had become reticent.

The bear from the parade that had been shaking Shimako-san's hand made his way over to Noriko, and patted her on the shoulder.

She couldn't hear what the man inside the bear costume was saying, but he seemed to be encouraging her to "Cheer up."

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume30 Chapter2 2

2011-08-01T10:49:22Z

Yobbin: Added punctuation

===<noinclude>Frivolity and Self-loathing. </noinclude>Part 2.===

The kindergarten aged boy sitting in the seat in front of her was constantly exclaiming "Wow!" and "Cool!"

At first he was excited just to be on a steam train, which he'd only seen in picture books before (apparently), then when it started moving he took great joy in the park scenery that coalesced around them, then called out reassuringly after confirming that his parents were sitting beside him.

(Ignorance is bliss.)

As she gazed at the scenery without noticing it, Yoshino let her own deep sigh join the rushing wind. It wasn't that she found the boy annoying or foolish. If anything, it was closer to envy or nostalgia. Yoshino had been that ignorant and determinedly excited when she woke up this morning.

Yesterday, after it was determined that they would be going to the amusement park, Yoshino couldn't stop herself from getting excited. Thoughts of going on the rides with Rei-chan, and what they would have for lunch, thrilled her – so much so that she awoke before her alarm clock went off this morning.

But despite that.

(How did things end up like this?)

Yoshino desperately wanted Maria-sama to tell her how she could turn things around, so that she could grab hold of Rei-chan's arm and innocently say, "Look at that," and "Wow," like the boy sitting in front of her.

Yoshino had arranged to meet with Rei-chan at 8:10am.

Having excitedly woken up over two hours before that, she had a leisurely breakfast, tried on the clothes she had picked out to wear last night, changed into a different pair that she thought might be better, then eventually went back to the first set of clothes. Despite taking such a long time to get dressed, there was still plenty of time left over.

Because she had so much free time, she started thinking unnecessary thoughts, which led to the cracks starting to form and the beginning of her sorrow.

"Hehehe."

Yoshino thought that her brain had probably melted from excitement. Upon reflection, it was obviously a mean-spirited practical joke, but at the time she was only thinking that it would be a bit of fun. She'd had the high spirits of a child in pre-school.

Yoshino finished all her preparations for going out, then at 8:05am got back into bed and pulled the blanket over her head.

When 8:10 rolled around and Yoshino still hadn't come out of her house, Rei-chan would enter the Shimazu house, and Yoshino's room, as usual.

(Yoshino, what are you doing? Wake up already.)

Just as Rei-chan pulls down the blanket:

(Buh!)

Yoshino, already dressed to go out, would poke out her tongue.

(Geeze, Yoshino.)

(Hehehe. Did I scare you?)

The two would look at each other and laugh. – Well, that was Yoshino's plan, anyway.

Still wearing her jacket and with the blanked pulled over her head, Yoshino started to boil, but she kept enduring it. A little bit of patience is always needed before something fun.

However.

No matter how long she waited, Rei-chan still didn't appear in her room. When she lifted up her blanket to take a look at the clock, thinking that perhaps it hadn't been five minutes just yet, Yoshino saw that it was 8:20am.

"Don't tell me Rei-chan overslept?" Yoshino thought as she got out of bed, but then she heard the sound of someone walking up the stairs, so she hurriedly got back in bed.

The sound of knocking on the door was quickly followed by the door opening.

Now, come to me.

Yoshino was waiting for the blanket to be ripped off her bed. Instead.

"What are you doing, Yoshino?"

The voice she heard was not Rei-chan's.

"Mother!?"

Naturally, when Yoshino pulled down the blanket the person standing there was the woman that had given birth to her.

"Where's Rei-chan!?"

"As she was leaving, she said she'd go on ahead since you weren't there on time."

"Huh."

"Hurry up and chase after her. Really, going back to sleep after you'd woken up so early."

Explaining that she hadn't gone back to sleep would be a pain, so Yoshino said, "I'm off," and flew out of the house. As she ran towards the bus stop, Yoshino cursed Rei-chan for making her do this.

Turning the corner, she caught sight of someone up ahead. The long, jeans-clad legs that poked out of the short, off-white trench-coat were moving briskly.

"Rei-chan."

Rei-chan stopped walking when Yoshino called out to her.

"Why'd you go on ahead of me?"

Yoshino complained as she ran.

"Because you weren't there at the time we'd set. I waited five minutes for you."

Rei-chan brazenly fixed Yoshino's bangs when she caught up. Damn it. It seems her hair got messed up while she was hiding under the blanket.

"But you usually come and get me."

If Rei-chan were to say, "I'm sorry,", then Yoshino was prepared to say, "It's my fault too." But that didn't happen.

"Why are you acting so spoiled?"

When Yoshino heard that, it was like a switch was flipped inside her.

What's wrong with that? After all, once Rei-chan had graduated, she wouldn't be able to participate in their morning ritual of waking Yoshino up just in time to make it to school.

But Rei-chan didn't agree. It was probably because she was graduating that she didn't want Yoshino to rely on her anymore.

Perhaps it was due to their different positions. The one heading out on a journey wanted to cut off all ties, while the one left behind wanted to cling to them.

"Ahh!"

Rei-chan cried out. The bus had sailed past them right at that moment. There was no-one waiting at the bus stop. It didn't look like anyone was getting off either, since the bus kept on going until it disappeared from view.

"Ahh."

As she listened to Rei-chan's despondent cry, Yoshino said:

"There's nothing we can do about it now."

"There's hardly any buses on a Sunday."

Rei-chan scratched her head.

"This is your fault, Yoshino."

"What?"

Sure, she hadn't been out in front of her house at the time they had agreed to, but that just meant Rei-chan should have come and got her. It had been Rei-chan's decision to wait five minutes, then leave without her, so she had no right to blame her. Even now, it was because of a choice she had made. If Rei-chan hadn't stopped when Yoshino called out to her, instead continuing to walk along in silence, she would have caught that bus.

"… Honestly."

Rei-chan studied the timetable printed on the bus stop, then looked at her watch and sighed theatrically.

For argument's sake, let's say Rei-chan did make it here on time and Yoshino still hadn't come, would she have got on that bus?

That's cold, Rei-chan. Yoshino curled her lower-lip as she looked at Rei-chan's profile. If that's how it was going to be, then damned if she'd open her mouth until she'd received an apology.

The next bus wouldn't be here for about twenty minutes. Rei-chan didn't attempt to talk to her, so Yoshino remained silent as well.

When they finally boarded the bus, it moved at a sluggish pace. The only possible reason was that the roads were packed. Looking out the front window, Yoshino saw all makes of cars, both big and small, filling the road to the train station. Even when the lights turned green, there was no hint of movement.

"Yoshino."

Rei-chan spoke, for the first time in thirty minutes. Thinking that Rei-chan was about to apologize, Yoshino responded with, "Yes?" and turned towards her. However, the next words out of Rei-chan's mouth were:

"Don't you have something to say to me?"

– That.

"Good morning, Rei-chan."

Yoshino forced a smile.

"That's not it."

Rei-chan was waiting for something else, but Yoshino said, "That's all," and shut her out.

It's a shame, but Yoshino wasn't going to be the first one to say, "I'm sorry," today.

As she absentmindedly watched the red light on the car in front of them, Yoshino thought, "At this rate, we're not going to make it to the amusement park by opening time."

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume30 Chapter2 1

2011-08-01T10:40:17Z

Yobbin: /* Frivolity and Self-loathing. Part 1 */

===<noinclude>Frivolity and Self-loathing. </noinclude>Part 1.===

"Don't tell me you were waiting here for us?"

Yumi asked in disbelief.

"It's just a coincidence."

Yoshino-san answered sourly. When Rei-sama appeared from behind them she greeted Yumi's group of four with "Gokigenyou," but seemed to be forcing herself to be cheerful.

"I wonder if they've been fighting."

Even if Sachiko-sama hadn't whispered this in Yumi's ear, the tension that filled the two metre gap between the Yellow Rose sisters was obvious.

"They haven't changed a bit. No matter how much time passes, they're still acting like children."

That was an incredibly morally superior position for Sachiko-sama to take, considering she had been bickering with Kashiwagi-san not that long ago. But, thankfully, it looked like those comments hadn't carried to Yoshino-san's ears. Still with a sour look on her face, Yoshino-san poked her thumb over her shoulder and said:

"The impromptu gathering's still going on."

When Yumi turned around, Tsutako-san and Shouko-chan were standing right behind her. Shimako-san and Noriko-chan were also visible, a short distance away.

"It seems they caught the same train here."

Yoshino-san said. Although everyone had arrived at the amusement park half an hour after its opening time, Yoshino-san's use of the word 'seems' implied they hadn't arranged this meeting.

"Were the trains running late?"

"I didn't hear anything about that."

So, at the very least, Yoshino-san and Rei-sama's late arrival wasn't because of the trains.

"But there was congestion during the bus ride."

"Hmm."

They hadn't made it in time to catch their intended train due to the slow-moving bus and had lost thirty minutes. It all fit together. Still, as Yumi watched the Yellow Rose sisters walking away, she was convinced that something else had happened on their journey here. If the problem was only that they were late because they got stuck in traffic, Yoshino-san would be more animated, saying things like, "They need dedicated bus lanes," or, "There needs to be more buses." In contrast, gentle Rei-sama would never get upset over something as trivial as a traffic jam.

But enough of that. Yumi, Sachiko-sama, Kashiwagi-san and Yuuki each purchased a ticket with their own money.

Having said that, the decision that they should all pay their own way was arrived at only after a massive dispute. Sachiko-sama had announced, unprompted, that she would pay Yumi and Yuuki's share, since this was all so she could have her revenge. However, Yumi's parents were unwilling to stray from their principle that school students should each pay their own share, and the Fukuzawa siblings were unwilling to disobey their parents. In the end, they struck a deal where Kashiwagi-san would drive them, thereby letting the Ogasawara family cover the travel expenses (Kashiwagi-san and Sachiko-sama obviously kept their finances separate, but Yumi's parents knew they were related). Back then, neither Yumi nor anyone else in her family had imagined that Sachiko-sama would be driving.

After buying an all-day pass, they waited by the main entrance for Tsutako-san, Shouko-chan, Shimako-san and Noriko-chan to join them.

"Oh."

Surprisingly, it was only then that the White Rose sisters realized the other members were present. Shimako-san looked at her watch, then quietly said something like, "I wonder if we should go in." They probably hadn't expected to meet their friends here since they had arrived late themselves. Yumi had waved at them from the ticket counter, but apparently they hadn't noticed.

Still.

(What, what?)

A pall hung over the area, as though they were holding a wake.

There should be more energy to a gathering of ten young men and women at an amusement park on Sunday. But this group seemed to have run out of fizz, like a soda can that had been opened and then left to stand for an hour. They hadn't entered the park yet, and they were all like that. Even though they had been so enthusiastic yesterday evening.

They started by greeting each other with "Gokigenyou," although no-one looked particularly happy.

The Yellow Rose sisters were fighting about something. Noriko-chan was acting reticent with Shimako-san around. Even Tsutako-san and Shouko-chan were strangely awkward. Kashiwagi-san and Sachiko-sama were on-edge because of their bickering over traffic and driving, while the Fukuzawa siblings were exhausted from fretting over their respective seniors.

"… I suppose we should go inside."

Even though Yumi was worried about her friends, they wouldn't solve anything by standing there looking at each other. Since they had all arrived about 30 minutes late, they entered the park together, as though they had planned to do this.

"Since it turned out like this, it's a shame that Touko and Kanako-chan aren't here as well."

The amusement park date was always intended to be an optional outing, and if they happened to run into each other they could have some fun together. When they parted company last night, they hadn't been able to contact Kanako-chan and Touko had said she didn't know whether she would be able to come or not. If the park has just opened, they would have waited a while for Touko and Kanako-chan, but the park had already been open for thirty minutes so, assuming they intended to come, it was possible they were already inside.

"Surprisingly, they may have made it here when the park opened."

"It'd be nice if we met them inside."

Then let the Touko-and-Kanako-hunt begin!

"Ahh – the steam train's running!"

Yoshino-san pointed and shouted just after they'd walked though the main gate.

"You, you, and you. Let's go ride it."

As for who Yoshino-san was proposing should go on the ride with her, it was Yumi, Shimako-san and Tsutako-san. In other words, all of the second-years from Lillian's Girls Academy. By all rights, the first one to see Yoshino-san's smiling face should have been her partner, Rei-sama, but she was being completely ignored. Yumi didn't know what caused their fight, but the insinuation was quite obvious.

Noriko-chan and Shouko-chan were pulled in as well, following Shimako-san and Tsutako-san respectively. And then, just like that, Yoshino-san was in high spirits as she led the group of six.

"Yoshino. Yumi-chan's here with Sachiko."

Rei-sama was hastily chasing them, but Sachiko-sama said to her:

"It's okay. We'll all split up sooner or later, so we may as well have some fun together now."

"Indeed. The steam train looks as though it can hold ten people riding together, so does anyone mind if we join in?"

Kashiwagi-san smiled as he grabbed hold of Yuuki's arm. Yuuki shrugged himself free, saying he wasn't a child, and walked alongside Sachiko-sama and Rei-sama. Maybe older women were his type.

"Oh look, they have bicycles for inside the park."

"Ah. There's a bear riding a bike."

As they all traveled together, the conversation gradually picked up and the pall was lifted. There was no boisterous laughter, but it approached the liveliness of a Buddhist memorial service. Even Sachiko-sama and Kashiwagi-san, by keeping a buffer of other people between them, were able to soften their mood. Since it was such an insignificant quarrel, there were unlikely to be any long-term repercussions.

In that case, perhaps Yoshino-san and Rei-sama didn't want to be left alone just now. The White Rose sisters and the photography club duo didn't really understand what was going on, but since they agreed to ride on the steam train they obviously weren't looking to spend some time alone just yet.

Since the steam train could take over a hundred people at a time, it didn't take long until it was their turn. Now the problem was who would sit where. Normally, the couples that came together would pair up, ie. the White Rose sisters, the Yellow Rose sisters, the photography club duo, the Red Rose sisters and the pair from Hanadera Academy.

Occasionally they'd shuffle things around, but at present they had no way of randomly assigning lots, and no-one would want to do a show of hands for who sat where.

"Yoshino-san, what do you want to do?"

Yumi asked the most problematic person directly. Thereupon.

"It's okay. I'll sit with Rei-chan."

Was Yoshino-san's response. They way she said it made it obvious that she didn't want to be with Rei-chan, but that it was the lesser of two evils. That may be true, since she would be asked to explain if she sat with anyone else. Everyone had noticed that something was up, but Yoshino-san hadn't said a single word about their fight. It must be something she wasn't proud of.

So, they all boarded the steam train and sat down with their usual partner. Yumi was happy to be next to Sachiko-sama, but found herself glancing two seats forward to where Yoshino-san sat, out of concern.

As expected, Yoshino-san was completely ignoring Rei-sama on her left, instead looking only at the scenery through the window on her right.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume30 Chapter1 3

2011-08-01T10:33:18Z

Yobbin: /* Scattered Sunshine. Part 3 */

===<noinclude>Scattered Sunshine. </noinclude>Part 3.===

Her onee-sama sat down in the driver's seat. Then she adjusted the seat position and the angle of the mirror. It was the same thing that Kashiwagi-san had done in front of the Fukuzawa's house.

"O-onee-sama!?"

While all this was going on, Kashiwagi-san handed his card to the pump attendant and returned to the car, seating himself in the free space in the front – the passenger's seat.

"Don't worry Yumi. I've got my license."

Ahh geez. That was the exact same thing that a certain someone had cheerfully said to her some time ago. Even the pose was similar. This time, the proffered license had a photo of the exquisite Ogasawara Sachiko-sama. Yumi felt just a little bit nervous.

"Umm. When did you get your license?"

"Let's see. I didn't come to school last Friday, right? That's when."

Indeed. She had been absent. And Yumi hadn't inquired as to why.

"So this is what you had been uncharacteristically studying for – "

"Oh, you noticed? I was going over a workbook for the written exam. Normally I wouldn't have to study for that, but the test has all kinds of trick questions that I needed to familiarize myself with."

So that explained what Minako-sama had referred to as 'her eccentricities' and why they had suddenly stopped after Friday.

"Did you go to a driving school … ?"

"Yes, of course I did. I've been going since not long after the student council elections. I'd go in the evening on weekdays, during the afternoon on Saturdays and all day Sunday."

So that was why she went home straight after school.

"Then, that's why Kashiwagi-san was going over to the Ogasawara household – "

"My, you were concerned about quite a lot of things."

Sachiko-sama seemed pleased.

"I was her tutor. She was determined to get it on her first attempt, so I went over to help before her temporary license exam and final exam."

"I didn't say anything because I wanted it to be a surprise to you, Yumi."

In that case, her plan was a huge success. Yumi was completely surprised.

"You don't have to make that face, it'll be okay. I made it from my place to your house without accident."

"It would be a huge problem if there were an accident."

So why would they change and have Kashiwagi-san drive them away from the Fukuzawa household when Sachiko-sama had driven there? It seems that was done so Yumi's parents wouldn't worry about an inexperienced driver driving them around. Yumi had no way of knowing for sure, but she suspected that there had been a bit of an argument about this, and it was only after Sachiko-sama had extracted the promise that they would switch at an appropriate time that she allowed Kashiwagi-san to drive. But Kashiwagi-san had become faint-hearted once the Fukuzawa siblings were in the back seat, thinking it would be safer for them to continue on to the amusement park with him as the driver. Was Sachiko-sama's driving really that stressful?

