Editing Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume7 Chapter2 3 (section)

===<noinclude>Rabbit and Cat and Wolf. </noinclude>Part 3===

What had Rosa Foetida been doing staying overnight at a hotel?

Based on her rabbit-like red eyes attributed to lack of sleep, it would appear as though the purpose of her stay hadn't been rest.

Rosa Foetida's mother had said that she was staying at a relative's house, and why would she lie? Would it somehow be bad if people from school found out about her staying away overnight?

And had Rosa Foetida spent the night at the hotel by herself?

– The more she thought about it, the less she knew. 

If she had handed over the photographs, then that would have been the end of it. But Yumi couldn't simply pretend that she didn't know anything.



"It's an example, okay."

Yoshino-san placed her chin on her unopened lunch box, and spoke as though bored.

"Using examples is fine, but you're censoring too much Yumi-san. I can't make heads or tails of what you're saying."

"Oh, really?"

Yumi cocked her head at censoring.

"Yes really."

Yoshino-san snorted.

"Suppose there was a high-school student, and this person was at a certain place and happened to see a high-school senior with a guy. And then another student saw the same senior at a different place, and she was with a guy at that time too, but it was a different one to the one before … that's what you said. And it just went on and on in that manner, so annoyingly vague."

Yoshino-san acted like she was tearing out her hair.

"Incredible. You remembered it all."

"As much as it pained me to do so."

Tap tap. This time, she was tapping her temples. So, even though she may not have understood what Yumi was asking, Yoshino-san answered, speaking in broad terms.

"After much effort, I think I understand what you're trying to say Yumi-san, although this is my interpretation."

"In what way?"

"To summarize, Girl A isn't returning home, instead going out night after night with different men. That's what you're saying, right? And all her partners are, without exception, rich and middle-aged."

"That's pretty much it."

Some of them were in their twenties, so calling them all middle-aged was a bit harsh, but what Yoshino-san had said was mostly correct and she'd skillfully compressed it down. Yoshino-san definitely had a knack for putting thoughts into words.

"Frankly, it's assisted dating. Maybe she's even run away from home."

It was blunt, but Yoshino-san's assertion was spoken clearly.

"Assi – "

Yumi's shout was blocked by the palm of Yoshino-san's hand.

They were in the Rose Mansion. Although it was just the two of them at the moment, they never knew when someone was about to come through the biscuit door. They had to take the utmost care with dangerous words that invited misinterpretation.

"Assisted. Dating."

Yumi wrote the words in large print on a scratch pad made from misprinted pages. Of course she'd heard the phrase, but it wasn't something she was personally familiar with.

Perhaps this was what Tsutako-san's colored glasses had indicated. If this was how she had viewed it all along, then her desire to withdraw from the matter was completely understandable.

"Looking at it objectively, it's the only comprehensive explanation."

Yoshino-san was still unaware that it was about Rosa Foetida. To that extent, she was speaking as though it was unrelated to her.


  Problem: State the meaning of the following words:
  1) Assisted
  2) Dating


  Solution.
  1) With help. Aid.
  2) Going out. Socializing.


However, when those two words were put together, they had a particular nuance. Yumi sipped her tea. It wasn't a very pleasant phrase.

"You should leave it alone. She'll do whatever she wants anyway. That person herself will be the one who is hurt and regretful afterward."

Yoshino-san was telling her to give up.

"But."

The "person herself" was Rosa Foetida. There was no way she could just leave it alone.

Should she tell Yoshino-san or not. As Yumi was pondering this, the three boutons came shuffling in to the room.

"Brr – it's cold outside."

Rei-sama said, rubbing her hands together.

"One of the teachers called me about some committee matter, that's why I'm late."

Shimako-san explained for Yumi, since they would have left their morning class at about the same time.

"Why do they make someone who never orders from the cafeteria pick up the class lunch orders?"

Sachiko-sama grumbled.

They may not have had the bearing of the current Roses, but the three fresh Roses looked exquisite when lined up together.

"Onee-sama, would you like some tea?"

Yumi hurriedly stood up, completely forgetting that she'd left her memo pad open.

"Assisted dating?"

Sachiko-sama muttered, as she placed her small, split-level lunch-box on the table.

"What an unpleasant phrase."

"Ah, that."

