Editing Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume33 Chapter7 3 (section)

===<noinclude>Connecting Chains. </noinclude>Part 3.===

The sun's rays were warm.

Rei instinctively squinted the instant she stepped through the doorway and into the flood of sunlight.

Grand weather for a grand occasion.

As for the graduation ceremony itself, the middle part had been a bit nerve-wracking but there was a finality to the way it had ended.

It had been a good ceremony. All of it. Yep.

Even the final homeroom for the third year chrysanthemum class hadn't been a gloomy affair, perhaps aided by the writings on the blackboard. It had ended without any tears whatsoever.

They were given their diplomas and their final report cards, which were put into purses or indoor shoes. 

It was simply good manners to tidy up after yourself. Like the sky overhead, Rei's soul was clear.

The sound of someone blowing their nose.

Her free-flying spirit was pulled back to reality by the noise, and Rei turned around.

And there were Sachiko and Yumi-chan.

Yumi-chan clung to a recently used tissue, obviously the one used just before when Rei had heard that  noise. But despite the ordinariness of the setting, the pair were looking at each other with expressions more at home on someone stopping to admire a flower garden. While other students rushed back and forth around them, they looked as though they had been transplanted there from some other location.

"Oh, Rei."

Rei was just thinking about leaving quietly when she was spotted by Sachiko.

"Where are you off to? We're supposed to be meeting at the statue of Maria-sama, right?"

"Ahh, yeah."

"Yoshino-san said she'd be a bit late, so how about we head over there now."

Yumi-chan ran up to Rei. Despite Yumi-chan's best efforts to make it seem like she wasn't interrupting, Rei knew she was being a third-wheel.

"Good work today, Yumi-chan. You too, Sachiko."

Pulling herself together, the first thing to do was to congratulate them on the farewell address and formal reply.

"Thank-you. But it was turned into a bit of a slapstick comedy by the accident in the middle."

From beside Yumi, Sachiko cut into their conversation.

"I was much more worried about Rei than your group, Yumi. When Yoshino-chan cried out, I thought Rei was going to leap out of her seat and jump up on stage."

"Shouting 'Yoshinoooo'?"

"Right, 'Yoshinoooo'"

The Red Rose sisters giggled, right in front of the person in question.

"Was never gonna happen."

Rei spat the words out. Of course, it was just an act. Truthfully, she had half risen to her feet when it happened.

"Before the graduation ceremony, Sachiko cast a spell on me. Even if I wanted to move, I wouldn't have been able to."

"Ohh? What kind of spell was it?"

Yumi-chan asked, fascinated. Sachiko replied before Rei had a chance to.

" 'From the time the ceremony starts until the time it ends, you can't leave your seat.' "

"But in that case, wouldn't Rei-sama have been unable to accept her graduation certificate?"

"Right? That's what I said too. So Sachiko amended her spell to say that it was okay for me to leave my seat to receive my certificate. And then I asked if she should also add that it's okay for me to stand when we sing – and how do you think she responded? She said, 'I shouldn't have to add that, it's just common sense.' Hardly fair, don't you think?"

"...Sounds like it turned into quite the complicated spell."

Yumi-chan let out a sigh of admiration.

"Guess so."

But, because of that, Rei had made it though the ceremony without jumping out of her seat like last year.

During the farewell address. – And also, the formal reply.

"I think it's better not to delve too deeply into the spell. Since the graduation ceremony is already over."

Sachiko said, as she started walking.

"Yep."

Since it's already over. All that was left was the commemorative photo with her friends.

"Ahh."

Just before the fork in the path in front of the statue of Maria-sama, Rei broke into a run when she spotted one of the students ahead of her.

"Rei?"

"Give me a minute. I'll be right back."

Rei answered Sachiko without turning around, and picked up her pace.

"Rosa Foetida?"

She flew past their meeting place, and Noriko-chan and Touko-chan who were already waiting there, and sprinted down the path lined with ginkgo trees.

"Chisato-chan!"

Rei shouted when her voice was within range.

"R-Rei-sama?"

Chisato-chan turned around, surprised at hearing her name called out.

"So...rry. I … just … remembered."

"Huh?"

Having sprinted to catch up to Chisato-chan, Rei was out of breath. Since continuing the conversation wasn't feasible as is, she stopped to catch her breath.

"Chisato-chan. You had your hair done up with curlers."

Rei had been thinking about it during the graduation ceremony, until it finally dawned on her. Chisato-chan was the girl who had won last year's Valentine's Day treasure hunt, and gone on a half-day date with her.

"…"

"Oh, am I wrong?"
 
She had been so sure of it. Then Chisato-chan shook her head.

"You're not wrong."

Rei let out a sigh of relief. If she had been wrong, she would have been a complete idiot.

"So will you take back what you said this morning about me being an idiot?"

Rei was caught up in the moment as she said this. Chisato-chan responded by looking downwards.

"… You are."

"Huh?"

"Rei-sama, like I thought, you are an idiot. You don't have to pay attention to every little thing someone like me says."

"Huh?"

The tears fell from Chisato-chan's downcast eyes in large drops onto the tree lined path. What brought this on?

"I'm sorry."

Rei had chased after her seeking to apologize, but all she'd done was make Chisato-chan cry.

Feeling like she really was an idiot, Rei apologized to Chisato-chan once more and then embraced her.