Maria-sama ga Miteru:Volume22 Chapter4.2

Section 2

When Yumi and Shimako returned to the Rose Mansion, they found it in uproar.

"How could I be the only one who didn't know something that important about Rei-chan?!"

"..."

Or at least, Yoshino-san was the one in uproar.

What had caused this? Yumi had barely picked up a few snatches of the previous conversation from Yoshino's charged voice. Words such as "University" and "Rei-chan" gave Yumi a good idea what the commotion was about.

"Yumi-san, Shimako-san."

Yoshino, looking as if she were a demon, pounced upon Shimako-san and Yumi as they entered the room.

"Did you know?"

Yumi nodded, and Shimako-san shook her head. Shimako-san though didn't even know the situation that Yoshino-san was questioning her about.

Based on Yumi's answer to the question, Yoshino-san turned her head now toward Yumi.

"Since when?"

So she wanted to know how long Yumi had known for? Yumi replied succinctly "earlier".

Yumi suspected that Yoshino-san was asking "Did you know?" and "since when?" because she hadn't known that Rei-sama would be going to a different university. Yumi could see the more difficult question "Then why didn't you tell me?" contained within Yoshino-san.

"Earlier. When we were eating cake. It was Rei-sama herself who told me."

Rei-sama herself was sitting in a chair right next to them, but Yumi had no choice but to talk about Rei-sama.

"I hadn't known whether Yoshino-san knew about Rei-sama's decision or not, but the reason I didn't come and talk to you about it immediately is because I had naively assumed that there was no way that Yoshino-san wouldn't know. For that ... I'm sorry."

Yoshino-san squeaked an "Ah" softly.

"I see. So that's what you guys were talking about. Yumi-san, you remember seeing me there, right?"

"I had?"

I don't remember. I'm sorry.

"Yep. You saw me. For sure. I think I may have even called you, Yumi-san. So ... while you were eating the cake, huh? Well, I can't say anything then, Yumi-san. You did nothing wrong. I wondered what you guys were talking about then, but I didn't come and ask. If anything, it's my fault then."

Yoshino-san's anger visibly decreased.

"But Rei-chan, you're the real person at fault here!"

After she finished her friends' direct examinations, Yoshino-san decided to acquit them, and now turned her anger once more toward Rei-sama. She held onto Rei-chan and began hitting her shoulder.

"Why, why was I the last to know?!"

"..."

Well, Shimako-san hadn't known either, so Yoshino-san technically was not the last to know, but to her, being last or second last was the same thing.

"Why didn't you let me know?!"

Rei-sama had fallen silent, and let Yoshino-san continue to hit her. And when Yoshino-san finally became tired of hitting Rei-sama, she answered.

"You hadn't asked."

The people around them who were watching over the scene suddenly felt the air charge with tension. "'You hadn't asked' ?" Yoshino-san hadn't said anything, was that really a reason?

Yoshino-san couldn't even understand such a train of thought.

"Why would I even dream of asking you, Rei-chan? You had always been telling me that you would be going to Lillian Girls' University."

"That's right, isn't it. I'm sorry."

"No, no more."

Yoshino-san dropped her tightly coiled fist. No matter how many times she hit Rei-sama, Rei-sama wouldn't change her mind. It might be to just hear her out.

"Why did you want to go to another school?"

"I wanted to study something that Lillian Girls' University didn't offer."

"And what would that be?"

"I wanted to learn Kinesiology."

"... Kinesiology?"

Rei-sama wanted to learn about Kinesiology. Everyone felt like nodding, it was a decision that seemed very Rei-sama-ish. But then again, had Rei-sama taken Home Economics, that too would have felt very Rei-sama-ish.

(TL Sukoshi: I love it how Yumi's voice has become so much more adult, with the occasional cynical quip that adults have. Her narration voice has changed so much since the first books, it's amazing.)

"Whether I'll actually continue on with the family dojo I don't know, but I wanted to do something at least related to it. I can help out kids, and teach them about their physical development, and now my knowledge about how the body works won't go to waste. I really want to study kinesiology."

"Even more than Lillian's Home Economics?"

"I just do those things as hobbies. They've just been things I do idly."

"... I see."

Yoshino-san finally smiled. And Yumi suddenly turned her gaze toward Rei-sama.

"I would have wanted to have talked about this a long time ago, just the two of us. If we had talked thoroughly about it, then I wouldn't have minded at all."

"I'm sorry."

Rei-sama began stroking Yoshino-san's head.

It didn't matter to them that there were people around them. Everyone around them became a bit embarrassed, but Yoshino-san and Rei-sama had retreated into their own special world.

