Editing Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume22 Chapter2.5 (section)

===Part 5.===

Yumi had given Sachiko a semester-vacation present for good grades before the vacation herself, and had told Sachiko-sama that she didn't have to return it. That Yumi had been able to give such a present made her happy.

Of course, if Sachiko-sama's grades had not been good, she wouldn't have told Sachiko-sama to give her back the amusement park date (not that any such thing was possible in the first place). Even though it had been more than a semester ago, she still couldn't leave behind the prickling of her conscience. It made her sleep shallow, or at least she didn't feel refreshed.

"Yumi"

For the last few days, Sachiko-sama had been looking very happy. She hadn't just been happy, but even more beautiful than she usually was.

At noon, on the end of the semester-end holiday preceding the second semester, an intimate Christmas mass was taking place.

"Gokigenyou, Onee-sama."

Yumi walked behind Sachiko-sama as she walked into the church, and took her place in the seat next to her Onee-sama.

The mass was voluntary, so there were no lines according to grade levels, or classes. Sachiko-sama had brought a chair over for Yumi, but even if she had not, the chair next to Sachiko-sama would have been considered Yumi's, and it would have been left empty for her. Next to Rei-sama too, Yoshino-san's chair awaited.

"I'm sorry about the amusement park."

After the incident, they had talked with each other on the phone and everything was fine, but Sachiko-sama had to offer an honorable apology to Yumi.

"No, I'm the one who should be. Sayako Obaa-sama's Mille-feuille was delicious."

Just as Yumi had during the phone call, she talked about how delicious the cake was, after Sachiko-sama had apologized for what had happened at the amusement park. In fact, the sort of conversation Yumi and Onee-sama were having made Yumi remember Sayako Obaa-sama's idle gossiping, but maybe that kind of gossip was better left to adults.

"I think your mom also called to thank us for the cake, Yumi. I believe she sounded very thankful for it."

"It looked beautiful, so at first my mom had thought that it was a cake from the bakery."

"Please stop talking so well about my mother's cooking. If she hears all these compliments, she'll again make a huge batch of cake. This time it'll be Yumi's job to eat all the cake!"

"I'd love to eat it all!" <ref>For the Western reader without any background about Eastern society, a lot of the above conversation deals with complicated social obligations. Sayako Obaa-sama, Sachiko-sama's mother, is not a very good cook, but bakes decently. On a whim, in the last novel, she cooked up an enormous batch of Mille-feuille. She gave this to Yumi, after Yumi brought Sachiko back from the amusement park where Sachiko's health had faltered. Here Sachiko is apologizing for ruining the amusement park date, and Yumi is courteously offering a display of gratitude toward the cake as a response. Sachiko tries to lightheartedly cut through Yumi's attempt at being polite by reminding her that such compliments would only cause Sayako Obaa-sama to make yet another torrent of cake.</ref>

-- How wonderful.

Even in the few moments leading up to the mass, the two giggled in light conversation. It was the majesty of simply being around one another.

Yumi was very happy that Sachiko-sama was her Onee-sama.

She was very happy that she was Sachiko-sama's petite soeur.

After the two giggled some more, Sachiko-sama asked.

"What did you do during break?"

"Umm..."

If someone other than Sachiko-sama had asked that question, then she would have immediately replied "I went to the amusement park with my Onee-sama!" But that would have been redundant when said to the Onee-sama in question, now wouldn't it.

"Well, I'll wrote some New Year's cards, and worked on my knitting..."

Yumi wondered what she'd say if Sachiko-sama asked what she was knitting. If she did ask, Yumi would probably just give it to her right now. She had obviously brought Sachiko-sama's present in her bag.

But Sachiko-sama thankfully diverted the conversation into another direction.

"Ah, New Year's Cards?"

"Well, I thought it better if I didn't send Onee-sama any."

This past summer, Sachiko-sama's maternal grandmother had passed away.

Sachiko-sama clapped her hands and said "Of course, of course". She fell silent after clapping her hands, but because the church was filled with the low whispers of all the attendees, the clap didn't make a very perceptible sound. 

"I forgot to tell you Yumi. Even if we didn't exchange any cards, I wanted a card from you, Yumi."

Sachiko-sama said as she lowered her voice. But if they didn't do an actual exchange, wouldn't it be Sachiko-sama who was supposed to send Yumi the New Year's card?

"Are you sure I should send you one?"

"It's fine. We're still in mourning, but I'm still a kid, and I never actually lived with my grandmother. It's okay if I don't participate in mourning with the adults, or so my parents said."

"Oh."

"It'll be my last New Year's card from high school after all. I thought it would be great, no matter how I managed to get the card. Plus, I should think of my grandmother's memory, shouldn't I? Would not exchanging cards make my grandmother happy? And so forth."

The explanation was forthcoming.

"In her final years, my grandmother only thought of her years as a student. It's as if she met me, and was transported back into her life as a schoolgirl. She hadn't even met you Yumi, but still thought of you as a friend..."

So Sachiko-sama wanted to take her New Year's Card and place it behind the picture of her grandmother. In other words, it was of the utmost importance that Yumi send the card, it had become a great responsibility. <ref>For the most part, the Japanese follow the Buddhist tradition (one also found in Hinduism, which should be no surprise seeing that they came from the same roots) of honoring the dead by having their picture kept up on an altar. The reference to Sachiko's grandmother's picture is a reference to this honor.</ref>

"Oh no...."

Yumi squeaked in shame, and Sachiko-sama began laughing in response. Then she suddenly change the subject "So?"

"Have you been asking Kanako-chan and Touko-chan to come?"

"Ah?"

"You invited them to the party, didn't you?"

At first, Yumi wondered why Sachiko would know something like that. Then, when she thought about it, she remembered that Yoshino-san had starting telling Rei-sama about something with "Yumi-san", so obviously Sachiko-sama would know. In fact, if Sachiko-sama hadn't have known, she would have been concerned.

"They may have to leave early but, they'll come."

"I see."

Sachiko-sama's whisper, and the entire conversation, cut off suddenly.

Yumi wondered if Sachiko-sama knew that Touko-chan had visited her house during the semester holiday. Maybe it would be best if Touko-chan herself told Sachiko-sama.

They were distant relatives after all, so perhaps Sachiko-sama had learned about it from somewhere. So if Sachiko-sama didn't mention anything about it, wouldn't it be better if Yumi acted as if she didn't know anything was going on?

On the other hand, if Sachiko-sama hadn't heard anything yet, perhaps it was better if Yumi told Sachiko-sama.

Even Kashiwagi-san had kept quiet about all of this, so she didn't know what the best thing to do was.

If she told Onee-sama everything with sincerity, Yumi knew that she would hide nothing. But this wasn't something she was worried about with her own relationships, and Yumi was worried about the answer she'd get.

While Yumi was worrying about such things, the priest entered, and her worries had to come to an end for now.

Not just Yumi, but all the other students in the room quite suddenly stopped their chattering.