Editing Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume8 Chapter1 2 (section)

===<noinclude>Lost Items. </noinclude>Part 2===

"Where have you been?"

When she opened the door to the meeting room, or salon, on the second floor of the Rose Mansion, Sachiko-sama was waiting there, looking imposing.

"I'm sorry I'm late."

Yumi quickly lowered her head, assuming a respectful bowing pose.

"What were you doing to make you arrive thirty minutes later than your classmate Shimako-san?"

"Umm."

"I'm sure I told you to arrive early because we'd be discussing what happens after the graduation ceremony."

"Yes. I'm sorry."

Yumi had realized that her onee-sama was worked up about this, so she earnestly apologized without offering an excuse. Talking back would only be adding fuel to the fire. The explanation of why she was late could wait until after her onee-sama had calmed down.

"Ah, Sachiko-sama. While Yumi-san and I are in the same class, we're responsible for cleaning different areas."

Now that Shimako-san had been dragged into it, she was unable to contain herself and rose from her seat to protect Yumi. While Yumi was grateful for Shimako-san's consideration, in this case it was probably just going to make things even more complicated. 

"In that case."

Like a teacher scolding students that had forgotten their homework, Sachiko-sama stood facing Yumi and Shimako-san, arms folded.

"At your next class meeting, raise the matter of the number of students allocated to each cleaning area. That level of variation is unacceptable."

Whoa, so incredibly combative. Like the stereotypical mother-in-law from a TV drama.

"A class meeting? I don't think that's … "

" … Yeah."

The two first-year peach group students looked at each other. Shimako-san wasn't really under the impression that Yumi was late because she'd been cleaning the entire time, she simply meant that they wouldn't necessarily arrive at the same time just because they were in the same class. And even if there was such a discrepancy between cleaning areas for the pine group, it was a bit late bringing it up midway through the third term.

"Umm, onee-sama. I'm not late because of cleaning."

Out of options, Yumi opened her mouth. She couldn't carry out her plan of remaining steadfastly apologetic until Sachiko-sama's anger had run its course. Shimako-san whispered, "I'm sorry I made it worse," to Yumi.

"Then why?"

Yumi's mind wasn't working fast enough to come up with a good excuse on the spot. No, even if she had thought of one, she wasn't so desperate to get out of the situation that she'd lie to her onee-sama.

"I'm late because I stopped off somewhere on the way."

"You stopped off?"

Sachiko-sama asked, with a quizzical look on her face.

"Alone?"

"No."

"Then who were you with and where did you go?"

Yumi sensed that the way Sachiko-sama's eyebrows shot up meant she already knew that Yumi hadn't been alone, but surely that was just her imagination.

"Rosa Chinensis invited me to Milk Hall."

"My onee-sama did?"

Yumi had expected thunder to come crashing down, something along the lines of, "No matter who invites you, if it's going to make you late for something then you should refuse." However.

"I see. Alright then."

Sachiko-sama backed down surprisingly easily. To Yumi, it felt like the life had been sucked out of her.

"Onee-sama … ?"

Yumi hadn't intend to say anything about Rosa Chinensis entrusting care of Sachiko-sama to her. If asked what happened, all she was going to report was that Rosa Chinensis treated her to some hot milk. But since there didn't seem to be any interrogation forthcoming, she chose to keep her mouth shut.

The mere mention of Rosa Chinensis' name had been enough to acquit her. Was Rosa Chinensis a get out of jail free card?

Sachiko-sama returned to the seat at the table she must have been sitting on earlier without asking any further questions. As Yumi idly watched this:

"Yumi-chan, Yumi-chan."

Rosa Foetida en bouton, Hasekura Rei-sama, had been watching events unfold from the table, and quietly beckoned Yumi over.

"?"

Yumi walked over, her head tilted in confusion, and Rei-sama whispered to her:

"You'll have to forgive her. Sachiko was so worried about you that she couldn't focus on her work, and that's why she verbally lashed out at you."

"Ah … "

"Rei, what are you blathering on about!"

"Nothing. I was just telling Yumi-chan to have a seat. Ooh, scary. You're scary when you're hysterical."

"What did you say – "

Sachiko-sama stood up and raised her clenched fists, but the outcome of any fight between herself and the second-rank kendo student was obvious, so she glared at Rei-sama as she lowered her fists and kicked at the legs of her own chair instead.

"Good, good, it's bad for your body to bottle up your anger."

When did Rei-sama get so good at controlling Sachiko-sama? She'd deflated like when the Roses poked fun at her.

(Take care of Sachiko for me.)

Remembering the words that Rosa Chinensis had said to her, Yumi felt her confidence slipping. With such a reliable friend already by her side, Yumi had no idea how she was supposed to take care of Sachiko-sama.

Shimako-san had already returned to her seat, so Yumi hastily settled into her regular position. Without realizing it, it had become her home position, next to her beloved Sachiko-sama.

"Well, now that we're all here, let's start – "

Yumi heard her onee-sama's voice from right beside her. The topic for discussion was the post-graduation ceremony private commemorative photograph.

"I spoke with Takeshima Tsutako-san from the photograph club regarding this, but the newspaper club must have overheard, because they approached me asking to be present too … "

As she listened to Shimako-san's report, Yumi sipped from the teacup that had been placed at her spot.

It was cold.

The complete opposite of the hot milk.

It had probably been cooling for as long as Sachiko-sama had been waiting for her.