Editing Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume34 Chapter8 1

===<noinclude>One Pair. </noinclude> Part 1===

Passing the tall gate, you come across a curving tree-lined path.

Although all the leaves have fallen, I know that these trees are gingko.

Even though this is my first time here, I feel nostalgic. Yes. I’ve been here many times already, through her writing.

Look. Just as I remembered, there is a white statue of Mary at the fork in the road. Students stop here to pray.

And so Nako too took off her gloves and put her numb hands together.

Staring at the face of Mary in the bitterly cold air.

“Do you know something?”

It’s too early for students to go to school, it’s early in the morning.

This is Lillian Girls’ Academy.

The only one listening to Nako was Maria-sama.



'''**'''



“Anyway, I’m glad they found a substitute teacher”.

After being introduced to the high school teachers as a new teacher at a simple morning staff meeting, the dignified female teacher in her fifties, who was introduced to me, said the following as soon as she opened her mouth:

“I took over as the homeroom teacher for the class, but the classes… We couldn’t have them self-study all the time, so we had to scrape together Japanese language teachers who were free during the time and make do. We didn’t just get help from teachers for grades one through three, but we also called for help from middle school teachers”.

“Fu-fu-fu-fu”, her lips stretched out to the sides with her mouth closed.

(…… Kanegon)

“What a perfect nickname”, Nako thought, admiring the namer’s sense. Her real name was Kanetaka-sensei, so she had to be careful not to accidentally call her Kanegon.

“Ah. Take that attendance book with you. Homeroom is coming up”.

She was told to get used to school life under this person’s guidance for a while outside class time. Her title was assistant homeroom teacher for the second year Fuji class of high school.

As she walked down the hallway, Nako’s ears picked up a beautiful sound.

“A hymn……?”

I stopped and listened. The melody sounded like angels flying around. It seemed to be broadcast over the school’s internal radio. I see, this is the morning worship. It was a little different from what I had imagined.

“What’s wrong?”

Kanegon, who was ahead of me, looked back.

“Nothing”.

With that answer, Nako jogged a little to catch up.

Even when they arrived in front of the second year Fuji class, Kanegon didn’t go in. It seemed that she was concerned that going in now, the unfamiliar Nako’s presence would distract the students.

The refreshing singing voices of young girls overflowed from the classroom into the hallway.

“It will be a sudden announcement and the timing is a bit off, right? It seems it was difficult to find a replacement. The position was vacant for about a month”.

To kill time while waiting, Kanegon opened her mouth. It seemed that she hadn’t yet finished telling the story.

“Why was that?  As far as I can tell, any woman capable of teaching Japanese would have sufficed”.

That was the only condition I was asked in advance. Neither my age nor my background were asked.

“That’s not true. It was originally a school attended by many members of nobility. There is still a strict screening process for teachers, and a tendency to hire people who have someone’s recommendation”.

Indeed, the reason why Nako, who had no teaching experience, was hired was probably due to the recommendation of her great-aunt, who is a member of the alumni association of the school. She was probably trying to make up for her previous mistake by using her last trump card….

“Shimizu-sensei, where have you been so far?”

“Eh? Ah, yes”.

It took me a second to remember that Shimizu-sensei was none other than myself. I’m still not used to being called “sensei”. Even at my alma mater, where I went to get my teaching license, I ended my internship without ever getting used to it.

“After graduating from university I went straight to graduate school”.

Nako answered. It’s the same as a transfer student. I had no choice but to accept that newcomers are always going to cause interest.

“You like studying, huh?”

“No. I just stayed there because I couldn’t find a job. I got a job here this time, so I quit after less than a year”.

“Oh dear. So humble”.

The music ended and a prayer could be heard from the radio.

“In any case. I welcome Shimizu-sensei”.

The morning service would probably conclude soon, as Kanegon placed her finger on the classroom door.

“Women are good, after all”.

Those words strangely stuck in Nako’s mind.


“Shimizu Nako” was written vertically on the blackboard in large letters with chalk, with “Shimizu Naka” next to it in hiragana. After Kanegon introduced her as the new assistant teacher, she was asked to give a brief self-introduction, and after wiping her glasses that had fogged up from room temperature, she stepped forward to the podium.

