Editing Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume27 Chapter3 4 (section)

=== <noinclude>Unexpected Words.</noinclude> Part 4 ===

Yumi found Touko-chan in front of the clubhouse.

"We finally meet."

"… Ah."

When Touko-chan appeared she'd been jogging, as though in a hurry, but when she saw Yumi she stopped, as though resigned.

"Gokigenyou."

Seeing her natural, unforced smile, Yumi's chest swelled. There was no doubting that she was seeing Touko-chan's true face.

"What brings you here?"

Touko-chan asked, leaning against the clubhouse wall.

"When I went to peek on the drama club's activities in the gymnasium, they said that you were probably here."

"Is that so?"

"You're practicing a play for the third-years' send-off, right?"

"Yeah. We decided to split into three groups and do three short scenes. Since I'm doing a two-person play, it doesn't matter if we don't have a lot of room, so we decided to come here."

Touko-chan said, looking up at the building.

"I knew it. I didn't think you'd be running away."

Hearing Yumi's words, Touko-chan smiled bitterly.

"It's unavoidable that people would think that, since I'm not in the classroom. Some of my classmates know about this, but there's a certain credibility to me running away to avoid the inquisitive eyes and barrage of questions. The truth of me having to leave for club activities is a bit of a let down."

"It seems Noriko-chan doesn't know either."

"Ah, my mistake, I forgot to tell her. Plus she looks like she's been busy with things at the Rose Mansion, so I've just missed her a couple of times."

"She's worried about you. You should find a chance to explain things."

"Understood. I'll do that."

Touko-chan replied meekly. Her docility was a bit anticlimactic. In truth, Yumi was perplexed.

"Did you come to talk about the date?"

"Yeah … More or less."

There was something else they had to discuss too. But it would get chaotic if matters weren't handled one at a time, so Yumi decided to go with this talk first.

"As for the day, how does Sunday week, so not this Sunday but the next, work for you?"

"That day is fine."

Touko-chan responded immediately.

"Is there somewhere you'd like to go?"

Yumi asked as she watched Touko-chan take out her school notebook and jot down a reminder for the date. Touko-chan thought for a while, then raised her head.

[[Image:MM_v27_099.png|thumb]] 

"Is it okay if we go somewhere I want to?"

"Of course. It can still only be a day trip, and it has to fit within the budget though."

Yumi held out the printout that Mami-san had prepared which explained the conditions.

"I see. 4000 yen, so that's 2000 per person. If it all goes on travel, that's only 1000 yen each way. You can't get very far on that. And even if you do, there's nothing left over for food … "

Touko-chan mumbled as she skimmed over the conditions.

"But if we go somewhere using our commuter pass, that's 2000 yen each for lunch, right?"

"Ah, that's true."

They both laughed. They had such wildly different ideas about how to use the 4000 yen for the date, and whether it was a modest or extravagant sum.

This time around, the three groups were all going on dates under the same conditions, but the shape of those dates was likely to be completely different.

Shimako-san was going with a first-year that, until now, she knew absolutely nothing about. Yoshino-san was going with someone that she had previously looked upon as a rival, but was now a fellow second-year club member. And then.

Yumi looked at Touko-chan. The person that she might soon call her petit soeur.

They had to talk about that properly. Yumi had caught Touko-chan today, but she didn't know when they'd have a chance to talk next.

" … To-"

Just as Yumi started to say her name, someone above her called out, "Touko-chan?"

They both looked up at the same time. The window on the second-floor of the clubhouse opened, and a student stuck her head out and looked down at them.

They were in the same grade, so Yumi knew the girl's face … Right, she was the president of the drama club.

"I was getting worried since you were taking so long to come back."

Then she saw Yumi standing next to Touko-chan and said, "Ah."

"I'm sorry. You're in the middle of something. It's cold, right? Why don't you both come inside?"

"That's okay."

Yumi turned to look at her, then called back. It was certainly cold, but if they went into the clubhouse, she wouldn't be able to say what she wanted to.

She wanted to say those words to Touko-chan alone. They weren't something to be said in front of other people.

"I'm sorry I interrupted your club activities. We'll be done soon."

"Really? Don't worry about that. It's just the two of us anyway."

Take your time, she said as she closed the window.

"Well then."

Touko-chan folded the printout and put it in her pocket.

"Ah, yeah."

Even though they hadn't been hurried on, perhaps she was worried about keeping the club president waiting.

Touko-chan bowed, then turned away.

(Ah.)

To make her stop, a single word was needed.

To make her stop, a single word. Then just hand over the rosary. It would take less than a minute.

(Wait.)

Yumi's right hand reached out to Touko-chan. 

Whether she felt something or not, before Yumi could say a single word, Touko-chan looked back over her shoulder.

"Umm, Yumi-sama."

The next moment, Touko-chan said something completely unexpected.

"I'd like to wait until after our date to hear your reply."

The reply she referred to could only be one thing.

"Huh?"

Even though it would take less than a minute.

In the end, Yumi had to wait at least another week.