Editing Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume12 Chapter5 4 (section)

=== <noinclude> Searching in the Mist. </noinclude>Part 4 ===

Sachiko-sama was not in a good mood when she returned home from the Kyougoku's villa. As soon as she entered the house, she went straight up the stairs in silence, not bothering to stop by the salon or terrace. Yumi had been writing a rough draft of her book report at the table in the salon, but one look at Sachiko-sama's displeased profile had her chasing after her wondering what had happened.

"Did something happen?"

"Oh did it ever."

Sachiko-sama went into her room and threw the hat she'd been wearing on the bed. 

"What do you think I saw when I got there? Kieko-san's brothers and sisters were there, along with her extended family, having a garden party."

"Um, so Kieko-sama's mother was – "

"Her mother? She was fine. She'd hardly be slurping down champagne in the middle of the day and stuffing her face full of barbecued meat if she was sick, would she?"

"I don't know, I was just asking."

Her flare up was quite intense, perhaps because it had been a while since the last one.

"… I'm sorry, I shouldn't have taken it out on you, Yumi."

"Don't worry about it."

Yumi was used to it. She thought it was probably because Sachiko-sama could let her guard down around her.

After all, Sachiko-sama was lenient with strangers but strict to those close to her. And understanding that, it was her petite soeur's job to support her.

"How about we go home? To Tokyo."

Sachiko-sama said, out of nowhere.

"Is something the matter?"

"Not particularly. I'm just fed up with it all. This farce of a friendship between certain people."

Sachiko-sama placed her left hand on the bed railing and covered her right eye with the palm of her right hand. 

"All I wanted was to have a relaxing time here with you, Yumi. Just the two of us."

Her voice was shaking.

"Why can't they just leave us alone?"

Could she, perhaps, be crying?

"The Ogasawara name can be such a burden at times."

Yumi didn't dare to look at Sachiko-sama's face as she listened to her words in silence.

"I love my parents, and my grandfather too. And I'm grateful for the extraordinary amount of money and effort they've put into raising me. But sometimes I dream about how nice it would be for the four of us to live together in a house about the size of this villa. So, when I was young, I was always happy when we'd come and stay out here during the O-bon vacation. It was comforting to be in a small enough place that you could know where everyone was, even if you didn't know what they were doing. My father and grandfather would seek out the coolest spots in the house and sit there and read. And at least while they were here, they weren't off seeing their mistresses."

"And that's why you like this place."

Sachiko-sama gave a small nod of her head.

"And that's why I'd like to stay a bit longer."

After Yumi said this, Sachiko-sama spoke in a voice that seemed to fade to nothingness.

"I can't protect you here …"

"Huh?"

"They were talking about you at the party."

Yumi wasn't all that surprised, after what Kyo-san had told her about Kieko-sama. While she didn't know the specifics, she was sure they would have been saying something.

"What sort of things were they saying?"

"It was ridiculous."

The memory of it seemed to stir up Sachiko-sama's anger as she became agitated once more.

"Not even the Lillian Kawaraban would publish something that stupid."

There it is, the Lillian Kawaraban.

Still, in this situation, what could they have said to draw a comparison to the school newspaper?

"Then, can you tell me what they said, regardless of how stupid it was?"

Because Yumi wanted to judge that for herself. Deep in her heart she was a bit troubled, but she did her best to be cheerful as she asked. From what Kyo-san had said, there shouldn't have been anything too embarrassing if it got out.

"It was about the rice. That should be enough, right? It's of no value to you to hear anything more than that."

The rice.

The rice? Ohhhh, so that was it.

They could probably turn that episode into a funny story by expanding and embellishing on it. Yumi's feelings were, "If they want to laugh, let them laugh," but – 

"I'm sorry onee-sama, for embarrassing you like this."

"It's not that – I've never once felt embarrassed by you. Don't you understand? I don't want to see you hurt. I hate that you have to suffer through this just because you're my petite soeur."

Sachiko-sama stamped her feet on the ground and waved her arms around in the air, like a young child getting angry because they couldn't properly convey their feelings. With nowhere for her arms to go, her hands eventually closed into fists and she lowered them.

"I just want you to always enjoy our time together."

"I do enjoy it."

Sachiko-sama raised her voice, getting angry. But for some reason, Yumi was able to calmly regard her onee-sama, even as she considered it strange that she could maintain her composure.

"Liar."

"It's true. I enjoy it all, even the tough times and the sad times."

Sachiko-sama's clenched fists loosened just a little.

"Just being with you makes me happy, onee-sama. Why can't you see that?"

"Yumi … "

"So if you want to go back to Tokyo, then of course I'll go back with you, but if you decide to stay then I'll remain here with you until the end."

Yumi smiled cheerfully as she said this, and Sachiko-sama's grim expression finally softened as she took a deep breath.

"Alright. If that's how you feel, then we'll stay here until Monday, like we planned. I really do hate running away, after all."

Hearing that last sentence, Yumi thought that this was just what she expected from Sachiko-sama.