Editing Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume22 Chapter1.3

===Part 3.===

The menu was exactly what it smelled like: curry and salad.  The meal had been cooking from before Kashiwagi-san had called Yumi, so it was a surprisingly tasty spread.

The Fukuzawa home's curry was made in huge quantities, so if one or two extra people would join them it would be fine.  Yumi's mother also enjoyed cooking such huge quantities.  Yumi's mother had been expecting Yuuki's friends to come over, so there was a very strong possibility that curry and stew would be common this winter.  Steak and fish need to be prepared one-at-a-time, and if there aren't enough it's problematic to cook them in large quantities, as they would often run out.

Shortly before Touko-chan and Yumi came downstairs, Yumi's father had returned.  Now the full Fukuzawa family and Touko-chan added up to five people and would surround the dinner table.

Touko-chan sat in the seat next to Yumi, where Yuuki would normally sit.  Yuuki sat in their mother's seat.  Their mother would sit at the narrow part of the table, and so on.  It wasn't the normal seating arrangement, so it took a bit of shuffling to get seated.

"Could you pass me the Meat and Curry Dumplings?"

Yumi was tense because her father really loved Meat and Curry Dumplings.  But in front of his daughter's friend, he seemed not to act like he normally did.

"The salad dressing recipe was one I saw being made on TV.  What do you guys think of it?"

Both Yumi's mother and father were being excellent hosts.

"Everything is great, Mrs. Fukuzawa.  You must be good at cooking."

Touko-chan seemed to really find the food tasty.  She asked about the type of cheese used in the meat dumplings, and asked for the amount of the secret ingredient, balsamic vinegar, in the dressing.

She asked it all without flattery.  Yumi did not know whether Touko-chan planned on really going back home and trying out some of these recipes.  Nevertheless, her mother was very happy when Touko-chan did not simply say the food was tasty, but also asked how the food was made and what ingredients went into it.

"Is this rice ... white rice?"

"It's a medley of brown rice, barley, and white rice.  I prepare it with the curry."

Yumi's mother would change the ratio of one rice to the other in each batch, so she told Touko-chan that she couldn't give a definite number.  Yumi didn't know anyone who'd ask a question about the ratio.  Obviously her mother would know that brown rice and barley went into the mix, but how much of each she doubted that her mother kept track.

Yumi's mother was very happy to talk to Touko-chan about such things. She was talking much more than she normally would.

"Oh, speaking of white rice.  When Yumi and her friends went to her Onee-sama's summer house, the rice I had sent gave Yumi the nickname Princess Koshihikari. Did you know that, Touko-chan?" <ref>In the Vacation of the Young Lambs story arc, Sachiko had invited Yumi to her summer house to enjoy the summer together. There, they met Sachiko's 'friends', a bunch of self-conscious snobs, among whom was Touko, vying to come into the Ogasawara family's favor by thrusting themselves onto Sachiko. They considered Yumi to be not on their level and made fun of her, and socially slighted her, unaware that Sachiko hardly cared about the social class of Yumi. One of the names Yumi was called was Princess Koshihikari in reference to the Koshihikari brand of rice her mother had sent to Sachiko's summer house.</ref>  Well she hadn't been expecting that subject to come up, but it was too late.

It wasn't as if Touko-chan had been the instigator that came up with the name, so Yumi thought it probably would not bother her excessively.  If Touko-chan wasn't the "person who made the name" but rather the "person who eventually laughed at the name" she was not to blame.

As expected, Touko-chan became obviously dejected, and whispered, "...There are some bad people out there in this world."

"Touko-chan, you're being too hard on yourself."  Yumi's mother laughed warmly.  

Yumi explained to Touko-chan, "Mom really liked the name."

"Princess Koshihikari?"  Unable to fathom this, Touko-chan knit her eyebrows together.

"Yeah.  Don't you think it has a much better ring to it than Princess Sasanishiki or Princess Hitomebore? I'm glad I sent Koshihikari.  But you know, Princess Unwashed-Rice sounds more story-like, much more story-like."  Wasn't Princess Koshihikari more than enough?  Yet, as Yumi's mother was glowingly smiling, she let the irritation go, and even Touko-chan let out a small laugh.

"Yumi-sama's family talks about almost everything."  

At which point, Yumi's father laughed to himself.  "Nope.  There are a lot of things we don't talk about at home.  Because there are a lot of things we don't understand."  Like a bride's father, Yumi's father talked solemnly, and Yumi's mother suddenly caught on.

"Honey, why did you suddenly get so serious?  That's what friends are for.  Touko-chan, please engage Yumi in some good conversation."

"I, well..."

"Don't hold back.  I think Touko-chan is a great conversationalist."  When Yumi heard her mother's words, conversely she wondered if she could become a good conversation partner for Touko-chan.

Had Touko-chan not been picked up by Yuuki, she wouldn't have come to this house.  Just why had she left home?  That was one topic that they could not discuss.  But why?  What had happened?  Maybe if she just asked once.  Even though she hadn't come here looking for Yumi's help, if she asked the question after she let Touko-chan in the house, Touko-chan would hesitate.  Then she would grow fearful.  ''This is none of Yumi-sama's business.''  She'd be denied.  When she thought of the denial, she felt too scared to ask.