Editing Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume5 Chapter1 3 (section)

===<noinclude>Research. </noinclude>Part 3.===

"Of course."
Tsutako-san laughed heartily.

"Yoshino-san and Shimako-san are both unique cases, Yumi-san's in the wrong for trying to use them as an example."

"Hmm."

Yumi folded her arms and groaned; she didn't need to be told that.  It was the afternoon of the day Shimako-san had told her, "I'm sorry."  On the way to the science room for class changing, Tsutako-san pointed her pocket-sized camera at Yumi in the hallway.

"But there's no point in asking me, either.  Unfortunately, I have neither an older sister nor little sister."

Yumi wouldn't have even thought about asking, anyways.

"Tsutako-san, don't you have anyone you look up to in your club, at least?"

"Nope."

An immediate answer, after moving her face away from her camera.  And then she said, "Who do you think I am?"

"The photography club ace, Takeshima Tsutako-san."

"Exactly."

Her frameless glasses glimmered.

"Do you think there's someone in Lillian with better photography skills?"

Tsutako-san's answer seemed a bit off the mark from the question.  She'd taken "look up to" as "respect," and then taken that to a "goal" perspective.  Though in her case, it might be that the starting condition for a senpai would be someone better than her, so in a way, it wasn't really that off.

"Oh, what a shame."
"What?"
"Take it as an opportunity to be in the spotlight."

"Like Yoshino-san?  Please."

Feeling daunted by just the prospects of it, Tsutako-san pulled her head back.  Maybe she remembered the "Yellow Rose Revolution."  Speaking of which, Tsutako-san completely left the originators aside, and instead rebuked the follow-up break-up sisters.

Think about it, said Tsutako-san as her eyes glittered.

"Lillian is filled with wonderful students.  Do you think I can narrow that down to a single person?  First of all, think about what would happen if I found a sibling.  What if an obstacle were to arise, like her demanding I only take pictures of her?"
"I see."

Which meant Tsutako-san had resolved to be alone for the whole three years.  What a splendid resolve, or something.  Because on the other hand, it also meant she had no intention of changing her ways.  Yumi thought she should re-think her peeping photos, though.

(However.)

As expected, Tsutako-san wouldn't be any help, either.  Yumi reflexively sighed, and instead of an apology, Tsutako-san gave a point of advice.

"You might get advice if you ask Katsura-san and others, but it'd be a waste of effort to ask."

"Why?"

"Oh, can't you imagine it now, the stereotypical Valentine's Day."

"Mmm."

True.  –Though that's a bit rude to Katsura-san.  But Katsura-san and the others really did try to live a fairy-tale school life.  But maybe Valentine's Day would bring out something off the wall for them.

"Yumi-san, you should think about what you were actually looking for, and start over again."

"What I was actually looking for?"

"Why're you gathering information.  You know, because the person you're giving chocolate to is so big, right?  So you want to set everything up perfectly, right?  Then there's no point in asking normal students.  Really, the only people who could possibly be of any help would be those in the Rose Mansion, am I right?"

"But Yoshino-san and Shimako-san were of no help."

"Why do you have to ask first-years?"

"What?  But I'm a first-year…"

Mumbled Yumi, and Tsutako-san, exasperated, lifted her index finger.

"Second-years and third-years experienced being first-years, too."

She said.

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