Editing Maria Sama Ga Miteru:Volume12 Chapter1 (section)

===Part 2===

The family shared the same surprise.

"Summerhouse!? At the Ogasawara's?"

Dad, in the position of opening the mizuyoukan pudding can lid, opened his eyes wide. Mom was frozen with a small teapot in her hands. The time was after dinner, while the family was chatting at the sofa.

"What shall we do? Yumi still doesn't have a passport! If it is the last week of July, it is very close. Can we make it?"

"..."

Looking her mother being all thumbs, Yumi thought, ''this person is definitely the one who gave birth to me''. There is no point repeating, but Yumi had said almost the same line immediately after she accepted Sachiko-sama's invitation.

"Yes, it takes two weeks right? RIGHT?"

However, it was a good idea not to tell during dinner. From the surprise received now, it was imaginable that one of the parents would have been choked by a meat ball, and end up getting rushed to the hospital by an ambulance.

"I said it is inside Japan."

The summerhouse which Sachiko-sama paid a visit every summer was on a plateau summer resort one hour and a half away from Tokyo by bullet train.

"Inside Japan... Yes, it should be within Japan normally. Oh my, my brain grew numb by the double shock, from the gorgeous feel of the word 'summerhouse,' and from the name of the Ogasawara's!"

Mom laughed as she pinched her cheek.

But it was understandable to think first it is overseas. Yumi's onee-sama Ogasawara Sachiko-sama was the daughter of the one and only Ogasawara Group in the world, and the family was so rich that it was not at all strange to hold a castle in every part of the world.
For example, in Sweden or Graecia or Rome. Though all are just imaginations, since Yumi has never been to any one of the places.

"But the Ogasawara family will also come, right? With such close relatives by the side, will you be a bother?"

"Sachiko-sama's father and grandpa both have a company to attend, so they will visit the summerhouse during Obon vacation. Her mother will join them at that time as well."

Sachiko-sama, who had to return to school in the latter half of summer vacation, was the odd one to stay in the summerhouse earlier than anybody else. Thinking that Yumi would feel more at ease this way, Sachiko-sama extended the invitation.

"Please~ Can I go?"

Yumi took her father's hand as she begged. It was long since the last time Yumi teased her father for anything.

"What do you think? I have no reason to object it--"

Dad's lips pouted a little as he looked at Mom.

"I guess so... But it would be impolite not to send formal greetings to the Ogasawara couple."

"To the Ogasawara couple?"

Well, it was a little different from staying at someone's house to finish a group project, so it might as well be natural turn into such a big ruckus. Or rather, Yumi's mother was one of those polite people that telephone the host family to say thanks on such trivial matters, Yumi thought to herself.

"Mom, then you are going to phone Sachiko-sama's mom to talk things over and get convinced?"

"Exactly. ... But how exciting! Just like meeting the in-laws for the first time."

"Oh come on."

Was this kind of reaction from an Old Girl from Lillian Girl's Academy? Even within the family living under the same roof, the males would have no clue about such thinking pattern.

"Well, why not some souvenirs? How about a combination of Ginza high-class delicacies? But no, the other side must have been used to eating such things. Maybe some lower-class presents might make them happier. Oh, by the way, how much shall we send as something like accommodation fee? If we send in cash, the other side might not be pleased, though. But that doesn't mean we can send in gift certificates, does it? In fact, we have no idea how much it takes to stay in that place for one day anyway."

The panicked mom even took out the "Convenient Q&A for Everyday-Life Greetings" for help, but there is no way an item called "Tips when your child go to visit the summer-house of her (extremely rich) Onee-sama" would be recorded in such a book.

But a mother has a mother's special concerns. Her eyes turned bloodshot as they stared straight at the book index.

This most probably started in the Traditional New Year this year, when Yumi stayed one night at the Ogasawara's place. That time, Yumi was lured out by Sei-sama in a surprise attack, and had had no idea that the venue was Sachiko-sama's place. To her mother Yumi fussed up the truth a little, saying only that she was on a night camp.

