Template:Maria-sama Ga Miteru:Volume17 Chapter 2 5

Happenings And Heading Out Part 5

Along those lines, Sachiko-sama had asleep for quite a while.

After eating, sleeping, going to the bathroom, sleeping, and eating all within an airplane, it started to feel rather like being in a broiler.

"The flight has beaten me with jet lag." It feels like my body is no longer adapted to Japan time, Italy time, or any time."

"I had all sorts of weird dreams."

"Yeah. I slept most of the time, but I'm still exhausted."

"I didn't even open the book I brought to pass the time."

Landing at Milan-Malpensa Airport, everyone from Lillian Academy stretched their shoulders and necks. It was after 6 pm, local time.

But on this trip, they did not plan to stay in Milan. This was just a layover, their connecting flight wasn't for a few hours. Group A is Rome. Group B is Venice. For example, passengers from overseas land at Narita Airport, then connect to flights to Nagoya or Fukuoka. This was the same thing. Probably.

It was about 2 hours until the airplane headed to Rome boarded, so they could to stop by the toilet and have an hour of free time. But they had to stay on this floor. And in groups of at least two people. They'll call roll 30 minutes before, so absolutely be back here by then. Those were the conditions. But nobody would dare complain "all those rules are annoying" and "isn't that a bit over-protective?" on their first trip overseas. A child lost in a place like this would be terrible. Remember how nervous she was on her first errand out alone, about 10 years ago?

It was natural that there was nothing written in Japanese anywhere in the airport. It was all in Italian or maybe English. Her eyes were too tired to tell which was which, she could just make out the alphabet. She'd been taught hiragana, katakana, and kanji all her life and she was used to them. Her eyes could see them without even thinking. Sometimes she'd see Japanese written on a small sign, for tourists. That alone made her happy.

In the airport were many duty-free brand-name shops with just authentic Italian fashions. She'd decided to carry only 20,000 yen pocket money. She could not buy shoes or a bag even if she wanted to. Even if you snuck a family credit card, you could not get it home unless there was room in your carry-on baggage. The prohibition on suitcases seems to be a precautionary measure to avoid buying brand-name items.

"Students who need coins, come forward."

Katori-sensei said to the Pine class students who had gathered around roll call. Everyone was supposed to exchange currencies in Japan, but that was just paper bills. For coins, they were to get those after arriving in Italy. You tip in this country, unlike in Japan. They learned in an explanatory meeting that it was essential to pay gratuities for service in hotels and restaurants, and they needed small coins for that.

The teacher exchanged money with students as they came up, breaking their bills into small change. In a broad sense, the exchange of money could be thought of as social studies, but naive students might not realize that on their own at first.

"Yoshino-san?"

Yumi asked Yoshino as they returning together from going to the restroom.

"Rei-chan gave me a farewell gift of some coins that she didn't use up last year. Those should be fine for now, don't you think? After that, I think I'll be fine if I break a bill when I buy a souvenir. ...Oops."

Yoshino-san said "that's bad" before she caught herself. It seems she just realized that she needed to have over 20,000 yen in small change. Would she be doomed if the sales tax went over the previously decided limit on snacks for the trip?

"Yumi-san, what should I do?"

Put on the spot, Yumi was perplexed. It would certainly be easy to exchange money at the "Bank of Katori-sensei," but where was the fun in that?

"I'll break a bill myself. It'll be an experience if nothing else."

Yumi came to Italy, so shouldn't she try an experience that she can only do here? The whole point of the school trip was to learn from experiences you cannot normally have.

"Ooh, a challenger!"

Yoshino-san clapped her hands together.

Well, once you've made a decision, you need to figure out how to do it.

She thought she could easily break a bill by buying something. So the strategy is to go into a duty-free shop, buy something small, and get some coins. She might buy something useless, but looking at the long-term view, she had more than enough money.

"Do you like gum or chocolate?"

Yoshino-san pointed to the corner near the register, but Yumi couldn't be pinned down to either choice. Snacks or food seemed appropriate, but she hesitated.

"Aren't I supposed to be the challenger?"

"But. It's fine to buy either, but wouldn't it be a waste if it doesn't suit our tastebuds? We're spending our precious pocket money, after all."

"Ah. I see your point."

It's in a country like Italy's national character for snacks to be fashionable, so I get the impression that they'll put in lots of food colors and flavors.

"So then, chocolate? Something like the Major Choco that's sold in Japan?"

"Hm."

