Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume33 Chapter3 2

Grand Entrance. Part 2.

"It's just a feeling I get."

Youko found herself intuitively agreeing with Sei's assurance. Eriko would probably come. No, make that definitely.

"She'll come, but I don't want to just idly wait around for her."

Youko took out her mobile phone and typed in a message. Of course it was to Eriko. Are you really coming today? We're at the school gates right now, where are you? We should probably meet up, but how are things on your end? These things could be said more concisely, but that wasn't in her nature.

The response from Eriko was almost immediate. It wasn't a message, but a direct call.

"Oh, didn't Yoshino-chan say that we were to meet after the ceremony was over?"

Eriko was still at home. Of course.

"You two should go inside. I'll be coming in through the back gate."

"Oh, that's right. Okay."

Eriko's house was closer to the school's back gate. When she was at school, Youko had taken that information as a given but now that it was no longer part of her daily routine, it seemed to have slipped her mind.

"So, anyway, how about you wait near the statue of Maria-sama until I arrive. Although I hate to keep you waiting like this."

"It's alright. Take your time."

Youko ended the call and turned around. Sei was still looking upwards.

"What's up?"

This time it wasn't the sky. Sei's gaze seemed to be a bit lower than that. Probably at a branch of the plum tree planted beside the bus stop. A light pink flower was blooming.

"A bird."

"Bird?"

"A warbler was chirping tweet-tweet-tweet as it pecked at a flower. Fascinating."

"…"

In that case it was probably a white-eye. Despite liking animals and plants, Sei was disinterested in their names or species. In much the same way that Youko had trouble remembering names and faces because she wasn't interested in using them to classify people.

"Eriko said we should go inside."

Youko thought that as long as she could remember her friends, it was fine.

"Did she say she was coming?"

Sei's upward looking face returned to its normal position.

"She said she was coming."

It would have been inexcusable for Youko to laugh at such an innocent looking face.

Passing through the main gates they entered into a reception area where two desks and chairs were set up, with a student receptionist at each one. One was resting her chin on her hands, the other was stifling a yawn.

They probably would have been more energetic, and accompanied by other students, during peak hour. Since there would be hardly anyone arriving now, they had probably reduced the number of students rostered on.

"Huh."

When the girls at the reception desk saw the faces of the people standing before them, they were so surprised they jumped up. That wasn't a figure of speech. Their backsides literally left the chairs.

"Ro, Rosa…!"

Except for the first years, everyone probably still remembered the faces of Youko and Sei.

"The former ones."

They were no longer high school seniors. So they no longer had an obligation to correct students if they were resting their chin on their hands, or stifling a yawn. While they didn't have an obligation, it wasn't in Youko's nature to let this pass. Thankfully, the students corrected their behavior voluntarily. Youko felt like she was getting dragged back into the past.

Sei showed her Lillian's Girls University student card and Youko signed in with her name and address before they passed through the reception area. Even though they had arrived at such a half-baked time, the reason they weren't questioned was probably because they were graduates. No, wait, they were questioned. The middle school teacher Aota-sensei had been talking to the security guard, and, upon seeing them, had asked, 'How are you going?' and 'How's university?'

"This takes me back."

Sei said as they walked along the path lined with ginkgo trees.

"Even though you go to Lillian's university?"

"I've walked in a little way past the gates, but I haven't been this far along the path."

"I see."

"And if I have some reason to visit the high school area, I can just take the path from the university buildings."

Ahh, so that's how it is. Maybe it would be a little bit embarrassing too. That's understandable.

You would seem a little bit out of place, to be walking along this long road wearing something other than a school uniform.

During special events, like the athletics festival, or the school carnival, or the graduation ceremony, it was a trifling matter. But on an ordinary day, Youko thought that it would be an incredibly strong sensation.

"You're praying?"

Sei asked Youko, as she clasped her hands together in front of the statue of Maria-sama.

"Yeah."

Even though Youko had graduated, it would be strange to suddenly stop. She didn't pray at home, either at morning or night, but she had no reason not to pray when in front of the statue of Maria-sama. Much the same as she would pray when in front of an altar at a Shinto shrine.

"You once told me that your family grave site was in a Buddhist temple, Youko. And to make matters worse, you came to Lillian's at the start of middle school."

"What do you mean, to make matters worse?"

Sei probably wanted to say that her Christianity was a convenience. Well, Youko couldn't really deny it.

"Even at university there's people like that. Every day during lunch, they'll voluntarily go out and pray. But they're not the same type of person as Shimako, it seems like they're doing it out of inertia. A habit, if you like. If they don't pray, they'll feel bad. That kind of thing."

"Yeah, I guess so."

There's probably a lot of Japanese people like that. Even the pious Shimako probably prays in the Buddhist temple when she gets home.

"Well then, what should we do?"

Eriko had said she didn't want to keep them waiting, but it would probably take her 5 to 10 minutes to arrive since she had still been at home.

"How about we take a stroll over there?"

That should be okay, as long as they didn't go too far.

"Ahh, wait up."

Sei called out to Youko, who had started to walk off. Youko was wondering what that was all about and turned around to see Sei standing in front of the statue of Maria-sama and praying.

"You're praying."

Somewhat surprised, Youko called out in wonder.

"Oh, it's nothing."

Sei said, seemingly uneasy. Youko had known Sei for a long time, but still didn't really understand her.

"Well, let's go then."

Having finished her prayer, Sei walked down a different path to the one Youko had been heading down.

"Wait, where are you going?"

Youko hurriedly stopped Sei by grabbing her elbow. For someone seemingly without any destination in mind, Sei had had an impish grin on her face when she had said, 'Let's go.'

"Well… look."

Youko stepped in without waiting to hear Sei's admission.

"We can't go to the gymnasium."

"It'll be fine. We'll just take a peek."

Youko had been spot on. Sei had been planning on going to watch the graduation ceremony.

"No means no."

There was no way they could 'just take a peek.' If that was allowed, they wouldn't have receptionists and security stationed at all the entrances. That was why Eriko's boyfriend (what was his name? that goofy guy) had been allowed onto the school grounds last year, but wasn't allowed in to see the graduation ceremony.

"Then we'll march straight in."

Youko braced herself and put all her strength into stopping Sei's forward motion.

"Absolutely not."

If they went to the gymnasium, they would probably be allowed in once they were recognized. But people who arrive late are incredibly conspicuous, even if they take their seats quietly. That's okay for regular parents and relatives. But they would be recognized by most of the students and that would cause a small commotion. The small commotion would spread, leading to a huge disruption inside the gymnasium.

Youko couldn't let that happen.

Graduation ceremonies are dull events. And boring is fine. If the program progresses solemnly and without incident, then it's a huge success.

"I'm begging you, please don't disrupt my darling petit soeur's graduation ceremony."