This was bad. Now that the fastidious Sachiko-sama had seen it, would she become obstinately accusatory, or lapse into hysterics … either way, she wouldn't just let it go.

"I detest those words."

Sachiko-sama said coldly.

"That phrase is probably intended to soften the meaning, but it's not something I can stomach. Although I don't know who would use such words."

"Huh?"

She was primarily concerned about the misuse of words? Apparently her objection was about the phrase rather than the act itself.

But that was just a jab.

"Assisted dating. Dress it up with whatever words you want, in the end it's nothing but prostitution."

Pr-pr-prostitution. That such a word could come from Sachiko-sama's exquisite mouth. Yumi was in such shock that her mouth opened and closed wordlessly.

"Even affair and fling are used similarly nowadays."

"Instead of adultery?"

Rei-sama asked.

"Yes. There's more gravity to the original. But using a lighter phrase doesn't lessen the act itself in any way."

Unaccustomed to this sort of adult conversation, the first-years could only blink in surprise and listen.

(But.)

Right. Sachiko-sama's father had a number of mistresses. 

She would certainly have a different impression of those words.

Adultery was serious. Compared to affair or fling. Someone who had been hurt by such behavior would not want it to be spoken about lightly.

But since the far more serious word "prostitution" had been used, there was no way she could broach the topic of Rosa Foetida.

"By the way, what were you doing with this?"

Sachiko-sama asked, holding the memo pad in front of Yumi's face.

"Nothing. I wrote it as a prank while we were chatting."

It was a lame excuse, and Yumi thought as much, but it was all she could do. If asked, "What were you chatting about?" then she'd be struck out.

But Sachiko-sama didn't inquire as to that.

"Really?"

"Yes. Never would I do that sort of thing."

Her mind in chaos,  jumbled words spilled out of her mouth.

"Obviously."

Smiling wryly, Sachiko-sama gently flicked Yumi's forehead with her index finger.

As though to say, "Who could possibly think that you would be involved in that?"

Yumi was overjoyed that her onee-sama had that much faith in her, but she also felt a sense of regret growing in her heart.

Was this something that she'd have to hide from her onee-sama too?

But perhaps that kind of conversation wasn't suited to Sachiko-sama after all. Particularly conversations that related to coupling. Sachiko-sama was fastidious to the core, and on top of that she hated men.

(At any rate, what to do?)

Yoshino-san had told her to leave it alone. But if she left if alone, and the school newspaper ran a story about it, it would be a major incident. Right on the eve of graduation, everything surrounding Rosa Foetida would be thrown into turmoil.

But having said that, Yumi wasn't powerful enough to speak directly to the newspaper club. If she tried that, the newspaper club would undoubtedly devour her whole and make a funny article about it.

(Who could I talk it over with?)

Yumi glanced at the other chairs around the table.

(Rei-sama.)

Yumi shook her head, no.

Her direct character would spell disaster, she probably wouldn't be able to keep herself from lunging straight at Rosa Foetida.

(So that means Yoshino-san's out too.)

Whatever she said to Yoshino-san would be transmitted more-or-less directly to Rei-sama. Besides, when she set her mind to something, Yoshino-san rushed recklessly ahead, so in that sense she was probably even more dangerous than Rei-sama. The incident would get blown even further out of proportion.

(Shimako-san.)

Yumi rejected the idea as soon as she thought it. Shimako-san seemed to be reliable, but there was a lot about her that was still a mystery. Yumi couldn't tell how she would handle such a conversation.

(In that case, I suppose it will have to be Rosa Chinensis.)

Out of the entire high-school, she was the one who seemed most adult. But Rosa Foetida was her friend, so it might be a huge shock if Yumi didn't approach it carefully.

"Yumi, are you listening?"

"Ah, yes."

Yumi stood up in a daze, as though she'd just been called to answer a question in class.

"What are you doing?"

Sachiko-sama muttered in shock.

"… Sorry."

No matter how much time passed, she was still the immature younger sister.

"We're discussing the third-years' farewell party. Pay attention."

Sachiko-sama's eyes indicated she should sit down, and Yumi did so despondently. Even so, Sachiko-sama sighed.

"It really is like Rosa Gigantea said. Your expression never stays still."

At that moment, the face of the old lecher / girls-school student floated through her mind.