"Well at least you could have told me before you told anyone else. But I really wanted to be the first to know."

"I'm sorry."

Rei-sama continued to whisper "I'm sorry" repeatedly. She seemed to be a parrot who knew no other phrases.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm Sorry.

Witnessing the whole scene made Yumi want to cry. Yoshino-san had her forehead resting on Rei-sama's shoulder and maybe was crying. And maybe the occasional snorting noises by Rei-sama had nothing to do with tears.

But this whole Yellow Rose event wasn't completely unrelated Yumi.

Like Yoshino-san, Yumi too had an Onee-sama who was in the Spring. Rei-sama, Sachiko-sama, and yes probably second years through time immemorial have had to watch their grande soeurs leave them.

But that big event in their grande soeurs life, that thing called graduation, would probably happen to all of them. And the real trouble after their grande soeur's graduation wouldn't as much a curiosity with what their grande soeur was doing, but simply the burden of having to live without a grande soeur.

Suddenly, Yumi cried out.

"Onee-sama!"

"... What?"

Sachiko-sama turned back suspiciously. It felt like the flip of a switch had turned the focus from the Yellow Rose family to the Red Rose family.

But Yumi couldn't stop herself.

"Onee-sama, where are you going after graduation?"

"Me?"

"You haven't told me yet. I haven't really asked you, and it wasn't because I was like Yoshino-san and thought 'you must be going to University A', and I had no idea where you wanted to go, and so I was too scared to ask, and ..."

"Yumi."

"But it's a good time to ask. So please, tell me Onee-sama. After you graduate, where will you be going?"

No matter how far from Lillian she decides to go, I won't react, Yumi told her heart. If she prepared herself correctly, she knew her shock would be much less than Yoshino-san's.

"... I wanted to talk about such things in a much quieter place, between the two of us."

Sachiko-san sighed and said, sounding much like Yoshino-san did earlier.

"I'm sorry."

"But no, you're right Yumi. It is a good time to talk about future plans. I'm"

Before Yumi could finish stilling her heart of doubt, Sachiko-sama began her answer.

"I'll be going to Lillian University."

".... Oh."

Lillian University ... !

"Really ?!"

"O, Onee-sama! You took the escalator exam?!"

"What's wrong Yumi? You look shocked. I'll be in the same area as Lillian High, so what's wrong?"

"N... n... no, nothing's wrong."

"Unlike Rei, I had no inclination to take my studies anywhere but along the same path I've been walking on. There won't be any new surprises for me at Lillian Girls University."

"I see. Congratulations!"

"Yumi, you know better. I've applied, but I haven't gotten the results back yet."

"I know!"

But whether or not Sachiko-sama announced the decision, she was sure to get in. Universities always allowed higher ranked students in, so all universities were a sure shot for Sachiko-sama.

"Since I never wanted to go anywhere but Lillian University, I wouldn't want to apply anywhere else. Good luck to everyone else once the new year starts."

(TL Sukoshi: I'm not sure why Sachiko says "everyone" here, Rei is the only other person in the room applying for college.)

"Okay!"

How many times had Yumi shouted?

Yumi wondered whether the Red Rose sisters too had created their own little world, and had alienated everyone else around them, though she knew that the truth wasn't so romantic. Yumi came back to her surroundings and took the chance to look around.

But it seemed like they couldn't have been in this special world for too long, because everyone seemed to be whispering "good for them, good for them" and quickly moving onto other topics.

"The Twister board seems pretty worn out, what should we do with it?"

"It is pretty bad, isn't it? Can we tape the back of it up with some craft tape?"

"Huh, you really think we can use this again?"

"There's just a bit of tea left. Do you want to heat it up again?"

"Let's collect all the empty cups."

"Let's see how hot the Green Tea is"

"How much do the exams cost?"

The conversations just piled up on top of each other.

This was the time after the tournament, right before the next event, which they had purposefully scheduled nothing in. And at regular intervals, Tsutako-san's camera shutter blanketed the room like background music.

A room full of conversation.

Everyone moved around aimlessly, absorbed in their conversations. The whole room seemed like a crucible of conversation. Much like the school entrance, full of students talking as they walked to school.

The Christmas Party picture frame seemed to be filled up, with everyone in their place.

So Yumi was happy. She just gazed wondrously at the scene, and kept herself out of it. It seemed like some piece of beautiful, shining abstract art wrapping paper.

But within it all, one person seemed to not blend into the picture frame.

She slowly began throwing off the chains of belonging.

It seemed like Touko-chan was leaving the room, alone.