“My name is Shimizu Nako. I teach classical Japanese”.

After the words “classical Japanese”, a murmur arose. At the same time, several lips moved without making much noise, saying “Hida-sensei”, which Nako did not miss.

In the second year high school class, most of the students still had a youthful look on their faces. Perhaps it was because of the classical uniform of the sailor-collared one-piece dress, or perhaps because they didn’t have any unusual hairstyles or makeup, but everyone gave off a uniformly pure and tidy impression. As expected from a school that was formerly for members of nobility, it still hadn’t lost its dignity.

“First of all, I want to remember everyone’s names, so I’ll take attendance”.

Nako opened the black attendance book, which had “Second Year Fuji Class” written on it in a white sign pen. The first page after the thick cover had the name of the teacher written horizontally.

Above Kanegon’s name, “Kanetaka Shigeko”, another name has been crossed out with two lines.

“Hida Kazuya”.

Nako gently touched the name with her finger, being careful not to be seen by anyone.

Finally, I have reached this point.



'''**'''



It was about a month ago that Hida Kazuya disappeared. Nako found out about it from a phone call from her aunt. She was sitting at her kotatsu table at home reading a thick book she had borrowed from the university library to use as material for her thesis when the phone rang loudly.

“I haven’t been able to contact Kazuya for about two weeks. Do you know anything?” That’s how she started. Kazuya was Nako’s cousin, the same age as her.

Although they both left their hometowns and now lived in the same city of Tokyo, Nako and Kazuya hadn’t seen each other for over a year. Although they are not related, they exchanged letters frequently, so Nako thought she had a general idea of what was going on between them. With the receiver still between her shoulder and ear, Nako took out the most recent letter from the small box. It described her struggles at her still unfamiliar all-girls school, as usual.

“Have you tried calling the school?”

“She hasn’t come”, her aunt replied anxiously.

“What about Kazuya’s landlord?”

“I called and asked”.

Apparently, the answer was that she hadn’t said anything about being away for a long time. However, before her aunt called, the landlord had noticed something was wrong, as newspapers had piled up at the front door of the apartment. As a result, she had used a spare key to get inside and confirmed that Kazuya was no longer there. Nako breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the worst-case scenario of her having died in the house without anyone knowing had been avoided.

“Got it. I will go to auntie Sasai’s house tomorrow and ask her. So don’t cry. I’ll consult with auntie about whether to report it to the police or not”.

After calming her down, she hung up the phone. Auntie Sasai was her aunt’s aunt. In other words, she was Nako’s great-aunt, and was well-known in the political and financial worlds, so it would not be an exaggeration to say she was the boss of the family. It was only thanks to her connections that Kazuya, a fresh graduate, was hired as a new teacher at the Lillian Girls’ Academy. So, it was entirely possible that Kazuya had consulted her about something before disappearing.


“You’re talking about Kazuya, right? To be honest, I am also bothered by this”.

Great-aunt Sasai said this to Nako, who came to visit her. She had a clearly disgusted look on her face. As Kazuya’s guarantor, she must have heard all sorts of words from the school.

“Aunt-sama, do you not know where she is?”

“Who knows?”

“There have been neither a consultation nor communication”, she said with a sullen look on her face.

“I should have chosen Nako. But you said you wanted to stay at the university. And Kazuya volunteered”.

“That matter is already….”

“Not anymore. If Nako had become the Lillian teacher back then, this wouldn’t have happened. How will you take responsibility for this?”

“Responsibility?”

I had a bad feeling.

“Kazuya’s replacement teacher is urgently needed”.

Just as I though. My great-aunt grinned.

“There are plenty of people who could become a teacher at the prestigious Lillian Girl’s Academy, not just me”.

“Maybe, But this time I have to find and deliver the teacher myself, because…… you understand?”

My great-aunt must repay the damages of recommending Kazuya as soon as possible.

“What I need is a female teacher who can teach Japanese. You’re the only one I have left. Quit graduate school”.

