Editing Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume33 Chapter2 2 (section)

===<noinclude>The Green Bird and the White Flower. </noinclude>Part 2.===

"You're laaaate."

Just as Yumi had envisaged, when she opened the door to the second year pine group classroom Yoshino-san was standing there looking imposing.

"Umm, Yoshino-san, according to my watch there's still one minute…"

Before Yumi could open her mouth, Mami-san of the newspaper club tried to intervene, but Yoshino-san quickly stamped that out, saying 'You should have been here five minutes early.'

Yumi instinctively nodded her head, but if you think about it, it's a strange rationale. If they really needed that extra five minutes they could just have arranged to meet five minutes earlier.

"Well, now that everyone's here, let's go."

Yoshino-san seized the initiative, stripping Yumi of her coat and bag before heading off, like a bus tour guide. The five other members blinked, shrugged, then followed after her.

"Why is Yoshino-san so pumped up?"

Misa-san whispered to Yumi as they were walking along.

"Huh?"

Now that she mentioned it, Yoshino-san definitely looked tense. Having just arrived at school, Yumi didn't really know what was going on. But she really wanted to hear what Yoshino-san had been doing in the classroom before she arrived.

"Who knows?"

While Yumi-san wracked her brain, Itsue-san slowed down so that she was also walking alongside Yumi-san and joined their conversation, saying 'It's a mystery, that's for sure.'

"It's much better for Yumi-san, since your onee-sama is in the third year pine group."

From her left and right sides, Yumi heard her classmates saying, 'Right?' Yumi's heart was thumping, hoping that Yoshino-san, walking ahead of her, couldn't hear them but it looked like Yoshino-san was talking with Mami-san and Satoe-san, so she was probably okay.

Yoshino-san, Mami-san, Satoe-san, Itsue-san, Misa-san and then Yumi. Such a strange combination of people in the group, but they were the ones appointed from the second year pine group to the task of pinning flowers to the chests of the graduating students. 

It was a tradition that the students who would perform this blessing for the graduating seniors were from the same group but the year below. In other words, the ones that would pin the flower to the chest of the third year pine group were from the second year pine group. Which is why they had said that she was much better off, since her onee-sama was in the third year pine group. And it was also why it was such a mystery that Yoshino-san was so pumped up, since her onee-sama was in the third year chrysanthemum group. 

"But she's been bursting with enthusiasm ever since we decided who was involved."

When Yumi said this, the girls to her left and right said, 'That's true,' nodded, and folded their arms.


<span style="font-size: 300%; border: "><center>* * *</center></span>

This happened about a week ago.

When they arrived for their afternoon homeroom, the following discussion topic was written in big, bold letters on the blackboard:

<center><b>Helpers for the day of the graduation ceremony</b></center>

Below that was written;

<center>1: Students to pin flowers to the graduating seniors (6 names)</center>
<center>2: Students to decorate the classroom (a few names)</center>

"Are there any volunteers?"

When Kaede-san, who was leading the discussion, asked this most of the students raised their hands. Their homeroom teacher was watching on silently, undoubtedly thinking, 'I wish they'd show this much enthusiasm during class.'

"Should we give preference to those students whose onee-sama is in the third year pine group?"

"But surely the petit soeurs would have been there before? Wouldn't it be better to give this chance to students who haven't had any reason to visit their beloved seniors?"

"It should be based on who wants to go the most … but there's no way to measure that."

Everyone had their own ideas about how it should be decided, but it didn't look like they would come to any sort of agreement.

As the heated discussion raged around her Yumi didn't try to voice her opinion, instead daydreaming about how nice it would be to pin the flower to her onee-sama's chest. Although she made sure she raised her hand when the call for volunteers went out.

"For fairness sake, we'll decide this with scissors-paper-rock."

In the end that was the approach they agreed upon. At first it seemed that no-one objected to it, but someone behind Yumi quickly raised their hand. It was Michiyo-san, who had earlier suggested that the students with an onee-sama in the third year pine group should get priority.

"I just want to check something. If someone wins the privilege through scissors-paper-rock, can they transfer that to someone else?"

"Huh?"

At first no-one really understood what she was trying to say.

"Because..."

She explained that because she didn't have an onee-sama in the third year pine group, it wasn't something that she wanted to do no matter what. So if she won, she would turn over her position to someone who did have an onee-sama in the third year pine group, if allowed. Such a kind girl.

"That's okay, I guess."

The transfer wasn't limited just to people who had an onee-sama in that class, it could be given to anyone, so good friends could pitch in and help each other. There were no objections.

"Well then, Katori-sensei, can you do the honors?"

At Kaede-san's insistence, their homeroom teacher took center stage.

For the first round of the contest, the whole class would play against their teacher. Only those who won would advance to the second round. A draw was the same as a loss. This way the whole class could be involved, but it would be sorted out in two or three rounds. This would continue until there were only six people remaining – if there were fewer, then the people that had been eliminated in the previous round would play-off for the remaining places. These were the rules they had decided upon.

"Scissors, paper, "

It was Yoshino-san that was conspicuously shouting this out. 

"Rock."

Yumi was wondering what percentage enthusiasm played in whether someone won or lost at scissors-paper-rock.

"Uwaaaah!"

