Editing Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume6 Chapter6 3 (section)

===<noinclude>Rosa Chinensis' best day of her life. </noinclude>Part 3.===

The boutons had agreed to host a treasure hunt for Valentines Day.

Youko wasn't able to participate because it clashed with her entrance exam, but she had decided from the start that she wanted to see how it played out. 

Where had the trio hidden their cards?

And who would find them?

If it was me, where would I hide it?

And who would I want to find it?

Thinking about these things was really fun. But it was something you could only do when your body was cooperating.

"…"

Youko let out a sigh.

As she entered the school buildings, she felt a heavy flow coming and rushed to the nearest toilet on the first floor. Because it was after school, the toilets were deserted. For comfort's sake, Youko chose the innermost, western style toilet. When she tried to get up after a brief moment of rest, the world around her faded to black. Helplessly, Youko sat back down on the toilet seat and waited for the feeling to pass. She hadn't really eaten much all day, so it was probably anemia kicking in.

Anyway, for now she was the sole occupant of the student's toilet block.

"… Hmm."

She didn't feel well, either. She felt queasy, but probably wasn't going to be sick.

It's just one thing after the other.

The unbearable abdominal pain was gradually starting to get better. 

But it was depressing to think that this kind of pain would continue for decades to come.

Until now, Youko had never had any complaints about being born a woman. That was largely due to school policy and her home environment, so she was grateful to both her parents and teachers.

Neither men nor women were inferior. Because without both, there was no way for new life to be born.

It was simply due to the process of evolution – some distant ancestor had found an evolutionary advantage in this division of roles, and all of this was a result of that choice.

(But even so)

Menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, menopause.

Youko sighed, thinking about the journey that lay ahead of her. The gap between the burden born by men and women felt too large simply to write off as the difference between the sexes. The reward of a slightly longer life expectancy wasn't enough to balance things out in the end.

(Ah well, dwelling on it's not going to change anything)

That's why she didn't usually think about it.

She only considered it at times like this. On days like today, when her period pain was excruciating, or when it happened while she was traveling or had PE lessons. Only at times like that.

After resting there for about ten minutes she was feeling better and started to notice the sounds that were coming from outside.

"Where have you been looking?"

"I heard that one of the cards have been found, but I don't know which color it was."

"I wonder which faculty Rei-sama's homeroom teacher is in."

"Where's the weather station?"

From the hallway, from outside. She could hear the students voices.

It seems like the treasure hunt hadn't finished just yet.

"Humm humm humm"

This time the door to the block of toilets was opened, and she felt someone enter the stall next to her. Taking a toilet break right in the middle of the game. It must have been someone who wasn't participating in the treasure hunt. Besides, no one else was humming. They must be in a really good mood.

As she was thinking this, she felt the ground tremble. It was gradually getting closer, and she thought she could hear the footsteps of a crowd of people stampeding outside the building.

(Hey, wait. Who are they chasing after …?)

The school was lively.

All kinds of things happened here, but in general it was peaceful. And fun. Because Lillian's Girls Academy was protected by Maria-sama.

When she finally started to get up, she heard a curious sound.

Bump, scratch scratch, rustle rustle, thump.

"The window! They went in through the window!"

The shout came from outside.

Thud, click, clatter clatter clatter clatter.

It sounded like the fugitive had broke in through the window and then closed and locked it so that the pursuers couldn't climb in.

Just what was going on outside the walls of her cubicle? Youko was intensely curious. But the person in the cubicle beside her shouted 'What's going on!?' and shot out, so she missed her chance.

"Yumi-san, what are you doing?"

The person from the other stall asked, after first returning to her cubicle and flushing.

(Yumi?)

It was a fairly common name, but she'd know for sure when they responded. Because Youko's petit soeur, Ogasawara Sachiko, has a petit soeur called Yumi. 

She was a rare find nowadays. And she was perfect as Sachiko's petit soeur. Naturally, as the grandmother,  Youko affectionately indulged her.

"… Playing tag, I guess."

As expected, the voice that answered was that of Fukuzawa Yumi. And it seemed that the person from the other stall just happened to be a friend of hers. Something like that.

"And the treasure?"

"Not yet."

So that means she was playing tag in the middle of the treasure hunt.

(Yumi-chan, what on earth are you doing?)

Youko brought her ear to the door of the stall and strained to hear the conversation.

"There we go"

The wall creaked.

(There we go?)

She couldn't fathom it. From time to time, Yumi-chan would do the most outrageous things.

"– Yumi-san?"

Yumi-chan's friend called out, doubtfully.

"After I've gone, can you lock the window? And keep it a secret that you saw me here, please."

"… Yeah, alright."

It seemed like she was planning on going back out the window again.

(I see, she's thought about this)

If it was locked from the inside, they wouldn't think that she's fled back outside.

"Well, I'll leave it to you."

After the sound of someone landing, the window was shut and locked. It seemed like Yumi had safely escaped.

"I wonder what that was all about."

Yumi-chan's friend was talking to herself as she left. Youko shook her head then left her cubicle.

After washing her hands and walking out into the hallway, she ran into the group of students who were apparently chasing after Yumi-chan.

"You girls"

Being a bit of a prankster, Youko called out to them.

"Ro.. Rosa Chinensis!"

All up there was six of them. Simultaneously, they all stopped and stood up straight, as though they had been practicing together.

"Be quiet in the hallway."

"Yes. Rosa Chinensis."

Having just been scolded, they momentarily went back to walking then almost immediately picked up the pace and rushed towards the toilets.

(Hey, don't do that)

As she heard the sound of the door closing, Youko suppressed a laugh.

Even though they had hurried there, Yumi-chan had already left.