"How long have you known, Yuuki?"

"Since my sempai sat down in the driver's seat."

"Out the front of our house?"

That was quick.

"If he had driven there, then he wouldn't have had to adjust the seat and the mirror as much as he did."

"Ah, was that it."

Five minutes earlier, Kashiwagi-san had adjusted the seat and the mirror so they were comfortable for him, in the same way that Sachiko-sama had just done. Because someone else had been driving the car just before. But only two people came to the Fukuzawa residence in this car, making it trivial to deduce the identity of the driver.

"Although I became suspicious when he said that Sachiko-sama's grandfather had lent them the car for the day."

Kashiwagi-san laughed at Yuuki's statement.

"I guess that was pushing it."

Kashiwagi-san had taken numerous young women driving in his usual red car. The ones Yumi knew about were Sachiko-sama and herself, Youko-sama and Touko. So why hadn't this car made an appearance before now?

The gas station attendants cleaned the car windows. There were three of them, and Yumi found it strange that they were doing such an incredibly thorough job. Initially, she thought it was because they were admiring Sachiko-sama's beauty, but they spent just as long on the rear windows. Apparently they were fascinated with the car itself. Was it really that rare an automobile?

"Is this Sachiko-san's car?"

Yuuki asked.

"No. Didn't I tell you? It's my grandfather's."

"But her grandfather doesn't drive. He bought this a month ago, for Sacchan."

It was nominally her grandfather's. However, it was essentially Sachiko-sama's personal car.

After filling up the tank and returning Kashiwagi-san's credit card, the attendants reluctantly stopped cleaning the windows.

"Umm."

The Fukuzawa siblings nervously asked if Sachiko-sama was really going to drive the rest of the way there.

"It'll be fine. She's passed the license exam."

Kashiwagi-san said soothingly, stifling any retort from Sachiko-sama. But there would be far fewer traffic accidents if having a license meant that you were a completely safe driver.

"Just take it carefully. After all, you've got your precious Yumi-chan on board. Right, Sacchan?"

"Of course."

That was slightly reassuring. Still, even though Sachiko-sama had said that, they didn't know what kind of a driver she was. Yumi knew that people could change when they got behind the wheel.

[[Image:MM_v30_p039.png|thumb]]

"Check front and rear."

After pointing out the front and to the mirror, Sachiko-sama slowly started to drive. The attendants got out of the way and the next car pulled in behind them.

"Blinker."

Instructed Kashiwagi-san.

"I know."

Sachiko-sama grumbled after switching on the left indicator.

"Aren't you noisy. I was just a bit slow turning it on that time."

Yumi no longer wished she was sitting beside her onee-sama. Kashiwagi-san, with his year-long driving history, was the only one who could cover for Sachiko-sama's faltering driving. To make matters worse, this car wasn't fitted with something as convenient as satellite navigation. Kashiwagi-san, with the map spread across the passenger's seat, had to rely on street signs to know where they were.

Still.

"You have to speed up, so we're part of the flow."

"Somebody said to drive carefully."

After the Fukuzawa siblings went quiet, leaving everything to Kashiwagi-san, the two-person conversation gradually started to heat up.

"Don't turn the blinker on so early."

"But you said I was too late last time."

"You have to time it just right."

"Could you be quiet for a bit?"

This had probably gone on for the entire drive from the Ogasawara residence to the Fukuzawa's house too.

"Ah – we had to turn right there."

"Then you should have said so sooner."

"But you told me to be quiet."

"It was Sei-sama that said this, but you really do have a bad personality."

"Or maybe it's because you were rushing."

Then, to top it all off, they got stuck in a traffic jam on the freeway, completing their foul mood. A sunny Sunday morning was the perfect time for an outing, after all. The congestion wasn't anyone's fault, but the extra irritation caused by inching their way along made for an intolerable atmosphere within the car. The Fukuzawa siblings tried to brighten the atmosphere by talking about cheery things, but no matter where they tried to steer the conversation to, the fatigue still remained.

So, not only did the Red Rose sisters, Kashiwagi-san and Yuuki arrive at the amusement park thirty minutes after its opening time, no-one was in a good mood when they got there either.

"We didn't make it in time, even though we left home two and a half hours ago."

Sachiko-sama muttered ruefully as she locked the car. This was the part of her personality that hated to lose coming out. Although it was unclear who she was competing against.

"Well, it hasn't been half an hour since the park opened, so we're not that late."

Cheering up her irresponsible onee-sama may be a lot of work, but if her bad mood continued then today would be no fun at all.

"Anyway, let's go and buy a ticket."

Yumi took hold of Sachiko-sama's hand and walked towards the ticket-counter, right next to the main entrance. There was a queue of about ten people in front of each of the windows. Looking around, she could see a surge of people heading this way from the train station. The sooner they bought their tickets, the sooner they could enjoy the rides.

Even so. Yumi started to feel dizzy, thinking about all the people that were going to the amusement park. After all, the people she could see now were just a small fraction compared to the people that had already entered in the last thirty minutes, and those that would come later. Probably.

"Oh?"

Even though they'd arrived massively late due to the traffic jam, Yumi saw someone she knew standing in front of the ticket counter.

"Yumi-san..."

The girl with braids dangling over her shoulders smiled weakly.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume30 Chapter1 2

2011-07-31T11:22:20Z

Yobbin: Added some punctuation

===<noinclude>Scattered Sunshine. </noinclude>Part 2.===

Then, just like that, the evening had passed and today had arrived.

There was no need to consult the weather report; brilliant sunlight streamed in through the east window. It was already sunny, despite yesterday's forecast of clouds followed by sunshine. Surely sunshine followed by sunshine.

"Regardless, I'm so happy to be going out I could just throw my hands up in the air."

Yumi scanned the newspaper's weather forecast section. The sunshine symbol was there for the whole day. The amusement park would definitely be packed.

"At least it's not raining. They probably stop the outdoor rides during heavy rain, and when they start again you'd get wet riding on them."

Yuuki said, his brow furrowed as he carried his bag down the stairs.

"Yeah, that's true."

Yumi stretched and then smiled. She was going on a date with her onee-sama. It would still be fun even if it was raining. But it was sunny. So there was no reason to complain. Bring on the packed amusement park. They'd have a fun time chatting while they waited. – The more Yumi thought about it, the more her anticipation grew.

It would soon be 8 o'clock. That was the time that Kashiwagi-san and Sachiko-sama had arranged to pick them up from in front of the Fukuzawa house. But because they were coming by car, they could be either earlier or later depending on traffic.

"Sorry, Yuuki."

She called over her younger brother's shoulder, as he watched a taped program and fiddled with the TV remote control. Without turning around, he answered, "What for?"

"For making you accompany my onee-sama."

"Ahh."

Yuuki switched off the TV and turned to face her.

"I was a bit worried because of the way it ended last time. It's not like I don't understand what Sachiko-sama was feeling. Besides, I don't mind the amusement park."

"...Yeah."

Pleased that she had such a fine brother, Yumi instinctively patted him on the shoulder. He responded by running away, saying, "That feels kind of wrong." When they were young, Yumi would always be grumpy whenever Yuuki followed her around. Although she was never actually mean to him.

"Hey, Yumi-chan. Are you going to invite Sachiko-sama and Kashiwagi-san into the house? If you do, we should probably offer them tea, right?"

Her mother was taking off her rubber gloves as she walked out of the bathroom. Based on her appearance, she had just been cleaning the bathroom.

"Don't worry about it, it's okay."

Yumi waved her right hand.

"If you're worried about their car, they can park in my office car park, since it's Sunday."

Even her father was joining in. Both her parents had taking a liking to the superficially handsome, young Kashiwagi-san. As for Sachiko-sama, they admired her like a celebrity – initially because they were brainwashed by their daughter, but then voluntarily after their first chance meeting with her. Consequently, it wasn't just the Fukuzawa children, but also their parents, that wanted to be good friends with Sachiko-sama and Kashiwagi-san.

"That's not the problem. There's only enough time for them to pick us up if we're going to make it to the park when it opens."

If they were to invite them in to the house, it would take at least 30 minutes to an hour. Of course, there was a little bit of leeway in their travel plans. But that was there in case they got caught in traffic – they hadn't planned to spend much time at the Fukuzawa household.

"Really?"

Even as she said this, her mother was swapping out the towels in the bathroom for the nicer ones that they used when they had company. Just in case, despite what she had just heard.

"When I see you two like that, you really do look alike."

Her mother smiled, because they were both wearing their coats in anticipation of their visitor's arrival. It hadn't been noticeable when Yumi was just wearing jeans and a pink floral blouse, and Yuuki was just wearing jeans and a black t-shirt. But now that they were both wearing similarly colored denim jackets, it appeared as though they were going for the same look. Add to that their similar looking faces, and the impression of a mass-produced product was apparently quite funny. Pointing and laughing at the two children you gave birth to was either innocence, or irresponsibility.

"I'll go change."

Yuuki sullenly ran up the staircase.

"Ohh, now he's upset. Ahh, Yuuki's so delicate."

"Indeed. I wonder who he gets that from."

The words, "Not from you, that's for sure," almost made it out of Yumi's mouth but she was just able to contain them.

The Fukuzawa intercom buzzed at about the same time that Yuuki was making his way downstairs, having finished changing clothes.

"Hello."

Yumi was waiting by the intercom, having heard a car pull up outside, so was able to press the reply button almost instantaneously.

"Ogasawara here."

"Okay. We'll be right out."

Buoyed by her onee-sama's voice, Yumi swung her bag over her shoulder and hurried to the entrance. Her mother and father followed her, as though that were perfectly natural. Obviously intending to offer their greetings.

Yuuki was one step ahead of her, his butt parked on the wooden step, tying the laces of his sneakers. The denim jacket had been swapped for a beige-ish synthetic leather pea coat, and Yumi's now very different looking younger brother moved to one side so that she could put on her sneakers too. After tapping her toes into the shoes, Yumi hurriedly turned the doorknob and rushed out.

"Good morning."

Kashiwagi-san and Sachiko-sama were standing right in front of the door.

"Morning."

"Thanks for coming today."

It was regrettable, but had to be acknowledged. The impression that Kashiwagi-san and Sachiko-sama gave was of a beautiful couple. In comparison... Yumi glanced at Yuuki as he walked past.

"Don't mention it."

On her side of the door was the raccoon-faced duo. Although the two parties may have been genetically quite different, it seemed that there were still some things in common: The beautiful people were wearing jeans and a jacket too.

Sachiko-sama and Kashiwagi-san both simultaneously adopted an identical expression as their attention was drawn to the area behind Yumi. Without turning around, Yumi knew that her parents had made their entrance.

Our children are probably going to be a bother to you. No, no, not at all. After exchanging the standard pleasantries, they decided to make their way over to the car.

"Oh?"

This time it was the Fukuzawa household acting in unison.

"Kashiwagi-kun, did you buy a new car?"

Yumi's father was the first one to ask. The car parked on the side of the road wasn't his usual chilli red car.

"No. This isn't mine, it's grandfather Ogasawara's car. He lent it to me, saying that I should have a more substantial car since I'm giving these ladies a lift."

"The president of the Ogasawara Group's car? Indeed – "

Her father didn't say anything further, but was probably thinking, "It looks expensive." Yumi couldn't tell much other than that it was left-hand drive and the paint was either dark green or dark blue, but it seemed that the value of this automobile was immediately obvious to anyone with even a passing interest in cars.

"It's second-hand though."

Sachiko-sama said.

Right, right. Even Yumi could tell that it wasn't brand new, since there were some light scratches on the front and sides.

"For the time being, Yumi and Yuuki-san can ride in the back."

"Oh?"

Yumi said, a little dejected, as she had expected that she would sit in the back together with her onee-sama.

"I said it was just for the time being, didn't I? We'll swap seats en-route. See, there are cars coming from behind us."

"Okay."

Even if she wanted to protest further, it wasn't worth making a scene over. Reluctantly, Yumi climbed into the back seat with Yuuki.

"Well then, we're off. I'll make sure they're home on time."

Kashiwagi-san bowed to Mr. and Mrs. Fukuzawa then settled into the driver's seat, adjusting the position of the chair and the angle of the mirror. In the passenger's seat, Sachiko-sama fastened her seat-belt and said, "Okay Suguru-san," curtly giving him the signal to proceed.

After they'd turned the corner in front of the Kakinoki-san's house and could no longer see Yumi's parents waving them goodbye, Sachiko-sama said:

"I wonder if there's a street wide enough to park the car in around here."

"Huh?"

They'd only just set off, so why did they have to stop so quickly? Kashiwagi-san chided her, saying , "Sacchan," before Yumi could ask this question. It looked as though he knew the intent behind Sachiko-sama's statement.

"Hey, Yumi. Do you know anywhere?"

Sachiko-sama asked once more, completely ignoring Kashiwagi-san, so Yumi chose to give her preference.

"A wide road?"

When she looked to Yuuki for help, he had a complicated expression that was part anguish and part bewilderment.

"What's wrong?"

They hadn't gone a kilometre from their starting point. They hadn't even made it to a main road yet. Kashiwagi-san was famous for his rough driving, but it was still a bit too early to be getting carsick.

"I've got a bad feeling."

Yuuki whispered.

"Huh?"

Yumi thought she heard him say that he had a bad feeling, but that must have been a mistake. After mishearing his first statement, Yumi cupped her ear with her hand to try and focus on what her brother was saying.

"If it were up to me, I'd say we go to the amusement park like we are now, non-stop."

Was what he said. So it looks like Yumi hadn't misheard him earlier after all. Still.

"What do you mean?"

Yumi challenged him, not understanding what was happening.

"Yukichi's bad feeling is probably right on the mark."

Kashiwagi-san spoke matter-of-factly as he turned the steering wheel.

"How rude."

Sachiko-sama said indignantly.

What, what?

Yumi gaze leapt from forwards, to diagonally forwards and right, to the right and back again, desperately trying to find some kind of hint. Even so, the conversation continued steadily, minus a single stranded member.

"All those who agree with staying like this and not stopping."

In response to Kashiwagi-san's statement, Yuuki gave a hearty, "Me," and raised his hand.

"Okay, all those opposed."

This time Sachiko-sama raised her hand. Yumi hadn't raised her hand for either option, since she didn't know what was going on.

"Two against one."

"Yumi, you should side with me, your onee-sama."

"Ah, but."

How could she agree when she didn't know what was going on. And siding with her onee-sama would mean voting to see Yuuki and Kashiwagi-san's bad feeling realized.

"There were three valid votes."

"Wait a minute. You can't just say that Yumi's vote is invalid. Someone who doesn't understand can't be expected to make a decision just like that."

Well then somebody please explain clearly what's going on. It was all because they'd ignored her earlier cries for clarification.

"If Yumi-chan did understand what was going on, she'd probably take your side, Sacchan."

Kashiwagi-san laughed derisively.

"Well, who can say."

Still, Yumi started to question the accuracy of Kashiwagi-san's theory when Sachiko-sama grumbled instead of offering up an explanation.

Realizing that she was getting nowhere, Sachiko-sama took drastic action.

"If you don't stop the car, I'm going to pull on the wheel and we'll see where we end up."

It wasn't just an idle threat, she'd already placed a hand on the wheel. Kashiwagi-san's hands were at 10:10, in other words where the numbers 2 and 10 were on a clock's face, while Sachiko-sama's hand had darted in at about 4.

"Waaaah."

Yuuki cried out.

"Stop! Stop! I get it. I'll find somewhere we can pull over and stop."

The usually aloof Kashiwagi-san begged miserably. It was almost like he was some TV comic that had just been given an overinflated balloon. Which would make Sachiko-sama the balloon – as she was thinking this, Yumi suddenly realized how dangerous a position they had been in. This was a highjacking, or, more precisely, a carjacking.

Later, after quiet reflection, Yumi realized that Sachiko-sama probably wouldn't have gone through with her threat because, seated in the passenger's seat, she would have come off the worst. However, she wasn't able to assess things that calmly in the heat of the moment.

Eventually, Kashiwagi-san spotted a gas station close to the main road and pulled in. He stopped at a pump and let out a sigh of relief.

"Hi there, fill it up."

After opening the window and instructing the attendant on what to do, he turned to Sachiko-sama.

"Don't be so unreasonable, Sacchan."

"Isn't it your fault for not keeping your promise, Suguru-san?"

Sachiko-sama took her hand off the wheel. Her recalcitrance in not removing her hand before now was incredible.

"I'm sorry Yukichi. I hope you'll forgive my cowardice."

Kashiwagi-san switched off the engine then turned to face them in the back seat.

"Not at all. You've worked hard, sempai."

"So you understand?"

"I think that fight told the whole story."

"Yukichi!"

"Sempai!"

The two guys high-fived each other. Yumi looked on questioningly.

"Quit your grumbling. Now, let's swap seats."

Sachiko-sama unfastened her seat belt.

"Huh? Swap seats?"

Yumi's twin ponytails bounced around. That's right, Sachiko-sama had said earlier that they would swap seats en-route. So that's what this was about. Sachiko-sama had been looking for a place to stop because she wanted to sit next to Yumi as soon as possible.

(Huh?)

But, why would there be a bad feeling about that? Why would Kashiwagi-san and Yuuki oppose it?

"Oh geez."