“Let me think it over”.

Nako left with that reply. However, she had almost intended to refuse. She said “let me think it over”, because she thought she wouldn’t be let go unless she said so.

When I got back to my apartment, I found a postcard in my mailbox.

On the back was a photo of Gaudi buildings, and on the front half of the address space was Nako’s address and name. Next to that, on the remaining half of the space, it said, “I’m in Spain now. Kazuya”.

It was written in one line.

“Kazuya……?”

That postcard gave Nako a start.

Next thing I knew, I was calling my great aunt and saying, “I’ll do it”.



'''**'''



“When your name is called, please raise your hand and respond. Aikawa Akimi-san”.

Nako called out as she opened the attendance book.

“Here”.

A lively voice came somewhere from the middle.

“Itou Masako-san”.

“Here”.

This time, it was in the back right. The seats don’t seem to be related to the attendance list.

I have never attended an all-girls school in my life. It feels awkward that the first student in attendance is a girl, and that all the classrooms are occupied by girls. Etou Haruka-san. Ogata Mitsuko-san. Perhaps they were raised well, or perhaps they were just trying to be nice to the new teacher, but they all obediently raised their hands. Not a single student heckled me.

Among them, if there was a student who was still and resting her chin on her hand as if she were asleep, she would stand out whether she liked it or not. She was in the third seat from the front by the window. She was looking down, so her expression was hard to make out.

I was worried, but I continued taking attendance.

“Kuga Kohaku-san”.

“Here”.

The fourth girl from the front on the corridor side raised her hand. She was a beautiful girl with beautiful features.

Her semi-long, wavy black hair is parted in the middle, and her forehead is exposed, emphasizing her large, dark eyes with long eyelashes. Her skin is as smooth as a doll’s, and her lips are red, even though she is not wearing any lipstick—. She is only 16 or 17 years old, and although her face still has a hint of innocence, she already has a kind of sensuality about her.

Swaying the urge to keep staring, Nako called out the next name.

“Kuga Meiu-san”.

I tilted my head at the similar name. Then, a hand rose from the opposite side of Kuga Kohaku. And yet, there was a face exactly like Kuga Kohaku’s.

“Kuga Meiu-san?”

“Here”.

It was the student who had been looking down just a moment ago.

“Are you two…… twins?”

“That’s right”.

They both answered in unison. Their faces were exactly the same, like reflections in a mirror. Their voices were also the same.

“Kobayashi Yasue-san”.

Nako continued.

“Saitou Eiko-san”.

Even after reaching the “Sa” row and even after finishing the “Ta” row, Nako couldn’t help but be concerned about Kuga Kohaku and Kuga Meiu. The two of them looked bored and averted their gazes, but they still seemed to be interested in her. To the right is Meiu. To the left is Kohaku. The two of them were observing Nako from both sides like a pair of eyes. Was it just Nako’s imagination?



'''**'''



“Kuga Kohaku and Kuga Meiu?”

After homeroom, when they returned to the staff room, Kanegon asked Nako about what she had said, “What about them?”

“Nothing. I just found it unusual to have sisters in the same class”.

“Ah”.

Kanegon nodded as she put a textbook on the desk. She is a math teacher.

“Identical twins do tend to look alike, but those two are probably even more similar than others. Apparently, in middle school they started switching places when taking classes and exams. No, it’s just a rumor. The teachers couldn’t tell them apart, so no action could be taken against them if they denied it”.

I see. If you can’t tell them apart, you might as well just put them together. At the very least, it would be impossible for either of them to take the same test twice.

“A while ago, when they had different hairstyles, it was easy to tell them apart”.

Another female teacher who had been listening to the conversation interjected.

“Different hairstyles?”

Nako turned her head in that direction. Just before the first period started, teachers were busily coming and going in the staff room.

“That’s right. Both of them used to have long, curly hair that reached down to their waists. So, what kind of change of heart did they have? Kohaku cut her hair to its current length, down to her shoulders. After about a week, Meiu cut hers as well, and they became indistinguishable again”.

What would it be like to have another person look just like you? Nako tried putting herself in their shoes and thought that she would try distinguishing herself from the other person as much as possible.

