Editing Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume6 Chapter2 6

===<noinclude>Hors d'oeuvre. </noinclude>Part 6.===

"Can you tell me just what you are thinking?"

Shimako finally blurted out. Until now, she had refrained from asking this, time and again.

"What am I thinking, you say. Well, I'm alive. So I think all sorts of things. That's all."

With her face still pointed towards the window, Shizuka-sama gave a thin smile. Whether intentionally or subconsciously, she didn't turn to face Shimako.

– is what Shimako was thinking when she suddenly turned to her and said.

"More importantly, is there a kitchen knife in the Rose Mansion?"

"Huh?"

"A kitchen knife. Or a regular knife would probably do."

As she said this, she held up the box from the cake store. It had a whole, but incredibly small, cheesecake inside it. 

"Ahh, yes, we do. A kitchen knife, and knives and forks."

And with that, it looked like Shizuka-sama really was planning on taking her to their school. She knew that if they stayed on this bus, they would eventually arrive at the 'Lillian's Girls Academy' bus stop, but why would Shizuka-sama take her to school on their date? Shimako didn't have a clue.

The two of them were jolted along in the bus. 

The bus departed from the north entrance of K station and looped past Lillian's Girls Academy. For lunch time on a Sunday, it was surprisingly empty. Originally intended for student's use, the route only ran for half of the time on weekdays. In contrast, the government operated bus that went to her house was incredibly crowded.

"But we couldn't really get a lot with our 3000 yen."

At their feet the plastic bags containing the food they had bought from the station building's food court were scattered around. A slice of spinach quiche, 100 grams of noodle salad, 100 grams of marinated mushrooms, things like that. The smallest amount possible of a wide variety of things.

But Shizuka-sama didn't seem to be satisfied with what they had bought. 

"If we weren't going to school, we could have had lunch somewhere else …"

Soup, salad, a main dish.... With desert and a coffee, they could have done that within the 1500 yen.

"That's putting the cart before the horse."

"Huh?"

"We didn't leave K station because I wanted to come to school, I chose the school because I wanted to leave K station."

"…?"

"The peanut gallery's annoying, right? You can't have a leisurely conversation."

"Haa."

At first Shimako thought she was using the term 'peanut gallery' to refer to the overflowing crowds at the center, but as she listened further, it seemed that this wasn't the case.

"It took about 3 minutes for the bus to arrive, right? During that time, the newspaper club's Minako-san and the photography club's … umm .. "

"Tsutako-san?"

Thinking quicker, Shimako answered. When speaking of the photography club, the only person that came to mind was her classmate. 

"Right, Tsutako-san. They were standing in front of the station."

"Those two were in front of the station?"

"I thought, 'I knew it.'"

Shizuka-sama seemed to smile triumphantly as she said this. But, unfortunately Shimako didn't understand what she was trying to say, or why she looked the way she did. 

The bus stopped at a place that wasn't a bus stop. 50 metres ahead the light was green. And yet they weren't moving, I suppose it must be congestion. 

The light went yellow, then red, then green again. Shimako spent the entire time thinking, but in the end couldn't compose just the right question.

"What did you mean by 'I knew it.'"

As the bus started to lurch slowly forwards, she boldly inquired.

"Huh?"

It seems Shizuka-sama had considered that conversation finished, as she didn't seem to understand the question at first.

"You said you saw Minako-sama and Tsutako-san standing in front of the station."

As Shimako explained, Shizuka-sama said 'ahh' and responded. 

"Right, the newspaper club and the photography club were getting ready."

"Okay"

The bus stopped at a bus stop where three people got off and two more got on. The inside of the bus wasn't changing much but the scenery outside was changing noticeably with each stop. Slipping away from the hustle and bustle of the shopping district, they were going to an area of increasing greenery. Around here were a lot of temples, shrines, parks and, of course, schools. The shops were small, neighborhood stores and, despite being a residential area, there weren't many apartment complexes, which gave the area a tranquil atmosphere.

"If you think about why those two were at K station, you'll understand, right?"

Shizuka-sama clearly and slowly said this, as though trying to contain her excitement.

"Why they were at K station...?"

As she repeated Shizuka-sama's words, Shimako thought about it. Why those two were at K station, and why Shizuka-sama was acting as though she was avoiding them. 

Before she could reach a conclusion, Shizuka-sama opened her mouth in irritation. 

"… You aren't suspicious of people? Or is this an act?"

"An act?"

Shimako didn't immediately understand what she was talking about. She only felt that lurking somewhere within those words was a barb.

"The Toudou Shimako that Yumi-san spoke about is different to my impression of you."

"But I don't know what Yumi-san has said – "

"That Shimako-san's pretty, kind, smart, popular and so level headed that it's hard to imagine she's the same age."

"That's quite an overestimation"

"I think so too."

The bus continued on smoothly. Bypassing stops where no-one was getting on or off, and not getting stuck at traffic lights.

"But I think I've understood something. You yourself are the source of most of that overestimation."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is what I said. You've gone to great effort to build this image of Toudou Shimako."

"…"

"Disagree?"

"… I won't respond to that."

"That's the honor student's response, yeah."

"Pardon me."

"It's okay. I'll stop."

Shizuka-sama shrugged her shoulders and smiled.

"I'm sorry, I said too much... I thought I'd be able to draw you out with this sort of conversation."

"Hmm"

Shimako herself didn't know whether she didn't respond because she didn't know how to accurately express herself in words, or because she lacked the energy and conviction to refute it.

It seemed strange to her that it hadn't come as more of a shock. 

It's just that, until now, no-one had managed to fully comprehend her heart. 

For the wild and free Shimako, alone in her heart, the existence of someone who had the power to reach into and intervene in someone else's domain was much more surprising.

What should I do, if this is that person?

Huddling inside her heart, she wondered if the rapidly approaching person was coming to rescue her.

Looking outside at the tree lined avenue, she was thinking. Before she knew it, the bus was passing through familiar scenery. It had linked up with the route she took every day from M station. 

Suddenly, Shimako hit upon something and asked.

"Perhaps Minako-sama and Tsutako-san were pursuing us for a story about our date. Is that what you meant?"

"Yes, that was more or less what I was expecting."

Was Shizuka-sama's response.

Their conversation resumed, as though nothing had happened.

"So K station was risky, then."

"Right. So meeting at K station was also a bit of a thrill."

"… Ahh, that's why it was the west exit."

Shizuka-sama's designated meeting point was the station building's westernmost exit, which was also the one furthest from the ticket gate. It was a meeting place that people coming by train wouldn't usually choose. Until then, she had supposed it was chosen simply because it was close to the food court.

"You were just thinking, 'in that case, we should have met at school,' weren't you, Shimako-san?"

"Huh? How did you know that?"

She'd been spot on. But then she suddenly remembered her friend's face. The oft-teased Yumi would also get agitated like this. 

"You made the same face earlier. If you're watching closely, you can understand."

Appearing satisfied, Shizuka-sama smiled.

"Earlier?"

The bus slid past a shrine.

"When you were talking lunch, and so on. But, again, this time I threw you off balance. Cart before the horse, yeah?"

"Why?"

"Well, we have to have a date right? I wanted to spend time shopping, riding the bus, and all the rest with you."

Shizuka-sama pressed the push-button. By the time she had gently stood up, they were almost at Lillian's Girls Academy.