Editing Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume30 Chapter6 4 (section)

===<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."