Kohaku tried it. But Meiu didn’t allow it. Could that be the case?

“Anyway”.

Kanegon cleared her throat.

“Try not to get involved with these two too much. That’s fine, right, Shimizu-sensei?”

It sounded more like a command than a warning.

“Um……”

“You are a teacher after all. Showing interest to select students is not a good idea”.

“Was that the whole reason?” Nako wondered.

I felt that if the conversation had not been about the Kuga sisters, she wouldn’t have been so strict with me.

“I don’t know what you’ve heard from the principal, but don’t talk about your predecessor. The students have finally settled down. Don’t upset them”.

That seemed pretty tough.



'''**'''



That evening, Kazuya’s mother came to Tokyo, so Nako accompanied her to Kazuya’s apartment at her request.

As I had requested through the landlord, the newspaper deliveries had been stopped, so at first glance it did not seem like an abandoned room. There just was a little bit of a mail pile-up in the mailbox.

“Nako-chan, shall we?”

After being shown the postcard Nako had received from Kazuya, the aunt regained some composure and opened the door with the spare key, asking,

“What do you think?”

“The state of the room. Has anything changed?”

“I’m not sure”.

There was nothing unusual about it, it was her first time there. Nako had nothing to compare it to.

“It pisses me off”.

Aunt opened the window to let out the stuffy air.

“I wonder if that girl just wandered out”.

In the one-room apartment, pajamas were lying carelessly on the bed, as if they had been taken off just that morning.

The fridge contained a bottle of milk that had long since expired, five cans of beer, and some overripe tomatoes. There was a mug placed upside down in the drainer over the sink.

“Just to hang out?”

While bringing her passport along? Nako had no idea.

“There is no diary”.

Aunt muttered, searching through the desk drawers.

“Was Kazuya keeping a diary?”

“Yes, since kindergarten”.

Was that the reason she was so enthusiastic about exchanging letters? Even though we exchanged letters frequently, I had never heard of such a thing before.

“But if it’s a diary, wouldn’t she hide it somewhere secret and not in a drawer or something?”

Nako said. After all, a diary is among things that you don’t want people to see.

“Oh, even when living alone?”

“That’s true”.

Certainly, that’s true. Had Kazuya just slipped out with the intention of returning home soon, I don’t think she would have hidden or taken the diary.

Nako thought that it would be best not to mess around with it too much while she is away, but aunt didn’t seem to want to stop looking for Kazuya. Perhaps her goal in coming here was to find the diary all along. She thought there might be a clue to her disappearance written in it.

“I found a letter from Nako-chan”.

“Look”, her aunt said, handing Nako a stack of letters. Of course, she recognized them. The envelopes that Nako always uses have Kazuya’s address written in Nako’s handwriting. They were letters that were mailed within the past year or so. They were neatly stacked and ordered in postmark date and bound together with a rubber band.

These were letters she had written herself. There was no need to check the contents again. When she handed them back to her aunt to have them returned to their original place, Nako noticed something strange.

“The most recent one is missing”.

The letter that should be at the top is gone. I sent it more than a month ago, so it should have arrived a long time ago.

Just to be sure, I checked the mail that had piled up in the mailbox, but they were all direct mail or direct debit statements.

“So, Kazuya must have taken it”.

Nako tilted her head at her aunt’s words.

What for? Because she needed something with Nako’s address on it so that she could send a letter to her while traveling?

In the end, we never found the diary.

Aunt gave up and took Kazuya’s accumulated laundry and went back to her house where uncle was waiting for her.



'''**'''



Two weeks have passed since Nako became a teacher at Lillian Girls’ Academy.

I’ve finally gotten used to teaching people, and I’m able to stray from the book and chat with them freely.

Teaching was fun. She did preliminary research based on the textbook, printed and distributed materials, and created short tests to gauge the students’ understanding. It was only after this experience that Nako began to feel that maybe she was suited to being a teacher.

However, when I stood at the podium in the second year Fuji class classroom, I felt more nervous than in other classes. It was the same during homeroom. Kuga Kohaku and Kuga Meiu were there. That alone made my heart flutter for some reason.

