Editing Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume9 Chapter5 5 (section)

===<noinclude>The Maria Ceremony Inquisition. </noinclude>Part 5.===

After the medallions were handed out to the remaining students, the Yamayurikai's first-year welcoming ceremony came to a close.

"Shimako did ask to be punished."

Rosa Chinensis said as they watched the first-years leave.

"I heard Noriko-san say she wanted to be punished too."

Rosa Foetida said, smiling.

"So we'll leave the cleanup to you." – With those parting words, the Yamayurikai executive and their assistants went on ahead.

"But it was kinda fun, hey."

Rosa Foetida whispered, so that Noriko and Shimako-san couldn't hear. Rosa Chinensis smiled slightly and said, "Yeah."

Shimako and Noriko-san were left behind. 

Somehow it didn't make sense that they'd been publicly humiliated and then punished.

First of all, what was the punishment for?

(Did we actually do anything wrong? – Maria-sama, please tell me.)

But, naturally, the statue of Maria-sama in the chapel didn't offer any form of response.

"Noriko, can you bring me the dustpan?"

"Ah, okay."

Shimako-san, however, seemed invigorated and happy as she cleaned the chapel. Like the blue sky after a downpour, or a gentle breeze in early summer, or after finally letting out a sneeze that had been building up.

(So, well, it's fine.)

Noriko chose to think of it like that.



Maria-sama was watching over them.



The afternoon light coming through the stained glass windows made the room absolutely beautiful.

(I should send an email to Takuya-kun when I get home.)

To say that Buddhist statues were great. But statues of Maria-sama also had a distinct beauty to them.

(Going to churches to look at statues of Maria-sama could be fun too.)

As Noriko started to think this, the Maria-sama in a school uniform beside her turned towards her and smiled.

"Next time, why don't we go and look at Buddhist statues together?"

She said.