Kashiwagi-san unfastened his seat-belt too. Perhaps he was going to buy something from the gas stand. From memory her father would just open the window, hand over his credit card and that was it. As her mind was going in circles thinking about this, both Kashiwagi-san and Sachiko-sama got out of the car.

"Huh? What about you, Yuuki?"

Her younger brother wasn't moving at all, despite being told that they were swapping seats. Instead, he let out a small sigh.

"Say, Yumi. You have your moments of brilliance, but you're usually pretty slow."

"What?"

"You don't understand what she meant when she said swap seats, do you?"

"You two are swapping seats, right?"

Yumi crossed her fingers over, indicating that Yuuki and Sachiko-sama would be swapping.

"Nope."

"Huh? Then..."

Herself and Sachiko-sama swapping seats? That way Yuuki wouldn't have to move. But why would Sachiko-sama want her in the front seat?

"… There's one other combination."

"Huh?"

Well that was no help. Kashiwagi-san was the driver, so he couldn't change seats, and there was no other combination involving the front passenger seat swapping with someone in the back seat. The two people in the back could swap, but what would be the point of that?

(Oh.)

Hold on a minute – an alarm was sounding somewhere inside her head.

(So why did Kashiwagi-san get out of his seat?)

The seat he had been sitting in was special because only someone with a driver's license was allowed to sit there. Yumi could happily sit there while they were stationary at the gas stand, but there was no way she could take hold of the wheel and drive out onto a public road. Both legally and practically. Naturally, neither could Yuuki. And – .

"Ah."

Yumi suddenly had a flashback.

(How on earth!)

That had been her reaction when a driver's license was thrust in front of her. Back then, Satou Sei-sama was still a high school student.

"Huh!?"

No way. No way!

"Took you long enough."

Sachiko-sama gracefully sat down in front of Yumi just as Yuuki muttered this. In other words, the two people in the front had swapped seats and Sachiko-sama was now at the wheel.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume30 Chapter1 1

2011-07-31T11:17:16Z

Yobbin: /* Scattered Sunshine. Part 1 */

===<noinclude>Scattered Sunshine. </noinclude>Part 0.===

A certain day in March (Sunday).

On that day, at 10:30am, the group of ten youths that had appeared, as though by prior arrangement, greeted each other sheepishly with "Gokigenyou." It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that, amidst the couples and excited children that flock to amusement parks, this was the only group that didn't look jubilant.

===<noinclude>Scattered Sunshine. </noinclude>Part 1.===

Just where to start this story?

Right, right, they had held their private farewell party for Sachiko-sama and Rei-sama after the send-off assembly for all the third-years yesterday, on Saturday.

The first-years had done party performances, they had danced and had a wonderful time, but of course that kind of joy could not last forever and it had ended when the security guard had cautioned them to leave as he did his rounds.

Such is life.

Everyone was finding it hard to leave, not wanting to say "I'm going home," so it was probably just as well that there had been some external impetus. If not, they may have stayed at school until 7 or 8 at night.

One thing led to another, and as they were heading home it looked as though everyone would be joining Yumi and Sachiko-sama on their date at the amusement park the following day. They had decided that it was only proper that they should invite the other participants from the Christmas party, so had stopped at a phone booth near the school gates and called Takeshima Tsutako-san and Hosokawa Kanako-chan.

"Huh? What? What do you mean?"

Tsutako-san asked, on the other end of the phone. Perfectly understandable. Even the people who had been present at the farewell party when Sachiko-sama had made her sudden announcement hadn't understood immediately.

She'd said that they were going to the amusement park tomorrow, so if anyone else wanted to come along they were welcome. However, they weren't going to arrange to meet so everyone was free to do as they pleased.

See, it'd make you question your hearing. It's not the kind of thing you'd usually be asked over the phone.

"You see."

Yumi persevered with her explanation and, eventually, Tsutako-san started to (somewhat) understand. Although she'd apparently forgotten that the idea that they all go to the amusement park together had been floated during last year's Christmas party.

"I wasn't sure when it happened, but I do remember a conversation about going to the amusement park."

Yumi was initially skeptical but decided Tsutako-san was probably telling the truth. After all, Tsutako-san had been the first to respond during the Christmas party when Sachiko-sama suggested that they all should go together sometime. She'd loudly and enthusiastically endorsed that idea.

"Although I'll have to find out if I can go once I get off the phone."

Yumi responded with, "Of course." Since everyone was free to do as they wished, there was no need for an RSVP or anything.

"So, is it okay if I bring someone else?"

As she was putting the telephone receiver back on the hook, Yumi thought that Tsutako-san was probably going to invite Shouko-chan.

Next she called Kanako-chan but she wasn't at home. Her mother must have been out as well, because the phone rang about ten times and no-one answered.

"I'll call her when I get home."

Touko offered, and they all agreed to leave it to her. Originally, Touko and Kanako-chan had seemed like natural enemies, always at loggerheads with each other, but at some point there had been a thawing in their relationship and they now had a quiet friendship. Even their mutual classmate, Noriko-chan, trusted Touko on this.

"What shall we do about Nana-chan?"

Shimako-san looked at Yoshino-san. It wasn't as though she was Nana-chan's patron, but since Nana-chan was the closest thing there was to Yoshino-san's petit soeur, it seemed like she should be the one to ask.

"About Nana – "

Yoshino-san hesitated. She glanced at Rei-sama, but then quickly looked away. In contrast, Rei-sama was looking directly at Yoshino-san. Staring, even.

"We were inviting the people who were at the Christmas party, right?"

Sachiko-sama asked Yoshino-san. Implying that they should obviously invite Nana-chan as well.

"But Nana's situation is a bit different, don't you think?"

Even if she was just about to graduate, Nana-chan was still a middle-school student. Their school buildings were located only a short distance apart, but the invisible wall that separated middle-school students from high-school students was both thick and tall.

"That's true..."

High school students taking a middle school student out with them. It did make you question whether it was okay or not.

"And since it's a private get together, she'd have to pay for herself."

So they couldn't just ask her without thinking about it. Yoshino-san's hesitation had some merit to it. Even so, it seemed a shame that Nana-chan was the only one they weren't going to invite.

"I'll give her a call after I get home."

There was unanimous agreement with Yoshino-san's statement. It was better that the conversation occur somewhere quiet, rather than with everyone crowded around a telephone booth. And they were willing to leave it up to Yoshino-san to see how that conversation played out.

Yoshino-san was the one who thought the most about Nana-chan out of all of them. And everyone agreed that Yoshino-san was the one that Nana-chan thought about the most.

"Just for reference, what time were you planning on arriving at the amusement park tomorrow, Yumi-san?"

Yoshino-san asked as they walked past the school gates, the brightening of her demeanor as abrupt as the change in topic.

"What time … "

The truth was, they hadn't yet decided on a specific time that they would meet. Yumi shot Sachiko-sama a glance that said, "What should we do?" and in exchange Sachiko-sama answered for her.

"I was thinking we'd be there when the park opens."

Ohhh. Typical of Sachiko-sama, her fighting spirit wasn't just constrained to the announcement.

"Copy that."

Yoshino-san grabbed hold of Rei-sama's arm with her right hand, and gestured a salute with her left hand.

"Wouldn't it be better if you didn't copy that. Do you want to impose on Sachiko's date right from the start?"

Rei-sama said, freeing her arm. She then flicked Yoshino-san on the forehead, telling her that she was getting a bit carried away.

"I was only asking as a reference – "

"A reference, huh. And then we'd probably leave home in time to catch the same train as them, I suppose."

It was very much like watching a lover's quarrel – "We'll be bothering them," "If we run into them by accident then it's no problem," "Just because you say it's by accident doesn't mean it is."

"I'd say there's absolutely no chance of that happening."

Yumi said, interrupting the Yellow Rose sisters.

"Well, I suppose the chance of us being in the same compartment is pretty small."

After saying this, Rei-sama made an inquisitive face. Apparently she'd latched on to Yumi's phrase 'absolutely no chance.'

"Yumi and I are going by car."

This time it was Sachiko-sama that spoke. Then, without a moment's pause, Yoshino-san responded.

"Say what? You two are going to be chauffeured in one of the Ogasawara household's shiny, black sedans?"

"No, no."

Yumi shook her head and waved her arms simultaneously.

"So, a taxi!?"

As though any healthy high-school student would take a taxi when they went out. Not even the daughter of the elite Ogasawara family would do that.

"We're going with Kashiwagi-san."

Kashiwagi-san was a student at the neighboring Hanadera University. Even those who hadn't driven with him had heard tales of his bright red car and dynamic driving technique.

"Whaaat?"

After the initial slump that greeted their exposition of the trick, and having some time to ponder Kashiwagi-san's presence, Yoshino-san said, "Oooooh," as though playing along with a joke.

"So it's not just going to be the two of you? Why are you three going?"

"No, it's not us three. My younger brother is going as well."

"Yuuki-kun too? What's up with that?"

Adding Yuuki in while they were still trying to figure out Kashiwagi-san's role was only ever going to lead to confusion.

"Is it a double date?"

Noriko-chan asked, joining in with the Yellow Rose sisters.

"Keeping it in the family?"

On the one hand you have Yumi's younger brother, and on the other hand you have Sachiko-sama's cousin. Neither would have been romantic.

Basically, it was all a part of Sachiko-sama's revenge. She was trying to recreate the same circumstances as their trip in autumn so that she could correct her mistakes, and that meant inviting Kashiwagi-san and Yuuki.

She skipped over this, as it was a matter of pride, instead stopping the explanation by saying that the group that went last time had agreed to go to the amusement park again.

"Well, if you're going in Kashiwagi-san's car then I guess we won't be traveling with you after all."

Rei-sama chucked at Yoshino-san. Well, that's true. He wouldn't be able to take everyone unless he had a minivan. Perhaps that was another reason why Sachiko-sama had said that everyone else was free to come and go as they pleased.

"We'll have to have our own private get-together then."

The competitive Yoshino-san was already looking towards Monday.

"What will you do, Touko?"

It'd be impossible to take everyone, but there was still room in the car for one more. She might even have heard about this before today, since their driver, Kashiwagi-san, was her cousin. And when they went in autumn, Kashiwagi-san had originally invited Touko and not Yuuki to accompany him.

"Don't worry about me. I won't know whether I'll be able to go or not until I get home."

"Ah, right."

Already Yumi had pictured them going for a drive with Kashiwagi-san in the driver's seat, Yuuki in the front passenger seat and the three Red Rose sisters chatting merrily in the back seat. But since they had only told them today about going out tomorrow it obviously wasn't going to be as simple as that. The normal course of action for a high school student would be to get their parent's permission. That's what Yumi had done, talking with her mother and father about it.

"Ah. The bus."

Shimako-san said softly. Looking down the road, Yumi saw a bus with "M Station" on the front glide towards the bus stop. Everyone except Rei-sama and Yoshino-san suddenly broke into a run. Luckily there were some other students already waiting so they didn't have to frantically wave the bus down.

"Well then, see you tomorrow."

"Yep. See you there."

As they called out, both those within the bus and those without were undoubtedly thinking, "Will we actually see each other?"

Tomorrow was Sunday, all across Japan.

On top of that, the forecast for the Kanto region was clouds followed by sunshine.

The absolute best weather for an outing.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume30 Chapter1 1

2011-07-30T03:42:19Z

Yobbin: /* Scattered Sunshine. Part 0 */

===<noinclude>Scattered Sunshine. </noinclude>Part 0.===

A certain day in March (Sunday).

On that day, at 10:30am, the group of ten youths that had appeared, as though by prior arrangement, greeted each other sheepishly with "Gokigenyou." It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that, amidst the couples and excited children that flock to amusement parks, this was the only group that didn't look jubilant.

===<noinclude>Scattered Sunshine. </noinclude>Part 1===

Just where to start this story?

Right, right, they had held their private farewell party for Sachiko-sama and Rei-sama after the send-off assembly for all the third-years yesterday, on Saturday.

The first-years had done party performances, they had danced and had a wonderful time, but of course that kind of joy could not last forever and it had ended when the security guard had cautioned them to leave as he did his rounds.

Such is life.

Everyone was finding it hard to leave, not wanting to say "I'm going home," so it was probably just as well that there had been some external impetus. If not, they may have stayed at school until 7 or 8 at night.

One thing led to another, and as they were heading home it looked as though everyone would be joining Yumi and Sachiko-sama on their date at the amusement park the following day. They had decided that it was only proper that they should invite the other participants from the Christmas party, so had stopped at a phone booth near the school gates and called Takeshima Tsutako-san and Hosokawa Kanako-chan.

"Huh? What? What do you mean?"

Tsutako-san asked, on the other end of the phone. Perfectly understandable. Even the people who had been present at the farewell party when Sachiko-sama had made her sudden announcement hadn't understood immediately.

She'd said that they were going to the amusement park tomorrow, so if anyone else wanted to come along they were welcome. However, they weren't going to arrange to meet so everyone was free to do as they pleased.

See, it'd make you question your hearing. It's not the kind of thing you'd usually be asked over the phone.

"You see."

Yumi persevered with her explanation and, eventually, Tsutako-san started to (somewhat) understand. Although she'd apparently forgotten that the idea that they all go to the amusement park together had been floated during last year's Christmas party.

"I wasn't sure when it happened, but I do remember a conversation about going to the amusement park."

Yumi was initially skeptical but decided Tsutako-san was probably telling the truth. After all, Tsutako-san had been the first to respond during the Christmas party when Sachiko-sama suggested that they all should go together sometime. She'd loudly and enthusiastically endorsed that idea.

"Although I'll have to find out if I can go once I get off the phone."

Yumi responded with, "Of course." Since everyone was free to do as they wished, there was no need for an RSVP or anything.

"So, is it okay if I bring someone else?"

As she was putting the telephone receiver back on the hook, Yumi thought that Tsutako-san was probably going to invite Shouko-chan.

Next she called Kanako-chan but she wasn't at home. Her mother must have been out as well, because the phone rang about ten times and no-one answered.

"I'll call her when I get home."

Touko offered, and they all agreed to leave it to her. Originally, Touko and Kanako-chan had seemed like natural enemies, always at loggerheads with each other, but at some point there had been a thawing in their relationship and they now had a quiet friendship. Even their mutual classmate, Noriko-chan, trusted Touko on this.

"What shall we do about Nana-chan?"

Shimako-san looked at Yoshino-san. It wasn't as though she was Nana-chan's patron, but since Nana-chan was the closest thing there was to Yoshino-san's petit soeur, it seemed like she should be the one to ask.

"About Nana – "

Yoshino-san hesitated. She glanced at Rei-sama, but then quickly looked away. In contrast, Rei-sama was looking directly at Yoshino-san. Staring, even.

"We were inviting the people who were at the Christmas party, right?"

Sachiko-sama asked Yoshino-san. Implying that they should obviously invite Nana-chan as well.

"But Nana's situation is a bit different, don't you think?"

Even if she was just about to graduate, Nana-chan was still a middle-school student. Their school buildings were located only a short distance apart, but the invisible wall that separated middle-school students from high-school students was both thick and tall.

"That's true..."

High school students taking a middle school student out with them. It did make you question whether it was okay or not.

"And since it's a private get together, she'd have to pay for herself."

So they couldn't just ask her without thinking about it. Yoshino-san's hesitation had some merit to it. Even so, it seemed a shame that Nana-chan was the only one they weren't going to invite.

"I'll give her a call after I get home."

There was unanimous agreement with Yoshino-san's statement. It was better that the conversation occur somewhere quiet, rather than with everyone crowded around a telephone booth. And they were willing to leave it up to Yoshino-san to see how that conversation played out.

Yoshino-san was the one who thought the most about Nana-chan out of all of them. And everyone agreed that Yoshino-san was the one that Nana-chan thought about the most.

"Just for reference, what time were you planning on arriving at the amusement park tomorrow, Yumi-san?"

Yoshino-san asked as they walked past the school gates, the brightening of her demeanor as abrupt as the change in topic.

"What time … "

The truth was, they hadn't yet decided on a specific time that they would meet. Yumi shot Sachiko-sama a glance that said, "What should we do?" and in exchange Sachiko-sama answered for her.

"I was thinking we'd be there when the park opens."

Ohhh. Typical of Sachiko-sama, her fighting spirit wasn't just constrained to the announcement.

"Copy that."

Yoshino-san grabbed hold of Rei-sama's arm with her right hand, and gestured a salute with her left hand.

"Wouldn't it be better if you didn't copy that. Do you want to impose on Sachiko's date right from the start?"

Rei-sama said, freeing her arm. She then flicked Yoshino-san on the forehead, telling her that she was getting a bit carried away.

"I was only asking as a reference – "

"A reference, huh. And then we'd probably leave home in time to catch the same train as them, I suppose."

It was very much like watching a lover's quarrel – "We'll be bothering them," "If we run into them by accident then it's no problem," "Just because you say it's by accident doesn't mean it is."

"I'd say there's absolutely no chance of that happening."

Yumi said, interrupting the Yellow Rose sisters.

"Well, I suppose the chance of us being in the same compartment is pretty small."

After saying this, Rei-sama made an inquisitive face. Apparently she'd latched on to Yumi's phrase 'absolutely no chance.'

"Yumi and I are going by car."

This time it was Sachiko-sama that spoke. Then, without a moment's pause, Yoshino-san responded.

"Say what? You two are going to be chauffeured in one of the Ogasawara household's shiny, black sedans?"

"No, no."

Yumi shook her head and waved her arms simultaneously.

"So, a taxi!?"

As though any healthy high-school student would take a taxi when they went out. Not even the daughter of the elite Ogasawara family would do that.

