Editing Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume10 Chapter4 3

===<noinclude>Signs of Rain. </noinclude>Part 3===

Thursday lunch.

They'd been called to the Rose Mansion, so Yoshino left the classroom carrying her lunch. Her classmate Yumi-san was with her.

"How's the kendo club?"

"Hm, so-so."

At the moment, it felt more like a "Stretching / marathon / weight training association." She'd only been there for one day, but already her legs felt tired and sore.

"Hang in there."

"… Thanks."

Yoshino responded with an equally insipid expression of gratitude to the listless encouragement from her friend. They were both pretty exhausted.

Even though they were exhausted, they still had to do their Yamayurikai duties at lunch. Work had already started for the school festival in autumn.

After school, the remaining members would gather and work on things individually, but the work just kept on coming, so they didn't have any free time. Rei-chan was down, and Sachiko-sama would go home early to deal with family matters or something, so with the main people out it was only natural that it would end up like this.

"Ah."

Yoshino spotted Shimako-san ahead of them in the hallway. Rosa Gigantea was always so beautiful that she grabbed people's attention, but the sight of her keeping her melancholy (perhaps caused by the sudden disappearance of the sun's rays) to herself made her look kind of seductive.

The three girls exchanged smiles but omitted saying "Gokigenyou," then continued walking alongside each other. 

"Is Noriko-chan coming?"

"No."

Shimako-san shook her head, as though the answer should have been obvious. Which probably meant that they still hadn't officially become soeurs. Talk about indecisive.

Yoshino had no idea why Shimako-san was hesitating. She should just give her the rosary and become soeurs. They both knew that, and due to Nijou Noriko's nature, no-one would oppose them.

Although, come to think of it, things were kind of like this during Shimako-san and Satou Sei-sama's time. The two involved seemed to be bothered by something, but Yoshino had no idea what. This time around, there were probably some things they had to work through, but why was it taking so long?

If she likes her, give her the rosary. If not, send her away. – It was such a simple thing, that should cover it.

"Gokigenyou."

A group of first-years had been lying in wait in the hallway that ran past the first-year classrooms and called out warmly to Yoshino's group.

"Gokigenyou everyone."

Beset by exhaustion, Yoshino couldn't conjure up her usual smile.

Besides, it would be a pain if they were stopped here, and by walking on looking downcast it made it hard for the first-years to follow after them.

Phrases like, "hiding their sorrow," itched at Yoshino's ears from behind, but going back and correcting the first-years would be foolish, so she continued on.

There was no need to shatter those girls' illusions. Deliberately, she walked slowly.

"What's the matter?"

Shimako-san asked, when the first-years had disappeared from view.

"What do you mean, what's the matter?"

Yoshino and Yumi-san called out in harmony, although they hadn't rehearsed beforehand.

"Well … "

Shimako-san said that they were being unusually quiet.

"Quiet?"

Yumi-san pointed out that Yoshino had hardly said a word, prompting Yoshino to highlight Yumi-san's gloomy face. Apparently things weren't going well with Sachiko-sama, or so Yoshino thought.

"It's just her imagination, right?"

After this denial, they resumed walking. But, in truth, Yoshino had noticed it too. The reason she hadn't said a word wasn't just because she was tired from club activities. The gloomy faces she was seeing weren't just because of the poor weather.

Just as they stepped out into the courtyard, all three of them sighed simultaneously.

"What?"

Blind to her own shortcomings, Yoshino attacked the other two. Not knowing how to handle her own emotions, she was getting more and more depressed by those around her.

"What do you mean?"

Yumi-san responded honestly, pushing out her lips in a pout. And then.

"Is there something bothering you two?"

Shimako-san asked, sounding concerned.

"There's no way you can talk to someone who's sighing, right?"

Yoshino bluntly responded. That was probably an outburst of anger. Looking at lovable Shimako-san's face, it had just come blurting out.

"Especially when there's not that many different species of sighs."

Yoshino felt like she had to follow that up, but the words that came out of her mouth weren't much of a follow-up. Instead, it sounded more like something she wanted to tell herself.

As they were entering the Rose Mansion, Shimako-san said there was something she had to attend to and headed back towards the school building. Yoshino was a bit worried by that.

"I guess I hurt her feelings."

Yoshino said, seeking confirmation from Yumi-san, but she simply refuted it with, "I don't think that's it." Even so, Yoshino was bothered by it, and she grabbed Yumi-san's hand to stop her climbing further up the stairs and asked:

"You know, sometimes I'll get carried away and not pay attention to things around me. Do I, unknowingly, make things worse for other people?"

"Huh?"

Yumi-san asked with a puzzled look on her face.

"I've probably done it to you, Yumi-san."

"I've never really – "

"Sure."

Even though the burden on club-less Yumi-san must have increased when Yoshino started her club activities.

Noriko-chan coming to assist had helped out a bit, but the three second-years were all without petit soeurs, so they'd constantly been short-handed since the start of the school year. 

It would have been better if she hadn't started club activities – such were Yoshino's thoughts when she considered it calmly. Even if Yumi-san didn't think that, there were probably plenty of people who did.

"I guess I should get a petit soeur."

Yoshino mumbled as she climbed the creaky stairs.

"…Why do you say that?"

"I've been thinking about it for a while. Two boutons isn't enough to support the Roses."

"You'd take a petit soeur just for the manpower?"

Yumi-san stopped climbing the staircase and looked at Yoshino in amazement.

"Someone like Shimako-san might be opposed to it, but that kind of clear contract is one option, right?"

"Yeah … but … "

She couldn't bring herself to agree.

"At any rate, I need to spread my emotions."

Yoshino finished climbing the stairs and let out a huge sigh.

If she kept thinking only about Rei-chan, her brains would boil and scorch her skull.