Editing Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume8 Chapter9 1

===<noinclude>Autumn Bonds. </noinclude>Part 1===

After that, Shimako decided to come and help out.

But that didn't mean that she actively joined in the rambling chats over tea that were our everyday activities.

She wasn't the type to get ahead of herself. Yoshino-chan or Sachiko would call on her when we really needed help and she would respond. You could say she drew a clean distinction between the two activities. At any rate, her approach to the Yamayurikai was clearly different to that of a bouton or their petit soeur.

June.

With May over, and so too the Maria ceremony and new student welcoming ceremony, the Yamayurikai didn't have any public events scheduled and had entered into a relatively quiet period where we started preparing for the sports carnival and school festival in autumn.

"So given that, why are you dragging Shimako in?"

I jabbed at Youko one day. For the first time in a while, it was just the two of us having lunch in the Rose Mansion.

"No real reason."

Youko smoothly sidestepped the question.

"She's nobody's petit soeur, so you shouldn't be bringing her in during the planning stage."

Shimako was an assistant we inevitably turned to when short of hands – that was the expedient Youko used to bring her in to the Rose Mansion.

"But given our current situation, we'll have to get her to help out with the school festival. So the sooner we get her involved the better, right? Ahh, right. We'll need help with the Hanadera Academy cultural festival too. My petit soeur's such a troublesome girl, she tells me she doesn't want to have anything to do with an event at a boys' school. Shimako-chan's help is going to become more and more important."

"…"

What Youko said was true. Although I had a sneaking suspicion it was a justification she'd made up after the fact.

"But besides that, Sei, don't you want to improve the "current situation?""

The current situation. The phrase she used to point out that while I was the white Rose, I did not have a petit soeur. People who did not fulfill all their responsibilities did not have the right to find fault with others. Indeed, if I did have a petit soeur, then there would be no need to ask Shimako.

"You know, Youko, your personality really has taken a turn for the worse."

"What choice do I have, given how rebellious my friend is acting?"

Youko really did have a sharp tongue. Despite her good manners, she was caustic towards me. Maybe we were alike in that only our surface appearance was good.

Looking at it that way, Sachiko was also very much a wolf in sheep's clothing. Rei was almost idiotically honest, so her surface and her inside were the same, but Yoshino-chan, hmm, she looked like a bit of a lion at home and a mouse abroad.

Shimako was – . I had a think about it, but didn't really know. It didn't feel like I'd ever caught a glimpse of what lay beneath her surface.

"That girl does that a lot."

Youko said, looking out the window.

"That girl?"

I asked, then looked out the window to where Youko pointed. It was Shimako. She was walking across the courtyard carrying a stack of printouts, probably either committee work or because she was on duty today. 

"I did think about her becoming your petit soeur. But that aside, letting her go would be such a waste."

"How so?"

"You haven't considered her as a Rose? Losing her would be a great loss to the Yamayurikai."

A loss to the Yamayurikai. I smiled bitterly. So sorry to bother you. Youko was even worried about what was going to happen after she'd graduated. 

"Even though you've given up on making her my petit soeur?"

"I wouldn't say I've given up – "

Shimako disappeared into the school building and Youko shut the window and turned to face me.

"But there are other ways."

"Other ways, huh."

At that time, I thought she was going to try and persuade Shimako to run in the election in February of next year. I had no petit soeur. The annual student council elections usually took the form of a vote of confidence in the boutons, but if the current situation continued then the campaign for the post of Rosa Gigantea could turn into a fierce contest.

If that happened, what would Shimako do? I felt pity for her, if she was forced to fight like that.

(Pity?)

A strange emotion. I was worried about Shimako.

(Right.)

Certainly, I felt concern for Shimako. Or, to put it another way, I was charmed by her – but it didn't feel like it should be bundled up that neatly.

At the very least, the feelings I had for Shimako were completely different to the overwhelming emotions I'd felt towards Shiori.

As an example, they did share many common features. They were both devout Catholics, with long hair, as well as being neat and beautiful. But that wasn't what had charmed me.

I wanted the entirety of Shiori, and to give myself entirely to her. Our relationship ended when it became obvious that that wish couldn't come true. Shiori was the first to realize it. So, for us to keep living, we had to separate.

Thinking about it now, Shiori was my angel. It was fundamentally impossible that a human like me could tie her to the ground.

In that regard, Shimako was a human.

I watched Shimako from a short distance away.

That alone was enough.

Before I knew it, it had even become comforting.