"We're going with Kashiwagi-san."

Kashiwagi-san was a student at the neighboring Hanadera University. Even those who hadn't driven with him had heard tales of his bright red car and dynamic driving technique.

"Whaaat?"

After the initial slump that greeted their exposition of the trick, and having some time to ponder Kashiwagi-san's presence, Yoshino-san said, "Oooooh," as though playing along with a joke.

"So it's not just going to be the two of you? Why are you three going?"

"No, it's not us three. My younger brother is going as well."

"Yuuki-kun too? What's up with that?"

Adding Yuuki in while they were still trying to figure out Kashiwagi-san's role was only ever going to lead to confusion.

"Is it a double date?"

Noriko-chan asked, joining in with the Yellow Rose sisters.

"Keeping it in the family?"

On the one hand you have Yumi's younger brother, and on the other hand you have Sachiko-sama's cousin. Neither would have been romantic.

Basically, it was all a part of Sachiko-sama's revenge. She was trying to recreate the same circumstances as their trip in autumn so that she could correct her mistakes, and that meant inviting Kashiwagi-san and Yuuki.

She skipped over this, as it was a matter of pride, instead stopping the explanation by saying that the group that went last time had agreed to go to the amusement park again.

"Well, if you're going in Kashiwagi-san's car then I guess we won't be traveling with you after all."

Rei-sama chucked at Yoshino-san. Well, that's true. He wouldn't be able to take everyone unless he had a minivan. Perhaps that was another reason why Sachiko-sama had said that everyone else was free to come and go as they pleased.

"We'll have to have our own private get-together then."

The competitive Yoshino-san was already looking towards Monday.

"What will you do, Touko?"

It'd be impossible to take everyone, but there was still room in the car for one more. She might even have heard about this before today, since their driver, Kashiwagi-san, was her cousin. And when they went in autumn, Kashiwagi-san had originally invited Touko and not Yuuki to accompany him.

"Don't worry about me. I won't know whether I'll be able to go or not until I get home."

"Ah, right."

Already Yumi had pictured them going for a drive with Kashiwagi-san in the driver's seat, Yuuki in the front passenger seat and the three Red Rose sisters chatting merrily in the back seat. But since they had only told them today about going out tomorrow it obviously wasn't going to be as simple as that. The normal course of action for a high school student would be to get their parent's permission. That's what Yumi had done, talking with her mother and father about it.

"Ah. The bus."

Shimako-san said softly. Looking down the road, Yumi saw a bus with "M Station" on the front glide towards the bus stop. Everyone except Rei-sama and Yoshino-san suddenly broke into a run. Luckily there were some other students already waiting so they didn't have to frantically wave the bus down.

"Well then, see you tomorrow."

"Yep. See you there."

As they called out, both those within the bus and those without were undoubtedly thinking, "Will we actually see each other?"

Tomorrow was Sunday, all across Japan.

On top of that, the forecast for the Kanto region was clouds followed by sunshine.

The absolute best weather for an outing.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume29 Chapter6 4

2011-07-27T04:52:01Z

Yobbin: Added punctuation

===<noinclude>The Miracle Worker. </noinclude>Part 4.===

The curtain was lowered immediately after the koto music club's performance ended. Yumi gave Noriko-chan, who was waiting by the door, a look of gratitude, then hunched over and quickly made her way to the second-year seating area.

Yumi sat down on the seat that had been reserved for her and looked up just in time to see Tsukasa-san, microphone in hand, walk out in front of the curtain.

"I thought that, as president of the drama club, I should explain what you're about to see before we start our March performance."

Tsukasa-san was still wearing her school uniform, but it looked as though her hair and makeup were already done – her skin was prepared with dohran and her hair was held in place with several pins.

"For this performance, the drama club split into three groups, so we'll be performing three plays."

Tsukasa-san continued, explaining how they wouldn't be able to perform three plays in their entirety simply based on how long it would take. They'd chosen three scenes from well known plays, that she hoped the audience would enjoy. After making her introduction, Tsukasa-san exited to the side of the stage and the curtain was raised.

There was no set. A solitary kimono-clad girl walked on to the stage from the left. She carried a walking stick, but it didn't appear as though there was anything wrong with her legs. She stopped and wiped the sweat from her brow. Ahh, based on that she was probably on a journey. That would explain why the cuffs on her kimono were a bit higher than normal.

On the right of the stage, another girl leapt forwards. Her kimono was a tad more plain than the first girl's and she jogged across the stage to stop in front of the traveling girl.

"Momoko-san, Momoko-san. Those millet dumplings you have at your waist, won't you give me one?"

There was scattered laughter around the auditorium. For those audience members who had been watching, trying to figure out what play it was from, this line revealed that it was 'Momotarou.'<ref>https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Momotar%C5%8D</ref>

"Okay. I'll give you one. But you have to join me in my battle against the demons, Inuko-san."

"I'll accompany you."

It seems that this Momoko-san was a lady who knew no fear. She recruited Saruko-san and Kiji-san to join her too, and they were about to head off to the island of the demons.

– Then the curtain fell. Still, since it didn't look like they were going to have sets, the curtain stayed closed for about ten seconds before being raised again and the next play started. There were two people onstage, dressed like boys. And a number of chairs.

"Campanella."

One of the characters said, turning to the other. The penny dropped immediately because of the unusual name. It was 'Night on the Galactic Railroad.'<ref>https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Night_on_the_Galactic_Railroad</ref> They had sectioned off the heron catching scene. By omitting the sorrowful finale it left a whimsical, dream-like impression. Despite the joyous nature of the scene, Yumi's chest tightened when she remembered where Campanella really was at this point.

Touko still hadn't made an appearance yet. The final play must be her scene with Tsukasa-san.

The curtain raised for the final time in the drama club's performance.

The pair were sitting slightly to the right of center-stage. They were both wearing old-fashioned dresses and a bespectacled Tsukasa-san seemed to be cradling Touko. The only set decoration was a single pole, about a metre tall, to the left of the stage.

Tsukasa-san was manipulating one of Touko's hands into various positions, over and over.

"Water, Helen. This is water. W, a, t, e, r."

Helen. Water.

(It's 'The Miracle Worker.')<ref>https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/The_Miracle_Worker_%28play%29</ref>

"Egg. E, g, g. That's its name."

The Miracle Worker. The miraculous story of Helen Keller, who lost her sight and hearing as a baby, and her teacher Annie Sullivan. Annie was teaching Helen sign language so that she could lead a somewhat normal life. But while Helen would learn the shapes, as though playing along with a game, she didn't understand what they meant.

Helen had grown up being pampered by her family, so would become violent whenever the mood took her. Annie tolerated none of that. The pair would eventually wear each other out, covered in scratches and bruises.

And then, the famous final scene.

Tsukasa-san dragged Touko, no, Annie dragged Helen over to the sole piece of scenery. It was the pump. As punishment for intentionally spilling some water, Annie was forcing Helen to draw water from the pump.

"Now, draw the water."

Helen looked around for her mother to save her.

"No, your mother isn't here. Draw the water!"

Helen lived in darkness. In a silent world. A rough hand guided her to the pump's handle.

(Ah.)

Even though it really was just a simple pole, it seemed as though there was a handle there when Helen reached out for it. The invisible handle went up and down. Then some water came flowing out.

Water spilled from the jug and splashed on Helen's hand. Annie used Helen's hand to spell w, a, t, e, r in sign language.

Then.

A light shone in those eyes that had never seen anything. Her mind's eye opened.

Those lips that had never uttered a single word shook. Not just her lips, it looked like her entire body was shaking. Then she erupted.

"Wah-wah."

Probing for the water, Helen signed w, a, t, e, r.

Now, she understood. That it was called water.

A brilliant light shone down upon the pair. Then the curtain fell.

The auditorium fell silent as the curtain descended. It was like the world without sound that Helen lived in.

Eventually, when the lights in the auditorium brightened, the audience members came to their senses and remembered to clap, their applause descending like raging billows.

Amongst this endless applause, Yumi rose from her feet and started walking. She sensed the curtain call occurring behind her.

"Yumi-sama..."

It was only when she arrived at the rear door that Yumi remembered Noriko-chan would be there.

"Keep this a secret from Touko, okay."

Yumi said, pointing at her tear-stained face.

(Ahh, geeze.)

Yumi had been thinking that she should get back to work now that the drama club's play was over, but she couldn't walk around with her face looking like it did now. Consequently, she had to hide for a little while.

The title of the play was 'The Miracle Worker.' Taking it literally, the one who worked the miracle was obviously Annie Sullivan. So it was only right that Annie would come out ahead. Even so.

Yumi chuckled to herself as she opened the bathroom door.

(I've got to hand it to you, Tsukasa-san.)

Yumi was profoundly envious.

(There's no way I could beat that.)

But it was in no way a resentful envy.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume29 Chapter6 1

2011-07-27T02:25:41Z

Yobbin: /* Miracle Worker. Part 1. */

===<noinclude>Miracle Worker. </noinclude>Part 1.===

Contrary to the expectations that Yumi had held when she left her house about 30 minutes earlier than usual, the bus she caught was quite crowded.

Not only that, today was the day of the third-years' send-off.

The entire four hours usually reserved for Saturday classes had been allocated to the send-off.

(Hmm)

Yumi surveyed her fellow early-birds as she held on to a strap and swayed back and forth with everyone else. Since they wouldn't need their textbooks or notebooks, only a handful of students were carrying their school bags. Consequently, you may expect there would be a bit more room inside the bus, but that was not the case. Instead, most people were carrying things like sports bags, or paper bags, or packages wrapped in cloth – everything except a school bag, which contributed to the claustrophobic feeling.

Almost all of the students arriving early were either performing in the third-years' send-off, or exhibiting something they had made. Therefore, it stood to reason that they would have a lot of luggage. Squeezed amongst them were costumes, props, and exhibition pieces that had finally been finished.

(Come to think of it, I was like that last year.)

Last year Yumi had destroyed her health on the day before the third-years' send-off, so she hadn't caught a bus 30 minutes earlier than usual, but she had carried a paper bag holding a cloth-wrapped package to school. Of course, that wasn't for the third-years' send-off, but for the Roses' farewell party which was held after it.

(For the Roses' farewell party … )

After thinking that much, Yumi suddenly remembered. In fact, she may have even cried out in surprise. One of the students standing nearby looked doubtfully in her direction.

(Damn it. I completely forgot!)

What she had forgotten to do was to talk to Touko and Noriko-chan about the party performances.

(No, wait.)

Hadn't they decided not to tell them about it? Yumi reconsidered. It seemed like they had decided that it would be bad to make the first-years worry about it, since they were already trying their hardest. But was that where the conversation had ended?

(That's right.)

Someone said that the third-years might suddenly request a performance. And they'd thought it would be unfair on the first-years to make them perform without any warning.

(So what happened after that?)

The first-years had returned, and the conversation was shelved –

After that, they'd completely forgotten about it.

(Ohhhhh. Really!?)

It seemed unbelievable that they would have done that. Had they really forgotten? Or had Yumi purged that memory to help her cope. She wracked her brain trying to reel in any additional memories, but there was absolutely nothing after the shelving of the conversation.

(What should I do? No matter how talented Noriko-chan and Touko are, telling them today and expecting them to perform on the same day is just impossible.)

The blood rushed to Yumi's head, possibly aided by the overcrowding in the bus.

(Calm down.)

At any rate, she had to calm down first.

Panicking wasn't going to help her come up with a plan. First of all, she should go to the Rose Mansion and discuss this with Shimako-san and Yoshino-san. If they put their minds together, they should be able to come up with a plan.

After finally getting off the bus at Lillian's, Yumi was taking a deep breath of fresh air when she was tapped on the shoulder.

"Onee-sama."

Obviously, the only one who would call Yumi that was Touko.

(Aaargh, it's her.)

Controlling her impulse to flee, Yumi turned around. Then.

(...Huh?)

Something was odd. There was no doubting that it was Touko standing before her, but there was something about her that was different to usual.

"I saw you getting on the same bus as me, onee-sama, but we were a fair way apart so I didn't call out to you."

Then, finally noticing the look on Yumi's face, Touko said, "Ahh," and pushed her hair back behind her ears.

"This?"

That.

"Right. That, your hair."

Yumi pointed.

Touko's trademark hairstyle, the two vertical rolls, or drills, or cones, or spirals, were not there. Well, even if the hair rolls weren't there, it wasn't as though the hair itself had gone away.

"I didn't coil it this morning."

Right. That.

"Since my character in today's play has her hair down."

She had changed her hairstyle because of the character she's playing. Well, that made sense. Actually, Touko had changed her hairstyle for the school festival play too. But, back then, it had been a part of her costume, so was easier to accept. Seeing Touko wearing her school uniform without her vertical rolls, however, was like looking at a completely different person.

Touko spoke next:

"Shouldn't we be going soon?"

"Huh?"

"That's a surprise. It seems kind of a waste to go to all the trouble of arriving early only to spend that time standing around talking at the bus stop."

Hearing this, Yumi looked around and saw that the students that had been on the bus with her were no longer around. Looking up at the pedestrian bridge, there was a line of girls clad in blackish school uniforms. If Yumi hadn't been surprised by Touko's hairdo, they would probably be a part of that queue.

Touko walked off, so Yumi followed her. Touko would probably be angry if she found out, but Yumi was intrigued by her unusual appearance.

Touko's straight hair swayed across her back. It wasn't as long as Yoshino-san or Sachiko-sama's, but about the same length as Shimako-san's. The hair that she usually coiled up was surprisingly long when let down. That may have been common knowledge, but it was impressive to see it first-hand.

Touko was also carrying a large bag. It was a black, nylon overnight bag, the kind of bag you'd use when going on holidays. The zipper running down the middle was firmly closed, so there was no way of knowing what was inside. Probably her costume or some props for the play. It looked quite heavy.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume29 Chapter5 7

2011-07-26T04:11:54Z

Yobbin: Added some punctuation

===<noinclude>Santa's Refreshments. </noinclude>Part 7.===

Friday.

The arts club delivered the signboard during the lunch break, just as they had promised.

Last year's sign had been written as though advertising a sumo wresting tournament, while this year's was written as though it were for a Kabuki play. Looking at it, you expected to see the names of some famous actors like Nakamura, Bandou or Ichikawa written on the sign.<ref>https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Edomoji contains information about the different typescripts, https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Category:Kabuki_actors on some famous Kabuki actors / dynasties.</ref>

"At first glance, it looks black, right?"

The president of the arts club said, pointing at the lettering. The two club members who had carried the signboard to the Rose Mansion had left it outside, to catch the sun's rays.

Yumi, who had come outside to receive the signboard, said, "Yep," and nodded her head in agreement, since it certainly looked black to her. Then she was asked once more:

"Even when you look closely, it looks black, right?"

"It's not?"

Touko and Noriko-chan had accompanied Yumi outside and they both shook their head, unable to see anything other than black writing.

"I thought you'd say that. Ta-dah."

The arts club president held up a piece of black imitation vellum. It was about the size of a paperback. She then brought the vellum close to where 'Graduating students farewell party' was written –

"Ooooh."

Isn't that strange. When viewed alongside something that was genuinely black, it was immediately obvious that the lettering was slightly different. It was a very dark purplish blue.

"It takes someone with a great color sense to come up with such a nice result."

The arts club president responded to this compliment by fishing for compliments by good-naturedly saying, "Praise me more."

"Very stylish."

"One more."

"Wait, best in all Japan."

"Okaaay, take it, you thieves."

Finally, there was a smattering of applause from the three girls from the Rose Mansion and the three girls from the arts club, and the handover was completed. The president of the arts club was as funny a person as ever.

In the evening, Noriko-chan and Touko went to the main gates to receive the delivery of 200 roses from the florist. But when they returned, they weren't just carrying flowers.

"What's this?"

Yumi asked Noriko-chan, after spotting the plastic bag with a pharmacy's logo on it that contained a number of small, thin boxes. Touko was currently busy placing the flowers into water-filled buckets. The flowers were red, white, yellow and salmon pink. Fifty flowers each of the four different colors.

"It's a present from a kind Santa."

Noriko-chan said, as though reciting from a textbook.

"Huh?"

"– is what I was told to say."

By the so-called kind Santa.

Still, this Santa seemed quite eccentric. Randomly appearing in the middle of March and giving an inappropriate gift to girls carrying flowers. And since Santa normally was kind anyway, he wouldn't refer to himself as a 'kind Santa.'

"It was Sei-sama, right?"

That gave them these gifts.

"Correct. It was pretty easy to figure out."

"Yeah."

Accepting the plastic bag from Noriko-chan, Yumi took the small, gold boxes out of the plastic bag and lined them up on the table. They were, unmistakeably, energy drinks. Ten of them, in all.

Now's not the time to be feeling tired. Yumi could just picture Sei-sama saying that to them.

"What's this, Sei-sama gave us a supply of energy drinks?"

"I haven't seen these ones before."

Yoshino-san and Shimako-san took a break from their work and came over to have a look.

In general, high school students didn't have much contact with energy drinks. A quick survey showed that only Yumi and Noriko-chan had tried them before.

"It looks like it has alcohol in it, so I wonder if it's okay for us to drink."

Shimako-san murmured, reading the list of ingredients.

"But, see, it says here 'suitable for people 15 years and over.'"

"All those over the age of 15 – "

Yoshino-san called out, and everyone responded by saying 'Here' and raising their hand. All present were apparently qualified to drink these.

