Editing Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume4 Chapter4 3

===<noinclude>Raison d'etre for sœur. </noinclude>Part 3.===

By the time Yumi and Sachiko-sama arrived at the sanctuary, the sanctuary seats were filled with the student audience.

According to the election management committee chief, possibly related to the fact that seats were unreserved, there were students that even skipped on lunch to grab seats immediately after fourth period, so the first-year and second-year students were quite interested in the election.

The extra spice of the fourth candidate, as opposed to the regular three-person election, had stirred things up.  Of course, it was basically a test to see if the bouton really had what it took to become the next student presidents.

Rei-sama had already arrived at the sanctuary stage's wing, and she was partaking in friendly chat, surrounded by Yoshino-san and Rosa Foetida.  The third-years had no obligation to take part, so they were allowed to go home in the afternoon, but Rosa Foetida came, after all.  Come to think of it, Rosa Foetida loved amusing things, so there was no way she would miss this.

Rosa Chinensis sat waaaaaaay in the back.  The revitalized Sachiko-sama didn't have a particular need for onee-sama's protective warmth.

(And Rosa Gigantea-)

She hadn't been seen today, Yumi thought as she glanced around, and just then, Rosa Gigantea entered the stage wing and marched straight to Shimako-san.

"Onee-sama…"

Shimako-san stood up from her candidate-reserved seat and whispered.  Maybe she thought Rosa Gigantea wouldn't come.

"Shimako."

Rosa Gigantea took one final step and touched Shimako-san's cheek.  Everyone thought she would give encouragement or sympathy.  But there's Rosa Gigantea, betraying all expectations.

"I didn't coerce you into this.  You decided this.  So if you win, take responsibility, all the way to the end."

Everyone who heard it must have felt like jumping out of their seats in anger.

"Um, are you sure that's the right thing to say, Rosa Gigantea?"

Without thinking, Yumi interjected.  Now it was obvious she was listening in on their conversation.

"My my my, Yumi-chan's spirits have been revived!  What, my words are wrong?  How so?"

"Umm, you're usually supposed to say 'good luck' or 'I'm cheering for you' or something like that."

"But that would be a lie."

"A lie-"

It sounded like Shimako-san wasn't supposed to win the election.  When Yumi was about to object, someone touched her shoulder.

"It's alright, Yumi-san."

Shimako-san smiled.

"You see.  Onee-sama's words just now, they're the most inspiring words to me possible, right now."

"Eh?"

When she hurriedly glanced at Rosa Gigantea, she was already looking in a completely different direction, and said, "Who knows?"  Yumi took it all back, she would never understand these two.

Ten different types for ten pairs, one hundred different types for a hundred pairs, they say every sibling is different.  But Rosa Gigantea and Shimako-san were definitely in a class of their own.  Yumi could say that with utmost confidence.

 

*****

 

 

The speech presentation began at one o'clock, after the election management committee chairman gave his quick speech.

First, the committee chairman's greeting, then every candidate went on the stage, and gave a speech in the order of their registration.  None of the candidates had their speeches given by someone else.  They all chose to give their speech with their own voice.

While listening to Sachiko-sama's speech, Yumi kept cheering, "Do your best," " Do your best."  Even though she didn't want to miss a single word of the speech, she was too excited to actually listen.

She wanted to cry again, but she held her hands tight and stopped herself.  If she cried, her sight would be too blurry to see Sachiko-sama.

(Do your best…!)

Before she went up to the podium, Sachiko-sama grasped Yumi's hand and said.

"Sit there, and watch me."

So she had to watch carefully.  Sachiko-sama's hand trembled just a bit in Yumi's hand.  So the least she could do as her sister was fight here, with her.  Because Yumi was Sachiko-sama's support.

In the first row, they weren't doing anything gaudy, but Rosa Canina's classmates had secured all the seats and wore hachimaki[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/project/index.php?title=Maria-sama_ga_Miteru:Notes#hachimaki] with "Rosa Canina" written across them.  Well, her name-value was considerably less than that of the boutons, so Yumi could sympathize with their need to appeal Rosa Canina as much as possible, but she knew it was added pressure for Sachiko-sama to give the speech directly in front of her rival's fans.

But she never once looked down at her speech as she spoke, looking straight at the spacious sanctuary and drawing in the audience with her echoing voice.  Sachiko-sama was always fantastic, but she was absolutely glowing as she stood in front of the audience.  Her voice was so filled with confidence it almost made a lie of the trembling hand.

Onee-sama was wonderful.

No matter what happened with the election, Sachiko-sama was Yumi's Rosa Chinensis.  The deep-red petals were beginning to blossom.  That's how she felt.

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