Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume25 Chapter2

Slightly Slipping Away

Part 1

In the end, Yumi didn't say a single word about Touko during their entire journey together to M Station. – Sachiko thought this to herself as she walked.

Immediately after the results were revealed, Yumi had left the crowd to chase something. That something must have been Touko-chan, mustn't it?

Sachiko had been worried. But she hadn't said anything. Yumi would have surely factored the possibility that she would return hurt in to her resolve. That was why Sachiko thought she should stay silent and then welcome her back.

But Yumi had returned soon after. Far too soon for her to have caught up to Touko-chan, had a conversation, and then come back.

She was with Shimako and Noriko-chan.

What on earth had gone on in that brief period while she was away from the bulletin board? When Yumi returned, her expression was markedly different to when she'd pushed her way through the crowd to get out.

Then she never once mentioned Touko-chan's name during their time in the Rose Mansion, or as they walked along the tree lined path on their way home, or in the bus.

(What on earth could have happened …)

Sachiko once again asked herself the question that had occupied her mind since she disembarked from the train and bid farewell to Shimako. She still hadn't found an answer, despite repeatedly posing the question.

What on earth could have happened? Still wrapped up in this question, she arrived at the front gate to her home.

(And what's going on with me?)

She had no memory of leaving the train station. But, when she checked, her commuter pass was safely in her pocket. Therefore, she must have indeed passed through the ticket gate.

She seemed to remember seeing more advertising banners for new chocolates at the confectionery store in front of the station. But then again, that could have been yesterday. She couldn't say for certain.

Sachiko let out a sigh, then entered her PIN on the intercom keypad and the gates opened.

The lights in the garden and on the gateposts were already switched on. She hadn't even noticed it was getting dark.

She was still thinking about Yumi as she walked along the path to her house.

She couldn't help it. She probably wouldn't be so focused on this one thing if there was something else she had to do, but since she was only placing one foot in front of the other she didn't have to concentrate that hard, which allowed her to easily slip into deep thought. Even so, it would have been strange to focus her mind on not thinking that deeply.

(Maybe I should sing something.)

Sachiko raised her gaze from the ground. Then she noticed something she recognized in the corner of her eye. That gaudy color stood out, even in the dark, and it could only belong to one person.

Sachiko stopped singing.

Part 2

Upon returning home, she found a visitor seated on the living room sofa.

"Welcome home, Sacchan."

"And to you too, welcome back."

She thought it might have been her cousin Suguru-san because of the red car in the car park and, sure enough, it was him.

"I heard."

Sachiko placed her bag on the sofa opposite him then sat down beside it. Usually when she got home from school, she'd call out, "I'm home," to whoever was in the house, then head straight to her room and change out of her school uniform into normal clothes. But since she'd found her cousin sitting alone in the living room, she couldn't just leave him there.

Her mother should be home, so what was she doing? Probably preparing tea somewhere inside.

"That I sprained my ankle skiing?"

"More or less."

Suguru-san raised his left leg slightly and laughed. That was probably the ankle he sprained. She wouldn't have been able to tell if he hadn't said so. No, she wasn't able to tell even though he had said so – it didn't look swollen at all. Although it was probably only because it had healed so well that he was able to drive himself here.

"Even though you warned me not to get hurt. So stupid of me."

"It's unlike you to injure yourself."

He'd been athletic enough to join almost all of the sports clubs back in high-school. And he would have gone to one ski slope or another every year since he was a child.

"I suppose that's just a measure of my skiing ability."

"Anyone can make a mistake?"

"Hahaha, you're too kind, Sacchan. Anyway, let's set that aside for now."

At any rate, it had taken quite a long time for him to return because of the injury to his leg.

"Although if I hadn't been injured, I would have had to return home right on schedule."

"Really?"

When she had heard he hadn't returned in time for the start of classes, she thought something bad must have happened. She'd been worried that he might have broken a bone, not just sprained an ankle.

"So you're saying you didn't want to come back, Suguru-san?"

Sachiko's mother joined in the conversation, carrying a tea tray.

"Welcome home, Sachiko-san."

"I've just arrived home, mother. So, why didn't you want to come home?"

"You took a liking to the owner of the bed and breakfast, didn't you?"

Her mother placed a tea cup in front of Suguru-san. Thinking it was an overly large teacup, Sachiko realized it was a matcha cup and, sure enough, it had green tea inside. Her mother had probably heard Sachiko's voice and realized her daughter had returned home while she was preparing the tea, as there were three tea cups. One for Sachiko too.

"The bed and breakfast? Weren't you staying at a hotel?"

"At first I was staying at a hotel, but I went to a bed and breakfast after the injury."

"Ah, you moved because you were staying for longer."

But that didn't fit with his earlier statement. If he'd returned home when originally planned, he wouldn't have taken a liking to the owner of the bed and breakfast. He only moved from the hotel to the bed and breakfast after deciding to stay for longer.

"No doubt you injured yourself saving some woman you didn't know, who turned out to own a bed and breakfast. She was then so impressed by your manliness that she offered to let you stay until you were healed."

"It's like you were there, oba-sama."

Suguru-san rested his chin on his interlaced fingers and smiled. Acting like he was hearing gossip about somebody else.

"Your mother told me all about it. Of course, she told me about the delicious souvenirs you brought back too. Now then, shall we try them?"

Sachiko's mother smiled, placing a small box that was the epitome of a "Hotel Souvenir" on the side of the table. That must have been the gift from Suguru-san, as the packaging had a picture of people skiing, as well as the name of the resort followed by "Manjuu." It could be called "simple" if one were being kind, or "cliched" if not.

"She told you?"

"She said they went well with matcha tea."

As she said this, Sachiko's mother opened the box and placed one of the individually wrapped manjuu buns in front of Sachiko.

"Wait. I have to visit the restroom."

Sachiko stood up. Remaining in her school uniform was one thing, but she wouldn't feel right eating or drinking anything without washing her hands and rinsing her mouth.

"I'll go too."

She walked off and Suguru-san followed.

"They're both such good children."

Sachiko heard her mother say, and the tone she used was like she was praising some kindergarteners.

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