Still, no-one reached out for a drink. The hesitation arose because taking one would mean admitting that you were tired.

In the middle of that.

"I shall drink one of these."

Jumping in at the deep end, Shimako-san opened one of the boxes with a determined look on her face. Even though it seemed like a fairly trivial matter, it probably still required a certain amount of determination to taste some (completely unknown) new drink.

However, inside the box there was a tray that protected the bottle, and the bottle came with a straw already attached to the mouth, but wrapped in plastic. Since Shimako-san hadn't encountered anything like this before, she wasn't going about opening the bottle in a particularly efficient manner.

"Here, onee-sama."

Noriko-chan handed a completed bottle to Shimako-san, who was still fighting hard. Then she took Shimako-san's bottle and finished opening it.

"This is a gift from onee-sama's onee-sama, right?"

"Yes."

Shimako-san nodded. She must have wanted to receive Sei-sama's feelings. Through her stomach.

"Oh well. I'm not really all that tired … "

Yoshino-san opened a box as well. Followed by Yumi and Touko.

Shimako-san and Noriko-chan waited for them, so they all said, "Cheers," and clinked their bottles together before drinking.

It was an anticipatory celebration. Of all they had done. And of what was to come tomorrow.

Feeling slightly flushed and tingly, the five girls walked abreast along the path lined with ginkgo trees.

"You know, my father drinks this sort of thing and says that it relaxes him. I wonder what the real story is."

Yoshino-san muttered, taking one of the empty cans out of the shopping bag.

"He keeps drinking them, even though they don't have any effect?"

Surely he wouldn't go out of his way to buy them if he thought they were having no effect whatsoever.

"But if you kept drinking this kind of thing, your body would get used to it and it wouldn't have as much effect, right?"

After hearing Touko's theory, Noriko-chan jumped on board too.

"And then you have to find something stronger – that kind of thing?"

"Yeah."

The Yamayurikai members had considered it improper to leave the empties from their energy drink party lying around, so had gathered them up to take home and dispose of. Yoshino-san had been asked to take them home, as she lived the closest to school.

The five untouched boxes had been left in the Rose Mansion with a label that read, 'Refreshments from Satou Sei-sama.' The use-by-date printed on the boxes was November of the following year, so there was bound to be another time when they all were busy and feeling tired before then. Like, for example, the school festival, or next year's 'third-years' send-off.'

"It tasted like the cough-syrup I used to have as a child."

Shimako-san smiled, reminiscing. Yumi remembered the cough-syrup as bitter medicine, so was surprised at how easily Shimako-san seemed to have drunk it.

"Didn't you think it tasted more like caramel pudding?"

"I'm not sure – "

Yumi was the only one not to endorse Yoshino-san's opinion.

"I thought it tasted more like my grandfather's medicinal alcohol."

"Do you drink that often?"

They had reached the school gates and, after a good laugh, they waved goodbye and went their separate ways.

It may just have been Yumi's imagination, but everyone seemed a little bit giddy. Even though they hadn't thought they were tired, perhaps some fatigue had set in that they weren't aware of, and the energy drinks had cleared that away.

Unfortunately, the energy drink didn't have the power to make you remember things you had forgotten. Still, it was surely better to remain oblivious and sleep soundly, than to remember it now, when it was probably too late.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume29 Chapter3 6

2011-07-20T15:14:41Z

Yobbin: deleted duplicate word

===<noinclude>Not Here. </noinclude>Part 6.===

"Geeze, where have you been?"

When Yumi opened the 'biscuit-door' on the second floor of the Rose Mansion, Yoshino-san was waiting there, looking intimidating.

"What do you mean? I went to see the manga club."

Hadn't she told them about that during lunch? Yumi waved the recently retrieved questionnaire form in the air. There was no need to tell Yoshino-san and the others about her run-in with Tsukasa-san, as that didn't relate to them directly. Touko was there, just like Tsukasa-san had said, but Yumi didn't plan to tell her about their conversation either.

Yumi handed the completed questionnaire form to Yoshino-san and was walking over to the drawer to return the blank paper she had taken at lunch when she heard a frosty voice calling from behind.

"You were late, so she went home."

"Who did?"

Looking around, all the usual members were present. Shimako-san, Yoshino-san, Noriko-chan and Touko. It was Touko who spoke next.

"Rosa Chinensis, onee-sama."

"What?!"

"She waited for about ten minutes, but then she left."

Noriko-chan said, as she cleaned one of the tea cups. It was probably the one that Yumi's onee-sama had sipped tea from as she waited for Yumi to return.

"How long ago was this?"

"About fifteen minutes ago. She said she couldn't stay too long because she had something to do at home."

Shimako-san said, her eyebrows lowered in commiseration.

"...She's gone home then."

"How unlucky is that," Yumi thought. It was only at times like these, when her onee-sama came all the way to the Rose Mansion just to see her, that she wasn't there.

"I wonder what she's going to do at home. Study?"

Yoshino-san asked, folding her arms.

"Who knows. You didn't ask her?"

"You said you were going to ask her, Yumi-san, so we all refrained from asking even though we wanted to."

That's true.

"Sorry. I haven't asked her yet."

"Hu-."

Yoshino-san's overreaction made it seem as though the sky was falling.

"That's why I said 'sorry.'"

Yoshino-san expressed her disbelief at Yumi's actions, so Yumi pacified her before turning to Shimako-san, who looked capable of holding a sensible conversation, and asking:

"Did she say why she came here?"

"She didn't give a specific reason. Perhaps she just wanted to see your face, Yumi-san?"

"Like she gets unsettled if she doesn't see your face at least once a day, that kind of thing?"

Yoshino-san teased from the sidelines. Yumi would have been overjoyed if that theory was true, but it probably wasn't.

"We saw each other today, but just for a moment. We walked past each other in the hallway."

"So why didn't you ask her about the rumor then?"

Yoshino-san seemed annoyed at the delay, niggling away at her.

"Because we were moving between classes. All of our classmates were around, and I didn't want to ask her about it in front of everyone."

"Ah, back then, huh."

Yoshino-san was in the same class and it didn't take her long to visualize the circumstances, so she let the matter drop.

Seeing that Yoshino-san had fallen silent, the usually quiet Shimako-san spoke.

"Touko-chan, do you have that – "

"Yes."

Touko held out something towards Yumi, as a way of informing her what 'that' was.

"What's this?"

"It's a letter from Rosa Chinensis. I've been looking after it for you."

A folded, white piece of paper was being held out to her. It looked like report paper, or similar, and was folded four times. The origami-esque manner in which it was folded gave it a completely different visual impression to the folded notes that were passed around during class.

Sachiko-sama had probably written it here, just before leaving, when Yumi hadn't returned.

"Sachiko-sama left that behind?"

So Yoshino-san hadn't known. Despite looking so self-important when she chided Yumi for her tardiness, it seemed as though Yoshino-san hadn't actually been there when Sachiko-sama came to visit either.

"What could I do? I had to go to a kendo club meeting."

"I'm not criticizing you."

"You didn't have to. Your expression said it all, Yumi-san."

Good point. No matter how dignified or well-spoken Yumi tried to be, that fact still remained. She had a face that reflected whatever she was thinking, with stunning clarity.

(Oh brother.)

Yumi took the letter from Touko and opened it immediately. Yoshino-san came over to have a look, but Yumi decided that she would read it by herself first since she didn't know what the contents of the letter would be.

Rudely turning her back on everyone, Yumi let her gaze fall on the words written there. Then.

"What's this?"

She said, without thinking. Drawn in by Yumi's voice, her friends gathered around and read the contents of the letter. They too were at a loss for words.

There were a mere three lines, written in that familiar handwriting.

Yumi,
Tomorrow after school, wait behind the gymnasium.
Sachiko.

– Was her onee-sama challenging her to a fight?

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume29 Chapter3 2

2011-07-18T12:46:30Z

Yobbin: added punctuation

===<noinclude>Not Here. </noinclude>Part 2.===

On her way back from the clubhouse, Yumi spotted Touko.

Running through the courtyard like a galloping steed.

"Tou – "

Yumi started to call out, but stopped herself.

Right now, Touko wouldn't be able to hear her. There was a light shining in her eyes, but she wasn't seeing her current surroundings.

The words that Noriko-chan spoke were hazy, but Yumi felt as though she could now understand them better.

About the clear distinction between the real and the fictional. About the mess you make when you put a fresh layer of paint next to a still wet layer of paint in a different color.

Touko was, at present, not here.

The girl with her hair rolls swinging as she ran, inside, was someone other than Touko. Someone Yumi didn't know, a character from a play.

Touko flew into the clubhouse building that Yumi herself had left not long ago.

She had probably eaten her lunch in her classroom and would spend the rest of the lunch break rehearsing.

After watching for a little while longer, Yumi walked off towards the Rose Mansion.

Touko would be fine.

There was nothing Yumi could do about the bumps and bruises. She couldn't raise a fuss or distract Touko from her task.

They were probably essential for Touko to become that 'someone.'

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume29 Chapter1 6

2011-07-17T06:07:59Z

Yobbin: added some punctuation

===<noinclude>Onee-sama, Rosary and Petit Soeur. </noinclude>Part 6.===

"You said you'd be back during the lunch break."

Sachiko-sama smiled as she looked straight at Yumi.

"And you really did come back."

Sachiko-sama stepped out into the hallway and closed the classroom door behind her. Before the door closed, Yumi caught a glimpse of the words 'Self-study' written on the blackboard in large letters.

"I thought you'd be busy with other things."

Sachiko-sama said, as she adjusted Yumi's tie.

"If you want to talk about your date, then I don't mind if I'm not the first person to hear about it. It can wait until we both have more time to talk."

A group of three third-years walked past them. They were probably on their way to Milk Hall, since they were carrying their purses.

"It really won't bother me at all. Even so."

Yumi called a halt to this monologue that Sachiko-sama was slowly progressing.

"Well of course I want to tell you about it. But there's something else we have to discuss."

Yumi wondered what was showing on her face as she said this. Sachiko-sama's face instantly tensed. As though Yumi's spell had worn off.

"Really. I see."

Eventually, Sachiko-sama nodded. Then she followed Yumi. She didn't ask where Yumi was taking her. Perhaps having guessed that Yumi's 'discussion' was not something that should be held in the hallway during lunchtime, she followed along as though it was perfectly natural that they should be going somewhere else.

Still wearing their indoor shoes, they stepped out through the main entrance. Even without her coat on, Yumi didn't feel cold.

Yumi walked silently alongside Sachiko-sama, who wasn't saying anything either. Not only that, but for some reason Yumi felt as though she was about to start crying. It felt as though her chest should be tightening up.

The narrow path beside the library. They had walked along it together, like this, countless times. One by one, the memories came flooding back to her.

"Why do you have such a forlorn expression?"

Unexpectedly, Sachiko-sama broke the silence. Yumi stopped walking and raised her previously downcast head.

Next to Yumi, her onee-sama was smiling. Yumi wanted to ask, 'Why are you smiling?' but all she could do was smile weakly back.

"I'm fine."

Sachiko-sama's right hand gently brushed her cheek.

It was warm. Yumi hadn't been feeling the cold, but she knew it was there because of how much her exposed face had cooled.

"You're fine too."

The hand that had stroked her cheek eventually took hold of Yumi's left hand.

"See, I'm tightly joined to you by our hands. Don't worry, I'm not going to let go."

"Onee-sama...."

Even though Sachiko-sama had removed her hand from Yumi's cheek, Yumi could still feel its warmth.

"Won't you tell me what it is you wanted to talk to me about?"

Perhaps Sachiko-sama had absolutely no idea what this was about. Yumi thought so. No matter what Yumi said next, it wouldn't change how they were.

In that case, she would definitely be fine.

Even after Yumi becomes Touko-chan's soeur, there's no need to cut her ties with Sachiko-sama. Similar to how after Yumi became Sachiko-sama's petit soeur, Sachiko-sama's relationship with Mizuno Youko-sama remained unchanged.

In that way, the tradition of soeurs at Lillian's Girls Academy is passed down. Having taken a petit soeur, you have to accept the loneliness that comes when she becomes a grande soeur.

When they arrived in front of the statue of Maria-sama, Sachiko-sama naturally drew to a halt. Perhaps she had realized they were coming here based on the path they were taking.

Sachiko-sama unclasped her hand from Yumi's, then looked up at the white statue of Maria-sama. Then she slowly turned to look at Yumi.

What was it you wanted to speak about, her quiet gaze inquired.

Consequently Yumi's stomach tied itself into even tighter knots. Looking around, as though in answer to Sachiko-sama's question, a shadow emerged from the rear of Maria-sama's garden.

"...Touko-chan."

Touko-chan bowed deeply, as though she were trying to wear Sachiko-sama's whisper upon her head. Her nose was a bit red. It must have been a long wait in the cold for her while Yumi was visiting that third-year classroom.

There was no-one else around. On special occasions, like Christmas or Valentines Day, this area would be busy morning, noon and night, but not on a cold, ordinary day like today. There was always the possibility of some late-arriving third year student passing by, but it was unlikely such a person would go out of their way to bother them.

The three people faced each other. They formed a triangle, in front of Maria-sama.

"I see. So your report isn't just about your date."

Yumi saw acceptance in Sachiko-sama's face.

"You have become soeurs."

It was incredibly quiet, like the perfectly still surface of a lake that acted like a mirror.

"No."

Yumi shook her head.

"We haven't yet formally become soeurs."

"You haven't become soeurs?"

Sachiko-sama repeated, as though she had heard a word that she didn't understand. Yumi nodded, and drew out the rosary that still hung around her neck, holding it up for Sachiko-sama to see.

It was the rosary that she had received from Sachiko-sama, in this very spot, one year ago on the night of the cultural festival. Yumi always carried it with her, to the point where it seemed like it was a part of her body.

In the same way that it had probably been a part of her onee-sama's body.

"So then…"

Yumi spoke.

"… is it alright if we hold the ceremony in front of you?"

Sachiko-sama's eyes widened. The white finger she had drawn up to her red lips trembled.

Sachiko-sama had probably been imagining all kinds of conversation topics as she walked down the path alongside Yumi. But she had obviously not predicted this.

There was a disturbance, as though a strong wind had caused a wave to form on the still lake surface.

"Onee-sama."

Yumi asked for her blessing.

"Are you okay with this?"

Sachiko-sama looked first to Yumi, then to Touko-chan. Touko-chan meekly nodded her head in acceptance.

"This is what we both desire. Touko-chan and I both want to have the ceremony in front of you, onee-sama."

It had taken a long time.

Lots of things had happened.

But having overcome all kinds of trials and tribulations, they were about to join together as soeurs.

Even Maria-sama must have fretted as she watched over them. That was why this location, the place where so many entreaties had been made to Maria-sama, was the most appropriate place for the ceremony to be held. And the place where, above all else, Yumi wanted her beloved onee-sama to bear witness.

Sensing the occasion, Sachiko-sama smiled and took a step back. Yumi took a step towards Touko-chan, holding aloft the open rosary.

Touko-chan leaned forwards slightly, lowering her head. Her fringe dangled towards Yumi.

It had been a long time for both of them since they had first awoken to their desire to become soeurs. Now that they were finally here, there was no hesitation. It would only take a moment to place the rosary around Touko-chan's neck, but Yumi was still nervous. She felt as though Maria-sama might pat her on the back.

[[Image:MM_v29_p045.jpg|thumb]]

Time seemed to stretch out for Yumi as she carefully lowered the rosary down past Touko-chan's head and onto her shoulders, making sure that it didn't catch on her hair rolls. After Yumi removed her hands from the rosary, Touko-chan slowly looked upwards and straightened her back.

And with that, the two were officially soeurs.

"Congratulations."

Sachiko-sama placed her right hand on Yumi's shoulder and her left hand on Touko-chan's shoulder.

"Touko-chan. Some time ago I said that it didn't matter to me who became Yumi's petit soeur, but now, from the bottom of my heart, I'm glad that it's you."

"Thank-you. I will try my hardest to live up to the name of Rosa Chinensis en bouton's petit soeur."

"You'll be fine."

Sachiko-sama said the same thing to Touko-chan that she had said to Yumi just previously. Then she took a deep breath and smiled brightly, as though she had just switched TV channel.

"Well then, Yumi."

"Yes."

"Did you have anything else that you urgently wanted to talk about?"

"Huh? Nope."

The rosary ceremony was the main event. It wasn't that Yumi didn't have anything she wanted to talk to Sachiko-sama about, it's just that none of it was what she would call particularly urgent. Things like yesterday's date, and the future.

"Well then, my apologies, but is it okay if I take my leave now? There are some things that I should do during the lunch break."

Sachiko-sama turned towards the school buildings.

"Ahh, I'm sorry I dragged you all the way out here."

Yumi had said she had something she wanted to talk about, and then dragged her onee-sama out here, all without asking whether or not it was convenient for her. And since Yumi had shown up as soon as the lunch break had started, Sachiko-sama wouldn't have even had time to eat her lunch. Of course, Yumi didn't think that her onee-sama meant that she had to eat her lunch when she said she had things to do. Now that Yumi thought about it, she realized that her onee-sama had been quite busy recently. She should probably ask her about it when they had time to chat at length.

"That's not it at all. I'm glad you brought me here."

"Okay."

Just by looking at her onee-sama, Yumi could tell that it hadn't been a bother to her.

"You two don't have to hurry on account of me, take your time returning."

Sachiko-sama walked off, leaving them with those words.

"Thank-you."