After school, Nako would often walk around the school grounds.

She started by looking around the staff room, and gradually expanded her scope. Luckily, she was a new teacher, so even if she wondered into a place she didn’t belong, the staff and students treated her with kindness. She was trying to get used to this school as quickly as possible, that’s how everyone saw her.

That day Nako was in the schoolyard as darkness fell. She walked past the tall trees behind the school building, counting them as she went. Were they all cherry blossoms? If so, the sight of them blooming in profusion in the spring would surely be a spectacular sight.

Suddenly, Nako noticed two shadows walking in front of her. She could tell even from a distance. They were undoubtedly Kuga Kohaku and Kuga Meiu.

For a moment she considered turning back. But curiosity got the better of her. Where were they going? Nako followed them.

Before long, Kohaku and Meiu disappeared into the shadows of the incinerator. No smoke was coming out of the incinerator’s chimney. It didn’t seem like they were there to burn anything.

Approaching the incinerator, she noticed a low fence on the other side.

There the backs of Kohaku and Meiu could be seen.

Their breath was white. But they weren’t wearing coats. The two of them were leaning against a fence that was barely chest-high, made of two thin boards strung across a stake, peering inside.

It’s a four-and-a-half-tatami room, or maybe even larger. At first glance, it looks empty, but after a closer look, it’s clear that’s not the case.

There was a big hole there, and inside it was a pile of dead plants.

Kohaku and Meiu slowly turned around. They smiled as if it was natural that Nako would be there.

“Gokigenyou. Shimizu-sensei”.

“Ah, that’s”.

Nako panicked. So she blurted out an excuse she normally wouldn’t make: she was walking around so she could fit in at school a little better.

“Yeah”.

“I guess so”.

The two of them chattered as if they were one. It was true that even under close inspection there was no difference between them at all. But for Nako there was no need to clarify which one is which at the moment.

Nako stood in front of the fence next to Kohaku and Meiu.

“This is where we make compost”.

Fallen leaves are collected and decomposed by microorganisms to create nutritious soil. At the elementary school that Nako attended, this was done behind the gymnasium. 

“Kuga-san, why are you two here?”

Maybe they’re in the gardening club or something. However, before the answer came, Nako was asked yet again.

“What kind of teacher are you?”

“Eh?”

“We often see you strolling around the campus after school. Are you looking for something?”

"Like I said..."

So that I could fit in at the school, even if just a little. I wondered if I had to say that again. However, the two of them looked away, as if they had no interest in such words.

“For example”.

“Maybe Hida-sensei’s corpse?” 

The two of them looked away and turned their gaze towards Nako at the same time. 

“Eh?!”

Nako was so surprised by the unexpected words that she forgot to even attempt to hide her feelings. All she could do was stare back at Kohaku and Meiu with her eyes wide open.

That’s right. Nako was looking for Kazuya.

A postcard from Kazuya arrived from Spain. It was the best proof that Kazuya was doing well. In fact, Nako had shown the postcard to her aunt to reassure her. However, it was because of that postcard that Nako had come here.

Was that postcard actually written and mailed by Kazuya herself?

The handwriting was very similar to Kazuya’s. The content wasn’t long enough to cause suspicion. However, that’s exactly why Nako felt something was off.

Why didn’t Kazuya mention anything about why she disappeared?

If she thought Nako would be worried about her and wanted to let her know that she was doing well, she should have made an international phone call to her parents before sending the postcard to Nako. However, Kazuya has not contacted her family or relatives since that one postcard.

Somewhere in her heart, Nako wondered if Kazuya was already dead. It made more sense than her abandoning her job and traveling abroad without giving any reason.

Then one of the Kuga sisters let out a choking laugh.

“I’m just kidding. What a cute teacher”.

The other one laughed as well.

“Didn’t Hida-sensei just disappear? Why would there be a dead body at the school?”

Kohaku and Meiu chuckled, as if it couldn’t be any funnier, even though they were the ones who started it. Watching them, Nako regained some composure.

“Yeah. Funny, isn’t it”.

