Editing Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume22 Chapter2.4 (section)

===Part 4.===

The tall girl, with flawless straight hair, and the not-so-tall girl with her hair done up into coils were standing together, with bewildered expressions on their faces.

"It's ... today?"

It was the most predictable reaction possible. The Christmas Party she was inviting them to was but a few hours away. There could not be two people in existence who could say yes to such a quickly posed invitation (with last year's inclusion of Tsutako-san being an exception).

"Can you come just for a bit?"

"I have a few things to do this evening, so..."

Kanako-chan said. What could she do? It was the start of the semester holiday, and it was Christmas Eve. It was a time when most people had plans. Yumi knew this.

"How about Touko-chan?"

Shimako-san asked. And her answer was.

"Well, I...."

Perhaps she felt awkward after meeting Yumi during the exam holidays, but her eyes would not meet Yumi's. She was facing Shimako-san.

And when Shimako-san and Yumi began exchanging looks that neither of them would be coming to the party, Kanako-chan quickly spoke up.

[[Image:MM_v22_081.jpg|thumb]]

"Ah, but, if you pardon me the rudeness of leaving halfway through the party ... then I'd definitely want to come. Right, Touko-san?"

"Um."

Touko-chan, who had just rejected the invitation, did not know how best to react to Kanako-chan's announcement.

"It'll be held at the Rose Mansion after the mass, right? I see. Wow, it's coming up very soon."

"Ah, um..."

It sounded much like a bike carrying a heavy load would when the rider would sit carelessly upon it, or if someone sped off with a bike then chose an awkward time to stop. The relentless acceleration of Kanako-chan, and Touko-chan's careless drag down. As if she had given up resisting, and simply sighing and nodding.

Kanako-chan refused to decrease her speech.

"Should I bring something to the party?"

"Nope. Just yourself is enough. We already brought most of what was necessary during the morning. Though we may ask you to help us out with the party shortly before it begins."

"Of course. If there's anything we can do for you, then just ask."

Kanako-chan grasped Touko-chan's hand in a move of affirmation as she said "we". Just when had the two become such good friends.

"Well, we'll see you later then."

The bell rang, and Yumi and Shimako-san walked back together down the corridor.

They saw Noriko-chan enter the first-year Camellia classroom through the back door. Perhaps even Kanako-chan and Touko-chan had seen her go in. Next to the door, obviously, was Yoshino-san, and she greeted them with a "Good Job".

As the three were walking back toward the second-years' classrooms, Yoshino-san and Shimako-san said at the same time.

"Touko-chan...."

To make matters worse, they were trying to say the same thing.

"She's made good friends, hasn't she?"

Noriko-chan and Kanako-chan she meant.

Yumi didn't know whether Touko-chan herself knew they were her friends.

No, she probably did. But there was no way she could actually realize what she was feeling. Yumi hadn't thought about that earlier.

As Yumi and the others began walking back to their classrooms, Touko-chan dipped her head down.

If one looked at her for a while, that's all one would see. For one unfamiliar with what was going on, only a strangely vague gesture would be seen. But Yumi obviously understood all of this.

"Thanks for the other day."

Touko-chan felt that she expressed all the words that she couldn't before in that one phrase.

About some things Touko-chan was incredibly stubborn, but about other things oddly delicate.

Which is why Touko-chan always padded her heart with extra layers. So despite her overt actions, the inside of herself would be able to take certain blows.

Yumi thought this much through, and suddenly paused.

(Why am I....)

She had spent so much time thinking about Touko-chan that she finally understood.

Such things were nothing but an annoyance to Touko-chan.

But then, what should she do?

If she kept approaching Touko-chan the way she was, they would only grow farther apart.

( Resolve? )

Kashiwagi-san's words echoed pointedly in her mind.