Editing Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume32 Chapter9 5 (section)

===<noinclude>The Ribbon's Path </noinclude>Part 5.===

Looking at the clubhouse building from outside, Yumi saw a light glowing in the room she was heading towards.

Which must have meant that someone was still in there, so Yumi went inside, climbed the staircase and knocked on the door to the newspaper club's clubroom.

"Coming."

Almost immediately, Mami-san opened the door. She was one of Yumi's classmates.

"Ahh, Yumi-san."

Mami-san said, as though sighing.

"What's happened?"

Yumi asked the question that was normally reserved for the person being visited. She did this because, for some reason, Mami-san seemed completely exhausted. No, that wasn't quite it. It seemed as though Mami-san was at a complete loss as to what to do.

"Nothing."

Again, it seemed like she was forcing this out with a sigh. As though just remembering, Mami-san asked, 'What brings you here?'

"Minako-sama – is she in?"

Was the question Yumi started out with. From Mami-san's appearance, Yumi could tell that Sachiko-sama wasn't inside. But if Minako-sama, who had been with Sachiko-sama, was there, Yumi could ask her what time Sachiko-sama had left and where she was going.

"Well, she is but she's a bit distracted at the moment so I don't know if she'll be much use to you."

Mami-san said this and looked back into the clubroom, at which point the voice of Minako-sama came from within.

"Yumi-san? Is that Yumi-san?"

"Ah, yeah."

Yumi responded, since she was undoubtedly 'Yumi-san.' The 'distracted' Minako-sama walked unsteadily over to the door and, upon confirming that it was Yumi-san, hugged her tightly.

"Umm, ahh, what?"

Yumi was flustered by the unexpected contact and had no idea what brought this on when Minako-sama spoke.

"Thank-you. Yumi-san."

"Huh?"

"It's all thanks to you. So wonderful."

"Wait, wait a minute, Minako-sama."

Yumi still had no idea what was going on. At any rate, to be embraced like this by Minako-sama in front of her petit soeur, Mami-san, was distasteful (although it would probably be a bigger problem if they were doing it somewhere where Mami-san wouldn't see). But no matter how she squirmed, Yumi couldn't get free. Today Minako-sama seemed to possess super-human strength that would be more at home in the athletics clubroom.

"I'm begging you – please let me go."

As she was standing there embarrassed, Mami-san calmly tapped her on the shoulder.

"Thank-you."

"Huh?"

Yumi still had no idea what the pair of soeurs were talking about. Thankfully, Mami-san explained it properly.

"Firstly, thanks for bringing such happiness to my onee-sama. Secondly, thanks for bringing her back out of her daze."

After saying that, Mami-san calmly but firmly removed Minako-sama's hands from Yumi. Thanks to that, Yumi's body was freed – although Minako-sama didn't look the least bit remorseful.

"At any, rate thank-you."

Minako-sama said this and then happily returned inside the clubroom. Mami-san smiled as she followed her onee-sama's movements with her eyes.

"A while ago Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Foetida were here, having a chat with my onee-sama. This made her extremely happy."

"Hold up. I had nothing to do with that."

That was Sachiko-sama and Rei-sama's good deed. There was no need to go as far as thanking their petit soeur. 

"I guess so. But my onee-sama seems to think that it's all thanks to you, Yumi-san, so I guess it's okay."

So it would seem. Still, something didn't quite make sense about it.

"More importantly, that means that my onee-sama was here, right?"

"Yeah. But she left together with Rosa Foetida. That was a fair while ago."

"Do you know where she was going afterwards?"

"Sorry, I didn't ask."

"I guess not."

Well, at least Yumi knew that Sachiko-sama wasn't still in the newspaper club's clubroom.

"Yumi-san, are you looking for Rosa Chinensis."

"Yeah, pretty much."

Yumi said as she pushed on the door that was slightly ajar.

Well then, where should she look next?