Yumi knew how that tastes because she'd eaten it. It was a tan sack, inside were chocolates that looked like buttons covered in multicolored coatings.

"But isn't that chocolate a gamble?"

That sack would only seal once, so once it was opened, it would need a rubber band or something, else its contents would spill out and stain your bag without your knowledge. In fact, that happened once when she unwittingly left her bag in a warm place. Yumi was well aware that there are methodical people that constantly pay attention, But one can get excited or distracted.

"Then, what would be good? While we've wavered, it's almost time to meet back up."

"Hm."

Inexpensive, not too large, nothing seemed appropriate. Even at a Japanese convenience store, it might be hard to come up with something quickly. When you're in a hurry, it becomes hard to think.

"I got it. This."

Yumi quickly pulled something from a side shelf with a "Yaa!"

"What's that?"

"A sign marker."

"Yeah, I tell from looking. But..."

Yoshino-san looked like she didn't really want the first thing she bought overseas to be a sign marker.

"You can buy those just as easily in Japan."

"It's fine. Going by that, chocolate is the same. We had two goals here: buy something on our own, and get some coins. So it'll be a huge success if we clear those goals."

"Even if it's a marker."

"Put an entry on the printed map that you got. I went to this place. You can use it when you return to Japan. Underline things in your textbook."

"Yes, yes. I got it. I understand, so please buy it quickly. I'll wait outside

the shop exit."

"Ro... Roger."

She got in the checkout line and waited. As she expected at an international airport. Looking around inside the shop, she saw many people with different skin, hair, and eye color, shopping and holding their preferred items in their hands. Lillian Academy's black school uniform stood out amongst them. Other than Yumi, the students here and there drew the attention of the foreigners. No. Here the Japanese were the foreigners.

"Bo... Buon Giorno."

That was the initial greeting after entering a store. And sticking to what she was taught to say, she spoke with the lady at the cash register,

who replied with "Buona Sera." Even in Japan, the boundaries between "Good day" and "Good morning", "Good Evening" were a bit fuzzy, so it couldn't be helped. If you think about it,

Lillian Academy's standard "Gokigenyou" was a reasonable greeting.

After that, Yumi used a bill to buy a marker. Change was placed in her hand. Success! She had completed her first mission. Because this was a shop in an airport, the prices were printed in both Italian and English at the checkout stand, so even if you couldn't speak you would be fine.

While rushing back to Yoshino-san, she heard the words "Rosa Gigantea" along the way. She turned and look over her shoulder, it was a bunch of Lillian students were gathered together, standing and talking.

(Shimako-san, what have you been doing?)

She was glad to turn back and listen, but Yoshino-san was waiting out front, silently creating "hurry" pressure. She stopped. Within that group was a familiar face.

It seemed that Shimako-san was methodical and reliable, unlike Yumi and Yoshino-san. Shimako-san was at the Wisteria class meeting place.

Yumi greeted her with "How are you?"

"Fine. Oh, you already bought something?" Shimako noticed.

"He he he. This first mission also serves to make some change."

Yumi said with an awkward laugh. Next to her, Yoshino-san added a supplementary "It's a marker."

"Ah. Ah, I see."

Shimako-san clapped her hands together like "I just remembered." She did not seem particularly interested in the marker.

"I need to discuss something with you two. I wonder if the three of us could pool our money to buy souvenirs for the Rose Manor."

"I think that would be good."

"Ah, yes."

It's economical. That way they could buy something good. Yoshino-san and Yumi had no objection. It was as if they already had an unspoken agreement to do so.

"We can get it at the airport on the way back. It will just sit in our luggage otherwise."

"I was thinking food, perhaps? Touko-chan and Kanako-chan have been coming to help us lately, so we should include them as well."

"Oh yeah. I should have brought you to that shop from earlier."

"You think so? But, that's fine. There will be time on the return flight."

As Shimako-san and Yoshino-san rapidly continued the conversation, a thought appeared from within the murky depths of Yumi's brain.

The keyword was "souvenir." And "food."

"Hey. Regarding souvenirs."

After hesitating, Yumi confided in the two of them.

"What?"

"Do you have a good idea?"

It was hard to speak when facing such expectant faces. But she spoke anyway, because she could not forgive herself if she did not see this through to the end. How will they react after they hear this?

"If possible, Roma Manjuu or Firenze Senbei would be nice."

Needless to say, Shimako-san and Yoshino-san were both frozen for a bit.