Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume9 Chapter8

Intriguing First-Year

Part 1.

At first glance, the first-year Nijou Noriko was an ordinary young lady.

She had a bob haircut, although it was a bit long. Her straight black hair reached down to around her shoulders. Her bangs reached her eyebrows, forming a single line. Basically, it was an old-fashioned hairstyle that made her look like a traditional Japanese doll.

(What's so special about this girl … ?)

8:10am. Yumi was observing Shimako-san's first-year friend from a spot in the hallway where she could see into the first-year camellia group classroom. Actually, she'd shadowed her here from the main gate. Or, more accurately, she already knew what Nijou Noriko looked like because she serendipitously happened to see her yesterday after school, so when she spotted her getting off the bus this morning she'd followed her here.

Incidentally, about yesterday's serendipity.

Of all things, Yumi had witnessed Touko-chan hiding Nijou Noriko's shoes. At any rate, she couldn't tell if Touko-chan was being daring or mischievous. She could have chosen a less obvious hiding place, but she simply dropped the shoes at the main entrance, a couple of metres away from the changing area, and went home.

Still, she couldn't approve of harassment, no matter how light. Yumi was about to quietly return the shoes when a first-year student walked past her. Yumi realized this was Nijou Noriko when she opened her shoe locker, stopped to think for a short while, then continued on her way home still wearing her indoor shoes. The young girl seemed as undisturbed as she was new to Lillian's.

Presently, she was sitting at her desk reading a paperback. After observing her like this for a couple of minutes, Yumi still couldn't detect any remarkable traits.

(What do she and Shimako-san have in common – ?)

Yumi had expected her to be a devout Christian, but this morning she'd walked straight past the statue of Maria-sama at the fork in the road without stopping to pray. Even if it was an honest mistake, it seemed unlikely that a true believer would forget to greet Maria-sama.

"… Like, does her family also run a temple?"

"No. Her father's a public servant and her mother's a teacher. Although, her family lives a fair way away, so she's currently living with a relative."

"Ah, I see."

As she was agreeing with the voice coming from behind, Yumi suddenly realized. She hadn't come here with anyone.

(Who is it!?)

Hastily turning around, Yumi recognized the girl with ringlets that was standing there and smiling.

"Yumi-sama."

"Ah, yes!?"

Yumi was a second-year and Touko-chan a first-year. Naturally, the honorific "-sama" had been used to address the older student, Yumi, but looking at it objectively their roles were reversed. Yumi was timid, like a child that had been caught doing something naughty, while Touko-chan was calm, like an adult admonishing her.

"Playing the detective?"

"No, not really."

Although it was probably pointless denying it at this point. A second-year student peering into the first-year camellia group classroom was bound to look suspicious, no matter how you look at it.

"If you're concerned about her, you should just ask Touko."

Touko-chan took Yumi by the hand and walked over to the classroom door. She could get a better look at Nijou Noriko from closer in, and by being with Touko-chan it wouldn't seem unnatural. From a distance, it would look like a conversation between a close junior and senior.

Yumi cleared her throat quietly and changed the topic of conversation.

"Um … did you just arrive at school, Touko-chan?"

Touko-chan was holding her school bag which smelled of brand-new leather.

"No, I arrived before 8, but I've stayed away from the classroom to establish an alibi."

"An alibi … !?"

"See, someone who arrived after her wouldn't have had a chance to tamper with her indoor shoes, right?"

She smiled suggestively.

(What's she done this time, the little … )

Having just witnessed what happened yesterday, Yumi didn't want to hear about this.

"Don't be so concerned. It wasn't anything major."

" … Ah, r-right."

That's not so good, is it Fukuzawa Yumi? This person you've only just met is already able to read your mind.

"Noriko-san seems a bit standoffish, don't you think? She's always like that."

Touko-chan glanced inside the classroom.

She never lifted her gaze from the paperback when her classmates walked past her. She'd respond when asked something directly, but once the task was done she immersed herself in reading once more. Indeed, she didn't seem like the type who needed her friends to go with her to the toilet.

"But she shows a different side of her during lunchtime and after school."

"A different side?"

Yumi's gaze shifted from Nijou Noriko to Touko-chan. A different side. That was an intriguing statement.

"Do you want to see it?"

"I do!"

"Shh."

Touko-chan drew her index finger up to her lips and glared at Yumi. She hadn't meant to raise her voice that loudly, but Nijou Noriko suddenly raised her head so the pair hurriedly hid behind the door.

"Alright then, today at lunch. Wait for me near the main entrance."

Touko-chan said, at extremely low volume.

"Huh? Lunchtime's not that good for me."

Yumi hesitated for a moment. She was supposed to have lunch at the Rose Mansion today. Not for a meeting about the first-years' welcoming ceremony, but for a private discussion about how to go about getting Shimako-san to reveal her secret.

"It's fine if you don't want to see."

Faced with the two options, she made a bold choice. Seeing the other side of Nijou Noriko would surely come in useful in the future.

"Well, until then."

Grin. Touko-chan smiled, seemingly buoyed by her success. Yumi didn't know what Touko-chan was going to show her, but she started to feel a bit uneasy, wondering if it really would measure up against lunch with Sachiko-sama, as well as the important private discussion.

"Ah, please come alone too."

Touko-chan said, stopping to turn around after entering the classroom as though she just remembered.

"Why?"

"If we're not quiet, the wild duck will fly away. And even at the best of times, your lack of composure makes you stand out."

Yumi thought that last remark was uncalled for, but said nothing. Without Touko-chan's guidance, she wouldn't be able to see the wild duck Nijou Noriko in her natural habitat. Besides, she couldn't come up with anything to refute the "lack of composure" claim.

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.

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