Yumi and Touko-chan bowed, then watched Sachiko-sama walk away. They remained in place, silently standing next to each other and watching Sachiko-sama's retreating figure until she was out of sight.

Before too long, that beautiful, tall figure disappeared behind a grove of trees. They remained still for a moment afterward, as the sight lingered in their memory. Eventually, Yumi broke the silence.

"Touko-chan, becoming soeurs is just the start of our work."

When Yumi said this, Touko-chan got a strange look on her face. The kind of look you get when you put an odd flavored candy in your mouth.

"What?"

Touko-chan asked, staring straight at Yumi. Touko-chan seemed to be looking for some hidden meaning, but, alas, Yumi wasn't hiding anything so no matter how long she waited, nothing more would happen. Upon realizing this, Touko-chan smiled, somewhat disheartened, and said:

"Please just call me 'Touko.'"

"Oh."

Unable to process this sudden request, Yumi put herself on guard, ready to defend herself against a frontal assault. But, really, this time Yumi was in the wrong for being surprised. Now that they were soeurs, it was only natural that they would change how they called each other. So it was an extremely reasonable request from Touko-chan.

"Ahh, I see. But."

It would be hard for Yumi to suddenly change how she addressed Touko-chan. Especially after 11 months of addressing her a certain way.

Touko-chan smiled coolly as Yumi panicked.

"I see what's going on. I suppose you also found it hard to call Sachiko-sama 'onee-sama' then, didn't you, onee-sama?"

"Oooooh."

Yumi had no comeback. Touko-chan had hit the nail on the head.

"In that case – "

"In that case?"

Touko-chan looked defiant as she repeated Yumi's words. That's when Yumi realized what had happened, and swallowed the words she had intended to say.

"...No fair."

The phrase had just rolled off Touko-chan's tongue so fluently moments before. The first 'onee-sama' had been referring to Sachiko-sama, but there was no mistaking that the second 'onee-sama' referred to Yumi.

Since Touko-chan had so effortlessly cleared the hurdle of addressing Yumi as 'onee-sama,' there was no way Yumi could counterattack by saying, "In that case, you should start by addressing me as 'onee-sama.'"

"What's not fair?"

Even though she knew full well.

"Nothing. Anyway, we should head back soon otherwise we won't have time to eat lunch."

Yumi reached out her right hand to her soeur.

"Let's go, Touko."

"Okay."

The cool wind caressed her warm cheeks.

With that, the two of them headed off, walking side-by-side.

Everything's fine.

The warmth of Sachiko-sama's hand still lingered in Yumi's empty left hand.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume29 Chapter1 2

2011-07-16T14:25:56Z

Yobbin: added some punctuation

===<noinclude>Onee-sama, Rosary and Petit Soeur. </noinclude>Part 2.===

Yumi's predictions were confirmed when she opened the door to the second year pine classroom and saw that there were hardly any students inside, and the room seemed colder than usual.

"Gokigenyou."

Yumi started by greeting the three students who had arrived ahead of her. After that, she walked over to her seat and placed her schoolbag and purse on the table. Then she took off her school coat and gloves, and put them in her locker at the back of the classroom. Yumi then returned to her seat and had just finished taking out the notebooks that she would use for today's classes when she was confounded. Something had gone missing.

"Oh, what's this about, you don't have to go to the Rose Mansion?"

Yumi's classmates were watching her, intrigued, as she remained seated.

"I just felt like coming to school early today, for no real reason."

Yumi's classmates chuckled at her answer, one of them adding, 'My, what a luxury.' When she asked about this, Yumi learned that they all regularly arrived at this hour because of the public transportation near where they lived. If they caught a later bus or train they would risk being tardy, so their only option was to wake up early.

"It must be hard to do that every day."

As for Yumi, she caught a bus to and from M station. Traffic congestion made it harder to judge when a bus would arrive compared to a train, but thankfully even if she if she did miss the bus she only had to wait about ten minutes for the next one to arrive.

"Because you do it every day, you get used to it."

"Right, right. And once you're used to it, it's surprisingly pleasant."

"You get to skip the morning rush hour."

All three of the girls spoke. Yumi thought that they were the ones who had the luxury.

"And there are other girls who have club activities or committee meetings that get here even earlier than us."

That was true. There were a number of desks with a bag on them, but the owner nowhere in sight. Most clubs had canceled their regular morning practices because the 'Third Years' Farewell Party' was drawing near, but some were holding special club activities.

"So what do you usually do during the thirty minutes or so until everyone arrives?"

Yumi bowed her head as she asked. Since they were all experts, they undoubtedly had some brilliant way of making use of the time.

"Nothing much … right?"

The three girls exchanged glances.

"Around Christmas and Valentines Day we'll knit, or do something similar. But, these days? We'll usually just finish off some homework or go over our English vocabulary."

"Yeah, that's it. Because we have to wake up early, we also have to go to bed early. And it's just more efficient to study in the morning."

"Ohh..."

At least for today, Fukuzawa Yumi had finished all her homework and was fully prepared for class. Naturally, she hadn't brought along some unfinished knitting either. And she wasn't such an avid reader that she always carried around a book to read.

"Oooh."

Yumi thought about the many occasions when she was low on time but desperately wanted some more, but now that she had unexpectedly found herself with some spare time she didn't know how to use it.

"Yumi-san, you're really…"

"Looks that way."

Her three classmates laughed, amazed. They were undoubtedly thinking that she was dull and lacked interests.

"Anyway, if you had some Yamayurikai work to do, you could do that."

That was true, so Yumi couldn't really object.

"Or how about going to the Rose Mansion? There's probably something there to do."

"Maybe."

The next Yamayurikai organized event was the 'Third Years Farewell Party,' so of course there was work to do. But the Yamayurikai members had decided to co-ordinate when to come in early and stay back late so they could all work together. Even so.

"I'm not sure how well it would go down if I went to the Rose Mansion early and started working by myself."

"Ahh."

Since Yoshino-san would be the only one shouting about 'throwing off the pace' or 'breaking a promise' it would probably be okay, but then Noriko-chan would show up early tomorrow morning to meet Yumi. What was simply a way for her to waste some time would turn into a major drama.

"Really, what I want to do is go and see my onee-sama, but I don't think she'd be here just yet."

Yumi flopped down over her desk. The other girls looked surprised.

"Oh, is that so? Sachiko-sama seems like she's the type of person who would come to school early."

"She wouldn't be here this early unless she had something to do."

Sachiko-sama was no good early in the morning because of her low blood pressure. Especially in winter, when it took quite a while for her body and brain to get in gear.

Even so, it's not as though she would burst through the school gates rushing to make it on time. Running, and consequently rustling her skirt and tossing her sailor collar, would be such an offense to Sachiko-sama's sense of dignity that it would rank as one of the most indecent acts she could perform.

While they were chatting, the number of students in the classroom was steadily rising. Then the other three girls left her with a cryptic remark before returning to their respective desks.

"Yumi-san, good luck."

"Huh?"

Good luck, they said. But what on earth would she need luck for? Before Yumi had a chance to turn around and ask, a new group of students tramped into the classroom.

"Ahh – Yumi-san's here."

In the time it took the one person to say that, she had been surrounded by six of her classmates.

(Ah.)

Belatedly, Yumi understood the meaning of the 'Good luck.'

"Is the rumor about yesterday's date true?"

"What happened? Your partner was Matsudaira Touko-san, right?"

"Where did you go? I tried looking around K station yesterday."

"...Well."

Yumi was frankly amazed at how her life somehow managed to be constantly in the spotlight. But she couldn't just sit there dumbfounded, she had to think.

So then, how to weather this storm?

If she were Shimako-san, she would only have to smile to evade their concentrated attack. Even if Yumi wanted to emulate her, they were fundamentally different. Yumi would only succeed in creeping them out with a forced smile.

(That's right. There's a phrase that's perfect for this situation.)

Yumi thought, 'What was it?' as she looked at her classmates, who were anxiously waiting to see what would come out of her mouth. Mami-san had taught it to her, a magic phrase that would get her out of this kind of situation.

"Umm, it's that thing."

Yumi raised her right index finger, and twirled it around.

"That thing?"

Her classmates shook their heads blankly.

"Right. That, that thing."

It was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't quite get it out. What was it? She knew what it was, but she just couldn't find that phrase that meant something like a promise.

"Oooooh."

Well, she'd come this far. The girls asked her, 'Are you okay?' and 'Does it hurt?' as Yumi grimaced, trying to force sound through her larynx.

"It's annoying. The words aren't coming out."

"Huh?"

Instantly the worried expressions all changed to relieved expressions, well, all except for Yumi's.

"There's a phrase for it."

Yumi told her classmates, who were starting to recover from shock. But having said that there was a phrase, she was still no closer to working out what the phrase was.

"It's not so much a promise, more an order<ref>This is pronounced as 'Rei' in Japanese.</ref>? Right, at the end I was given an order. A … mumble, mumble order."

"Hasekura Rei?"

"No!"

"An order to show compassion to all living things?"

"Shorter than that."

"A suppression order?"

"That's it!"

"That's it, huh?"

After a cheer of relief, there were high fives all around.

"Well, if you're under a suppression order, that's all there is to it."

Yumi's classmates let her off surprisingly easily, perhaps in part from a shared sense of achievement they felt from uncovering that buried phrase.

Leaving the cluster of girls, Yumi saw Mami-san and Tsutako-san standing by the door, looking at her.

"Gokigenyou. Have you just arrived?"

The pair responded in the negative to her question.

"We were just waiting for the right time to join in and help you out."

"It started to get interesting when you said, 'It's that thing,' but in the end we were forced to sit this one out, right?"

The editor-in-chief of the Lillian Kawaraban and the self-described photography club ace looked at each other and smiled.

"Heeey."

Since they were watching, they should have helped out. None of this watching because it was interesting nonsense.

"You got there on your own, so it's all good."

Yumi paused to think when Mami-san told her this. Maybe she had a point.

"Exactly."

Tsutako-san agreed as she raised her camera. It sounded like praise, but things felt kind of awkward.

"Ehehehe. I'm just heading off to my onee-sama's classroom."

Looking at her watch, Yumi saw it was the perfect time. The peak time for high school students arriving at school was almost over.

"Okay, take care."

Yumi headed out into the hallway after hearing these words and the cheerful sound of a shutter clicking coming from her two friends.

Yumi instinctively drew her shoulders inwards as she stepped from the heated classroom into the cool hallway. However, as she watched the students walking past her, she soon felt as though this wasn't necessary.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume32 Chapter1 1

2011-06-28T12:09:20Z

Yobbin: /* Laughing While Reminiscing. Part 1. */

===<noinclude>Laughing While Reminiscing. </noinclude>Part 1.===

"Quit it."

Rei took her lips off the straw that was stuck into her milk box and said:

"You're laughing because you're reminiscing about something."

"Reminiscing?"

Sachiko was considering what it could have been, but now that it had been mentioned the memory had vanished. She raised her gaze that had been lowered a little while ago, but that sensation still remained.

"Sorry, that was rude of me."

They were sitting opposite each other, and by themselves, having lunch when she had suddenly started giggling in the middle of their conversation. It was probably a bit awkward.

"I don't mind."

Rei tore a hole in the plastic bag to free the bread roll, then cut it in two and offered one of the halves to Sachiko.

"If you don't mind, I'd like it if you shared your amusing memory with me."

It was almost approaching 1pm in Milk Hall. Usually, there would be hardly any spare seats but today was the day before the high school graduation ceremony and afternoon classes had been canceled. Presently only about one in four seats were occupied. The reason it was still open seemed to be to accommodate those students who were saying goodbye, as well as to satisfy the hunger of the teachers who were preparing for the ceremony tomorrow. There were also some students who came to buy food and drinks, but didn't stay to eat. A while ago, some students from the arts club had bought a sizable number of pastries.

Perhaps out of respect the other students maintained a distance, creating this unusual image of the pair of Roses, Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Foetida, sitting alone in the normally busy Milk Hall.

Even so, from the distance Sachiko could hear murmurs such as 'I wonder what they're doing here?' If they had just come up and asked instead of whispering to each other, she would have answered them. They had some minor matters to attend to in the afternoon, and having lunch in Milk Hall seemed like a good way to end.

"What's this?"

Sachiko asked, taking the offered bread.

"It's a bread roll with yakisoba noodles. You've never heard of it?"

"Of course I have."

She knew that such a thing existed in the world. What's more, she knew that they were sold on campus, having witnessed one of her classmates order one. And although she didn't go there often, she had seen them on sale at a convenience store. She couldn't remember, but she thought she might have even tried one at some point. It was major player in the bread-roll world.

But it was just carbohydrates on top of carbohydrates. Earlier they had eaten spicy potato-salad wrapped in a bun.

"…"

Not being accustomed to buying lunch, Sachiko had left it up to Rei to choose, but she was starting to wonder if this really was a normal combination. While she had taken her turn as the person on duty collecting the lunches, she had hardly ever ordered anything herself.

"It wasn't anything major."

Rei was still fixed in her listening pose, so Sachiko responded after taking a bite of the yakisoba bread roll.

"I was just wondering if they had a search through the Rose Mansion for any items that we may have forgotten. That kind of thing."

The yakisoba bread roll was surprisingly good. The taste was somewhat reminiscent of traditional New Year's foods.

"Ahh, on that. Yoshino said they were doing that today. Searching the rooms on the first floor of the Rose Mansion."

"Oh, is that so. Then we'll definitely have to go there after we're done."

Rei's petit soeur, Yoshino-chan, is also her cousin and next-door neighbor, so they would talk on the way to and from school. Because of that, Rei was always well-informed.

"Is looking for lost items really that interesting? I'd guess that there aren't any items that you've forgotten anyway, Sachiko."

"True."

The previous year's Roses had been inattentive, and would go out leaving their personal effects scattered around. After having to deal with this, Sachiko and Rei were more cautious in their daily lives. Even so, Sachiko had been slightly worried about it, so yesterday morning she had secretly checked whether or not she had left anything behind. Consequently she was confident in her perfection.

"It amuses me to think about what Yumi's face will look like when she realizes that I haven't left anything behind."

"Ahh, is that it."

"Yeah."

Sachiko finished the last of the tea in her carton.

"Well there's still plenty to enjoy yet."

Rei smiled coyly. That was the look she got when thinking about the future.

"You're right. Well, should we get going?"

As soon as they stood up to move off, everyone's gaze turned towards them.

Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Foetida.

After tomorrow, they would no longer be called that.

The pair stopped momentarily at the vending machine in front of Milk Hall.

"Which should I get?"

"I just had tea, so something else would be good."

"I'm fine with something else milk-based. Milk coffee it is."

Just like with the bread rolls, they each put in exactly half the amount in coins and bought three milk coffees.

"I wonder where they are?"

Stepping outside she looked up at the branches of the cherry tree. While the flower buds were starting to expand, it looked like it would still be a number of days until they blossomed.

"If we go by her usual behavior..."

Rei was talking to herself as she pulled out her notebook.

"… she'd probably still be in the third year classroom."

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume22 Chapter2.2

2011-06-27T13:10:52Z

Yobbin: /* Part 2. */

===Part 2.===

"What?!"

It was 8 PM. Rose Mansion. Second Floor.

The school closing ceremony and mass had finished, and everyone was busily preparing for the party. Yumi gave a sudden outburst to one of Yoshino's passing statements.

"Shh. You're too loud."

Yoshino grimaced, as she brought her index finger in front of Yumi-san's mouth. Luckily, they were a bit far from Shimako-san and Noriko-chan, and they were absorbed in their own conversation. So Yumi's surprise was not heard.

The third-years had not come.

The party preparations worked in an order. As soon as mass would finish, everyone would come to the Rose Mansion. They would busily decorate it, then bake the place full of pastries and cakes, and finally prepare tea. So this was the most basic step in the ladder of party preparation.

They had to clean a room that had been left alone for almost a week, they had to bring a whole bunch of food and place it in the fridge, and they had to bring up chairs from the first floor up to the second to make up for the chairs that they did not have. This kept them occupied.

Yumi toned down her volume, and asked Yoshino-san.

"Well, I called Tanaka, no Arima Nana ...."

Yoshino-san said, a bit louder than she should have.

Why? Last week, on the last day of exams, Yoshino-san had said nothing about this.

But even had she suspected something, her mind had been so filled with planning for the amusement park date with Sachiko-sama that she had not noticed a thing.

Yoshino-san continued talking.

"That's why I'm asking you to help me."

"Help me?"

Arima Nana, whose name Yumi had only recently heard off, whose very mention sounded like some slip of paper from a surprise box, was flying knowingly off Yoshino-san's lips.

Yoshino had previously introduced Nana as her "soon to be soeur" to Torii Eriko-sama. <ref>Eriko was the previous Rosa Foetida, prior to Rei. Recently, Eriko had called up Yoshino and reminded her that the Rosa Foetida needed a new soeur to keep the line going. Yoshino, not wanting to feel bested, told Rei that she had a girl in mind whom she would make soeur, a blatant lie on Yoshino's part. When Eriko attempted to confront Yoshino about the girl, Yoshino fled, and found a girl coming out of the bathroom. This girl was Nana, and Yoshino set up the girl, and told Eriko that Nana would be her soeur, only to find out shortly after Eriko left that Nana was a Lillian Middle School student. Yoshino later talked to Nana in out-of-school settings, and began considering making Nana her soeur.</ref>

Yoshino wanted to make Nana her soeur if she could not find anyone by her third year.