It was ridiculous. The idea that Kazuya’s corpse was around here somewhere. The idea that she was being manipulated by girls 6 years younger than her.

“But how did you girls know?”

Even though the idea of a corpse was a silly delusion, there was still something to it. At the very least, Kohaku and Meiu knew that Nako was acquainted with Kazuya.

“Why, you ask”.

They looked at each other as if the answer was written on the other’s face.

“We knew it from a glance”.

“That’s right, Sensei. It was shining brightly”.

She was a new teacher. It would not be strange for her to be nervous and excited, Nako thought. Kohaku and Meiu must have very keen intuition. 

“Who is Shimizu-sensei to Hida-sensei?”

One of them asked.

“Cousin”.

There was no need to hide it now. Nako answered honestly. 

“Hmm. Is that all?”

“Is that all, you ask?”

“Don’t you love Hida-sensei? – Menou wondered that, you know”.

“Don’t make fun of adults”.

Nako got enraged at the word “love” and raised her voice. However, the two remained unfazed and looked at each other in bewilderment. 

“Does it matter if you are an adult or a child?”

Menou said. That is, if it was Kohaku who spoke earlier. 

“Right”.

I couldn’t argue. The moment I lost my temper at what a child said, I felt like I had no right to loudly assert my adulthood. It was a bit pretentious to think I was qualified to be a teacher.

Nako looked down at the fallen leaves in front of her. She wanted to hide her distraught memories in them.

“Apparently ginkgo nuts are not suitable”.

Menou uttered, suddenly.

“What?”

“That’s why the fallen leaves from the ginkgo trees can’t be put in here”.

“There are so many,” Kohaku said, looking into the distance. Although it was not visible from here due to the buildings and trees, her gaze seemed to be directed at the ginkgo trees lining the path that continued from the school gate. Indeed, if all those ginkgo leaves fall every year, there must be a considerable amount. It would certainly be a waste not to use them as leaf mold.

However.

“It’s a solitary plant, so it can’t be helped”.

Nako put her thoughts into words.

“Solitary?”

They both asked back at the same time.

“Yes. Ginkgo trees have been on earth since ancient times, and they managed to survive the harsh ice age, but there are no more friends left”.

Although they knew that ginkgo trees are not suitable for compost, they didn’t seem to know much about them as a plant. When I told them that ginkgo trees are also called duck legs because the shape of their leaves resemble a duck’s foot, both Meiu and Kohaku burst out laughing. 

“The leaves can be used as medicine. And, you know, if you use them as bookmarks, they protect your books from insects”.

“Then I want to cure all the ailments of the world with Lillian’s ginkgo leaves”.

“I want to protect all the books of the world”.

Looking at them, they were definitely second-year high school students. They even started talking about going to the ginkgo tree-lined street to look for fallen leaves that had slipped through the broom.

As they held hands and were about to run off, they looked back at Nako as if they had just remembered something and said,

“We’ll help you”.

“Eh?”

My heart skipped a beat. By now, Kohaku and Meiu’s heads were filled with ginkgo leaves.

“We liked the teacher. So”.

“What exactly do you mean by help?”

I was worried they might be planning on digging the whole place up to find Kazuya’s corpse, but it wasn’t such a specific suggestion.

“We mean that we will support you until you get an answer you are satisfied with”.

“We’ve been attending this school since kindergarten, so we know a lot about it. It wouldn’t hurt to have us on your side”.

That was certainly true. For Nako, who was mostly in the dark about the school’s matters, the offer was a welcome surprise. 

But then, what is this relief?

I can’t help but feel that by getting closer to Kohaku and Menou, I will be one step closer to discovering the truth about Kazuya.

So it’s okay.

Could it be that she wishes for an ending where she searches for Kazuya but can’t find her?

I don’t understand.

But it was too late. Nako had already invited the girls who were either angels or demons in.

As the sun set and it became completely dark, Nako started walking alone towards the school building.

Kohaku and Menou weren’t there anymore.

That’s right.

Right now, they are probably running down the Ginkgo tree-lined path past the statue of Maria-sama, laughing.

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