Didn't a small box of confectionery she had brought with her do just fine? Yumi thought, but it seemed that her mother had her regrets, because she failed to give some formal greetings before the daughter stayed a night at her Onee-sama's place. By the way, her shock doubled when she learnt her son had also stayed a night, though he had no relations with the Ogasawaras.

As Mom waited for her second chance, Yumi heard directly from school that Sachiko-sama's grandma passed away, but of course she had not brought anything with her at that time. On their way home, Yumi asked for Youko-sama's advice, but Youko-sama said, "It is a secret burial, and that side of the family hates formalities, so it is better not to bring any gift of consolation." In the end, therefore, Yumi left things like that.

That is why Mom now insisted that "This is the time." Nevertheless, as Youko-sama had said, Sachiko-sama and her mother Sayako-obasama never minded such formalities.
 
"Yumi. I wonder why you are eyed on by the daughter of such a great family like the Ogasawaras? That is like marrying into a family of rank! It makes even the parents nervous to think about meeting the in-laws! So please, Yumi, choose a humble household when you get married."

Mom was so entangled in her thoughts that she began to babble things that made no sense.

"All right, leave it like this and go to bed for now."

In the end, Dad couldn't bear to see it anymore, and took Mom up to the bed room a little earlier than the usual bedtime. A "husband stop" instead of a "doctor stop."

"What a fuss!"

Her brother Yuki sat with his legs crossed on the sofa. He was so quiet that his existence had been forgotten, but he had always been in the living room, looking cool-mindedly at the family soap opera from afar.

"Exactly."

Yumi nodded, and poured Japanese tea into a tea bowl. Mom had left the teapot for a long time after she poured in hot water, so the tea's color was expectedly very thick. Greenish brown, or even moss green by now.

"Even though Mom looked like that, she must be very happy."

"I guess."

The two siblings shared a friendly moment sipping tea diluted with hot water. Considering the season, it might be better to drink mugi-cha<ref>麦茶 -- a barley tea, usually a summer drink</ref>, but the warm green tea didn't taste bad. The taste was very adult, let's put it this way.

"Summerhouse... At that time I should be having a camp at that side as well."

Maybe we will meet over there, Yuki said smilingly while hugging a cushion. Yuki was in high school second-year at Hanadera Academy, neighboring Lillian Girl's Academy.

"A camp? Yuki, what club are you at again?"

"The Student Council."

"So you are also involved in a student council?"

"Yeah."

The two nondescript siblings, who had no relations at all with such things till secondary school, suddenly had a 180 degrees turn when they stepped into high school, as they were swept in the bewildering but dynamic school life.

Oh, but talking about the student council.

"Don't tell me you are with Kashiwagi-san --"

Oh no, oh no. That guy alone was dangerous.

"That guy has already graduated, though?"

"Oh, I forgot."

Kashiwagi Suguru, Sachiko-sama's cousin, was two years elder than Yumi and Yuki. This spring he graduated peacefully at the Hanadera Academy High School, and is now a student at Hanadera University.

"But exactly because he is Kashiwagi-san, won't he sneak into the camp in the name of supervising juniors? Yuki, be careful!"

"Well Yumi, I am now unable to think of an appropriate reaction as a younger brother towards his sister's problematic assertion here."

"Just be careful. Kashiwagi-san has said that he loved the way Yuki struggles."

"Then how should I be careful? If I struggle I just make him happier, but there is no way I'll surrender without a fight just because of that."

"I don't know how. Anyway, stay normal! Don't be lured into the abnormal side!"

Yumi grabbed on Yuki's shoulders and shook him violently, as if encouraging her teammates not to fall asleep while stranded in a winter mountain. But the twin brother was quite cool. His lips curled up a little at the sides as a faint laugh escaped.

"Do you know the meaning of the words you are using?"

"...On the whole, yes."

In the end, all the fuss the sister was making was of no use: Yuki had to protect himself. Being a boy has its own problems.

"So what will the student council do during a camp?"

