Editing Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume5 Chapter5 3 (section)

===<noinclude>St. Valentine's prank. </noinclude>Part 3.===

A step back allowed Yumi to observe the students' movements clearly.

First, as soon as the start sign was given, the students who'd finished signing their sheets and cutting it in half as Minako-sama explained things immediately dashed to the newspaper club members whom were holding cardboard boxes titled "Written Vows," tossed the sheets in, and scattered toward the school facilities.  They were quick.  –They probably had ideas of where to check.

Next, the methodical and somewhat nervous types.  They acted as though they weren't willing to write without something solid underneath the sheet, and the idea of cutting the sheets without a scissors was impermissible.  Not minding the fact that time was ticking, they lined up to use the desks that'd been set up for writing.  At this rate, some of them would actually start even later than the boutons' sisters.

But the most common type of participant was the one in between.  They were the ones who glanced around in confusion when the start signal was given, or the ones that finished signing their vows with their friends and left the courtyard chattering excitedly amongst themselves.  Yumi thought it'd be better if they acted individually in the event they were to find a treasure…

As an extra, there were some students that seemed to have given up finding the treasures to begin with, having come along simply to be near the boutons as long as possible.  They were the ones that had turned in their contracts and then stood close by, gazing at the boutons.

As for Yumi, she held the sheet against the Rose Mansion door and wrote her name.  Yoshino-san was more the first type, so she'd been completely prepared, and occupied her time kicking at the grass in irritation.  They wouldn't accept her contract yet, so she couldn't even just give and run.

(Sheesh.)

Dirt was finally getting on the toes of her shoes.  If she were to walk into the buildings like that, there would be dirt all over the place.

"It's been five minutes.  The boutons' sœurs, you may begin."

At the sound of Minako-sama's voice, Rosa Gigantea, Rosa Foetida, Yoshino-san, and Yumi all rushed to the cardboard box.

"Hey, Yoshino-chan."

Rosa Foetida grabbed Yoshino-san's arm before she could run off.

"Your indoor shoes have dirt on them.  Wipe them with a rag."

"Ehhh."

"No 'ehhh.'  It's my job to caution you in the stead of busy Rei, isn't it?"

"… Yes."

She was full of complaints, but she couldn't argue against her onee-sama's onee-sama.

"But, Rosa Foetida.  I can't get a rag like this, can I?"

A small counter-attack.  But grandmother Rosa Foetida wasn't about to lose to her grandchild.

"I'll go grab one from the Rose Mansion, so you wait here."

"Um, then I'll go."

She couldn't let a third-year do odd jobs like that.  Yumi received permission from Minako-sama and entered the Rose Mansion.  Of course, it was already acceptable grounds for the treasure hunt, so she was told she didn't need permission to begin with.

"What?  What?"

Rosa Gigantea gleefully followed Yumi, not having seen what had transpired.

"Nothing, sheesh."

It felt like too much of a bother to explain, so she just trounced up the stairs and opened the wooden locker in front of the room.  The cleaning utilities were stored there, so she grabbed a rag hanging over a bucket, rinsed it in the room, then jumped back down the stairs.  Rosa Gigantea was following her up and down, but Yumi apologetically ignored her completely.

"I'm sorry for the bother, Yumi-chan."

Rei-sama apologized to Yumi at the foyer.  She'd been watching Yoshino-san from a distance.

"Yumi.  When you're finished, just spread the rag out and leave it here."
Sachiko-sama, who'd interjected, continued.

"In case the students coming in feel guilty, so they can clean their shoes."

"Yes."

She was ecstatic Sachiko-sama had spoken to her.  She was so happy that she forgot all about Yoshino-san and just watched Sachiko-sama disappear into the Rose Mansion.  It wasn't even like Sachiko-sama had smiled for her.

The boutons were going to stay on the second floor of the Rose Mansion and wait for students to find their treasure.  They climbed the stairs holding the cardboard boxes with the vows in the stead of the newspaper club members, who'd dispersed to selected locations around the school grounds.

Who would be the lucky one to report finding Sachiko-sama's card?  Yumi so dearly wished it would be her.

When she looked at the clock, it was already five past four.

There was only thirty-five minutes left.

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