Editing Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume9 Chapter8 2

===<noinclude>Intriguing First-Year. </noinclude>Part 2.===

"And Yoshino-sama?"

Touko-chan asked as soon as they met at the main entrance, checking out the area around Yumi.

"It seems she's not here."

"Well, you told me to come alone, right?"

"Even so, she might have come along too. Yoshino-sama seems quite stubborn. But you seem to have shaken her off."

She said, placing an index finger on her cheek. She was either observant, or good at deduction.

Indeed, it had been quite a bit of trouble to leave Yoshino-san and come here alone, when Yoshino-san had been expecting they'd go to the Rose Mansion together. If she had said, "I'll be going ahead," then she would have been peppered with questions like, "Why?" or "Where are you going?" In the end, Yumi fled out of the classroom and dashed off in the opposite direction. Intentionally taking the long way around to throw off any pursuit.

She was still a little short of breath when Touko-chan arrived at their arranged meeting place, looking completely at leisure.

"Well then, shall we go?"

Touko-chan checked her watch, then started walking.

"Go? Where to?"

"To where Noriko-san is. That's what you were told, right?"

Yumi already knew that much. What she was asking was where that was.

"Ah, you'll be fine in your indoor shoes. You'll just have to wipe them on the mat when we come back to the school building."

Touko-chan said as she quickly walked out the main entrance. It seemed unbelievable that she was a new student. She had a presence as though she owned the high-school building.

The light-pink cherry blossoms had completely disappeared, replaced with yellow-green shoots as they walked half a pace apart through the cherry trees. The lunchtime rush of students heading to Milk Hall or the canteen had passed, so they only saw a couple of other students scattered here and there. 

When they reached the front of the auditorium, Touko-chan stopped and said:

"No loud noises from this point on."

After issuing this warning, Touko-chan didn't wait for Yumi's response before proceeding around the auditorium to the back.

"This – "

Yumi knew this place well. A lone cherry tree blossomed amidst the ginkgo trees. She'd eaten lunch here often during autumn of the previous year, to escape the gaze of the newspaper club.

The back of the auditorium. – Shimako-san's favorite place.

"Noriko-san's here."

Walking in front, Touko-chan suddenly stopped and Yumi gently bumped into her.

"… Ow."

Yumi whispered, "Sorry," to Touko-chan, who was glaring resentfully at her, then looked over her shoulder.

"Ah."

Nijou Noriko was there, but she wasn't alone – Shimako-san was with her.

"What do you think? Yumi-sama."

"Ah, well … "

She wasn't close enough to hear what they were talking about, but Nijou Noriko did indeed look like a different person compared to the girl in the classroom.

Similarly, and this was even more surprising to Yumi, Shimako-san had an expression on her face that Yumi had never seen before.

It was like she was completely relaxed. Or that she had complete peace of mind. At any rate, it was a lovely expression, calm and peaceful.

(Why?)

Was it because Nijou Noriko was there? Was she that important a person? Were we no good?

These questions burst into Yumi's mind one after the other.

Even though Shimako-san had said she wasn't even thinking about a petit soeur – .

"Ah, Yumi-sama, where are you going?"

When she came to her senses, Yumi's feet had already done an about turn, all the strength had drained from her body and she was staggering along uncertainly.

"Thank-you. I'm leaving now."

She didn't want to see any more.

Shimako-san's relaxed expression and the first-year by her side talking animatedly. At this moment, it was probably impossible for anyone else to enter into their world. As her friend, she should be delighted that Shimako-san was happy. She thought that her inability to do so showed how small her heart was. Her emotions were in turmoil and she couldn't control them.

"I see. I'll stay and observe for a bit longer."

"Okay then, bye."

As she kept walking, Touko-chan's muttering reached Yumi's ears.

"You're more delicate than you appear, Yumi-sama."

"Huh?"

When she instinctively turned around, Touko-chan laughed.

"Rosa Gigantea's so far away. That's why you're so solemn, right?"

"That's n-"

Yumi swallowed her words and left the auditorium.

Setting aside whether she was right or not.

A know-it-all junior was a bit unpleasant. That's what Yumi thought.