Editing Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume9 Chapter9 2 (section)

===<noinclude>Behind the Scenes of The Maria Ceremony Inquisition. </noinclude>Part 2.===

Sachiko-sama and Rei-sama walked side-by-side.

Ahead of them was the first-year camellia class. The classroom that Nijou Noriko was in.

Yumi followed along a couple of steps behind them, unsure of her place.

Would it really all be resolved peacefully after starting with an attack like this?

Perhaps being given this chance to come clean would be a nuisance to Shimako-san. Perhaps she'd prefer to have an uneventful time at school, nestled close with Nijou Noriko as her petit soeur.

"What are you mumbling about, Yumi?"

"Um, nothing."

"Yu~mi-chan. I don't want to hear it if it's something we can't do anything about at this point."

"Ah, right."

There was no point saying it if they weren't going to listen. 

Sachiko-sama told her to stand back a bit, so reluctantly Yumi stood next to the wall about 5 metres away. Looking idly out the window, Yumi played the role of "person waiting for someone." She probably wasn't putting enough effort into her acting for it to look strained, or like she was hamming it up. Instead, she'd taken on the role completely.

"Would you mind calling Nijou Noriko-san over?"

Sachiko-sama said to a student in the vicinity of the classroom's front door.

"Alright."

The student seemed completely shocked by the sudden appearance of the two Roses, but quickly straightened up and responded.

"Please wait here a moment."

Handling it splendidly.

At the same time their messenger disappeared into the classroom, Touko-chan quietly left her stand-by position in the hallway and entered through the rear door.

(Oooh, it's started … )

There was no turning back now. All she could do was give it her best and not worry about the outcome.

Nijou Noriko emerged from the classroom. She seemed slightly confused when she saw Sachiko-sama and Rei-sama, as though they weren't the people she expected to have called for her.

"Gokigenyou. Are you Nijou Noriko-san?"

Rei-sama broke the ice.

"Yes … ?"

Nijou Noriko responded carefully, as though trying to sound out her opponent's state of mind.

"Hmm."

Sachiko-sama looked her up and down.

"So this … ?"

The conversation was hard to follow from Yumi's vantage point, five metres away. Although, if it followed the script, she should know what they were saying even if the volume was a bit low. But if they were ad-libing, they were doing very well. If the world came with a remote control, Yumi would be pressing the volume-up button.

(Ah!)

Rei-sama had just done an audacious ad-lib. She'd grabbed Nijou Noriko's chin, angling her face left and right, up and down. 

"What are you doing!"

Her voice was so loud that it reached Yumi. Nijou Noriko brushed away Rei-sama's hand, glaring at the older student. Quite the strong appearance.

From her position, Yumi could only see the backs of Sachiko-sama and Rei-sama. But she didn't have to see their expression to know they were pleased with what they'd seen of Nijou Noriko. They probably wouldn't have accepted someone who sobbed weakly after being assaulted as a candidate for Shimako-san's petit soeur.

According to Rei-sama's script, the two Roses would ask Nijou Noriko a couple of rambling questions before letting her go. Since the main reasons they came here were so they could remember her face, and so that Touko-chan had time to get the juzu.

But Sachiko-sama and Rei-sama were getting caught up in their acting. They were provoking her, as though they wanted to start a fight. Yumi was getting worried that they were going a bit too far.

"Wait a minute."

See, told you so. Enraged, Noriko called out to them as they were walking away. Demanding an explanation for the shabby treatment she'd received. Rei-sama returned alone to her earlier position and answered:

"So you want to know why we came to see you? It's because we wanted to see your face."

"You came to see my face?"

Crushed right at the outset, Nijou Noriko seemed to crumple, and Rei-sama asked her a question of her own.

"Do you like Toudou Shimako?"

That question was the only one that reached Yumi clearly.

"I do."

(Alright!)

Alone in a corner of the hallway, Yumi raised her fist. Even as she was jokingly wondering why she was posing victoriously, she could see a glorious future ahead.

"Okay. Good luck to you."

Having been told that, Nijou Noriko looked confused as she went back into her classroom. Touko-chan passed her on the way, and when she spotted Yumi she patted her skirt pocket and flashed the peace sign.

The juzu of fate was thus delivered into the hands of the Yamayurikai executive.