"Mainly discussing the School Festival, but I guess it is also an encouragement and friendship strengthening group event?"

"Ah, School Festival."

The atmosphere became more and more pressing that the Lillians needed to prepare for theirs. The Roses, who are the high school student council heads, will take the position of leaders and executives in the School Festival, so the boutons will also be busy helping out. Above that, the Yamayurikai executives needed to participate in an event as representatives of Yamayurikai. Last year, it was "Cinderella" the drama.

However, every time Yumi heard the words School Festival, she would think, how fast has a single year passed away. Thinking back, it was exactly last year's School Festival when she and Sachiko-sama became soeurs. 

"So what are you doing this year?"

Yuki asked.

"How about your side?"

"Undecided."

"Same here."

However the Roses seemed to have already formed an idea among them. But the boutons couldn't come to ask about it; it was a little too scary.

Why? Last year, the ex-Roses cheated the unwilling Sachiko-sama into performing as "Cinderella." Using the same logic, this year's boutons like Yumi and Yoshino would clearly be facing the fate of executing some formidable contracts. Probably even more unenviable than last year's.

"...What does a Boy School Festival look like? Maybe I should go to Hanadera this year to take a look."

She felt more like for pastime than for reference. Every year, Hanadera's School Festival was earlier than Lillian's.

Well, it's other people's business anyway. Yumi spoke in such a dreamy tone, but Yuki was quick to correct her.

"Not maybe; it is a must, isn't it?"

"Oh?"

"Isn't it already a custom between student councils in Lillian and Hanadera to help out each other during School Festivals?"

"Ah!"

"What is with this reaction? Geez."

''Hey, it is okay to keep such a lamentable face to yourself.''

"Then Yuki, you are also coming to our school this year right? But in last year's Lillian School Festival only Kashiwagi-san came alone, so is it that not everyone need to come?"

"We are helping in accordance to your requests."

"Ah I see. So there is actually a possibility Yuki is coming. But I hate my family staring at me. Last year Mom and Dad said they'd come, but I had stopped them no matter what."

See? Yumi asked for Yuki's agreement, but Yuki turned silent for a while. Yumi pressed on about what the silence meant, and Yuki finally divulged with a grim face.

"...I went. Last year, to Lillian."

"You're kidding!?"

"Kashiwagi-senpai was taking part. So I was brought along unwillingly by the other seniors."

"What?"

Unwilling or not, the fact that he saw "Cinderella" didn't change.

"Why are you saying this after a year? Oh my, I can't believe it!"

Yumi seized her brother's cushion to hit him with it.

No way could she believe her brother had seen such a clumsy performance of Sister B. No way could she believe she had been kept in the dark till now, being carefree about it all the time. Yumi was completely discouraged by what a naive kid she had been.

"The subject had not been brought up again after that. I also imagined you would respond this way, so I had tried to stay silent. Humm. Even after a year, Yumi is still embarrassed of it."

Even with around a year of difference in age, this formidable brother was analyzing the situation with a cool mind. Argh, how annoying. Or it should be how enviable. In terms of mental growth, maybe he had already surpassed her.

"You put up a good play. Very good."

Yuki said as he patted on Yumi, who turned her back towards him in a tantrum.

"Really?"

Yumi looked back and stared unbelievably at her brother's face, thinking just when did he become so natural at comforting others. Well, Yuki had always been a gentle boy, but he had always been bad at expressing it.

"Sure. Though playing the role of a villain sister, you were too cute to be hated."

"Hey, isn't that a problem on my performance ability...?"

"What's wrong with that? That is not your character originally, right? Among us the reviews were excellent."

It sometimes amazed Yumi how quick-witted his encouragements were. If only I could be at least half like Yuki, speaking the accurate words fluently, Yumi thought to herself. If so, she could be a more robust and supporting petite soeur to her onee-sama.

"Are you coming this year as well?"

"Well, I need to go, I guess. No matter what plans you have on your side."

Then Yuki threw again some discouraging words to Yumi.

"This year, I will be there with you to humiliate ourselves."