About thirty students held one of their hands above their head in either the scissors, paper or rock gestures. Amongst the various cries of joy and despair, Yoshino-san's cry of 'yeah' could be heard as she held aloft her right hand in the winning form of scissors. In a seat some distance away, Yumi looked up at her own open hand and sighed. 

Their teacher had gone with paper. And a draw was a loss. It felt kind of hollow. Yumi thought she would have felt better if she had put out rock, and been properly defeated.

The winners were decided after the second round.

The six people were Yoshino-san, Satoe-san, Itsue-san, Misa-san, Michiyo-san and Minato-san.

"So is there anyone among you that want to transfer this privilege to someone else – "

Surprisingly, everyone except Yoshino-san raised their hand to this. Yumi probably wasn't the only one to think 'what a shame' when they saw this.

"Well then, let's hear who you want to transfer it to and confirm whether or not they will accept. We'll start with you, Michiyo-san, since you originally proposed this idea."

"I'd like to give this to Fukuzawa Yumi-san."

"Huh!?"

Not expecting to be named, Yumi's eyes widened in shock. Everyone turned to look at her, but they were all in the same class so it didn't bother Yumi. So, on reflex, Yumi pointed her finger at herself and asked, 'Me?' Michiyo-san nodded in agreement.

"Won't you accept this in place of me?"

"...Is that okay?"

This was something she hadn't asked for. Michiyo-san agreed immediately, without hesitation.

"Wait a minute!"

Satoe-san, Itsue-san and Misa-san all cried out at the same time.

"We also wanted to give our positions to Yumi-san."

"Huuuh!?"

Fukuzawa Yumi was hugely popular. Or, more likely, everyone was feeling sorry for Yumi, whose onee-sama was in the third year pine group.

"But Yumi-san is just one person."

Even if she were to accept all their proposals, one person could not fill four chairs. 

"If there's anyone else who has an onee-sama in the third year pine group that wants to take part – "

Itsue-san offered, but no-one raised their hand. 

"Very well then."

With that, the three others resolved to carry out their duties and took back their declarations to stand down.

Still, Yumi felt incredibly happy.

"My thanks to all of you."

Yumi bowed her head, and thanked them from the bottom of her heart.

"But what about Minato-san?"

That's right, Minato-san also raised her hand when they were asked if anyone wanted to transfer their winnings.

"I'm sorry. I just got caught up in playing scissors-paper-rock, but can I be moved into the second group – to help with putting up decorations around the classroom."

"Sure. There's no limit on how many people can be involved in that."

Kaede-san wrote Minato-san's name down under the second heading. 

"Although, if possible you should name someone to take your place."

There were plenty of people who wanted to take part. But another round of scissors-paper-rock would be time consuming. 

"Then, Tsutako-san."

A few scattered cries of excitement could be heard, from girls thinking about Tsutako-san being there.

"Thank-you. But I'm sorry, I can't accept."

This time around the scattered cries were of dejection. The tone of the voices rose and fell. If you were able to see sound with your eyes, the inside of the second year pine group's classroom would probably look like a gigantic wave.

"Why's that?"

Don't do it if you don't want to. Kaede-san asked, although normally you wouldn't ask an individual why they refused. Kaede-san probably thought that everyone wanted to hear Tsutako-san's reason. Because it seemed more in keeping with Tsutako-san's character that she would have said, 'I'll do it.'

"If I accepted your offer, I'd want to take pictures of it, right."

Tsutako-san answered immediately, while stroking her small camera.

"Huh?"

Yumi thought that was probably what Minato-san expected when she named her. Everyone knew that Tsutako-san was the ace of the photography club. Tsutako-san and her camera had an inseparable relationship.

"But the job isn't about taking photos, it's about pinning the flowers to the seniors, so I wouldn't be able to take my camera."

When put that way, it seemed like quite a natural response.

"Then would you go to the third year pine group's classroom if you weren't responsible for pinning the flowers on the seniors?"

Someone asked, not wanting to let the matter drop. If they weren't able to take part themselves, they at least wanted to see some photos of it.

"I wouldn't, because it's not my class."

Tsutako-san smiled. 

"So, I'm sorry."

Even if they were to try and pressure her further, Tsutako-san probably wouldn't agree to it. Minato-san said, 'Well then,' and faced a different direction.

"How about Mami-san? Would you refuse because you wanted to collect information for a newspaper report?"

The Mami-san that had been named was the head of the newspaper club.

"Not at all. I don't need something like a camera to be able to gather information. So I'll gladly accept your offer."

Mami-san happily expanded on that, saying she would burn the information into her memory and write an article about it to appear in the commemorative graduation edition of the Lillian Kawaraban.

And that was the story about how these six people had been chosen for this job.

"I was thinking about giving you my spot, you know."

Yoshino-san had idly remarked to her, much later.

"But since it was Michiyo-san that originally brought up the topic of passing on the privilege, I let her have the honor this time."

"Oh, is that so?"

"Well, of course. It's only natural that I would think about letting my dear friend have the opportunity to pin the flower on her onee-sama."

When it came to games of chance, Yoshino-san didn't seem to care about appearances, only wanting to win.

"Thank-you."

At any rate, Yumi chose to express her gratitude towards her friend.