Editing Maria-sama Ga Miteru:Volume17 Chapter 8 4

===<noinclude>From City of Water to Island Nation </noinclude>Part 4===

Friday morning, Italy time.

They took a water bus from Piazza San Marco to Marco Polo airport. Then by air to Milano.

Milano's Malpensa airport, where just one week ago they started their time in Italy. It was already a nostalgic airport.

There were about two hours until departure for Narita, so they had an hour of free time. Yumi and friends headed to the duty-free shop to buy souvenirs for the Rose Manor.

"We could not find any senbei in Florence. People in my group had never heard of them."

Shimako-san said while they walked. It seems she had really searched for them during her free time.

"They don't sell anything like that."

Yoshino-san said, cackling with laughter. But after the parakeet's words, I thought "maybe they do exist", at least for a moment.

"So, what will we do?"

They searched sweet shops all over, but sure enough, they never found any "Roman Manjuu" or "Florence Senbei."

"Perhaps chocolate will be fine?" Although it will be the same as last year."

"Acceptable, and delicious."

Since Shimako-san and Yoshino-san were already residents of the Rose Manor by this time last year, they would know what souvenirs came back from last year's school trip. Not just know, but ate, too. This made Yumi terribly envious.

Eventually, they picked a box with a variety of chocolates arranged in rows. The three of them pooled their money and bought it.

Yumi still had some pocket change left, so she bought some sun-dried tomatoes and porcini mushrooms for her family. Actually, she also wanted to buy some olive oil, but the bottle was massive and she was afraid it would break on the trip home, so she gave up on that.

"Excuse me, Shimako-san. About Sei-sama."

Yumi said while waiting her turn in line at the cash register. Because she had not yet talked about the parakeet in Florence. But before hearing that, Shimako-san replied,

"Sure enough, she was here, wasn't she?"

"You met!?"

Yumi and Yoshino-san both said, surprised.

"No."

Shimako-san shook her head.

"But I felt it. She was nearby."

More than the testimony of seeing someone that looks like Sei-sama, more than fact that the parakeet spoke Satou-san's name, Why was it that just Shimako-san's "I felt it" was more convincing?

"Then why didn't Sei-sama get in touch?"

Like Shizuka-sama. They could have met up as much as possible during their free time. Yumi wanted to ask that. But probably because it was about Sei-sama's feelings, she didn't ask Shimako-sama.

"I wonder if it's conceit on my part."

Shimako-san smiled, a bit bashfully.

"I think it was for my sake."

Shimako-san's sake.

Those words, from Shimako-san's mouth, are probably the correct answer.

Sei-sama, for Shimako-san's sake, did not come and meet them. So, that's what it was.

Shimako-sama and Sei-sama are always connected, even when apart. As far as Yumi was concerned, this was a totally lovely example.