But this time, Yoshino wanted to invite her to a casual party. It felt like a hop, a step, or maybe even a jump up.

"Well anyway."

Yoshino-san said.

"Yumi-san, you had said that you had wanted to invite Touko-chan and Kanako-chan for the Christmas party, didn't you?"

"I didn't."

Of course, Yumi-san knew that she wouldn't explicitly say that she wanted to invite them. She wouldn't say she didn't want them invited either.

"Hey, listen to everything I'm trying to say. You wanted to call them, so I thought I could call my friends too. So that's why I thought that they should come."

"... What?"

Yoshino-san was just pushing words into Yumi's mouth.

Well, whatever. She didn't understand this thing at all. Arima Nana-san was a middle school student, and had never even seen the Yamayurikai once before. To offer a direct, personal invitation to such a person took real guts. She wanted to invite people who everyone knew very well so that Nana-san wouldn't stick out. <ref>I think the statement about guts, and the exclusivity of the Yamayurikai is another place where Yumi has grown up from her first year self.</ref>

"Plus won't the turnout feel a little lonely this year? Last year we had eight Yamayurikai members? Plus Tsutako-san. But this year there are six members. And then with Tsutako-san, it'll be seven? Sachiko-sama said we should invite more people, when Rei-chan had asked."

So Yoshino-san heard Rei-sama and Onee-san talking about the party, and so she comes to "hey Yumi-san" her?

"So if we add three, maybe even four people, it'll be like the voices of a large crowd echoing in the room. They said we could even invite first or second years."

"Ugh."

Now Yumi had to quickly go to Touko-chan and Kanako-chan, invite them, and try to surreptitiously hint to them that she would like it if they came. Or at least, that's what Yoshino-san was hinting at Yumi to do.

"When the new year stars, the third years will get busy, and we'll have the Student Council Elections, and then everyone will stop coming so regularly to the meetings. So."

So this was a good opportunity to call a lot of people, Yoshino-san was implying. Of course, Nana-san should also be one of these people.

BBut wait. Yumi had to ask something.

"Um, Yoshino-san. I need to ask you something. Did you promise Arima Nana-san that you would make her your soeur or something?"

"Not yet."

"But you're still bringing her here?"

Isn't she being a bit overeager?

"Yeah.... I wanted to introduce her to Rei-chan."

"Wow... that's impulsive."

When Yoshino-san said that she wanted to introduce Nana-san to her Onee-sama, to a normal person, it would sound like she wanted to introduce her boyfriend. Sort of like "I want to meet his parents."

"Not very. I just want to quickly introduce her myself and let her get to know Rei-chan."

Yoshino-san said, slightly distastefully. Kind of like, continuing with the previous analogy,
the boyfriend's father not finding her up to snuff.

"Well ... are you sure?"

"For now at least."

Yoshino-san seemed to feel as if she were outnumbered, but she obviously had no intention of losing. As her close friend, what would be the best thing to do now?

"Alright, I see. Then let's get it all organized."

Yumi-chan clapped her hands together, and called out to the White Rose Sisters.

"Shimako-san, Noriko-chan, are you guys done?"

They had some things to talk about.

---

It was about ten minutes from the drop-dead time to go back to class, so for now, the four sat down.

"It's about the Christmas Party. It was feeling a bit lonely, so we decided to invite a few new people. Yoshino-san seems to have one person in mind. We still need another two or three people. Do you guys have anyone you'd like to call?"

"How about Tsutako-san..."

Shimako-san let the name out into the open. The Photography Club's Ace had been invited to the party last year, and at the end of it had said "Next year for sure!" Shimako-san seemed to remember this.

"Ah, she was in the list of names to begin with. Along with the Onee-samas."

We had thanked her tremendously for taking so many pictures last year, and Tsutako-san was much obliged to attend again this year.

"Then I can't think of anyone else. How about you, Noriko?"

"Even I can't really..."

Noriko-chan fell silent. She looked as if she were holding something back. But she also looked as if she wasn't really troubling herself much about it.

"Then how about Touko-chan and Kanako-chan?"

Yumi blurted out, and Yoshino-san exclaimed perhaps a bit too loudly "That would be great!". Then she softened her tone, and asked Noriko-chan "Right?"

"... Yeah."

Noriko-chan seemed sunk deep in her thoughts. Yumi asked her a question.

"Could you please invite them?"

Part of it was that today was a holiday, but more importantly, she had not seen Touko-chan's face since the day when she had unexpectedly appeared at the Fukuzawa residence.

Yumi was still scared by what Kashiwagi-san had told her, and was still a bit afraid of meeting Touko-chan. That's why Yumi thought it best if Noriko-chan, a girl from Touko-chan's own class, were to go and invite her.

But being scared to talk to Touko-chan, and not wanting to meet her were two different things. Actually, she wanted to look upon a Touko-chan laughing along with her classmates
in happiness.

But.

"I cannot."

Noriko-chan replied.

"Huh?"

Responses other than "Sure" or "I'll do it" were responses Yumi could not even fathom.

"Now, why..."

"I said that I can't do it."

Noriko-chan cut Yumi off clearly. So then, she hadn't mistook a "sure" <ref>Japanese: "Ii desu"</ref> with a "I cannot"
<ref>Japanese: "Kirai Desu", it's meant to awkwardly rhyme</ref>. She had been clearly turned down.

"Noriko-chan! How dare you talk to your Sempai like that?"

Yoshino-san exclaimed, as she stood straight up.

But Yumi liked the fact that, even though Yumi was her sempai, Noriko had still been able to clearly say what she had wanted to say.

Yoshino, who still seemed as if she had a much longer diatribe to fulfill, let the matter go -- at least, she sat down and let Yumi take over.

She had been deeply shaken by Noriko-chan's reaction. But Yumi wanted to know why Noriko had denied, and so had let herself embrace stillness.

"Why? Have Touko-chan and Kanako-chan fought again?"

"No."

Noriko-chan shook her head.

"Then why don't you want to call her to the party?"

"I'm not saying that I don't want them called to the party. If Touko or Kanako-san come to the party, it doesn't matter much to me."

"... Huh?"

They hadn't fought. She didn't mind if the two would come to the party. Then why?

"I cannot invite them. It was Yumi-sama who suggested inviting them, was it not? Then shouldn't it be Yumi-sama's duty to invite them?"

"Duty..."

Yumi hadn't even thought of that.

"Well."

Yumi had thought that, because Noriko-chan was in the same class as the two, she could easily be able to invite them. But in Noriko-chan's world, it seemed like her concept of "duty" entailed some important obligation that Yumi had irrevocably shrugged.

"Basically, I can't do what you're asking me to."

When Yumi saw the determination on Noriko-chan's face, she knew that no matter what, Noriko-chan would not change her mind. Then.

"Understood."

Someone who seemed to also have understood this, suddenly rose from her seat. It was Shimako-san, who had been quiet until now.

"I'll be the one to do it."

"Huh?"

"The bell will soon ring. So if we want to invite them, we would like to do it as quickly as possible, right?"

"Shimako-sa... Onee-sama!"

Noriko-chan hurriedly chased after Shimako-san, who had already begun walking.

"Onee-sama shouldn't have to go! Yumi-sama and I were just ...!"

"It doesn't matter who invites them."

Shimako-san turned, and smiled.

"But!"

"Noriko. When you refused, it was your whim. That doesn't mean that you can control what *I* do. No matter what, if it's something Yumi-san wishes me to do, then that's reason enough. Isn't that another tenet of the 'duty' that you follow?

"..."

Noriko-chan didn't speak. She then looked at Shimako-san with a sad, painful look on her face, and teared up a little.

She seemed a lot like the crybaby in Yumi. She didn't know about Shimako-san, but Yumi had never seen Noriko-chan like this.

Noriko-chan had always been one to stand up against anything and face it. She was a kid who, even though she may cry, seemed as if the passion of justice would burn in her heart. But now, Noriko seemed completely weak. She had no retort to Shimako-san's remark, and simply stood there.

"I'm sorry Shimako-san. I'll go."

Yumi, who couldn't stand doing nothing for so long, spoke.

"Then, shall we go together?"

Shimako-san smiled as she always did.

She was smiling so even when she had turned to Noriko-chan. Shimako-san's words had warmth. That's why they were words that echoed inside one's heart, rather than words shouted in hysteria. <ref>Reference to Sachiko's "hysteric-mode"</ref>

After giving the two some distance, followed behind, with Yoshino-san holding the rear.

This way, the first year Camellia class Noriko-chan, had no choice but to return back to her classroom, even if she didn't want to.

Or maybe Yoshino-san had come simply to see what the fuss had been all about.

"But, why did you want to be the one to go, Shimako-san?"

Yumi asked, as she walked along the school's corridors.

"Why not?"

"Well, and maybe I'm wrong in this but, it doesn't seem like it's very important to Shimako-san whether Touko-chan or Kanako-chan are called to the party. Even if we were to call someone else, Shimako-san would greet them the same way, and talk to them the same way, right? Even if we only end up bringing along Yoshino-san's friend and Tsutako-san, the party wouldn't be affected, right?

"I see."

Shimako-san nodded, then spoke.

"But, no matter what amount of guests Yoshino-san ends up bringing, it wouldn't be right. Tsutako-san would be fully occupied by taking pictures, rather than actually socializing at the party, right? Truth is, I'd feel a bit awkward if we were having only one guest."

"But then."

Instead of going against Noriko-chan's wishes and calling Touko-chan or Kanako-chan, we could've called any old underclassman. Shimako-san clarified.

"I followed my heart."

"Huh?"

"Somehow, I felt that it would be best to invite Touko-chan."

"Somehow?"

Yumi asked, and Shimako rather than respond back, seemed to whisper something to herself.

It seems like something very important was hidden within that 'somehow'.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume22 Chapter1.1

2011-06-27T12:51:20Z

Yobbin: /* Part 1. */

===Part 1.===

Mi, miru fiiyu <ref>Mille Feuilleu</ref>

Yu, Yumi.

Mi, miru fiiyu.

Yu, Yumi.

''Aah, I should stop,'' she whispered to herself.

Returning from the Ogasawara family's house in Kashiwagi-san's car, she began her personal, endless shiritori.<ref>Shiritori is a game where the last Japanese syllable from a word is used to create the first Japanese syllable for the next word in the sequence. The sequence here is in reference to the last book, Rose Mille-Feuille, where Shiritori is played.</ref> If the shiritori itself were to continue in such a meaningless manner, there would be no problems for it. The problem was really Yumi's state of mind as the shiritori game was progressing.

When she stopped to consider it, there were several unpleasant things that Yumi was thinking about. In order to drive them out of her head, she had engaged in this mindless endless shiritori. This way, she would become swayed by the rhythm, and her sewing needle would start moving around wildly, and even if the thread slid out, she would not notice and keep stitching onward, almost as if she were falling into a trap. How many repetitions had she made by now?

''No, stop.'' She did it again.

At least she was in her own room, where no one would disturb her. She would add in a sigh at the most important times, and then let it go and continue sewing. If someone saw what she was doing, it would seem like some sort of a performance.

"Ahhh."

Yumi let the sewing needle out of her sewing hole, and set down the first stage of her sewing. The thread, which curled like the instant ramen that she had made, fell from her knees onto the floor. She wouldn't move an inch from her current position, though she could easily pick it up if she wanted to.

"... I'm thinking too much about it." It had been several days since then, and yet…

Even though she had relinquished the mille-feuille that Sayako Obaa-sama had given her as a gift to her family long ago, maybe it wasn't really about time. No it wasn't. Even though time had passed, she had the feeling that she had become swept up into it.

Those meaningful words Kashiwagi-san had spoken. His words the fleeting Yumi could not simply cry "How idiotic" and let go.

The feeling of defeat she felt from comparing how well Kashiwagi-san understood Sachiko-sama or how effectively Sachiko-sama could rely on him was a bit different from what she felt now--not only was the matter a bit different at its core, but it weighed on her heart more.

Kashiwagi-san understood. That was probably the essence of it. Yumi worked hard to seek out a relationship with Sachiko-sama, but there were things that she still didn't know about her. That's what was painful. When Kashiwagi-san had hinted that this was a thing in which he could not be defeated, she'd felt she'd lost to a point where she could not hope to win. When Yumi had been given a handicap from the person she had thought was her rival, she was beyond receiving compassion.

Yumi sighed several times, rolled her ramen-like wool into a ball, and then looked up.

Her sense of time was distorted, but it was probably around evening. The inside of her room had become dark.

"Well."

Yumi put down her sewing work and stood up to turn on the lights. Her eye catching on nothing specific, Yumi glanced outside her window.

''What could have happened?'' She didn't know. It had felt as if someone had called Yumi. ''From outside ... ?''

She tried to concentrate on the outside from her second floor window, but the surrounding houses' roofs, the trees, and the dim light made her unable to distinguish any figures outside.

"Mom." Yumi dashed down the stairs, and poked her face into the kitchen. "Mom, you..."

"Huh?" Her mother pressed the mute button on the cordless phone, and looked up.
"... didn't call me. I see. Sorry for bothering you."
"It's fine." <ref>Yumi actually says "O-jamashimashita" a formal way in Japanese of saying "sorry for bothering you", and her mother replies in kind with "douitashimashite" or the ritual "you're welcome" and in this case "it's fine".</ref>

Yumi finished the exchange of formalities<ref>(TL Sukoshi: see above remark)</ref>. Yumi's mother once again turned back toward the phone and began talking. In the last few days, her mother had been trying to collect recipes she had been seeing on TV. She was becoming just like the person she was on the phone with, Taeko Oba-chan. <ref>Oba-chan meaning aunt.</ref>

'If Mom hadn't called me, then…'' She twisted her head around and went out of the kitchen. ''Yuuki?'' Yumi bounded up the stairs and knocked on Yuuki's room.

"Yuu..." As soon as she had begun speaking, she remembered. Yuuki would be out today with Kobayashi-kun.

It really was her imagination then, wasn't it? She went back to the stairs and sat down.

"It really felt like someone was calling me though." She stuck her face between her knees, and finally let out a groan. Mishearing something wasn't really supposed to hurt this much. ''But.''

Maybe Dad had come home. Rather than giving up, Yumi went down the stairs again, and went up to the front door. His shoes weren't there, which meant that he was still in the office.

Just to make sure, Yumi went outside and up to the front gate. She had come out just as the newspaper boy was giving out the evening paper, so she went up to him and said "Thanks for your hard work," <ref>Gokurou-sama Desu. Another Japanese ritual phrase.</ref> and took it directly from him.

The land had become completely dark. The sky was dark and clear. She looked up into the night sky, and could see a small star intermittently blinking. She searched for the moon but could not find it. Whether she just couldn't see the moon at this time of the month or whether it was covered in clouds, Yumi did not know.

''Riiing.''

She walked into the house to the sound of the phone hurriedly screeching. Belatedly, Yumi realized that not enough time had passed for her mother to have finished the previous call and have left. So even though someone was calling, her mom's last call must have finished.

"Hello." Yumi's mom returned to the living room, and as usual stood one step in front of the phone and spoke into it.

"Yes ... yes. Aah, thank you for taking care of us. No no, of course not. You really helped me out."

As she was talking, Mom's gaze immediately flung to her daughter. Yumi thought that perhaps the conversation was about Yumi, so she came closer to the phone and heard, "So what? You've been a big help taking care of my son". Not "my daughter" but "my son". Whoever it was, he seemed to be a friend of Yuuki's.

"Yuuki hasn't come home yet," Yumi whispered, while making large mouth movements to let her mother know. Then her mother said, "Sure, just hold on" and gave the phone to Yumi.

"... But, I'm Yumi." Hey, hey, Mom. Had she reached the age where she was confusing her son for her daughter? Although, in her seventeen-year-long life, she had often been mistaken for her brother.

Without taking the phone back, her mother quickly said, "Of course I know that. It's for Yumi-chan."

"Huh?" Her mother spoke as Yumi clutched the phone in her hand.

"It's Kashiwagi-san!"

"…!" She was so surprised that her heart pounded, and she felt as if she would drop the receiver. What timing! It was he who had been sending her into random fits of melancholy for so long.

Anyway, Yumi's mother could not even fathom why a call from Kashiwagi-san unnerved Yumi so. Whatever the reason was, he really didn't have any self-control.

"Hello."

"Ah, Yumi-chan, sorry." Kashiwagi-san's always cheery voice started with an apology. "I don't really call you, so you might be surprised but--"

"Uh." Well she was surprised. But because Kashiwagi-san annoyed her, she would not reveal that. She cultivated a "I'm always cool and collected" attitude. Right. This was one of those situations where she had to act as distant as possible.

"Did something happen?"

"Ah, well..."

Some time passed, and it felt like Kashiwagi-san was searching for the right words. Like someone who can't find a good way of conveying bad news.

"Nothing's happened at Sachiko-sama's house, has it?!" Yumi turned into the phone and shouted. Kashiwagi-san was Sachiko-sama's cousin. If something were to happen to Sachiko-sama or her family, it would be expected for Kashiwagi-san to call and tell her the news.

No. It's not that. The Ogasawara household is fine."

"Oh really? Great!" She felt some initial relief then wondered, Then what is it...? Kashiwagi-san did not seem like the type of person who would tie up the phone with small talk.

"It's actually about Touko."

"Touko-chan?" She wasn't expecting that but, when she thought about it, Kashiwagi-san was Touko-chan's cousin too. That's why, if one was to put Kashiwagi-san between them, then Sachiko-sama and Touko-chan were in the same place.<ref>(TL Sukoshi: in the family web.)</ref>

"If that's your reaction then, she hasn't shown up?"

