Editing Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume24 Chapter4 2 (section)

===<noinclude>Information Session and Clandestine Meeting. </noinclude>Part 2===

Noriko was walking down the school hallway.

She was heading towards the location of the information session because she wanted to look at Shimako-san's face.

Since she was only going for a look, it wouldn't take long. She thought she'd have plenty of time to return to the Rose Mansion, prepare some tea and wait idly.

In truth, she hadn't been planning on going until a few minutes ago. After classroom cleaning, she'd gone to the Rose Mansion and performed a basic tidy-up, boiled some water in the electric kettle and was wondering what she should do next when she looked at the clock and saw it was 3:35pm.

She knew when the information session would start.

It was ten minutes until 3:45pm. Would Shimako-san have gone to the information session already? Noriko was alone on the second-floor of the Rose Mansion when she thought this.

Knowing Shimako-san, she would get there with plenty of time to spare. But, if she had to take care of the cleaning journal, for instance, then there was a chance she would be doing that about now. The instant she thought this, Noriko stood up from her chair and started walking towards the school building.

She wanted to meet Shimako-san, just for a moment. No, even getting a glimpse of Shimako-san going in to the information session would be enough. And if she'd already gone in, Noriko thought she'd just walk up to the door and then head back. Even that would be better than staying in the Rose Mansion and doing nothing.

She could see Shimako-san any time. They'd been together yesterday, and Shimako-san had said that she'd come to the Rose Mansion after the information session today. So maybe she wasn't really going because she wanted to see Shimako-san.

But it was hard to keep waiting and thinking about Shimako-san in a place without her. Basically, she just couldn't sit still.

There were plenty of people crowded around the staff room.

Attending the information session was a way of declaring one's intent to run in the elections for the student council executive. They'd all probably gathered here to see who the candidates for the next student council executive would be.

From the chatter flying around, she overheard that none of the three had arrived yet. The photography club's ace was there, as was the head of the newspaper club.

Before long, Shimako-san, Yumi-sama and Yoshino-sama arrived. From a distance, Noriko watched the trio get engulfed.

Shimako-san looked particularly at ease, smiling at the students that called out to her. Seeing this, Noriko's nerves were instantly soothed.

It was probably for this reason that she'd come. Noriko understood this about herself.

After exchanging a few words with Shimako-san, they parted and Noriko headed back to the Rose Mansion. She thought she'd have plenty of time to return to the Rose Mansion, prepare some tea and wait idly.

She was walking lightly down the corridor when she spotted Touko coming the other way.

"Touko … "

Noriko came to a stop. Touko smiled with sickening sweetness when she noticed her.

"Wait."

Noriko grabbed her by the arm, since it looked like Touko was going to just keep walking.

"We have to talk."

"We do?"

"Yes, we do."

Rosa Chinensis had told her not to intervene in Yumi-sama's affairs, but Noriko couldn't just sit and watch in silence. Yumi-sama was one of her compatriots in the Rose Mansion, but Touko was her friend. Didn't she have a right to hear Touko's side of the story?

"Sorry, but can we do it tomorrow?"

Touko said coldly.

"Tomorrow?"

"I'm a bit busy right now."

"Alright. Tomorrow."

Noriko released her arm. It didn't have to be now, and they were in the same class so there would be plenty of opportunities.

"You're not going to have the day off tomorrow, are you?"

"I'll be here. You're so untrusting, Noriko-san."

Touko smirked, then turned her back on Noriko. 

When she returned to the Rose Mansion, Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Foetida were there on the second-floor.

"Keep up the good work."

Rosa Foetida said, sipping on a cup of tea they'd prepared.

"It shouldn't be long until they return."

Rosa Chinensis offered Noriko a cup of tea.

"… Thank-you."

It was only a minor thing, but for some reason the two third-years seemed far more mature than usual, and consequently far more distant.