Editing Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume14 Chapter3 1 (section)

===<noinclude>Setting Aside the "Bread Incident." </noinclude>Part 1===

Lunchtime.

As she was hurrying to Milk Hall to buy a pastry, Yumi spotted someone she knew from behind and instinctively called out to her.

"Touko-cha~n."

With her characteristic hairstyle, two ringlets – one on the left and one on the right, there was no mistaking her for someone else. As expected, when her name was called she slowed down and turned around. 

"… Yumi-sama."

"Are you by yourself?"

Yumi jogged through the crowd of people to stand beside her. The somewhat stubborn girl, one grade below her.

"Is there something wrong with being by myself? But since you mentioned it, Yumi-sama, you don't seem to have any companions with you either."

Prickly Touko-chan.

Yumi hadn't been trying to say that there was anything wrong with being alone, but … well, Touko-chan usually had a sharp tongue.

Still, Yumi thought that she was inoculated against it now, as opposed to when they'd first met. Maybe she was used to it, or maybe she just thought Touko-chan was cute, like a menacing kitten.

"Well, today, my mom forgot to set the timer for the rice cooker and we didn't have any rice. So I have to buy something from Milk Hall, since all I've got in my lunchbox is side dishes."

Yumi held out the bag holding the small plastic container.

"I didn't really need to hear about that."

"Really? You mean you weren't thinking, "Yumi-sama always brings a lunchbox, so why's she going to Milk Hall?""

"How conceited. The world doesn't revolve around you, Yumi-sama."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really. Well then, goodbye."

Intending those as parting words, Touko-chan hurried off. Yumi hurried after her, having more or less anticipated that reaction.

This path led to various other places, like the school store and the chapel, but at this time of day she was probably heading to Milk Hall too. Yumi didn't really want to walk the rest of the way to their destination looking at Touko-chan's back.

"Touko-chan's being so cold. Makes Yumi so lone~ly."

Clinging on to Touko-chan.

"Please stop."

Touko-chan took half a step sideways to put some space between them. But that was all she did, perhaps having lost her earlier desire to shake off Yumi. Maybe she'd given up, seeing that running away was pointless.

"How come you haven't visited the Rose Mansion recently?"

Yumi asked as they walked side-by-side.

"I've been busy with club activities. Besides."

Touko-chan looked down.

"It's filled with an evil presence."

"An evil presence?"

Yumi asked and Touko-chan raised her head, surprised.

"Please ignore that last part. It's my problem to deal with."

Ignore it or not, it was a cryptic remark. Without clarification, Yumi had no idea what it meant.

"Are things like evil presences popular at the moment?"

"What do you mean, popular?"

This time it was Touko-chan asking for clarification.

"There was something I heard from my brother."

"Your brother? – Ah."

"Oh, that's right, you've met my brother."

Boy meets girl at Kashiwagi Suguru-san's mansion. Well, let's just set that aside for now.

"The other day, one of my brother's friends was walking down the road when he got this really bad feeling. Like he was being haunted by something."

"In that case, couldn't he just pray or have an exorcism? That's a different sort of evil presence to mine."

"That's like what my brother's friend said."

"But just now you said it was like he was being haunted by something."

"That's what I said, but."

Yumi agreed. It was like he was being haunted by something but not by an actual ghost.

"They have a strong sense for the supernatural, so they knew it wasn't a spirit. It was something more troublesome than that, a live human being."

Touko-chan listened silently, then after a little while mumbled something that seemed to indicate she understood.

"More troublesome because it's a human … it really is like that."

Maybe something came to mind for her too.

"You should come and visit us every so often. Sachiko-sama would be happy to see you too. If I make things too gloomy, you can pick a time when I'm not there."

Touko-chan made no response to this comment.

Arriving at Milk Hall, it was as packed full of middle and high school students as she'd expected it to be.

Touko-chan bought a strawberry milk from the vending machine by the door, then spoke to Yumi who was waiting by her side.

"Aren't you misunderstanding something?"

Like the sounds the coins made as they dropped into the change slot, she spoke in a way that seemed to say, "You'd better not forget this."

"Misunderstanding?"

"You're not the one I can't stand, Yumi-sama."

"Oh, then who?"

As she asked this, Yumi thought, "Darn it."

She'd be better off not poking her nose into matters of "Who likes who" or "Who hates who." With those sorts of interpersonal problems, if she knew both of the people, she'd be reminded of it every time she saw one of them. 

"Um, Touko-chan."

Yumi thought she should take back her earlier remark, or Touko-chan could help her out by hesitating to speak.

However, Touko-chan immediately opened her mouth.

"Hosokawa Kanako."

She spoke clearly, so there was no chance of mishearing her. As expected of the self-proclaimed actress. Displaying the results of her daily vocal training.

"I cannot bring myself to like her."

Touko-chan didn't just blurt out her name, but also added, "I cannot bring myself to like her," to be doubly sure. She'd heard them described as natural enemies but it was still a bit confronting to hear this first-hand. Since Yumi considered both Touko-chan and Kanako-chan to be cute juniors.

"Still, I'm not going to stop you from being her friend, nor will I criticize you for this, Yumi-sama. It's just – "

At this point, Touko-chan swallowed her words.

"It's just?"

Yumi was pressing her to continue, but Touko-chan glanced at the pastry counter and smirked.

"You should watch out, Yumi-sama. If you don't hurry, they'll be sold out."

"Ahh."

People that had arrived after her had passed Yumi and were swarming around the counter. There was already a pile of empty plastic containers behind the counter.

"You should have put in an order with whoever was on duty."

Judging by her leisurely smile, Touko-chan had only come to Milk Hall to buy a strawberry milk.

"I completely forgot about that, since I usually bring my lunch."

Apparently her mother's careless mistake was contagious.

"See you later, Touko-chan."

Yumi threw herself into the crowd of students, in order to buy a bread roll.

"Best of luck."

Touko-chan waved and smiled.