"Shown up? To my house? No, she hasn't but... Why would she?"

"No. It's better that she stays away. Things just flew out of control. She's late coming home, so her parents are worried."

"But it's just six." She could be preparing for the school festival and having to stay late. It was pretty common for a girl like her to not come home by this time.

"Yeah, well when Touko-chan had come home she had gotten into a fight with her parents. It seems she had an outburst of anger, and she left the house. That's why we want to know."

"She got into a fight then left?" Just what had happened?

"Touko seems like that kind of person ... well she kind of looks like a girl who gets into reckless trouble. She hasn't left the house before. Her parents are also worried about her, and came to me crying about what to do. Of course, she could just turn up back at home but, whatever she does, she set out to do what she felt she had to do."

"I see." And Fukuzawa Yumi seemed tied quite strongly to this “whatever she does” business. "What about Sachiko-sama's house?" Yumi asked.

"Well, I'm calling from the Ogasawara house."

"Oh."

If Kashiwagi-san wanted to think of the person that Touko-chan would rely on, he would first think of Sachiko-sama. If she wasn't where Kashiwagi-san was, then…

"I didn't want the Matsudaira family to make it a big thing, so I decided to come here directly. And Touko wasn't here."

"Did you tell Sachiko-sama?"

"I thought Sacchan was the only person who I could tell what happened to, but at the last minute, her friends came over and I couldn't see her. And if I go and say that I want to talk to Sachiko-sama, then Sayako Oba-sama would wonder what had happened."

"Well, do you think Touko was one of those friends ...?" Touko-chan was a Lillian Girls Academy student, and if you stretched it, she really was Sachiko-sama's friend.

"No. One of those friends was Hasekura-san."

"Hasekura ... Ah." It was Rei-sama. Rei-sama and Sachiko-sama were friends, so coming over to each other's houses was not odd at all. Ahhh. Those two were meeting over Exam Holiday.

"I'm sorry if I'm being too much trouble but, could you give me Nijou Noriko-san's house number? I've heard the name before, and I haven't had a chance to tell Sacchan about this so..."

"Then I'll call her. If I find anything, I'll let you know Kashiwagi-san."

"Ah, that would be a big help. If she were to suddenly get a call from a young man, then Noriko-san's parents would get worried."

"Yeah." Noriko-chan was staying at her great aunt's house, so you couldn't really say parents, but Yumi replied to Kashiwagi-san quickly without making any corrections.

"What about Yoshino-san or Shimako-san?"

"That's right." She started thinking next to the phone and let out a soft groan. "Do you think Touko-chan would go there? I don't really know who Touko's friends are, so I don't know."

"I don't really know either."

"Then it's best we don't."

If this became too big of a thing, then when Touko-chan returned, things wouldn't go well, is what Kashiwagi-san was trying to say. That's right. She wasn't classified into the "ran away from home" stage yet. She was still at "hasn't returned yet". Whatever that meant.

"Ah." Suddenly the image of a girl appeared in Yumi's mind.

"Huh?"

"What about Kanako-chan?"

"Kanako-chan?"

"A classmate of Touko-chan's, like Noriko-chan." She was a person who seemed to talk with Touko-chan a lot more than Shimako-san or Yoshino-san would.

"I haven't heard of her. What does she look like?"

"She has long hair, and she's tall."

"Oh I see. The girl who appeared at the school play? She played the ... Chief Councilor I think?"

"Yep."

"Really... She's a good friend of Touko's?"

"Well I've heard that they're natural enemies, but..."

"But?"

"But recently I've been seeing them together."

"I see. If two people oppose each other, and something happens, they can quickly come together. I get it. So can you ask this Kanako-chan also?"

"I'll try as hard as I can, but I won't make into a big thing."

"Thanks a lot Yumi. Ah, let me give you my cell phone number."

"Sure, sure." Yumi jotted down the numbers Kashiwagi gave onto a memo pad next to the phone, and then cut the call.

"What happened? A friend ran away from home?" the moment Yumi put the phone down, her mother asked. It seemed that she had been listening to Yumi during the entire duration of the call.

"Yup, well I don't know. She's just late in coming home, and her parents seem worried."

"Hm. I see. She's their wonderful daughter after all."

While she commiserated with Touko-chan's parents, the reason Yumi-chan's mother still didn't have a worried look on her face was because it was still not seven o'clock. If it were ten or eleven o'clock at night, she would have reacted quite differently.

"Kashiwagi-san was the one who dropped Yumi-chan and Yuuki off with his car, right? Maybe he'll become our son-in-law?"

"Stop!" Yumi immediately whispered.

"Come on Yumi-chan. Isn't your reaction supposed to be different? A normal girl your age is supposed to say, 'Aiiee! Mom, what are you saying?! Please stop this!' and blush and run straight into her room."

"…" Only if you've watched too many dramas.

"Then she'll be tossing and turning in bed, imagining her wedding." That depends on the person.

Whether Kashiwagi-san was still with Sachiko-sama, or whether they were ex-es was not known, and to contemplate marriage? He's gay. If she told her mother the truth, then she wouldn't be acting so interested in him.

No, even though he was gay, lately he'd been becoming more suspicious. <ref>(TL S: Yumi actually used slang, so I had to write "ex-es" (cringe). And no, Yumi is not insulting Kashiwagi, he really is gay. From when they were young, Sachiko and Kashiwagi were arranged to be married. Sachiko loved Kashiwagi, but then one day, Kashiwagi came to Sachiko and told her that he was gay, and that while they could marry, they couldn't have kids. Sachiko was shocked and enraged, and developed a hatred for men (together with the treatment of women by men in her family). Please refer to the first novel or story-arc for more.)</ref>

"Well anyway, feel free to call him to your heart's content."

Yumi took the note on which Kashiwagi-san's phone number was written, and the phone receiver and went up the stairs. Noriko-chan's house number and Kanako-chan's house number were written in her student notebook, which was in her room.

"It's almost dinner time, so when you're done calling, please come down."

"Suuure."

When she had put her hand on the doorknob of her room, she could hear the sound of the front door opening downstairs.

''Maybe it's Dad? Or Yuuki?''

She was a bit interested in who had come home, but she wanted to take care of the matter of Touko-chan first, so she entered her room. Before Yumi could even open the student notebook, her mother called.

"Yumi-chaaan."

"... What now, Mom?" She didn't care when Yumi had finished her phone call, but she kept endlessly calling "Yumi-chaan," and would not let her concentrate.

"Excuse me, Yumi-chan."

She peeked her face outside of the door, and her mother was calling from underneath the stairs. She would come down after she finished the phone call, so she decided to go back.

"Could you please come down?"

"Huh?" ''Could you please come down?''?

Well one thing she was sure of was that this wasn't "Come down for dinner." Maybe she should at least see her mom downstairs.

Dad or Yuuki had probably brought home some large thing, and her mother wanted her to see it quickly, or something like that. She had no idea what that could be, but it was one of those things that happened in the Fukuzawa family.

"Look, Yumi-chan, it's a really huge watermelon!" was the kind of thing she was thinking. It was winter, so of course no one would bring back a really huge watermelon, but…

"Yumi-chan, hurry, hurry."

Her mother was waiting in the corridor. She greeted Yumi with her always-happy tone of voice, and lead her to the entrance.

"Wow." Just as she thought, Yuuki had come home, and was standing there.

And next to him was…

"Good day, Yumi-sama." The shrilly-laughing, roll coiled hair girl.

"T...Tou ...!" Yuuki had brought back something even bigger than a huge watermelon in the midst of winter.

Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume19 Chapter4.5

2011-06-23T12:46:51Z

Yobbin: /* Cherry Blossom Folk Tales */

== Cherry Blossom Folk Tales ==

Cherry Blossom Classroom was the last building on the second floor of the Lillian Girls' Academy school building.

The door was made of wood, but was so darkened that nobody knew what sort of wood it was. But the students who used the classroom knew that it was actually made from the cherry blossom tree, they had kept the secret alive by passing it from sempai to kouhai.

If one looked inside through the gap in the door, one would see that it was now homeroom for Second Year Cherry Blossom Class.

On the blackboard, the words "Think about Sakuratei" were written in large letters. The School Festival Action Committee was in a heated meeting.

"Well then, after considering countless proposals, it has been decided to hold this year's Sakuratei as a café.

Sakuratei.

The name of a shop in the School Festival that Cherry Blossom Class viciously protects every year. It was a program that changed every year, but whose name was kept as Sakuratei. Last year, Sakuratei was a curry shop. Years before, it's been a soba store, a sweets shop, and years ago it had even been a small drama theater. This year's cafe would be like all the Sakuratei that came before it, well-established and popular, and would never be Sakuratei again for several years.

The decision had been a peaceful one, so the matter at hand was resolved ... or so I thought. Actually, the real issue was about to start.

"How about a music cafe? We could listen to a musical performance
while sipping tea"
The students of the Folk Song Club proposed.

"We agree"
The Chorus and Ballad Club's leaders raised their hands.

"Um, we could decide on a showtime to catch, and some dance will probably be in the performance."
The Dance Club leader added on untimidly.

"Isn't a music club a little too much? If we want to display our originality, maybe we should get rid of music altogether"
The new voice to the discussion was the leader of the Go Club.

"To get rid of music is a bit over the top, is it not? Don't tell me you want to put down a Go board and start a Go match?"

"That's exactly what I was thinking."

And then the Shougi Club's leader added her thoughts in.
"Maybe adding a Shougi Board wouldn't be too bad of an idea either."

The winner for the Cherry Blossom was the café. New ideas had been proposed, but …
"Please stop this side talk. Until there is a clear winner, please do not leave your seats. It has been decided that the guests must stay in place"

"But music is the same thing."

It seemed like everyone wanted to win with their own idea. From the beginning, students who did not have a very concrete idea of what was going on in the meeting took up heated positions. Because they continued to stir up conflict with each other, the room was descending into confusion.

A picture café (Proposed by the Arts Club), a Manga café (Proposed by the Manga Investigation Club), A Café with Flowers (Proposed by the Flower Arrangement Club), and on, and on. A Ping Pong Café (Proposed by the Ping Pong Club), a Sewing Café (Proposed by the Handicrafts Club), and all sorts of café ideas were popping up. Even the chairman of the meeting had to take a long sigh.

"I understand the meaning behind everyone's requests. However, if each club continues to promote only its own opinion, we cannot reach consensus. How about this. Today's meeting shall come to a close, and from tomorrow onward, please meet with your representative, and appeal with them to present the idea. The School Festival Action Committee will probably settle the location at a café."

It was a wise decision. Everyone had become very heated in their discussions, so a temporary cooling off would do us well. Plus there was always the possibility that after a good night's sleep, people would wonder why they had proposed such absurd ideas. On the other hand, if they felt that their ideas had merit, sleep would only increase the idea's appeal.

"I wonder if that's a good idea."
The leader of the Literature Club who had held her patience and kept silent the whole time raised her hand.
"If that's the case, then hear my proposal out too."

"A literature café Sakuratei?"
Said someone, in a somewhat mocking tone.

"Yes. But I do not want this to be a place where only I can show off my club's wares."

"Then what do you mean?"

"I was thinking everyone could make things they could not have made were they not in Cherry Blossom-class, and then sell those in a store. That was all."

The Literature Club President looked around at her classmates.
"We'll make presents ahead of time, and then everyone can make stories, songs, or essays about the Cherry Blossom-class Folk Tales, and collect them all together."

"Cherry Blossom-class Folk Tales?"

"Yes. In the entire set of high school classes, there are six different classes. Why must there only exist a Cherry Blossom-class for second years? Or, looking at it the other way, why must the Plum Class found in the first and third year classes not also found in the second year classes?

Everyone should think about this."
As soon as she finished her answer, the room became noisy.

"Because this classroom's door is the only door which uses Cherry Blossom trees for material?"

"Isn't it because of the famous class teacher Sakura-Sensei?"
People began voicing their thoughts from different corners of the room.

"Look now. Everyone knows one or two different folk tales right? Write words about it. Put your tales into writing."

From the way the participants began talking, the air of the room seemed to project the idea as "Seems Interesting". No matter how you looked at it, the young girls of the room liked this topic of conversation.

The Chairman looked down at her clock for time confirmation.
"If anyone else has any other ideas, please express them now."

When she took a survey glance around the room, she found no such people.
"So then, this time next week, shall we decide to hold presentations?"

After confirming that everyone raised their hand in agreement to the idea, the chairman of the School Festival Action Committee turned back to us.

"That's all teacher. Please return to homeroom instruction now."

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| Return to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume19_Chapter4|In Library IV]]
| Return to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Volume19_Chapter4.5.1|--- Magic Among the Cherry Blossom ---]]
|-
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Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume4 Chapter5 3

2011-06-04T07:23:23Z

Yobbin: /* A modest secret. Part 3. */

===<noinclude>A modest secret. </noinclude>Part 3.===

Rosa Gigantea took a few steps, then reached into the thickets by the gingko trees, grabbed the uniform collar and dragged the peeping tom out.

"Hey. Peeping is bad."

"I'm sorry, I was just passing by, and-"

Yumi, caught, desperately tried to explain herself.

[[Image:MM_v04_04.jpg|thumb]]
Right after the results were posted, Yumi noticed Rosa Gigantea at the edge of the crowd of students. But Rosa Gigantea, after a quick glance at the imitation paper on which the names and number of votes were written, quickly left, so Yumi, after being cut off from Sachiko-sama and others, squeezed out of the crowd and followed after. The three boutons, having safely won their elections, were swept up in a storm of blessings, so they didn't seem like they could get out any time soon.

So, when she followed Rosa Gigantea, there was an unexpected preceding visitor, so she was immediately taken aback. And she hurriedly hurled herself into the hedge. Because it was a special atmosphere. Rosa Gigantea and Shizuka-sama.

"Well, I didn't mind being seen."

As they walked back to the sanctuary, Rosa Gigantea prodded Yumi's head and laughed.

"I won't tell Shimako-san."

"You can tell, I don't mind."

"I won't tell."

"You're persistent."

"Of course."

If Sachiko-sama kissed someone, even if it was just on the cheek, she wouldn't like it, at all. –Yumi thought. So she couldn't tell Shimako-san. No matter what.

In Shimako-san's stead, Yumi dragged Rosa Gigantea to the sanctuary by the hand, but in by pinching her hand a bit. She needed to feel a bit of pain.

The sanctuary had actually been somewhat vacated by the time they returned. They became extremely excited, and then the wildfire had been blown out. Everyone left in threes and fives. It was a Saturday afternoon. As the main event had ended, they had other plans to attend to.

And in the middle of a few remaining people were Sachiko-sama, Rei-sama and Shimako-san.

"Well, first of all, congratulations."

Rosa Gigantea cackled, as she walked to them. The "first of all" was so unnecessary.

"Thank you very much."

The three of them bowed.

"Looked like an easy victory."

"Not entirely."

Shimako-san shook her head and smiled.

For someone who wasn't as famous, Rosa Canina put up quite the fight. Of course, the results weren't especially close, but she had certainly been up to the task. You could say that much.

If Lillian didn't have a system of sœur, and the four candidates had been lined up at the same start line, Shizuka-sama may have beaten Shimako-san to become one of the Roses. Of course, that was an "if." No one could complain about Shimako-san winning the election, and becoming a Rose in her second year was a brilliant achievement.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

She had no idea when Yoshino-san had gone round-trip, as she showed up carrying two peoples' coats and bags. And Rei-sama, upon seeing her, hurried over like a magnet, and took hers.

"Well, apologies for leaving early, but we have plans."

Rei-sama and Yoshino-san lined up like ohina-sama[http://www.baka-tsuki.net/project/index.php?title=Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Notes#ohinasama] and bid their farewells.

"How enviable. Hasekura + Shimazu double celebration?"

Sachiko-sama said.

"Yes."

Yoshino-san looked happy. She was constantly smiling, as if she herself had won.

"Well, see you all next week."

"Gokigenyou."

After watching the two of them walk down the gingko pathway, hands together, Sachiko-sama grabbed Yumi's hand. "Come."

"Onee-sama?"

"Let's have Rosa Gigantea do something onee-sama-like, for once."

She whispered, and pulled Yumi away. When they blended into the crowd of students and looked back, Shimako-san was surprisingly crying, and just as rare of a scene was Rosa Gigantea embracing her closely.

"It might be meddlesome, but sometimes you have to be over-considerate with them. She looks strong, but Shimako is just a first-year, like Yumi."

She's been so tense for so long, she has to be given space, sometimes, Sachiko-sama said.

"How about onee-sama?"

Yumi asked. If Shimako-san was just a first-year, Sachiko-sama was just a year older, herself.

"Me?"

She tilted her head to the side, thinking.

"Really, I may have been too tense, too. Then I shall have Yumi make me relax."

"Okay!"

Yumi excitedly answered, like a puppy.

"I'll do anything, go on."

Not a lie, not an exaggeration, she thought she was capable of anything, right now. If onee-sama desired, she would bungee jump or go on a standing jet coaster, that's how excited she was.

But Sachiko-sama was far more grounded, and made an extremely simple request.

"First of all, pour me hot tea at the Rose Mansion. And then let's eat the remainder of our lunch together."

"Huh…? Lunch, remainder?"

"Let me confess that I only ate half, too. I just wanted to look strong, in front of you."

Ducking her shoulders, Sachiko-sama said, "So let's eat together."

"You made me regain my appetite."

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