Editing Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume30 Chapter7 1 (section)

===<noinclude>Amongst the Stardust. </noinclude>Part 1.===

The shadows were growing long by the time they left the gift shop.

"There's still some time before the fireworks. Yumi, is there another ride you'd like to go on?"

Sachiko-sama asked, looking at her wristwatch.

"How about we go on the merry-go-round, onee-sama?"

"Ah … that thing?"

Despite Yumi's bold invitation, quite predictably Sachiko-sama looked back at her grimly.

"I already told you that I can't stand spinning things, didn't I?"

Sachiko-sama rejected the idea, probably because she was conflating all rotating rides and had seen Yoshino-san incapacitate herself on the teacup ride not that long ago.

"While it does rotate around, it's not a frenetic spinning. At most it's a slow twirling. Look, there's a baby riding on it."

Sachiko-sama finally relented after seeing a one-year old riding the merry-go-round with her father.

"I suppose so … "

Just as Sachiko-sama was letting her guard down, Kashiwagi-san said:

"You've been horse riding before, right Sacchan? It's about the same pace as a warm-up trot around the horse grounds. Plus, it isn't going to hurt your butt."

Minus points for the followup. Still, the 'horse riding' example was quite smooth. Yumi never would have been able to come up with that comparison herself.

"Okay. I'll take the challenge."

"Alright!"

Yumi took her onee-sama's hand and walked over to the end of the line, before she could change her mind.

"Oh, what about you two?"

The two guys hadn't followed them and when Yumi asked, "Aren't you going to go on the ride?" they both answered, "No." But they each had different reasons.

"It'd be a bit embarrassing."

Yuuki said, his eyes indicating that being put on public display riding a wooden horse that was adorned with flowers and a lavishly decorated saddle as it rose and fell while slowly circling around was more than he could bear. But he didn't dare put that in words, probably because he didn't want to say anything to deflate Sachiko-sama, given how much effort it took to get her interested.

"Would you be embarrassed too, Suguru-san?"

"Not particularly."

Kashiwagi-san said, running his fingers through his hair.

"But I'd just look so perfect riding a white horse that it would draw everyone's attention."

Yumi wondered if she was supposed to laugh but couldn't really decide, so didn't provide much of a reaction. Sachiko-sama laughed sarcastically, so that was probably the correct response. And as for Yuuki, he ignored it completely.

The sun was setting and the lights were coming on in various places around the amusement park.

In its nighttime configuration the merry-go-round too shone brilliantly, like a radiant jewelry box.

"A long time ago, in my grandmother's room, I saw a music box that looked like this."

Sachiko-sama said softly as she watched the carousel, spellbound.

"When you opened the lid, there were three horses that would slowly spin around accompanied in time to the music. Beneath that were drawers with rings or necklaces, I can't remember which, but there were all different colored gems. I used to enjoy opening the music box and the drawers, and gazing at the horses and the jewels. It was incredibly pretty."

Sachiko-sama smiled at the memory.

"It was so beautiful that my younger self wanted to enter into the music box. And here it is."

As she said this, Sachiko-sama dashingly straddled a white horse. Her movements and posture were awe-inspiring, probably due to her horse riding experience.

Yumi followed her, taking the horse diagonally behind Sachiko-sama's. Following her onee-sama's lead, she sat with her back perfectly straight.

The music flowed forth and the horses began to slowly move. 

Inside the glittering jewelry box, dozens of horses gracefully twirled.

From time to time, Yumi's onee-sama would look back over her shoulder at her. Yumi would wave, by way of response.

It was closer to twirling than spinning. No matter how many times they went around, they never drew any closer.

They didn't draw closer. But they didn't get further away either.

That's fine. That's fine.

Yumi felt as though she had found her answer.

Her onee-sama twirled.

Smiling radiantly, calling out to her, "Yumi."

Commit it to memory, this sight.

This scene that shone so brilliantly it almost stung her eyes.

Undoubtedly, there still remained plenty of wonderful things in store for Yumi. But this moment was a once in a lifetime experience.

She would stow it safely in her jewelry box, as her most prized possession.

It made opals look like pretty candies, figuratively speaking.